The Ultimatum

by Susan Kearney

Book Overview

Dr. Alara Calladar needs a man... ... but she sure as krek doesn't want one. If Alara doesn't make love soon, her cells will fail to regenerate and she'll die. Unfortunately, her only option is an enemy - Rystani starpilot Xander, her abductor... and a member of the race who has been battling hers since the beginning of time. Xander issues an ultimatum: He'll make love to Alara only if she will use her psi-talent of identifying DNA to help him find...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765354489
• ISBN13: 9780765354488
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Scorching hot romance combined with suspense, spirituality and intriguing science fiction

Hard at work on a critical experiment, being interrupted by a man is the last thing Endekian scientist, Dr. Alara Callandar, needed at the moment. Alara had been hailed as a war hero simply for surviving at terrorist attack at the hands of the Terrans. It was for that reason alone that she'd been allowed to continue with her controversial project. Now that her world had achieved peace though, her work was becoming vastly unpopular. Time was of the essence. Unlike other humanoid women in the Federation, Endekian women were slaves to their biology. Once a female reached childbearing age they would enter a critical stage called Boktai every other year. During Boktai a women must engage in regular sex in order to regenerate their cells. It didn't matter if they were in a relationship or not, if they did not do so they would die. To make matters worse, when the need became too strong any male would do and if a female mated with the same male too often she would adapt to his essence and their lives would be inextricably intertwined. If the male refused her or died, she too would die. Alara had lost her beloved mother when her father had died during the Terran attack on her village. Space Captain Xander is a Rystani warrior who had suffered torture at the hands of Endekian soldiers as a child when they'd conquered his home planet (THE CHALLENGE). Taking an Endekian woman as one of his crew was unpalatable but the Terran's predicament left him with no choice. He is on a mission to travel to the rim of the galaxy in hopes of finding a Perceptive One, the legendary higher intelligence who had left behind the machines that manufactured the psi suits every Federation member wore from birth. Federation mythology proposed that these beings had once seeded their galaxy with pure DNA to create the diverse life forms in existence today and had placed Sentinels on the Rim to protect their galaxy from attack by the evil Zin. Then they'd simply disappeared. The Terrans (earth dwellers) were now dying in droves from a mysterious incurable virus which was rapidly spreading throughout the universe. By finding the Perceptive Ones Xander is hoping to bring back a strand of pure DNA to affect a cure. Alara has a unique talent which Federation intelligence has indicated would be necessary for the success of his mission. She is able to read a life form's DNA by sight alone. It is a testament to Xander's courage that he is able to accede to this necessity. He would surely have died from the Endekian torture had it not be for the bravery of the 21st century Terran, Tessa Camen. He owed Tessa and her people a debt of honor. Alara isn't about to agree to give up her life's work. She has no love for the Terrans who killed her family and besides, due to same biological issue she seeks to cure, no Endekian female has ever been allowed to leave the planet. Xander, who isn't about to leave behind his best hope for the mission's success, is forced to make an untenable deal with t

Fantasy Science Fiction

Kearney's last few books have been erotic fantasy/science fiction and this is more of the same. If you liked her previous novels about the Rystani, you will like this one. I really think she is getting better and if we could only have more story and a few less encounters, she will have it. I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to THE QUEST. Alara is a scientist from Endeki, who are old war enemies of the Rystani, although they are now supposedly at peace. The biology of the women on her planet is perverse. The arrogance of the men is legend. The women go into "Boktai" once every two yrs. They virtually loose their minds. They must have a male to service them in order to live. Alara has been searching for a cure for the women of her world. Now a plague has come upon the Earth and has moved through the galaxy. Xander, who we met in THE CHALLENGE and THE DARE is sent to find the Perceptive Ones who are thought to have seeded the galaxy with life. He needs Alara to accompany him. She has a gift for being able to see a beings DNA when she looks at them. Alara is in the last stage of "Boktai" when he comes for her. She has not found a male to mate with and has refused to come with him. Xander more or less kidnaps her but has to leave one of his men behind to keep the Deki from starting up the war again. So many questions about the Deki were not answered, but I hope to learn more as the series goes on. Xander is forced to mate with Alara to save her life. The journey to find the Perceptive Ones takes us to a different world and through several narrow escapes. I loved the worlds and wished for more information about the people and their ways of life, but the general story held my attention and I did enjoy the book. There are so few people who really do good, Fantasy/Science Fiction that I am pleased to see more authors trying this genre. Good Afternoon Read.

4.5 Stars!

Endekian biology holds the women of Endek hostage to the men. Every other year of an Endekian female's adult life she enters into Boktai. This means that her cells begin breaking down. She must mate to regenerate her cells or die. Since the women need the men in order to survive, the men take all their females for granted and treat them badly. This is why Dr. Alara Calladar is determined to find a cure to Boktai. Captain Xander takes Alara, against her will, to his ship. Xander's mission is to seek out the ancient Perceptive Ones to find a pure form of DNA. Only with this will the galaxy be saved from the strange virus that has invaded all life forms throughout the galaxy. To succeed, Xander needs Alara's ability to look at someone and actually see their DNA. No microscope necessary. Alara is now trapped aboard Xander's ship. Worse, she is in Boktai. So Xander gives her an ultimatum: He will make love to Alara if she will help him find the cure for the deadly virus. ***** This sci-fi romance is set in the same galaxy as "The Challenge" and "The Dare" is. I admit that the synopsis on the book made me wary about how good the story would be, but let me tell you, this book is terrific! This novel is a story in itself, just like the other two, but the author left room for another installment if she so desires. I am very hopeful that another book will be forthcoming. And I strongly urge you to pick up a copy of this tale, if not the entire series. ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Fascinating Sci-Fi Romance

My first experience of Susan Kearney books was a major plus. I've been searching for another talented sci-fi romance author since Catherine Spangler's last book came out (i.e. Shadow Fires, Shadow Crossing, etc.) and Kearney's blend of seductive romance and colorful worlds and characters is just what I've been seeking. Well, seek and you shall find an action packed tale of survival of the fittest and some pretty hot and steamy love. Alara is an Endekian female, a women literally enslaved to her biology - one that forces her into a period called boktai where she must have sex in order to regenerate her cells. This is a condition that Alara detests since there is no choice involved. Any man that happens to be near is an excrutiating temptation for her. She is a brilliant scientist though and has dedicated her research to finding a way of suppressing the boktai curse. When Rystani warrior Xander comes in, demanding she accompany him to aid in his quest to find a cure to a deadly disease, she is horrified by this enemy of her people. When Alara won't cooperate, needing to get away from him because of her downward spiral into boktai, Xander takes matters into hand and kidnaps her. Once Xander realizes her situation he steps in and assumes the role of protector for Alara, even if it means mating with an enemy. More is at stake than their differences for billions are at risk from this deadly disease. With the addition of several excellent secondary characters, brilliant world-building and an interesting subplot "The Ultimatum" made for a great read. Kearney inserts an underlying message of the need for social equality into the story and Xander's crew exemplifies this concept with the different cultures and people represented in it. His compassion for Alara's needs, that of cell regeneration through sex, is handled with tactful sincerity. Their complex relationship progresses from one of convenience to one of profound respect and love. I enjoyed their relationship immensely and felt it really added depth to the book. The subplot involving one of Xander's crew works well with the progressing story as well. Other interesting parts of the book were: the child-like character called Clarie (an alien that joins their search for the cure and is not all that he seems) and the multi-tasking "suits" that all the races wear, which do everything from keeping them clean (look, ma, no bath needed!) to creating outfits to wear. I did feel that there were parts of the story I may have understood better if I'd read the series in order (check out "The Challenge" and then "The Dare"), but it was still a one hundred percent spellbinding read. If you're not already a fan of Kearney's books I recommend giving this series a try. I for one can't wait to backtrack to the two previous books. Take a chance like I did and enjoy.

terrific stand alone science fiction romance

To live Endekian females need to mate with the men or their cells deteriorate and quickly die. These men control life literally on Endeki as every other year a woman must have a man to prevent the cellular deterioration caused by the Boktai defect. Endekian cellular research scientist Dr. Alara Calladar resents the cavalier enslaved citizenry of women and vows to find a cure for this illness. Rystani star pilot Captain Xander abducts Alara because he is in dire need of her uncanny psychic skill of just looking at a person to typecast their DNA molecular structure. He seeks the purebred DNA of the mythological Perceptive Ones as the only potential elixir to prevent a virus from pandemic killing millions or more. However, Alara is in trouble as her biological clock is ticking so she needs what she least wants in life, a man with only Rystani available. He offers to make love with Alara in exchange for her help with stopping the deadly Terran virus. She was unprepared for her cells especially of the heart to adapt to only his lovemaking while he realizes this is his soulmate even if she is a member of an enemy species. Though the third science fiction romance in the Kearney universe) see THE CHALLENGE and THE DARE), THE ULTIMATUM is a terrific stand alone thriller that grips the audience once readers understand Alara's dilemmas especially involving the deaths of her parents and Xander's mission to save the galaxy. The story line is action-packed, but also insures that the lead heroes are full blooded individuals with desires beyond their respective quests. As with the previous two novels, this is a must read for sub-genre fans. Harriet Klausner