Title: Blue on Black
Author: Carole Cummings
Format: Novel
Published/Free: Published
Length: 380 pages
Status: Complete
Rating: Mature
Warnings: non-con (not between main pairing), mind control, violence, slavery through debts
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25654472-blue-on-black
Summary: Bas is a Directorate Tracker on the trail of Baron Petra Stanslo, a megalomaniac and ruler of a little desert barony on the edge of nowhere. Techs tend to die and disappear around Baron Stanslo, and the latest one is Kimolija Adani–Class 2 gridTech, beloved brother, most promising student the Academy’s ever had the privilege of calling their own, genius mechanical gridstream engineer, brilliantly pioneering inventor. A dead man Bas has definitely not fallen in love with through his diaries and work.
For almost three years, Bas has tried to find a way into Stanslo’s Bridge, and when he finally makes it, shock is too small a word for what—or, rather, whom—he finds there.
Review: I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I’ve read Cumming’s other works before, specifically her Wolf’s Own series, and though I didn’t mind it, I certainly didn’t love the books. Maybe it’s the subject matter and the genre that caught my attention. It’s a Wild West Punk with psychics, and my god I did not know I needed that in my life until now.
The romance is slow, and the plot is convoluted, and Cummings does an excellent job of weaving it all together. I love reading about Bas contending with his feelings for Kimo, whatever they might be, while dealing with Stanslo’s particular brand of insanity. Not to mention that everyone seems to have their own agendas, and he’s not sure who to trust. On that note, the secondary characters really stood and I would have loved to read a number of backstories about any of them. Even the most villainous of character were fascinating in their own right, even if sometimes that fascination is laced with disgust.
I really enjoyed the worldbuild, and how it’s revealed bit by bit, rather than in episodes of massive info dumps. It felt natural, the way the information is given to the readers. Not to mention Bas is a hilarious character in his own head, whose love for being a hero battles constantly with his survival instincts and common sense.
That said, the story doesn’t pull punches when it comes to the violence either, which might not be to everyone’s taste. And admittedly, the slow start can be a bit of a slog to get through, and Cummings is not kind with explanations but it’s worth it for the story that unfolds.
