Infala: The Alien's Bond: Mark of the Infala 1

Mark of the Infala #1

by Kira Quinn

As if alien abduction wasn't bad enough, it seemed Darla's captors didn't want her for something as simple as breeding or even experimentation. The Raxxians were nasty pieces of work, and they had other plans in mind. Namely, they wanted to eat her, and not in the fun way. But the universe, it seemed, had other plans.

Spared a gruesome fate when the Raxxian ship crashed on a distant world, Darla found herself suddenly free. Free but on an alien planet with only the company of another former prisoner.
An alien.

A tall, muscular, impossibly alluring alien.

One who didn't seem thrilled about taking the little human woman under his protection, at least not at first. Little did either of them know just how hot their time together on this new world would become, and in a way that had nothing to do with the planet's blazing sun.

Genres: Romance, Aliens, Science Fiction, Paranormal, Science Fiction Romance, Smut, Space

274 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2023

Reviews

[(old.enough.for.fairytales) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Infala was my FIRST alien romance and it def won’t be my last! I flew through this book (it’s only 274 pages 🙌) and loved the slow-burn, chemistry filled story of Darla and Heydar. I was obsessed with them! The plot kept me turning the pages, and the TENSION kept me up way too late 👀 I feel like Infala is a great intro to the alien romance genre, so I’d you’re like me and haven’t tried that genre yet, I think this book is a great place to start. Oh ALSO, this series is going to be rapid released….which means book two comes out Dec 1 and book 3 comes out Jan 2 😍

Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[AmyAnn Diamond · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really pushing myself to finish this but it's hard to. The main characters barely tolerate each other & barely talk but then randomly start groping one another. There's no development, no conversation that leads to them liking each other. The point of view keeps changing but it's not obvious & it's only for a couple words. There's no story development or purpose it would seem. It's like reading about each character but they're all in different books. No connections. I might add more if I actually finish. It's a shame too cause this had the opportunity to be an amazing story.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I was hypnotized by the copious amount of sexy sexy loving in this book. It was top notch! 😏🥵🔥🔥 Unfortunately it blinded me to the fact that the FMC learns ZERO about the MMC from himself. I know there is supposed to be some mystery about who exactly he is. But the things she does learn come from others in the village. Including That he had a mate in the past who passed away some time ago and that he's royalty in his home world. She finds out these things she just moves on like it's no big deal. She never asks him questions or wonders why he hasn't told her about himself. But hey, the D is fire!
They do get to spend a fair amount of time together before jumping in the sack but most of the time is learning about her budding powers and living off the land in a new world.
In the end I had a lot of questions that went unanswered. I was fully ready to jump into book two for more top notch spice but also answers. I really wanted to know How the playboy of the village took her rejection. 
Unfortunately it looks like book 2 covers the same time period but from another human/ couples POV. That doesn't give me hope for answers. So I think I'll pass.

[Thais • tata.lifepages • · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review 4.5 stars! ❤️

I binged this book cover to cover! It’s a 18+ alien romance with loooots of spice, 🍆 with ridges 🥵, alien abduction, forced proximity and found family!

The romance is slow burn, my favorite type! The first half of the book focuses on the tension and chemistry between Darla and Heydar as they face not only captivity but eventually crashing into an alien planet and having to work together for survival. Heydar is the mysterious powerful male that keeps his real identity hidden. These two are stuck together and I absolutely love the forced proximity trope!

Smut fans will go crazy with the steamy scenes! The second half of the book had my knees weak 🔥 These two go at each other in all possible ways and I loved their interactions!

Fans of the chosen one trope will also enjoy this story because Darla is more than what meets the eye 👀 one of my favorite elements of the story was definitely the magic behind the runes and lines that are drawn on to the bodies of all alien species. The INFALA rune itself is still mysterious to me 👀 the ending of the book had me full of questions about Darla’s unique abilities. I’m curious now about the next pairing in book 2!

Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy for review

[MeggoMyLeggo · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️
4🌶️


I stand by that this is a more simply written version of ice planet barbarians. Not in that I think it’s copied that book or anything just that the beginning premise is similar and they are both about aliens. There were a few repetitive / overused lines and the writing just had an extremely casual vibe. I tore through it though which is why I didn’t give it 2 stars, but without spoilers then ending was so wild and so abrupt and I have so many questions I couldn’t even pay attention to the good things that happened because I just kept thinking “but…where did that plot point go!? What about that person!? What?! Why isn’t this bigger of a deal!?” And other thoughts I can’t share without spoilers. Still a fun read but I just have qualms.

[Tati Alvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first taste of alien romances was a popular series that I didn't vibe with, so going into this book I was a little hesitant, thinking it wouldn't be my favorite. And thank goodness I was wrong! The Alien's Bond is a sci-fi romance story that is equal parts angsty as it is plot-y (is that a word? Because it is now.)

The slow burn of this book is just done so well and I'm usually not a sci-fi person, but the world building was great. Super easy to understand and not a lot of info dumping.

I seriously cannot wait to continue the series!

[Ve (ve_xo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is officially my first alien romance, and I was not disappointed. Perfect for lovers of forced proximity, spice, slow burn, and found family.

Absolutely loved the chemistry between Darla and Heydar. That angsty slow burn that keeps to stuck to the pages. Darla is a human surrounded by other species. Heydar has things to hide about his identity, I loved the mystery surrounding this situation.

The world building was pretty great and the character growth of the two was perfect. Seeing how they are forced to work together while being prisoners only added more intrigue to the story, I love forced proximity! Loved Darla’s character, strong willed, straightforward, and determined, she was ready to conquer everything and anything.

I cannot wait to dive into the next book! Huge thanks to the author for gifting me the series. All opinions are my own.

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5, round down

I simply didn't enjoy this. I disliked the heroine. She was bossy and selfish, without any personal or character growth to give it purpose. The hero was likable but about as charismatic and interesting as bologna on white bread. There really isn't a plot beyond trekking through the woods and reacting to whatever random thing pops up. The villains are cliched rapists, though the author neither makes this relevant enough to avoid it being nothing more than low-hanging, lazy plotting nor commits to it enough to make it feel real. And the whole thing is very predictable.

I did appreciate that the bossy heroine was almost a little fem-domme-like, but I suspect that this was accidental on the author's part. I also liked that the hero showed emotion, even crying at points. All in all, however, while I'm sure this will no doubt float some people's boats. It didn't mine.

[Katie Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very disorganised book. I feel like Darla had two different personalities. At the beginning of the book she seems to be the sensible one, then once captured she is impulsive and careless. She makes a lot of mistakes and generally only thinks about herself and what she wants.

Heydar was sweet, but his character is also poorly defined. The last page gives us a whole new load of information about him, which just doesn't really fit.

Then there is the plot - there isn't really one. There is a series of events, but no cohesive goal. It just seems like a journey, a vague wandering.

It was a disappointing read tbh!

[Kayla Blazek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hot alien garbage. Loved it, downloading the next one.

[Kerry Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting social construct - tattoo magic used to enhance individuals skills and ultimately has the ability to recognize one’s soul mate.

However despite the potential have to rate this a 2.5 stars. The pacing was off. Dragged toward the middle and the ending felt rushed with little payoff.

[SheLove2Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[Kit C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the premise of the pigment/tattoo fated mates is fun and I appreciated the twist at the end but the FMC had so many moments of racism and microagressions that everyone just rolls with? Like I get cultural differences being a potential source of conflict but instead everyone just rolls with her insulting their way of life multiple times?? I dunno. MMC deserved better. He gave her this beautiful speech at one point about how much he admired her resilience and strength and basically declared his love and her response was “you’re not so bad yourself.” She verbally complimented him/thanked him maybe three times despite mentally noticing so many good things about him. I’m all for flawed MCs but they have to recognize and work to improve themselves. She never gets called out and does nothing to improve her own character.

Not likely to read more from this series because the racism seemed so normalized. Also the pov would waver inconsistently between mainly the FMC and then other povs for literally a paragraph or two before going back.

[Jeanette Wolfe · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF, Interesting concept, but I didn't care for the delivery

I mean, it's different that the humans are captured for food and treated like livestock (as opposed to mates or sex toys like so many other novels), and the idea of the tattoos somehow bonding them, okay, interesting, but there were conceptual issues, and problems with how those plot devices were executed.

