Tag Archives: Sci-Fi

Angelika Leanne by M.A. Abraham – a Review

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Angelika Leanne by M.A. Abraham – a Review

 

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Description:
Angelika moved to the land beyond the portal when she was only sixteen and has lived with Tyndal for four years. She has been successful, but misses her people as well as her home world. Despite this, she is happy in her work.

With the intention of bringing Tyndal back home to the Valley, Ravel and his brother, Rafe, journey to the outside world. She is needed at home, it is time for her to take her place in their society. It is Rafe’s hope that he will catch her interest and return as his wife. It is, however, not to be, as with one kiss, Ravel realizes that she belongs to him. He will fight anyone that gets in his way, even his brother. How can he get her to come back willingly though?

Forced to go to Ravel’s help, Angelika’s family travels to Tyndal’s home and the fun begins. It takes the female members to track her down, and then, much to the dismay of the men, they decide to indulge in their idea of having a good time before they leave for home. The problem with this is that it does not involve the men. How are they to not only find their wives, but get them to go home peacefully after they have been allowed to run wild in this world?

 

 

Review:

Angelika Leanne by M.A. Abraham is the 3rd book in her Daughters of the Valley series.  Angelika, our heroine, moved out of the valley through the portal when she was 16 years old, feeling neglected by her family and issues with her sister.    She stays with her godmother, Tyndal and becomes a major success in creating bakeries. 

Both Rafe and Ravel decide they need Angelika to return home, where her abilities are required, as she reaches her powerful  destiny.  Rafe will realize quickly that Ravel is the one who will mate with Angelika, as their bond is apparent.  Though she feels their attraction, she wants nothing to do with Ravel, and spends most of her time at her bakeries.  Ravel, despite his determination to win Angelika, will have his hands full, even to the point of giving up.

It was nice to see the family and previous heroes return (Teryka, Merika, Riven, Tyrus, etc)  as they try to help Ravel and Tyndal to bring Angelika back.  In the last book, when Teryka (Angelika’s mother) was the heroine, she worked for an evil film producer, and eventually escaped back home to the Valley. It is this same producer who wants to find the portal, hoping to gain immortality.  He is a very powerful and evil man, who will stop at nothing to get his way.  He hires people to kidnap Angelika, and the last half of the book becomes a bit more exciting, though the shenanigans of the wives against their husbands was fun.

What follows is a wonderful fun and exciting story, with a nice romance of two people determined to fight their destiny.  I really enjoyed seeing all the wonderful characters Abraham has given us, as well as Ravel and Angelika.  This is a story that you need to read and enjoy, so giving too much information would ruin it.  M.A. Abraham once again gives us a sweet lighthearted story line, and dangerous excitement.  I suggest you read Angelika Leanne.  It was a fun read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Fiery Crown by Jeffe Kennedy – Review & Guest Post

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The Fiery Crown by Jeffe Kennedy – Review & Guest Post

 

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Description:
Following The Orchid Throne, Conri and Lia’s marriage of convenience has turned into an uneasy alliance. If only the two leaders could agree on something. Driven by revenge, Conri wants to attack Emperor Anure before the tyrant gets to them first. But Lia needs to keep Calanthe safe, and refuses to sacrifice her kingdom. Their ongoing battle for control has built up tension they’re both more than happy to release in bed, the only place where they find common ground. But Conri and Lia are developing deeper feelings for each other that are complicating matters. In the second book in the Forgotten Empires trilogy, Conri and Lia find their loyalties torn, and with Emperor Anure’s threat growing, will they be able to risk everything with each other before it’s too late?

 

 

Review:

The Fiery Crown by Jeffe Kennedy is the 2nd book in her Forgotten Empires series.  The story picks up immediately following the ending of the first book, The Orchid Throne.  Lia and Conri are now married, and though they are both attracted to each other, especially in bed; they both have their own differences how to move forward to fight the evil Emperor Anure.   Conri continues to want vengeance against Anure, who destroyed his home (Oriel) and his family.   Lia, knowing that Anure wants her and her powerful Orchid ring, is determined to keep Calanthe safe, even if it means her life.  The two of them continually argue over what is best, though when it’s bedtime, their sizzling chemistry takes over.

With word passed on to Anure about the marriage, he is now bent on coming to Calanthe to take the Queen, even if she is now ‘spoiled’.  Despite his unbending determination to enact his vengeance against the emperor at any cost, Conri begins to have strong feelings for Lia, though using her as bait, could cost her life.  Lia, is a fantastic heroine, who is tougher than she looks, and her bravery, especially nearer to the end was amazing. Slowly, she reveals a little bit throughout the book about her magic (she is an elemental), especially why there can be no blood on Calanthe.  A surprise twist here. 

What follows is a fantastic fantasy set in a world of magic, a flower island, and queen who puts her island first. The Fiery Crown is a much faster paced story line, with a lot of plotting and plans early on, and then the last half of the book was nonstop action, tense fighting, some of which held my breath. I will say that some torture scenes were painful to read.  Besides Lia and Conri, Kennedy created some wonderful characters, including Ambrose, Sonia, Ibolya, Kara, Raven, Vesno, just to name a few. 

To tell too much more would be spoilers, and I do not want to ruin this book for you.  You need to read and enjoy every moment.  Jeffe Kennedy did a masterful job writing this story, and I for one cannot wait for the final book in this trilogy.  If you enjoy fantasy, romance, great couple, wonderful characters, including an evil villain, you should be reading The Fiery Crown.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Writing from Two Different Viewpoints by Jeffe Kennedy

When I began writing the early drafts of THE ORCHID THRONE, I thought of it as Lia’s story. I wrote it in first person point of view (POV) because it was her tale to tell, the perspective of an embattled queen awaiting the arrival of a dread enemy upon her shores. I knew Con first as only “the Slave King” in my mind, this brutal rebel who Lia would have to battle. In fact, I titled my first working draft “The Slave King and the Flower Queen,” which pretty much sums up the story right there.

Then I showed the first fifty or so pages to my agent, Sarah Younger at Nancy Yost Literary Agency, and Sarah loved it—yay!—but she also wanted moar Con. She suggested that I write alternating chapters from his POV, to give us more of his side of the story.

Okay then! So I began writing Con’s chapters, detailing the events that led up to him arriving on the shores of Calanthe. I wrote them in third person POV, to distinguish his voice from Lia’s. I wrote about a hundred pages of the book that way and we sold the Forgotten Empires trilogy to St. Martin’s Press based on those pages.

Before I finished writing the book, I asked my editor, Jennie Conway, if she had any early editorial input before I went any farther. Guess what? She wanted even moar Con. Jennie suggested that I write Con in first person POV too, so we’d grow to know him as well as Lia.

Let me tell you, folks—no matter what anyone claims—changing a POV from third to first person takes a great deal of work. It’s not a matter of changing pronouns. I ended up rewriting all of Con’s chapters, and writing from inside his head did change things drastically. While it wasn’t always easy—and I sometimes had to fix it in edits—I tried to differentiate their voices by keeping Lia eloquent and intellectual, while Con is more working man and staccato.

By the time I came around to writing the sequel, THE FIERY CROWN, I had the rhythm of writing Con and Lia’s perspectives. And, of course, now I can’t imagine the series being told any other way. I love going back and forth between their perception of events—and their struggles to understand each other. THE FIERY CROWN is a story about the personal war they’re engaged in with one another as much as the greater battle they’re facing. Their conversations are like sword fights in my head: with Con swinging his heavy two-handed blade and Lia delicately and precisely wielding her rapier wit.

Between the two of them, they just might save the world. If they don’t kill each other first.

 

Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning author whose works include novels, non-fiction, poetry, and short fiction. She has won the prestigious RITA® Award from Romance Writers of America (RWA), has been a finalist twice, been a Ucross Foundation Fellow, received the Wyoming Arts Council Fellowship for Poetry, and was awarded a Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Award. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) as a Director at Large.

Her award-winning fantasy romance trilogy The Twelve Kingdoms hit the shelves starting in May 2014. Book 1, The Mark of the Tala, received a starred Library Journal review and was nominated for the RT Book of the Year while the sequel, The Tears of the Rose received a Top Pick Gold and was nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2014. The third book, The Talon of the Hawk, won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2015. Two more books followed in this world, beginning the spin-off series The Uncharted Realms. Book one in that series, The Pages of the Mind, was nominated for the RT Reviewer’s Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2016 and won RWA’s 2017 RITA Award. The second book, The Edge of the Blade, released December 27, 2016, and was a PRISM finalist, along with The Pages of the Mind. The final book in the series, The Fate of the Tala, will be out in January 2020. A high fantasy trilogy, The Chronicles of Dasnaria, taking place in The Twelve Kingdoms world began releasing from Rebel Base books in 2018. The novella, The Dragons of Summer, first appearing in the Seasons of Sorcery anthology, finaled for the 2019 RITA Award.

She also introduced a new fantasy romance series, Sorcerous Moons, which includes Lonen’s War, Oria’s Gambit, The Tides of Bàra, The Forests of Dru, Oria’s Enchantment, and Lonen’s Reign. She’s begun releasing a new contemporary erotic romance series, Missed Connections, which started with Last Dance and continues in With a Prince and Since Last Christmas.

In September 2019, St. Martins Press released The Orchid Throne, the first book in a new romantic fantasy series, The Forgotten Empires. The sequel, The Fiery Crown, will follow in May 2020.

Her other works include a number of fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of A Covenant of Thorns; the contemporary BDSM novellas of the Facets of Passion; an erotic contemporary serial novel, Master of the Opera; and the erotic romance trilogy, Falling Under, which includes Going Under, Under His Touch and Under Contract.

She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine.

Jeffe can be found online at her website: JeffeKennedy.com, every Sunday at the popular SFF Seven blog, on Facebook, on Goodreads and pretty much constantly on Twitter @jeffekennedy. She is represented by Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost Literary Agency.

http://jeffekennedy.com
https://www.facebook.com/Author.Jeffe.Kennedy
https://twitter.com/jeffekennedy
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1014374.Jeffe_Kennedy

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Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden – a Review

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Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden – a Review

 

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Description:
Protecting her identity means life or death in this immersive epic fantasy inspired by the Mughal Empire.

In a different life, under a different name, Razia Khan was raised to be the Crown Prince of Nizam, the most powerful kingdom in Daryastan. Born with the soul of a woman, she ran away at a young age to escape her father’s hatred and live life true to herself.

Amongst the hijras of Bikampur, Razia finds sisterhood and discovers a new purpose in life. By day she’s one of her dera’s finest dancers, and by night its most profitable thief. But when her latest target leads her to cross paths with Arjun Agnivansha, Prince of Bikampur, it is she who has something stolen.

An immediate connection with the prince changes Razia’s life forever, and she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous political war. The stakes are greater than any heist she’s ever performed. When the battle brings her face to face with her father, Razia has the chance to reclaim everything she lost…and save her prince.

 

 

Review:

Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden is the first book in her new fantasy series with the same title.  When I started reading this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but upon completion of this story, I am happy to say Stealing Thunder was an excellent read.  The story did start a bit slow, which is normal for any worldbuilding in fantasy; but the second half was very exciting and awesome. 

Razia Khan is our heroine throughout the entire book, and she is a trans gender woman, who gave up life as a crown prince to live her life as a woman.  Razia escaped from her evil father, to become a hijras in Bikampur, where she lives with other girls who are dancers, some also being transgenders.  She is one of the finest dancers, a courtesan, as well as being a thief to help her leader pay bills.   Over time, Razia has become the best at everything she does.

During one of her performances, Razia meets Prince Arjun and both become attracted to each other, as they begin to spend a lot of time together.  He also discovers that she is stealing expensive items for her leader, and arranges for her to leave her dera, bringing along two of her ‘sisters’ to become his concubine.   When Razia left her family, she missed her zahhak (dragon) and Arjun allows her to ride his zahhak, bringing back her memories of her long lost dragon,  Sultana.  When Razia goes to live with Arjun’s family, his father puts her down, even though his son cares for her, but with war on the horizon against a powerful enemy, Arjun’s father will quickly change his tune.  Razia’s background as the young heir to the family throne, gives her amazing knowledge and skills that will push her into the forefront of this war.  Those who look down on her, such as Arjun’s father, her cousin, and others, will begin to see how smart she is, as well as being able to know how to stop and defeat their enemies. 

I loved how Razia finds her lost dragon, Sultana, and uses her abilities to climb a mountain, and get the help they need to defeat the enemy.   But that will bring her face to face with her father, who is determined to kill her.  Can Razia be able to use her savvy, smarts and Sultana to help her win the battle for her life?  To tell too much more would be spoilers, and you really need to read and enjoy the wild and climatic ending.   

The last half of Stealing Thunder was very exciting, nonstop action, with flying dragons, aerial battles, and a heroine who stood up to the challenge.  This was also a sweet romance, as I did like Razia and Arjun together.  Alina Boyden did a great job writing this wonderful fantasy, and I for one cannot wait for the next book. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell – a Review

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The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell – a Review

 

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Description:
Michael is branded a traitor as a child because of the murder of the king’s nine-year-old son, by his father David Kingman. Ten years later on Michael lives a hardscrabble life, with his sister Gwen, performing crimes with his friends against minor royals in a weak attempt at striking back at the world that rejects him and his family.

In a world where memory is the coin that pays for magic, Michael knows something is there in the hot white emptiness of his mind. So when the opportunity arrives to get folded back into court, via the most politically dangerous member of the kingdom’s royal council, Michael takes it, desperate to find a way back to his past. He discovers a royal family that is spiraling into a self-serving dictatorship as gun-wielding rebels clash against magically trained militia.

What the truth holds is a set of shocking revelations that will completely change the Hollows, if Michael and his friends and family can survive long enough to see it.

 

 

Review:

The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell is the first book in his new fantasy series, The Legacy of the Mercenary King.  I had some mixed feelings about this book, but since this is Martell’s debut novel, and considering this is an epic fantasy, it was a well written story.

Michael Kingman is our hero in this series, though in the first half of the book, he wasn’t a good hero, being somewhat unlikeable.  Michael, whose father murdered the King’s son 10 years earlier, has lived with his family branded as traitors.  Michael works with friends to con royals to make ends meet.  Michael is determined to prove that his father was innocent and framed; he pushes his way into situations that endanger himself and his friends. The story did begin with Michael on trial for supposedly killing the King, and it then switches to the past, detailing how Michael ended up being accused of murder.

In order to get closer to the royal family, he helps a Fabricator, who is looking for evidence and in doing so becomes more visible, especially to the Corrupt Prince, who wants nothing better than to have Michael killed.  In any first book of a fantasy, I recognize the author trying to give us a lot of information of the worldbuilding.  My mixed feelings were more that the first half was a bit slow, the hero wasn’t overly likable, the secondary characters were ok, and the storyline was somewhat confusing with each chapter.  I wasn’t sure I would continue.  However, I am glad I did, as the last half of the book picked up, with a bit more clarity, and excitement and the hero becoming more focused.

We learn more later in the book about Fabricators and their magic, as well as Mercenaries.   I also did like Michael’s sister, Gwen, who was a heroine in her own right; and Naomi was another interesting character.  This is a difficult review to write, as so much is going on from the start to finish that is hard to put in writing without being spoilers. 

The Kingdom of Liars was an interesting fantasy, that became exciting and intriguing in the last half of the book.   The finale was a surprise, and did have me pushing to find out the end. Being fantasy, Nick Martell wrote a good story, especially being his debut novel, which I expect to see some improvements in the next book. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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HE MIGHT STILL BE ON MARS by Paul Dalzell-a review

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HE MIGHT STILL BE ON MARS by Paul Dalzell-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 24, 2020

He Might Still Be On Mars is a thriller set in the latter years of the 26th Century. Mankind has spread out into the rocky planets of the Solar System and the rocky moons of the Gas Giants such as Jupiter and Saturn. Despite light speed and near light speed travel, the number of people emigrating to these new worlds is in the doldrums.
This lack of enthusiasm is driven primarily by the savagery of raids by pirate chief, Wilson Black. Powerful politician and scientist, Stella Ling, sends Owen Bone and his Synthetic partner Sandi Shaw on a manhunt for an absconded husband, Freddie Ling. This is camouflage for a plan to eliminate Wilson Black. Owen and Sandi are subject to terrifying injuries and stresses that test what it means to be human and Synth. In overcoming these challenges, they find help in the most unlikely places, leading to a showdown with Black in the frozen remote taiga forest of Siberia.

••••••••

REVIEW: HE MIGHT STILL BE ON MARS by Paul Dalzell is an adult, sci-fi stand alone story of suspense focusing on galactic bounty hunter Owen Bone, and his synthetic partner (synth), an artificial intelligence being named Sandi Shaw.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Owen Bone) HE MIGHT STILL BE ON MARS is set in the year 2586 wherein millions of people have emigrated to a number of the planets in the solar system, planets that have been augmented to sustain human life but like present day Earth, there remains the political wars, racial tension, specieism, classism, discrimination, and evil that break the laws, and perpetrate heinous crimes upon innocent victims. Owen Bone is a renowned bounty hunter who has been hired by the wife of a missing Chinese billionaire but our hero will soon discover his real target is an intergalactic space pirate, a cyborg whose methods are dangerous and often fatal. As Owen begins his hunt for Wilson Black, our hero will amass a posse of powerful politicians, scientists, thieves, hunters and his own band of pirates in an effort to stop the man who intends to stop them all.

HE MIGHT STILL BE ON MARS is a slow building story in which we are witness to the numerous attacks against Owen Bone; his ill-fated capture, imprisonment and eventual rescue; and his dogged determination to take down Wilson Black. From Mars to the frozen tundra of Siberia, Russia HE MIGHT STILL BE ON MARS pulls the reader into a galactic journey; a hunt and rescue; a take down and capture; a story of love, life (artificial, real or a combination thereof): revelations and retribution; a little bit of Star Wars ala Han Solo episodes 4, 5, & 6 😉 , Star Trek Total Recall and Babylon 5. There is plenty of scientific and fictional terminology-prepare to be transported to a world that is but a dream – or- nightmare  away.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Starbreaker by Amanda Bouchet – a Review

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Starbreaker by Amanda Bouchet – a Review

 

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Description:
THEY NEVER WANTED TO BE HEROES

Captain Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan are still the galaxy’s Most Wanted, and with revolution in the wind and the universe on the brink of catastrophic war, the situation couldn’t be more desperate. Despite the Dark Watch scouring the known sectors for them, rebel leaders have handed the crew of the Endeavor a delicate and dangerous mission: break into Starbase 12 and free renowned scientist Reena Ahern. She’s the only one who stands a chance of tipping the odds in their favor for the first time in decades.

BUT PULLING OFF THE IMPOSSIBLE IS WHAT THEY DO BEST

The clock is ticking. But as their attraction builds and secrets are revealed, Tess and Shade must decide if they trust each other enough to execute this impossible prison break. They could change the course of history, but they’ll be risking everything… They’ll just have to tackle one crisis at a time.

 

 

 

Review:

Starbreaker by Amanda Bouchet is the 2nd book in her wonderful sci-fi Endeavor series. I loved the first book in this series, Nightchaser, and happy to say that I equally loved Starbreaker.  As I have said previously, Amanda Bouchet keeps rising up as one of my favorite authors.

In Starbreaker, Tess Bailey (our captain of Endeaver), continues to fight the evil Overseer and the Dark Watch, and steal food and medicines for the areas in this space world that are in need.  Tess has now become romantically involved with the hunky Shade Ganavan, who has become part of Tess’s team.  I have to say I love them both together, as their chemistry is off the wall.  We get to see the POV’s of both of them.  Very well done by Bouchet.

What follows is an exciting, edge of your seat non-stop action-packed suspenseful adventure, pulling on all of our emotions.  The last half of the book so exciting, I was unable to put the book down.  Tess and crew find themselves in so many dangerous situations, we held our breaths each and every time, as we worried if they would survive.   Amanda Bouchet has a knack of giving us fantastic characters, besides Tess and Shade.  I love her team, Jax, Fiona, Merrick, Bonk and the new addition, Sanaa.  It was great to see friends from other ships, who always help each other. 

The surprise twist is her uncle, who will help her along the way to try and save her old friend (Shiori ) and another captive (an important scientist), who are captives on Starbase-12. Sanaa, is a main part of her uncle’s team, is told to work with Tess.  She is equal to any powerful man that is the perfect soldier; at first the team doesn’t trust Sanaa, but as time goes on, she becomes very valuable to them. After so many escapes from various attempts by the Dark Watch, we have no time at all to catch our breaths, when the team goes to Starbase-12 to rescue their compatriots in what could be a suicide mission.  To tell too much more would be spoilers, and you need to read this to enjoy the action throughout. 

As the leader of the rebel forces, Tess puts herself in danger often.  She is an awesome kick-ass heroine; strong, independent, loyal to her friends and those in need. She is the star of this series, and you can’t help love her. Tess is always looking out to help others, not caring about her own life.  Shade was also great, a sexy, handsome, strong hero, and I loved that they were now together.  I also totally love Bonk, Tess’s space cat.   Starbreaker was another fantastic heart-pounding, suspenseful, thrilling ride, filled with suspense, excitement, action, romance, in a wonderfully imaginative world building.  If you have not read Amanda Bouchet, you should start now with Nightchaser or if you have not read her debut series, start with The Kingmaker Chronicles, then move to this series. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Magick & Moonlight-The Missing Piece by Marie Lavender- Reviews

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Magick & Moonlight-The Missing Piece by Marie Lavender- Reviews

 

Magick & Moonlight
Magick series – Book 1
Release Date: April 1, 2020

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Description:
Love spells are dangerous, even more so for those who cast them…

Ethan Hamilton moves to a lazy little town in Oregon, hoping to escape his demons. Instead, he discovers a woman dancing nude in the moonlight. This woman who claims she is a witch dazzles him with her sensual presence. He thinks she’s crazy, but what if she’s not? 

Jessie Anderson has been taught that her kind hides who they really are. And she has a problem on her hands. Someone knows her secret and she must do all she can to protect herself. What other choice does she have? Jessie casts a spell on a good man, a man with whom she can’t fight her attraction. The spell doesn’t work quite as planned. 

Messing with free will is always a bad idea.

To top it off, Ethan’s treatment of her is so addictive. Deep down, she knows the effects will wear off, and yet his feelings seem genuine. It’s just a spell…right?

 

Review:

Magick & Moonlight by Marie Lavender is a short story that will lead to a new series (Magick).

I had fun reading it, it’s hard to pack enough information into a short read, too much and your ending the story too abruptly. Not enough, and you have to fill the empty pages (usually with sex!) 

Ethan comes across a young naked woman dancing in the woods “cue smut”, but what we got was not what I expected….. 

Jessie is a witch, she is out in the woods doing what she loves, hearing a noise she confronts her watcher. They share a kiss, (short story remember) and both are attracted to one another, it’s not until she gets home that reality hits!!! What’s a witch to do? Cast a spell of course…. She can’t have Ethan telling the town she’s a witch, that could lead to all sorts of things. But spells being spells …… 

It’s a fun read. I liked where this was going. Think it could have made a decent full length story. Wanted a little more. Loved the characters, but couldn’t get too involved, before you know it, the story is done!! 

Upon tracking the author down, I confirmed that this is indeed a new series. It tells us of Ethan and Jessie in the future. 

 

The Missing Piece
Release Date – February 28, 2020

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Description:
When Alyssa wakes up in a strange place at school, she can’t remember what happened the previous night. A new friend, Justin, offers to help her out. As she makes discoveries that force her to accept a different reality, she finds herself drawn to Justin for a number of reasons.

Can the biggest mistake of Aly’s life turn into the promise of new love?

 

Review:

The Missing Piece by Marie Lavender is a New Adult Romance.

Alyssa wakes with no memory of the previous night. It’s a scary situation, what the hell happened to her? 

She’s told by a young man that she was drinking plenty and went upstairs with a man! Fear races through Alyssa (was she attacked?) but Justin assures her that wouldn’t have happened, and walks her back to her dorm. She’s not the type of girl to do shots, and certainly not the type to go upstairs with a man. And why can’t she remember? 

Alyssa and Justin start on a journey to find out what happened to her. But what I find difficult to understand is why….. Why would someone who usually does drink, who doesn’t party, who usually stays in her room and study, go out? 

It’s a short read, and one I didn’t want to end, I think it could have been made into a full story. I thought it was going to be more of a mystery (well that’s what the background led me to think) what we got was a romance! 

It’s a fast paced read, but with lots missing I felt a little lost! Will it lead to a fuller story at some point? I do hope so. 

So do you find out why? I guess your going to have to read it to find out. ?

Reviewed by Julie B

Copies supplied for reviews

 

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SLAYER (Shadowborn Rebellion #) by Cyndi Friberg-a review

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SLAYER (Shadowborn Rebellion #) by Cyndi Friberg-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 6, 2020

General Malik Xett doesn’t have time for romance. His one and only concern is curtailing the power and influence of the ruthless Sarronti elite. Still, the human female working with him lingers in his mind and fuels his imagination.

Though Kara O’Leary has been attracted to Malik since they first met, she never dreamed he returned her feelings. One kiss ignites a hunger neither can deny, but the timing couldn’t be worse. Hostilities rapidly escalate and new threats are revealed. How can Malik and Kara bring freedom to the “world below” when all they can think about is each other?

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REVIEW: SLAYER is the first instalment in Cyndi Friberg’s adult SHADOWBORN REBELLION sci-fi romance series-a spin off from the author’s Outcast series, which in turn is a spin-off from Battle born, which is a spin-off from the Shadow Assassins series 😉 . This is Sarronti General Malik ‘Slayer’ Xett, and human engineer Kara O’Leary’s story line. You do not have to have read any of the previous series to understand or follow the current story or timeline.

SOME BACKGROUND: The humanoid aliens known as Rodytes needed a home and settled on two uninhabited planets but to their shock a race of elf-like creatures, known as the Sarronti, live underground away from the light. Without any available mates, the male only Rodytes sent teams of Outcasts to kidnap or persuade any and all human females from Earth in an attempt to repopulate and find mates for their struggling males but procreation came at a price including the need for genetically matched DNA, a mutual metamorphosis, and magical intervention. A test for compatibility is filed and there may be as many as five males matched to a single female DNA. Thirty percent of the females returned back to Earth, and the struggling males begin vying for the female’s affections. Outcasts are battle born-their mothers were Bilarrian prisoners forced to breed, with their Rodyte captors, in the hopes of restoring magic to the Rodyte people. To complicate matters, the planet they now inhabit hides a secret deep beneath the planet’s surface, a secret that is determined to take back what once belonged.

Told from several third person perspectives including Malik and Kara, SLAYER follows two paths: the building romance and relationship between Sarronti General Malik ‘Slayer’ Xett and human engineer Kara O’Leary, and the attack against several settlements in an effort to dissuade the Rodyte Outcasts from establishing a home. Kara O’Leary would quickly discover that finding a suitable mate meant meeting and dating males, who although were DNA compatible, were otherwise not her intended mate but something about Sarronti General Malik Xett immediately caught Kara’s attention. An injury would find Kara in the arms of Malik Xett, and their fated relationship would begin. What ensues is the building romance between Malik and Kara, and the potential fall-out as a war with a rogue faction of Sarronti is about to spiral out of control.

Kara O’Leary struggled to find a place with her human family, and the option of starting a new life on an unknown planet gave Kara a hope for a better future. Like Earth, not everyone is happy with the newcomers or the numerous factions of alien outposts, and as such, specieism, racism and discrimination are about to take hold placing the planet and its’ population at war. Kara O’Leary caught the eye of General Malik Xett from the moment they met but Malik kept his distance until he could keep it no more.

The relationship between Kara and Malik is one of immediate attraction but neither one was willing to take the next step until a potential suitor with a history of aggression places Kara’s life in danger. Kara, although genuinely attracted to General Xett was unwilling to commit to a happily ever after, and needed more time to establish herself and start a new life on a planet she would soon come to call home. Malik knew Kara was his forever mate but bided his time in the hopes that Kara would accept him, as well. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large colorful, energetic and magical cast of secondary and supporting characters including Malik’s mother and Sarronti Prime Healer Arpovae, his brother Salvo (with the ability to conjure portals), and their cousin Jaron; Ayran ‘Scorcher’ Marr; as well as Kara’s friend and cook Natalie Marino. We witness the return of Overlord Kage Razel and Lady Eza, Warlord Torak (Outcasts Series); and the requisite evil Tajon Marr, and Sarronti elite Kantor Alonova and Indrex Farr, whom we also met in the Outcasts series.

SLAYER is a story of family, friendships, discrimination and love. The Sarronti caste system is heart breaking and yet familiar in many of today’s less than progressive societies. The Ayrontu, the highest, most prestigious designation is an ascribed position from birth, and it is the Ayrontu that are determined to remove the unwelcome intruders. The premise is engaging and intriguing; the characters are dynamic and captivating (Jaron is flirty and fun); the romance is seductive and spicy.

Reviewed by Sandy

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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