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The Tellaran #2
Stardancer
Book two of the bestselling historical & futuristic series, The Tellaran.
Kinara crosses into Az-kye space seeking revenge but her act of vengeance goes horribly wrong when her ship is captured.
Defeated and enslaved Kinara offers herself to Aidar, the Az-kye commander, in exchange for her crew's protection.
But this warrior wants much more than just her submission, he wants her to give herself completely . . .
Kinara crosses into Az-kye space seeking revenge but her act of vengeance goes horribly wrong when her ship is captured.
Defeated and enslaved Kinara offers herself to Aidar, the Az-kye commander, in exchange for her crew's protection.
But this warrior wants much more than just her submission, he wants her to give herself completely . . .
376 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2013
7 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
About the author
Ariel MacArran
8 books113 followersAriel MacArran has had a lifelong love of books, stories and writing. Nothing makes her happier than the opportunity to give back some of the magic of being swept up into a story that other writers have given her.
Note From Author:
I love Romance, Sci-fi, Histories and Paranormal and I have always been a voracious reader. I love being caught up in world building, whether it’s the past or a whole other galaxy.
Note From Author:
I love Romance, Sci-fi, Histories and Paranormal and I have always been a voracious reader. I love being caught up in world building, whether it’s the past or a whole other galaxy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 21, 2016
TW: DUBIOUS CONSENT
This is such an odd book.
The writing is really good, as is the pacing. The trouble is that it seems as if there are three different books in one, and only one of the three is actually good...
The first part of the book is about Kinara stupidly risking her whole crew for her own personal revenge, in spite of being repeatedly told that everything she was doing was wrong.
I disliked it immensely.
Kinara is selfish, wilfully ignorant, and gives no thought to sacrificing her entire crew to bloodthirsty barbarian enslavers just so she can get her revenge.
Not a great start to make your heroine so unlikeable.
One thing I really HATED about this part of the book was how dubious consent was.
Mind you, this is never presented as a good thing and is discussed throughout the book, but I found it was treated with levity, more as a plot point, to add drama to the whole thing, than as a serious issue.
I like to read about enthusiastic content, not about drugged beverages and blackmailing someone into going to bed with you by threatening to kill their friends. That's not sexy. That's not romantic. It's sick.
Thankfully we move on to the next part of the book which deals with Kinara learning about Az-kye society and how to fit in.
I liked this part better. Kinara was much more likeable, she truly evolved as a character.
Then we get to the best part of the book!
I think MacArran should give this genre a rest and start writing political intrigue because she does it marvellously!
It was impossible to dislike Kinara here - she was incredibly, but believably, clever. She plotted, she played the political game, she did her best and her best was great.
This books gets 3 stars just for the last part!
So, if you can get past the trigger warning, give this book a try.
March 4, 2016
Kinara, a Tellaran, plans revenge on the people who killed her brother and heads out in a stolen warship. Instead she and her crew are captured. Aidar of the Az-kye people agrees to let Kinara's crew go if she bounds herself to him. So she does but things don't go as easily as planned.
Sounds like a sexy little sci-fi romp but there is a story and yes, a bit of sex too. It was a fun, entertaining read. Two different cultures that get together and find they are not what the other believed they were. Can they overcome their differences? This does not end in a cliffhanger but the next book The Consort continues where this one ends.
Sounds like a sexy little sci-fi romp but there is a story and yes, a bit of sex too. It was a fun, entertaining read. Two different cultures that get together and find they are not what the other believed they were. Can they overcome their differences? This does not end in a cliffhanger but the next book The Consort continues where this one ends.
August 23, 2014
Ariel MacArran’s “Stardancer” is a brilliant futuristic/alternative world romance read. It has some elements of “Clan of the Cave Bear” with the different clans and races. The plot is amazing and the characters are deep and well thought out. Kinara, the leading lady, goes through a complete metamorphosis in the book and becomes the strong leader she was always meant to be. Aidar, the leading man, is drop dead sexy and he fights for her and it made me swoon. I love the concept of being bound to your mate – very much like Black Dagger Brotherhood or Immortals After Dark. The bound mate sex is incredible!
October 26, 2013
Hello Lemonheads! I was fortunate to be gifted with a new lemon by Ariel MacArran, entitled Stardancer. This new author creates a new spin on an age old tale, of our heroine being a captive to our hero and succumbing to Stockholm syndrome. The world of the Tellarans and Az-kye is both futuristic and a throwback to medieval times. Tellarans are reminiscent of today’s time and use technology in all military aspects, while the Az-kye believe in fighting with swords or hand to hand combat. These two cultures both have misconceived notions of the other and believe that the other is the inferior race, leading to mistrust and war.
Kinara, later nicknamed Cy’atta by Aidar, has compiled a motley crew of new cadets and stolen a space ship in order to seek vengeance on the Az-kye, the enemy race that destroyed the crew and ship under Kinara’s brother Kyndan’s command. Believing that the Az-kye is a primitive barbarian race she is not prepared to not only face defeat but to be imprisoned by these tall warriors. Enslaved by Aidar, Kinara quickly realizes that maybe not everything she was taught and raised to believe is correct. This feisty red head slowly sees that there may be more to her Adonis captor then meets the eye. (hello transformer reference)
Aidar is the leader of his clan and a stereotypical warrior. He expects his orders to be heard and obeyed without question. The many misconceptions that Aidar has surrounding Tellarans takes him down a bumpy road when he tries to win the favors of his new captive and slave. His belief that slavery is not only acceptable but the norm makes him try to run roughshod over her at every turn. The fact that Tellarans are perceived as clanless and thus worthless does not help the situation, yet the pull Kinara has on him is too much to resist and Aidar forces her to marry him.
Now, I have read this type of story many times over and over. Although Ariel makes her characters have an instant attraction to one another, that does not stop them from having several cultural disagreements. In these types of stories, both sides slowly become aware that the enemy is actually a human with human emotions and thoughts and not just an object, and although Ariel follows this pattern, she also shows how the characters begin to appreciate and assimilate into each other’s culture. The path to understanding and love is not smooth and Ariel does an amazingly realistic job of showing these two headstrong people coming to terms with their own shortcomings and compromise.
My only real criticism is that the ending of this novel is reminiscent of Suzanne Collins’ Mockingjay. Both authors create this amazing battle and final showdown and then suddenly everything unfolding becomes a narrative. No longer are the characters an active participant of the story instead they narrate what has transpired since the battle. I am not saying this is necessarily the wrong way to go about it, I just feel that prior to this, Ariel wrote a well-paced novel that is now slightly rushed in order to obtain the happily ever after. I can understand why this decision was made, I just believe that it alters the flow of the novel and actually takes the reader out of the story for a short time.
That being said Ariel still does a wonderful job of making a futuristic sci-fi world the reader gets sucked into with characters that you will occasionally want to slap upside the head. The fact that Ariel never lays the blame on only just Aidar or Kinara truly makes me appreciate her writing style. I have never been a fan when only one person in the relationship makes a mistake; it always seems a little too unrealistic. I highly recommend that if you like being introduced to an unknown universe you should check out this limon; and no I did not misspell lemon. Ariel does include some sexy times in her novel, but they are not liberally laced throughout. She definitely focuses more on plot and the development of character’s relationships. Thus they are few and far between and not overly extensive making me rate this more than a lime but slightly less than a full lemon.
Hopefully you will give this new author a chance as I believe will be seeing more great things to come from her. Until next time, lemonheads. Keep enjoying those citrusy reads!
Kinara, later nicknamed Cy’atta by Aidar, has compiled a motley crew of new cadets and stolen a space ship in order to seek vengeance on the Az-kye, the enemy race that destroyed the crew and ship under Kinara’s brother Kyndan’s command. Believing that the Az-kye is a primitive barbarian race she is not prepared to not only face defeat but to be imprisoned by these tall warriors. Enslaved by Aidar, Kinara quickly realizes that maybe not everything she was taught and raised to believe is correct. This feisty red head slowly sees that there may be more to her Adonis captor then meets the eye. (hello transformer reference)
Aidar is the leader of his clan and a stereotypical warrior. He expects his orders to be heard and obeyed without question. The many misconceptions that Aidar has surrounding Tellarans takes him down a bumpy road when he tries to win the favors of his new captive and slave. His belief that slavery is not only acceptable but the norm makes him try to run roughshod over her at every turn. The fact that Tellarans are perceived as clanless and thus worthless does not help the situation, yet the pull Kinara has on him is too much to resist and Aidar forces her to marry him.
Now, I have read this type of story many times over and over. Although Ariel makes her characters have an instant attraction to one another, that does not stop them from having several cultural disagreements. In these types of stories, both sides slowly become aware that the enemy is actually a human with human emotions and thoughts and not just an object, and although Ariel follows this pattern, she also shows how the characters begin to appreciate and assimilate into each other’s culture. The path to understanding and love is not smooth and Ariel does an amazingly realistic job of showing these two headstrong people coming to terms with their own shortcomings and compromise.
My only real criticism is that the ending of this novel is reminiscent of Suzanne Collins’ Mockingjay. Both authors create this amazing battle and final showdown and then suddenly everything unfolding becomes a narrative. No longer are the characters an active participant of the story instead they narrate what has transpired since the battle. I am not saying this is necessarily the wrong way to go about it, I just feel that prior to this, Ariel wrote a well-paced novel that is now slightly rushed in order to obtain the happily ever after. I can understand why this decision was made, I just believe that it alters the flow of the novel and actually takes the reader out of the story for a short time.
That being said Ariel still does a wonderful job of making a futuristic sci-fi world the reader gets sucked into with characters that you will occasionally want to slap upside the head. The fact that Ariel never lays the blame on only just Aidar or Kinara truly makes me appreciate her writing style. I have never been a fan when only one person in the relationship makes a mistake; it always seems a little too unrealistic. I highly recommend that if you like being introduced to an unknown universe you should check out this limon; and no I did not misspell lemon. Ariel does include some sexy times in her novel, but they are not liberally laced throughout. She definitely focuses more on plot and the development of character’s relationships. Thus they are few and far between and not overly extensive making me rate this more than a lime but slightly less than a full lemon.
Hopefully you will give this new author a chance as I believe will be seeing more great things to come from her. Until next time, lemonheads. Keep enjoying those citrusy reads!
October 17, 2013
I was given a copy of the book by the author for my honest review.
I was not sure what to expect with this book. When I read the blurb, the talk of "submission" made it sound to me almost like a bdsm type of story. I like my stories spicy, but too much master/slave is a turn off for me. I am so glad that was not the case in this book. It's about a very brooding alpha male, who captures an incredibly strong-willed heroine during a space battle.
There is a lot of arguing and mistakes from all sides. H and h, friends, family--there seemed to me to be lots of apologizing, and forgiveness comes too quickly in parts. As I said before, the H is BROODY. You can tell he falls for her quickly, yet doesn't know how to handle it. He goes behind her back to make her happy, and is aloof most of the time their are actually together. The heroine gets thrust into one situation after another. At first I thought her personality to be a little annoying, but I don't really know how else she should have acted with everything she is going through, and doing her best for everyone concerned. The story has a good balance on action and romance, with the intimate scenes being spicy without being what I consider vulgar.
The two cons that bothered me was I wished their was more communication between the H and h. Also, the use of the word "frack". Don't know why, this just really bothered me after the second time.
I enjoyed the authors writing style. The plot flowed smoothly, and I found it easy to read. I would definitely read more from her!
I was not sure what to expect with this book. When I read the blurb, the talk of "submission" made it sound to me almost like a bdsm type of story. I like my stories spicy, but too much master/slave is a turn off for me. I am so glad that was not the case in this book. It's about a very brooding alpha male, who captures an incredibly strong-willed heroine during a space battle.
There is a lot of arguing and mistakes from all sides. H and h, friends, family--there seemed to me to be lots of apologizing, and forgiveness comes too quickly in parts. As I said before, the H is BROODY. You can tell he falls for her quickly, yet doesn't know how to handle it. He goes behind her back to make her happy, and is aloof most of the time their are actually together. The heroine gets thrust into one situation after another. At first I thought her personality to be a little annoying, but I don't really know how else she should have acted with everything she is going through, and doing her best for everyone concerned. The story has a good balance on action and romance, with the intimate scenes being spicy without being what I consider vulgar.
The two cons that bothered me was I wished their was more communication between the H and h. Also, the use of the word "frack". Don't know why, this just really bothered me after the second time.
I enjoyed the authors writing style. The plot flowed smoothly, and I found it easy to read. I would definitely read more from her!
August 12, 2014
Aidar of the Az’Anti is on his final rotation as Commander for the Imperial force’s armada when he is forced to engage a Tellaran ship bent on destruction. Aidar captures the Tellarans aboard and destroys their ship, taking the redheaded slave as his own. Kinara Maere is bent on avenging her brother’s death at the hands of the Imperial Az-Kye warriors. When her ship is destroyed and she is taken as a slave by the Clan Leader of Az’Anti, her only concern is getting her people away from the Az-Kye and back into Tellaran space. If that means she must give up any hope of freedom for herself, then she will gladly make that sacrifice. Giving herself to Aidar physically proves to be much easier than swearing allegiance to the empire. That is, until Aidar’s many secrets begin coming to light.
Readers get a front row seat as two proud people with much to hide begin to strip away the barriers of deceit and mistrust built by generation after generation of animosity and hostility. With a tentative truce in their personal relationship, the secrets they have each held back could ignite an all-out war between two peoples already on the brink of destruction.
Kinara's evolution from head-strong and immature young woman who forces her will heedless of the consequences is, initially, hard to stomach. Her fiery hair matches her fiery tongue and it’s not long before she must learn to temper her impulsive nature or pay the price.
Stardancer is a fantastic adventure with lots of drama and sex mixed in for just the right amount of spice.
Readers get a front row seat as two proud people with much to hide begin to strip away the barriers of deceit and mistrust built by generation after generation of animosity and hostility. With a tentative truce in their personal relationship, the secrets they have each held back could ignite an all-out war between two peoples already on the brink of destruction.
Kinara's evolution from head-strong and immature young woman who forces her will heedless of the consequences is, initially, hard to stomach. Her fiery hair matches her fiery tongue and it’s not long before she must learn to temper her impulsive nature or pay the price.
Stardancer is a fantastic adventure with lots of drama and sex mixed in for just the right amount of spice.
February 28, 2014
I read Stardancer a while ago but reread it after reading the sequal The Seer and changed my rating from 4 to 5 stars. I really like Ariel MacArrans writing style! I have read many, many sci-fi romance books and some writers just get the right mix between plot, romance and humor and MacArran is one of them. She writes with a heart and soul that is hard to pinpoint what it is that makes the book good reading from the first page.
I am not the best reviewer but do you like sci-fi romance you must try Stardancer!!!
I am not the best reviewer but do you like sci-fi romance you must try Stardancer!!!
August 25, 2015
SFR romance with great worldbuilding. H was a manho but honorable, charming and very likeable. h was a virgin, hot-headed, tstl at times but also full of heart. Both were kind to each other and this book has a case of insta-love( at least from H's side).
Safe romance.
3.5 stars
Safe romance.
3.5 stars
January 16, 2015
Plans of revenge hardly ever go as planned.
Kinara Maere and her crew aboard the Rapier were on a mission and out for revenge. No one wanted to go on this mission, but out of respect for Kinara, they did. Her brother Kyndan and his crew were killed by the Az-kye and she would return the favor. Goes without saying, but this mission was not accomplished. Instead, Kinara and her crew were captured by the Az-kye ship Ty’pran and taken as prisoners. What’s even more unfortunate for them is that instead of granting them an honorably quick death, they were made slaves.
With surprising gentleness for such a powerfully built man, he pulled her against him as if curious to see how well they fit together. No one had ever held her like this. His touch was so confident, so perfect, that he couldn’t possibly be real.
Don’t let me wake up yet.
He brought his mouth to hers. His gentle warm lips touched hers for only an instant before he deepened the kiss, lazily exploring.
She softened against him, her arms winding around his neck, returning his heat with her own.
Kinara’s heart was hammering as he drew away a little to look at her.
His dark eyes were hot, his voice husky when he spoke.
Kinara frowned a little at the buzzing in her ears.
Heat ran through her belly as his hand slid up to cup her breast, his thumb lightly teasing the peak. He touched his forehead to hers. He spoke again and the buzzing crystalized into words.
That’s Az-kye!
Her mind went white with shock. With a cry she pushed away, backpedaling so fast her spine slammed against the wall and jarred her to full, horrified wakefulness.
“Where am I?”
“In my quarters.”
“And where is my crew?”
“Below.”
“Take me to see them.”
“No.”
Kinara blinked at his simple, flat answer. “I must see them.”
He looked perplexed. “Why?”
“I need to see if they’re all right.”
He tilted his head, looking genuinely curious. “What would you do if they were not?”
The breath rushed out of her lungs.
“Are they hurt? Do they need me?”
Understanding lit his dark eyes. “You are their healer.”
“No, I’m not a healer. I’m their commander.”
“This cannot be so.” He shook his head a little. “You cannot have led them.”
“Why not?”
His gaze ran over her. “You are female.”
Kinara felt her nostrils flare. “So?”
The Az-kye was a blur of movement. His sword was free of the scabbard at his back and at her throat so quickly she scarcely had time to gasp.
He stayed like that, his sword held in a two-handed grip, every muscle rock steady, the gleaming blade just under her chin. His blond brows were low over his fierce black eyes, his square-jawed, scarred face hard and set. Shaken by the suddenness -the violence- of it Kinara could do nothing more than stare at him and take quick terrified breaths.
His dark eyes narrowed. “You are no warrior.”
Aidar leader of the Az’anti clan took Kinara and made her his. His Cy’atta as he called her, was to do his bidding and learn to service him in every way. All Kinara wanted to do was free her crew and get back home to Tellar. After she makes another almost deadly mistake, she has no choice but to give in to Aidar if she hopes to keep her crew alive and get them home.
She searched his face. “What you really want is for me to choose this, to give myself to you, isn’t it?”
Sudden, unreasoning hunger flashed in his dark eyes, then he frowned. “And what do you want in return for this choosing, this giving-of-yourself?”
“Free my crew,” she said instantly. “Send them home.”
He drew back. “I cannot.”
“We’re yours, aren’t we? You can do whatever you want to with us, you’ve said so often enough.”
“I pledged Tellarans to the Council of Elders. You ask me to break my word.”
“But it is possible.”
“It would be…difficult,” he replied, circling her, his gaze running over her as if she were a purchase he might make. “I will want much in treturn.”
“Okay.” She squared her shoulders. “Tell me.”
“I would have you as my bound mate, Cy’atta.”
The breath rushed out of her lungs.
His dark gaze was hot. “I will have you.” His fingers touched her hair and his voice was husky. “I will have all of you.”
Aidar felt more than he ever expected for Kinara. He knew she was with him only to keep her crew out of harms way, but he had to make her see that she could love him and love the Az-kye. This would not be an easy task. As Kinara finds herself falling for Aidar, she is torn between being faithful to the part of her that is Tellaran and the part that is becoming Az’anti. You cannot be bound to an Az-kye warrior and be Tellaran. You can only be one. A discovery tears into Kinara and Aidar’s world as newly gained trust is lost and things do not go as planned. Kinara and Aidar have to be careful and she has a tough decision to make.
The worlds of Tellar and Az-kye are sworn enemies. The Az-kye believe the Tellarans have no honor and The Tellarans see the Az-kye as savages. Can Aidar and Kinara change this? Aidar has met his match in Kinara and the heat between them is crazy and hot as hell. I loved this introduction into their worlds and the story sucks you in. Ariel MacArran is three for three with me. I hope you enjoy being pulled into her world as much as I did.
Kinara Maere and her crew aboard the Rapier were on a mission and out for revenge. No one wanted to go on this mission, but out of respect for Kinara, they did. Her brother Kyndan and his crew were killed by the Az-kye and she would return the favor. Goes without saying, but this mission was not accomplished. Instead, Kinara and her crew were captured by the Az-kye ship Ty’pran and taken as prisoners. What’s even more unfortunate for them is that instead of granting them an honorably quick death, they were made slaves.
With surprising gentleness for such a powerfully built man, he pulled her against him as if curious to see how well they fit together. No one had ever held her like this. His touch was so confident, so perfect, that he couldn’t possibly be real.
Don’t let me wake up yet.
He brought his mouth to hers. His gentle warm lips touched hers for only an instant before he deepened the kiss, lazily exploring.
She softened against him, her arms winding around his neck, returning his heat with her own.
Kinara’s heart was hammering as he drew away a little to look at her.
His dark eyes were hot, his voice husky when he spoke.
Kinara frowned a little at the buzzing in her ears.
Heat ran through her belly as his hand slid up to cup her breast, his thumb lightly teasing the peak. He touched his forehead to hers. He spoke again and the buzzing crystalized into words.
That’s Az-kye!
Her mind went white with shock. With a cry she pushed away, backpedaling so fast her spine slammed against the wall and jarred her to full, horrified wakefulness.
“Where am I?”
“In my quarters.”
“And where is my crew?”
“Below.”
“Take me to see them.”
“No.”
Kinara blinked at his simple, flat answer. “I must see them.”
He looked perplexed. “Why?”
“I need to see if they’re all right.”
He tilted his head, looking genuinely curious. “What would you do if they were not?”
The breath rushed out of her lungs.
“Are they hurt? Do they need me?”
Understanding lit his dark eyes. “You are their healer.”
“No, I’m not a healer. I’m their commander.”
“This cannot be so.” He shook his head a little. “You cannot have led them.”
“Why not?”
His gaze ran over her. “You are female.”
Kinara felt her nostrils flare. “So?”
The Az-kye was a blur of movement. His sword was free of the scabbard at his back and at her throat so quickly she scarcely had time to gasp.
He stayed like that, his sword held in a two-handed grip, every muscle rock steady, the gleaming blade just under her chin. His blond brows were low over his fierce black eyes, his square-jawed, scarred face hard and set. Shaken by the suddenness -the violence- of it Kinara could do nothing more than stare at him and take quick terrified breaths.
His dark eyes narrowed. “You are no warrior.”
Aidar leader of the Az’anti clan took Kinara and made her his. His Cy’atta as he called her, was to do his bidding and learn to service him in every way. All Kinara wanted to do was free her crew and get back home to Tellar. After she makes another almost deadly mistake, she has no choice but to give in to Aidar if she hopes to keep her crew alive and get them home.
She searched his face. “What you really want is for me to choose this, to give myself to you, isn’t it?”
Sudden, unreasoning hunger flashed in his dark eyes, then he frowned. “And what do you want in return for this choosing, this giving-of-yourself?”
“Free my crew,” she said instantly. “Send them home.”
He drew back. “I cannot.”
“We’re yours, aren’t we? You can do whatever you want to with us, you’ve said so often enough.”
“I pledged Tellarans to the Council of Elders. You ask me to break my word.”
“But it is possible.”
“It would be…difficult,” he replied, circling her, his gaze running over her as if she were a purchase he might make. “I will want much in treturn.”
“Okay.” She squared her shoulders. “Tell me.”
“I would have you as my bound mate, Cy’atta.”
The breath rushed out of her lungs.
His dark gaze was hot. “I will have you.” His fingers touched her hair and his voice was husky. “I will have all of you.”
Aidar felt more than he ever expected for Kinara. He knew she was with him only to keep her crew out of harms way, but he had to make her see that she could love him and love the Az-kye. This would not be an easy task. As Kinara finds herself falling for Aidar, she is torn between being faithful to the part of her that is Tellaran and the part that is becoming Az’anti. You cannot be bound to an Az-kye warrior and be Tellaran. You can only be one. A discovery tears into Kinara and Aidar’s world as newly gained trust is lost and things do not go as planned. Kinara and Aidar have to be careful and she has a tough decision to make.
The worlds of Tellar and Az-kye are sworn enemies. The Az-kye believe the Tellarans have no honor and The Tellarans see the Az-kye as savages. Can Aidar and Kinara change this? Aidar has met his match in Kinara and the heat between them is crazy and hot as hell. I loved this introduction into their worlds and the story sucks you in. Ariel MacArran is three for three with me. I hope you enjoy being pulled into her world as much as I did.
October 25, 2013
The Lemon Review
Lemon Reviewer: Adrienne. Hello Lemonheads! I was fortunate to be gifted with a new lemon by Ariel MacArran, entitled Stardancer. This new author creates a new spin on an age old tale, of our heroine being a captive to our hero and succumbing to Stockholm syndrome. The world of the Tellarans and Az-kye is both futuristic and a throwback to medieval times. Tellarans are reminiscent of today’s time and use technology in all military aspects, while the Az-kye believe in fighting with swords or hand to hand combat. These two cultures both have misconceived notions of the other and believe that the other is the inferior race, leading to mistrust and war.
Kinara, later nicknamed Cy’atta by Aidar, has compiled a motley crew of new cadets and stolen a space ship in order to seek vengeance on the Az-kye, the enemy race that destroyed the crew and ship under Kinara’s brother Kyndan’s command. Believing that the Az-kye is a primitive barbarian race she is not prepared to not only face defeat but to be imprisoned by these tall warriors. Enslaved by Aidar, Kinara quickly realizes that maybe not everything she was taught and raised to believe is correct. This feisty red head slowly sees that there may be more to her Adonis captor then meets the eye. (hello transformer reference)
Aidar is the leader of his clan and a stereotypical warrior. He expects his orders to be heard and obeyed without question. The many misconceptions that Aidar has surrounding Tellarans takes him down a bumpy road when he tries to win the favors of his new captive and slave. His belief that slavery is not only acceptable but the norm makes him try to run roughshod over her at every turn. The fact that Tellarans are perceived as clanless and thus worthless does not help the situation, yet the pull Kinara has on him is too much to resist and Aidar forces her to marry him.
Now, I have read this type of story many times over and over. Although Ariel makes her characters have an instant attraction to one another, that does not stop them from having several cultural disagreements. In these types of stories, both sides slowly become aware that the enemy is actually a human with human emotions and thoughts and not just an object, and although Ariel follows this pattern, she also shows how the characters begin to appreciate and assimilate into each other’s culture. The path to understanding and love is not smooth and Ariel does an amazingly realistic job of showing these two headstrong people coming to terms with their own shortcomings and compromise.
My only real criticism is that the ending of this novel is reminiscent of Suzanne Collins’ Mockingjay. Both authors create this amazing battle and final showdown and then suddenly everything unfolding becomes a narrative. No longer are the characters an active participant of the story instead they narrate what has transpired since the battle. I am not saying this is necessarily the wrong way to go about it, I just feel that prior to this, Ariel wrote a well-paced novel that is now slightly rushed in order to obtain the happily ever after. I can understand why this decision was made, I just believe that it alters the flow of the novel and actually takes the reader out of the story for a short time.
That being said Ariel still does a wonderful job of making a futuristic sci-fi world the reader gets sucked into with characters that you will occasionally want to slap upside the head. The fact that Ariel never lays the blame on only just Aidar or Kinara truly makes me appreciate her writing style. I have never been a fan when only one person in the relationship makes a mistake; it always seems a little too unrealistic. I highly recommend that if you like being introduced to an unknown universe you should check out this limon; and no I did not misspell lemon. Ariel does include some sexy times in her novel, but they are not liberally laced throughout. She definitely focuses more on plot and the development of character’s relationships. Thus they are few and far between and not overly extensive making me rate this more than a lime but slightly less than a full lemon.
Hopefully you will give this new author a chance as I believe will be seeing more great things to come from her. Until next time, lemonheads. Keep enjoying those citrusy reads!
Lemon Reviewer: Adrienne. Hello Lemonheads! I was fortunate to be gifted with a new lemon by Ariel MacArran, entitled Stardancer. This new author creates a new spin on an age old tale, of our heroine being a captive to our hero and succumbing to Stockholm syndrome. The world of the Tellarans and Az-kye is both futuristic and a throwback to medieval times. Tellarans are reminiscent of today’s time and use technology in all military aspects, while the Az-kye believe in fighting with swords or hand to hand combat. These two cultures both have misconceived notions of the other and believe that the other is the inferior race, leading to mistrust and war.
Kinara, later nicknamed Cy’atta by Aidar, has compiled a motley crew of new cadets and stolen a space ship in order to seek vengeance on the Az-kye, the enemy race that destroyed the crew and ship under Kinara’s brother Kyndan’s command. Believing that the Az-kye is a primitive barbarian race she is not prepared to not only face defeat but to be imprisoned by these tall warriors. Enslaved by Aidar, Kinara quickly realizes that maybe not everything she was taught and raised to believe is correct. This feisty red head slowly sees that there may be more to her Adonis captor then meets the eye. (hello transformer reference)
Aidar is the leader of his clan and a stereotypical warrior. He expects his orders to be heard and obeyed without question. The many misconceptions that Aidar has surrounding Tellarans takes him down a bumpy road when he tries to win the favors of his new captive and slave. His belief that slavery is not only acceptable but the norm makes him try to run roughshod over her at every turn. The fact that Tellarans are perceived as clanless and thus worthless does not help the situation, yet the pull Kinara has on him is too much to resist and Aidar forces her to marry him.
Now, I have read this type of story many times over and over. Although Ariel makes her characters have an instant attraction to one another, that does not stop them from having several cultural disagreements. In these types of stories, both sides slowly become aware that the enemy is actually a human with human emotions and thoughts and not just an object, and although Ariel follows this pattern, she also shows how the characters begin to appreciate and assimilate into each other’s culture. The path to understanding and love is not smooth and Ariel does an amazingly realistic job of showing these two headstrong people coming to terms with their own shortcomings and compromise.
