Beyond the Rain

by Jess Granger

Book Overview

In a universe torn apart by civil war, a warrior and a slave must fight for their lives and a love that may destroy them both. After five years behind enemy lines, Captain Cyani has to complete one final mission before she can return to Azra-a planet ruled by a sisterhood of celibate warriors. Along the way she finds a prisoner, chained and beaten-but radiating feral power and an unbroken spirit. For years Soren has endured torture as his captors...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425229262
• ISBN13: 9780425229262
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Great new paranormal romance author

"Beyond the rain", the debut novel by Jess Granger, introduces the reader to a fascinating and cruel world full of great characters, love and hope. Captain Cyani just has to survive one last brutal mission and then she can finally hope for a life of peace and silence. For years she was forced to fight by order of her scrupulous leader. Now she is dead tired and just wants to stop the fighting and killing. She and her men are ordered to free slaves from a hostile planet. When she meets and rescues captured Soren everything changes. Soren has been held captive for years because he is from a race with extraordinary abilities and is worth a lot of money on the black market. He has been horribly humiliated and abused by his captors and lost the hope to ever be free again. Cyani gives him back his hope for a better life and after meeting her Soren wants more than his freedom. He wants her to be his beloved mate but Cyani thinks that's impossible because of her obligations to her home planet and the ruling class. "Beyond the Rain" is an amazing book that made me hungry for more. The world that Jess Granger created is a cruel and unforgiving one but there is also hope for a better life. From the first page the story was easy to read and although the world is totally different from our own I was never confused by the different races and customs. The varied worlds and races are described in a very lively way and I could clearly see them in my imagination. A lot of evil and gut-wrenching things happen in the book however I never felt too depressed and sad because there are people who actively fight for a better and fairer future. There are as well beautiful moments of peace and happiness and they are a good balance to the evil. Cyani and Soren are just awesome. Both are survivors and in every scene you could feel their pain but also their amazing strength. Cyani's inner conflict is heart-breaking and I rarely met a heroine who deserves a happy-end more than she does. Soren is just perfect. IMO he represents the ideal combination of strength and kindness. The way he loves Cyani and is willing to give his life for her is just amazing and I was so happy with the way their journey ended. Furthermore I loved the secondary characters and can't wait to read more of Cyani's brother Cyn and the mysterious Yara. I also hope that "Beyond the Shadows", the next book in the series, will bring some much needed peace for the lower classes on Cyani's home planet Azra. So all in all I absolutly enjoyed reading "Beyond the Rain" and I'm excited to see how the story will continue.

Beyond the Rain-A Joyfully Recommended Title!!!

Captain Cyani has literally worked her way from the ground up. Being a ground dweller is something that no one has ever let her forgot, but Cyani has clawed her way to the treetops now. In a world built around celibate female warriors, Cyani has become one of the best. Now she only has to complete this one last mission and she can go back to her world, Azra, and gain the rewards she has been working towards - being admitted to the temple. Cyani has had more than her ambition to help her along the way. Threats to those she loves also helped Cyani in the years since she had to leave her family. The Mission is almost complete; she just needs to see what has attracted her companion's attention away from their goal. Soren is Byralen and was kidnapped for what his body can produce. Soren has no idea just how long he has been a captive but he is definitely going to follow the female warrior who arrives to get him out. Soren knows he is on borrowed time and will have to find a way to get back home before it's too late. However there is something about Cyani that captivates his attention almost from the beginning and makes him want to know her better. Cyani, like the rest of the Union, knows very little about Byralens but she is on a fast learning curve to help Soren. Getting off this planet is not going to be easy, but Cyani soon learns that getting Soren home is going to be much harder. An unexpected crash on a wrong planet hurts them both but also gives them time to discover each other and maybe a new life. Just when Cyani and Soren accept what is to come, yet another change dares to tear them apart for good. Cyani's real past might just be the thing to tear her from Soren. Soren knows his very being depends on convincing Cyani just what their future can be - will it be enough? A woman made to become a warrior discovers the beauty of love and peace. Beyond the Rain focuses on a new and exciting universe. Cyani has overcome all of her beginnings to become a warrior to save both her life and that of her loved ones. Soren was torn from his family and home just because of his genes. I was truly captivated while watching Cyani and Soren learn about each other, their planets and what made them as they are, only to then slowly tumble into friendship and then a strong and thriving love. The richness of description that covered all of the worlds along with the strengths and weaknesses of Cyani and Soren's characters were only two of the factors that had me finishing in one day. I also enjoyed the plot that surrounded everything. Beyond the Rain might by Jess Granger's debut novel, but I can say with certainty that it won't be her last. Beyond the Rain is a must read and became an instant keeper, also Joyfully Recommended by me. I am already waiting for the next book to come out and I know that you will be too. Jo Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Good First Book

It is always a treat to find a new author that writes a good futuristic romance. Beyond the Rain is the first published book by Jess Granger and it is just such a find. This is the story of two very different people who are thrown together and must help each other in the struggle to survive. They find that their differences are what help bind them together. Beyond the Rain is set on a series of complex new alien worlds, each with its own unique culture. The world building is good; the pace is fast and the plot well developed. In Beyond the Rain the love story is blended into the action producing a very satisfying whole.

Beyond the Rain: 4.5 Stars

Beyond the Rain was a thoroughly enjoyable book. The book had likable characters especially the hero who strayed away from the cliche macho and dominating hero suffering from betrayal.

An amazing debut novel....

Cyani's glad that she's on her final mission, fighting for the Union. She's battled countless enemies over the years of her service, and she's more than ready to retire. She longs for peace, but sometimes wonders if the sterile peace that the Elite offer will sustain her. When her rescue of a prisoner - a slave held for many years by the Garulen - goes terribly wrong, her plans for the future begin to unravel. Now, she must worry about fighting for her survival, and protecting the man she's rescued, all the while protecting herself from his strange abilities. BEYOND THE RAIN is an absolutely fabulous read, made even more-so by the knowledge that this is author Jess Granger's first novel. This is one of those rare novels that seem to have it all: action, adventure, an enduring love story, fascinating settings and memorable characters. Granger has come up with some truly unique and imaginative aliens, settings and a very compelling back-story. Granger is certainly an author to watch, and I'll be eagerly awaiting her next novel.