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Himiko #1
Bonding
Ever wondered why love stories talk about finding "your better half"? Matt hadn't, really. Not until humanity got its biggest surprise the arrival of intelligent life from space. The Himika may look reassuringly human, but their unexplained behavior and eerie silence have strained relations between human and alien. When Matt is "harvested" -- kidnapped -- by the Himika, he's terrified. Nothing makes sense until he wakes up wrapped in Pietr's arms. Pietr may be the most annoying, smug, sarcastic humanoid Matt has ever met. He's also Matt's bonded mate. Plato was right. Everybody really does have a better half, and against everyone's better judgment, it seems Pietr belongs with Matt. But learning how to communicate the Himiko way (preferably without killing himself or Pietr in the process) is hard, and Matt's mentor, Aki, might be even more aggravating than Pietr. It doesn't help when Matt develops powers that not even the Himika understand. Matt isn't sure he's going to make it -- or if he'll have to let Pietr go in order to keep his mate safe and sane.
210 pages, Paperback
First published February 9, 2011
8 people are currently reading
461 people want to read
About the author
C.B. Conwy
18 books169 followersDoing relatively sane and responsible things during the day, I'm always looking forward to coming home to see what my characters have been up to. It’s only very rarely what I want them to do, but there you go. I have no problems whatsoever reading both Flaubert and smut (although not at the same time), and the only thing I like more than chocolate is a good comfort read.
To me, the best thing about writing is the rush; it’s almost a physical high when you’re writing and it’s going well. As for the worst part: Nobody ever told me that fictional characters do exactly as they please! All that talk about ‘the author’s intention’? This author is running around, desperately trying to figure out what my heroes want to do and then coaxing everybody into something vaguely resembling a consistent plot. Sigh.
To me, the best thing about writing is the rush; it’s almost a physical high when you’re writing and it’s going well. As for the worst part: Nobody ever told me that fictional characters do exactly as they please! All that talk about ‘the author’s intention’? This author is running around, desperately trying to figure out what my heroes want to do and then coaxing everybody into something vaguely resembling a consistent plot. Sigh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
March 9, 2011
This is one of the most imaginative sci-fi books I have read in a long time. And I hesitate to even call it sci-fi - maybe futuristic is a better label? The fact that aliens are involved definitely makes it sci-fi, and the discover of their unique mental abilities confirms that, but the focus and point of the story are so much about the human condition that it felt more like a psychological journey or exploration of the human condition.
Matt is definitely in for some major surprises when he gets picked up by the Himika. Nothing much good has come from them, as far as he is concerned, and he hates the thought of having to leave behind his life. Wouldn't anyone? What he discovers, though, is not what he expected. The journey he goes on is fascinating, scary and downright mysterious. Not all the secrets are revealed in this first book, either. The next volume will hopefully clarify some things. I can't wait
Pietr is mysterious and annoying, but clearly smitten with Matt. He also means well, but isn't all-knowing. This makes for some great "aha" moments for him as he begins to understand Matt and his human idiosyncrasies. Even though he never expected to bond with Matt, nor any human, as far as I can tell, he knows better what to expect as they go through the different stages of Matt adapting to their bond and his new life.
The entire book deals with the exploration of the mental link between Matt and Pietr, and there wasn't a dull moment. The story truly swept me along into a different world, and I loved that. If you don't require spaceships or battles with superior aliens to be part of your sci-fi, this book is for you. Equally, if you've never read sci-fi because you don't like "all that space stuff", this may be a book you enjoy. I certainly did!
Matt is definitely in for some major surprises when he gets picked up by the Himika. Nothing much good has come from them, as far as he is concerned, and he hates the thought of having to leave behind his life. Wouldn't anyone? What he discovers, though, is not what he expected. The journey he goes on is fascinating, scary and downright mysterious. Not all the secrets are revealed in this first book, either. The next volume will hopefully clarify some things. I can't wait
Pietr is mysterious and annoying, but clearly smitten with Matt. He also means well, but isn't all-knowing. This makes for some great "aha" moments for him as he begins to understand Matt and his human idiosyncrasies. Even though he never expected to bond with Matt, nor any human, as far as I can tell, he knows better what to expect as they go through the different stages of Matt adapting to their bond and his new life.
The entire book deals with the exploration of the mental link between Matt and Pietr, and there wasn't a dull moment. The story truly swept me along into a different world, and I loved that. If you don't require spaceships or battles with superior aliens to be part of your sci-fi, this book is for you. Equally, if you've never read sci-fi because you don't like "all that space stuff", this may be a book you enjoy. I certainly did!
April 8, 2011
There was so much wrong with this book construct-wise, and yet, I loved this book SO MUCH. It's so damn frustrating. Because I wanted to rate this book much higher, but if we're talking about technicalities, it needed to be lower. I ended up rating it in the middle. Still, it was a good read and I'll be buying the next in the series.
The biggest flaw with this book was there was no plot. It was a world where humans live with aliens and there was NO (zip, zero, zilch) world building. Matt would get angry over his poor treatment (he should have) and nothing was done with it. Characters were introduced who did bad things, and there was no follow through. Matt would be taught something and then be told "okay, you're done!" without any payoff.
See what I'm getting at here? This book was about nothing more than: staring into an alien's eyes and falling in lurve.
And the end was the worst part. There was a whole mess of telling in the last three pages and it just ended. Done. Hope you buy the next book because I'm done writing -- done.
That right there pissed me off more than anything else. I HATE when authors do that. I wouldn't buy the next one on principle, except, I kind of do want to know what happens.
The writing (while in some aspects was weak) kept me reading regardless of these big glaring issues. I kind of fell in love with the book despite its flaws. It was emotionally satisfying (until the end).
www.theanonymousmouse.com
The biggest flaw with this book was there was no plot. It was a world where humans live with aliens and there was NO (zip, zero, zilch) world building. Matt would get angry over his poor treatment (he should have) and nothing was done with it. Characters were introduced who did bad things, and there was no follow through. Matt would be taught something and then be told "okay, you're done!" without any payoff.
See what I'm getting at here? This book was about nothing more than: staring into an alien's eyes and falling in lurve.
And the end was the worst part. There was a whole mess of telling in the last three pages and it just ended. Done. Hope you buy the next book because I'm done writing -- done.
That right there pissed me off more than anything else. I HATE when authors do that. I wouldn't buy the next one on principle, except, I kind of do want to know what happens.
The writing (while in some aspects was weak) kept me reading regardless of these big glaring issues. I kind of fell in love with the book despite its flaws. It was emotionally satisfying (until the end).
www.theanonymousmouse.com
October 27, 2011
4.5 stars An amazing m/m scifi romance with very imaginative use of the mate/bonding theme and an interesting alien occupation plot. Matt is 'harvested' by the alien race (Himiko) that has recently made contact with earth. Humans have started to become suspicious of the aliens since the abducted humans have either never returned or been found later suffering from a complete mental collapse. So Matt is petrified when he's taken and fights back viciously. A chance meeting with a Himiko (Pietr) results in an all-consuming and dangerous 'bond' that threatens both their lives if Matt doesn't learn to control his newfound abilities and accept his partner.
The novel explores the nature of a bond in a way that I've never read in an m/m or m/f romance. Matt's terror and struggle to accept his new reality is very emotional and I couldn't put the book down. The intentions and motivations of the Himiko and their effect on humans was also well written for a 209 page book. However the story mostly concentrates on the relationship between Matt and Pietr.
Some of the ratings/reviews for this book were lower because the readers felt there were too many open questions. But luckily for me I found this book on the day the sequel, Warrior was released. I've read it and it answers all the questions left from this first installment. Highly recommended for fans of scifi, superpowers, steamy sex scenes and a high dose of angsty bonding.
The novel explores the nature of a bond in a way that I've never read in an m/m or m/f romance. Matt's terror and struggle to accept his new reality is very emotional and I couldn't put the book down. The intentions and motivations of the Himiko and their effect on humans was also well written for a 209 page book. However the story mostly concentrates on the relationship between Matt and Pietr.
Some of the ratings/reviews for this book were lower because the readers felt there were too many open questions. But luckily for me I found this book on the day the sequel, Warrior was released. I've read it and it answers all the questions left from this first installment. Highly recommended for fans of scifi, superpowers, steamy sex scenes and a high dose of angsty bonding.
August 14, 2019
I couldn't get into this one at all. 40 pages in and I still had no real sense of what the Himiko actually looked like, other than the fact that they had "pointy ears". Then the two main characters look into each others eyes and...WHAM!...they're instantly bonded and jumping into the sack together. That pretty much killed any interest and anticipation for me, in regards to the romance. But what ultimately made me decide to quit was the corny, juvenile dialogue, which only got worse once the sex scene began.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2014
Oh my god, it's so horrible! DNF and returned to Amazon. Bipolar, illogical, immature characters (who are supposed to be around 30 years old) and many inconsistencies, e.g. the narrator knowing things like someone's name or that this alien is his mate before being told, then two sentences later asking what the guy's name is or being surprised when the alien calls him "mate." This book needs serious editing for consistency. Hell maybe just scrap it and start fresh, 'cause the idea and the world-building had potential, but the characters and their stupidity just annoyed me so much that I was either laughing at them (look at my status updates), rolling my eyes, or saying to myself what a shit book this is and wondering why am I still reading.
Another book, The Harvest Taken has the same basic plot (human abduction, mating with an alien), but it was so much better than this. Seriously, readers, get that one instead. And authors, please write better cross-species love stories!
Another book, The Harvest Taken has the same basic plot (human abduction, mating with an alien), but it was so much better than this. Seriously, readers, get that one instead. And authors, please write better cross-species love stories!
February 23, 2011
Updated review:
Himiko: Bonding is a story set in current times, with a futuristic theme. In this alternate world, aliens in the form of the Himika have already made contact. I really enjoyed how CB used the background of our own planet to create the scenes for this novel. Doing this made it really easy for me to connect with the characters and the emotions they felt, making the whole sci-fi scenario feel more real.
Matt is a professor of architecture. His preoccupation with the Himika stems from friends' involvement in their discovery of and consequent contact with Earth. This connection, along with the deep-seated resentment Matt feels, is more than explained. I felt it created the catalyst for a lot of how Matt reacted and dealt with the coming situations.
Pietr is a Himika with no idea what's in store for him. A chance meeting in a hallway causes a bond neither he nor Matt are able to walk away from. The joy and happiness Pietr feels in finding his mate is beautiful to me, and the resulting conversation between the two may not be sugar sweet, but still enabled me to jump on board and hope for the best. Pietr's steadfast loyalty and staunch belief in his one and only become more than apparent as the plot evolves. It's up to Matt to complete the bond, investing his all in discovering not only what his powers are, but just how far reaching those powers will be.
CB does an excellent job of portraying each character, along with the dialogue they speak. I am hopeful for another instalment of this story, because although most questions have been answered, there are still a few characters I would like to hear more from. A novel written in a contemporary style, I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys sci-fi, bonding, extraordinary abilities, aliens or drama. Nx
Note: Reviewed for Queer Magazine Online.
Himiko: Bonding is a story set in current times, with a futuristic theme. In this alternate world, aliens in the form of the Himika have already made contact. I really enjoyed how CB used the background of our own planet to create the scenes for this novel. Doing this made it really easy for me to connect with the characters and the emotions they felt, making the whole sci-fi scenario feel more real.
Matt is a professor of architecture. His preoccupation with the Himika stems from friends' involvement in their discovery of and consequent contact with Earth. This connection, along with the deep-seated resentment Matt feels, is more than explained. I felt it created the catalyst for a lot of how Matt reacted and dealt with the coming situations.
Pietr is a Himika with no idea what's in store for him. A chance meeting in a hallway causes a bond neither he nor Matt are able to walk away from. The joy and happiness Pietr feels in finding his mate is beautiful to me, and the resulting conversation between the two may not be sugar sweet, but still enabled me to jump on board and hope for the best. Pietr's steadfast loyalty and staunch belief in his one and only become more than apparent as the plot evolves. It's up to Matt to complete the bond, investing his all in discovering not only what his powers are, but just how far reaching those powers will be.
CB does an excellent job of portraying each character, along with the dialogue they speak. I am hopeful for another instalment of this story, because although most questions have been answered, there are still a few characters I would like to hear more from. A novel written in a contemporary style, I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys sci-fi, bonding, extraordinary abilities, aliens or drama. Nx
Note: Reviewed for Queer Magazine Online.
June 15, 2012
I loved this book (two parts). Be prepared that you will want to start the second book (Warrior) right after you finish one. In my case, that was 12am and I finished book two at 2:30am!
My first huge CAVAET about this book, it is a bit "pornish" in the realm of erotica. What I mean by that is that there is a large amount of sex scenes and the plot starts us off with a "bonding" moment that means instant love and sex.
Not that it is a bad thing, but if that part bothers you then you might not want to read this book.
That out of the way, I have not enjoyed a book concept as much as I enjoyed this book in a long time. I love Sci-fi romance and it is so hard to do it well. Conwy spends a great deal of time describing the culture and the current situation fairly quickly without getting too bogged down in details. Earth has been approached by this culture called, Himiko, who communicate via telepathy. Matt, our human hero, is harvested (think assimilated) and finds out that he has a Himiko mate. Pietr is the Himiko who is bonded to and must help him deal with the changes.
I do not want to go too deeply into the plot, but the first half of the two parts is on how he deals in the new culture. Book two deals with how he handles moving back into the Earth culture.
My first huge CAVAET about this book, it is a bit "pornish" in the realm of erotica. What I mean by that is that there is a large amount of sex scenes and the plot starts us off with a "bonding" moment that means instant love and sex.
Not that it is a bad thing, but if that part bothers you then you might not want to read this book.
That out of the way, I have not enjoyed a book concept as much as I enjoyed this book in a long time. I love Sci-fi romance and it is so hard to do it well. Conwy spends a great deal of time describing the culture and the current situation fairly quickly without getting too bogged down in details. Earth has been approached by this culture called, Himiko, who communicate via telepathy. Matt, our human hero, is harvested (think assimilated) and finds out that he has a Himiko mate. Pietr is the Himiko who is bonded to and must help him deal with the changes.
I do not want to go too deeply into the plot, but the first half of the two parts is on how he deals in the new culture. Book two deals with how he handles moving back into the Earth culture.
October 18, 2013
I really wanted to like the book, but I finally stopped at 60% because I couldn't bear it anymore.
The plot is something I always wanted to read: Human Matt finds his soulmate with the Himiko Pietr. But what follows is a sex-romp without any true meaning.
With a lot of fantasy I can accept that apparently the Himiko physiology is exact the same as the human one (except for the pointed ears - hello? Vulcan anyone?), which for one doesn't make sense and also makes the sex kinda boring because - I admit - I had hoped for at least a bit more exotics.
What I couldn't accept though was all the inconsequential rest: the Himiko came to Earth 1 year ago, but actually already influenced the history a long time ago, apparently starting with Plato. I think. Not sure. Anyway, but even only in that actual year the Himiko could have learned that humans interact with each other with speech (after all they've kidnapped enough humans to be able to learn that) , yet they are completely amazed that humans can't understand their thoughts. Duh. All that is told over pages and pages without actually saying anything at all, interrupted by lots of boring sex.
There's more that didn't make any sense to me (what happens to the kidnapped humans?), but I won't cite that all now; in the end the whole book just didn't make any sense. Sigh
The plot is something I always wanted to read: Human Matt finds his soulmate with the Himiko Pietr. But what follows is a sex-romp without any true meaning.
With a lot of fantasy I can accept that apparently the Himiko physiology is exact the same as the human one (except for the pointed ears - hello? Vulcan anyone?), which for one doesn't make sense and also makes the sex kinda boring because - I admit - I had hoped for at least a bit more exotics.
What I couldn't accept though was all the inconsequential rest: the Himiko came to Earth 1 year ago, but actually already influenced the history a long time ago, apparently starting with Plato. I think. Not sure. Anyway, but even only in that actual year the Himiko could have learned that humans interact with each other with speech (after all they've kidnapped enough humans to be able to learn that) , yet they are completely amazed that humans can't understand their thoughts. Duh. All that is told over pages and pages without actually saying anything at all, interrupted by lots of boring sex.
There's more that didn't make any sense to me (what happens to the kidnapped humans?), but I won't cite that all now; in the end the whole book just didn't make any sense. Sigh
June 18, 2013
The cover is stupid. The narration in the beginning is really stiff and awkward. It speeds through a lot of the salient points regarding the universe and fantasy species, which I think could have used with a little bit more elaboration, although the way it's written, any more elaboration would have been clunky. Hmm...quite a conundrum. Without more clarification, it's a bit esoteric. With more, it would be info-dump-y.
*sigh
Odd gimmicks, awkward gimmicks, kind of really stupid gimmicks.
I'm starting to dislike the ties-into-RL-history gimmicks, so this book has the unfortunate "honor" of facing my displeasure because of its uses of such.
I thought the sex was sadly hilarious. It was quite ridiculous.
This quote is beautiful:
Robbie raised an eyebrow. He was annoyingly good at it. On the other hand, he had to be, with the training he put in.
I'm glad these Himika put effort into eyebrow-raising training. It must be such a valuable skill for them to have.
I dunno. I don't quite like the race. It feels like a cop-out...or a kinkmeme. Tags are space, elves, magic, advanced technology, bonding.
*shrug
I got bored.
DNF @ ~31%
*sigh
Odd gimmicks, awkward gimmicks, kind of really stupid gimmicks.
I'm starting to dislike the ties-into-RL-history gimmicks, so this book has the unfortunate "honor" of facing my displeasure because of its uses of such.
I thought the sex was sadly hilarious. It was quite ridiculous.
This quote is beautiful:
Robbie raised an eyebrow. He was annoyingly good at it. On the other hand, he had to be, with the training he put in.
I'm glad these Himika put effort into eyebrow-raising training. It must be such a valuable skill for them to have.
I dunno. I don't quite like the race. It feels like a cop-out...or a kinkmeme. Tags are space, elves, magic, advanced technology, bonding.
*shrug
I got bored.
DNF @ ~31%
February 10, 2011
From reading the blurb I expected something gritty maybe harsh. But in stead I got rather angsty read which I quite liked. You will only like it too if you are a fan of the instant bonded mate theme otherwise this book will be completely lost on you.
The book is as the blurb describes, about finding their way into this mated bond thing and the powers are telepathy and telekinesis, Matt learns how the deal with those.
I would have liked to know Pietr a bit more, we don't get any info about him at all. And for that matter the same counts for what the Himiko are actually doing on our planet.
But I guess more will be explained in the sequel that will be published later this year. I am looking forward to it.
The book is as the blurb describes, about finding their way into this mated bond thing and the powers are telepathy and telekinesis, Matt learns how the deal with those.
I would have liked to know Pietr a bit more, we don't get any info about him at all. And for that matter the same counts for what the Himiko are actually doing on our planet.
But I guess more will be explained in the sequel that will be published later this year. I am looking forward to it.
October 31, 2011
99% gizmo-free science fiction that takes the mate/bonding thing to the extreme.Alluring and creepy at the same time Himiko:Bonding surely isn`t a book for everyone.
February 11, 2011
Humanity is not alone in the universe. People were excited and welcomed the aliens call Himiko to earth. But as time went by humans became more wary of the Himiko with their pointed ears and their silence. They may look human but they are not and now humans are just realizing it. Himiko are “recruiting” people though most thought of it as harvesting or kidnapping because people they took disappeared, not to be heard from again. There were stories of people who got away, their humanity lost, sent to psychiatric wards.
With an opening as sinister as this, I expected something more dark than what it turned out to be. With the foreshadowing of the first chapter I couldn’t help but expect the boogie man to jump in the middle of the story and muck things up. There are hints of things that are lying under the surface but we really don’t get to see them in this first book.
Matt has been “recruited” by the Himiko. He is well known for having anger management problems and he doesn’t deal well with authority figures. He thinks that he is going to eventually be killed by the Himiko and prepares for the worst. It just goes to show what humans really know about the Himiko – Nothing. The Himiko have a purpose in mind for Matt but before he can even come to terms with what this means he meets Pietr, his mate and he finds himself bonded to a Himiko.
As a sci-fi fan there are a couple things I always notice in something like this that can make me hmph a bit. Aliens don’t speak English. It is not their mother tongue. In the book the aliens chose human names in order to blend more. Understood but we don’t get in to where they come from, why are they here, what was their name before. (You know questions any half way nosey human would ask) The way the Himiko think and their customs and culture should be different. I wouldn’t expect an alien to get who Ben and Jerry is, or to understand pop culture but they do. It was pointed out that humanity has been influenced by the aliens through people who were sensitive to them which would give similarities not carbon copies.
Despite my Sci-fi angst, I did enjoy the story. It didn’t feel finished which would be why this is only book one of the series. I look forward to see where this story is going to be taken (still thinking about those hints).
With an opening as sinister as this, I expected something more dark than what it turned out to be. With the foreshadowing of the first chapter I couldn’t help but expect the boogie man to jump in the middle of the story and muck things up. There are hints of things that are lying under the surface but we really don’t get to see them in this first book.
Matt has been “recruited” by the Himiko. He is well known for having anger management problems and he doesn’t deal well with authority figures. He thinks that he is going to eventually be killed by the Himiko and prepares for the worst. It just goes to show what humans really know about the Himiko – Nothing. The Himiko have a purpose in mind for Matt but before he can even come to terms with what this means he meets Pietr, his mate and he finds himself bonded to a Himiko.
As a sci-fi fan there are a couple things I always notice in something like this that can make me hmph a bit. Aliens don’t speak English. It is not their mother tongue. In the book the aliens chose human names in order to blend more. Understood but we don’t get in to where they come from, why are they here, what was their name before. (You know questions any half way nosey human would ask) The way the Himiko think and their customs and culture should be different. I wouldn’t expect an alien to get who Ben and Jerry is, or to understand pop culture but they do. It was pointed out that humanity has been influenced by the aliens through people who were sensitive to them which would give similarities not carbon copies.
Despite my Sci-fi angst, I did enjoy the story. It didn’t feel finished which would be why this is only book one of the series. I look forward to see where this story is going to be taken (still thinking about those hints).
October 27, 2011
I really liked the beginning of this story. Matt was interesting, well developed character, with hot temperament and anger issues. Which were understandable considering, him being angry at aliens for being kidnapped.
But the way Matt and Pietr bonded, seen each other fleetingly, just two times, before Matt crazily declared being Piertr's mate, didn't make this romance genuine. And don't let me talk about feelings and emotions...
This instant romantic development made the story bad. It simply wasn't realistic AT ALL. I would understand if the plot considered an instant attraction between them and bonding based on daily meetings, but no. We got a story here, where two people, different races, who never seen each other, only two times fleetingly and never spoken to each other, started mad bonding ritual from being strangers to become lovers, REALLY ?
And how did characters look like? I don't know, because we never got that information. So how realistic is this plot?
But the way Matt and Pietr bonded, seen each other fleetingly, just two times, before Matt crazily declared being Piertr's mate, didn't make this romance genuine. And don't let me talk about feelings and emotions...
This instant romantic development made the story bad. It simply wasn't realistic AT ALL. I would understand if the plot considered an instant attraction between them and bonding based on daily meetings, but no. We got a story here, where two people, different races, who never seen each other, only two times fleetingly and never spoken to each other, started mad bonding ritual from being strangers to become lovers, REALLY ?
And how did characters look like? I don't know, because we never got that information. So how realistic is this plot?
March 6, 2013
I loved this book. But, I should start by admitting it isn't the best writing I have ever seen. No obvious mistakes, but a lot of the ideas aren't as clever as it thinks they are and the sex often seems to involve impossible jumbles of limbs and flexibility.
But it is the first book I have read which presented a real, believable, involving sci-fi/fantasy world with hot, erotic, explicit sex and romance. The world was complete and good enough to inspire people to speculate about other things that could happen in the world. How things could have gone differently. I cared about the characters. And the sex was hot. The writing was a bit sloppy, but it told a good story and successfully bridged the gap between erotica and science fiction/fantasy. Other books that I have read involving the two have tended to leave the fantasy world annoyingly vague, the magic unexplained. This book worked well enough that I immediately needed to read the sequel.
But it is the first book I have read which presented a real, believable, involving sci-fi/fantasy world with hot, erotic, explicit sex and romance. The world was complete and good enough to inspire people to speculate about other things that could happen in the world. How things could have gone differently. I cared about the characters. And the sex was hot. The writing was a bit sloppy, but it told a good story and successfully bridged the gap between erotica and science fiction/fantasy. Other books that I have read involving the two have tended to leave the fantasy world annoyingly vague, the magic unexplained. This book worked well enough that I immediately needed to read the sequel.
June 18, 2014
I just couldn't read this. It all started ok (and it was even promising) but all of a sudden the human saw an alien and went all crazy yelling "my mate" and so on. Afterwards it went on like one of the bad werewolf insta love stories. Right off the bat they're in love and would be willing to have brain surgery for the other. I could accept a reaction like that from the alien, but from the human... the very man that up to that point feared and strongly disliked aliens?
Want to read
September 18, 2013Currently free for the next hour at Torquere Press - 9/17/13 -7p-8p CST(8p-9p EST)
December 29, 2012
In terms of reading enjoyment, this is a pretty fun book to read. Sure, there's this alien race that's "kidnapping" humans -- but it turns out that they don't really mean anything evil by it, they're just going about their efforts in a deeply stupid way. After being "harvested" himself, the MC Matt very accidentally bonds with one of the aliens, Pietr (think the infamous fated-insta-mate shifter crap). From there, we follow Matt on his journey of learning about his new abilities (he is given a brain implant to let him telepathically communicate) and the consequences of being bonded.
Unfortunately, on the logical side this story is pretty much a pile of crap. These aliens are scattered throughout human cities, and they "harvest" (kidnap) humans from all around the globe. From the aliens' viewpoint, they are selecting humans who are telepathically sensitive, to train as ambassadors between the humans and the aliens. But here's the catch: the aliens AREN'T ALLOWED TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH HUMANS. So, of course, none of the humans know what the aliens are actually trying to do!! How stupid is that?? These aliens are perfectly capable of speaking English -- they just aren't doing it. The alien race has been watching human culture for thousands of years, waiting for the humans to be "ready" for contact, so they should know what humans are like -- but now they think that NOT telling the humans what they're doing is going to minimize fear and anger?? That just doesn't make any logical sense at all. That and other logic issues keep this from being good science fiction, even though the characters and their personal journey are engagingly written.
Oh, and then we have the "this isn't a complete story" problem. I HATE when authors do this. This first volume has a fairly complete story arc, but it still isn't a complete enough story to really be considered an independent first volume. It continues straight into volume 2 -- Warrior -- and really the two together should be considered as a single novel.
Unfortunately, on the logical side this story is pretty much a pile of crap. These aliens are scattered throughout human cities, and they "harvest" (kidnap) humans from all around the globe. From the aliens' viewpoint, they are selecting humans who are telepathically sensitive, to train as ambassadors between the humans and the aliens. But here's the catch: the aliens AREN'T ALLOWED TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH HUMANS. So, of course, none of the humans know what the aliens are actually trying to do!! How stupid is that?? These aliens are perfectly capable of speaking English -- they just aren't doing it. The alien race has been watching human culture for thousands of years, waiting for the humans to be "ready" for contact, so they should know what humans are like -- but now they think that NOT telling the humans what they're doing is going to minimize fear and anger?? That just doesn't make any logical sense at all. That and other logic issues keep this from being good science fiction, even though the characters and their personal journey are engagingly written.
Oh, and then we have the "this isn't a complete story" problem. I HATE when authors do this. This first volume has a fairly complete story arc, but it still isn't a complete enough story to really be considered an independent first volume. It continues straight into volume 2 -- Warrior -- and really the two together should be considered as a single novel.
February 13, 2011
3.5 stars
An intriguing start, but you can definitely tell that this is Part 1 of one whole book. There's no traditional plot structure, and only even a hint at the larger plot to come. While I liked the story, it is quite detailed about the bonding, some of which seemed a bit repetitive to me. The story could also have done with a little more detail about the Himiko's origins, their arrival on earth, and their overall goals. While the last seems to be something that will be explored further in the next story, this first novel is very central to the two main characters and a few others. They are isolated from the world at large.
As part of a longer work I might have given this a higher rating, but I'm not sure that releasing them separately was the best idea. As a standalone book, the lack of pacing and arc made this book go a bit slower than it would have otherwise for me.
An intriguing start, but you can definitely tell that this is Part 1 of one whole book. There's no traditional plot structure, and only even a hint at the larger plot to come. While I liked the story, it is quite detailed about the bonding, some of which seemed a bit repetitive to me. The story could also have done with a little more detail about the Himiko's origins, their arrival on earth, and their overall goals. While the last seems to be something that will be explored further in the next story, this first novel is very central to the two main characters and a few others. They are isolated from the world at large.
As part of a longer work I might have given this a higher rating, but I'm not sure that releasing them separately was the best idea. As a standalone book, the lack of pacing and arc made this book go a bit slower than it would have otherwise for me.
April 6, 2013
I loved this eBook. The take on the alien culture, the bonding, the communication between Matt and Pietr was incredible. The way two cultures clashed seemed so much more realistic than the fluffy bunny alien stuff I'd read a lot of. It's not often that I can read a sci-fi/fantasy story and say 'This is real!' but those who favor the genres will know what I mean.
CB Conwy crafted a story that not only made sense, sometimes I felt like I could step out my door into the same world where Matt and Pietr were facing all the challenges shared in Himiko #1, Bonding. I read this book start to finish and then immediately picked up and read the 2nd in the series.
It's not necessary to read book 2 to feel like the story is complete, but I felt like the two together back to back was the best way to read these. I would most definitely recommend both for purchase!
CB Conwy crafted a story that not only made sense, sometimes I felt like I could step out my door into the same world where Matt and Pietr were facing all the challenges shared in Himiko #1, Bonding. I read this book start to finish and then immediately picked up and read the 2nd in the series.
It's not necessary to read book 2 to feel like the story is complete, but I felt like the two together back to back was the best way to read these. I would most definitely recommend both for purchase!
January 16, 2018
I don't know what to write...I just didn't see the point with the story. I thought that this was going to be more about the wrongness of kidnapping and forcing someone to be something they're not but it's really just a lovestory without any real conflict. I mean I would have been furious if someone was going to alter my brain but Matt just smiles and says go ahead make me into something else so that the man I looked in the eyes once and then was bonded to likes me better. Then there is one scary guy and I'm thinking that now something's going to happen but no, nothing what so ever happens, just more love.
September 22, 2017
I have been in a m/m romance mood lately and have not been able to switch genre for the past several months. This was a cute story and super imaginative. I fell in love with all of the characters and Matt and Pietr are a sweet couple. This is an instant love type book since it is a mate bonding between two species. Pietr is part of an alien species that has been watching over Earth and decided to come to Earth and Matt is a human who is harvested because of his psychic ability that he did not even know he had. It was a good book and the second one is good too and some things are revealed.
February 12, 2011
This book was a very enjoyable and well-written read. What I didn't like was the insta-love. One second Matt's completely freaked out because he was kidnapped by aliens who're gonna do some weird tests with him and the next he's kissing one of said aliens? I get it's the "mate" thing but still some seconds thoughts or hesitancy would've been both more believable and interesting. Another thing I didn't like was the fact that the Himika weren't very "alien". Apart from the pointy ears and the telepathy they were very human-like.
August 2, 2014
This was marvellous.
I like that it focused a lot on the telepathic. It's something that's frequently annoyed me when reading shifter stories and they suddenly get this psychic bond. Who wouldn't be freaked by suddenly having someone talking in your head?
I like how this book deals with that and makes it a main focus.
There were a few inconsistencies that I picked up on, but I won't list them since they'd be spoilers.
I would have liked a more detailed description of the characters too, but overall I really enjoyed this story.
I like that it focused a lot on the telepathic. It's something that's frequently annoyed me when reading shifter stories and they suddenly get this psychic bond. Who wouldn't be freaked by suddenly having someone talking in your head?
I like how this book deals with that and makes it a main focus.
There were a few inconsistencies that I picked up on, but I won't list them since they'd be spoilers.
I would have liked a more detailed description of the characters too, but overall I really enjoyed this story.
June 22, 2016
This is a very difficult book to review. It is very character driven and there are more than a few consistency errors. Having humans and aliens bond was unusual in this world, but it happened and the human happened to excel at being a mate and learning the alien ways. At times it was very interesting and enjoyable and then it would just feel like you wanted to toss it out the window because there just wasn't enough information for the story to flow. Then, it just ended.
Still deciding if I will read the next installment.
Still deciding if I will read the next installment.
February 2, 2015
This book had all the makings of a story I'd really enjoy; aliens, "forced" bonding, prn, etc. Except, the story fell really short. My biggest problem might have been the way in which the book was written? It just felt excedingly long. Like the events could have easily been compressed and you'd have had the same feeling.
Would have given this only one star, but the author added in a second mated pair which I enjoyed reading about a lot more.
Would have given this only one star, but the author added in a second mated pair which I enjoyed reading about a lot more.
November 29, 2011
3.5
This book kept me reading,although I'm not sure why.
The premise was great,but I wanted to know more about this new world, it seemed the title is very fitting, it's all about the 'Bonding'.
But, I'll definitely read the second book, and hope for more world building and some answers to all the questions left in the first book.
This book kept me reading,although I'm not sure why.
The premise was great,but I wanted to know more about this new world, it seemed the title is very fitting, it's all about the 'Bonding'.
But, I'll definitely read the second book, and hope for more world building and some answers to all the questions left in the first book.
March 4, 2019
I enjoyed this as an alien insta-love book. There isn't alot of world building or depth to it but I did love Matt and Pietr and Aki and Robbie together. I like all the growly alpha chest beating intermixed with sweetness. I also enjoyed watching Matt deal with his new powers and coming to terms with his radically altered reality.
February 9, 2011
This was a good read (I find sf with human/alien encounters appealing), but ended with an unsatisfactory, unfinished feeling. I'll probably like it better when/if the series is completed ... I prefer a series with stand-alone novels or having the entire series to read at once.
January 13, 2012
Honestly, I don't know why I loved this book so much since I don't really like Insta-Love. But this was actually really good and it was sad to see it end. Gotta read the second one now. Robbie x Aki <3
July 21, 2020
An interesting take on an alien invasion. Entertaining and sexy.
I've read this several times now and it is HOT. This book is really all about the "bonding" - the 2nd book "Warrior" gets into more of the alien invasion / story line. Both are great!
I've read this several times now and it is HOT. This book is really all about the "bonding" - the 2nd book "Warrior" gets into more of the alien invasion / story line. Both are great!
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