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Blades of Arris #6.5
Erion
I am a forgotten lesser from a former servant world.
The first to voyage across deadly space, knock on the spiky palace door, and demand entry.
But something went wrong.
My mission failed.
Now my family and friends are long gone. Others accomplished what I sacrificed everything for. All that’s left are nightmares and suspicious scars.
Then one day the emperor bursts into my lounge.
He stalks toward me, his beautiful silver eyes flashing with rage.
It turns out my snarky, boredom-inspired annotations on his personal records weren’t so private.
And now that I’ve captured his interest, he’s holding me in his thrall...
This spicy, emotional novella filled with delicious longing is the final capstone in the Blades of Arris alien romance series. It’s not necessary to read the other books in the series to appreciate this one but it does feature characters introduced in Ranse. Two lost souls defy everything to fall in love, and in so doing, change the empire…You will love this story!
The first to voyage across deadly space, knock on the spiky palace door, and demand entry.
But something went wrong.
My mission failed.
Now my family and friends are long gone. Others accomplished what I sacrificed everything for. All that’s left are nightmares and suspicious scars.
Then one day the emperor bursts into my lounge.
He stalks toward me, his beautiful silver eyes flashing with rage.
It turns out my snarky, boredom-inspired annotations on his personal records weren’t so private.
And now that I’ve captured his interest, he’s holding me in his thrall...
This spicy, emotional novella filled with delicious longing is the final capstone in the Blades of Arris alien romance series. It’s not necessary to read the other books in the series to appreciate this one but it does feature characters introduced in Ranse. Two lost souls defy everything to fall in love, and in so doing, change the empire…You will love this story!
136 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 31, 2026
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Starla Night
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 3, 2026
A Wonderful Sendoff for the World of Arris
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚💛
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋😉😎🤯
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
Characters and Plot Summary
I really enjoyed that Erion focused on two people who had already been broken by time before they ever met. Erion is introduced as someone who sacrificed everything to make first contact with Arris, only for his mission to fail. By the time the story begins, everyone he once knew is gone, leaving him with scars that are just as emotional as they are physical.
Estelle’s situation is equally heartbreaking. She wakes after spending decades in suspension, having been treated as a scientific specimen rather than a person. That shared loneliness gives their relationship an emotional foundation that felt different from the earlier books in the series.
One of my favorite early scenes was when Erion’s sarcastic, boredom-fueled annotations on the emperor’s personal records are discovered. What begins as an embarrassing confrontation ends up changing the direction of his life. I also appreciated how the story gradually revealed the reasons behind Erion’s guarded personality instead of dumping all of his history at once. Watching him and Estelle recognize pieces of themselves in each other’s pain made their growing trust feel earned rather than rushed.
Highlights and Limitations
For a novella, this story packs a surprising amount of emotional weight. I especially liked that neither character was “fixed” by romance alone. Their past trauma continues to influence how they react to each other, which made the quieter conversations just as compelling as the romantic scenes. The moments where Estelle refuses to be treated as fragile, despite everything she has lost, really stood out to me. Erion’s gradual shift from isolated cynic to someone willing to hope again was satisfying because it happened through several small interactions instead of one dramatic revelation.
The political implications were another highlight. I enjoyed seeing how the relationship between these two characters could have consequences beyond their personal happiness and potentially reshape parts of the empire. It made the novella feel like an important conclusion to the series rather than just an extra romance.
My only real complaint is that I wished there had been a little more time spent with the couple after they fully committed to each other. Because this is a novella, the ending arrives fairly quickly, and I would have happily listened to another hour exploring their new future together.
Narration
Willa Jaymes and J.F. Harding made an excellent narration team. Willa Jaymes captured Estelle’s vulnerability without making her sound weak, especially during the scenes where she struggles to come to terms with everything she has lost. J.F. Harding gave Erion exactly the weary, restrained voice I imagined while still allowing flashes of humor to come through during his sarcastic comments and awkward interactions with the emperor. Their performances complemented each other well, and the emotional scenes felt genuine instead of overly dramatic.
Final Thoughts
I came away from Erion feeling like it was a fitting capstone to the Blades of Arris series. Instead of trying to outdo the larger books with nonstop action, it focuses on healing, second chances, and finding connection after unimaginable loss. The combination of Erion’s failed mission, Estelle’s decades of isolation, and the unexpected way a set of private annotations changes everything made this story memorable for me. I would have loved a slightly longer ending, but I finished the audiobook feeling satisfied and genuinely happy for these two characters. If you’ve enjoyed the world of Arris, this novella is a rewarding and emotional sendoff.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚💛
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋😉😎🤯
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
Characters and Plot Summary
I really enjoyed that Erion focused on two people who had already been broken by time before they ever met. Erion is introduced as someone who sacrificed everything to make first contact with Arris, only for his mission to fail. By the time the story begins, everyone he once knew is gone, leaving him with scars that are just as emotional as they are physical.
