The Royal Scam

Professional Reviews

"For such a fast read, I was able to get a good grasp of all the characters and I really loved the crew of the Hummingbird. There were a few surprises that came along that I should've seen coming but didn't, and I just love it when that happens. I was afraid that this would be to sci fi in nature, but once again my fears were for nothing, because the world created is explained in a way which didn't leave me frustrated. The only problem I had with this novella was that I wanted more. I loved the captain of the ship and his relationship with a certain crew member. This was just a fun entertaining read that I had read in under an hour.

If you've been like me, afraid to give Science Fiction a try, then I highly recommend you give this book a try~you can't go wrong with a book by Gini Koch."
THE BUCKEYE GIRL READS

"Danielle Daniels is a rarity among the galaxy, she is a true shifter able to become anyone inside and out. Danielle has a talent and she isn't afraid to use it especially when it can be so much fun. *pause* as I remember one particular scene that involves pants dropping *end pause* It's perfect for the life she leads one of a con artist or as I like to think of it fixer of other peoples problem. It also helps that she has a close-knit group of aliens (humanoid and non-humanoid) she calls friends. It also doesn't hurt having a Martian think you are the sexiest thing alive in any form!

What I loved about this short is the fact that I didn't feel cheated. It was written as a moment in time for this group, their descriptions, their history were woven in so seamlessly that you felt like you've been reading about them forever and this was just the latest adventure."
ABSORBED IN BOOKS

Excerpt

The ship blasted off amid a lot of shouting from the flight controllers.
Their concerns and orders were ignored. We had to avoid several small, planet flyers, but we did so with ease.

“We’ve hit escape velocity,” the birdman said. The ship shuddered as it shoved its way through Andromeda’s atmosphere.

“And here’s the Royal Armada, right on cue,” the captain muttered.
The captain tuned the radio to the universal communicator link, so we could hear what was being said from the command decks of the other ships. Ships from Andromeda and Diamante were trying to surround us without harming the ship, because I was on board.

“Don’t hurt them,” I said urgently. “They’re only doing their jobs.”
The captain shot me a dirty look over his shoulder. “Oh, of course not.” He turned back, muttering under his breath, while he calibrated coordinates, flipped switches, and pushed buttons to ready us for the leap into hyperspace.

Good spacers were part engineer, part astrophysicist, part pilot, with speed, dexterity and good reflexes. Great ones knew how to pull it all together and go with their gut reactions. They also made it look simple. I knew the calculations were complex, and if the wrong switch was flipped or the right button pushed too early or late, we’d all be space dust. The captain was barely looking at what he was doing, other than the computer calibrations.

He grunted with satisfaction. “Maneuvering into position to jump.”

“Almost ready,” the serene woman said.

“Need to wait,” the birdman said. “We need the right option.”

“Running out of time,” the captain said calmly, as he locked coordinates.

“Unidentified ship, we demand you return Princess Olivia to Andromeda
immediately, by decree of King Oliver of Andromeda and Prince Ignatius of Diamante.” King Oliver was speaking from the planet.

I leaned over and hit the communications button. “I’m sorry, father. I love you and mother very much but —”

“Now,” the serene woman whispered.

“Agreed and ready,” the birdman said, just as softly.

A shot headed straight towards us from a Diamante ship. There was no way any ship would escape this direct a hit. I screamed, as loudly as I could, but I could still hear people shouting on the other ships. The captain hit a button and everything went quiet.