Marooned on Planet Android

by Calanthe Colt

On a deep space mission to reconnect with a lost research colony, the crew of the Sunda Tiger discovers only androids with missing memories. What happened to the humans?

Marcie is in the first expedition to the surface, seeking to prove she’s a capable engineer. While her fellow crew members remain wary of the androids, Marcie sees them as traumatised people, particularly her distractingly handsome guide…

Altair cannot help but be drawn to the diminutive yet capable Marcie. For years, the androids have sought an answer to the mystery of what happened to their colony. Altair wishes they had found clues before humans arrived to help. Something, anything to reassure him that the threat to the humans, including Marcie, is not himself…

While tensions rise between the human crew and the android settlement, tensions of a different kind build between Marcie and Altair. Marcie knows her crew mates wouldn’t understand her feelings if they knew. But how long can they keep their secret? And will the mystery threat of Research Colony 227C strike again?

ebook

Published April 26, 2024

Reviews

[Sweatdropp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because the look of the cover I was expecting a corny story but I was prepared to overlook it if the android characters were written well. So, it was a VERY nice surprise to find out that I loved the human characters too!

I just found this book randomly while looking at new romances on the library app, Hoopla. I usually don't like romance books but I was in the mood to try and find one I liked this year because of a podcast I listen to that made them sound fun.

I loved how this book put in the work to make it believable how the androids evolved in order to have enough emotion to become a romantic interest.

I liked that the characters don't quickly fall in love. I know it's because he's an android but I'm fine with that being why love develops slower for this couple.
And his character gets away with being cool and calm the whole time but a human character would come off as too perfect and boring.

In other media, I love banter between robots and humans, romantic or not. I'm so happy I found a book that feels like it was made for me. I bought the physical copy to show more support!

(It scratched that Mass Effect itch! It was like reading a paragon Commander Shepard romancing a Geth.)

A very fun and cozy read.

[Arctic_Banshee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly good short book. You can tell the writer put in effort with the tech and engineering language. (It says on the back matter her spouse is an engineer and helped with that knowledge.)

This was a slow burn instalove. It takes place in just a few days but a LOT happens in those few days. Plus, I think that if you lived in space, your concept of relationship development might be quicker. No one has a guaranteed tomorrow, but that’s especially true for space military. It’s live for the present and that’s what these characters try to do, despite the mmc having issues with missing memory.

[Dani B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Already waiting on the next book!
A rescue mission gone astray. When the crew of the Sunda Tiger arrive on Research Colony 227C they discover that all the humans have mysteriously disappeared and the only inhabitants left are all androids that have had their memory wiped. Engineer Marcie is first on the ground ready to try and help understand what has happened to this world, whilst also trying to fight her attraction to her strong, blue, capable guide on the planet, Altair.
Sweet and Spicy, this book has a great mix of both in this interstellar adventure.

[Nikki Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marcie is part of mission in deep space when she gets a communication from home that not only has her girlfriend dumped her, but she's moved on...fast! The Sunda Tiger engineer now has to get over a broken heart whilst dealing with her skeevy boss. But all that pales into comparison when the colony they were wanting to find shoots at them!

But Marcie's quick thinking gives them previous seconds of warning and when they land at the colony to effect repairs, the crew realise that the only colony dwellers are a ragtag bunch of androids.

Enter Altair. He's a welcome Host/Gardener and he takes his duties seriously. But once he met Marcie he has some very uncharacteristic memories float into his consciousness. But as Marcie and Altair learn more about each others kind, they also learn that Marcie's pansexuality also includes Androids!

Marcie is smart, resourceful, loving and all about that consent. Altair may come over as a gentle giant but that male has got game! I loved the way they just accepted each other as is - no trying to change each other or hide their pasts. The rest of the crew are pretty awesome too, with the exception of sleazy Symons. The entire crew just felt very cohesive and inclusive.

I cannot wait to find out more about the colony's background and Dr Neale's shady shenanigans.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun it was to read this book. Initially thinking this would be like a standard romance story, it turned out to be more.

When investigating the loss of so many humans and the android having lost their memories of the event, Marcie unlocks some of those memories in an android and finds out that there is an devious plan going on even while the rescue party needs rescueing themselves.

Who is the culprit and are humans and android capable of trusting each other.

Sure there is some spicy romance in between the investigation, but the individuating is the main part of the story.

On board of the spaceship different genders are accepted, this gives a feeling of acceptation of being who you want to be and feeling what you want to feel.

Can humans do this as well for androids while they are individuating. that is the question and there is a lot of talking about consent for what is dicussed and done. Ofcourse there are some bigoted humans around that try to mess up things, just like on every world. I am looking forward to the next book, for the journey has not been completed yet.

I received an advanced review copy for free , and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Mookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know I got here, into sci-fi erotica, but it's been a hoot.

This was a fast read for me. I love me a good gender-bending culture, but the background politics was somewhat stale to maintain my interest. That said, Altair is a fascinating counter-protagonist, and the image of blueberries in space is hilarious. Ultimately it's his human elements that provoke my interest in him, instead of the androidness about him. I suppose it's the age-old Spock dilemma. Is it the humanness that sparks passion? Would passion be depleted if he was completely android?

I'm curious about the next installments. I received an advance review copy for free via Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[ems_booknook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had NO RIGHT being this cute! I decided to read this book because I have read the author’s debut novel, Goddess Found. She warned me this one was a bit spicy, I’m ok with that, but I wasn’t expecting too much from it in the fact that it’s a cyborg/android romance, I’ve DNF’d many of these before.

OH MY GOD! This was so good! It was a short and easy read, I devoured this in a day! The plot was great, I can’t wait to see where that goes in the next book. The way the androids were so real, and the interactions between them and the characters felt so natural.

I need book 2!!

Thank you to the author and booksirens for the review copy of this book!

[Sandra Sanches · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a futuristic universe,Navy sent one mission to reconnect with planets that lost contact after war. Researsh station 227C is one of them and Sunda Tiger arrives and finds only cyborgs with no memories of what happened.... The story starts slowly but some secrets and a bit of suspense kept me on the story, half way through the plot gets complex with a disaster,a sabotage,hacking,and a bond between Altair with lots of mistrust from humans and cyborgs. The story is left open and I have expectations in this series.

[Christina Standridge]

I enjoyed the story. Marcie and the crew of the Sundra Tiger are on a mission to reconnect with a lost research colony that they haven't heard from since the war. When they arrive, there are no humans, just androids that have no memories of what happen to them or the humans. A great mystery. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Missgotty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of this book. It was too long winded and the pacing was extremely slow. There also wasn't very much interesting content or action to keep me engaged with the story.

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

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this alien romance.. It's fun, sweet, and exciting.. With very likable characters.. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Chrissi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but didn't love it.
I wish there was a little more in revealed with the "event horizon" and more time spent on what the revelations mean to the humans and the androids.

[Kazen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars