Zeke’s childhood dream of being a pilot in the Alliance Military has been shattered. A hellish mission to an alien planet left him injured, traumatised, and with the majority of his crew dead. So now, he spends his days drowning his sorrows in alcohol, and wondering what the hell he’s supposed to do with the brainwashed slave who accidentally imprinted on him at the tail end of that doomed assignment.

Dax knows he’s not good at obeying his master. He’s always struggled to follow instructions, seeing better ways to complete a task, or wanting to point out the pitfalls to an unwise course of action. But how is he supposed to please his master, if the man’s only desire is to drown himself in a bottle?

After far too long spent wallowing in doubt and self-pity, Zeke and Dax’s lives are interrupted by the arrival of Aiden Hill, a Lieutenant in the Alliance Military who claims to have cracked the code as to how a human master and a Vangravian slave can live peacefully together.

But for each of them, the chance at a brighter future comes with a terrifying cost. For Zeke, it means confronting his demons and dealing with the trauma from his failed mission. And for Dax? It means turning his entire world upside down, so that he is no longer the follower in this most unconventional of relationships, but the leader.

Warning: This novel contains representations of PTSD, alcoholism and alcoholism recovery, suicide ideation, depression, one scene with explicit horror, and themes of slavery.

Dax: Gratefully Bonded can be read either as a standalone or as part of the series.

Laura Taylor