How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it. ― Marcus Aurelius
Piracy is a dangerous line of work—profitable if you’re good at it, but sometimes the personal losses far outweigh the material gain. Just ask Captain Ged Merrick and he’ll tell you that the moment he lost his lover, King Jesson, was the day his life took an unfathomable turn into grief. After all, you don’t erase fifty-years of loving someone, regardless of whose body you use for comfort after; don’t erase the guilt of losing someone, even if you’re not to blame, simply because he’s no longer there.
Casey K. Cox’s Finding King is a sci-fi space opera that tells the story of two men who lose their way, through no fault of their own, then must find a way back to a certain peace with the past…or hurt each other trying. It’s the story of Jessie’s abduction, the years Merrick spent looking for him, the years Merrick spent mourning him, and the unexpected miracle of their reunion, which is not at all a simple one.
Through bitterness and anger, Jessie punishes Merrick for giving up. Through regret and sacrifice, Merrick gives up again, this time intentionally so Jessie can move on with his life without the constant reminder of how Merrick failed him. And I don’t mind saying that I got lots of feels when it happened.
Finding King is a tale of pirates and slavery and sexual servitude and human trafficking, which isn’t glossed over but isn’t overly sensationalized either. The story is fast paced and hinted at but left just enough to whet the appetite for the next book in the series.
There’s plenty of tension and action, and just enough of the techie sci-fi element to set the tone but not overwhelm with the world building. I really liked this one and am looking forward to the sequel.
You can buy Finding King here: 
this sounds intense
It was a bit angsty but not overly much. :-D
The long term story arc interests me a lot. Going to check this one out.
Me too, Patricia. I’m really interested to see where Raif’s story is going because there’s more to him than meets the eye. Given the ending of this book, it looks like his story will either be set mostly in the time prior to this one, or will rely heavily on flashbacks. Either way, I’ll be watching for it.