Humanity’s only hope lies in the Morraki, but the alien warriors are fueled by primal instincts and demand bonds of flesh.
Serenya Hale, obedient daughter of a powerful general, never agreed to be offered as a bride, But when she’s summoned to the Morraki Selection Gala, defiance isn’t an option. Protection has a price, and she’s been chosen to pay it.
Commander Kael Draevahn, ruthless leader of the Morraki fleet, suspects deception. General Hale’s political ambitions reek of betrayal. Choosing his daughter as his mate is a calculated risk… Kael never expected to be so entranced by her soft skin and generous curves.
Wanting her is dangerous, but their bond is essential to the alliance.
If he submits to his feelings, they rewrite the fate of a species. If she resists the loss of control, he loses a vital alliance.
Can mutual trust be their salvation? Or will rebellion and betrayal claim them both?
Wife and mother of four, my days have been reduced to begging for the littlest to sleep so I can have time to write my books. I'm blaming my reduced schedule on Cupcake. Facebook is the best place to find me, or you can sign up for my newsletter here (https://leannryans.com) to keep up with current and upcoming projects as well as special promotions and such, or find me on Ream!
I grew up on Sci-fi and Fantasy books with some of my favorite authors being Anne McCaffery and Mercedes Lackey. In 2013 I discovered paranormal romance and delved into a whole new world. After reading Omegaverse stories from Addison Cain and Nora Ash, I had the idea for The Omega Prize and decided to take a shot at writing a book of my own. The beginning was rough, it took two months to write the first five chapters, but as my 2019 New Year’s resolution I said I was going to finish the story and committed to writing every day. It didn't take long for the book to begin telling itself, and from there I just kept going.
All of my books are Omegaverse, but they span settings from Sci-Fi, dystopian, and historical barbarians. There is even a small-town Enemies to Lovers Romance story in there. They main contain dark elements but I wouldn't call them dark romance since my alphas tend to be a little mushy in the center. I promise there's always a HEA.
These new Morraki aliens were Morocking my world 😆🤣
Okay, that was cheesy, I know, but I couldn't help myself, LOL. Honestly, Leann Ryans is one of my favorite OV but specifically SFR OV (Syfy Romance Omegaverse) authors of all time. She was one of the first authors I read way back in the day when MF (male/female) OV was first starting. I feel like she never disappoints and she certainly didn't with this new series opener.
Humankind is on the brink (it always is, am I right? lol). Famine and overpopulation have taken its toll. Besides Earth there are two newer human colonies also in the mix, Arcadia and Halcyon. We have a knowledge and technologically advanced species of aliens already as allies, but they are more hands off. But a world destroying and consuming race of aliens is getting close enough to threaten Halcyon and so we need stronger allies. We need some badass alien muscle to help us get people from Earth to our colonies and to keep us safe from the world eater aliens. Enter the Morraki.
The Morraki could care less about us soft squishy humans, BUT they want an alliance with our first helpful race of alien allies too. So, they agree to ally with us but after knowing us only a minute they already know we can be some shiesty back stabbers. They want some guarantees that we will stay loyal to this alliance. The best way to do that is through marriages and tying cultures together.
Unfortunately, the Morraki don't do marriages which they say humans don't honor anyway. I mean they aren't wrong. Today someone sneezes the wrong way and their partner gets the "ick" and is ready to bounce, lol. The Morraki instead bond because their society is made up of Alphas and Omegas. And last I checked humans don't have any Omegas. Uh oh, that's not good.
In the prequel, Forged in Heat and Surrender, (which I highly recommend reading first and you can get off LR's website, which is what I did) we learn how a human geneticist and Morraki scientist with the help from one of our nice alien allies create a serum that can genetically change a woman into an omega. That is where we pick up here in this book with Kael and Serenya.
I really enjoyed this new world that LR created. The underground dwelling people, the Morraki and their homeworld are new and creative. The Morraki themselves were like 8ft tall, dark skinned vampires with tails, that have lit up colored veins all over their body that conveys or gives away their emotions.
