Spotlight: Jess Granger's Beyond the Rain

As a rule, I don't read a lot of futuristic fiction . It's not that I have anything against the genre...mostly it's because I'm just not smart enough to keep track of all the creatures, aliens and intergalactic terms. I mention this before I talk about Jess Granger's book, because I think it's important to know that I came to it expecting to be lost, frustrated and generally in agreement with myself that sci-fi and Erin Quinn do not mix.


I'm happy to say that this was not the case.  Beyond the Rain was a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed it immensely.  The world building was clear and picturesque, the terminology peppered with a light hand that even a novice like me could handle, and the story was moving.  I can’t wait to read the next in the series.


Beyond the Rain is the story of Captain Cyani, a woman who is trying to do the right thing for her family by sacrificing herself for the greater good. She is in training to become one of the Elite--the upper echelon of society in the world of Azra. The Elite are cold and heartless--everything Cyani isn't--but she sees her acceptance into their numbers as the only way to help her people.

Enter Soren.

Soren is is a Byralen--a unique and endangered people who are prized for the hormone they create (which is sold as a sexual narcotic). Cyani finds Soren enslaved and half crazed from torture and the imbalance to his system the harvesting of his hormones has caused. She frees him and thus embarks on a journey neither expected.

What I loved about this book was Granger’s people. Cyani is a commander, taught to be stern and unfeeling, yet Granger paints her with feelings, hopes and fears that make her very human. Soren could have easily been squeezed into the alpha male mold that we often see—that of men driven by their chemical makeup to mate. In fact, that is Soren’s exact predicament. Yet Granger gives Soren that something extra that lets him rise above his hormones and become a great hero. He is strong, sexy and dynamic, but inside there is also a very gentle and generous man just looking to be loved and accepted for who he is.  I had no problem at all falling in love with him.  :)


Granger creates a new world with vivid imagery and peoples it with exciting characters. If you’re looking for something new to read, I recommend giving Beyond the Rain a try. The second book in the series, Beyond the Shadows is on bookshelves now so you won't have to wait for the next story.

Jess Granger will be stopping by today to say hi and offer a giveaway Beyond the Rain to one lucky commenter!  Have you read this series?  Are you intrigued?