Enemy Within

Political intrigue, titled aristocrats, duels, xenobiology, and starship captains feature in Burnard's over-the-top SF romance debut. Capt. Ari Idylle lost her command after being imprisoned, tortured, and inexplicably released by the alien Chekydran. When a small band of men seizes her father's ship while it's engaged in a scientific expedition, Ari butts heads with the band's captain, Cullin Seaghdh, who proves uncannily capable of manipulating her. Ari finds Cullin both arrogant and attractive as they work together to evade a Chekydran ship hot on their trail, but when Ari learns that her former commanders have placed a remote-controlled bomb in her head, she no longer knows who to trust. The ending is marred by a grotesque scene of sexualized violence, but readers will love the powerful emotion and futuristic costume-drama trappings. (Nov.)