Ashler

Keelie a’Tregor is being sent to the planet Ria to become the wife of Lord Kalen Ashler in a marriage of convenience to promote trade between Ria and Keelie’s home planet, Tarva. Keelie feels understandable fear and uncertainty, since she has never met the man she is to marry. Unknown to her, Ashler is also feeling reluctant about the marriage, but is willing to go through with it to keep peace between the two planets. After a quick joining ceremony, Keelie is surprised that Ashler will not consummate the marriage. Her new husband becomes a mystery to which Keelie is determined to find the answers.

This is an interesting short story (61 pages) that shifts the Regency theme of forced marriage into a futuristic setting. The main characters, Keelie and Kalen, are very sympathetic and brought to life skillfully. Each has problems that they would prefer remain secrets but, of course, keeping the secrets causes the conflict between them. The story is nicely paced and keeps the plot rolling along without pauses or “flat” scenes. The story is more about communication between two people than about physical demonstrations of their feelings. The author’s style ensures that the reader is involved in the story until the end. The few love scenes are sensual rather than graphic, and should not be shocking to most readers. I enjoyed the story and recommend it as a quick read for an idle hour.

Reviewed by: Jean