First of all there were a number of instances in which details were not added then later a reference is made and you're wondering where that came from. For instance, she stripped naked to bathe and they pull her from her bathing and take her to a yurt, still seemingly unclothed, but then Darla says something about the Heydar ripping off a shift she had on; when did she get dressed? Ah, but the author wanted a bodice ripping scene and her clothes were taken to be cleaned so suddenly she's dressed when she's been naked for the entire scene leading up to that point and there was no reference to her receiving any other clothes or getting dressed, but out of the blue her clothes are getting ripped off. The author throws in a backhanded line about her having received a shift at the pool in the same sentence she talks about it getting ripped off. Little things like that just keep getting dropped in to fix details that were not developed into the storyline and it throws you out of the story.

Second, conceptually it seems kind of ridiculous that an alien race who has welcomed them would be so intransigent about her being tattooed after knowing they were captives of a mutual adversary and she just CRASHED LANDED THE DAY BEFORE. I mean seriously, you would think an intelligent race no matter how wedded to their laws they are would respect the fact she's from an entirely different planet -- they recognize that they have never seen someone like her before, so what's with making her get tattooed immediately, how do they even know that the pigments and the inks used are compatible with her and not something that can harm her. Also, surely they recognized she had other things to be concerned about than trying to run around and find somebody to tattoo her when she had JUST survived an abduction, a crash, and was in survival mode on a completely unfamiliar alien world. How would they know that tattooing her wouldn't preclude her from being able to return home, perhaps tattooing is illegal or prohibited on her planet surely they would respect that and those would all be questions or at least part of a discussion? But no, we have the necessity for full body tattoos from collarbones to feet within 24 hours of arriving at the joint. Uh, I don't think so, quite frankly it doesn't make any damn sense.

Then there was the female lead's nonsensical, or foolishly lame responses: they're telling her she has to be tattooed or face punishment and all she can come up with is, "I'm new here." Seriously? After everything she's gone through, the past traumatic events would be front and center of her mind, not easily bypassed or forgotten, so, why isn't that the lead-in to her response? How about, "After being abducted from my home planet by aliens who intended to eat us, we just crash landed here YESTERDAY and had more important things to concentrate on like evading our captors and surviving in an unknown environment, finding sustenance and water, than worrying about tattoos that I COULDN'T POSSIBLY KNOW WERE REQUIRED since I was abducted against my will from a planet where tattoos AREN'T required but are, in fact, against some religious beliefs there. I don't want to be tattooed against my will because I don't want any more of my choices being taken away from me. Whether you think I want to know what the penalties are for not being tattooed, I would like to make an informed choice, so please tell me what they are." Oh, and let's talk about the whole, "you don't want to know what the punishment is." Actually, yes, she does, or at least you'd think she'd want a clear picture, because it would tell her what kind of beings she's dealing with because the sorts of punishments and the severities would tell her how brutal or forgiving a society was and whether she wanted to be a part of it or run somewhere else for her f*cking life.

Also, some of the diction is a tad contradictory previous plot or character development, like the notion that being "exposed and vulnerable" is "thrilling" after experiencing abduction, livestock treatment, crash landing, evading captors while trying to survive on an alien planet, seriously? Okay, maybe I could buy that if the character had been developed as being an adrenaline junkie or having that kind of kink rather than a woman too responsible to engage in casual sex. Exposed and vulnerable does not precede thrilling in a sentence for someone who's lived their lives being responsible.

Then there's the whole massage scene. If the entire point of that exercise is to get her to RELAX and be one with her body but some strange male is feeling her up with aphrodisiac massage oil, it seems more likely she would be TENSE AS HELL from being aroused out of her mind, NOT relaxed. Besides the whole aphrodisiac massage oil leans a little too close to dubious consent to me -- thanks, but no thanks. And what has finally done me in, is the whole notion that the "responsible" female lead jumps right into sex because some alien woman told her it was impossible for her to get pregnant or catch any sexually transmitted diseases. Sure, right, they're living in huts but they know just how biological contagion affects the species THEY'VE NEVER EVEN SEEN BEFORE, and Darla buys she can't get pregnant or get a disease because they're a different species. So, they're compatible enough to have sex, but somehow not compatible enough to procreate or transfer contagion from one to the other? Dumb much?

At 38% I'm wondering just what kind of train wreck this is, and whether I should bother finishing? Uh, that would be a 'no.'

[Mariana Oliveira · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is basically smut with some quick plot that resolves itself nice and easy.
Heydar is your stereotypical strong and protective love interest, and Darla is your stereotypical not-like-the-other-girls.
It's an easy, quick read, and it's great if you're not in the headspace to dive into some complex fantasy world. You barely get any info about the character's background/past so everything is very superficial. Tbf, your brain is not supposed to be used throughout this experience, just enjoy the vibes and fuck an alien 😌

[Maria Elena | pagesofmaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spice: 4 peppers

This book is an example of why alien smut is so good!

Infala is an alien romance where the protagonist, Darla, gets abducted by the Raxxians, a scary alien spieces that eats humans. However, on the spaceship, among her fellow human captives, there’s also an alien prisoner, Heydar, a warrior belonging to another species of aliens. Unlike the scaly monstrosities that are the Raxxians, Heydar very much looks like a man in all the ways that matter, even if his appendages are extra long if you know what I mean. Darla and Heydar butt heads at first, but when the opportunity to escape arises, they find themselves leaning on each other to survive. Could it be that she found the right man so far away from home? The answer is YES, ABSOLUTELY.

Darla seems to be an ordinary human, though there is clearly more to her than meets the eye, and this might have to do with an experience her mother went through. Ever since we are first introduced to Heydar and the tattoo-like markings on his body, we learn that the Infala is a special marking that will allow the person wearing it to find their mate. Now, whenever the word “mate” is mentioned, I immediately suspect that the protagonists are going to be a mated pair. Am I right? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out. What I can say is that I really enjoyed the twist at the end (aka, it almost gave me a heart attack), and I loved the dynamic between the two. Darla is determined and very practical even in dangerous situations, while Heydar is a natural protector. The spice is also excellent. If you think pierced d-cks are something, wait until you see one with ringed ridges.

I’m excited to continue the series, which appear to be standalones with different couples and are rapid releasing in the coming weeks!

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.

[Chiara | wordsbychiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spice rating: 4

Before reading INFALA: THE ALIEN'S BOND, I admit I wasn't too sure alien romance would be my thing. Now I feel like I've been missing out on a lot of great books. This book is starting a new obsession!

Infala follows human Darla and alien hottie Heydar. Both of them end up prisoners on an alien ship, and when the opportunity to escape arises, they are begrudgingly forced to cooperate to stay alive.

Despite the fast and adventurous plot, this is a story mostly concentrated on the characters and the romance. Darla, with her no-nonsense attitude, is the first who to admit to herself that she is attracted to Heydar, while our alien warrior tries hard to fight it, determined to follow wherever his Infala leads. With the Infala, the special marking etched on every alien’s skin, we are introduced to a concept of mates different from others I’ve read. Two beings know they’re bonded if their markings match, and a force stronger than any feeling or instinct will drive them to be together. And yet, what I liked about this book is especially how in the end love and choice are stronger than fate itself. That being said, are Darla and Heydar mates as your instinct would have you believe? Read the book to find out!

I had so much fun watching these two fall for one another, and I really ask myself why I deprived myself of tall, colorful, grumpy alien men with long digits and special eggplants all this time! Definitely recommend if you are a seasoned alien romance reader, or if you're curious like me...this is a great book to start! What’s great is that the next standalone books in the series are rapid releasing in December and January!

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.

[Sonibookoroni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book slump remains. This was ok, the spice was over the top I get fated mates of sorts but .. it was a bit much lol.. happy reading..

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading anything by Kira Quinn and let me just say that Infala The Alien’s Bond was pretty damn good. I will say that the two main characters Heydar (the Hero) and Darla (the Heroine) were written very well and I loved the development of their relationship until around 65% where the couple encounters the Dohrags. Honestly, I am unsure why this happened in the book I just feel the it did not need to be included, or at least not in the way the author did. I think the author wanted to introduce this sub species (the Dohrags) into the world for future books and did not have a great way of incorporating it which shows. Between that encounter and the conflict during the third act break up I had to take .5 off the overall rating of this book. The conflict was completely unnecessary to the point where I wanted to put the book down and take a break. Sadly, even after the resolution we get, I didn’t feel the intense chemistry between the two main characters as much as it had been built up previously. Personally, the risk of the third act conflict was not worth any reward….. Moving on

The main charcters were pretty great and I loved going on this adventure with them; the Hero (Heydar) was grumpy, but committed to helping Darla and their semi slow burn was believable especially in some of the situations they find themselves in. I really enjoyed the restraint Heydar had but also the torture he puts himself in for having such resolve 😈 with Darla. The only thing I was definitely wanting more in was more chapters dedicated to his POV; I would have loved to know what was going on in that head. When it comes to Darla ( the heroine) I appreciated how she was not a pushover, but she also accepted certain parts of the situation she found herself in…..she was very realistic most of the book which allowed me to connect to her as a character.

I think the part I enjoyed most about this book was the “magic” factor or the pigment that certain characters are tattooed with. This living color is extracted from very powerful plants and binds to the individual’s flesh to provide certain enhancements. The author even goes into some detail on how exactly this living pigment provides these abilities which I greatly appreciated because it really immerses the reader into the world the author created.

Overall, I can not wait for what this author writes next , and I will definitely be reading more installments in the series as they come out. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up 😁.

** I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. **

Stars Rating Scale

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️.5

Hero: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heroine: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Setting (World-

Building): ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pacing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️.5

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was quite a standard plot for an alien romance, other than the magical tattoos part. I agree with other reviewers who point out that this is a cheaper version of Ice Planet Barbarians. I felt that honestly it had too much plot, or was directionless, or a lot of it was the characters just reacting to what was going on? There was a lot of action overall and definitely a need for more interpersonal and emotional development

Darla was an idiot who did not listen to Heydar. Even though at the start she was asking a lot of logical questions and seemed inquisitive, she ultimately quickly becomes selfish, childish, impulsive, and both gets hurt and gets them both into trouble and he has to rescue her. I wanted more character growth and development from her

Basically the tattoos are magic, the whole 'symbiotic relationship with living pigment' element makes zero sense and was a deus ex machina just to make the main character have powers and be a Chosen One, fated to be special and amazing, strong and unique.

The writing was mid, very casual/simple? I did not care for the words used during the sex scenes. "She orgasmed harder than any human woman ever had."

Overall I felt that this book was pretty forgettable and I had to read the blurb to remember which alien romance this was.



I was a bit surprised at the ending where she is that random Playboys mate, but I was also annoyed that she just willed for things to be different? And whatever happened to that Playboy guy? Sucks to be him I guess

Many reviewers mention that this is a slow burn, and I suppose that that is true; I agree there was moderately decent chemistry, but she almost never learns anything about the main male character from him, she learns about everything from other people? And never asks any follow-up questions about his previous mate or the fact that he is royalty?

The main male character was quite bland, he does have emotions and he cries in the book, but I didn't feel that he had much personality or reasons for her to fall in love with him?

[V.B. Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Promising Start with Unique World-Building, but an Unbalanced Finish

I really enjoyed the beginning of this story and the slow evolution of Darla and Heydar’s relationship—from irritation, to respect, to love. The emotional pacing early on worked beautifully. Unfortunately, the ending felt rushed and overly focused on the sexual aspects rather than the story itself. Too many questions were left unanswered, and since the following books center on different couples, I’m not sure if we’ll ever get closure.

Character development, particularly for Heydar, felt thin. We learn very little about him beyond what serves the romance, which left me wanting more depth.

That said, the world-building is fascinating. Instead of the usual tech-heavy alien sci-fi, Quinn introduces a culture that relies on living pigment and rune-like tattoos to grant abilities—translation, strength, healing, and more. It’s an original, organic twist that I haven’t seen before and one of the novel’s strongest elements.