My only real criticism is that the ending of this novel is reminiscent of Suzanne Collins’ Mockingjay. Both authors create this amazing battle and final showdown and then suddenly everything unfolding becomes a narrative. No longer are the characters an active participant of the story instead they narrate what has transpired since the battle. I am not saying this is necessarily the wrong way to go about it, I just feel that prior to this, Ariel wrote a well-paced novel that is now slightly rushed in order to obtain the happily ever after. I can understand why this decision was made, I just believe that it alters the flow of the novel and actually takes the reader out of the story for a short time.
That being said Ariel still does a wonderful job of making a futuristic sci-fi world the reader gets sucked into with characters that you will occasionally want to slap upside the head. The fact that Ariel never lays the blame on only just Aidar or Kinara truly makes me appreciate her writing style. I have never been a fan when only one person in the relationship makes a mistake; it always seems a little too unrealistic. I highly recommend that if you like being introduced to an unknown universe you should check out this limon; and no I did not misspell lemon. Ariel does include some sexy times in her novel, but they are not liberally laced throughout. She definitely focuses more on plot and the development of character’s relationships. Thus they are few and far between and not overly extensive making me rate this more than a lime but slightly less than a full lemon.
Hopefully you will give this new author a chance as I believe will be seeing more great things to come from her. Until next time, lemonheads. Keep enjoying those citrusy reads!
August 18, 2014
Another in the Tellaran series, Stardancer is set in a futuristic universe between two warring empires. The Az'kye are fierce and proud warriors who will stop at nothing to defend the honor of their people and their families. The Realm is a futuristic society similar to that of present day, who find the Az'kye's practice of binding rituals and slavery to be barbaric and uncivilized. Both deeply misunderstand each other. When Kinara's brother is killed in a battle between the Realm and the Az'kye, she sets out on an illegal mission to avenge her brother's death. Greatly underestimating the advancements of the Az'kye, her ship is taken, and the only chance she has of returning her crew home is to befriend, and come to love the commanding officer who would take her as his wife.
Ariel MacArran is a stupendous writer. Not just be indie publishing standards, but by any. This book, read for free with my Kindle Unlimited membership, held the quality I would expect from a company published book I bought in the store, if not surpasses it. There were so few editing errors that when I found one or two I couldn't be sure that they were really there. The pride she takes in the scripting and editing of her book is worthy of Az'kye honor, and the entire indie industry would be better off to take her example.
Kinara is a fierce commander, but she's also a woman. For the first time ever in reading the SciFi genre has the character reacted properly to being imprisoned. She does feel an attraction for Aidar, but as soon as she realizes what's going on, she snaps out of it and gets mad. She doesn't crumble to his will and despite his treatment of her, stand strong with her morals and beliefs.
The conflict of Aidar and Kinara's opposing cultures was a work of art. It was frustrating to no end the way Aidar wouldn't explain the working of his world to her, but that's to be expected. Having been raised there, even the simplest things he assumed she should be able to do were contradictory to everything she knew from her own home world. This is the first time, after reading many alien abduction leading to marriage and love stories, that the culture conflict was believable and well done.
Their romance is tragic, because the whole time you just wish they would sit down and talk things out, but at the same time neither of them are like that at all. But I'll tell you, their relationship is very well done. Things never get so dark and depressing that you just can't take it anymore and have to put the book down. Whenever something sad happens it is soon counteracted by another aspect that cheers you up. I won't say it isn't heart-rending at times, but just push through it.
Kinara's assimilation into the Az'lye society is also extremely well written. All aspects of the world are thought out and the rules that Ariel establishes are not broken, as she stays consistent in her work.
Being a romantic, I do wish there had been more time in which Aidar and Kinara were happy together. It seemed like every time they almost got past their differences and had a moment of happiness, Kinara or Aidar would do or say something that would tear each other apart again. It was really hard to read, because you felt so badly for the star-crossed lovers, and just wanted them to be happy.
While the cover isn't exactly appealing and didn't draw me in the way the cover for the Seer did, I urge no one to judge this book by its cover. The writing is intricate, descriptive, and utterly beautiful. I will be reading every book if Ariel's I can get my hands on.
I recommend this to any and all readers. This series is something worth investing time in.
Five Stars
Rosalie Williams
Ariel MacArran is a stupendous writer. Not just be indie publishing standards, but by any. This book, read for free with my Kindle Unlimited membership, held the quality I would expect from a company published book I bought in the store, if not surpasses it. There were so few editing errors that when I found one or two I couldn't be sure that they were really there. The pride she takes in the scripting and editing of her book is worthy of Az'kye honor, and the entire indie industry would be better off to take her example.
Kinara is a fierce commander, but she's also a woman. For the first time ever in reading the SciFi genre has the character reacted properly to being imprisoned. She does feel an attraction for Aidar, but as soon as she realizes what's going on, she snaps out of it and gets mad. She doesn't crumble to his will and despite his treatment of her, stand strong with her morals and beliefs.
The conflict of Aidar and Kinara's opposing cultures was a work of art. It was frustrating to no end the way Aidar wouldn't explain the working of his world to her, but that's to be expected. Having been raised there, even the simplest things he assumed she should be able to do were contradictory to everything she knew from her own home world. This is the first time, after reading many alien abduction leading to marriage and love stories, that the culture conflict was believable and well done.
Their romance is tragic, because the whole time you just wish they would sit down and talk things out, but at the same time neither of them are like that at all. But I'll tell you, their relationship is very well done. Things never get so dark and depressing that you just can't take it anymore and have to put the book down. Whenever something sad happens it is soon counteracted by another aspect that cheers you up. I won't say it isn't heart-rending at times, but just push through it.
Kinara's assimilation into the Az'lye society is also extremely well written. All aspects of the world are thought out and the rules that Ariel establishes are not broken, as she stays consistent in her work.
Being a romantic, I do wish there had been more time in which Aidar and Kinara were happy together. It seemed like every time they almost got past their differences and had a moment of happiness, Kinara or Aidar would do or say something that would tear each other apart again. It was really hard to read, because you felt so badly for the star-crossed lovers, and just wanted them to be happy.
While the cover isn't exactly appealing and didn't draw me in the way the cover for the Seer did, I urge no one to judge this book by its cover. The writing is intricate, descriptive, and utterly beautiful. I will be reading every book if Ariel's I can get my hands on.
I recommend this to any and all readers. This series is something worth investing time in.
Five Stars
Rosalie Williams
November 3, 2013
AAHH! I want more! What a fantastic story! The characters are great, and the story line is phenomenal! I will post the rest of my review after it goes live on my blog!
UPDATE (from my blog)
**I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.**
Until the last couple of months, I NEVER though I would be someone who read 'space opera' books, but I'm finding more and more that I LOVE them!
I WANT MORE! That's what I had to say when I finished this book! It's not a cliffhanger or anything, but I could have gone on reading more and more of their story. The characters, their cultures, and the plot line are very well developed. Of course, it's also HOT!
I read this book in one sitting! I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, because I couldn't put this down and go to sleep! Kinara comes from a planet (and culture) that I would say is similar to a militaristic United States, with access to futuristic spacecraft. The Tellaran people are a proud people, and they've worked hard to bring their society to a very high level of technological advancement, as well as (mostly) treating men and women as equals. Aidar comes from a planet (and culture) that is much more old world. They don't use laser guns, or even old-school guns with bullets...they have swords. :) The Az-kye have a completely different set of values and cultural practices. Kinara and Aidar think they know everything about each other's cultures, but as I began reading, I found out they hardly knew ANYTHING about where one another was coming from. And of course, they seem to be learning this lesson the hard way. :)
The cultures of each planet are not hard to follow at all. Ariel MacArran does a fantastic job of explaining their similarities and differences through example, and fairly simple conversation, rather than confusing the reader with long, drawn out explanations that don't make any sense. I think there are some lessons to be learned by readers from this story regarding prejudices, and 'not judging a book by its cover' so to speak. Kinara certainly learns A LOT along the way about life and love, and Aidar does too. Their problems are much more than skin deep, but so are their similarities. Even though they may not realize it, at least not at first, their love for one another is so vast that they would do almost anything for the other person. Of course, they both have many other people to think about besides just themselves. Kinara and Aidar both feel a deep sense of duty to their people, and they almost always put others before themselves.
As for their chemistry, I think I'll just let the book speak for itself:
"He brought his mouth to hers. His gentle warm lips touched hers for only an instant before he deepened the kiss, lazily exploring.
She softened against him, her arms winding around his neck, returning his heat with her own.
Kinara's heart was hammering as he drew away a little to look at her.
His dark eyes were hot, his voice husky when he spoke.
Kinara frowned a little at the buzzing in her ears.
Heat ran through her belly as his hand slid up to cup her breast, his thumb lightly teasing the peak. He touched his forehead to hers. He spoke again and the buzzing crystallized into words.
That's Az-kye!"
I truly hope that there are more books coming, even if it's not the same characters! Of course, I love these characters, so more of their story would be AWESOME! The world Ariel MacArran has created in this book is so phenomenal, and has TONS of potential for more stories!
UPDATE (from my blog)
**I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.**
Until the last couple of months, I NEVER though I would be someone who read 'space opera' books, but I'm finding more and more that I LOVE them!
I WANT MORE! That's what I had to say when I finished this book! It's not a cliffhanger or anything, but I could have gone on reading more and more of their story. The characters, their cultures, and the plot line are very well developed. Of course, it's also HOT!