Estelle’s situation is equally heartbreaking. She wakes after spending decades in suspension, having been treated as a scientific specimen rather than a person. That shared loneliness gives their relationship an emotional foundation that felt different from the earlier books in the series.
One of my favorite early scenes was when Erion’s sarcastic, boredom-fueled annotations on the emperor’s personal records are discovered. What begins as an embarrassing confrontation ends up changing the direction of his life. I also appreciated how the story gradually revealed the reasons behind Erion’s guarded personality instead of dumping all of his history at once. Watching him and Estelle recognize pieces of themselves in each other’s pain made their growing trust feel earned rather than rushed.
Highlights and Limitations
For a novella, this story packs a surprising amount of emotional weight. I especially liked that neither character was “fixed” by romance alone. Their past trauma continues to influence how they react to each other, which made the quieter conversations just as compelling as the romantic scenes. The moments where Estelle refuses to be treated as fragile, despite everything she has lost, really stood out to me. Erion’s gradual shift from isolated cynic to someone willing to hope again was satisfying because it happened through several small interactions instead of one dramatic revelation.
The political implications were another highlight. I enjoyed seeing how the relationship between these two characters could have consequences beyond their personal happiness and potentially reshape parts of the empire. It made the novella feel like an important conclusion to the series rather than just an extra romance.
My only real complaint is that I wished there had been a little more time spent with the couple after they fully committed to each other. Because this is a novella, the ending arrives fairly quickly, and I would have happily listened to another hour exploring their new future together.
Narration
Willa Jaymes and J.F. Harding made an excellent narration team. Willa Jaymes captured Estelle’s vulnerability without making her sound weak, especially during the scenes where she struggles to come to terms with everything she has lost. J.F. Harding gave Erion exactly the weary, restrained voice I imagined while still allowing flashes of humor to come through during his sarcastic comments and awkward interactions with the emperor. Their performances complemented each other well, and the emotional scenes felt genuine instead of overly dramatic.
Final Thoughts
I came away from Erion feeling like it was a fitting capstone to the Blades of Arris series. Instead of trying to outdo the larger books with nonstop action, it focuses on healing, second chances, and finding connection after unimaginable loss. The combination of Erion’s failed mission, Estelle’s decades of isolation, and the unexpected way a set of private annotations changes everything made this story memorable for me. I would have loved a slightly longer ending, but I finished the audiobook feeling satisfied and genuinely happy for these two characters. If you’ve enjoyed the world of Arris, this novella is a rewarding and emotional sendoff.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Pinterest|BookBub
June 28, 2026
I liked this addition because of two reasons. One, this means we can have more past, present, future takes on so many characters. The options are limitless. Two, the problems these characters faces were internal. Does he love me? Am I good enough? It was like two teens learning about feelings and falling in love. It was so freaking sweet. Also the whole language/customs/cross species relationship problems were chef’s kiss.
I have one problem and it was mostly a missed opportunity in my opinion. But that’s just me.
I have one problem and it was mostly a missed opportunity in my opinion. But that’s just me.
July 23, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
Nice little novella addition
Nice little novella addition
September 2, 2026
4.5 rounded up! This was such a sweet and heartbreaking read. Ive wondered about Erion's journey since Ranse's book. He seemed like such an interesting and compelling character. And I was not disappointed! Learning that Estelle survived and recovered from her own horrific ordeal was also incredibly satisfying. And getting to read about two people, from vastly different cultures and hostories, fall in love against the distant back drop of a galaxy dealing with its own upheaval was beautiful. Like getting to see the truly everyday experience of an ordinary couple.
April 8, 2026
A great shorter story that expands on Erion and. Estelle
I enjoyed developing relationship between a former Emperor Erion and how Estelle deals with being placed in suspension for 60 years to become a scientific specimen to a emotionally withdrawn alien race. There is more details of Erion's race concerning their relationships with human women. The series Blades of Arris is a very interesting romantic sci-fi .
I enjoyed developing relationship between a former Emperor Erion and how Estelle deals with being placed in suspension for 60 years to become a scientific specimen to a emotionally withdrawn alien race. There is more details of Erion's race concerning their relationships with human women. The series Blades of Arris is a very interesting romantic sci-fi .
June 30, 2026
sweet
This is the sweetest story in the series, maybe because Erion isn’t a Blade or because he and Estelle are both physically recovering in some way. Nice chemistry and change of pace.
This is the sweetest story in the series, maybe because Erion isn’t a Blade or because he and Estelle are both physically recovering in some way. Nice chemistry and change of pace.
September 12, 2026
Wonderful
What a great series I just couldn't put it down and I'm so thankful that Estelle got her happy ever after
What a great series I just couldn't put it down and I'm so thankful that Estelle got her happy ever after
September 30, 2026
I enjoyed their story it was cool to watch them figure it out. I had hopped after a time he wouldn't need the pill anymore but I am glad they worked out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews