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Kielan #3
Cubed
On the Earth colony Kielan in the far future, social standing is based on two things, family affiliation and power. All power is psi. Every individual has between five and forty units of psi power, but on Kielan, soulmates and bond-siblings are a way of life. By the science of matches, power increases geometrically by finding pairs destined to you. When Balin Night sub Summer, a member of a bond-mated Trio, finds her bond-sister, a classless waif named Riann, she believes she has completed a bond-mated Quartet. To everyone's surprise, Riann is soulmate to the unmated single of their Trio, Lio. They have formed one of the rare Quatrels, and the untrained Riann is their cornerstone. But there is a secret surrounding Riann. She is a member of one of the four great houses on Kielan and not lowborn as her name would suggest, but how could such a thing occur? It is up to Lio and Talek to solve the mystery of Riann's past and help her find her way as one of the true elite of their world.
196 pages, Paperback
First published June 23, 2014
3 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Brenna Lyons
129 books80 followersBrenna Lyons wears many hats, sometimes all on the same day: former president of EPIC, author of more than 95 published works, Administrator for Silver Publishing, columnist, special needs teacher, wife, mother...and member in good standing of more than 60 writing advocacy groups. In her first eight years published in novel-length, she's won 3 EPIC e-Book Awards (out of 15 finalists) and finaled for 3 PEARLS (including one Honorable Mention, second to NY Times Bestseller Angela Knight), 2 CAPAS, and a Dream Realm Award. She's also taken Spinetingler's Book of the Year for 2007. Brenna writes milieu-heavy dark fiction, mainly science fiction, fantasy and horror, straight genre, romance and erotic crosses, poetry, articles and essays. She teaches everything from marketing to choosing an indie publisher, and she's been called "one of the most deviant erotic minds in publishing today" by Fallen Angels. Find out more about Brenna at Youtube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b61pN_...]!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 7, 2014
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This book was a fun and awesome romp through a new world. Each Chapter begins with a little snippet of information regarding this new society, both past and future. While introducing a new world can be a bit overwhelming, to both the author and reader, Brenda Lyons did a great job in paring down information to essentials. I greatly anticipate further works focused on this world, because she set up such a wonderfully rich backdrop.
That being said, there is a LOT of information about the new world, the different families, and what bonding means. Though slightly confusing in the beginning, by the end, everything becomes clear. Though a typical story of a hidden powerful princess, Lyons brings something new to the telling. There are so many different layers and an amazing future to explore! I’m pretty sure these couples will be creating enough energy to light up the world for a while!
I’d recommend this book to those who love Cinderella romances, HAE, and love that comes in all shapes and sizes.
Two flaming hearts for hotness.
This book was a fun and awesome romp through a new world. Each Chapter begins with a little snippet of information regarding this new society, both past and future. While introducing a new world can be a bit overwhelming, to both the author and reader, Brenda Lyons did a great job in paring down information to essentials. I greatly anticipate further works focused on this world, because she set up such a wonderfully rich backdrop.
That being said, there is a LOT of information about the new world, the different families, and what bonding means. Though slightly confusing in the beginning, by the end, everything becomes clear. Though a typical story of a hidden powerful princess, Lyons brings something new to the telling. There are so many different layers and an amazing future to explore! I’m pretty sure these couples will be creating enough energy to light up the world for a while!
I’d recommend this book to those who love Cinderella romances, HAE, and love that comes in all shapes and sizes.
Two flaming hearts for hotness.
October 20, 2022
I didn't like the front of the book, the blurb sounded confusing and not interesting and overall I'm not even sure why I picked up this book in the first place. Probably because I do love the books by Brenna Lyons so I think I decided to take a leap of faith. And boy am I glad I did.
Firstly, the world. Normally I don't say much about the world that a writer made. Because the world is there to support the story so as long as it doesn't stand out, fine by me. But with Brenna I keep being impressed with the worlds she writes. They have their own culture, customs, language... And it makes sense. I like it that she thinks further than "oh this world has a big difference between poor people and rich people. I'm gonna take 2 from opposite sides and make them fall in love."
She really considers the consequences of said action, the way people think, the dynamic between the people in the world. And at the end of the story, when Rian has her happily ever after and everything has settled down, it's still not perfect. Because people are never perfect.
Secondly, the relationship itself. I'm a huge sucker for the whole cinderella trope and that came together in this book with Lio who was so protective and loving from the start.
Lovely story, 100% recommend. Don't let the cover fool you, the story will pull you in.
Firstly, the world. Normally I don't say much about the world that a writer made. Because the world is there to support the story so as long as it doesn't stand out, fine by me. But with Brenna I keep being impressed with the worlds she writes. They have their own culture, customs, language... And it makes sense. I like it that she thinks further than "oh this world has a big difference between poor people and rich people. I'm gonna take 2 from opposite sides and make them fall in love."
She really considers the consequences of said action, the way people think, the dynamic between the people in the world. And at the end of the story, when Rian has her happily ever after and everything has settled down, it's still not perfect. Because people are never perfect.
Secondly, the relationship itself. I'm a huge sucker for the whole cinderella trope and that came together in this book with Lio who was so protective and loving from the start.
Lovely story, 100% recommend. Don't let the cover fool you, the story will pull you in.
October 19, 2016
Whatever vague ideas I had about this book going in, I was never expecting the unique world-building, genuine characters, wonderful relationship development, and perfect hints of suspense that I got. Cubed was fantastic. The world of Kielan and its psychic residents fascinated me from the start, and Lyons shapes a society built on a strict hierarchy of families and bondings that could seem confusing or overdone, but instead just works in the story. There are obviously problems in the society and that's part of the story, as well.
Riann Brook, one of the lowest members of society, is unexpectedly rescued from her circumstances when she is recognized as being bond-sister and bond-mate in a current Trio--thus making them one of the most powerful and rare Quatrels. While the relationship between Riann and Lio could have felt rushed, instead their immediate intense emotions seem natural with the bond they share, and the fact that that is true for the entirety of their family is so well described. The bonds that form between them are natural as a consequence of what they are to each other, and I never doubted it for a second.
The question of Riann's origins adds a hint of mystery, and Riann's passion for helping others to get the same opportunities she now has also deepens the story beyond a simple romance. As I neared the end of the book I was firmly satisfied and excited to see what would happen in the last bit.
And then things fell apart a bit. The last couple chapters of the book seem disconnected from the characters I had grown to love--Riann, Lio, Balin, Talek--and contained a lot of information, additional plot, and time passing in a very short amount of space. It felt condensed and not fully plotted out. I understand to a certain extent why it was there, but I needed more time, more text. (Cubes, cool! But how does that freakin' work?) I think it could have been extended a great deal and made a much more compelling ending. Instead, it was just disappointing and rushed.
Even with the disappointing end, I still loved the first 80% of the book, and honestly, it felt wrapped up and complete right about there. So I'm essentially ignoring that last bit and rating the book as if it simply ended a little early. This is still well worth a try, I firmly believe.
[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.]
Riann Brook, one of the lowest members of society, is unexpectedly rescued from her circumstances when she is recognized as being bond-sister and bond-mate in a current Trio--thus making them one of the most powerful and rare Quatrels. While the relationship between Riann and Lio could have felt rushed, instead their immediate intense emotions seem natural with the bond they share, and the fact that that is true for the entirety of their family is so well described. The bonds that form between them are natural as a consequence of what they are to each other, and I never doubted it for a second.
The question of Riann's origins adds a hint of mystery, and Riann's passion for helping others to get the same opportunities she now has also deepens the story beyond a simple romance. As I neared the end of the book I was firmly satisfied and excited to see what would happen in the last bit.
And then things fell apart a bit. The last couple chapters of the book seem disconnected from the characters I had grown to love--Riann, Lio, Balin, Talek--and contained a lot of information, additional plot, and time passing in a very short amount of space. It felt condensed and not fully plotted out. I understand to a certain extent why it was there, but I needed more time, more text. (Cubes, cool! But how does that freakin' work?) I think it could have been extended a great deal and made a much more compelling ending. Instead, it was just disappointing and rushed.
Even with the disappointing end, I still loved the first 80% of the book, and honestly, it felt wrapped up and complete right about there. So I'm essentially ignoring that last bit and rating the book as if it simply ended a little early. This is still well worth a try, I firmly believe.
[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.]
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews