Tal dar Aune, a powerful shape-shifting mage, comes to Earth on a desperate quest to find a mysterious woman before his nemesis destroys her. Little does Tal know the “helpless” female he’s come to save is the key to peace on his war-torn world…or that he’ll long to touch her, take her, make her his.
Unaware of her royal roots or alien origins, Charlotte spends her first thirty years on Earth. Then Tal bursts into her life with all the subtlety of a thunder storm. He’s rude, arrogant, and easily the most desirable man she’s ever encountered. With a ruthless madman hot on their heels, they can’t afford to be distracted by the attraction rapidly growing between them, but the emotions are too powerful to ignore.
Note: This book was originally published by Loose ID and was then re-edited/re-published by Cerridwen Press, both time under the same title.
Passionate Sci-Fi with a touch of danger and a whole lot of sass.
Cyndi has written about rock stars, vampires, and cat shifters, but she's currently focused on outer space. Her stories are fun, fast-paced, and seriously hot. She has made the USA Today Top 100, and every book in the Outcasts series landed on Amazon's Top 100. She is currently working on Shadowborn Rebellion, a spin-off series set in the Outcasts universe.
FREE e-book. Sexy space alien story, the series opener. The hero is a wizard. The setting is Earth and his planet, Ontariese. Friberg crafted a decent plot, with some surprising and amusing moments. I actually chuckled several times. The dialogue is okay, too. The writing style is a little weak, not vivid. The suspense is decent.
Lots of sex, so this is erotica, but I found the scenes rather boring. Felt a tad mechanical, like she was writing down the steps, without the heart and the heat. Friberg needed to portray emotional intimacy. Needed to maximize sexual tension and anticipation. One thing was cool: The alien has long black hair which moves, caressing her.
When all is said and done, the book is not something I would recommend, but the author has potential. I know this book is the first of a series which now has about five more books, plus a spin-off series. So, maybe she has developed her craft some.
Content: Few typos, if any. Several explicit sex scenes, M/F. Little or no swearing or profanity. Some violence, but not much.
Futuristic romance, please let's avoid calling science-fiction a simple backdrop for a romance. (We don't call fantasy the paranormal romances out there do we?)
The weak and pretty standard beginning is somewhat salvaged by a slightly more interesting second part. Unfortunately the story lacks any real tension, and there's no real growth to the characters. I 'm not even sure I understand why she trusts any other people around. She's forcibly moved worlds around and doesn't react. This and the save-me-fake-sex in the first pages move this book on the border with the land of erotica (where sex is all-important and plot is a filler). It's a pity as otherwise it would be a nice romance. But I need to believe in a story and the people whose life it's telling me about. And space travels are not the obstacles, here.
Twenty-something pages in, there was some unwelcome intimate touching (oh but she LIKED it!) that both made me uncomfortable and made me laugh. It. Was. Weird.
Then (drum roll), insta-lust! Surprised? Nah.
I almost put this down, but continued anyway (I was on the bike at the gym and it was entertaining enough). It did get a bit better. Didn't like it enough to continue with rest of series.
This was a nice blend of the Sci-Fi with the paranormal along with the romance. The blurb is what originally drew me to the book and I was not disappointed.
The story opens with the High Queen of Ontariese making a personal sacrifice to do what she must for the Kingdom which is on the brink of civil war. The Queen uses her mage power to send her twin daughters through a portal hiding them in two separate places to be retrieved when they are needed. Many years later, the war continues with no chance of relief and an evil mage plots the downfall of all for his own greed for power. Tal, a mage, Trey, his brother, and Vee, Tal's mentor set out to find him and also foil the evil mage's plot that takes him to earth.
Then the scene changes to present day earth where Charlotte sits in her mountain cabin contemplating her future of moving to Seattle, completing the Bar exam, and getting a job with a nice law firm. That same night, an odd lightning storm changes her fate when it brings Tal dar Aune, an Ontarian, into her life.
Tal is mystified as to why this earth woman, Charlotte is of interest to his enemy, but he vows to keep her safe and with him until the answers can be found. Tal and Charlotte race for their lives even as Charlotte fights to break away from him at first, but then the clues start building up and all lead to one thing- Charlotte is much more than she seems and may be the answer for all of Ontariese.
The plot kept moving at a good pace even as the author deftly fit in the explanation to the Ontariese world. I love Sci-fi for its creative world-building and this story offered the interesting concept of magically gifted people and a matriarchal-style society. It was exciting during the cat and mouse chases to keep Charlotte out of danger and the slow build up of her relationship that went beyond attraction with Tal. I loved the little twists that occurred a few times to keep things from getting blase'. Tal and Charlotte were stumped a few different times when they tried to be together.
But I think my favorite part of the book was Charlotte herself. At first, she seemed to be a human woman who has known heartbreak and is lonely, but her exposure to Tal and the other Ontariese along with their trouble shows she is no marshmellow. She doesn't allow them to bully her, but at the same time she's not prone to act stupidly or get whiny when her whole world changes on her. She is saddened by her losses and fearful of change, but she goes with it and that's my kind of gal. I like that she doesn't play around with Tal. She might disagree with him- actually she does disagree with him and frequently- but this doesn't make her sulk or have to much pride to meet him half-way or wish to mend things. Yes, she had gifts, but it was fun the way her human law degree was what served her almost as well.
Tal is a strong male who because of his talent as a mage has a lot to learn still. He is strong on his traditions and has to be shown that it is the principles underlying the traditions that are the more important. He has had a lot of loss and sorrow in his life and he wants Charlotte, but he must learn the value of compromise and the learn that others without his talents have value before he can achieve what he most desires.
So all in all, it was a fab sci-fi PNR romance and I look forward to the rest of the series. I hope to get Trey's story and more of the other characters too.
I really enjoyed this book! It was full of twists and turns and every time you thought the storyline was going in a certain direction, it changed!! Great romance novel and can't wait to read the next book in the series!
3.5 Stars Erotica Sci-fi I remember being intrigued by this but at the same time wanting more fluidity and connection with the characters. I had planned on reading more of the series but never got around to it. It's a decent read. The 'Erotica' scenes were okay. Though they didn't set my kindle on fire. There were also some parts that felt 'Jumpy' to me. A few things that had me confused. So the writing wasn't always smooth.
This book was artfully crafted and uniquely designed to pull you into the pages where secrets and fairytales live and dreams come true!
This book is enthralling, enchanting and endlessly entertaining where you are transported to another world where love triumphs and transcends everything that stands in the way of a true mating!
This time around I was bored. Whilst I loved the two mcs it was insta love, which I hate and it was just plain silly how Charlotte went from a just qualified lawyer to being Queen and a catalyst - it was all just taken in her stride as if it was nothing.
The sex scenes I skimmed as they were pretty meh.
Overall really disappointed with this 2nd time around.
You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA
I enjoyed this even though at times it jumped a little and I struggled to keep up. Probably the most captivating part of it is Tal’s long hair that caresses and holds his lover.
Charlotte has made the decision to start anew. A new place and job is just what she needs to move on. Her loss has been heavy and she needs to lessen it a bit. Distance will surely help. Tal, Vee and Trey are on a mission. They call the storm in order to follow Joon. He needs to be caught before he causes any more damage. They end up on Earth not far from Charlotte’s cabin. Charlotte and Tal’s worlds collide when he needs her to help him recover from his trip through the storm. Charlotte is shocked and afraid when she learns what Tal really is. Tal, on the other hand, is fascinated by Charlotte. He wonders why Joon is interested in this woman from Earth. Charlotte’s life takes a dramatic turn as she is whisked away by Tal and Trey to their home. Many secrets are revealed as Charlotte learns what and who she really is. The first scenes of the story didn’t make a lot of sense to me and then the jump to Charlotte was a bit confusing. I really couldn’t connect the two. Once Tal entered the picture the story started taking more of a definite shape. I liked how Charlotte was a target but no one really knew why. I also liked that she was a part of something she could never even imagine. The sci-fi element was interesting as well. The way Tal’s people conducted themselves was very traditional. The Reformist and Traditional sects being at odds with each other provided the major conflict that propelled the story. I also liked that Charlotte was thrown into the society and voiced her opinion at how ridiculous some of the laws and ideas were. She was strong and determined. I liked her as a character. Tal, on the other hand, was a bit frustrating. I didn’t like his group think approach at times. I am a person for individual thinking, so I didn’t like this part of the plot. Otherwise the story is entertaining and a good read. I give it a 4 out of 5.
This story blends Paranormal Romance with Sci-Fi and does a pretty good job. Tal, our hero, takes the shifter part of paranormal to a whole new level. There is time travel involved in this as well so make sure you don't skip anything as you could get lost!
One of the things that I found quite puzzling, is although Charlotte has a "social alliance" with Tal, I couldn't find the part where they actually say "I love you". It's mentioned that she does and he does but usually there is a big scene where they declare their undying love but if it was in this book, I missed it.
I also missed the part where someone died. I was reading, he was there doing his bad stuff. Next thing I know, the others are getting rid of his remains. I don't like it when a book jumps like that or when you are presumed to know something. Call me pedantic, but I like to read about an event so just assume that I know what's happened.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable read with a good twist on the paranormal sci-fi genre. I do want to read the next in the series but I will wait for a while.
Charlotte witnesses a lightening storm that leads to a fire in the mountains near her cabin. She rushes outside and comes across a man who drags her into a kiss and some sort of energy transfer happens between them. Before she knows it Charlotte's life is in danger and the strange man who kissed her has whisked her to another planet.
Tal is a supporter of the old ways and finds himself being challenged to adhere to those guidelines in the face of his desire and growing love for the mysterious Charlotte.He is a Master Mage in pursuit of another Mage bent on destruction. The trail led him to Charlotte. As they uncover the reasons why she is his target, the foundations they have each built their lives on is shaken up and together Tal and Charlotte must decide if their love is worth fighting for.