I loved Kael and how fierce he was. How he was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to save his people's future. Kael chooses Serenya because her dad is on the United Earth council, head of the military and probably the first to try to do some backstabbing. He thinks Serenya is probably a plant. So, Kael decides to keep his enemies closer, and by closer I mean in his bed and on his knot.
Serenya was used to being crushed and ground down by powerful men that didn't care about her and used her as a pawn (her dad). Being stuck with Kael didn't seem like it was going to be anything different. I really liked Serenya, she struggled with always being the little girl just trying to do anything to get her dad's love and approval. I don't want to give much away, but let's just say I'm glad she found her backbone. I love how both Kael and Serenya were able to let go of their hangups to find the freedom of true love.
Again, this was a great series starter, (though do read the prequel if you can). There were amazing new worlds and species, plenty of action, dissenters mixed with political intrigue, and the icing on the cake....hot alpha and omega schmexy time with an alien who has a prehensile tail. You picking up what I'm dropping here? wink wink.
Anyhoo, I can't wait until the next one comes out which will be about the 2nd in command, the general. Who is grumpy as all get out and absolutely doesn't want an omega. We also got left with some pretty harrowing info pertaining one of the colonies and I'm excited to see what happens in the storyline next.
Even though this is an ARC review, I will always shoot you straight.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Leann Ryans continues to live in the gated community of ‘Awesome Authors’ when it comes to sci-fi romance. Bonded in War and Starlight is so well written and the characters are fantastic. Look, she creates her aliens, their worlds, and their languages from that fathomless, freakishly creative brain—and the lists are not short, they are EXTENSIVE.
Bonded in War and Starlight has so much action, drama, steamy times, back stabbing, testosterone fueled battles, and tender loving aftercare, I started having hot flashes.
Sooo … I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I really, REALLY hope the two broken souls that are Rhydek and Rowena, are close proximitied. Because I think if they were given the opportunity, they would heal each other.
First and foremost I am no linguist. I practically had to learn the alien language even with the glossary. It got to the point that I just gave up trying to understand some of what they were saying. However the parts not in a foreign language were amazing. The story had an engaging plot. MC's that were realistic. Slow burn but tension. The spicy stuff didn't happen til late in the book. I was so focused on the other parts though and it wasn't a big deal. A well thought out plot can sometimes supercede the smut. I knew it would be there but it had to work it's way there. As long as you don't mind potentially having to keep the glossary it's very much worth it. You can also infer in alot of instances. I personally was not crazy regarding the amount.
Serenya Hale is not happy that her father, General Hale has chosen her to be a bride at the Morraki Selection Gala. She gets an invite and doesn’t even know that she is a contender as a bride. This the price that must be paid so the alien warriors- the Morraki, due to the Alliance where they will protect Earth and its colonies from incursion from a Morraki enemy. Commander Kael Draevahn is the leader of the Morraki and he suspects that General Hale has his own agenda. Serenya is usually a dutiful daughter, even tho she is 30. She has her degree and gotten her masters and was supposed to go to her graduation the same day as the Gala and is heartbroken for missing it, but her father doesn’t care. She will be a counselor and she thought would make her father happy since the military needs those. My heart breaks for her as I read about how her father treats her. I’m glad she is getting away from him as she is chosen by the Commander as his mate. I was fascinated by the Morraki social and cultural norms. Plus, how they felt about humanity’s nudity taboo. I really dislike General Hale and things just get worse with him. Ugh.
Commander Kael hates the idea of the Gala and all the pomp and the fact that it feels like an auction to him. He knows that they need a way to keep the humans from betraying the Morraki, hoping that the women being mates would prevent shenanigans and keep the majority of humanity loyal. The fact that there wasn’t omegas in the population of human females, meant that they needed a solution to turn them into one. With the help of a bird like race and his Kethral Nyral and the Human Doctor (& Nyral’s mate) Mara Keene, came up with a solution that when injected can help turn women into omegas and prep them to be Morraki mates. Ten would be offered and three chosen at the Gala. The Commander, of course, chose Serenya, because she could be a threat because she was the General’s daughter. His friends, Rhydek & Jorath, would chose the other two. Kael already knew a lot about Serenya.
I really liked Isolde and she would be a good friend to Serenya. However, some women with certain genetic markers would not go through the omega change. I like how Kael immediately wants to care for Serenya. That he wants to protect her, even from her own father, because he can see things are not right there. There are so many fascinating things and revelations throughout the book. I really enjoyed it. Once they get to the planet and learning the language was just so much fun. Learning about the mating ceremony was eye opening, and I can see why they do things that way. But, I can also see how women would see it. So many good and bad things happen and it is just eye opening. I can’t wait to read the next book. My goodness it was romantic and steamy as well. Rhydek is so grumpy, and soooo doesn’t want a mate, but he still follows his friend’s commands, because of duty.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy and am voluntarily reviewing it. Why didn't y'all tell me about this series? Ok, now that we got that out of the way. New series alert. Ms. Ryans takes readers to a world that is amazingly real. Readers get to know a new species. The Morrak have come to humans to keep them safe. We are in a completely different world. Serenya Hale just wanted to continue her studies. Her father made that difficult. He kept her on a tight leash. Serenya knew she had to keep up appearances. Her father held a prominent role in the United Earth Council. Their goal was to cement a union with a species that could keep them safe. The Morrak and the UEC decided the best way to unify these species was to bond the human females to a Morraki male.
They created the Selection Gala for the Morraki males to pick willing humans that would then be injected with a serum that turned them into Marraki omegas. Once given the serum, the women will become Morrak forever. Serenya knew none of this information when she accompanied her father to the Gala. Because of her father's high ranking, Serenya was selected by the highest ranking Morraki. Serenya was to be his mate.
Serenya decided to make the best of this situation when she discovered what her father had done. She realized he only thought of her as a pawn to use. Serenya's self esteem was nonexistent. Kael saw something in her before she became Morraki. Though the cultures were different, Serenya wanted to learn. She wanted to be a good partner for Kael.
Ms. Ryans has a knack for making reader see the soul of her characters. Morrakis were described but I never really envisioned them they way they were described. Kael took responsibility of Serenya right away. He showed her that she was worthy of love and kindness. I just could not picture him the way they were described. I loved that about this book. I saw what the characters made me feel. Don't get me wrong. They could work a tail, if you know what I mean. I really enjoyed seeing Serenya embrace her new life. I can't wait to see who the next couple will be.
This romance blends science fiction and emotional depth in a way that makes it much more than a simple love story. At its core is a relationship between a human heroine and an alien hero, but the path to their happiness is anything but easy. A major layer of tension comes from the heroine’s father, who is actively plotting to get what he wants, with very little regard for his daughter’s autonomy—or for her future partner. His self-serving behavior adds a strong element of betrayal to the story and raises the emotional stakes considerably. The couple isn’t just navigating cultural differences; they’re also fighting manipulation from within their own family. The worldbuilding is complex and requires attention. You can’t just skim through this book—you really have to immerse yourself to understand the dynamics, politics, and prejudices at play. The aliens are truly different, and that difference matters. The couple faces skepticism and bias from multiple sides, which adds realism and weight to their connection. What makes the romance shine is that the bond between them isn’t instant. It develops slowly, built on trust, effort, and mutual understanding. The heroine in particular puts in real emotional work to make the relationship succeed. Their connection feels tender and deeply earned rather than rushed. Overall, this is not a light, quick alien romance. It’s layered, sometimes challenging, and emotionally rich. If you’re willing to engage with its complexity, you’ll find a thoughtful and heartfelt love story at its center.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Welcome to the Morrak! Ryans returns to SF romance, and I like what she’s doing here. There’s a good start to the worldbuilding of the alien Morrak culture. They’re helping protect Earth colony planets from alien invasions in hopes of gaining needed technology from another advanced culture. But they also need human women who are willing to undergo transformation into omegas—and become Morrak mates.
Ryans does an admirable job building the Morrak culture, though I did wonder why they stayed on a planet that seemed to lack a lot of resources. I hope that’s something she addresses in future books. This book is really Serenya’s journey into confidence. She’s been crushed for years by her dominating father, to the point she can’t stand up to him at all. And because he deliberately withholds information from her, she ends up the chosen bride of the Morrak war leader Kael when she has no idea what this will mean for her.
It’s tough to believe that Serenya would just undergo as radical a transformation as she does without some form of fight. And her father makes some weird judgement calls towards the end of the book that served the plot more than logic. Kael is a gem, truly caring for Serenya and understanding of the situation she’s found herself in.
I loved seeing how the relationship between Serenya and Kael grew, and Serenya is a admirable guide for the reader to learn about the Morrak. It’s clear Ryans will be writing more in this setting, and I’m looking forward to the journey of the Morrak and their human brides!
This was a fab series opener and the world building was awesome! The author introduces us to two different alien peoples and we really get good cultural info on the Morrak. The Morrak, however, want access to the other species and have to work through Earth and humans to get that access. Thankfully, they do because Earth and her colonies are in serious trouble that the Morrak can help with. To make this alliance work, though, human gals must accept a treatment to transform them into omegas in order to bond with the Morrak that choses them. This is Serenya's tale and, wow, she goes through a ton of growth. She's been suppressed by her father, a council member, to do as he says, despite her age. He's a shady character and keeps her in the dark about everything about to happen to her and how her life will change. I'm grateful that Kael, war commander for the Morrak, was willing to give her a chance to prove she wasn't going to betray his people. What he did was give her time and care as she adjusted to her new dynamic, new cultural expectations and him. These two find that love is the best bond and they end up with a fab and spicy HEA. My review does not express the depth of emotions, drama, trauma, action and connection found in their romance so I highly recommend you dive right in - and expect to be glued to your reader ;D So good and I can't wait for the next book!
Not just an alien romance…..but an Epic Romantic Space Adventure!!!!!
I read the prequel to this, Forged in Heat and Surrender, Claimed by the Morrak prequel, and that was really good…. But this was on a whole other level!!!!
The storyline and especially the politics and customs of the Morraki are intricate and detailed. The one thing that made it a little hard for me (maybe my only almost complaint) were that there were a lot of Morraki words used and while the author usually defined them at first there were so many it was hard to keep track. Not enough that I didn’t enjoy it, and you generally get the gist of it even out you can’t remember the exact word. I did have to start and stop reading this a few times so that probably impacted my ability to remember the phrases, if you read straight through it might be easier.
That said…. This was a beautifully written and executed space adventure/romance…. With a ton of action and intrigue, a LOT of sexy sexy times, alpha/omega dynamics, a little trauma (not too explicit but it’s there, emotional/physical for both the FMC and another female character (the latter mostly off page/referenced, not witnessed)).
I REALLY enjoyed seeing the transformation for Serenya, the FMC in this book. It was breathtaking how she was able to find her place, her power, especially coming from a place of none.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
So I thought I knew what I was getting into with this book. Yes, I've read the blurb and everything but I was still kind of shock with the twists and turns that occurred in this book. I really had to take a moment to process some of it and made sure I was reading it correctly.
I like that Serenya is an educated woman. That she wanted to make her one family member proud of her. I think it's every child's wish to have their parent proud of them. Although, her only parent wasn't worth it since his actions spoke a lot louder than the words that came out of his mouth.
As for Kael, I understand his hesitation and suspicion. However, there are some things even he can't help. I'm glad that despite his feelings of the situation, he was still very protective of Serenya.
I really enjoyed this first book. It definitely gave me pause for a second. It had me rooting for all the couples, heartbreaking for a moment, and wanting more everyone involved. Looking forward to more in this series!
DROPPED. I'm sorry but the heroine was as dull as dishwater! The world building was amazing, and the potential high but the romance was a lullaby that sent me to sleep. I liked the MMC but the heroine was a joke of a supposedly independent and strong woman who was being strongarmed and controlled by her father. She was weak, no spitfire and oh so boring! And this isnt my first omegaverse (dark or otherwise) rodeo.
On the contrary, i am very interested in Isolde's story should it ever be told. Now she's a heroine i can admire and respect.
OVERALL even if the heroine started off weak and annoyingly timid/fragile for the purpose of character development, it rubbed me the wrong way 100%. For a highly educated woman with a prestigious upbringing, all I saw was an oppressed female living under her politician Father's thumb. Duly noted that not every woman has the courage or instinct to be badass, but this is fiction and I'd prefer a heroine who doesnt make me want to tear my hair out.
The story of the bartered bride is an old one, but Leann Ryans gives it a brand new - and fantastic - twist in this incredible tale. Serenya's father is on the Earth's council, so when she receives an invitation to a gala, she thinks nothing of it, but her father has left her in the dark about a lot of things. I am in awe of Ryans' world creation, Morrakan, and the aliens and their spacecraft come alive under her pen. Her ability to create names and parts of a language, literally alien to us, is phenomenal. Both Serenya and Kael develop through the story, learning to trust and yes, love one another in spite of the manner in which they are brought together. Only Serenya's father, one of many other characters, has any real role to play, nefarious without seeming villainous. This is book 1, and I am looking forward to subsequent stories in the series.
I can tell this series is going to be great. You have aliens, a dying planet and worldwide starvation. This book is all my favorite dreams that come true wrapped up in a book! I highly recommend it! The aliens want to help fix Earth’s problems, but there is a high cost they must pay. The Qy’shaeuhl offered advice to help the earth with its problems. The next alien race that finds earth is the Morrak. The Morrak are far more advanced technologically, and the earth council wants their secrets. To strengthen the treaty the Morrak , they want human woman as mates. For that to occur human females must become omegas. The council wants the Morrak scientist and human scientist to come up with a serum that changes human DNA. Knows that they need the serum sooner than later. So, she becomes her own test subject.
This book offers a unique alien story. One where human is transformed to accommodate an alien species. The author builds the world of the Morraki and includes their language and culture. Kael is a male determined to do what needs to be done to aid his people, even take on a mate. Although he is suspicious of Sarenya, he soon sees she is an innocent pawn. Sarenya was not a fmc I enjoyed. She was weak and whiney. She cried or held back tears through most of the book. She went along with the bonding as the lesser of two evils, one being to continue under her father's thumb. I appreciated the language, but it ruined the flow of the story when you had to stop to look up a word or phase and hope it was in the glossary. If you like slow burn, alien, omegaverse romance, you may enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Some say one of the most sacred relationships you can have is with your parents. Serenya has learned over the years her father doesn't value her as daughter and treat her like one of his soldiers. Her father main focus is what Serenya can do for the human race. She finds out the hard way it's changing her DNA and becoming something else and mating Morraki Kael. Now Serenya has modified DNA, a new man whose a general and a new planet. Join the story to see how these two mates figure out life together. Enjoy 🥰.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I think this is an excellent read. I love how it lays the foundation for the rest of the books, but doesn’t loose the thread or enjoyment of Mara and Nyrel‘s story. I like Mara as she seems quiet at first, but once she is comfortable, she shows her stubbornness. Nyrel is patient and is happy to wait for what he wants as that is his ultimate objective. I think they make an excellent couple and are similar in the sense that they are willing to sacrifice for their people. Once they commit they are such a fulfilling couple and I hope that they will feature in the later books, This is a great story and makes me look forward to reading the subsequent books in the series.
