What do you think?
Rate this book
Deep Merge
Kaesah, a geneticist from an all female species living on the other side of the galaxy, is stranded on Earth due to the death of her mate who was vital in piloting their starship. Kaesah must report the disturbing events on Earth that could impact the survival of her species. To reach her world, Kaesah has no choice but to find a human woman capable of Deep Merge, a process required to guide her ship through the galaxy. Can Kaesah overcome her aversion to humans to form a harmonious bond with one?
Antonia Lorne, Toni, is mourning the death of her spouse. Retiring to bed one night on the promise to herself to start living again, Toni has no idea that she will awaken on a starship with a new course for her life charted. Can she overcome her fear of the unknown to perform Deep Merge?
Two women, from different worlds, will join together in a profound and unique way that will herald the start of a new path for their planets and a promising future for themselves.
79,000 words
Antonia Lorne, Toni, is mourning the death of her spouse. Retiring to bed one night on the promise to herself to start living again, Toni has no idea that she will awaken on a starship with a new course for her life charted. Can she overcome her fear of the unknown to perform Deep Merge?
Two women, from different worlds, will join together in a profound and unique way that will herald the start of a new path for their planets and a promising future for themselves.
79,000 words
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2014
About the author
Linda North
5 books37 followersI’m an unabashed romantic who writes lesbian romances. I like to place my characters in exotic settings. All my stories have happy endings. I live with my wife and fur babies in Florida.
My journey as a writer started in 2006 when I wroter fanfic. My last fanfic was written in 2008.
I’m not a prolific writer. I only write when my Muse shows up with a story idea. The idea for one of my novels, Deep Merge, was inspired by a dream sent by my Muse.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 16, 2021
After finishing the re-read of this revised and expanded second edition I changed my rating from four to four and a half stars rounded up. This is a lovely book, full of feeling and worth reading.
May 26, 2021
Kindle unlimited. This was apparently released before but has been expanded on by the author in this newer updated version.
I thoroughly enjoyed this super emotional SciFi tale.
So it basically deals with an alien geneticist whose lady mate dies while on an expedition to earth. Kaesah needs to get back to her (all female) Homeworld but needs a mate to do this.
Toni is human and has recently lost her own female partner. So both women are emotionally vulnerable.
There's a special way in which two beings 'deep merge' allowing them to travel across space, I admit I didn't fully understand it but it's SciFi! So I went with it...
Ultimately the two form a deep psychic and empathetic bond that links them. But love is there too, as well as understanding of what each has gone through with their loss.
Once the emotional components come into play it gets sickly sweet and lovingly adorable, and I was totally on board and there for it! It's all very lovey-dovey, deep declarations, waxing poetic. So if you're not into that I can see how it might annoy, but I'm a sap for all that romantic crap!!!
There's great adventure, SciFi and learning about Kaesah's world and its differences and similarities to earth. I found it really entertaining and would recommend!
There's a glossary of terms in the back, I'd recommend skimming first! But I never felt it was too difficult to understand.
I thoroughly enjoyed this super emotional SciFi tale.
So it basically deals with an alien geneticist whose lady mate dies while on an expedition to earth. Kaesah needs to get back to her (all female) Homeworld but needs a mate to do this.
Toni is human and has recently lost her own female partner. So both women are emotionally vulnerable.
There's a special way in which two beings 'deep merge' allowing them to travel across space, I admit I didn't fully understand it but it's SciFi! So I went with it...
Ultimately the two form a deep psychic and empathetic bond that links them. But love is there too, as well as understanding of what each has gone through with their loss.
Once the emotional components come into play it gets sickly sweet and lovingly adorable, and I was totally on board and there for it! It's all very lovey-dovey, deep declarations, waxing poetic. So if you're not into that I can see how it might annoy, but I'm a sap for all that romantic crap!!!
There's great adventure, SciFi and learning about Kaesah's world and its differences and similarities to earth. I found it really entertaining and would recommend!
There's a glossary of terms in the back, I'd recommend skimming first! But I never felt it was too difficult to understand.
April 18, 2021
Ms North does it again!!!