The story is told in omniscient narration, which I usually dislike, but it’s handled fairly well here. The perspective mostly stays close to Darla, so it doesn’t suffer from that jarring “head-hopping” effect some romances fall into.

Where it stumbled most for me was in the repetitive language of the intimate scenes. “Again and again” appears three times in the first encounter, and “bliss” shows up five times on one page. Darla’s nearly nonstop orgasms strain believability a bit and undercut the otherwise emotional tone of those moments.

Overall, Infala: The Alien’s Bond is a solid beginning to a series with imaginative ideas and sincere emotion. I just wish the ending had been given more narrative attention instead of sexual repetition. Still, I’m curious enough to pick up Book 2 and see where the Infala universe goes next.

Contains graphic sex scenes.

Occasional foul language.

3rd person past tense, omnipresent voice.

Errors: 1 – an extra quotation mark on page 27. So a fantastic job editing!

271 Pages

$3.99 at Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darla, is she the one the legends spoke of?

Darla stopped at a convenience store for a coffee to keep her awake on her drive home from her friend's party. Shortly later, there was a bright white light filling her car and her world went dark. She awoke aboard a space ship. She'd been abducted by aliens, the Raxxians. To them, humans are nothing more than livestock, a readily available food source. In her pod, they're all humans, except for one different alien species.

Heydar is a Nimenni warrior who was captured in battle. He has kept quiet and barely spoken to anyone the entire time he's been with them. But there's something about this new addition to their group...

The Raxxian transport ship is attacked and crash lands. Darla and Heydar escape and are searching for survivors in other pods when they're discovered by members of the Oraku and taken to their settlement. They are both welcomed until they discover Darla has no runes inked on her body, except for a rudimentary translator rune. This is a crime in their world. Darla is to be imprisoned until a Skrizzit can be summoned to ink the runes on her. To the surprise of the Oraku, Heyday, a warrior, is qualified to do the runes. But he will need better quality pigments than what the Raxxians supplied for him. He is given some rare pigments and applies the runes.

To the surprise of all, the pigments of the runes take on a life of their own. The patterns form new runes. Not only is healing much faster than normal but she's gaining more strength and stamina.

The Infala on her chest is supposed to guide her to her true mate. When she and Heydar return to the Oraku after searching for more survivors from other pods on the transport ship, her Infala leads her to someone other than Heydar. However, she doesn't want her destined mate, she wants Heydar. Is she the one the legend spoke of? How has she managed to do the impossible?

I received an ARC of this book from the author via Booksprout. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[LP · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Heydar and Darla, a fun scifi adventure with added spice.

I picked this one up as something light for a holiday read and was not disappointed!
This story is fast paced, adventurous, light hearted and full of twists.

Featuring Heydar of the Nimenni people, an alien race not too dissimilar to humans, and Darla, your average city girl.
Heydar is just about everything you want in a man - level headed and cool even in most stressful situations, strong and definitely capable, kind and charming but assertive when he needs to be.

"Always the gentleman...except when it's time not to be"

Darla is a great heroine and certainly a good match to the big broody wall of muscle. She is quick on her feet, resourceful, funny with a touch of snark, and surprisingly resilient mentally given everything that happens there.

The story picks up quickly and doesn't really slow down until the end, the alien world is intriguing, pulling you in with vivid descriptions and unexpected danger behind every corner.

I loved the concept of living ink - the idea of symbiotic relationship between plants and different peoples of the universe allowing for all sorts of perks through enhancing runes was original (at least to me!). An elegant solution to a lot of potential problems including the ability to communicate between all the different races of aliens.
(Though that translation rune did feel an awful lot like a nod to the Hitchhiker's Guide..)

I think this was a great read and would recommend to anyone in search of a light spicy story full of humour, adventure, romance, and of course a decent amount of scorching heat.

(Mild spoiler!)
The ending was just THE cherry on the top! I was thinking the whole way through about how people's own emotions and desires might affect the Infala, and if they can at all. So I was thrilled when Darla took matters into her own hands and simply made the decision that should have been hers in the first place!
Go, girl!

[Book Nook Kitten · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up at less than 30% because this was incredibly boring. For the majority of that 30% they are just trekking through the woods after crashing on the planet and it was a serious struggle to even read that far. Just couldn't do it anymore.

There are other issues,

1. Honestly, the 'magic' tattoos needed to find your mate is a very silly idea, because it's not fated-like and naturally intrinsic within the body, the way the shifter and omegaverse genre mate bonds are, which means it leaves too high a risk that mates would never find each other if one of them wasn't tattooed.

2. The heroine is annoying.

3. And the vocabulary is as basic as the story, with the author using the same words frequently, an example is when she writes "he has mischief in his eyes" and in the next sentence that his eyes held mischief", and she uses incorrect words, like when she has the female lead saying "he is dickishly aloof" and "it's dickish of him" to let inked runes decide important things in his life, like who his mate is etc. Neither of those things are "dickish" behaviour, because being a dick means being an a**hole to someone.

4. The POV style isn't good, it's third person but not really because the heroine's is really first person narrative but using third person terms, with the hero's actual third person, until they reach the village and then the POV was even more strange when talking about the village woman. Very off-putting.

But the biggest problem by far was the writing and the story were incredible tedious, slow and boring. Gave up unfinished less than a third of the way through. An entire third of a book should not be this boring to try to read through.

[Michelle Frater · Rating 4 out of 5]

This must be the slowest slow burn romance I’ve ever read. Top marks to Hejdar for keeping his hands off Darla for so long, but I couldn’t wait for her Infala to form so we could get to the good stuff. Okay, so I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. First of all, the story was well written, there was a genuine sense of despair when Darla woke up on the alien ship and discovered her fate, but we immediately get a sense of her character as she quickly rallies and puts on a brave face. Hejdar is an enigma when he’s first introduced and it’s only much later in the book that we discover the reason for his stoicism. When their ship is attacked and they crash land on a nearby planet, Darla recognizes Hejdar may be her only chance of survival, but it’s not long before she begins to feel more. Yet the most fascinating part occurred when they reached the relative safety of the Oraku village, where Darla was inked with her living runes; runes that enhanced her natural abilities and provided new ones. Determined to rescue any survivors from their ship, Hejdar and Darla set off on an adventure that you’ll have to discover for yourself, but suffice to say it brings them closer together…much closer. And that brings me back to the Infala, which is a mark that determines a person’s true mate. It seems to take forever for Darla’s to form and I couldn’t wait to see Hejdar’s mark respond. To say I was shocked at the result is an understatement, but then I was elated at the outcome.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Damiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

The heroine reads like a dummy and starts every sentence with, "Hey." She doesn't seem to have an original thought in her head aside from following the MMC around.

The story pings wildly around from place to place, plot point to plot point and nothing is really resolved. Without revealing ANY personality from the MMC, we are expected to believe that Darla, the FMC, has these intense feelings of passion and attraction for the MMC. Like, he does nothing really whatsoever that could be construed as romantic or sweet. He saves her, but it reads like the MMC would be a complete asshole if he didn't do what he could to help the FMC so... not romantic, just a regular guy who's not a complete sociopath. Great.

The only thing I sort of liked (but we receive zero investigation on or a conclusion for) is that the FMC is considered very strong by the end of the book. Nice change of pace since human women in alien romance fantasies are often seen as frail, even among female aliens. And the twist with the mating mark was a nice touch. However, at the very end of the story a big bomb is dropped about the MMC and instead of feelings of "Wow! How exciting and cool! What neat character development!" it's shrugged off, much like any and everything that could be considered moderately interesting about the MMC. Seriously, we know NOTHING about him and he has the personality of a horny popsicle stick. I need a hair bit more engagement from the hero. More than smoldering looks and a 12th description of his violet and gold eyes.

[Kim at BookSirens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Discovery!

Sometimes a new author (to me) comes along and grabs my attention so much that I just have to finish the current book and go searching for more. That’s what happened with this book and author I am happy to report.
This book has stunning world building and the plot line kept my attention riveted on my ereader. The various twists, turns and cultural “rules” were original and well developed.
Darla and Heydar are both abducted and end up in the same cell. The spaceship crashes and they both are stranded together – while this plot has been used by other authors, Kira’s ongoing story line makes this book an original in my opinion. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!
Heydar is a Nimenni and was taken prisoner during a battle with the Raxxians. He is stoic, calm, protective and yet caring and passionate. He is quiet and tends to keep his personal life to himself. His true identity is hinted at throughout the book and is quite a surprise at the end!
Darla is a human that is abducted by the Raxxians. She is a strong, determined, headstrong woman. Yet she is reasonable and flexible according to the situation.
Darla and Heydar face the many trials presented together. As they grow closer things get hot, then hotter! Their passionate scenes brought blushes to more than my cheeks!
I highly recommend this book for all alien romance lovers and for anyone that loves a great book!

[Kelly DeMarco · Rating 4 out of 5]

New series, new to me author, entertaining and engaging read
Infala: The Alien's Bond (Mark of the Infala Book 1) by Kira Quinn was an interesting sci-fi romance read that I enjoyed very much. I found everything about this book interesting and engaging. From the characters, the setting, the action, danger and suspense, the plot, character interactions, as well as the sci-fi elements.
As far as the main characters go, Darla and Heydar, are opposites attract, close proximity, protection forced to work together to survive even though Heydar's original intentions are to leave Darla to fend for herself. As a fiercely independent woman, Darla knows her limits and surviving on her own, on an alien world, is quite beyond her strengths.
It is easy to get to know Darla through this single POV story. Her thoughts and feelings are most often plain to see. Heydar on the other hand has a limited voice. His perspective pops in at times, but not very often and only briefly. While I enjoy dual POV romances, the lack of both character perspectives did not make the story less enjoyable. It is exciting and I found the alien sci-fi elements intriguing.
Overall, as a first book in a series, I am intrigued with this new alien world and will enjoy checking out the second book. The mark of the Infala is going to ruffle some human feathers for sure! But for Darla and Heydar, it's a steamy and promising HEA.
I read an ARC of this book via Hidden Gems and voluntarily share my review.

[Tima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darla, the female human lead, is abducted by aliens as livestock. Then the spaceship carrying them crashes onto a different alien planet. Darla escapes with the aid of Heydar, the male alien lead, who seems to have a lot of knowledge and strategic wisdom. When they’re discovered by yet more aliens, they go to their village and are given respite.

When Heydar goes in search of survivors from the crash, Darla insists on accompanying him, allowing them to get to know each other. But they’ve got enemy aliens to deal with, and the threat of a soul mate bond that might not bind them with each other…

This story is third person and vaguely female lead POV. I admit that I struggled a little because the POV, whilst always third person, wasn’t discernibly anyone’s for significant chunks of the story. I enjoyed the premise of the story. I note this is the author’s first story and expect that experience will improve the writing. I enjoyed the characters’ temperaments, and the relationship development, though I didn’t appreciate the amount of personal information never shared about Heydar. I found the intimate scenes highly unrealistic (even when the fact that it’s a sci fi romance factored in). I truly enjoyed the idea of the story and I’m looking forward to seeing the author improve as they go along.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and this is my voluntary honest review.

[Karen Nastasio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fabulous book that took me on a ride I didn’t want to get off and I loved how Darla and Heydar where perfect for each other but it was a slow burn to get there even when the chemistry was burning in the back ground. Darla is a human female that was kidnapped from Earth by the evil alien race Raxxian that collect all races to fatten them up to eat she is shocked but when she meets an alien male called Heydar who there to tattoo them all so they understand what they are saying. Heydar is a Nimenni male who was captured by the Raxxian aliens and to save his crew he didn’t fight them or they would kill his crew men and so he remains calm. Them alarms go off and there spaceship is atttacked and soon they are going to crash land on the nearest planet but the ship breaks up and Darla is saved by Heydar. Now they need to find her friends and his crew but soon the are captured by the evil Doran alien and there are. Lots of different race being held by them and are working in the fields to gather food for them thats sent up to the ship just out side the planet. Now they have a plan to take over and wipe them all out and thats what Heydar does with the help of some of the other males who straight away recognize him as a Prince and Commander and Darla is falling for him even more. There is so much more to this amazing book and I look forward to the next one.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.