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heabooknerd's review
3.0
ON A CYBORG PLANET was a step away from the Phoenix brothers but a continuation of ON A CYBORG PLANET so it was fun to return to Centax and see these wonderful cyborgs. Because Axton has less enhancements he feels all his emotions and is very open about them. So much so that he's struggling with the feeling of uselessness that he's experienced since his kidnapping and torture. Axton is desperate to restore peace and hope to his planet and this comes through clearly in all his actions.
Xenia, on the other hand, has many enhancements and shouldn't feel emotions, but the dampening filters have never worked on her. Keeping her emotions a secret has taken a toll on Xenia and she has to learn to accept that emotions can make her stronger. I really loved reading about Xenia learning to embrace her emotions and Axton was great when it came to supporting her. The love between Axton and Xenia is very fast in this book since it's less than 100 pages, however, much of it is built on the idea that they've been attracted to each other for a while.
I'd love to have more books on the Centaxians, especially considering the statements Xander makes in the end about working with the scientists to prevent enhancements from dampening emotions.
Xenia, on the other hand, has many enhancements and shouldn't feel emotions, but the dampening filters have never worked on her. Keeping her emotions a secret has taken a toll on Xenia and she has to learn to accept that emotions can make her stronger. I really loved reading about Xenia learning to embrace her emotions and Axton was great when it came to supporting her. The love between Axton and Xenia is very fast in this book since it's less than 100 pages, however, much of it is built on the idea that they've been attracted to each other for a while.
I'd love to have more books on the Centaxians, especially considering the statements Xander makes in the end about working with the scientists to prevent enhancements from dampening emotions.
leesarpel's review
4.0
The head of government on Centax, Axton Saros, is recovering from a coup attempt and traumatized from his torture and imprisonment. Centax Security officer Xenia Alexander is sent with him to recover an Old Earth artifact, the Codex da Vinci, so the national museumq can open on schedule. Axton has figured out that Xenia does have emotions and comforted him when he was in a bad way. She's caring and protective to him, loyal to his brother (Xenia is Axton's brother's second in command at CenSec), good at her job, easy on his eyes, and can move "like liquid lightning" or electrocute someone in melee combat. That's everything Axton wants from a partner, so he decides to make the most of the mission. Xenia has her reservations, though, because although she would totally tap that delicious and amazing-smelling man, she believes herself ill-suited to his life. It also wouldn't do for people to discover she's not the perfect emotionless Centaxian Security cyborg. How do the two of them recover the artifact and connect with each other on a dangerous retrieval job?
Lady cyborgs are a big reading inducement for me. They make me think of how we can extend our bodies' capabilities. There is a convention in heterosexual romance stories where the male lead is presented as 'other' to the female lead in society: alien, werewolf, vampire, cyborg, super spy. In On a Cyborg Planet, everyone's modded, but Xenia exceptionally so. People who are exceptional, 'other,' or different can feel uncomfortable in most surroundings and like interacting with the average person is foreign and difficult. Speaking directly is often a liability when interacting with people. Overcoming these difficulties to forge human relationships is a subject I find fascinating. Xenia may have trouble showing how she cares, and joining his life and interacting with the public is going to be a learning experience for her. I'd love to read more about that, but it would be a lot slower paced than the rest of the book is, so I surmise it would feel jarring.
The romance is high-octane. Xenia and Axton leap off the page and then she roundhouse kicks you and he does something naughty. Axton finds her roundhouse kicks totally hot. He's a fictional character after my own heart. He is sweet, respectful, responsible, steady, and can talk dirty very well. When I read about them getting physical, I thought about fanning myself.
The letter X is used to the point of giggles, though. Centax. Axton Saros. Xander. Xenia Alexander. The city of Haxx, the rebel Dax. It felt a little much. Even if the planet uses the letter a lot along with C and S, it holds a place in my head with silly things like xylophones. It's not as inherently funny as 'Kalamazoo,' but my mirth did break my immersion.
The subtleties of the characters aren't explored- there isn't time. There's a late scene about a conflict that goes by in a blink and seems slightly cliche (love conquers everything?) to me. The courtship from uninvolved to engaged is also very quick.
I want more about Axton and Xenia, please- it was over too quickly for me. That would roundhouse kick everything.
Lady cyborgs are a big reading inducement for me. They make me think of how we can extend our bodies' capabilities. There is a convention in heterosexual romance stories where the male lead is presented as 'other' to the female lead in society: alien, werewolf, vampire, cyborg, super spy. In On a Cyborg Planet, everyone's modded, but Xenia exceptionally so. People who are exceptional, 'other,' or different can feel uncomfortable in most surroundings and like interacting with the average person is foreign and difficult. Speaking directly is often a liability when interacting with people. Overcoming these difficulties to forge human relationships is a subject I find fascinating. Xenia may have trouble showing how she cares, and joining his life and interacting with the public is going to be a learning experience for her. I'd love to read more about that, but it would be a lot slower paced than the rest of the book is, so I surmise it would feel jarring.
The romance is high-octane. Xenia and Axton leap off the page and then she roundhouse kicks you and he does something naughty. Axton finds her roundhouse kicks totally hot. He's a fictional character after my own heart. He is sweet, respectful, responsible, steady, and can talk dirty very well. When I read about them getting physical, I thought about fanning myself.
The letter X is used to the point of giggles, though. Centax. Axton Saros. Xander. Xenia Alexander. The city of Haxx, the rebel Dax. It felt a little much. Even if the planet uses the letter a lot along with C and S, it holds a place in my head with silly things like xylophones. It's not as inherently funny as 'Kalamazoo,' but my mirth did break my immersion.
The subtleties of the characters aren't explored- there isn't time. There's a late scene about a conflict that goes by in a blink and seems slightly cliche (love conquers everything?) to me. The courtship from uninvolved to engaged is also very quick.
I want more about Axton and Xenia, please- it was over too quickly for me. That would roundhouse kick everything.
redhairedashreads's review
3.0
Series: Phoenix Adventures #4.5
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it
Axton Saros, Prime of the planet Centax, is trying to rebuild his world after a vicious coup. He is determined to find a priceless artifact stolen during the attack. He reluctantly teams up with the emotionless CenSec Commander Xenia Alexander to locate the item.
This was another enjoyable cyborg story. Axton seems like a great Prime. He has less enhancements than his brother, Xander, and Xenia, so he feels all his emotions and is open about them. He is struggling to deal with his kidnapping experience and the torture he endured, especially since he still has linger pain from the injuries. I really liked his dedication to restoring his planet and recovering its artifacts.
Xenia is second in command to Xander. She has many enhancements but has hidden that her dampening filters have never worked. She has kept her emotions a secret and struggles to understand that emotions can make her stronger. I really enjoyed Axton and Xenia’s relationship. It was very fast paced but you can tell they really care for each other.
The planet of Centax is fascinating and I would love to see more stories from this world, especially after Axton’s remarks of finding a way to enhance without deadening emotions. I really love the variety of aliens and artifacts in this series, and can’t wait to see what will appear in future books.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it
Axton Saros, Prime of the planet Centax, is trying to rebuild his world after a vicious coup. He is determined to find a priceless artifact stolen during the attack. He reluctantly teams up with the emotionless CenSec Commander Xenia Alexander to locate the item.
This was another enjoyable cyborg story. Axton seems like a great Prime. He has less enhancements than his brother, Xander, and Xenia, so he feels all his emotions and is open about them. He is struggling to deal with his kidnapping experience and the torture he endured, especially since he still has linger pain from the injuries. I really liked his dedication to restoring his planet and recovering its artifacts.
Xenia is second in command to Xander. She has many enhancements but has hidden that her dampening filters have never worked. She has kept her emotions a secret and struggles to understand that emotions can make her stronger. I really enjoyed Axton and Xenia’s relationship. It was very fast paced but you can tell they really care for each other.
The planet of Centax is fascinating and I would love to see more stories from this world, especially after Axton’s remarks of finding a way to enhance without deadening emotions. I really love the variety of aliens and artifacts in this series, and can’t wait to see what will appear in future books.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
jellbea's review
4.0
Man, I really really would have liked to read more about Axton and Xenia. They were so great separately and together, and a full length book about them would have been awesome. I'll take the novella, though! It moves a little fast but I thought the developing feelings between the two were believable. Another great installment in one of my favorite series.
sandywilliams03's review
3.0
Three stars means I recommend the book - I don't rate/review books that I dislike - but this book is for people who like a TON of romance in their science fiction. I'd say the breakdown is 90% romance and smexy times, and 10% plot. I prefer a 50/50 split.
Ms. Hackett still writes a darn good book, though. Her smexy scenes are hot, her characters are strong and independent, and she does a good amount of world building with very few words. In fact, the world building was my favorite part. The first five pages and last five pages intrigued me. I was a tad bit lost in the beginning since their were five novellas before this one, but once I got to chapter two, I had no problem.
I wish the Rahl - the bad guys - had been developed more. Maybe they would have been menacing if I'd read the first five novellas? They just seemed... I don't know. Thrown in there? They left booby traps and had this really big elaborate plan to take down Axton that I just didn't believe at all. But readers aren't really reading this book for the Rahl and plot line; they read it for the characters and romance.
This series is definitely worth giving a try if you like a lot of smexy times in your books. I'm not continuing with this one because of my preference for more plot, but I will definitely try another one of her series. I love the writing and adventure.
Ms. Hackett still writes a darn good book, though. Her smexy scenes are hot, her characters are strong and independent, and she does a good amount of world building with very few words. In fact, the world building was my favorite part. The first five pages and last five pages intrigued me. I was a tad bit lost in the beginning since their were five novellas before this one, but once I got to chapter two, I had no problem.
I wish the Rahl - the bad guys - had been developed more. Maybe they would have been menacing if I'd read the first five novellas? They just seemed... I don't know. Thrown in there? They left booby traps and had this really big elaborate plan to take down Axton that I just didn't believe at all. But readers aren't really reading this book for the Rahl and plot line; they read it for the characters and romance.
This series is definitely worth giving a try if you like a lot of smexy times in your books. I'm not continuing with this one because of my preference for more plot, but I will definitely try another one of her series. I love the writing and adventure.
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