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Space Grit #3
Deep Into Darkness: Aliens, Alphas and Antiheroes
Five tantalizing and thrilling science fiction stories from five amazing authors.
PANDORA by Marguerite Labbe
Sentenced to life on board a space salvage cruiser, Riff Korra and Zed Jakobsen find themselves drawn together out of mutual need. But when an epidemic of violence and insanity consumes their ship, will their bond give them the strength they need to escape?
BOARDED by Annie Nicholas
Liaison Sadie Beckit must accompany the mysterious Ambassador Nual to Central Station. Sounds easy enough, but the lawless void of space holds many dangers. To make things worse, Nual seems determined to make Sadie lose her professional control.
FORSAKEN PLANET by Elise Logan
Luci has gone, literally, to the ends of colonized space in order find some peace. Marooned on a desolate planet with limited supplies, Luci needs to learn to trust her team leader, Sakir Khyne. Together they must take out hostile forces and try to survive.
DARK IMMORTALITY by Kim Knox
Captain Andros: pirate, vampire, all-round bastard. When he takes Madelen Ariel as his own, his crew sees an opportunity to mutiny. They’re about to find out just how much of a bastard he really is.
FREEKER by Ella Drake
On the run, convicted murderer Chara stows away on a ship piloted by a big, sexy alien. Warrant puts the safety of his brothers above all else but the violent and sensual Chara makes him question the price of risk.
PANDORA by Marguerite Labbe
Sentenced to life on board a space salvage cruiser, Riff Korra and Zed Jakobsen find themselves drawn together out of mutual need. But when an epidemic of violence and insanity consumes their ship, will their bond give them the strength they need to escape?
BOARDED by Annie Nicholas
Liaison Sadie Beckit must accompany the mysterious Ambassador Nual to Central Station. Sounds easy enough, but the lawless void of space holds many dangers. To make things worse, Nual seems determined to make Sadie lose her professional control.
FORSAKEN PLANET by Elise Logan
Luci has gone, literally, to the ends of colonized space in order find some peace. Marooned on a desolate planet with limited supplies, Luci needs to learn to trust her team leader, Sakir Khyne. Together they must take out hostile forces and try to survive.
DARK IMMORTALITY by Kim Knox
Captain Andros: pirate, vampire, all-round bastard. When he takes Madelen Ariel as his own, his crew sees an opportunity to mutiny. They’re about to find out just how much of a bastard he really is.
FREEKER by Ella Drake
On the run, convicted murderer Chara stows away on a ship piloted by a big, sexy alien. Warrant puts the safety of his brothers above all else but the violent and sensual Chara makes him question the price of risk.
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
544 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2015
1 person is currently reading
40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 10, 2015
This was an interesting collection. Not at all what I was expecting.
That cover screams "sexy! smutty! hot!" but the first few stories were not that at all, they were very much slow burns...
I liked some of the ideas in these sci-fi stories, we all know how much I love aliens, after all! I felt the editing could have been a little tighter all around, but over all an interesting collection that if nothing else, has given me an introduction to some new authors.
See below for the individual story ratings.
As a whole I give this collection
3 i-wanted-more-tentacle Stars
____________________________________________
Book Five - Freeker
This had a vektalling alien who purred. What's not to love?
Interesting world, plenty of steam and I liked how blood thirsty Chara was.
I didn't quite get what the aliens were meant to be though, some sort of clawed humanoid with weird cheekbones?
I don't know, it was missing something...
I give Freeker
3 blood-thirsty Stars
Book Four - Dark Immortality
I have four words to describe this one.
Sexy space vampire pirates.
This was was HOT. And filled with gore. And a bunch of stuff that I don't understand but I really quite liked it.
I give Dark Immortality
3.5 heart-eating Stars
Book Three - Forsaken Planet
One word. Tentacles.
I enjoyed this one. It was a little bit too sciency in some parts for my liking, but enjoyable nonetheless.
The sexual tension in this was annoying! Every time they were about to get together an alarm would go off. I nearly gave up on this I was so annoyed. But I am glad I didn't because the sexy times when the FINALLY got together were bangalicious.
While the physiology of the Sentinels was interesting, I wanted more tentacle action. But I am a dirty tentacle pervert after all.
This was insta-love to the extreme, but it worked alright for me.
Well written, paced and not too long, this was a good introduction to this author for me, and I will happily read more of her work.
I give Forsaken Planet
3.5 this-alien-has-two-arms-and-four-tentacles Stars
Book Two - Boarded
This was much better!
The author had me at six foot tall blue alien.
This had a good story line, a decent amount of world building and some fantastic character chemistry and interactions.
It was a good length and was paced well. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded and while I could have done with a bit more sexy time, I enjoyed this. I would happily read more stories based in this world.
I give Boarded
3.5 the-alien-is-a-flower Stars
Book One - Pandora
Erm. This was not what I was expecting at all. It was overly long, and I don't believe it was the right book to start this collection off with. If I had not heard from other people that the rest of the collection was worth reading, I would not continue.
I really tried to like this. I thought Zed and Jiff were interesting characters and I enjoyed watching them get to know each other, but there was far too much.... background noise.
This had a dark sci-fi horror vibe going on, I got a very Event Horizon feel from it. There were elements of good story here, but as the book progressed the editing got sloppier and sloppier and Jiff's name frequently appeared as Jif and in one instance, Zed's name was Zack.
This was so long (its page count takes up nearly half the page count in this collection) and so slow moving that I ended up merely skimming the last five chapters and I don't even know what happened, and I can't say that I really care.
I give Pandora
1.5 mouth-and-eyebrow-stitch Stars
Thanks for the buddy read Machalo Smut Lovers .
Thank you kindly to the publisher for the complimentary copy from Netgalley!
That cover screams "sexy! smutty! hot!" but the first few stories were not that at all, they were very much slow burns...
I liked some of the ideas in these sci-fi stories, we all know how much I love aliens, after all! I felt the editing could have been a little tighter all around, but over all an interesting collection that if nothing else, has given me an introduction to some new authors.
See below for the individual story ratings.
As a whole I give this collection
3 i-wanted-more-tentacle Stars
____________________________________________
Book Five - Freeker
This had a vektalling alien who purred. What's not to love?
Interesting world, plenty of steam and I liked how blood thirsty Chara was.
I didn't quite get what the aliens were meant to be though, some sort of clawed humanoid with weird cheekbones?
I don't know, it was missing something...
I give Freeker
3 blood-thirsty Stars
Book Four - Dark Immortality
I have four words to describe this one.
Sexy space vampire pirates.
This was was HOT. And filled with gore. And a bunch of stuff that I don't understand but I really quite liked it.
I give Dark Immortality
3.5 heart-eating Stars
Book Three - Forsaken Planet
One word. Tentacles.
I enjoyed this one. It was a little bit too sciency in some parts for my liking, but enjoyable nonetheless.
The sexual tension in this was annoying! Every time they were about to get together an alarm would go off. I nearly gave up on this I was so annoyed. But I am glad I didn't because the sexy times when the FINALLY got together were bangalicious.
While the physiology of the Sentinels was interesting, I wanted more tentacle action. But I am a dirty tentacle pervert after all.
This was insta-love to the extreme, but it worked alright for me.
Well written, paced and not too long, this was a good introduction to this author for me, and I will happily read more of her work.
I give Forsaken Planet
3.5 this-alien-has-two-arms-and-four-tentacles Stars
Book Two - Boarded
This was much better!
The author had me at six foot tall blue alien.
This had a good story line, a decent amount of world building and some fantastic character chemistry and interactions.
It was a good length and was paced well. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded and while I could have done with a bit more sexy time, I enjoyed this. I would happily read more stories based in this world.
I give Boarded
3.5 the-alien-is-a-flower Stars
Book One - Pandora
Erm. This was not what I was expecting at all. It was overly long, and I don't believe it was the right book to start this collection off with. If I had not heard from other people that the rest of the collection was worth reading, I would not continue.
I really tried to like this. I thought Zed and Jiff were interesting characters and I enjoyed watching them get to know each other, but there was far too much.... background noise.
This had a dark sci-fi horror vibe going on, I got a very Event Horizon feel from it. There were elements of good story here, but as the book progressed the editing got sloppier and sloppier and Jiff's name frequently appeared as Jif and in one instance, Zed's name was Zack.
This was so long (its page count takes up nearly half the page count in this collection) and so slow moving that I ended up merely skimming the last five chapters and I don't even know what happened, and I can't say that I really care.
I give Pandora
1.5 mouth-and-eyebrow-stitch Stars
Thanks for the buddy read Machalo Smut Lovers .
Thank you kindly to the publisher for the complimentary copy from Netgalley!
did-not-finish
August 25, 2016Guess who just got her very first Netgalley approval?
That's right! THIS GIRL!!
Bring on the BRs MacHalos :)
That's right! THIS GIRL!!
Bring on the BRs MacHalos :)
September 27, 2015
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
With a blurb like Five tantalizing and thrilling science fiction stories from five amazing authors , it was clear this was meant to be a BR with the alien smut lovers over at MacHalo.
Unfortunately, this anthology did not quite deliver on the tantalizing stories promised. If you care to do the math, you will see my individual stories rating do not equal my overall rating. Well, I rounded down. While normally I like to give the benefit of the doubt, and round up. For this book I rounded down, because it was completely marketed wrong. I have read enough alien smut to know that a shirtless male torso on the cover promises lots of sexy times ahead. Anyways, lets get started.
PANDORA by Marguerite Labbe ✯
I really wanted to like this story. The blurb was intriguing. And it was something new for me, a m/m alien romance. Unfortunately I ended up DNF'ing this story. I felt I was shoved off the edge straight into the deep end with the world. There was very little back story. I felt as though I should already know what was going on, instead of having the story told to me. It introduced a large number of characters quickly, and did little to distinguish them. I kept getting them all confused.
BOARDED by Annie Nicholas ✯✯✯½
I loved Boarded. First, there was a big blue alien! Second, there was a bad ass female main character who fought with a sword. And Third, there was a new twist to this alien. All things I love.
If I'm being honest, the storyline of a human female acting as a liaison between a sexy male alien and some Intergalactic council has been done. A lot. But I don't care. Because even though I have lost count of the number of books I have read with that premise, this is the first one that I wanted to know what happens next. I want more information on what happened to Sadie the first time she tried to help the Zair. I want to know the story as she continues to try to help them after this story takes place. And I want to know what happens next for Sadie and Nual, because he was one sexy sexy alien. And we still know very little about his culture.
Overall, I think Boarded was a successful novella. It told a story that kept me entertained. It had an actual plot, lots of action, and some definite sexy times. If the author was using this novella to test out a new world, I hope she continues it. I would definitely read more about Sadie.
FORSAKEN PLANET by Elise Logan ✯✯✯
Oh, Elise Logan. I did not know your name before this book, but I will always seek out your work now. First, I would like to give you a shout out for actually listening to feedback. Through a friend's review you have already addressed the lack of tentacles in this steamy tentacle alien love story. I get it, so I won't rehash it. Instead, let me tell you that you are a big tease. And I loved it. Every time Luci and Sakir started to get a little sexy going on, that damn emergency alarm went off. I delighted in how you tortured your characters. The only down side is once it did happen, it wasn't much. But good foreplay.
I enjoyed how the author started each chapter with a count down to a specific moment in the story. It allowed for the main characters to know each other for 45 days before the action started happening, without boring us with the mundane details. It was not quite the insta-love that happens a lot in books.
Overall, I would say this was another successful novella in this book. I was entertained. And I learned enough about this world that I am intrigued. I hope more will be written. I would like to learn much much more about these Sentinels, and all the different attachments their enhancements could have. I was also intrigued by Luci's history in the court life. What exactly happens in court?
DARK IMMORTALITY by Kim Knox ✯
First let me just say this story is about Space Vampire Pirates! How could this go wrong? The truth, I DNF'd this story early. I probably should go back read it at some point. But I just could not handle all the angst and drama between Captain Andros and his crew.
FREEKER by Ella Drake ✯✯✯✯
Hands down my favorite novella in the set. I don't even know how to review it. The best part of the book was at the end, there was a page about the author. Apparently Freeker is a novella in an already established series!!! Yup, that was the best part for me. I'm super excited to read more.
You should read this story. This story alone is almost worth the cost of the book. Luckily Boarded and Forsaken Planet help make the cost worth it. Let me just tell you this, Chara was sentenced to a rehabilitation program after she was convicted of murdering 6 people. This rehabilitation program harvested her memories of the crimes to create an illegal drug that gave the user the same adrenaline rush. BOOM! That right there should grab your attention and make you want to read this story. It did me.
Throw in some very sexy sexy times with an angry alien/human hybrid supplying his own rebellion, and you have magic.
Three out for five stories were solid. That isn't bad for an anthology. It just needs to be marketed as a sexy lite collection. All of the stories were more plot driven sci-fi stories than found in a lot of alien smut. Which isn't bad, but I needed to know what I was getting into before I dove in.
With a blurb like Five tantalizing and thrilling science fiction stories from five amazing authors , it was clear this was meant to be a BR with the alien smut lovers over at MacHalo.
Unfortunately, this anthology did not quite deliver on the tantalizing stories promised. If you care to do the math, you will see my individual stories rating do not equal my overall rating. Well, I rounded down. While normally I like to give the benefit of the doubt, and round up. For this book I rounded down, because it was completely marketed wrong. I have read enough alien smut to know that a shirtless male torso on the cover promises lots of sexy times ahead. Anyways, lets get started.
PANDORA by Marguerite Labbe ✯
I really wanted to like this story. The blurb was intriguing. And it was something new for me, a m/m alien romance. Unfortunately I ended up DNF'ing this story. I felt I was shoved off the edge straight into the deep end with the world. There was very little back story. I felt as though I should already know what was going on, instead of having the story told to me. It introduced a large number of characters quickly, and did little to distinguish them. I kept getting them all confused.
BOARDED by Annie Nicholas ✯✯✯½
I loved Boarded. First, there was a big blue alien! Second, there was a bad ass female main character who fought with a sword. And Third, there was a new twist to this alien. All things I love.
If I'm being honest, the storyline of a human female acting as a liaison between a sexy male alien and some Intergalactic council has been done. A lot. But I don't care. Because even though I have lost count of the number of books I have read with that premise, this is the first one that I wanted to know what happens next. I want more information on what happened to Sadie the first time she tried to help the Zair. I want to know the story as she continues to try to help them after this story takes place. And I want to know what happens next for Sadie and Nual, because he was one sexy sexy alien. And we still know very little about his culture.
Overall, I think Boarded was a successful novella. It told a story that kept me entertained. It had an actual plot, lots of action, and some definite sexy times. If the author was using this novella to test out a new world, I hope she continues it. I would definitely read more about Sadie.
FORSAKEN PLANET by Elise Logan ✯✯✯
Oh, Elise Logan. I did not know your name before this book, but I will always seek out your work now. First, I would like to give you a shout out for actually listening to feedback. Through a friend's review you have already addressed the lack of tentacles in this steamy tentacle alien love story. I get it, so I won't rehash it. Instead, let me tell you that you are a big tease. And I loved it. Every time Luci and Sakir started to get a little sexy going on, that damn emergency alarm went off. I delighted in how you tortured your characters. The only down side is once it did happen, it wasn't much. But good foreplay.
I enjoyed how the author started each chapter with a count down to a specific moment in the story. It allowed for the main characters to know each other for 45 days before the action started happening, without boring us with the mundane details. It was not quite the insta-love that happens a lot in books.
Overall, I would say this was another successful novella in this book. I was entertained. And I learned enough about this world that I am intrigued. I hope more will be written. I would like to learn much much more about these Sentinels, and all the different attachments their enhancements could have. I was also intrigued by Luci's history in the court life. What exactly happens in court?
DARK IMMORTALITY by Kim Knox ✯
First let me just say this story is about Space Vampire Pirates! How could this go wrong? The truth, I DNF'd this story early. I probably should go back read it at some point. But I just could not handle all the angst and drama between Captain Andros and his crew.
FREEKER by Ella Drake ✯✯✯✯
Hands down my favorite novella in the set. I don't even know how to review it. The best part of the book was at the end, there was a page about the author. Apparently Freeker is a novella in an already established series!!! Yup, that was the best part for me. I'm super excited to read more.
You should read this story. This story alone is almost worth the cost of the book. Luckily Boarded and Forsaken Planet help make the cost worth it. Let me just tell you this, Chara was sentenced to a rehabilitation program after she was convicted of murdering 6 people. This rehabilitation program harvested her memories of the crimes to create an illegal drug that gave the user the same adrenaline rush. BOOM! That right there should grab your attention and make you want to read this story. It did me.
Throw in some very sexy sexy times with an angry alien/human hybrid supplying his own rebellion, and you have magic.
Three out for five stories were solid. That isn't bad for an anthology. It just needs to be marketed as a sexy lite collection. All of the stories were more plot driven sci-fi stories than found in a lot of alien smut. Which isn't bad, but I needed to know what I was getting into before I dove in.
September 30, 2015
Five sci fi stories that feature aliens and alpha males and it's an unusual anthology. Why unusual? Well firstly it appears to be aimed at the romance market from the cover and title and although all these stories have relationships within I'm not sure that all will appeal to those who are primarily just looking for a saucy read.
Pandora is a story set on a prison salvage ship in space and from the outset it's clear that the captain is a sadistic zealot with no feeling for his crew or prisoners. When they find an abondined vessel drifting a small group are sent to investigate but what they find brings horror to their mission. Expect a feeling reminiscent of such as Solaris or Event Horizon as the author brings a dark side to the story and although she does throw in two strong likeable characters in Riff and Zed the interaction seemed a little forced.
Now I do tend to associate Annie Nicholas with paranormal stories so her blue alien was a lovely surprise. Interesting mixture of technology with the heroine Sadie being more than the average human but unfortunately her past is about to smack her right in the face! Protecting the Ambasador Nuel should be simple but that annoying male has secrets that he just refuses to share! Lively interaction but the love came just too quick for me.
