M.A.Y.A

by Nina Saxena

In an effort to escape a war-torn dystopian planet where she would be used as a weapon to hurt innocent people, MAYA searches for a way to stop her captors by fleeing through one of six dimensions in a hidden bunker. There, she meets a pack of shifters and an alpha determined to claim her as his fated mate.
Content notes/warnings: medical PTSD, torture

Genres: Romance, Dystopia, Fantasy, Novella, Science Fiction, Adult, Audiobook

167 pages, ebook

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Flora (Helia's version) · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you're writing a tiny novella, at least make it enjoyable lmao

[Stillbelieveinnightmares (kinda back) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maya was tortured and modified as an human-robot experiment. After years she's able to escape not only the lab, but her dimension as well. The area she ends up in features shifters and, coincidentally, their Alpha is right there and recognizes her as his mate. A concept not only unknown to her, but also overshadowed by the past 10 years she's spent in a glass cube below ground.

While there's some action towards the end a lot revolves around Maya, her thoughts and feelings after being tortured for years, and how she's able to adapt to the many new, unknown circumstances. Being above ground, being in a dimension that doesn't lie in shambles after war. The whole concept of dimensions and shifters (and mates!!) generally. Food that's not rationed and actually food.

I noticed some people were bored, but for me this recipe worked like a charm. I had fun with it. Just keep in mind that the FMC shows symptoms of PTSD and spends a lot of time inside her head.

🖤 3rd person POV
🖤 he falls first
🖤 fated mates
🖤 found family

3.75/5 ⭐
_______

pre read: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that an alpha in possession of a fated mate just works for me 🤌🏻

[vaishnavi ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠* · Rating 1 out of 5]

seriously? 😐

here's the entire book, summarised :
Maya: *stumbles into a new world, completely naked*
Isaiah: you're my mate. I love you. I shall now act overprotective and growl at everyone who makes a wrong comment towards you all while continuing to make them myself. *rips shirt off*
Maya: b-but... mate? I don't even know what that means! I'm not your mate!!
Isaiah: according to YOU. but this is my world and I am the supreme Alpha! I love you and I will mate you. *shifts into a wolf and back, while being completely naked*
Maya: *thinks to herself: damn that's a real hot body* yeah, okay, I will be your mate.
Isaiah: don't worry Tiny Warrior, I can smell your arousal from here 😏

kill me.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

After the End collection:
⤹ first by ali hazelwood °‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡‎ [2.5 ⭐]
⤹ bait by adriana herrera .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ [1 ⭐] dnf
⤹ skyn by nikki payne ‧₊˚✧🪩✧˚₊‧ [2.5 ⭐]
⤹ m.a.y.a. by nina saxena [0.5 ⭐]
⤹ brood by claire kent . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. [1 ⭐]
⤹ taken by elizabeth stephens .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ϟ ⚡︎ ϟ ˖ ݁ 𖥔. [0.5 ⭐] dnf
⤹ trade by cate c. wells ˚˖𓍢ִ໋`🌿:✧˚⋆𖧧 [3.5 ⭐]
⤹ prima by sherry thomas ⊹ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ˖ [2 ⭐]

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part of the After the End dystopian multi-author novella collection. I’ve read half in the series now and this one wasn’t a favorite and I was pretty bored (I’ve only loved Brood and Taken so far). Tropes: fated mates between alpha werewolf x cyborg soldier, forced proximity, dystopian romance, sci-fi w/ different dimensions/worlds.

Maya escapes from a government lab bunker that was running experiments on humans (they installed computer pieces into her that altered her body chemistry and she now is a machine artillery yielding automation, hence her name). She was able to escape through bunker portals after wars broke out on her dimension’s planet and she ends up somewhere where shifters exist and finds out she’s the mate of the alpha wolf shifter there. The plot felt kind of bogged down with the info we needed for this to play out/make sense and felt like we needed more at the same time for it to flow better. The romance didn’t feel that solid either, besides them being mates there wasn’t a spark or attraction between these two for me. I’ve read this author’s penname Nisha Sharma before and have enjoyed the books, so maybe this penname just doesn’t work for me (sadly).

[*ೃnaziba ˘͈ᵕ˘͈ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was another wattpad throwback, and an interesting albeit poorly executed concept 1.5/5

No this review said it all: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)]

An interesting blend of genres where a sort of human cyborg escapes through a portal to a world of shifters where she is the fated mate of the alpha. I like the exploration of what actually makes us human and the romance was fun.

[Marshmellika · Rating 2 out of 5]

- я поки що не твоя споріднена
- поки що ...

в принципі на цьому побудований весь сюжет
задумка дійсно цікава, поєднання двох світів, різні рівні технологій.
в новелі висвітлені боротьба за своє Я, своє майбутнє, планету врешті решт.але не вистачило майстерності (?), опису, щоб в це повірити, переживання героїні просто виглядали картонними, хоча ситуація в неї м'яко кажучи пиздець
дуже багато описів сексу, в яких немає сексуального, оргазми в неї від кожного доторку, знову все картонне

її привселюдно принизили перед бетами, на наступний ранок йому вистачило сказати одне вибачення і все вирішено

шкода, що це просто на рівні фанфіку в ватпаді(

[Ashley (wickedreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm seeing the same people rating these books low over and over and i honestly feel like it's people who love only contemporary romance not enjoying dystopian cuz these have all been so fun! Exactly what I signed up for??

I understand most of these authors are known for more contemporary works but it was very clear what these we going to be and it delivered! I would love to see more dystopian form all of these authors!

[Carmen Reyna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine. It was an interesting idea and I was excited to read it, but it was boring to me. It was missing the “it” factor. Maybe I should've read First last because now I’m going compare all these books to it, seeing how much I liked it.

Still, I don’t think I would’ve liked this one more. I couldn’t connect with the characters, and I can’t pinpoint a single reason Maya and Isaiah like each other, other than being mates. I didn’t feel the chemistry and I couldn’t relate to them, even though the reasons where there.

Also, it felt sloppy at times. Like how Maya felt something was wrong and went to investigate alone because she “didn’t want to wake Isaiah up”. As a result she then wasted precious time discussing how to get Isaiah there, which wouldn’t have been an issue if she just woke him up. It just felt unnecessary. Then, they decided to close the portal without any regard to the innocent people they left trapped in the other dimension. On top of that, Maya was fine never seeing her parents again? She didn’t want to save them and thought they were fine living underground in a bunker for the rest of their lives? In a dimension that had no resources? It felt careless, like these things weren’t thought through.

But anyways, onto the next one.

[Brooklyn Ramsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

i never want to hear the words “tiny warrior” said again

Audio:
“the incredible torture that turned me more robot than flesh and helped decimate entire universes was sooooooo worth it, because now i get to fuck the alpha of a pack!”

insufferable.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Luzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[sonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Постапокаліпс, модифікована дівчина тікає зі свого зруйнованого світу і потрапляє на іншу землю, де існують перевертні, омнгаверс з усіма витікаючими... їй потрібно захистити цей світ від вторгнення з її реальності, паралельно вона виявляється судженою альфи і знаходить нову родину
Ну таке, ніяке трохи

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn’t know omegaverse/dystopia would go so hard, but it doessss. This novella was paced so so well. We got into the romance of it all pretty quickly, but we also saw them get to know one another. There was just enough of the dystopian world and plot without overpowering the romance. I’d like a second one about Alex and Margaret, please.

[bella fazzati · Rating 2 out of 5]

the mmc annoyed me so fucking bad

[Kareena · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read in the After the End series. Ahh so good! Maya, while traumatized, is dedicated to protecting his world from the devastation of hers. I loved Isiah and his growth so much. It's not a long book but you do get great arcs from both main characters. The combination of dystopia and shifter was delightful as well. Really hoping Nina Saxena writes Alex and Margaret's story!

[Hniereads · Rating 1 out of 5]

There were werewolves in this and I didn’t even enjoy it one bit. And as certified werewolf girlie that pains me

[jordan mogul · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was…. not good? i feel insane reading all the overwhelmingly positive reviews. there was no chemistry between maya and isaiah even though they were fated mates. i normally love a mate trope but this was borderline cringe.

[quin ⁠♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad story, but it mostly annoyed me. Maya’s constant whining got tiring, and he kept reassuring her every single time she said something about being a robot or not being normal. And then there’s the “tiny warrior” nickname💀

[Lauren Gabbe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t mind this one but I think the whole premise just had too much going on and I was pretty lost tbh. Like robots, werewolves, inter dimensional travel like I’m just not sure. But as a new omegaverse defender I will give it 3 stars because the fate and the mates is gonna get me every time now unfortunately.

[Liz | lizzuplans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably my favourite of this After the End series so far. Barely.

The first chapters had too many convenient dialogue and descriptive paragraphs explaining everything, not great.

Did not like the MMC’s forceful behaviour towards the FMC– yes he is a big strong burly manly Alpha, but forcing her to have people look at her (unwillingly added to her body!) machine parts before giving food, so soon after rescue, our me a bit off from things.
Also, “Alpha wolves will sometimes take what they want. You’re lucky I’m so nice that I’m not tossing you over my shoulder and dragging you off to my cave.” Ah, nothing like the threat of rape after trauma bonding to the first person ever not treating you as an object.
Also let’s normalise explaining things such as knotting before basically shoving it in there.
“As much as Maya appreciated how honest he’d been with her (…)” GIRL THAT IS YOUR STOCKHOLM SYNDROME TALKING.

Minor inconsistencies such as talking about leggings and t-shirts, then the FMC discarding a blouse and wearing a flannel.
Also too bad one character’s name was spelled Margaret, Margeret, Maragaret, and more. Sloppy.

Ew at the “tiny warrior” pet name, eye roll at the boy who cried wolf joke, ha at the gratitude journal comment, eyebrow raise at him snarling against her lips when he deemed her not quick enough to reciprocate so soon after escape but I digress.

A very small 3 stars. Meh about the whole series but giving this (also romance!) author the benefit of the doubt..!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was good, I liked all the characters. I was a little underwhelmed by the plot. I’ve felt it a lot with the stories in this collection, but I don’t think novellas works for the stories these authors are trying to tell. Something about the end lost me but I’m not sure exactly why. I do wish we could’ve seen more about Alex and Margaret.

[Read.and.Blossom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this novella! I’m really liking the novella series overall.

It was sad what was done to the FMC but I was glad that when she met the MMC he wanted her regardless of what they had done to her

The MMC being a wolf shifter and the pack coming to destroy the people who hurt FMC was so funny and cool.

Like yall thought you could control us but sike!

I finished this earlier but have gotten busy :)

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mash up I never knew I needed - fated mates between an alpha werewolf and cyborg soldier.

[Kait · Rating 5 out of 5]

WDYM THIS SHIFTER-CYBORG ROMANCE HAD ME SOBBING IN THE EPILOGUE?!

Perfection.

[Rhi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love myself a good werewolf story. Emphasis on good! This… was not that. I genuinely cannot wrap my head around the fact that this was written by a real, published author. Like, someone got paid for this 😭



If I ever hear the words mate or alpha again, I will simply pass away, istg.

You really tell me this girl spent her entire life held captive, experimented on, stripped of autonomy, and traumatized beyond belief. And the moment she finally escapes destiny’s big reward for her is… an overprotective, possessive man who immediately claims her???!!! Congrats babe 🥰 Your reward for all you’ve endured is another man who asserts dominance, controls you, and decides your future for you.

She doesn’t even get ONE night where she belongs to nobody but herself. Not a single fucking night.

And the most frustrating thing is, the tender parts of the relationship are actually really cute. The romance she felt for him was soft and sweet, and I would’ve genuinely enjoyed that part of the story… if they hadn’t known each other for a few days and if she wasn’t severely traumatized.

At some point she literally says, and I quote: "This is a lot to process, Isaiah […] What if it's a trauma bond and not a mating bond?"

GIRL. YES. THANK YOU. And what does our Alpha McDestiny do? He fucking LAUGHS AT HER and tells her to not be stupid, of course they are mates! Then she basically says that he is probably right because after all she has never touched another dick before his 💀 HUH??!

The thing is, the background story, the worldbuilding, and the overall plot were actually good. That’s the worst part. This book could’ve been something amazing if it had slowed down, respected her trauma, and let the romance breathe instead of speedrunning possessive mating nonsense.

The potential this story had but never embraced is literally killing all my joy right now 😫😫

[Abby Rogish Bodin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but the mmc pissed me off 😂

[Saucypotatosalad · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

[Savvy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐️ 3/5🌶️🎧🪢
The audiobook was great. Knotting. Fated Mates. Alpha Werewolf x Human-Cyborg Hybrid Soldier. Spicy, Short and Sweet.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

thought I was in for more robots but fortunately for me WOLF SHIFTERS entered the chat