Book Tour for Mindscape by Tal Valante (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Hello and welcome to the online tour of Mindscape! Thank you for joining me, and thank you to Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess for having me!

Mark Sayre joins the Interstellar Navy for the money—his only goal is to keep his little brother out of the colony mines that sent their father to an early grave. With concepts like duty and honor floating high over his head, he hardly expects to fall for the serious, idealistic Shane Cawley. Not to mention that Shane is his commanding officer . . . and his Resonance partner, a one-in-ten-thousand mental connection so profound that they can travel in each other’s mindscapes.

Shane Cawley is carrying on the family tradition by serving in the Interstellar Navy. He hardly expects to fall for the quirky, happy-go-lucky Mark Sayre. But as the Resonance between them grows, neither can deny what he feels for the other.

When war breaks out, Mark and Shane find their military training and their Resonance link tested to the edge of sanity. Shane is haunted by memories and flashbacks, and Mark becomes trapped in his own mindscape. But with help from an unlikely ally, they may be able to salvage their futures and the love they share.

Read an excerpt and order online at Riptide Publishing!

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

With Mindscape Tal Valante has crafted an intriguing sci-fi read that uses flashbacks to show the progressive relationship of two soldiers of war that goes from tragedy to uplifting in the blink of an eye.  Along the way we delve into issues of PTSD and the plight of POWs to inject a bit of realism as well as how true love is defined to tug at the reader's heart.

Mark and Shane couldn't be more different in their reasons for joining the service.  Mark is doing it merely to pay the rent and keep his younger brother from working to death in the mines.  For Shane it's tradition as his father rose high in the ranks as does he.  Much to Mark's surprise he succeeds too, especially with the knowledge that success means he'll be able to start a relationship with Shane who he's become attracted to.  Their relationship has its ups and downs with injuries leading to PTSD and even deeper mental issues that force them apart just as they're on the road to HEA.

This was a quick read that showed an intriguing glimpse at a future society on the brink of war with other planets.  There was a small bit of world-building but not near what I'd hope for a sci-fi read.  The romance was subtle with the physical aspects of the sweet variety.  The majority of this m/m relationship was of the emotional variety instead as Mark's catatonic state is keeping them from their HEA and letting them connect on only a mental level as they're bonded through Resonance (a mutual telepathy the affects only one in a million).  Shane's desperate to bring Mark back on his own terms but soon realizes that he needs the help of another to break down the walls Mark's created to get through the horrors of war in an ending that's a bit flat at first but ultimately concludes in a realistic way that reasserts the true power of love and acceptance.  From start to finish this is an atmospheric story that draws you in but doesn't dig too deep into the individuality of the characters.  It's an entertaining read that shows great promise for Tal Valante's future and has me wanting to read more from this author in the future.

My rating for this is a B-

*I received this book from NetGalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Tal's passion in life is building worlds, whether digital ones using programming languages, or literary ones using plain ol' English.

When she's not buried neck-deep in code, you can find her editing manuscripts, designing fantasy worlds, or torturing characters in her own original works.

You can get Tal going forever on her favorite subjects with a few well-placed words, such as "Babylon 5" and "Assassin's Creed." A word of caution, though: "forever" means just that . . .

Connect with Tal:  Website  |  Goodreads

**********GIVEAWAY**********

My giveaway is almost over! Here’s your chance to enter. I’m raffling off three $10 Amazon.com gift certificates at the end of this tour. For a chance to win, simply comment on this post with an answer to the following question: other than telepathy, what special power would you like to have? Winners will be picked randomly from all tour stops, and will be announced on 12/29. Drop me a comment at each stop to increase your chances of winning!

Thank you for following me (ooooh, stalkers!), and don’t forget to post your answers below!

-To be entered, LEAVE A COMMENT ANSWERING TAL'S QUESTION, along with your email addy (no email=no entry).

-Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 12/28.