I read this book in one sitting! I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, because I couldn't put this down and go to sleep! Kinara comes from a planet (and culture) that I would say is similar to a militaristic United States, with access to futuristic spacecraft. The Tellaran people are a proud people, and they've worked hard to bring their society to a very high level of technological advancement, as well as (mostly) treating men and women as equals. Aidar comes from a planet (and culture) that is much more old world. They don't use laser guns, or even old-school guns with bullets...they have swords. :) The Az-kye have a completely different set of values and cultural practices. Kinara and Aidar think they know everything about each other's cultures, but as I began reading, I found out they hardly knew ANYTHING about where one another was coming from. And of course, they seem to be learning this lesson the hard way. :)
The cultures of each planet are not hard to follow at all. Ariel MacArran does a fantastic job of explaining their similarities and differences through example, and fairly simple conversation, rather than confusing the reader with long, drawn out explanations that don't make any sense. I think there are some lessons to be learned by readers from this story regarding prejudices, and 'not judging a book by its cover' so to speak. Kinara certainly learns A LOT along the way about life and love, and Aidar does too. Their problems are much more than skin deep, but so are their similarities. Even though they may not realize it, at least not at first, their love for one another is so vast that they would do almost anything for the other person. Of course, they both have many other people to think about besides just themselves. Kinara and Aidar both feel a deep sense of duty to their people, and they almost always put others before themselves.
As for their chemistry, I think I'll just let the book speak for itself:
"He brought his mouth to hers. His gentle warm lips touched hers for only an instant before he deepened the kiss, lazily exploring.
She softened against him, her arms winding around his neck, returning his heat with her own.
Kinara's heart was hammering as he drew away a little to look at her.
His dark eyes were hot, his voice husky when he spoke.
Kinara frowned a little at the buzzing in her ears.
Heat ran through her belly as his hand slid up to cup her breast, his thumb lightly teasing the peak. He touched his forehead to hers. He spoke again and the buzzing crystallized into words.
That's Az-kye!"
I truly hope that there are more books coming, even if it's not the same characters! Of course, I love these characters, so more of their story would be AWESOME! The world Ariel MacArran has created in this book is so phenomenal, and has TONS of potential for more stories!
October 24, 2013
Kinara (Kinna to friends) Maere is on a mission on revenge against the enemy who killed her brother during his first mission in space.She decides to steal a spaceship and convinces some cadets in training to come along.Not surprisingly things dont go according to plan when they encounter the ship that attacked her Brothers vessel and engage it in combat only to find themselves outmanouvered when their lifesupport is taken down by the Az-kye ship.
Kinara and the rest of the crew loses consciousness.
The next thing she knows is waking up to a handsome man caressing her hair and staring at her.Things come back to her and she recognizes him as her hated enemy and furthermore he proclaims her and the rest of the Tellarans his slaves!
Angrily she fights back until Aidar as the Az-kye is called makes her an ultimatum-become his and her people will go free...
Stardancer pleasantly surprised me oh the plot has been done before
for example in books like No Words Alone but in this version the progression from enemies to lovers felt more fitting in with the story and even Kinara being confused about her feelings felt more authentic than in those sci-fi romances where the girl ends up in bed with the Alien hero and suddenly there is a magic change and she goes along with Everything the hero wants. In this book the heroine is friendly but she wont be bullied around. The plot description makes this sound like there will be bsdm all over the Place but it has nothing of the sort.
I appreciated that the author made a pretense of Tellaran and Az-kye botj being aliens because then I could put aside my snort of disbelief an heroine that falls in love with an Alien that looks so human its crazy.In this case I could think "ok so they are from different Worlds but its not unthinkable that they could have shared a common ancestor far far back" and I could go on Reading the book.
I can deny that Tellarans are supposed to be the human substitue and the ones we should identify ...with at first but then things get complicated as loyalties are switched and everyones pre-conception is challenged.
There was even a humorous scene where Aidar is trying to court Kinara the Tellaran way...and of course he get is so wrong.I wish there had been more of that.
There was some slight editing mistakes and I wish some more had gone into the ending.Its fine and HEA and all that but more would have been good.
and one more thing..."frack" is a very bad disguise for the actual slang word.It disrupted the story when one of the Tellarans would use it.Call a shovel a shovel or not use it at all.
But overall I liked the book.
Kinara and the rest of the crew loses consciousness.
The next thing she knows is waking up to a handsome man caressing her hair and staring at her.Things come back to her and she recognizes him as her hated enemy and furthermore he proclaims her and the rest of the Tellarans his slaves!
Angrily she fights back until Aidar as the Az-kye is called makes her an ultimatum-become his and her people will go free...
Stardancer pleasantly surprised me oh the plot has been done before
for example in books like No Words Alone but in this version the progression from enemies to lovers felt more fitting in with the story and even Kinara being confused about her feelings felt more authentic than in those sci-fi romances where the girl ends up in bed with the Alien hero and suddenly there is a magic change and she goes along with Everything the hero wants. In this book the heroine is friendly but she wont be bullied around. The plot description makes this sound like there will be bsdm all over the Place but it has nothing of the sort.
I appreciated that the author made a pretense of Tellaran and Az-kye botj being aliens because then I could put aside my snort of disbelief an heroine that falls in love with an Alien that looks so human its crazy.In this case I could think "ok so they are from different Worlds but its not unthinkable that they could have shared a common ancestor far far back" and I could go on Reading the book.
I can deny that Tellarans are supposed to be the human substitue and the ones we should identify ...with at first but then things get complicated as loyalties are switched and everyones pre-conception is challenged.
There was even a humorous scene where Aidar is trying to court Kinara the Tellaran way...and of course he get is so wrong.I wish there had been more of that.
There was some slight editing mistakes and I wish some more had gone into the ending.Its fine and HEA and all that but more would have been good.
and one more thing..."frack" is a very bad disguise for the actual slang word.It disrupted the story when one of the Tellarans would use it.Call a shovel a shovel or not use it at all.
But overall I liked the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2014
This book is generally well written, but the story relied on several plot elements that I personally don't enjoy much. There's nothing wrong with them, they've worked in other fiction just fine, but they just aren't for me and so that effected my enjoyment and my rating.
The story begins with Kinara dragging a crew of (space academy?) cadets in to enemy space to hunt a warship that killed her brother. We're never told how she managed to convince or coerce these people or how they managed to steal a ship from what I would assume would be a heavily guarded fleet dockyard. Of course things quickly go bad because out of all of them only one person is actually in the fleet with experience or training and it's not Kinara.
Stuff happens, Kinara wakes up in a ridiculously swanky bedroom with some gorgeous guy (Aidar) pawing at her hair. She immediately believes it's a dream, they kiss, and this is sort of the beginning of the insta-love captive-mate romance as events conspire to force Kinara to become Aidar's wife in an effort to free her crew from slavery.
For a lot of the book Kinara shouts at Aiden and acts like an idiot, for his part Aiden makes demands of Kinara she has no idea how to fulfill and refuses to tell her (because tradition dictates her mum should have told her, even though she's a Tellaran who doesn't know Az-kye customs). I found it all very tedious and wanted to knock some sense in to both of them.
This is also only nominally a sci-fi romance. Both the Tellarans and Az-kye are spacefaring races, but most of the book is set on the Az-kye Imperial world where everyone lives in some strange sort of Olde Worlde way with no sign of technology. All the crappy jobs are done by slaves (not that we see any of that) and for the most part we just watch Kinara swanning about being dressed and served by her ladies (high born members of vassel clans) whilst she tries to figure out how to run a household/clan of several hundred individuals.
Near the end there's overblown drama that didn't seem to make much sense followed by the obligatory HEA that ends before you get to see all the repercussions and fallout from a series of awful decisions.
Despite all of this I didn't hate the book. It had some interesting moments, but for me they weren't enough to make me really care for the characters and if I don't connect to the characters then I can't help but become bored with a story. This is definitely my personal opinion though and I can't in good conscious dissuade others from picking this up because there's nothing majorly bad about it other than it wasn't for me.
The story begins with Kinara dragging a crew of (space academy?) cadets in to enemy space to hunt a warship that killed her brother. We're never told how she managed to convince or coerce these people or how they managed to steal a ship from what I would assume would be a heavily guarded fleet dockyard. Of course things quickly go bad because out of all of them only one person is actually in the fleet with experience or training and it's not Kinara.
Stuff happens, Kinara wakes up in a ridiculously swanky bedroom with some gorgeous guy (Aidar) pawing at her hair. She immediately believes it's a dream, they kiss, and this is sort of the beginning of the insta-love captive-mate romance as events conspire to force Kinara to become Aidar's wife in an effort to free her crew from slavery.
For a lot of the book Kinara shouts at Aiden and acts like an idiot, for his part Aiden makes demands of Kinara she has no idea how to fulfill and refuses to tell her (because tradition dictates her mum should have told her, even though she's a Tellaran who doesn't know Az-kye customs). I found it all very tedious and wanted to knock some sense in to both of them.
This is also only nominally a sci-fi romance. Both the Tellarans and Az-kye are spacefaring races, but most of the book is set on the Az-kye Imperial world where everyone lives in some strange sort of Olde Worlde way with no sign of technology. All the crappy jobs are done by slaves (not that we see any of that) and for the most part we just watch Kinara swanning about being dressed and served by her ladies (high born members of vassel clans) whilst she tries to figure out how to run a household/clan of several hundred individuals.
Near the end there's overblown drama that didn't seem to make much sense followed by the obligatory HEA that ends before you get to see all the repercussions and fallout from a series of awful decisions.
Despite all of this I didn't hate the book. It had some interesting moments, but for me they weren't enough to make me really care for the characters and if I don't connect to the characters then I can't help but become bored with a story. This is definitely my personal opinion though and I can't in good conscious dissuade others from picking this up because there's nothing majorly bad about it other than it wasn't for me.
May 12, 2015
Stardancer
I thought book was very good. There was a lot of information about the culture and I wasn't left questioning why they did things a certain way. The romance was good and there was a lot of character development. She started out as impulsive and grew into a strong woman who planned her goals out. It could have been so much worse for her. the really big scary guy could have claimed her and abused her, I like how she was a bit more open minded when she realized how much worse her fate could have been. She wasn't empty headed when she started thinking about her actions and consequences. I am curious to read a story about one of the slaves who wasn't treated as well as she. I think it is important to enlighten readers on some of the realities of slavery rather than just a few quick thoughts. I would love to see this author talk about one of the women slaves who had a bad experience as a slave and met the perfect mate. I really liked this book. It was very well written and I enjoyed this book very much.
I thought book was very good. There was a lot of information about the culture and I wasn't left questioning why they did things a certain way. The romance was good and there was a lot of character development. She started out as impulsive and grew into a strong woman who planned her goals out. It could have been so much worse for her. the really big scary guy could have claimed her and abused her, I like how she was a bit more open minded when she realized how much worse her fate could have been. She wasn't empty headed when she started thinking about her actions and consequences. I am curious to read a story about one of the slaves who wasn't treated as well as she. I think it is important to enlighten readers on some of the realities of slavery rather than just a few quick thoughts. I would love to see this author talk about one of the women slaves who had a bad experience as a slave and met the perfect mate. I really liked this book. It was very well written and I enjoyed this book very much.
June 11, 2015
This is one of the best scifi romance books that I have read! The world building was done very well. I could picture everything the author described in her book.
The build up between the two main character's romance was done very well also. It wasn't insta-love like a lot of romance books tend to do. You could feel the connection they had between them and how they come to care for and love each other. The couple of sex scenes were done well too. They were descriptive but not overly so and there weren't a lot of them. Just enough.
The ending had me holding my breath to see what happened next. I was begging for them to get their HEA! I think the ending was perfect. I just wish there had been an epilogue to tell us what happened right after that last part. You will understand when you read it. I don't want to give anything away.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a good scifi romance book! I can't wait to read the next one!
The build up between the two main character's romance was done very well also. It wasn't insta-love like a lot of romance books tend to do. You could feel the connection they had between them and how they come to care for and love each other. The couple of sex scenes were done well too. They were descriptive but not overly so and there weren't a lot of them. Just enough.
The ending had me holding my breath to see what happened next. I was begging for them to get their HEA! I think the ending was perfect. I just wish there had been an epilogue to tell us what happened right after that last part. You will understand when you read it. I don't want to give anything away.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a good scifi romance book! I can't wait to read the next one!
October 30, 2013
After reading this book, I wondered to myself how come I've never read a Sci-fi book until now. Up until now Sci-fi books was a genre that I typically skipped over when in the bookstore. I have to say, this book was good and will probably be the reason I check out more books in this genre.
The characters in the novel were unique and each had their own struggle that endeared them to the reader. It was fun to get swept up in the Tellaran and Az-Kye worlds. I felt bad for the main characters Kinara and Aidar as they had to first learn to overcome their negative and misconceived ideas of each other before they were able to really enjoy the other person.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I'm glad I won it in a Goodreads giveaway. It will definitely be the reason I check out more Sci-fi books in the future! Kudos to the author!
The characters in the novel were unique and each had their own struggle that endeared them to the reader. It was fun to get swept up in the Tellaran and Az-Kye worlds. I felt bad for the main characters Kinara and Aidar as they had to first learn to overcome their negative and misconceived ideas of each other before they were able to really enjoy the other person.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I'm glad I won it in a Goodreads giveaway. It will definitely be the reason I check out more Sci-fi books in the future! Kudos to the author!
June 24, 2014
This is a wonderful SciFi book. It was very well written and the story was moved quickly along. Kinara and Aidar are the main characters in this story.
Kinara is a young Tellaran woman out for vengeance against the Az'kye ship she believes fired upon & murdered her brother and his crew during a battle along the Az'Kye/Tallaren border..
They find the ship they were looking for but in the process they get captured by the Az'kye. Kinara wakes from being knocked out to find herself in the bed of her enemy. Instant chemistry until she remembers who he is. Aidar treats her like the Az'kyr treat Tellarens, as a slave.
This book took me by surprised, and I am so glad I was able to read.
I would rate this 4 fangs out of 5
*Reviewer for Paranormal Romance and Authors that Rock*
December 3, 2013
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The author did a good job of pulling me in with this story. She did a few unique things with dialect and world building, which I found refreshing. And, the hero and heroine had good tension (and hotness) to keep things moving along well. Aidar, the hero, really grew on me with his tough sweetness wrapped up in a sense of honor and duty. The book ended a little abruptly for my taste, but it was where I hoped they'd end up! I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes erotic science fiction/fantasy.
January 1, 2015
Loved this book! I want my own Aidar. The only thing was that I really wanted to know what happened after she returned to Az-kye. Did the Empress punish her for not "winning" the battle? What happened with Tedah and Lianna? What happened with Dael and Nisara? What happened with Bept? Was she able to form a treaty between the Az-kye and Tellarans? I have more questions but can't remember them. I want more closure basically.
You can find the rest of my review here:
http://literatibookreviews.com/2014/0...
Enjoy!
You can find the rest of my review here:
http://literatibookreviews.com/2014/0...
Enjoy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2015
The hero was an ass. Too set in his ways and bound by tradition, I couldn't root for him or the spark-less relationship between them.
The heroine was mostly pathetic. She spent most of her time learning how to fit into his world and giving up on her own dreams. Sometimes just for a bit of variety she would spend a few angst filled moments wondering if he might have decided he didn't want her anymore.
Mostly I just got bored.
I am giving one extra star for a few humorous scenes in which the hero failed miserably at trying to (cluelessly) woo the heroine.
The heroine was mostly pathetic. She spent most of her time learning how to fit into his world and giving up on her own dreams. Sometimes just for a bit of variety she would spend a few angst filled moments wondering if he might have decided he didn't want her anymore.
Mostly I just got bored.
I am giving one extra star for a few humorous scenes in which the hero failed miserably at trying to (cluelessly) woo the heroine.
October 16, 2013
The book was given to me and I thank the giver kindly for the gift. The characters were well developed, interesting and immediately believable. I bought in..as in "All In." Ms. MacArran's ability to weave the alien worlds into the story underscores her innate ability to capture the audience and take them on one hell of a ride. The pace, dialog and plot were exceptionally strong. Conflict, danger, drama and most of all love...the book was phenomenal.
October 22, 2013
I enjoyed the pace and the plot of this story, but experiencing an alien world world through Kinara's eyes was especially well done. Much of the novel takes place on the Az-kye home world and the author created it vividly and believably. The interaction between the Kinara and Aidar was realistic and natural. I'm looking forward to more books by this author.
March 20, 2016
Surprisingly Wonderful!
I downloaded this book using kindle-unlimited, thinking that it would be just ok. Boy, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a well executed, complicated and engaging effort on the part of the author. There was romance, angst, and a well thought out plot. Definitely worth your time.
I downloaded this book using kindle-unlimited, thinking that it would be just ok. Boy, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a well executed, complicated and engaging effort on the part of the author. There was romance, angst, and a well thought out plot. Definitely worth your time.
November 3, 2013
Enjoyed it. I felt the ending left a lot unanswered but I won't spoil it here. Pacing was good and I enjoyed the Az-Kye world and social structure
January 18, 2025
Hey everyone! Got a fun read for you today! This is a futuristic romance that takes place in space and on another planet! How can you resist that? ^_~
I was immediately engrossed into the story after the first chapter. The pace is great. I found myself easily reading through the book and caught up with the character and their actions. I felt each scene was well placed and well executed. No middle slumps in this read for me. I love stories like these. So well done!
I did like Kinara but there were moments where I found I didn't quite agree with her decisions or actions but I still found her relatable. She eventually redeemed herself with her actions but I'm not sure I agreed with everything she did. I do like that she stood up for herself and kept herself busy despite some of her circumstances. There were moments where I wished that she would keep standing strong but she eventually relented and did do as she was told. Maybe that's my ego being stubborn but I wanted her to fight more! Still I found her a flawed but believable protagonist.
Now Aidar, I found him funny at times but overall I feel like he was a complete softy despite his muscles and status. I admit he was a little frustrating at first expecting Kinara to know what she was supposed to do when she obviously didn't know anything about the Az-kye. I guess that adds up to the fact that the Az-kye don't exactly prize intelligence over physical strength. It's good that she learned quickly. I warmed up to him later. He says some of the sweetest lines that I can't help it.
The love scenes were quite steamy and fun. They were well placed and I enjoyed them immensely. ^_~ I'll just leave it at that but you should definitely check it out.
There are the two races the Tellarans and Az-kye. Kinara is Tellaran and Aidar is Az-kye. As you probably know they have their own languages and cultures so it was interesting seeing how the author created these two worlds. I think she did a wonderful job with the accents and word choices as well as the cultures. They are pretty distinguishable between each other. Although, I have to say that Tellarans appears to be a futuristic Human Earth world. The thing is, Tellarans have blasters (I assume laser guns) and Az-kye have swords...One would assume that Tellarans would have the advantage during a war, right? I don't know. I have been puzzled by that.
I do feel like the two races are pretty much human. Anatomically there are little distinguishable features outside their hair and skin coloring. I would have like something more to be able to tell them apart besides their ideals, language, and general appearances.
Most of the story takes place on Az-kye and I believe that the world building could have been a little stronger. It is different but it seems to be similar in base of Human historical past with slaves and different caste systems instead of the futuristic I was was thinking about. There is little mention of life on the planet outside the upper caste. There is talk about animals on Tellaran but not so much of animal or plant life on Az-kye.
I can see that it's probably not relevant to the story, and it most likely isn't, but I feel like I couldn't imagine the world to its fullest. The Az-kye is mostly taken place in a city and I imagine a planet is made up of more than that. I do like the fact that the men are the warriors and the women are the leaders. Even though I don't love politics I still found myself able to keep interested and with the pace of that element.
Overall, I enjoyed the story a lot! I'm glad I was able to get my hands on the second book for a review as well! I highly recommend it if you like fantasy.
I was immediately engrossed into the story after the first chapter. The pace is great. I found myself easily reading through the book and caught up with the character and their actions. I felt each scene was well placed and well executed. No middle slumps in this read for me. I love stories like these. So well done!
I did like Kinara but there were moments where I found I didn't quite agree with her decisions or actions but I still found her relatable. She eventually redeemed herself with her actions but I'm not sure I agreed with everything she did. I do like that she stood up for herself and kept herself busy despite some of her circumstances. There were moments where I wished that she would keep standing strong but she eventually relented and did do as she was told. Maybe that's my ego being stubborn but I wanted her to fight more! Still I found her a flawed but believable protagonist.