Serenya grows weary of being her father's puppet. Go here, do this, better behave. But when he doesn't disclose all the side effects of the injection that makes her an omega, she breaks free from that role.
Kael didn't really want a mate, but for the alliance between the humans and their planet he would do what he needed to do. He didn't expect to like it so much though.
This story has Ryan's usual steaminess and excellent world building. Kael is a top notch hero, and I LOVED him.
I didn't really understand the need for the alliance, but I'm hoping the motive becomes clear as I read more into the series. What do the humans provide besides the human women to be turned omegas?
I feel like this is a great beginning to this Omegaverse series and I can't wait for more! I love how in this one humans are being turned into Omega's for an alien race. They both have their reasons for wanting this alliance. But I also really love how they start finding common ground. There are a lot of new customs to discover for the females becoming Morraki Omega's. And I feel bad for Serenya, because she has to learn about everything later then she was supposed to. But she is such a great character, and so is Kael. Definitely can't wait for more in this series!
This is Book 1 of the Claimed by the Morrak series. And it is a FANtastic start! Look forward to more from this world.
'Steamy, Dark-ish Alien Omegaverse Romance'
The characters drove the storyline and they were so very appealing and complex and perfectly steamy together. Plot was intriguing and exciting and well paced. World building was excellent and impressive. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend!
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved the world building in these books. The Aliens are fierce warriors that have advanced technology that Earth needs for survival. In order to keep the alliance honest, they request that a few of the high political representatives offer family members to them as mates. They change the humans into omegas compatible for their species. They take the mates back to their planet. The FMC’s have to adjust to the alien planet and customs. I would consider this series similar in quality to Ice Planet Barbarians.
Wow, what a surprising story. I don't usually read sci-fi romance but this one peaked my interest and it did not disappoint. Kael picks Serenya as his alliance offering not expecting anything to develop. However, a bond beginning to form was just the right moment needed to brighten up the plot. It was a fantastic read!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Alien romance with global ramifications. Women for a warrior's culture's protection. Earth on the brink of starvation and ruin. This is a slightly different take on this trope as the warriors also need help, something they keep hidden for safety. Serena and Karl are the second story of this series - read the prequel from the author's well done website. Drama and conflict, discovery and attachment dominate this new relationship. Enjoyable read.
Bonded in War and Starlight is a total page turner that takes sci-fi on a whole new level with both a leading lady and man who are equally captivating. Between the great world building and the incredibly steamy scenes, this story keeps your heart pounding from start to finish. It’s the kind of book that truly leaves you wanting more and is absolutely a must read for fans of the genre.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Detailed worldbuilding in a vast universe with different species - well-meaning, indifferent and outright evil to humanity. A (grayish) deal between Morrak and Earth and its colonies and Serenya and the Morrak Kael forced together in a bond and the survival of two species on their shoulders. Fantastic scifi Omegaverse romance with wonderful characters and a promising start to a new series.
I understand making a language up to fit the species and planet that you're creating. But unless you have a photographic memory and can remember what each word means, then you have to look it up continuously, and it completely pulls you out of the story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This alien story has a fun twist of omegaverse mixed in! It’s super entertaining, and the FMC starts off terrified, but alien MMC turns out to be a strong, smart, and gentle male who knows how to explain their customs. This made the transition much easier for their relationship to grow. I really enjoyed it, and the spice level is definitely high.
Enjoyed this! My only issue is the extensive and confusing use of the alien language. Felt a tad excessive sometimes especially with him switching meanings and how the language was written. Love the glossary in the back! It was very helpful to have. Otherwise I liked the book and will def read book 2 😁
Oooo I loved this. Honestly, not a whole heck of a lot of plot, but really good character development/relationship building which I really loved. Sort of love the whole premise, too, though. I'm excited for the next one.
What an intriguing story. It got a hold of me and would not let me go. I definitely need more of these aliens. They were described beautifully and made it very easy to imagine them.