Linda North is one of my very favorite authors and has revamped and re-released her space alien/human action drama for your enjoyment. This is a beautifully written love story set on Earth, space and the all-female planet, NaQwin. It is very info heavy at first with lots of new alien terms to learn but that’s necessary for the story and it does settle down before long. Ms. North allows us to enter the minds of two women who are so very different and yet so very much alike. We witness their pain and loss, their fears and mistrust only to be rewarded with their joy, love and happiness. Both Toni and Kaesah are a beautiful couple and watching them get to know each other and fall in love is a treat! This version varies from the first with more descriptions of the settings, the story line, the character development are all different as well. The ending is also completely redone and so precious it made me cry. This book has stayed with me and just like the first one, I will be reading it again and again!
Linda North is one of my very favorite authors and has revamped and re-released her space alien/human action drama for your enjoyment. This is a beautifully written love story set on Earth, space and the all-female planet, NaQwin. It is very info heavy at first with lots of new alien terms to learn but that’s necessary for the story and it does settle down before long. Ms. North allows us to enter the minds of two women who are so very different and yet so very much alike. We witness their pain and loss, their fears and mistrust only to be rewarded with their joy, love and happiness. Both Toni and Kaesah are a beautiful couple and watching them get to know each other and fall in love is a treat! This version varies from the first with more descriptions of the settings, the story line, the character development are all different as well. The ending is also completely redone and so precious it made me cry. This book has stayed with me and just like the first one, I will be reading it again and again!
May 8, 2015
Hers, mine, ours. Brilliant, awesome and I love it.
In the beginning I wondered, why I have bought this book. But the farther in the story the more I enjoyed it. This is my first book in this genre and definitely not my last. Thanks to the good writing by Linda North. The story is well crafted and the relationship is very well developed. Two different worlds that match very well with each other, in honor and in love, in merge we are one. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
In the beginning I wondered, why I have bought this book. But the farther in the story the more I enjoyed it. This is my first book in this genre and definitely not my last. Thanks to the good writing by Linda North. The story is well crafted and the relationship is very well developed. Two different worlds that match very well with each other, in honor and in love, in merge we are one. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
May 9, 2014
Geneticist, Kaesah, comes from an all female species living on the opposite side of the galaxy to Earth. Kaesah is stranded on Earth after her beloved mate Atimki died suddenly. Without Atimki, Kaesah can’t pilot the starship back home. It’s imperative to the survival of her species that Kaesah returns home to report events happening on Earth that could have serious consequences for her people.
Kaesah must find a human female capable of Deep Merge, a process which will enable the starship to maneuver through the galaxy to her home planet. The problem is, Kaesah does not like human women, so how can she form a close bond with one?
Antonia Lorne, (Toni) is still grieving from the death of her wife Lisa. She is on the brink of trying to turn her life around and to join the land of the living again. The last thing Toni envisages is waking up on a starship with an alien, even though she’s an attractive one, after being kidnapped. Nor can Toni comprehend the new life Kaesah has mapped out for her. Will Toni be able to move past her fears to Deep Merge? More to the point, will Toni want to leave everything behind her for a new and unknown life?
This is a beautifully written romantic science fiction story that is as realistic as any other romance in any other genre. The settings are so well described, I found myself lost in with the characters. Both Kaesah and Toni are fully developed and multidimensional as are all the secondary characters.
A story of two very different women who have loved and lost their life partners and how they found the courage to take a chance on love again in the most extraordinary circumstances.
Linda North has created a wonderful new world that is alien, yet has a familiarity about it that enabled me to identify with the surroundings, people, plant species and food. Different, yet not so different, so it was very easy to visualize. Linda has perfected the art of showing the reader rather than telling them what they are seeing.
The way this story unfolded is a true delight to read. A book I was unable to put down until I’d reached the end. There is just one problem, this story is screaming out for a sequel. What happened to Kaesah and Toni? How did Toni cope with her new love and life? Did they have children? All questions and more that are running through my mind as I’m thinking about this book days after I finished it.
This is a definite re-read for me.
Kaesah must find a human female capable of Deep Merge, a process which will enable the starship to maneuver through the galaxy to her home planet. The problem is, Kaesah does not like human women, so how can she form a close bond with one?
Antonia Lorne, (Toni) is still grieving from the death of her wife Lisa. She is on the brink of trying to turn her life around and to join the land of the living again. The last thing Toni envisages is waking up on a starship with an alien, even though she’s an attractive one, after being kidnapped. Nor can Toni comprehend the new life Kaesah has mapped out for her. Will Toni be able to move past her fears to Deep Merge? More to the point, will Toni want to leave everything behind her for a new and unknown life?
This is a beautifully written romantic science fiction story that is as realistic as any other romance in any other genre. The settings are so well described, I found myself lost in with the characters. Both Kaesah and Toni are fully developed and multidimensional as are all the secondary characters.
A story of two very different women who have loved and lost their life partners and how they found the courage to take a chance on love again in the most extraordinary circumstances.
Linda North has created a wonderful new world that is alien, yet has a familiarity about it that enabled me to identify with the surroundings, people, plant species and food. Different, yet not so different, so it was very easy to visualize. Linda has perfected the art of showing the reader rather than telling them what they are seeing.
The way this story unfolded is a true delight to read. A book I was unable to put down until I’d reached the end. There is just one problem, this story is screaming out for a sequel. What happened to Kaesah and Toni? How did Toni cope with her new love and life? Did they have children? All questions and more that are running through my mind as I’m thinking about this book days after I finished it.
This is a definite re-read for me.
June 1, 2014
This one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time.
Me North' s ability to create unique characters is unparalleled. The characters are so well developed that as a reader I began to identify with the struggles each faced.
Each character's struggle with their own beliefs while making decisions that will ultimately affect to very different worlds and cultures.
This author is gifted with the heart of a storyteller and has gifted us with a beautiful story of self sacrifice and finding love by giving their hearts to each other.
I highly recommend this book and this author! She is on my must read list!
Me North' s ability to create unique characters is unparalleled. The characters are so well developed that as a reader I began to identify with the struggles each faced.
Each character's struggle with their own beliefs while making decisions that will ultimately affect to very different worlds and cultures.
This author is gifted with the heart of a storyteller and has gifted us with a beautiful story of self sacrifice and finding love by giving their hearts to each other.
I highly recommend this book and this author! She is on my must read list!
September 6, 2021
A good mix of romance and scific. This was well written. The two characters were 3 dimensional and distinct with their own voice. Toni and Kaesha were a cute couple. Toni wasn’t thrilled to be abducted by an alien but goes along to what is happening except for some personal beliefs. Kaesha was serious but had a lighter side. Kaesha didn’t understand Toni’s teasing and adages and many of them she took literally and that made for LOL moments. Kasha lives by a code of honor and this is put to the test and strains Toni’s trust in her. I liked the descriptions of the all female society and planet. The ending made me smile. The scific was understandable and original.
June 11, 2014
Linda North is one of my very favorite authors. I have read her Wind and Dreams five times and I have only has it for two months. I had hoped Deep Merge would measure up, it did! This is a beautifully written love story set on Earth, space and a foreign planet. Ms. North allows us to enter the minds of two women who are so very different and yet so very much alike. We witness their pain and loss, their fears and mistrust only to be rewarded with their joy, love and happiness. This book too has stayed with me and I will be reading it again and again!
June 1, 2014
This book merges alien abduction with a sweet and tender love story. The depth of the characters lays an unshakeable foundation for a story that packs a lot of punch. Kaesah, the alien, doesn't really like humans but has no choice but to find one she can tolerate if she is to return home. Toni isn't all that excited to be the chosen candidate. Somehow, the two come to an understanding that reveals an unexpected world and helps save a society. A must read for the romantic at heart.
April 24, 2021
Love the revised version of Deep Merge...even better the second time around. This sci-fi story had amazing world building with a fabulous romance embedded. Who wouldn’t love a world of all women!
October 14, 2014
I truly have mixed feels about this book; on the one hand, it's a cute and uncluttered story about lesbians in space. On the other it's almost unbearably preachy. So there's a real pickle.
Toni is a stock-standard ordinary lesbian who gets kidnapped by a space alien from an all-female tribe. Said space alien - Kaesah - is not all bad; she's just in a bind after her wife died of Space Plague (which humans might have the key to curing). Since it takes two genetically compatible 'people' to fly the spaceship, Toni takes the proverbial one for the team and eventually agrees to effectively marry Keasah so the rest of the space aliens can be warned about the various threats to both humanity and themselves. Keasah and Toni promptly fall in love, and spend the rest of the book saying mushy things to each other. This both adorable and horrible - mostly 'horrible', because I was seriously worried I was going to acquire diabetes.
So the pros: Linda North has a good imagination, and a talent for world-building. This is a story that is sweeping in scope. Her aliens have a clear and alternative culture. The weird marriage angle could so easily have come off as rapey but doesn't (phew!) - I think this is a true achievement. There is light bondage that truthfully feels a lot like it's not bondage at all. Both main characters are sympathetic and kinda fun.
The cons are a little more problematic: the aliens are unbearably superior. They're like folks on a commune, except turbocharged; at various points the reader is patronized about the advantages of vegetarianism and organic food, how bad humanity is at environmentalism, the falseness of religion, and various other liberal things. I am all for liberal things, but after 75% of the book I was feeling like aggressively eating a triple-beef McDonald's hamburger while firing enormous shotguns from the seat of a John Deere tractor for the glory of Jesus. Seriously, the book is just charming enough to overcome the lecture, but it was also right on the bleeding edge.
The author has also chosen to pepper the text with random made-up words. Why would anyone choose to do this? If you're going to translate, then translate fully; only don't translate when it's a whole phrase and you're going to fully translate it right after. If that route was good enough for Tolkien, it's good enough for everyone else. My god, there were *so many* ludicrous made up words in "Deep Merge", and they all mixed together until I just Englished them to keep them apart. The Aliens or "NaQwins" promptly became the NyQuil. The word "dishonourable" was rendered something similar to bu chyi, which immediately became "Bok Choy": this never carried the gravitas the author clearly wished to imbue it with. It was all a little much. Sometimes words were introduced with dizzying speed, and cultural aspects were explained via a massive and disjointed background dump.
So those were real problems.
I dunno; this is a real hit-and-miss kind of book for me. The spaceships and their propulsion system was kind of a neat idea; the characters were cool (when they weren't attempting to save the world through judging everyone), and the romance was sort of sweet. The plot was inoffensive enough. It was just the unbelievably annoying nature of the finger-wagging, and the aggravating made-up words that got my goat.
I gave it three stars; sometimes my fingers hover over the buttons that would give the book two. Sometimes they hover over the buttons that would give the book four. I'm afraid I can't be any clearer than that.
Toni is a stock-standard ordinary lesbian who gets kidnapped by a space alien from an all-female tribe. Said space alien - Kaesah - is not all bad; she's just in a bind after her wife died of Space Plague (which humans might have the key to curing). Since it takes two genetically compatible 'people' to fly the spaceship, Toni takes the proverbial one for the team and eventually agrees to effectively marry Keasah so the rest of the space aliens can be warned about the various threats to both humanity and themselves. Keasah and Toni promptly fall in love, and spend the rest of the book saying mushy things to each other. This both adorable and horrible - mostly 'horrible', because I was seriously worried I was going to acquire diabetes.
So the pros: Linda North has a good imagination, and a talent for world-building. This is a story that is sweeping in scope. Her aliens have a clear and alternative culture. The weird marriage angle could so easily have come off as rapey but doesn't (phew!) - I think this is a true achievement. There is light bondage that truthfully feels a lot like it's not bondage at all. Both main characters are sympathetic and kinda fun.
The cons are a little more problematic: the aliens are unbearably superior. They're like folks on a commune, except turbocharged; at various points the reader is patronized about the advantages of vegetarianism and organic food, how bad humanity is at environmentalism, the falseness of religion, and various other liberal things. I am all for liberal things, but after 75% of the book I was feeling like aggressively eating a triple-beef McDonald's hamburger while firing enormous shotguns from the seat of a John Deere tractor for the glory of Jesus. Seriously, the book is just charming enough to overcome the lecture, but it was also right on the bleeding edge.
The author has also chosen to pepper the text with random made-up words. Why would anyone choose to do this? If you're going to translate, then translate fully; only don't translate when it's a whole phrase and you're going to fully translate it right after. If that route was good enough for Tolkien, it's good enough for everyone else. My god, there were *so many* ludicrous made up words in "Deep Merge", and they all mixed together until I just Englished them to keep them apart. The Aliens or "NaQwins" promptly became the NyQuil. The word "dishonourable" was rendered something similar to bu chyi, which immediately became "Bok Choy": this never carried the gravitas the author clearly wished to imbue it with. It was all a little much. Sometimes words were introduced with dizzying speed, and cultural aspects were explained via a massive and disjointed background dump.
So those were real problems.
I dunno; this is a real hit-and-miss kind of book for me. The spaceships and their propulsion system was kind of a neat idea; the characters were cool (when they weren't attempting to save the world through judging everyone), and the romance was sort of sweet. The plot was inoffensive enough. It was just the unbelievably annoying nature of the finger-wagging, and the aggravating made-up words that got my goat.
I gave it three stars; sometimes my fingers hover over the buttons that would give the book two. Sometimes they hover over the buttons that would give the book four. I'm afraid I can't be any clearer than that.
June 23, 2014
Deep Merge takes us from a very familiar view of earth, seen through the eyes of an alien race, to a world in which there are only women, lesbianism the norm, and diversity within that accepted. While the plot is one of a moral dilemma about how far you will go to save your people, the unifying theme is grief. Both women have lost their life partners, both are in mourning, both put aside that pain to try and work together, and in so doing, find a commonality or purpose and understanding.
It is an imaginative plot, clever idea and interesting juxtaposition. Ms North makes good use of the alternate cultures to highlight how one, which has accepted and enjoys diversity within itself, still suffers from xenophobia, while the other is prejudiced and narrow minded, struggling internally with homophobia and bigotry.
The characters are solid, well developed and multi-layered. As well as Kaesah and Toni we get to meet a range of women as they travel to Kaesah’s home planet. Ms North is adept at drawing a character from a few moments of observation or a conversation. She does an excellent job of showing a range of personalities and attitudes without ever being heavy handed in her portrayals.
Linda North biogOn the other hand she draws sparkling and vivid descriptions of the new world, transporting us to vibrant scenes that would be the joy of a set designer. We get to feel the excitement of the new visitor and the joy of the returning traveler through their view of the world and it transports us with them.
As well as an interesting science fiction tale this is a well drawn romance, slow and gentle, these women fall in love against their own will and inclination, showing how even a xenophobe can fall in love when respect comes first. They suffer very ‘human’ insecurities; their emotions are ones we can all empathize with.
Well written and crafted this was an enjoyable read and I will certainly be looking out for more books from this author.
It is an imaginative plot, clever idea and interesting juxtaposition. Ms North makes good use of the alternate cultures to highlight how one, which has accepted and enjoys diversity within itself, still suffers from xenophobia, while the other is prejudiced and narrow minded, struggling internally with homophobia and bigotry.
The characters are solid, well developed and multi-layered. As well as Kaesah and Toni we get to meet a range of women as they travel to Kaesah’s home planet. Ms North is adept at drawing a character from a few moments of observation or a conversation. She does an excellent job of showing a range of personalities and attitudes without ever being heavy handed in her portrayals.
Linda North biogOn the other hand she draws sparkling and vivid descriptions of the new world, transporting us to vibrant scenes that would be the joy of a set designer. We get to feel the excitement of the new visitor and the joy of the returning traveler through their view of the world and it transports us with them.
As well as an interesting science fiction tale this is a well drawn romance, slow and gentle, these women fall in love against their own will and inclination, showing how even a xenophobe can fall in love when respect comes first. They suffer very ‘human’ insecurities; their emotions are ones we can all empathize with.
Well written and crafted this was an enjoyable read and I will certainly be looking out for more books from this author.
August 26, 2014
I really enjoyed the premise of this book: human abducted by alien to help her get back home with important information regarding the future of both races. Of course it's much deeper than that. The author's invention of deep merge and how it is used for space travel is awesome. That effect of being linked with someone in a telepathic nature intrigues me. I loved the romantic development between the two characters. It took time and some emotional searching on both women's parts due to their past issues. I'm hoping that there is a second novel. Whereas the book wraps up nicely, there us definitely room for a sequel. If this is what happens when one is abducted by aliens, "Beam me up, Scotty!"
June 6, 2022
I love sci fi, and so reading this was a no brainier. I went in with high expectations and was not disappointed.
Linda North has written an amazing book, i loved kaesah and Toni and how they evolved throughout.
Its a must read for all space and romance lovers.
Linda North has written an amazing book, i loved kaesah and Toni and how they evolved throughout.
Its a must read for all space and romance lovers.
December 18, 2022
This intergalactic love story is about two aliens on earth seeking some answers. To go back a human had to be abducted and in the course of the journey back love somehow blooms.
Nice story with some appreciated prose and a number of mushy ones. The major thing that unfortunately didn't end this story for me with more appreciation is the summation that the migrated humans were the ones with "lighter skin tones" despite the earlier mentions of the varying shades of skin tone.
Nice story with some appreciated prose and a number of mushy ones. The major thing that unfortunately didn't end this story for me with more appreciation is the summation that the migrated humans were the ones with "lighter skin tones" despite the earlier mentions of the varying shades of skin tone.
December 4, 2017
This was actually a lot of fun to read. Really enjoyed it.
Update: Just finished this for the 3rd time now. It's a fun comforting read, I have no doubt that I'll be reading it again in a few months.
Update: Just finished this for the 3rd time now. It's a fun comforting read, I have no doubt that I'll be reading it again in a few months.
July 15, 2014
It's a very beautifully written story about two people from a different galaxy, both suffering from a deep loss (of their partners) and found the way to love and be together again. I think deep merge is actually a very good name for the book as well as being the symbolism of the love Toni and Kaesah has for each other. I was totally immersed in the book and the alien world, the language flows despite there's quite a bit of space language in there. This is among one of my most favourite sci-fi book of this year. Highly recommended
January 10, 2022
This writer built a world that I would love to see. It wasn't overly sappy, it wasn't too wordy, it wasn't smut from start to finish... it was a beautiful love story after loss. A journey to healing between two women and a poignant merging of their lives, their souls. I loved the glimpse into their future and would be thrilled to read another book should this become a series👀 I highly recommend this book if your heart wants to feel that warm sensation that only true love can bring- even if just experiencing it through words for a short time.
September 24, 2016
Wonderful and moving intergalactic romance.
This is the second book that I've read by this author. Deep Merge and Wind and Dreams both deal with the competing issues of kidnapping and of destiny. I liked both books. I think that I understand what the author is trying to do with this plot.
The story of Deep Merge begins on Earth. Two, very different, women suffer the death of their spouses. Forces greater than each bring them together. The lesbian population of Earth as well as on a planet called NaQwin are in peril. Homophobes on Earth are targeting lesbians for a campaign of genocide. A disease responsible for ending the lives of the inhabitants of NaQwin has a genetic component. Kaesah is a genetic scientist from NaQwin and needs help to fly her ship back home. After an extensive search, she finds Toni and spirits her off to her spaceship.
The journey from captured to captivated is at the heart of this romance. With lives hanging in the balance on two planets, isn't love the strongest medicine? In this interesting novel, the story, characters and plot were artfully handled. I'm glad that I spent time on the spacecraft Flowering Star with Kaesah and Toni.
This is the second book that I've read by this author. Deep Merge and Wind and Dreams both deal with the competing issues of kidnapping and of destiny. I liked both books. I think that I understand what the author is trying to do with this plot.
The story of Deep Merge begins on Earth. Two, very different, women suffer the death of their spouses. Forces greater than each bring them together. The lesbian population of Earth as well as on a planet called NaQwin are in peril. Homophobes on Earth are targeting lesbians for a campaign of genocide. A disease responsible for ending the lives of the inhabitants of NaQwin has a genetic component. Kaesah is a genetic scientist from NaQwin and needs help to fly her ship back home. After an extensive search, she finds Toni and spirits her off to her spaceship.
The journey from captured to captivated is at the heart of this romance. With lives hanging in the balance on two planets, isn't love the strongest medicine? In this interesting novel, the story, characters and plot were artfully handled. I'm glad that I spent time on the spacecraft Flowering Star with Kaesah and Toni.
April 30, 2021
It's sci-fi so I dispel my belief. There's a planet population of women only and the big-eyed hairless aliens from Roswell NM are the bad guys. One species, NaQwi, doesn't interfere and the other, Phlurx, has nefarious ties to powerful in various governments. The NaQwi are trying to find a cure for a life-threatening disease and this is where the story begins. Two NaQwi have been on earth doing genetic research on Earth's female population and tragedy necessitates Kaesah 'acquire' a human female to get back home. Toni is that human and their space journey is the heart of the story. It's an interesting read.
September 6, 2021
A good mix of romance and scific. This was well written. The two characters were 3 dimensional and distinct with their own voice. Toni and Kaesha were a cute couple. Toni wasn’t thrilled to be abducted by an alien but goes along to what is happening except for some personal beliefs. Kaesha was serious but had a lighter side. Kaesha didn’t understand Toni’s teasing and adages and many of them she took literally and that made for LOL moments. Kasha lives by a code of honor and this is put to the test and strains Toni’s trust in her. I liked the descriptions of the all female society and planet. The ending made me smile. The scific was understandable and original.
April 24, 2016
I did enjoy the book once I got into it. However, I thought it would have been easier to get into if it came with a glossary of terms. I may be new to science fiction, having only watched it, and read a couple books, but initially I had to think about the context of the new word in the sentence, and since it's not a word in the dictionary the instant Kindle dictionary was of no help. That being said, I did enjoy the characters and the story once I was about 1/3 of the way in. I would be interested in reading another book by this author as I do think she crafts a good story.
November 3, 2019
Ms North does it again!!!
Linda North is one of my very favorite authors. I have read her Wind and Dreams five times and I have only has it for two months. I had hoped Deep Merge would measure up, it did! This is a beautifully written love story set on Earth, space and a foreign planet. Ms. North allows us to enter the minds of two women who are so very different and yet so very much alike. We witness their pain and loss, their fears and mistrust only to be rewarded with their joy, love and happiness. This book too has stayed with me and I will be reading it again and again!
Linda North is one of my very favorite authors. I have read her Wind and Dreams five times and I have only has it for two months. I had hoped Deep Merge would measure up, it did! This is a beautifully written love story set on Earth, space and a foreign planet. Ms. North allows us to enter the minds of two women who are so very different and yet so very much alike. We witness their pain and loss, their fears and mistrust only to be rewarded with their joy, love and happiness. This book too has stayed with me and I will be reading it again and again!
May 2, 2016
Grab this one
Linda North you are a brilliant author I have read the three books you have written in three days. Each book had a different theme. and you nailed them,I was a little hesitant about this book before I started it ,but you got me again! you. have a natural way of telling a story can't wait for your next book. Don't miss reading this author. Norm
Linda North you are a brilliant author I have read the three books you have written in three days. Each book had a different theme. and you nailed them,I was a little hesitant about this book before I started it ,but you got me again! you. have a natural way of telling a story can't wait for your next book. Don't miss reading this author. Norm
June 27, 2016
A definite winner
I found this to be a wonderful and delightful story. There was adventure, humor and love. The characters of Keasah and Toni complemented each other with their wit, their laughter and their love. I hope there will be more to come for these two women and their homes.
I found this to be a wonderful and delightful story. There was adventure, humor and love. The characters of Keasah and Toni complemented each other with their wit, their laughter and their love. I hope there will be more to come for these two women and their homes.
October 20, 2017
If you enjoy sci-fi stories and new worlds, this is a must read. Toni is just a big kid and will make you laugh out loud.
May 8, 2017
Deep Merge is a story about two women from different species, Kaesah and Toni, forced to work together to save their worlds. On their journey, they developed a romance and explored each other's cultures.
This book is more like one section of a story than the actual story. Linda North sets up really interesting ideas, creating a great opportunity for a solid sci-fi story, but does not make use of them. Almost all of the book is the romance, with only mentioning of plot and some world-building. There is nothing exciting in this book, no real fights, no real stakes, no real conflicts. The lack of plot is baffling since the idea is right there. But Linda never takes us to the serious, action side.
Credit where credit is due, I do like the characters and their chemistry. Toni is a dork and Kaesah is a cutie when she opens up. Their interactions are pleasant enough to make me giggle most of the time. But still I can't ignore the flaws, which is personal conflicts being solved so easily and suddenly. Kaesah's xenophobism is acknowledged, but never brought up face to face between her and Toni. And the final conflict, which is , is barely a conflict at all, considering how obvious the solution is.
Between the romance's conflicts being glossed over and the plot mostly nonexistent, I feel like the book is drawn out and boring even though the characters are likable. Most of the time I just wished their ship is blown up or something. The potential of a grand story is omitted to save space for the romance, a decision I don't understand at all. How can a romance formed through standing together in hardship of wars, alien schemes and planet invasions be anything less preferable than your run-of-mill spaceship romance?
All in all, the characters are nice and lovely, the romance is a bit clunky, the plot is almost nonexistent. This book could have been a great sci-fi, but it missed the chance and chose the easy path. Even though I do enjoy the romance, I can not regard Deep Merge as anything more than a mediocrity and a big chunk of wasted potentials.
This book is more like one section of a story than the actual story. Linda North sets up really interesting ideas, creating a great opportunity for a solid sci-fi story, but does not make use of them. Almost all of the book is the romance, with only mentioning of plot and some world-building. There is nothing exciting in this book, no real fights, no real stakes, no real conflicts. The lack of plot is baffling since the idea is right there. But Linda never takes us to the serious, action side.
Credit where credit is due, I do like the characters and their chemistry. Toni is a dork and Kaesah is a cutie when she opens up. Their interactions are pleasant enough to make me giggle most of the time. But still I can't ignore the flaws, which is personal conflicts being solved so easily and suddenly. Kaesah's xenophobism is acknowledged, but never brought up face to face between her and Toni. And the final conflict, which is , is barely a conflict at all, considering how obvious the solution is.
Between the romance's conflicts being glossed over and the plot mostly nonexistent, I feel like the book is drawn out and boring even though the characters are likable. Most of the time I just wished their ship is blown up or something. The potential of a grand story is omitted to save space for the romance, a decision I don't understand at all. How can a romance formed through standing together in hardship of wars, alien schemes and planet invasions be anything less preferable than your run-of-mill spaceship romance?
All in all, the characters are nice and lovely, the romance is a bit clunky, the plot is almost nonexistent. This book could have been a great sci-fi, but it missed the chance and chose the easy path. Even though I do enjoy the romance, I can not regard Deep Merge as anything more than a mediocrity and a big chunk of wasted potentials.
April 14, 2023
Alright, I was expecting an action packed story and was given a chill, very enjoyable, journey. Which I'm happy about, I love me some stress free love story. There's just a pinch of sorrow related to the events at the beginning of this journey.
The story have both MC as the central focus for about, idk, 85% of the time, with no other character around. One may think that'd make a boring story, but the author held it strong and made an amusing, fun, touching and compelling tale. I loved watching them interacting and learning about each other and their culture, their friction, cultural misunderstandings and above all, they falling in love with each other.
The lack of conflict in this first moment makes a lot of sense if you think about the people involved here, any other way would be a cheap attempt at making the story more engaging, which I think would've been a waste of time since it already accomplishes that.
I would've given this an easy 5 if the ending wasn't sort of fast forwarded. I mean, if you think about the time, the care taken with their journey the last pages felt a bit underwhelming. In any case, I deeply hope we'll meet them again soon, there's much yet to see.
The story have both MC as the central focus for about, idk, 85% of the time, with no other character around. One may think that'd make a boring story, but the author held it strong and made an amusing, fun, touching and compelling tale. I loved watching them interacting and learning about each other and their culture, their friction, cultural misunderstandings and above all, they falling in love with each other.
The lack of conflict in this first moment makes a lot of sense if you think about the people involved here, any other way would be a cheap attempt at making the story more engaging, which I think would've been a waste of time since it already accomplishes that.
I would've given this an easy 5 if the ending wasn't sort of fast forwarded. I mean, if you think about the time, the care taken with their journey the last pages felt a bit underwhelming. In any case, I deeply hope we'll meet them again soon, there's much yet to see.
September 15, 2021
A mission to save two races from different worlds that leads to love
If you are a fan of the show Ancient Aliens, you will read the same, or similar information about ET races in the beginning of the book. I enjoy the show, so that was definitely appealing for me. There is great detail in describing Kaesah's ship, how things function, and all that Toni learns on the trip back to Kaesah's galaxy. Their symbiotic relationship helps them both recover after significant losses, leading to something unexpected.
If you are a fan of the show Ancient Aliens, you will read the same, or similar information about ET races in the beginning of the book. I enjoy the show, so that was definitely appealing for me. There is great detail in describing Kaesah's ship, how things function, and all that Toni learns on the trip back to Kaesah's galaxy. Their symbiotic relationship helps them both recover after significant losses, leading to something unexpected.
February 9, 2019
This book is a soft and sweet travel through space where nothing bad ever happens.
The author seeded the beginning of the story with enough material to create a great space opera, with cosmic battles for supremacy upon Earth, but no. Sadly, everything resolves itself with little drama and little anguish.
The author seeded the beginning of the story with enough material to create a great space opera, with cosmic battles for supremacy upon Earth, but no. Sadly, everything resolves itself with little drama and little anguish.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews