Title: Insufficient Mating Material
Author: Rowena Cherry
Published in February 2007 by Dorchester Publishing
Genre: Futuristic Romance
ISBN: 0-505-52711-1
Related books by Rowena: Forced Mate Mating Net
A year ago Tarrant-Arragon wouldn’t believe he was going to set his sister up, but she had proven unruly and a definite liability. Her actions in regards to her attempts at betraying him, and various indiscretions with the traitor known as Commander Jason could no longer be ignored or tolerated. As he watched, and as the anesthetic took a hold on his cousin, he realized he has hopes Djetthro-Jason can and will find a measure of peace and happiness with Martia-Djulia. He knows there is an attraction there, and he also knows his sister will fight him at every turn, but his well-honed Tiger instincts tell him there is more than just lust between his traitorous renegade cousin and his would-be blackmailer sister. Tarrant-Arragon is definitely going to take every advantage of the possibility. Having his sister settled in a potentially good marriage is something he would prefer. The Tiger Prince may have a fearsome reputation, but he would rather have his sister alive and well, than kill her as his ancestors would have done.
Prince Djetthro-Jason was educated on Earth, the little backwater planet where Empress Helispeta, Djetth’s grandmother, took the opportunity to guard the last true Tiger Princess, the earth-born and half human Djinni-vera. All the carefully plans to overthrow Tarrant-Arragon have gone up in flames. He has had his hopes of marriage with her dashed, because Tarrant-Arragon's persistence and trickery stole her away. Now, back in the bosom of his homicidal family, Djetth wonders what will happen next, and if the removal of the prominent identifying scar on his face was the only bit of surgery performed on him. He is fascinated by Tarrant-Arragon's grand plan for his sister’s marriage to the noble-born Tiger Prince he will be sans scar. He is curious and wonders if there truly is any real feeling between him and Martia. The Saurian Dragon’s plan had gone awry, but for Commander Jason, it had been a night to remember, and a night that was to mark the end of that particular persona. Djarrhett had warned him, yet now survival is hanging in the balance, and the marriage to Martia-Djulia the only visible way to save his life. Djetth has a lot to remember, and still more to consider. First though, he has to insure their survival…
Martia-Djulia , Royal Tiger Princess, is upset to say the least. The last thing she expected in her life was to be shot down by her brother, and left to die on a strange and uninhabited island on An’Koor. The man piloting the small Thorcraft for her is none other than her “beloved” suitor, the man her brother picked to marry her. Martia already rejected him once, and she knows in the end there will be a marriage between them, but it doesn’t mean she will be happy about it one bit. Again, life has been taken from her grasp. This time it is controlled by her arrogant brother, the Royal Tiger Prince, Tarrant-Arragon. It was he who “uncovered” this royal princeling when her beloved Commander Jason, rebel, traitor, and potential usurper of the Imperial Throne was killed. She knows he has arranged this marriage to this Great Djinn Prince as a punishment for her attempts to spy on him, betray him, and then to blackmail him. Now they have a problem of survival on a man-made island in the shallow sea of An’Koor. Although she is not happy, she has no choice, and being stranded with the odious man has her wondering why her brother did this to her. If he does not truly want her and her companion dead, then why is not coming to their rescue when Scythian mercenaries are attacking…
On the Pleasure Moon of Eurydyce, things were happening that would have an effect on the Tigron Royal House, and on the lives of the Princes of the line. For many years, the Royal House of Tigron has been known for its heavy-handed, hard-minded rulers, and as far as most know, the Tiger Prince Tarrant-Arragon is the worst of the lot. His reputation and ruthless ways are known far and wide, and finally fomented the revolution by the Saurian Dragon, himself a Great Djinn Prince of the deposed Royal Dragon line of Tigron. Ala’Aster-Djalet, father of Djarrhett and Djinni, took things into his own hands and until recently, was the head of the underground rebel army called the Saurian White Knights. Until his daughter, Djinni-vera was taken from Earth and wed by Tarrant-Arragon, he was the leader of the rebellion. Now the truth was known to Ala’Aster-Djalet, Madam Tara, and a select few, of the plans made, and the desires of Tarrant Arragon to rule with a more benign hand than the Tigron Empire had ever known. Ala’Aster knows through his spymaster, Tarrant-Arragon is not weak. Because of his reputation, and his actual skills, it would be very unwise to underestimate him. Ruthlessness runs in the line and his enemies would soon discover this fact if they tried his patience, or pushed him unduly. But there is something else going on here, and Ala’Aster and Madam Tara find themselves again drawn into the machinations of the Great Djinn of Tigron.
Insufficient Mating Material, the latest in the saga of the Tiger Princes of Tigron, brings Prince Djetthro-Jason face to face with his true destiny. Rowena Cherry has again written a work that is interesting in its imaginative scope, and utterly enthralling in its characters and plot. Once again we are drawn into a world of intrigue as the Royal House of Tigron tries to sort itself out. Djetth has learned his feelings for Martia are more than he was at first willing to admit, but now he has to learn if she feels the same. The distinctive scar that marred his face made Commander Jason a memorable presence in Martia-Djulia’s life, without the scar, he is just another horny Great Djinn Prince to her, and not the man she loves. He knows he has to try to get through to her as Djetthro-Jason, because failure would mean his life if Tarrant-Arragon is to be believed. Martia is fighting it the whole way. What she doesn’t need is another man trying to run her life. What she demands cannot be, for to have her running free and unattached is something her brother and now Djetth understand.
Again Rowena Cherry brings us into the turbulent lives of the divided Royal House of Tigron, but there is something evil afoot there. There are rumors of death, a pair of missing girls from Madam Tara’s on Eurydyce, and a whispered plot to murder someone overheard. Life for some depends on secrecy, and the ability for them to remain unknown. Such is the case with Madam Tara, as she hides from the cruelty of one man, and the insane depravity of another. Helispeta suffers similarly, yet together they work to save one of their own. But Martia thinks her brother is out to kill her, and Djetth cannot tell her otherwise. Neither know of the sinister plan put into motion by someone in the Royal family, a someone who will keep murdering until all those who might possess his secret, no matter how innocent are destroyed. Insufficient Mating Material will be coming to a book store near you next year. Rowena Cherry has struck another excellent note with Djetth and Martia’s story. There were questions left unanswered, and Rowena has skillfully answered some, left others hanging, and then turns around and leaves us with a whole new set to ponder. I loved this book, and I know Insufficient Mating Material is a book you will not want to miss either.
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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