THE BLENDING TIME by Michael Kinch
Jaym, D’Shay, and Reya meet on a their voyage over to Africa where they have all been assigned by the Global Alliance government to mate with members of the native population, all of whom were sterilized by a solar flare. When they arrive in Africa, however, things are not as straightforward as they had hoped. The three seventeen year olds are sent to different villages. Reya is kidnapped by renegades en route and forced to become the “Bossman’s” lover. D’Shay’s blending partner is not enthusiastic about him as a mate and hires street thugs to kill him. And although Jaym reaches his village easily and he and his blending assignment, Lingana genuinely like one another, his presence brings the threat of renegade invasion.
Overall, I found this book disappointing. The futuristic elements were clumsily forced in through extensive explication, and the characters were predictable and flat. But once they arrived in Africa and started battling renegades, the action picked up and kept me going through it. If you read for characters, I would not recommend this book, but if you are just looking for an action-packed plot line, it might be worth reading.
Susan the Librarian 