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frillydoom's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
kymagirl's review
5.0
Darcy (h) receives a military created blood nano vax to combat her exposure to a toxin that had all but destroyed her body. After months of gritty rehab, she finds herself as part of a military recon team to find and retrieve Sasha who slipped through a wormhole (Book 1). After going through the same wormhole, the team crash lands on planet Xithis, and end up being rescued by the Raxions. Maddox (H), a Raxion ambassador, has been tasked with getting the blood nanos using any means necessary. He struggles against his duty to his people as his relationship with Darcy deepens - a relationship that will be in jeopardy when Darcy finds out just how far Maddox is willing to go. Darcy is a really strong character who overcomes a lot both mentally and physically. Maddox really had to struggle to balance Darcy and his sense of duty. Lots of action, adventure, and intrigue make for a great storyline. Plenty of hot and steamy action too, with special eggplant. There may be some content issues for some readers, including violence, forced pregnancy, attempted rape. Technically a standalone, it would be best to read the books in the series in order to get the most out of things.
scbookbutterfly's review
5.0
Fate Works In Mysterious Ways
Reading Maddox and Darcy’s story is a wild and thrilling ride that you won’t want to miss. The world building in this series is crazy good. There are so many elements that will keep you on the edge of your seat….action, adventure, suspense, alien political intrigue, and a love story driven by chemistry and a connection that can’t be denied. You have a hero, driven by duty, that can’t help but fall for a woman who seems submissive, yet fights for all the right reasons when needed, and neither of them are willing to back down when all the political lies and schemes threaten what they both want….each other. It was a fabulous read, and I can’t wait for more.
I received an ARC of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Reading Maddox and Darcy’s story is a wild and thrilling ride that you won’t want to miss. The world building in this series is crazy good. There are so many elements that will keep you on the edge of your seat….action, adventure, suspense, alien political intrigue, and a love story driven by chemistry and a connection that can’t be denied. You have a hero, driven by duty, that can’t help but fall for a woman who seems submissive, yet fights for all the right reasons when needed, and neither of them are willing to back down when all the political lies and schemes threaten what they both want….each other. It was a fabulous read, and I can’t wait for more.
I received an ARC of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
blackroseofwisdom's review
3.0
The first book was amazing. This book needed much, much, MUCH more groveling before the HEA.
czgathers's review
4.0
Another 3.5 for me, less insta-lust than book 1, but it’s still there.
The MMC is…honestly a problematic fave. It’s his confidence and take-chargedness (whatever, I know it’s not a word) that appeals me. The author could have definitely played up the history on the MMC gaining confidence a little more and gone into more of his backstory like the FMC. Because this book is lengthy and we get to see a progression of his thoughts and feelings, it *almost* makes up for the deception. The FMC was ok, but like, very quick to forgive. She can stand up when she needs to, but I think because once she finds out what’s happening from Sasha, it’s really difficult to see her falter and wither almost. BUT that’s only because the consequences are extremely believable based on what we know about the Raxions in this book and the perception of them by the Kursh in book 1. The audio and video monitoring are not great. Like I GET IT, but I really don’t like it (and on Ardalon/Sasha?!?) It makes sense for the story. The world-building is awesome, just like book 1.
I am definitely looking forward to book 3. But can we get a story that takes longer than 2 weeks? I think there needs to be a better established foundation between the MMC and FMC, so it’s not insta-lust.
The MMC is…honestly a problematic fave. It’s his confidence and take-chargedness (whatever, I know it’s not a word) that appeals me. The author could have definitely played up the history on the MMC gaining confidence a little more and gone into more of his backstory like the FMC. Because this book is lengthy and we get to see a progression of his thoughts and feelings, it *almost* makes up for the deception. The FMC was ok, but like, very quick to forgive. She can stand up when she needs to, but I think because once she finds out what’s happening from Sasha, it’s really difficult to see her falter and wither almost. BUT that’s only because the consequences are extremely believable based on what we know about the Raxions in this book and the perception of them by the Kursh in book 1. The audio and video monitoring are not great. Like I GET IT, but I really don’t like it (and on Ardalon/Sasha?!?) It makes sense for the story. The world-building is awesome, just like book 1.
I am definitely looking forward to book 3. But can we get a story that takes longer than 2 weeks? I think there needs to be a better established foundation between the MMC and FMC, so it’s not insta-lust.
twinkling_cloud's review
2.0
I enjoyed the world-building a lot in this series and the aliens are behaving exactly how I would think they would if they happened upon sentient creatures, especially ones that they're afraid of.
Not sure how I feel about Darcy, she suffers from TSTL syndrome. That scene of them taking off their helmets, walking recklessly along the alien planet, and Darcy taking the egg was giving me Prometheus levels of stupid.
Not sure how I feel about Darcy, she suffers from TSTL syndrome. That scene of them taking off their helmets, walking recklessly along the alien planet, and Darcy taking the egg was giving me Prometheus levels of stupid.
greystory's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
AARGGGHH this is so difficult to rate.
It's a very well written story. I was engaged, I enjoyed reading, it only lagged a little in places where the plot could have been tightened up a little, the characters were decently established - just all around, a good book.
The romance, however? The romance is ultimately not that satisfying because of the ending, much like the first book, and that makes it difficult because you enjoyed reading the book in general but ultimately feel unhappy with the final outcome. Once again, it's technically a Happily Ever After but ugh, events at the end put a damper on the "happy" part of that HEA.
The good:
BABY PET DRAGON! Just like on the cover!
The worldbuilding was good. Lots of little tidbits about Raxion biology and Raxion life, of course, but we also got to learn more about this alternative future life for humans and what that's like. We get a little bit about human history and how they left Earth and ended up around the galaxy. I love that shit.
Darcy and Maddox were interesting characters side by side. While it's clear to the reader from the beginning that Maddox has ulterior motives and is using Darcy, we also see Darcy is kind of self-centered and lacking some empathy towards others as a result of her becoming bitter and miserable for years during her illness prior to the mission. While I don't think Darcy's behavior is anywhere as cold as Maddox's level of manipulation, it was just interesting to have them paired together, neither one perfect. It also means it held a different layer of trauma for Darcy to have choice and autonomy taken away due to having experienced that already in her life.
I really liked Williams in the epilogue. No, wait, I really liked Williams in general and wish he had been included more in the book. He often felt like an afterthought compared to Gunner and Delilah and both of those were also more on the backburner once the book hits about 20% of the way in. He was a great character and I hope he pops up again in the 3rd book!
Delilah was an honestly cool character and I'm glad that book 3 is about her. I'm hoping whatever horrors await her aren't too bad. She was a genuinely good person with an intrinsic desire for language knowledge and was generally someone I could have seen myself wanting to be friends with.
Gunner is a misogynistic dick but his character ending is satisfying.
The "bad":
Despite the fact that it's 200 pages in before the two main characters hook up, it felt rather abrupt. If I was tracking time correctly, they'd only met 3 days ago by that point and it wasn't instalust - they only developed interest and feelings after meeting. It was like nothing at all for 150-160 pages then 40 pages of them rapidly growing interest over the span of like a day and a half and then BAM, carnal introductions. And then two weeks of them boinking constantly and living out a little domestic fantasy. It was just such a rapid turnaround there.
This one doesn't happen until 70% and on.There was stuff that was off about the pregnancy, medically speaking. The book explicitly states that gestation for Raxions is as long as humans so there's no hand-wavy medicine going on here. A pregnancy less than 10 days old is NOT a baby nor visible on any kind of ultrasound. It's likely barely more than a zygote becoming a tiny cluster of cells. CELLS. And it's possibly not even in the uterus yet! What gets me is this is super easy information to find. I've never been pregnant and have no plans for any kind of pregnancy and I still knew immediately this all made NO sense.
The ugly:
Spoiler from about 70% in about SA:Pregnancy without consent is tantamount to sexual assault to me.
The book starts out with Darcy agreeing to the mission in exchange for a cure - the same nanos that Sasha had in the first book. The attitude and language around Darcy's life makes it clear that her life with her quadriplegia isn't one really worth living, and that's a shitty ass take.
Some of Darcy's misery at her life is understandable and outside of her control - family not visiting, the facility she's at sounds mediocre, not able to pursue her dream career - but others were things Darcy could have done for herself - like making friends and finding a purpose. Darcy admits she intentionally avoided interacting with anyone.
Darcy gets over the betrayal and manipulation way too fast. Yes, it was a high stakes scenario but it was still just too damned fast. Even knowing all the manipulation was going on as the reader, I was NOT ready for Maddox to be forgiven. Hells no. You can feel hurt and betrayed and deeply dislike or distrust someone without wanting to actively see them hurt or killed. It would have made more sense for the forgiveness to take time. A better idea would have beento have her slowly forgive Maddox as they work and live together through her pregnancy and she relearns to trust him, sees him caring for her and their child together, and he makes sacrifices for her well-being (e.g. the blood donations, commuting, etc).
It's a very well written story. I was engaged, I enjoyed reading, it only lagged a little in places where the plot could have been tightened up a little, the characters were decently established - just all around, a good book.
The romance, however? The romance is ultimately not that satisfying because of the ending, much like the first book, and that makes it difficult because you enjoyed reading the book in general but ultimately feel unhappy with the final outcome. Once again, it's technically a Happily Ever After but ugh, events at the end put a damper on the "happy" part of that HEA.
The good:
BABY PET DRAGON! Just like on the cover!
The worldbuilding was good. Lots of little tidbits about Raxion biology and Raxion life, of course, but we also got to learn more about this alternative future life for humans and what that's like. We get a little bit about human history and how they left Earth and ended up around the galaxy. I love that shit.
Darcy and Maddox were interesting characters side by side. While it's clear to the reader from the beginning that Maddox has ulterior motives and is using Darcy, we also see Darcy is kind of self-centered and lacking some empathy towards others as a result of her becoming bitter and miserable for years during her illness prior to the mission. While I don't think Darcy's behavior is anywhere as cold as Maddox's level of manipulation, it was just interesting to have them paired together, neither one perfect. It also means it held a different layer of trauma for Darcy to have choice and autonomy taken away due to having experienced that already in her life.
I really liked Williams in the epilogue. No, wait, I really liked Williams in general and wish he had been included more in the book. He often felt like an afterthought compared to Gunner and Delilah and both of those were also more on the backburner once the book hits about 20% of the way in. He was a great character and I hope he pops up again in the 3rd book!
Delilah was an honestly cool character and I'm glad that book 3 is about her. I'm hoping whatever horrors await her aren't too bad. She was a genuinely good person with an intrinsic desire for language knowledge and was generally someone I could have seen myself wanting to be friends with.
Gunner is a misogynistic dick but his character ending is satisfying.
The "bad":
Despite the fact that it's 200 pages in before the two main characters hook up, it felt rather abrupt. If I was tracking time correctly, they'd only met 3 days ago by that point and it wasn't instalust - they only developed interest and feelings after meeting. It was like nothing at all for 150-160 pages then 40 pages of them rapidly growing interest over the span of like a day and a half and then BAM, carnal introductions. And then two weeks of them boinking constantly and living out a little domestic fantasy. It was just such a rapid turnaround there.
This one doesn't happen until 70% and on.
The ugly:
Spoiler from about 70% in about SA:
The book starts out with Darcy agreeing to the mission in exchange for a cure - the same nanos that Sasha had in the first book. The attitude and language around Darcy's life makes it clear that her life with her quadriplegia isn't one really worth living, and that's a shitty ass take.
Some of Darcy's misery at her life is understandable and outside of her control - family not visiting, the facility she's at sounds mediocre, not able to pursue her dream career - but others were things Darcy could have done for herself - like making friends and finding a purpose. Darcy admits she intentionally avoided interacting with anyone.
Darcy gets over the betrayal and manipulation way too fast. Yes, it was a high stakes scenario but it was still just too damned fast. Even knowing all the manipulation was going on as the reader, I was NOT ready for Maddox to be forgiven. Hells no. You can feel hurt and betrayed and deeply dislike or distrust someone without wanting to actively see them hurt or killed. It would have made more sense for the forgiveness to take time. A better idea would have been
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Minor: Ableism, Confinement, Murder, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Violence, and War
Lots of manipulation and lying, but not gaslighting specifically. The reader is aware of this from the start since they can see the manipulator's POV.redhairedashreads's review
2.0
2 stars - It was ok
Trigger Warnings; terminal illness; sexual harassment from a coworker; drugging; forced pregnancy and imprisonment; attempted sexual assault; human trafficking; forced medical examinations; extreme injuries that lead to brain damage and possible death;
I have mixed feelings about this book, which sucks. This review is going to have major spoilers because I can’t think of a way to talk about my issues with this book without spoiling things, especially since they can also be triggering for some people.
Let's start with the MMC, Maddox. Maddox is the ambassador of the Raxion’s and while we see him being a bit conniving at controlling what the humans see/do, it all basically made sense because the Raxion’s don’t really know what the humans will do. So for the first half of this book I liked Maddox and the building relationship with Darcy. But then we see the real kind of person he is. Maddox gets Darcy tipsy, drugs her with a fertility drug, and has sex to impregnate Darcy all because he was ordered to by his superiors who are trying to get their hands on the nano’s in the human's blood. This is after they already obtained a sample of actual blood from Darcy. Once the truth comes out he tries to justify his actions by saying it was the only way he could think to protect her from rape and that he negotiated for a pretty and comfortable prison for her, so it will be ok. Needless to say, I hated Maddox for the rest of this book.
Now to Darcy. I liked Darcy for the majority of this book but she was also very clueless at the same time. She has experienced the worst of the human military and yet doesn’t question why they are sending two extremely dangerous men on this rescue mission, nor does she even question why they are doing a rescue mission. She also just keeps brushing off the sexual harassment she is experiencing from Gunner, which was ridiculous.
When Darcy realizes the truth about Maddox I really felt for her and understood her overwhelming despair and depression. That was understandable, but I can’t believe she let herself get drugged so she would be “calm” during social situations, especially when they have no idea how a human body will react to this drug. But my biggest issue with Darcy was that as soon as Maddox was in danger, she forgave him for all his actions and let him right back in, without any groveling or earning back her trust. That instantly made me want to smack her and say WTF is wrong with you girl.
Overall, this was a huge disappointment after loving the first book so much. While I didn’t like this one, I will be reading the next one because I really liked Delilah and want to see what is happening to her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Minor: Trafficking
kirreadsbooks's review
3.0
Pretty good
CW: dub-con/non-con, kidnapping, attempted rape, voyeurism
This was an interesting book. I like the premise and the world that was created. The different types of aliens are intriguing. I enjoyed the book though the ending felt a little flat.
CW: dub-con/non-con, kidnapping, attempted rape, voyeurism
This was an interesting book. I like the premise and the world that was created. The different types of aliens are intriguing. I enjoyed the book though the ending felt a little flat.
beanieberta's review
This book got me torn. The writing is good. The story is catching. But the way the MMC Maddox deceives the FMC Darcy is... so wrong and repulsive. He gets her pregnant by disabling her birth control, without her knowledge, during sex. the plan is to literally trap her with a baby. In the country I am from, removing a condom during sex without the knowledge of the partner is considered rape. and it's not alien customs whatever that makes this okay, no, Maddox definitely knows what he is doing is wrong. and then he kinda gets a breeding kink, again without her knowing that her birth control doesn't work anymore. just reading this really made me feel bad and queasy, it's such a big violation of boundaries. as others have mentioned, yes, the FMC is naive and just has sex with a random politician alien. but damn, i am reading alien smut! of course she does!
If there hadn't been a bigger fish to deal with, maddox' actions would have been unforgivable. But there is, and so she forgives him quite quickly. I hate it. i hate him.
But the book is still good?? Just for my hate of this character and his actions i would give 1 star, but in terms of writing, plot, etc it's more like 3,5.
i am looking forward to the third book.