Sky Riders

Sutherland begins her Crux Ansata series with a gay, erotic science fantasy romance that’s implausible on every level. World-weary pirate captain Torin hires Rain, an astrophobic pilot, to steer his ship on a dangerous secret adventure. The young pilot proves his worth among the tight-knit crew of misfits—is there any other kind?—but also infuriates the captain with his blend of idealistic naïveté and flirtatiousness. The two men lock lips and hips soon enough, wielding their genitals like swords through a couple of rough sex scenes jarred by Torin’s thoughts and feelings, which lack an authentically male flavor. Colloquial accents and the occasional racist comment directed at ebony-dark Torin are straight out of the American South, and their incongruity in deep space adds to the head-spinning feel. (Sept.)