Gave this a go because it is currently FREE on Amazon, and talk about being pleasantly surprised. This is probably the best freebie I've gotten in a while if not the best ever. Friberg constructs a good (not perfect) sci-fi world, but I found the romance to be a bit lacking. The bond/connection between the two main characters just wasn't erotic/passionate enough for me until the very end. It involved all the elements I enjoy: fantasy, romance, a bit of action, a despicable villain and humor (a bit more sarcastic/angsty humor would have been perfection). I'm curious to see how Friberg tops the villain from this novel in her subsequent installments.
The fact that the first book in this series was free, and awesome to boot makes picking up the next book a no-brainer. This is how you do freebies Amazon Kindle.
3.5 stars I had tried reading this a while ago, but gave up for some reason. After finishing the story, I can't remember why I didn't finish it earlier. It's a nice little piece of escapism. I quite enjoyed it, most of the time. There were a few TSTL moments and I couldn't help but wonder how Charlotte managed to get kidnap so many times in one story, but otherwise it was good. I felt like I knew Charlotte pretty well, but not so much with Tal. He was a traditional sorta guy. And that's it. We really don't learn anything about him. Well, except that he luuurves Charlotte and haaates Dez.
I can't force myself to say that I "really liked" it, but part of me does feel like 3 stars isn't enough.
Well, I had a really good review all written for this book but my stupid computer deleted it before I could save it. So bear with me. This book was very frustrating at some points and pretty interesting in others. First thing that made me mad was that when all of Charlottes stuff was destroyed they did not even consult her before destroying all of her possessions. NOT COOL! Second, Tal was willing to have his brother marry the woman he loves. NOT COOL AT ALL!! He was so stubborn and bullheaded he really did not deserve Charlotte. If the author was trying to make the reader have strong emotions then it worked because this was exasperating and I am not sure yet if it is in a good way or not. Three Stars because it is in the middle.
Talk is a guy with a set of goals in mind. The only problem is a troublesome . . . Stopping him
Charlotte had a plan in mind, but talk bursts her life into pieces and finds herself facing an arrogant . . .
Talk and his brother are sent to see what one girl has to do with another of his race, the only problem is that . . . And forces them to . . . That leads to truth. But trouble doesn't stop until . . . Dies or she'll. . .
Will they be together or will some ancient rules and . . . Stop them????
I liked this book. I've always been fascinated by the concept that there are other worlds out there so to find books that bring these worlds to life for me is just fantastic. The author did a great job describing things without bogging the story down. I also love how the author gave us the history behind the action taking place in this story. I hate it when you don't know why something is going on. Good character development, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes.
This book is not a genre I usually read, however, I found it engaging and well written. The characters stayed true to who they were and the story had great structure, especially when created within a different world. It is steamy, but with the twist of allowing the woman to be empowered to start or halt relations. There is added adventure of mystics and spaceships, and explosions. Written for people who like imagination and romance.
Amazing story with characters written so well they pull you in to the story. At one point I was actually crying in this story. It's an emotional roller coaster, but not because of love triangles and betrayal. The author does a great job at keeping your interest until the last word. Purchase your copy today. You won't be disappointed!!!!
Too Sci-Fi for me and not my cuppa tea. Plus the H was often referred to/reminded the reader that he was the "younger brother" of what appeared to be another character in the tale - the real Alpha. First 30% reminded me of the start of the SARC Series in some ways but eventually the funky names and focus on portals...I like my romantica to keep that stuff as filler and not *be* the story.
What creativity! I loved the use of formal language and descriptions of things (ie. sleep station = bed). The characters were so much fun to follow. The Mystic's hair was a nice addition. The romance and passion was great. Not being a big fan of sci-fi, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed that aspect of the story. I will definitely read the next one!
It was hard to get into at first and to be honest I'm not sure I would read the rest of the series. I did like Tal and Charlotte and Vee but it was confusing at times. Still the plot was quite good and I did want Tal and Charlotte to be together.
Amazing book. Didn't know what to expect when I started, but was pleasantly surprised. Tough and emotional story. Lots of things happening. I found that I really enjoyed the interactions between all the characters, not just the main. I hope to enjoy the next books in the series.
That was a great story. Some unusual thing I liked, like the things, Tal could do with his hair ;) I liked both, the h and the H. Only at some point at the end, I wanted to kick Tal's ass. I will definitely read the next book of the series also.
Interesting Science-fiction book mixing a lot of elements. I liked how trust needed some time to appear in the story and how very clear each personnality is set. Some great characters and a beautiful love story
Once you get past the ridiculous cover, this is a wonderful story. As other reviewers have commented, a perfect blending of sci fi and paranormal romance. The characters are likable, believable and entertaining. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
I LOVED it and I'm not a sci-fi space cadet! I will be reading the series, I sampled book 2 and it's about Trey the older brother of Tal from this book. It's off to a great start....