Ok Forsaken Planet really steps up with the scientific element as it's a story that sets the two main characters on a mining planet. This could have been pretty nasty as the hero Sakir has quite unusual tentacles which could well muddy the romance but luckily for him Luci is turned on! Luci is caught in a difficult position with family issues looming over her head but her courage shone through and even though I thought she was too much of a pushover when it came to Sakir it's a romance that had me intruiged about what could happen next.
Kim Knox came up with what I thought was the most unusual angle. Vampires have been done to death in romance but hers are really completely different! Yes there's blood involved but also metal that bonds to them . This is a very gory story but the most unusual part was just what the hero Andros can do with machinery. Add in a special woman that he can't resist and an adventure is born. I particularly liked the latter part of the story as explanations helped make sense of what was to me a shaky start.
Finally Freeker with it's bloodthirsty cast! Very unusual animalistic aliens that are the closest family ever! It's clearly part of a series and I already want to read more. Here we meet Chara a convicted murderer but she's on the run and hides out on Warrants ship. Not the worse thing she could do because Warrant really wants a taste of the tiny female but with hunters after her and Warrants family more than happy to throw her out a hatch just who can be trusted?
So the first story which is the longest does almost feel like a horror story. Perhaps it would have been better placed further down the list as I'm a little concerned the tone might put some readers off. That being said I did finish all the stories within this book but if you are expecting naughty smut all the way than maybe not the anthology for you. Intimate scenes abound with Forsaken Planet perhaps having the most fore play ( constant interruptions anyone ?) and I've discovered new authors so not a waste of my time. Difficult to rate though!
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review
Three and a half seems too mean as I enjoyed most of this book so four it is
Pandora is a story set on a prison salvage ship in space and from the outset it's clear that the captain is a sadistic zealot with no feeling for his crew or prisoners. When they find an abondined vessel drifting a small group are sent to investigate but what they find brings horror to their mission. Expect a feeling reminiscent of such as Solaris or Event Horizon as the author brings a dark side to the story and although she does throw in two strong likeable characters in Riff and Zed the interaction seemed a little forced.
Now I do tend to associate Annie Nicholas with paranormal stories so her blue alien was a lovely surprise. Interesting mixture of technology with the heroine Sadie being more than the average human but unfortunately her past is about to smack her right in the face! Protecting the Ambasador Nuel should be simple but that annoying male has secrets that he just refuses to share! Lively interaction but the love came just too quick for me.
Ok Forsaken Planet really steps up with the scientific element as it's a story that sets the two main characters on a mining planet. This could have been pretty nasty as the hero Sakir has quite unusual tentacles which could well muddy the romance but luckily for him Luci is turned on! Luci is caught in a difficult position with family issues looming over her head but her courage shone through and even though I thought she was too much of a pushover when it came to Sakir it's a romance that had me intruiged about what could happen next.
Kim Knox came up with what I thought was the most unusual angle. Vampires have been done to death in romance but hers are really completely different! Yes there's blood involved but also metal that bonds to them . This is a very gory story but the most unusual part was just what the hero Andros can do with machinery. Add in a special woman that he can't resist and an adventure is born. I particularly liked the latter part of the story as explanations helped make sense of what was to me a shaky start.
Finally Freeker with it's bloodthirsty cast! Very unusual animalistic aliens that are the closest family ever! It's clearly part of a series and I already want to read more. Here we meet Chara a convicted murderer but she's on the run and hides out on Warrants ship. Not the worse thing she could do because Warrant really wants a taste of the tiny female but with hunters after her and Warrants family more than happy to throw her out a hatch just who can be trusted?
So the first story which is the longest does almost feel like a horror story. Perhaps it would have been better placed further down the list as I'm a little concerned the tone might put some readers off. That being said I did finish all the stories within this book but if you are expecting naughty smut all the way than maybe not the anthology for you. Intimate scenes abound with Forsaken Planet perhaps having the most fore play ( constant interruptions anyone ?) and I've discovered new authors so not a waste of my time. Difficult to rate though!
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review
Three and a half seems too mean as I enjoyed most of this book so four it is
October 5, 2015
Three of the stories in this collection fit the anti-hero description. The other two fit the Alphas and Aliens description.
Pandora is a M/M story full of violence. It was the longest in the collection. It was well written but longer than I though it needed to be. As M/M is not my cup of tea it was not one I enjoyed that much.
Boarded by Annie Nicholas was my favorite. There were no anti-heroes in this one; just very good Space Opera and Science Fiction Romance. I liked both Sadie Beckit and Ambassador Nual. I would not mind visiting their world again.
Forsaken Planet by Elise Logan was another story that did not have an anti-hero. Her two main characters, Luci and Sakir, are both on the side of justice and order. It was my second favorite in the collection. I though the world building in this story was the best of the lot.
Dark Immortality by Kim Knox did not appeal to me at all. It did fit the anti-hero theme. Captain Andros is just what the blurb says – an all-round bastard.
Freeker by Ella Drake is part of the Space Grit series. Again we have the anti-hero theme. This time both Chara, the female and Warrant, the male, are both bloodthirsty and love killing. Of course it has to be for a good reason. Drake turns out well written stories. In this case it is a well written story where I did not like either main character.
I am not much for anti-hero stories and reading Deep Into Darkness did not change my mind. I liked Boarded and Forsaken Planet but neither had an anti-hero. Pandora, Dark Immortality, and Freeker just were not my type of SFR even though they were written buy authors whose books I have enjoyed in the past. Those books did not have anti-heroes.
September 28, 2015
I received this box set in exchange for an honest review. First up is Pandora by M. Labbe. Pandora is the name of the prison ship that searches the great wide open space for wrecks and salvage. Except this time, they bring back something that should have stayed hidden. Second up is Boarded by Annie Nicholas. Sadie is a liaison for the Central Worlds. On a new venture with the Cygni, their ship is boarded by the warrior caste of another race. Read on to see if they can overcome.
September 24, 2015
ARC for an honest review!
I don't usually read about aliens, but I do love me some alphas and these are fantastic in that department. Great book and I loved it.
I don't usually read about aliens, but I do love me some alphas and these are fantastic in that department. Great book and I loved it.
November 7, 2015
I honestly wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book. I've been into paranormal romance for quite a while now, but I've never ventured into the land of aliens or outer space. To be completely honest, I didn't think I was going to like it much. I was wrong.
Pandora by Marguerite Labbe:
"m/m, steamy, rough sex, BDSM"
I identify as a heterosexual female, so I really had my misgivings going into this one (with it being m/m). I'm also not a huge fan of really rough sex and prefer BDSM to be used in moderation in a book (that's just my preference, not saying anything is wrong or right, just stating personal preference here). At the beginning there is the beginnings or what I'd identify as some seriously rough sex between Riff and the captain (cutting someone open with a whip rough). It never actually got a point of sex though. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy that very much and didn't find it erotic. The sex between Riff and Zed later in the book though really isn't that bad. It's obvious Zed cares about Riff and has no desire to inflict serious harm of any kind. Outside of this, this story was pretty violent and very graphic. Labbe does an excellent job of providing visuals for the readers, which was relatively disturbing during portions of the story (such as the states they find some of bodies in after the riot; Zed's condition freaked me out the most - I don't do well with needles/stitches). It had an interesting plot that was very easy to follow. I enjoyed it and it was well written, just a bit violent for my tastes.
Boarded by Annie Nicholas
"F/m, steamy"
I liked this one more than the first one (which may have had to do largely with the lack of violent/graphic nature; this lack is the case for the rest of the books, which I was completely okay with). One thing I absolutely love about this book are the Denobola. I'm a huge cat lover and was thrilled to see how Nicholas incorporated certain cat motions/behaviors into these characters to display emotions (particularly the ears, which she paid a lot of attention to). I enjoyed the main characters Sadie and Nual. There were some discrepencies in this book though. First, it is harped the entire book that different species interpret certain actions or mannerisms in very different ways. Yet there never seemed to be any hang up between Sadie and Nual, despite the fact that Sadie knew virtually nothing about Cyngi. That seems rather odd. Are the Cyngi just that similar to humans? I'm not sure and it's never really explained. This one, though advertised as such, wasn't particularly steamy. It had a really cute ending though, which I enjoyed. It's a relatively light-hearted story that was fun to read.
Forsaken Planet by Elise Logan
"m/f, steamy, light bondage, tentacles"
I'll start off by saying that I was seriously apprehensive about the tentacles, but they actually ended up being rather hot during the sex scenes. The beginning was quite confusing. I feel like there's a lot of information that would've been beneficial for understanding it. The story was short, but concise. Aside from the confusion at the beginning of the book, it didn't feel like anything was left out. It has a satisfying ending. This book is also the only one in which anybody says "I love you."
Dark Immortality by Kim Knox
"m/f, steamy, rough sex, gore"
As with Forsaken Planet, this one had some steamy scenes in it. I'd say their steaminess was rather comparable with this one coming out a little on top on the steamy factor. While I really enjoyed this one as well, it was a bit confusing. It feels like there is too much that is not explained (such as ship language). The really interesting thing was Knox's different approach to Vampires. The concept of the Leech was new to me and the metal embedded in the muscles/bones was an interesting change. Once again, a satisfying ending (probably on par with Forsaken Planet).
Freeker by Ella Drake
"m/f, steamy, rough sex, aliens"
I think this one might've been the steamiest of the five. The sex wasn't exceedingly rough by any means (the biggest thing was the whole claws thing in the beginning, which really wasn't that bad). This book does have some violence (but not nearly as extreme or graphic as in Pandora), but it isn't overwhelming (as it kind of became in Pandora). While I really enjoyed this book and thought it was definitely steamy, I feel that there was a lot that could be expanded on and the story could've been longer (it was a rather abrupt and not incredibly satisfying ending; probably should've been longer). One thing that would've been really great is if Drake had described the Scoriah in more detail. I get the feeling they have certain similarities to cats, but not overwhelmingly so and I can't be sure that's what it is. I didn't feel like I ever really figured out what the Scoriah were (though maybe reading the first two books in Drake's Space Grit series [[book:Kilt in Space|26180922] and Black Ice Heart] would help clarify that).
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a fun collection of stories that, while all quite different from one another, focus around a similar theme: Aliens, Alphas and Antiheros (of course). All of my misgivings coming into this book were completely obliterated. I would definitely read more books by any of the authors included in this anthology (I would like to read the rest of Drake's Space Grit series; the others didn't appear to be a part of a series, or at least it wasn't explicitly mentioned).
Pandora by Marguerite Labbe:
"m/m, steamy, rough sex, BDSM"
I identify as a heterosexual female, so I really had my misgivings going into this one (with it being m/m). I'm also not a huge fan of really rough sex and prefer BDSM to be used in moderation in a book (that's just my preference, not saying anything is wrong or right, just stating personal preference here). At the beginning there is the beginnings or what I'd identify as some seriously rough sex between Riff and the captain (cutting someone open with a whip rough). It never actually got a point of sex though. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy that very much and didn't find it erotic. The sex between Riff and Zed later in the book though really isn't that bad. It's obvious Zed cares about Riff and has no desire to inflict serious harm of any kind. Outside of this, this story was pretty violent and very graphic. Labbe does an excellent job of providing visuals for the readers, which was relatively disturbing during portions of the story (such as the states they find some of bodies in after the riot; Zed's condition freaked me out the most - I don't do well with needles/stitches). It had an interesting plot that was very easy to follow. I enjoyed it and it was well written, just a bit violent for my tastes.
Boarded by Annie Nicholas
"F/m, steamy"
I liked this one more than the first one (which may have had to do largely with the lack of violent/graphic nature; this lack is the case for the rest of the books, which I was completely okay with). One thing I absolutely love about this book are the Denobola. I'm a huge cat lover and was thrilled to see how Nicholas incorporated certain cat motions/behaviors into these characters to display emotions (particularly the ears, which she paid a lot of attention to). I enjoyed the main characters Sadie and Nual. There were some discrepencies in this book though. First, it is harped the entire book that different species interpret certain actions or mannerisms in very different ways. Yet there never seemed to be any hang up between Sadie and Nual, despite the fact that Sadie knew virtually nothing about Cyngi. That seems rather odd. Are the Cyngi just that similar to humans? I'm not sure and it's never really explained. This one, though advertised as such, wasn't particularly steamy. It had a really cute ending though, which I enjoyed. It's a relatively light-hearted story that was fun to read.
Forsaken Planet by Elise Logan
"m/f, steamy, light bondage, tentacles"
I'll start off by saying that I was seriously apprehensive about the tentacles, but they actually ended up being rather hot during the sex scenes. The beginning was quite confusing. I feel like there's a lot of information that would've been beneficial for understanding it. The story was short, but concise. Aside from the confusion at the beginning of the book, it didn't feel like anything was left out. It has a satisfying ending. This book is also the only one in which anybody says "I love you."
Dark Immortality by Kim Knox
"m/f, steamy, rough sex, gore"
As with Forsaken Planet, this one had some steamy scenes in it. I'd say their steaminess was rather comparable with this one coming out a little on top on the steamy factor. While I really enjoyed this one as well, it was a bit confusing. It feels like there is too much that is not explained (such as ship language). The really interesting thing was Knox's different approach to Vampires. The concept of the Leech was new to me and the metal embedded in the muscles/bones was an interesting change. Once again, a satisfying ending (probably on par with Forsaken Planet).
Freeker by Ella Drake
"m/f, steamy, rough sex, aliens"
I think this one might've been the steamiest of the five. The sex wasn't exceedingly rough by any means (the biggest thing was the whole claws thing in the beginning, which really wasn't that bad). This book does have some violence (but not nearly as extreme or graphic as in Pandora), but it isn't overwhelming (as it kind of became in Pandora). While I really enjoyed this book and thought it was definitely steamy, I feel that there was a lot that could be expanded on and the story could've been longer (it was a rather abrupt and not incredibly satisfying ending; probably should've been longer). One thing that would've been really great is if Drake had described the Scoriah in more detail. I get the feeling they have certain similarities to cats, but not overwhelmingly so and I can't be sure that's what it is. I didn't feel like I ever really figured out what the Scoriah were (though maybe reading the first two books in Drake's Space Grit series [[book:Kilt in Space|26180922] and Black Ice Heart] would help clarify that).
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a fun collection of stories that, while all quite different from one another, focus around a similar theme: Aliens, Alphas and Antiheros (of course). All of my misgivings coming into this book were completely obliterated. I would definitely read more books by any of the authors included in this anthology (I would like to read the rest of Drake's Space Grit series; the others didn't appear to be a part of a series, or at least it wasn't explicitly mentioned).
October 12, 2015
Pandora by Marguerite Labbe (m/ m, steamy, rough sex, BDSM) 3 stars
Pandora is reminiscent of the movie Event Horizon. Very disturbing and had me on edge throughout. I had a bit of a hard time reading it. Because unlike a scary movie I can't cover my eyes I just had to put it down. Pandora wasn't overly scary it was more the anticipation of what was around the corner.
The sex scene were very erotic and the story was incredibly developed. The only issue I had was calling the characters by their first name sometimes and their last names other. I never got a clear grasp on who was who. I even had trouble with the two main characters at times. Not always sure who we were dealing with when. I found it frustrating.
Overall a solid thriller with a bit of horror and some erotica thrown in.
Boarded by Annie Nicholas (F/ m, steamy) 5 stars
I really enjoyed Boarded. Sadie is exactly the type of female lead that I love! Independent, tough, and when push comes to shove she can kick ass!.
Nail was just what Sadie needed. He kept her guessing and on her toes. Didn't let her control everything. For a blue guy he seemed pretty darn sexy. I loved it.
This story is filed with loads of action and enough sexual tension you can cut it with a knife. I enjoyed this world and characters so much I really hope the author continues with this world.
Forsaken Planet by Elise Logan (m/ f, steamy, light bondage, tentacles) 1.5 stars
I was really looking forward to this book. I've read one other tentacle story and it was a scorching read. This one not so much.
The book is so overly descriptive with the technical mumbo jumbo it just lost me. I was skipping full paragraphs.
When Luci and Sakir finally got down to the nitty gritty, I was just ready to be done with this book that I couldn't appreciate it fully.
I was so disappointed, the story as a whole wasn't bad. But I felt like I needed a Physics degree to understand 1/2 the jargon.
Dark Immortality by Kim Knox (m/ f, steamy, rough sex, gore) 1.5 star
This was just convoluted. Bio-Enhanced hijackers that are basically vampires because of some kind of metal in their system. Then Madelen is a prime which is a designed being made to interface with ships...
The sex scenes were pretty good. The rest was a confusing and boring and I skipped most of it...
I'm thinking if the author had more time to build the world with more backstory it would have been better. I'm also just DONE with all things VAMPIRE.
Freeker by Ella Drake (m/ f, steamy, rough sex, aliens) 3 Stars
This story had an interesting premise. It's part oh the Space Grit Series and I honestly think I would have appreciated the story more if I had more backstory.
Chara was an interesting female lead. Not incredibly likeable yet very interesting.
Warrant was extremely interesting and I really liked him. He is the reason I want to go back and read the rest of the series.
Overall this story is a solid science fiction romance, it has an unusual female lead but it just makes the story more captivating....Sara
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Pandora is reminiscent of the movie Event Horizon. Very disturbing and had me on edge throughout. I had a bit of a hard time reading it. Because unlike a scary movie I can't cover my eyes I just had to put it down. Pandora wasn't overly scary it was more the anticipation of what was around the corner.
The sex scene were very erotic and the story was incredibly developed. The only issue I had was calling the characters by their first name sometimes and their last names other. I never got a clear grasp on who was who. I even had trouble with the two main characters at times. Not always sure who we were dealing with when. I found it frustrating.
Overall a solid thriller with a bit of horror and some erotica thrown in.
Boarded by Annie Nicholas (F/ m, steamy) 5 stars
I really enjoyed Boarded. Sadie is exactly the type of female lead that I love! Independent, tough, and when push comes to shove she can kick ass!.
Nail was just what Sadie needed. He kept her guessing and on her toes. Didn't let her control everything. For a blue guy he seemed pretty darn sexy. I loved it.
This story is filed with loads of action and enough sexual tension you can cut it with a knife. I enjoyed this world and characters so much I really hope the author continues with this world.
Forsaken Planet by Elise Logan (m/ f, steamy, light bondage, tentacles) 1.5 stars
I was really looking forward to this book. I've read one other tentacle story and it was a scorching read. This one not so much.
The book is so overly descriptive with the technical mumbo jumbo it just lost me. I was skipping full paragraphs.
When Luci and Sakir finally got down to the nitty gritty, I was just ready to be done with this book that I couldn't appreciate it fully.
I was so disappointed, the story as a whole wasn't bad. But I felt like I needed a Physics degree to understand 1/2 the jargon.
Dark Immortality by Kim Knox (m/ f, steamy, rough sex, gore) 1.5 star
This was just convoluted. Bio-Enhanced hijackers that are basically vampires because of some kind of metal in their system. Then Madelen is a prime which is a designed being made to interface with ships...
The sex scenes were pretty good. The rest was a confusing and boring and I skipped most of it...
I'm thinking if the author had more time to build the world with more backstory it would have been better. I'm also just DONE with all things VAMPIRE.
Freeker by Ella Drake (m/ f, steamy, rough sex, aliens) 3 Stars
This story had an interesting premise. It's part oh the Space Grit Series and I honestly think I would have appreciated the story more if I had more backstory.
Chara was an interesting female lead. Not incredibly likeable yet very interesting.
Warrant was extremely interesting and I really liked him. He is the reason I want to go back and read the rest of the series.
Overall this story is a solid science fiction romance, it has an unusual female lead but it just makes the story more captivating....Sara
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September 29, 2015
Pandora
When a ship is just left in the middle of nowhere it isn't safe from Captain Vidal and Riff's team for scavenge. With the carnage and destruction but no bodies and only one survivor, something isn't right. Getting back to their ship is the best bet, but what they don't realize is that they are bringing the danger onto their ship. Jed has a past just like the rest of the team, but the attraction between Riff and himself is hard to ignore. The problem? Riff is the Captains, and he wont let his hold go easy. Will they survive the madness that has taken over the ship?
Boarded
Sadie is a liaison and when she's assigned to Ambassador Nual, something happens she has never experienced before. Instant attraction and lust. Those feelings are mutual. Traveling with a race that doesn't travel outside of their space is going to be a challenge. Taking a shortcut instead of the normal path leads the crew into the bad guys who are after her. When things get bad will they survive?
Forsaken Planet
Luci has a horrible family, and thanks to Empress she can escape her father and the horrible past that follows her. Now at the ends of the Earth, something is happening on a planet they are studying. Sakir is her team leader, but the attraction between them is off the charts. However timing is never good and when an accident happens they must go to the planet to investigate what happened. Will they survive or will they die on that planet?
Dark Immortality
Andros has been a vampire, pirate, and leader of the ship for a long time. When he claims the booty, who just happens to be Madelen a Prime, the crew turns to mutiny. When the past starts to come to light and Madelen starts to change, the outcome is seriously unpredictable. When their ship explodes and Madelen finds herself alone...are there any other survivors? Or is she now on her on to deal with the changes to her body?
Frekker
Chara has been convicted of crimes she can't remember, and when she's rescued and left at Johnson's she's put into a position to escape even farther. But what she doesn't expect is to find Warrant. Who seems to be immune to her. Her memories have been used to create a drug, and the people who have held her dont want to her to go. Now it's up to Warrant to decide between his family the girl hiding on his ship.
When a ship is just left in the middle of nowhere it isn't safe from Captain Vidal and Riff's team for scavenge. With the carnage and destruction but no bodies and only one survivor, something isn't right. Getting back to their ship is the best bet, but what they don't realize is that they are bringing the danger onto their ship. Jed has a past just like the rest of the team, but the attraction between Riff and himself is hard to ignore. The problem? Riff is the Captains, and he wont let his hold go easy. Will they survive the madness that has taken over the ship?
Boarded
Sadie is a liaison and when she's assigned to Ambassador Nual, something happens she has never experienced before. Instant attraction and lust. Those feelings are mutual. Traveling with a race that doesn't travel outside of their space is going to be a challenge. Taking a shortcut instead of the normal path leads the crew into the bad guys who are after her. When things get bad will they survive?
Forsaken Planet
Luci has a horrible family, and thanks to Empress she can escape her father and the horrible past that follows her. Now at the ends of the Earth, something is happening on a planet they are studying. Sakir is her team leader, but the attraction between them is off the charts. However timing is never good and when an accident happens they must go to the planet to investigate what happened. Will they survive or will they die on that planet?
Dark Immortality
Andros has been a vampire, pirate, and leader of the ship for a long time. When he claims the booty, who just happens to be Madelen a Prime, the crew turns to mutiny. When the past starts to come to light and Madelen starts to change, the outcome is seriously unpredictable. When their ship explodes and Madelen finds herself alone...are there any other survivors? Or is she now on her on to deal with the changes to her body?
Frekker
Chara has been convicted of crimes she can't remember, and when she's rescued and left at Johnson's she's put into a position to escape even farther. But what she doesn't expect is to find Warrant. Who seems to be immune to her. Her memories have been used to create a drug, and the people who have held her dont want to her to go. Now it's up to Warrant to decide between his family the girl hiding on his ship.
September 30, 2015
I would give this book 2.5 out of 5. Three of the stories were enjoyable, which isn't bad for an anthology. The rating would have been higher but I felt that the marketing of the collection as romance was misleading. These books are definitely science fiction with relationships, not relationships with space.
Pandera -
This book had a very slow start. It was a little disorienting when the story did pick up because I felt like I had missed something. The characters, for the most part, were interesting but they lacked some backstory development. I liked the relationship between Riff and Zed and their crew. It held the story together. I gave this story a 2.
Boarded -
I genuinely enjoyed this story. Sadie and Nual were well developed and worked well as a couple. The choice of alien races were intriguing and well thought out. The action was not too drawn out and worked well to move the story along. I would be very interested to read more in this world, particularly about Sadie and Nual. I gave this story a 4.
Forsaken Planet -
This was probably my favorite of the anthology. Luci and Sakir were well developed and very extremely likable. Even though they are not entirely human, they are still relatable. There was a great mixture of science fiction, action and romance. I would love to read more about this couple. I gave this story a 4.
Dark Immortality -
This was my least favorite story. I didn't entirely understand the vampires. They had the potential to be an interesting new twist on vampires, but they just didn't get there for me. I wanted more backstory on the world and the different races. Madelen and Andros had potential but they fell short for me. I gave this story a 1.
Freeker -
I was glad to see this was part of a series. I enjoyed Chara and Warrant. I want to know more about them, their world and Warrant's brothers. It was a very quick and easy read that was well thought out and detailed. I gave this story a 3. Overall I really enjoyed this compilation, especially once I realized these stories were more science fiction and not romance.
Pandera -
This book had a very slow start. It was a little disorienting when the story did pick up because I felt like I had missed something. The characters, for the most part, were interesting but they lacked some backstory development. I liked the relationship between Riff and Zed and their crew. It held the story together. I gave this story a 2.
Boarded -
I genuinely enjoyed this story. Sadie and Nual were well developed and worked well as a couple. The choice of alien races were intriguing and well thought out. The action was not too drawn out and worked well to move the story along. I would be very interested to read more in this world, particularly about Sadie and Nual. I gave this story a 4.
Forsaken Planet -
This was probably my favorite of the anthology. Luci and Sakir were well developed and very extremely likable. Even though they are not entirely human, they are still relatable. There was a great mixture of science fiction, action and romance. I would love to read more about this couple. I gave this story a 4.
Dark Immortality -
This was my least favorite story. I didn't entirely understand the vampires. They had the potential to be an interesting new twist on vampires, but they just didn't get there for me. I wanted more backstory on the world and the different races. Madelen and Andros had potential but they fell short for me. I gave this story a 1.
Freeker -
I was glad to see this was part of a series. I enjoyed Chara and Warrant. I want to know more about them, their world and Warrant's brothers. It was a very quick and easy read that was well thought out and detailed. I gave this story a 3. Overall I really enjoyed this compilation, especially once I realized these stories were more science fiction and not romance.
October 12, 2015
I did not like this set very much at all. The only stories that were worth reading was the BOARDED by Annie Nicholas and DARK IMMORTALITY by Kim Knox. I liked those two stories.
PANDORA by Marguerite Labbe 1 STAR
Really didn't like this story. To violent! To graphic. The sex is to rough. Over all it's just to over the top. To MUCH!
BOARDED by Annie Nicholas 4 STARS
I liked this one. It's not as good as many of her other books but it's good.
FORSAKEN PLANET by Elise Logan 1 STAR
The tentacles were a different and interesting touch. But over all this story didn't grab me.
DARK IMMORTALITY by Kim Knox 3 1/2 STARS
I liked this one also. The vampires were cool. I'd like to read more of this story. I plan on checking to see if there are more books.
FREEKER by Ella Drake 1 STAR
This story just felt incomplete. I think if it had been longer it might have been better. But it was just lacking depth. It didn't inspire me to read more about them.
Sorry but this set was a bust for me.
****Gifted ARC copy****
L.
PANDORA by Marguerite Labbe 1 STAR
Really didn't like this story. To violent! To graphic. The sex is to rough. Over all it's just to over the top. To MUCH!
BOARDED by Annie Nicholas 4 STARS
I liked this one. It's not as good as many of her other books but it's good.
FORSAKEN PLANET by Elise Logan 1 STAR
The tentacles were a different and interesting touch. But over all this story didn't grab me.
DARK IMMORTALITY by Kim Knox 3 1/2 STARS
I liked this one also. The vampires were cool. I'd like to read more of this story. I plan on checking to see if there are more books.
FREEKER by Ella Drake 1 STAR
This story just felt incomplete. I think if it had been longer it might have been better. But it was just lacking depth. It didn't inspire me to read more about them.
Sorry but this set was a bust for me.
****Gifted ARC copy****
L.
October 4, 2015
I haven't gotten to read all of them YET
But this one is about
Annie Nicholas : Boarded
My favorite Sci fi romance!
Sadie is from earth working as an liaison. Right now she is helping the Cyngi. The Cyngi have blue skin and tell very little about their people. So this was a great honor to be asked to work with them.
Niall was the anbasador for the Cyngi on a symple trip everything goes wrong
Action packed, exciting with many twists and turns in this story. It's got aliens of all kind and what a great story.
I loved it.
Book gifted for an honest review and I honestly loved it
Now off to read the rest. Don't miss this one.
But this one is about
Annie Nicholas : Boarded
My favorite Sci fi romance!
Sadie is from earth working as an liaison. Right now she is helping the Cyngi. The Cyngi have blue skin and tell very little about their people. So this was a great honor to be asked to work with them.
Niall was the anbasador for the Cyngi on a symple trip everything goes wrong
Action packed, exciting with many twists and turns in this story. It's got aliens of all kind and what a great story.
I loved it.
Book gifted for an honest review and I honestly loved it
Now off to read the rest. Don't miss this one.
October 4, 2015
Good and not so much
Book 1. Oh, I really didn't like this one at all. Over 1/3 of the book and only 1 real sex scene.
Book 2. Now, this one was good. Only 1 real sex scene, but I loved the story.
Book 3. It was ok, decent story and more sex than the others. Would have liked a little more tentacle involved.
Book 4. Metal vampires, now that was a new one. And I really liked it!
Book 5. Although the writing was confusing at times, I liked this one.
Book 1. Oh, I really didn't like this one at all. Over 1/3 of the book and only 1 real sex scene.
Book 2. Now, this one was good. Only 1 real sex scene, but I loved the story.
Book 3. It was ok, decent story and more sex than the others. Would have liked a little more tentacle involved.
Book 4. Metal vampires, now that was a new one. And I really liked it!
Book 5. Although the writing was confusing at times, I liked this one.
October 5, 2015
I had not yet read a story from any of these authors previous to this, but now I have 5 more authors to add to my reading list. They also took me in a new direction as far as style goes but I did enjoy each story greatly. It took me a little bit to get use to the Sci fi aspect but was well worth it.
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February 11, 2016Please see Boundless Book Reviews for the review.
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