Now Aidar, I found him funny at times but overall I feel like he was a complete softy despite his muscles and status. I admit he was a little frustrating at first expecting Kinara to know what she was supposed to do when she obviously didn't know anything about the Az-kye. I guess that adds up to the fact that the Az-kye don't exactly prize intelligence over physical strength. It's good that she learned quickly. I warmed up to him later. He says some of the sweetest lines that I can't help it.
The love scenes were quite steamy and fun. They were well placed and I enjoyed them immensely. ^_~ I'll just leave it at that but you should definitely check it out.
There are the two races the Tellarans and Az-kye. Kinara is Tellaran and Aidar is Az-kye. As you probably know they have their own languages and cultures so it was interesting seeing how the author created these two worlds. I think she did a wonderful job with the accents and word choices as well as the cultures. They are pretty distinguishable between each other. Although, I have to say that Tellarans appears to be a futuristic Human Earth world. The thing is, Tellarans have blasters (I assume laser guns) and Az-kye have swords...One would assume that Tellarans would have the advantage during a war, right? I don't know. I have been puzzled by that.
I do feel like the two races are pretty much human. Anatomically there are little distinguishable features outside their hair and skin coloring. I would have like something more to be able to tell them apart besides their ideals, language, and general appearances.
Most of the story takes place on Az-kye and I believe that the world building could have been a little stronger. It is different but it seems to be similar in base of Human historical past with slaves and different caste systems instead of the futuristic I was was thinking about. There is little mention of life on the planet outside the upper caste. There is talk about animals on Tellaran but not so much of animal or plant life on Az-kye.
I can see that it's probably not relevant to the story, and it most likely isn't, but I feel like I couldn't imagine the world to its fullest. The Az-kye is mostly taken place in a city and I imagine a planet is made up of more than that. I do like the fact that the men are the warriors and the women are the leaders. Even though I don't love politics I still found myself able to keep interested and with the pace of that element.
Overall, I enjoyed the story a lot! I'm glad I was able to get my hands on the second book for a review as well! I highly recommend it if you like fantasy.
April 8, 2015
Plans of revenge hardly ever go as planned.
Kinara Maere and her crew aboard the Rapier were on a mission and out for revenge. No one wanted to go on this mission, but out of respect for Kinara, they did. Her brother Kyndan and his crew were killed by the Az-kye and she would return the favor. Goes without saying, but this mission was not accomplished. Instead, Kinara and her crew were captured by the Az-kye ship Ty’pran and taken as prisoners. What’s even more unfortunate for them is that instead of granting them an honorably quick death, they were made slaves.
With surprising gentleness for such a powerfully built man, he pulled her against him as if curious to see how well they fit together. No one had ever held her like this. His touch was so confident, so perfect, that he couldn’t possibly be real.
Don’t let me wake up yet.
He brought his mouth to hers. His gentle warm lips touched hers for only an instant before he deepened the kiss, lazily exploring.
She softened against him, her arms winding around his neck, returning his heat with her own.
Kinara’s heart was hammering as he drew away a little to look at her.
His dark eyes were hot, his voice husky when he spoke.
Kinara frowned a little at the buzzing in her ears.
Heat ran through her belly as his hand slid up to cup her breast, his thumb lightly teasing the peak. He touched his forehead to hers. He spoke again and the buzzing crystalized into words.
That’s Az-kye!
Her mind went white with shock. With a cry she pushed away, backpedaling so fast her spine slammed against the wall and jarred her to full, horrified wakefulness.
“Where am I?”
“In my quarters.”
“And where is my crew?”
“Below.”
“Take me to see them.”
“No.”
Kinara blinked at his simple, flat answer. “I must see them.”
He looked perplexed. “Why?”
“I need to see if they’re all right.”
He tilted his head, looking genuinely curious. “What would you do if they were not?”
The breath rushed out of her lungs.
“Are they hurt? Do they need me?”
Understanding lit his dark eyes. “You are their healer.”
“No, I’m not a healer. I’m their commander.”
“This cannot be so.” He shook his head a little. “You cannot have led them.”
“Why not?”
His gaze ran over her. “You are female.”
Kinara felt her nostrils flare. “So?”
The Az-kye was a blur of movement. His sword was free of the scabbard at his back and at her throat so quickly she scarcely had time to gasp.
He stayed like that, his sword held in a two-handed grip, every muscle rock steady, the gleaming blade just under her chin. His blond brows were low over his fierce black eyes, his square-jawed, scarred face hard and set. Shaken by the suddenness -the violence- of it Kinara could do nothing more than stare at him and take quick terrified breaths.
His dark eyes narrowed. “You are no warrior.”
Aidar leader of the Az’anti clan took Kinara and made her his. His Cy’atta as he called her, was to do his bidding and learn to service him in every way. All Kinara wanted to do was free her crew and get back home to Tellar. After she makes another almost deadly mistake, she has no choice but to give in to Aidar if she hopes to keep her crew alive and get them home.
She searched his face. “What you really want is for me to choose this, to give myself to you, isn’t it?”
Sudden, unreasoning hunger flashed in his dark eyes, then he frowned. “And what do you want in return for this choosing, this giving-of-yourself?”
“Free my crew,” she said instantly. “Send them home.”
He drew back. “I cannot.”
“We’re yours, aren’t we? You can do whatever you want to with us, you’ve said so often enough.”
“I pledged Tellarans to the Council of Elders. You ask me to break my word.”
“But it is possible.”
“It would be…difficult,” he replied, circling her, his gaze running over her as if she were a purchase he might make. “I will want much in treturn.”
“Okay.” She squared her shoulders. “Tell me.”
“I would have you as my bound mate, Cy’atta.”
The breath rushed out of her lungs.
His dark gaze was hot. “I will have you.” His fingers touched her hair and his voice was husky. “I will have all of you.”
Aidar felt more than he ever expected for Kinara. He knew she was with him only to keep her crew out of harms way, but he had to make her see that she could love him and love the Az-kye. This would not be an easy task. As Kinara finds herself falling for Aidar, she is torn between being faithful to the part of her that is Tellaran and the part that is becoming Az’anti. You cannot be bound to an Az-kye warrior and be Tellaran. You can only be one. A discovery tears into Kinara and Aidar’s world as newly gained trust is lost and things do not go as planned. Kinara and Aidar have to be careful and she has a tough decision to make.
The worlds of Tellar and Az-kye are sworn enemies. The Az-kye believe the Tellarans have no honor and The Tellarans see the Az-kye as savages. Can Aidar and Kinara change this? Aidar has met his match in Kinara and the heat between them is crazy and hot as hell. I loved this introduction into their worlds and the story sucks you in. Ariel MacArran is three for three with me. I hope you enjoy being pulled into her world as much as I did.
Kinara Maere and her crew aboard the Rapier were on a mission and out for revenge. No one wanted to go on this mission, but out of respect for Kinara, they did. Her brother Kyndan and his crew were killed by the Az-kye and she would return the favor. Goes without saying, but this mission was not accomplished. Instead, Kinara and her crew were captured by the Az-kye ship Ty’pran and taken as prisoners. What’s even more unfortunate for them is that instead of granting them an honorably quick death, they were made slaves.
With surprising gentleness for such a powerfully built man, he pulled her against him as if curious to see how well they fit together. No one had ever held her like this. His touch was so confident, so perfect, that he couldn’t possibly be real.
Don’t let me wake up yet.
He brought his mouth to hers. His gentle warm lips touched hers for only an instant before he deepened the kiss, lazily exploring.
She softened against him, her arms winding around his neck, returning his heat with her own.
Kinara’s heart was hammering as he drew away a little to look at her.
His dark eyes were hot, his voice husky when he spoke.
Kinara frowned a little at the buzzing in her ears.
Heat ran through her belly as his hand slid up to cup her breast, his thumb lightly teasing the peak. He touched his forehead to hers. He spoke again and the buzzing crystalized into words.
That’s Az-kye!
Her mind went white with shock. With a cry she pushed away, backpedaling so fast her spine slammed against the wall and jarred her to full, horrified wakefulness.
“Where am I?”
“In my quarters.”
“And where is my crew?”
“Below.”
“Take me to see them.”
“No.”
Kinara blinked at his simple, flat answer. “I must see them.”
He looked perplexed. “Why?”
“I need to see if they’re all right.”
He tilted his head, looking genuinely curious. “What would you do if they were not?”
The breath rushed out of her lungs.
“Are they hurt? Do they need me?”
Understanding lit his dark eyes. “You are their healer.”
“No, I’m not a healer. I’m their commander.”
“This cannot be so.” He shook his head a little. “You cannot have led them.”
“Why not?”
His gaze ran over her. “You are female.”
Kinara felt her nostrils flare. “So?”
The Az-kye was a blur of movement. His sword was free of the scabbard at his back and at her throat so quickly she scarcely had time to gasp.
He stayed like that, his sword held in a two-handed grip, every muscle rock steady, the gleaming blade just under her chin. His blond brows were low over his fierce black eyes, his square-jawed, scarred face hard and set. Shaken by the suddenness -the violence- of it Kinara could do nothing more than stare at him and take quick terrified breaths.
His dark eyes narrowed. “You are no warrior.”
Aidar leader of the Az’anti clan took Kinara and made her his. His Cy’atta as he called her, was to do his bidding and learn to service him in every way. All Kinara wanted to do was free her crew and get back home to Tellar. After she makes another almost deadly mistake, she has no choice but to give in to Aidar if she hopes to keep her crew alive and get them home.
She searched his face. “What you really want is for me to choose this, to give myself to you, isn’t it?”
Sudden, unreasoning hunger flashed in his dark eyes, then he frowned. “And what do you want in return for this choosing, this giving-of-yourself?”
“Free my crew,” she said instantly. “Send them home.”
He drew back. “I cannot.”
“We’re yours, aren’t we? You can do whatever you want to with us, you’ve said so often enough.”
“I pledged Tellarans to the Council of Elders. You ask me to break my word.”
