Format Read: paperback submitted by Author for review
Length: 368 Pages
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Formats Available: eBook, Trade Paperback
Purchasing Info: Amazon, Author’s Website, Goodreads, Book Depository (US), Book Depository (UK)

Book Blurb:

Kidnapped while combating a devastating plague, Jayleia Durante fights to resist the attractive Major Damen Sindrivik, an officer from a rival government’s spy corps. But with her spymaster father missing, and mercenaries hot on her trail, Jayleia must join forces with the magnetic, charming and manipulative spy. She must see past her desire and remember that his single-minded agenda is for the protection of the empire – not her or her people.

Damen knows a shadowy network of traitors has allied with the violent Chekydran, and that Jayleia’s father holds the key to dismantling that web. She becomes his only lead in a circuitous round of hide and seek and despite their opposing sides, he can’t resist her. Too bad his instincts tell him Jayleia is lying to him.

Now Jayleia and Damen must find the love to match their passion and end the war or they’ll become the prey of the traitors they stalk, and one species’ civil war will consume the galaxy

I devoured Enemy Within, the first book in this series, and I just couldn’t wait to see what Burnard would come up with next. This book definitely didn’t disappoint. It was exactly what I hoped for and even some more. The characters gave this story quite a different feel. Enemy Games shows a different angle to the story Burnard started.

Damen is one alpha male, I already loved him in book one. He’s not what I expected him to be – he’s more complex than I thought. Because of his “animalistic” heritage he has some fascinating and interersting facets hidden beneath his alpha male attitude. I loved to learn more about his background and even though it was really alien in some aspects it was still enthralling but partly disgusting at times. I loved that Burnard isn’t afraid to make her aliens really alien and not only colorful (as we sometimes see in lesser scifi novels). Her different races are full of differences deeper than skin-color and appearance. One of the things I love most about this series- the variety of races and their uniqueness.

Jayleia is nothing like Ari from book one but she has an ace or two up her sleeve. She looks like a “tame” scientist on her mission to heal the world. But she has a past that marked her more than the first glimspe makes us believe. She knows how to fight for herself but she prefers to keep that site of herself hidden. She’s a very compassionate person who tries to not act on common prejudices. She’s a wonderful character- likable and open to foreignness which would make a lesser person shrink away with disgust.

Both together are a wonderful team- they work together seamlessly even though their mistrust to each other comes between them at first they find a way to work around that. I loved to see how both really tried to understand the other and what they were willing to do to accept the other’s customs and world views. This is nothing we should see as granted. It’s really hard to accept something that stands in total contrast to your own upbringing without judgement. 

The story itself was a thrilling ride through Burnard’s universe Enemy Games is about deception and mistrust. We meet a bunch of new characters and the author challenges us to discover who’s a friend or foe before she reveals it. The book is again highly focused on the way we easily start to develop prejudices and how we judge a whole race too easily for something only some of them did. I adore the way she shows how easily we can be let astray by generalizing and our own ignorance. 

The romance in this novel isn’t as prominent but for me that was just fine. It fit the story and blended in at the right times. I still loved to see these two find their way to each other, no matter which obstacles lay ahead.

All in all Enemy Games is a wonderful science fiction romance. We have the thrill, the adventure and a bit of romance. The worldbuilding is enthralling, thought through and complex. It’s more than just a flashy universe with a bunch of aliens- the story has a significance that shouldn’t be ignored. I devoured this book and really hope some of you will give this series a chance. Highly recommended not only to all the other science fiction lovers out there.

I give Enemy Games 4 out of 5 bookies.

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