I do not want a bride. They are difficult to protect. And those males who are mated have homes—clans. I have neither.
My nest was destroyed. My territory usurped, and it is her peoples’ fault.
Julia’s. The unmated female soldier within Zaku’s home.
But when I discover nagas have arrived from across the land, and that she is going to choose one to help her get back to her people, I am unsettled by what she offers in return...
Then hundreds of ships arrive.
With the landscape changing, and the tides shifting, I must leave to find out what is going on.
Except I am not alone. Julia will come with me.
Because I do not want her to be with another. I refuse to imagine it. Even if the forest is dangerous, and it is entirely up to me to keep her safe, I will take her with me.
But what if there is no safer place for her than in my arms?
Naomi Lucas is an indie author. She loves being creative whether it’s with painting, writing, or making little jingles about her dog, Barracuda, or her cat, Daliah, in the car.
Julia was kinda a badass and was determined to take control of her own fate. She had bad options because she didn’t want a naga. Krellix didn’t have a home and so convinced himself that he didn’t want a bride. They ended up leaving Zaku’a together and finally started getting spicy. Julia was rigid in her desire to make her own choices, which most people, but it made her a little blind to the potential choice to be with Krellix. Krellix was even more rigid and dead set on denying himself the possibility of being with Julia. He def had a martyr complex and I loved seeing it challenged. They ended up being a power couple, with Julia finally seeing herself as a powerful woman instead of expendable and Krellix realizing he didn’t need everything he had in the past to be a good partner.
Spice: 3/5
Triggers: violence, gore, murder, grief, death, past death of family, houselessness, mentions of SA (not of MCs), quid pro quo sex, kidnapping, explosion, severe injury of teen including threat of death and collapsed lung, mass death (off screen), poverty, threat to children, low resources causing uprising, dehydration, speciesism, discovery of medical experimentation including dead bodies, cannibalism, hunting, classism, corrupt military, mentions of war, gun violence, battle, side character in coma
This is Krellix and Julia's story. Julia has been staying with Daisy and her King Cobra but knows she must leave soon too many males have come looking making the King Cobras territory more unsafe for his growing family. She decides to choose a Naga that will get her back to a hu.an settlement and let her go. What she get is Krellix a male she might not be able to let go of. Krellix has wanted Julia from the beginning so CD he carried her to safety . but since he's lost his home and his clan he feels unworthy of a mate and feels she would be better off with her own people. He agrees to see her safety to the human Settlement. On the journey there their feeling grow, thoughts and fears shared and danger lurks at every turn. She they encounter more humans who need help and uncover secret labs fear for each others safety gets in the way of their budding relationship. Danger strikes and they both realize that home is where the heart is and their hearts belong together. They will build something worth having together! Excellent addition I can't wait to see what happens next in the saga. 🌟🔥💖🔥🌟💖🔥🌟💖🔥🌟💖🔥🌟💖🔥🌟💖🌟🔥💖🌟
“I spent so long searching for a place to belong, when it wasn’t a place I should’ve been looking for at all. It was him..”
Loved this! I honestly don’t feel comfortable giving this anything less than 5 stars. The found family aspect was a really big theme in this one. Ive always been rooting for this MMC so I’m so happy he finally found his mate. No critiques from me here, it was a much slower paced than other books in the series but I guess thats the mood I was in bc it worked perfectly for me.
Excited for the next one! I think, based on the blurb, the FMC for Black Mamba will be one of the girls from the Titanoba book🤔
Emotions: 👀😒😏😅🤭😳🥰 Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 Themes: tall FMC, found family, sci-fi, she falls first, push and pull, slow burn
I will NEVER get over how this smutty lil sci-fi alien romance has such incredible world building and storylines. SO SO SO WELL DONE.
I wish there was just a liiiiiiiiiittle more teasing of the overarching plot in this. I can tell Naomi is setting up for some big things to happen in future books revealing more about The Dreadnaught and naga experimentations. I want more revelations!!!!
Krellix and Julia were so cute together! They both were missing that SPARK that makes me fall in love with main characters, their stories could’ve been more interesting IMO.
I waffled on the rating a bit. On the one hand I really liked the MMC and on the other the story was a little meh. Not in a bad way. I can tell that this was a transitional book. The human and naga dynamic has changed and I have a lot of questions on how this will impact future books. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
I struggled to remember who Julia was and I struggled to care about either of these characters. The second half was definitely better, and I like learning more about where the naga came from.
full disclosure: i have interviewed naomi lucas, and received several of her books, but not this book, for free in the past. that has no bearing on my reviews.
we all knew it was coming, that doesn’t mean i want it any less. 3/5 stars
potential triggers: dubcon, quid pro quo, men telling women they know what’s best for them, past sexual assault, kidnapping
was it entertaining?
eventually. i’ve been waiting for julia’s story since book 2, which was published in 2021, so i had (possibly unreasonably) high expectations. my expectations were not met, and that is partially my own fault. the book is slow to start for a lot of reasons, that aren’t well explained. julia went from being traded for information and supplies, to being kidnapped by a different group of humans, then injured and abandoned, dragged off by a naga, then finally dumped with a different naga that mostly hates her for the crime of being unmated, while a horde of unmated nagas stalk and ogle her through the windows. she’s TRAUMATISED! LEAVE HER ALONE! GET A JOB! yes, julia is a soldier, but she’s also a person, and if i, the reader, have to read through her internal monologue about feeling trapped in a situation with no good outcomes, i would like a more in-depth exploration of what’s going through her head. immediately jumping to “well, if i can just find one of these inhumanly obsessed aliens to ply with sex, and no promise of forever, surely i could make it work.” please be so fucking for real.
julia: therapy. therapy for everyone. the concept of planning to trade sex, and nothing else, for a tour guide through the forest on an alien planet. put her back in the yulen and scan for brain damage, please. i generally like naomi lucas’s FMCs because they’re all varied, not just copy and paste clones of each other (aka the author), but these last 2 have stressed me out with their choices. i do like the character journey from soldier to reluctant leader though. i’ve spoken to enough former/ex-military to know that it’s incredibly difficult to break that conditioning and come out a whole person on the other side, so i appreciate acknowledgement of that.
krellix: another one with the “sex means everything to my species, but not to me, because i said so” logic. what makes you so special sir? the entire series has been plagued by males with high-handed, imperious ways, but this one really pissed me off.
i liked this book more than the previous, because it picks up the overarching plot in a very significant way, and also makes clear moves towards a series resolution. but i think it sacrifices some of the characterisation and canon to do so. and that’s unfortunate. 3/5 stars
was it enjoyable?
no one jump me, but it’s starting to feel like the literal plot has been lost. i understand that we’ve moved into phase III (the final phase?) of the overall series. secrets are being revealed, alliances are being made and/or shifting, and the dynamics of the different species are changing — i get it! i’m still missing some of the excitement of the first 6 books. book 7, titanoboa, felt like so much filler and i was really hoping that this would jump out of the gate with something, but it felt almost sedate until the halfway point. leisurely, even. which is very odd for a book set on a post-apocalyptic earth, with a lab-created human/animal hybrid alien species, and a sinister, corporate evil, behemoth lurking in the background. reading this felt a little like the author forgot she had to move the plot forward until halfway through, and i hate that, for me and for her. 3/5 stars
was it well-written?
unfortunately, no. there were a number of typos and misused words as the book went on. it started to feel like the author was up against a deadline and needed to rush the ending. 3/5 stars
Ok.. I need to be honest here because I really LOVE this series and I wish to give an honest review so the author can use it to keep improving. Viper, King Cobra, Death Adder, Titanoboa? Amazing, stunning, breathtaking books. But this one? It didn't work for me..
The war plot was just okay.. The "I need a distraction" motivation felt wrong for me.. these two seem like curious people who can't sit still. So in my POV, curiosity would have fit them better?
The epilogue made me feel a little confused and felt rushed.. Wasn't she on an IUD? How did we jump to a baby so fast? I really wish this had been two books so their relationship had more space and time to breathe, the observation tower moment was so good, I think it would have been good to explore their time together in quiet moments and cooperation a bit more. The slow burn chemistry from Death Adder would have been really good here.
Also... the relationship felt a little empty? Detached? Like even the narrator seemed... tired tho it felt more like boredom... She said "they seem to be getting along" instead of actually showing some examples of their conversations or daily lives, for me I would have liked to see how and why, just a little preview, and maybe some tension about who Olivia would be with because 2 nagas were mentioned, that would have given us some edge and rumination.
The worldbuilding didn't expand much either..? Even though there was plenty of room for it. I feel like the conflict between the underground, the nagas, and the humans could have been so much more epic...
This isn't a bad book. But it felt lackluster compared to the others. Just... not what I was hoping for after Titanoboa. That book felt like a breath of fresh air, while this one felt like it was written before that and showed part of the burnout after cottonmouth.
That said, everyone has different tastes. This might work for you even if it didn't for me. And I genuinely hope the next books are better. But as a whole series it is totally worth reading everything, the world of the series is so interesting. I do feel like we need some new mysteries to carry on tho, and different book lengths and second parts of each relationship.
I hope Naomi keeps improving since I really love this series! I tried her other books and series, I totally recommend the Cyborg Shifters one, but for me, none comes across as stunning as the Naga Brides. I'm sending all the love and support to the writer!💌
Oh my goodness. Krellix and Julia fought against the thing they had. Not by choice, mind you, but because they're both a little guarded (they play their cards SERIOUSLY close to the vest) and don't want to force a situation they didn't think the other wanted. There were other reasons, too. Ones I totally got. Krellix was still grieving the loss of his clan and his nest and didn't think it was fair to bond with Julia (or anyone!) when he had nothing to offer her. Julia was in something of the same boat. She'd been betrayed by her squadron and abandoned, but she was still going through the mental motions of being a soldier. She didn't want to form attachments because she saw her future on the front line of the war against the Ketts. Plus, the naga she was most drawn to was one that didn't seem interested.
Joke's on her, though, because Krellix was VERY interested. But since these two had some difficulties actually communicating with one another (not literally, they just didn't talk things out), they kept dancing around one another until they finally broke and convinced themselves that a few nights together would be enough.
Guys. GUYS. Nagas are not good at letting go. They're territorial about a lot of things and their special someone is TOP of that list. Krellix might *think* he can walk away (and he does everything he can to make it happen), but he's still heavily invested in Julia's safety. He wants her protected and he thinks the best place for that is within a human encampment, but the big guy is still out there. Making sure she's safe.
Things are happening on the Dreadnaut survivor front. There are hidden labs and baby nagas and THINGS happening. The humans are back on Earth (not by choice, but they are definitely back) and they have to figure out how to make things work with the new dominant species if they hope to continue surviving. MAN, I like this series!
The first half of the book dragged for me. Julia is living with Zhaku and Daisy. They don't want her revealing naga secrets to the humans. But now Zhaku's house is surrounded by male naga hoping to mate with her.
She decides to leave after a bunch of spaceships crash nearby. She wants to know what is going on.
I liked the earlier books with the more possessive naga heroes. Krellix keeps going away and leaving her behind.
Spoilers. .
. .
The Dreadnaught is destroyed. Any survivors fled to the planet. Now soldiers and refugees are scattered throughout the woods.
She finds a hidden doorway filled with nagas in stasis. They are very old experiments. She tries to wake them up but can't. So she destroyed the bunker with a grenade so humans can't continue experiments on naga.
That explosion freed many newborn adult naga. Krellix the naga helps them learn how to survive. They are living in peace. But there were deaths and fighting at first as some newborn naga were killing and eating other naga.
The humans have a base camp. There is a fight and the Lieutenant is killed. Julia ends up in charge because Krellix defeats the bad naga and is helping hunt food for the camp.
The epilogue is her and Krellix are pregnant and go to Zhaku to give birth since he has medical machines and Daisy has given birth before.
I’ve been waiting for this couple for what feels like forever, so I was so excited to have gotten it! It wasn’t the story I was exactly expecting for them (or wanted, really) but I did enjoy it. I appreciated the slow burn friends-to-lovers vibe. I liked that he showed potential to be possessive over her, and although I found myself missing that element of our beloved naga series, it worked for them and the plot.
I’m very excited for Black Mamba’s book, simply because based on the synopsis, he will be a possessive one…
Favourite Quotes “If I cannot keep you, let me have you in every way a male can have his bride just once. I want to know what it is like. I want to know you.”
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. Lets start it off right there. This author’s books always bring the heat AND THE ANGST!!! Ahhh, the pining that these two were doing, but fighting was EPIC. It was awesome getting more of his history and the shockers that occurred!!!! My mouth dropped open several times. Also, I must say that I love that a kick butt babe stayed a kick butt babe. She wasn’t diminished by loving Krellix even as it warred with his protective instincts which I always appreciate in a book. PICK THIS ONE UP AND READ IT ASAP!! A girl is not going to steer you wrong!!
This wasn't my favorite out of the series, but also wasn't my favorite either. It felt more like a overall plot filler, and the romance was a later aspect. I still love Krellix though.
I was very excited for this book, but the romance felt less romancey than the other books. Don't get me wrong, it was still there and fantastic, but I feel like the overall plot got pushed along than anything.
I will still be reading more of this series as it comes out, even if this one did let me down just a tad bit.
Krellix does not want a human bride. Julia wants to get back to the Dreadnaught and her life as a soldier. But things on earth never seem to go to plan.
What I loved: I’m obsessed with this whole series, but what I liked most about this one was being back with the main storyline. There’s so many questions to still answer about this universe, and I feel like we’re starting to get there!
Who would like this book: if you’ve made it this far in the series you won’t be disappointed
Comp titles: the weaver/vrix series, the iriduan mates series
I’ll be honest.. these books are kind of difficult to remember characters because of the timeframe the books are released. But I still read each one and enjoy them.
This one kind of was a slow start, but it picked up. As usual, the scenes in the underground place were spooky. The characters don’t spend much time there, sadly. But important worldbuilding lore was discovered.
The couple of sex scenes we get are hottt. ❤️🔥
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
“If I cannot keep you, let me have you in every way a male can have his bride just once. I want to know what it is like. I want to know you.”
“I don’t know if I’d slap him or fuck him. Perhaps both.”
“It is what the other males say to their females, when overwhelmed with sensation and warmth.”
I love Krellix & Julia story. I’m obsessed with this whole series seeing how each Naga navigate their relationship.I will be back for the Black Mamba…👀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
True Rating: 4.25 I waited for almost a year to finally read Krellix and Julia's story since I started reading this series last year. I'm so glad the story continues with the survivors after Book 6 Cottonmouth and new discoveries are found which adds to the world building of Naga Brides. I can't wait to read Black Mamba!
I think this will always be one of my favorite series-
The angst, the storyline, the world building, lovable characters & good god the spice!!
If you’ve ever wanted to check out nagas, this series is my favorite for them and for these two characters to FINALLY get there story? Chefs kiss couldn’t be more excited andddd it was perfect. Exactly what they needed.
3.5 stars Much better than some of the more recent naga brides novels. The main story arc gets a satisfying amount of development. And Krellix is, as I expected, a MMC — worth reading - he’s been such a cool support character in previous books so it is nice to see him .
I'll admit I didn't get very far into this book before returning it to KU. The writing felt way different than the others in this series- I felt like I was being told a story verses getting emersed in it- if that makes sense. She does this, she thinks that, etc.. I didn't care for that style at all. Also I didn't remember the FMC from previous books at all- so that was another issue.
Fantastic!! Really set the scene for the future books and I felt it answered some questions (plot wise). I really love this series and was so worried this would be the last. Can’t wait for Black Mamba!
Naomi Lucas takes her time on this series and it shows in every new addition. I'll reread the whole series again now, because it's always been worth the reread
This story is so complex it leads you to a land where everything is different or survival is hard, but there’s still love they’re still life and there’s much to be learned. It’s a ten
The spice scenes were kinda bizarre, at least the first two. Couldn't tell if Julia enjoyed herself or not at first🤨 didn't seem like there was much chemistry there and the extensive descriptions of Zaku's house at the beginning were weird and unnecessary. DNFd at 60%
Naomi Lucas books consistently deliver not just in the romance but in a satisfying progression of the plot in the book and the over all series. Absolutely cannot wait for the next one, these always heal my reading slump.
En lo personal, sentí que le faltó más desarrollo al romance. Me hubiera gustado ver más escenas entre los protagonistas para conectar mejor con su relación, pero entiendo que ya es una preferencia personal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The best part if this series is the characters. I love how they are developing a new community now that their colony ship is gone. I can't wait to see how recolonizing Earth goes.
I started reading this series on kindle unlimited and have been hooked since then. I’m hoping to see Book 9 come out soon and can’t wait to read it. 😊❤️