“But it is possible.”
“It would be…difficult,” he replied, circling her, his gaze running over her as if she were a purchase he might make. “I will want much in treturn.”
“Okay.” She squared her shoulders. “Tell me.”
“I would have you as my bound mate, Cy’atta.”
The breath rushed out of her lungs.
His dark gaze was hot. “I will have you.” His fingers touched her hair and his voice was husky. “I will have all of you.”
Aidar felt more than he ever expected for Kinara. He knew she was with him only to keep her crew out of harms way, but he had to make her see that she could love him and love the Az-kye. This would not be an easy task. As Kinara finds herself falling for Aidar, she is torn between being faithful to the part of her that is Tellaran and the part that is becoming Az’anti. You cannot be bound to an Az-kye warrior and be Tellaran. You can only be one. A discovery tears into Kinara and Aidar’s world as newly gained trust is lost and things do not go as planned. Kinara and Aidar have to be careful and she has a tough decision to make.
The worlds of Tellar and Az-kye are sworn enemies. The Az-kye believe the Tellarans have no honor and The Tellarans see the Az-kye as savages. Can Aidar and Kinara change this? Aidar has met his match in Kinara and the heat between them is crazy and hot as hell. I loved this introduction into their worlds and the story sucks you in. Ariel MacArran is three for three with me. I hope you enjoy being pulled into her world as much as I did.
October 28, 2013
I was given a copy of the book by the author for my honest review.
Sci-Fi / Romance. I was totally drawn into the story, absolute emotional involvement, even a contented smile at the happy ending.
Kinara is a hot-headed young Tellaran woman out for vengeance against the Az'kye ship she believes fired upon & murdered her brother and his crew during a battle along the Az'Kye/Tallaren border. She is not in the fleet/military but is the daughter of a high ranking military official. She's stolen this ship & begged/cajoled friends and fleet academy students to staff this ship on this journey.
They find the Ak'kye ship they are looking for and fire upon them, making little impact and getting captured by the Az'kye. Kinara wakes from being knocked out to find herself in the bed of a gorgeous Az'kye man. Instant chemistry until she remembers who the enemy is. Aidar treats her like the Az'kyr treat Tellarens, a slave. (Except that he's obviously infatuated with her, especially her hair)
Ak'kye slaves wear white, have no names, no feelings, don't get to be warm or wear shoes, and are basically thought of as less than pets. Aidar even refuses to use her Tellaran name, instead calling her Cy'atta (Which means Stardancer)
I could not stand Kinara at first. She was an idiot...repeatedly. I was actually siding with the evil captor because she was such a hot-head shooting her mouth off.
Aidar has her put in with the rest of the slaves to teach her a lesson, and she gets badly hurt. Aidar freaks out, has her healed then starts being a little more lenient with her - as he keeps her in his room. They start sharing/talking and eventually a deal is struck; Kinara will become Aidar's mate if he will see all of her people released back into Tellaran space/custody. He isn't able to give her crew up immediately because he has to play politics back home, but doesn't tell her this immediately.
They have their "wedding night". Kinara was a virgin, by the way. This is not erotica, so you don't get the great details - but the two have an exciting 'binding' night. Aidar isn't a jerk, he cares if she's happy or hurt. In marrying her, he has now made her the clan leader, and Lady of the Az'Anti - which she doesn't realize the importance of because he doesn't bother to explain anything.
There's a bit of drama due to Kinara running around the ship only wearing a robe. Aidar has to fight against another man to the death for her. Aidar wins.
Lots of cultural friction. The Az'kye culture is matriarchal, but very warrior-based. I found it very similar to the medieval style. Ladies of stature with women "attending" them all day, running the house, being carried in litters.
The major plot crisis comes after Kenara & Aidar meet with the Elders of the Az'kye and Aidar is unable to free her Tellaran crew as he had planned (sort-of!). They get sold to another Az'kye family. There's more shocks Kenara finds out that same day. I got so angry reading the "celebration feast" that I had to walk away from reading. Pissed!
Kinara learns enough to make her believe her new husband is a faithless, lying, worthless, cheating, honorless piece of crap. He knows he's been busted, so he goes on a drinking binge avoiding her for days.
By this time, I can't stand Aidar and I'm enjoying Kinara. She's stopped being an idiot, and had started to embrace being the leader of that clan. She's learned to care for these people and makes strides in becoming more politically powerful. With that power she begins trying to forge a path for the Tellaren & Az'kye to not be enemies.
Just when you think it's not so bad, the Empress of Az'key orders Kinara to do something horrible for her. Kinara does what she's been asked but also manages to make things right for the Tellaren slaves.
Good book. Great romance. HEA.
I'll be looking for the next one in this series to read for sure. Too much left incomplete for there not to be a series out of this.
Sci-Fi / Romance. I was totally drawn into the story, absolute emotional involvement, even a contented smile at the happy ending.
Kinara is a hot-headed young Tellaran woman out for vengeance against the Az'kye ship she believes fired upon & murdered her brother and his crew during a battle along the Az'Kye/Tallaren border. She is not in the fleet/military but is the daughter of a high ranking military official. She's stolen this ship & begged/cajoled friends and fleet academy students to staff this ship on this journey.
They find the Ak'kye ship they are looking for and fire upon them, making little impact and getting captured by the Az'kye. Kinara wakes from being knocked out to find herself in the bed of a gorgeous Az'kye man. Instant chemistry until she remembers who the enemy is. Aidar treats her like the Az'kyr treat Tellarens, a slave. (Except that he's obviously infatuated with her, especially her hair)
Ak'kye slaves wear white, have no names, no feelings, don't get to be warm or wear shoes, and are basically thought of as less than pets. Aidar even refuses to use her Tellaran name, instead calling her Cy'atta (Which means Stardancer)
I could not stand Kinara at first. She was an idiot...repeatedly. I was actually siding with the evil captor because she was such a hot-head shooting her mouth off.
Aidar has her put in with the rest of the slaves to teach her a lesson, and she gets badly hurt. Aidar freaks out, has her healed then starts being a little more lenient with her - as he keeps her in his room. They start sharing/talking and eventually a deal is struck; Kinara will become Aidar's mate if he will see all of her people released back into Tellaran space/custody. He isn't able to give her crew up immediately because he has to play politics back home, but doesn't tell her this immediately.
They have their "wedding night". Kinara was a virgin, by the way. This is not erotica, so you don't get the great details - but the two have an exciting 'binding' night. Aidar isn't a jerk, he cares if she's happy or hurt. In marrying her, he has now made her the clan leader, and Lady of the Az'Anti - which she doesn't realize the importance of because he doesn't bother to explain anything.
There's a bit of drama due to Kinara running around the ship only wearing a robe. Aidar has to fight against another man to the death for her. Aidar wins.
Lots of cultural friction. The Az'kye culture is matriarchal, but very warrior-based. I found it very similar to the medieval style. Ladies of stature with women "attending" them all day, running the house, being carried in litters.
The major plot crisis comes after Kenara & Aidar meet with the Elders of the Az'kye and Aidar is unable to free her Tellaran crew as he had planned (sort-of!). They get sold to another Az'kye family. There's more shocks Kenara finds out that same day. I got so angry reading the "celebration feast" that I had to walk away from reading. Pissed!
Kinara learns enough to make her believe her new husband is a faithless, lying, worthless, cheating, honorless piece of crap. He knows he's been busted, so he goes on a drinking binge avoiding her for days.
By this time, I can't stand Aidar and I'm enjoying Kinara. She's stopped being an idiot, and had started to embrace being the leader of that clan. She's learned to care for these people and makes strides in becoming more politically powerful. With that power she begins trying to forge a path for the Tellaren & Az'kye to not be enemies.
Just when you think it's not so bad, the Empress of Az'key orders Kinara to do something horrible for her. Kinara does what she's been asked but also manages to make things right for the Tellaren slaves.
Good book. Great romance. HEA.
I'll be looking for the next one in this series to read for sure. Too much left incomplete for there not to be a series out of this.
September 21, 2016
On the fence
I really hated the H in this book, until 98%. At 50% I really wasn't sure if I was going to finish it. I did, and I'm glad I did. Wish there was an epilogue though. Felt like it just abruptly ended. My rating is a 3.5.
I didn't feel the love between the h&H. It was stated by never really felt it until the very end. Not much in the sexy time department either. The book was good, just didn't hit the mark for me.
I really hated the H in this book, until 98%. At 50% I really wasn't sure if I was going to finish it. I did, and I'm glad I did. Wish there was an epilogue though. Felt like it just abruptly ended. My rating is a 3.5.
I didn't feel the love between the h&H. It was stated by never really felt it until the very end. Not much in the sexy time department either. The book was good, just didn't hit the mark for me.
November 17, 2015
Ha! This book is surprising me!
From the first part of the story, I never thought it could be this fun to read!
I just thought that it will be scary and stressing if looked from the biggining.
But then, after Kinara arrive on the Az'kye and began her duty as some kind of mistress of the tribe, everything become so interesting.
I like Kinara's character and I empathize her because she have try so hard to try to connect and adjust to her husband.
But I enjoy how she learn to adopt to the new world and learn to master it. Very entertaining indeed.
The book is well written, the plot is keep your interest intact if not increase and the love story is maddening.
I like the way things being described in this book. I can feel the character emotion well and I can picture the world in my head because of that.
I think this book is one of many reasons I like sci Fi romance.
From the first part of the story, I never thought it could be this fun to read!
I just thought that it will be scary and stressing if looked from the biggining.
But then, after Kinara arrive on the Az'kye and began her duty as some kind of mistress of the tribe, everything become so interesting.
I like Kinara's character and I empathize her because she have try so hard to try to connect and adjust to her husband.
But I enjoy how she learn to adopt to the new world and learn to master it. Very entertaining indeed.
The book is well written, the plot is keep your interest intact if not increase and the love story is maddening.
I like the way things being described in this book. I can feel the character emotion well and I can picture the world in my head because of that.
I think this book is one of many reasons I like sci Fi romance.
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