Five years ago, Captain Julian Gaspar of the Maligned Kestrel took a mysterious stowaway named Ellis from another ship onto his vessel.  Attracted, Julian took Ellis to his bed, but didn’t tell the other man how deeply he felt for him.  Then Ellis sacrifices himself to a horrible fate in order to save Julian and his engineer.  For years, Julian has searched for Ellis.  Now he’s found him, but it may be too late.  Ellis is dying, bound by a terrible magic.  Julian is willing to do whatever it takes to save him, but it may be more than any man can do…

Soul Bond is a fascinating and fast-paced science fiction tale with surprising depth.  For its length, Soul Bond has very good characterization and world-building.  Julian is a good captain who gets along well with his crew and does what he needs to in order to keep things on the ship smooth.  When he meets the alluring Ellis, he has no problem acting on the attraction, but he’s not willing to admit to anything more.  He doesn’t know how to deal with the things Ellis makes him feel, and he doesn’t get much of a chance to learn.  Without any of Ellis’s point of view, he remains mysterious, but his love for Julian is obvious.  He acts to save Julian more than once, not worrying about his own danger.  Other characters, such as Barth the engineer, a truly evil villain, and a strange alien who may offer Julian the help he needs to save Ellis, are well-drawn and interesting.  The conflict itself is engrossing.  Watching Julian relive the horror of losing Ellis—and finally understand the reason for it—is heart-wrenching, and his quest to save his love is suspenseful.  The journey has hints of magic along with sci-fi.  Readers looking for an unusual and intriguing tale full of emotion, redemption, and a love worth any sacrifice will be sure to enjoy Soul Bond.