Religions and cultures collide when Elios and Sender meet. Sender is from a conservative planet which is in poverty. Leaving the planet was the only way for him to have a better life and give his parents a chance to have another child. As a pilot in the military on Luna, Sender has it made. If only he could find a person to marry and be with for the rest of his life. The problem? He's gay and extrapolating from context clues we learn this is a bad thing based on how he's raised.
This story gives a very clear picture on how the duo of authors want a certain religion presented. They use negative terms like "backward" or "back water" to describe Sender's home. In addition, they make a point to say this one conservative world is the ONLY one that isn't thriving and is the poorest colony. Because...as the reader infers, it's due to their conservative ways and rigid religious ways. This comes across a bit heavy handed which caused me to not enjoy this book as much. This plot device is the reason for the break up between Elios and Sender.
Elios, he's a linguistics specialist who apparently has a terrible taste in men. Elios is no saint. I felt sorry for him at first but after a bit, I realized he's not able to communicate and just shuts people down. I'm not really sure what happened between him and Aric, but I'm left wondering if there was more to it than Elios' accusations. Especially after Elios gives Sender no chance to explain and leaves in a huff. Elios is a black or white, all or nothing kind of guy, despite his claims of wanting a compromise. I don't think anyone can live to Elios's standards.
These flawed characters were interesting to observe. It's nice to have main character who aren't perfect and yet somehow manage to find a way to work it out. I like this in a story. The two coming together through growth is a sweet journey if sad at times. Macy I think is my favourite in the story because he's the one who tries the best. He actually sees it from different perspectives and that is what I liked most. He wasn't judgmental. I would have liked to have learned more about Pandora but it never materialized. Perhaps another story will be written where we finally learn about Pandora. This book is recommended for m/m readers who enjoy a bit of futuristic fantasy.
*provided by NetGalley
