Exile

Exile #1

by Colleen Vanderlinden

Two races fight for what remains of a dying planet.

For generations, the Maarlai, an alien race who fled the destruction of their own home world, have lived silently, hidden, exiled on Earth. They watched, year by year, as humanity destroyed what was once a planet full of hope and promise.

Unable to idly watch as the planet dipped further into destruction, the Maarlai left their hidden villages and went to war with what was left of humanity. With the death of the last great human king, the Maarlai found themselves victorious and vowed to protect and restore the planet that had sheltered them for so long.

A treaty made, an alliance formed.

Shannen of House Lyon is a member of the last of the human royal families. While they bend knee to the Maarlai ruler, her people have not forgotten their former greatness, the years of bloodshed and horror... or the memory of their fallen king.

To ensure a lasting peace between their two peoples, Shannen and three other prominent human women are sent to the Maarlai capital. One of them will wed the future Maarlai king, cementing the peace between former enemies.

When Shannen finds herself married to the Maarlai warrior, she discovers a whole new world... and freedom unlike anything she could have imagined. When war threatens once again, she will need to decide where her loyalties truly lie.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Aliens, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Magic, Royalty

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 22, 2016

About the author

Colleen Vanderlinden is the author of the Hidden and Hidden: Soulhunter urban fantasy series, as well as the Copper Falls paranormal romance series.

The her novels Home, Nether, and Godkiller have all been finalists for RT Book Reviews’ Reviewers Choice Awards for best self-published urban fantasy novel. Her books have consistently received positive reviews, and RT Book Reviews has called her storytelling “electrifying.”

She also writes small-town contemporary romance as Ella Linden. Her book, Lost with You, won the RT Book Review Reviewers' Choice Award for best Indie or Small Press Romance in 2017.

She lives in northern Michigan with her husband, kids, demonic Basset hound, and four lazy cats. You can find out more about Colleen’s books at colleenvanderlinden.com, or follow her on Twitter.

Reviews

[namericanwordcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot that Vanderlinden writes Sagas! Ahhggghhh. We are in for a long lushious ride with this series.

There isn't really a cliffhanger but more of much more to go in this tale.

The alliance marriage makes this feel more like a medieval with aliens and thus a fantasy romance that a science fiction romance but the mash up is well done.

The hero comes to cleave to his wife and the heroine comes into her own power. She is a bookworm which I love.

The pace is sedate but lots is happening and the love story could be more detailed but you feel it.

Let's see what happens next!

[Colleen Vanderlinden]

Ooh. Fantasy romance! This was so much fun to write, and I hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it. If you like smart-ass princesses and honorable warriors, I hope you'll give Shannen and Daarik a read.

[Jo Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exile. Freaking Exile. I fell in love and feel a bit destroyed from the experience. Colleen Vanderlinden’s venture into the world of fantasy romance tells the tale of a marriage made across political lines in hopes of bringing peace to warring nations. Shannen and Daarik were not star-crossed lovers, but both are strong willed and noble. They do what they need for the greater good, and then things get really good. I loved this well spun tale, Ms. Vanderlinden took a genre that I enjoy and made her own indelible mark – this is a series worth reading!

[Leyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what rating this one desrved.... It didn't sweep me off my feet, but I liked it. Oh well....We'll see! Review soon...

[Coco.V]

🎁 Books 1 & 2 in the Series are Free on Amazon today (5/29/2020)! 🎁

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 82%. And it's a short book, so I could have easily finished it, but I was starting to feel like my IQ was dropping with every page. Which is a shame, because I was in the mood for a light read, and the story started out well enough, with our heroine, the human Shannen, being chosen to marry an alien prince, Daarvik, in order to establish peace between their peoples. Shannen was kind of aloof and sarcastic and Daarvik was decent and honorable, and I thought these were characters I might enjoy spending some time with.

But soon it became apparent that the world-building was shaky and the plot was taking a turn towards the ridiculous. Apparently this story takes place on a future earth, which humans have almost completely destroyed, and then returned to a sort of low-tech, medieval society. And these aliens were hiding out in the forests for years and years before they decided to fight for the planet. As to how these aliens got here in the first place, it was magic. And their written language is so similar to Earth's that Shannen can teach herself how to read by comparing documents in both languages? (Note: as someone who has studied Arabic, Japanese and French, let me tell you that is NOT how second language acquisition works!) None of it made any sense. Even for a light fantasy read, I want things to be thought out a bit better.

Oh, and the sex scenes made me cringe. On their wedding night, they were observed by someone from Shannen's city and Daarvik's grandmother, who took a REALLY close look afterwards to make sure it was consummated. Yuck! And when they got over their snits and had more sex, Shannen mentions how her new husband is so well-equipped that she can barely wrap her hand around it. I'm sorry, that doesn't sound sexy to me, that sounds horribly painful and like she would need a trip to the emergency room afterwards.

Despite all these criticisms, it was a mildly entertaining story, and I probably would have finished if it weren't becoming apparent that I was heading towards a to-be-continued cliff hanger instead of a proper ending. At which point I decided to abandon ship and look for something else to read.

[Jericho McKraven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this read three and a half stars, but goodreads still doesn't do half stars so I rounded up. 🤭

Okay so, keep in mind I'm currently reading book two and still had to go reference the character's names to write this review. That's how riveting my brain finds this series. 😮‍💨

I think Exile started off strong with slight Brishen and Ildico Vibes (Radience by Grace Draven) but then things took a turn. Maybe the book was literally too short? Maybe the writing is simply not to my taste, but Shannen and Daarik didn't spend nearly enough time together for me to believe in the strength of their love.

The sexual tension was there, but the closeness between them, while believable - just needed... more. The friendships were too new, her belonging or not belonging to her people too tenuous. The characters all needed more screen time to not feel rushed.

I thought these issues would be resolved in book two but that's turning out not to be the case. So the read was good, not great, cute but not engaging (for me).

There's two sex scenes that are decently steamy and I'm sure there's some triggers as well, but I'm not a very sensitive reader so I didn't notice them. 🤔 🤷🏼‍♀️

And sadly that's all I have to say. I mean, I could write a bunch of spoilers down here but I don't think that's necessary, the book is pretty straightforward and easy to follow. It might scratch your itch for dystopian/sci-fi. The author definitely had an original vision! There were some aspects of her world that I really loved! I just wish things had been fleshed out a bit more. 😮‍💨

Happy reading everyone! Give this a try and let me know what you think!

[Sarah Leenart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I've been swept up on the wave of an adventure in the good old fashioned sense of the word, and along the way it took a little pice of my heart. Shannen and Daarik were so not what I was expecting when this tale started on Colleen Vanderlinden's blog. I can vividly see the broken world as it is described with it's warring nations, both caught up in their own ideals of what right is - how appropriate for these times, and indeed all times! For such a far removed tale it has made me reflect once more of just how I should treat those who are different from myself, something to mull over in the back of my head while I am reading.

Shannen and Daarik, neither of them perfect but meant for each other and along the way they are going to somehow have to figure out how to save both their races and the world along with it. No small task and this first outing is but dipping our toes into the story. It was lush and had an epic feel about it and I quickly came to love the characters (although beware getting too attached to some :-) ). I am very excited about this series and for anyone who loves fantasy, romance and adventure this is definitely for you.

[Stormie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really really good. I wanted more! I even wish it had been longer. I loved Shannen and Daarik. This was such a great start to this series and the ending didn't leave me reeling, it gave me hope. But I need the next one like, yesterday.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best sort of story

When this book ended, I was like "wait, what?" The novel sucked me in and I can't wait for the next one.

[Yogesh Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book a lot. Probably because I like reading about union of 2 cultures through marriage and that's what happens here.

The story is slow paced explores the relationship among the characters but there were many fall backs in the book and probably why the book has less than 1000 ratings. The things I most disliked:

1) Insta Romance - I have read my share of insta eye rolling romance and I don't hate them but this book didn't make it good enough for me. Probably since it started with marriage bed.

2) Politics - The politics were too simple for my liking. It was very dull

3) Weak Heroine - The author may say that the heroine is a badass considering she was a defiance etc but I found it lacking. Her character was too shallow. They kept claiming that she is great but I didn't see anything of such kind.

What I liked the most:

1) The hero: That guy was amazing. He was a warrior with no mind of politics. A guy of honor than deception.

My recommendation is neutral. If you want a light romance after some Epic fantasy then you may try this.

[B.L. Teschner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never been more in love with an alien than I am with Daarik. He was so sweet and protective, respectful and strong. I just loved him to pieces.

I liked how at the beginning the flowery smell of her made him gag, but then that changed once he started falling for her. One of my favorite parts was when he said the scent of her was everywhere except for where he wanted it most, which was all over him. Gosh what a romantic. And then when he told her that only a fool would wish for less of her... Droolfest. I know, I’m lame lol.

This story reminded me of Beauty and the Beast, except this maiden wasn’t so innocent lol. But I liked her.

And I’ve learned that apparently I’ve got the hots for aliens...

[Shasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typos- I noticed a character called by another's name in the first chapter. 7% in there is a random 's' in dialogue. More mistakes like that continue every few pages. It made me wonder if this was a final draft.
The planet is Earth with an alternate history. Yet, the world building was vague. Extreme statements were made about both species that made them stereotypes and cheapened the characters. The h's back story didn't make sense to me.

I felt that the idea the H wouldn't be expected to remain faithful didn't need to be repeated as it was. Then he has a great time on his wedding night and falls for the h...I almost gave up there.

And then I get to the end, and it's not the end! No closure until book 2.

Mature sexual content

[Kelsea David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted more from this book. I love cross species romance, and I was really jonesing for a good one when I came across this book.

Outside of the Maarlai constantly calling the heroine a "human whore" I didn't get that huge of a sense of them being two different species. They were warring factions, sure, but that was the estent of the tension I felt between the two groups.

I also felt like I was going in circles/getting whiplash. The her and heroine could not make up their minds about whether they got along or not, they would be sweet then stand offish, and it wasn't believable. Plus everyone was throwing accusations left and right, based on very little evidence.

Like I said. I wanted so much more :( I love me some aliens

[Vicki Ramirez]

I like this book a lot. I happened upon it while finishing up another series by the same author, and was drawn into this story. I love that the main character is a fiesty, smart mouthed lady named Maarlai who is seemingly set up by her family to marry into another race on the planet in the name of peace.

The story is good. It moves along quickly and has good and quirky characters. I'm excited to see the next installment!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this had been longer. I feel many of the plot points were rushed. It was still good but the love story was just too rushed. I wanted more background on the characters and what they went through. Sigh... Maybe the second book will be more detailed in building the storyline.

[This Literary Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sucked me in right from the beginning. It was a joy to read and I can not wait to find out how the story continues!! Humans, Aliens (not the creepy ones

[Robbinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good now where's the next one?

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Edited to say this review has some spoilers ***

This book kind of had some promise at first but I just didn't love it. It's about an Alien race that has taken over Earth because humans let the Earth turn into a wasteland with their irresponsible wars and what not. So the Alien's King wants his son Daarick to marry a human woman to kind of help with peace between the species. He's like "this sucks but HONOR!!!!"

Shannen is the niece of the human king and is a self proclaimed brat and too curvy but that's okay because she likes books and gardening so she has a personality. She's slept with countless men (literally she can't remember how many) but only to get control of her life and kind of stick it to her uncle! (Greeeeat plan ) Are we supposed to like this about her? Since her uncle is described as a ruthless tyrant, I'm just going to assume that all those men she slept with are dead...and she has NO remorse. Maybe if she was like " yeah I probably should have come up with a different way to disrespect my uncle and I realize now that it was a bad idea " *sends fruit basket to dead guard/stable boy's family members * But instead she tells Daarick this and he's like "eh it's cool! Sex is awesome and your sarcasm is ADORBS. Let's get drunk so I can put my beer goggles on when we consummate our marriage because I find you hideous."

Yep he thinks she's ugly but then gets the hots for her because she's "interesting" and he likes to make her orgasm even if it's in front of his grandma! (That part is true) Speaking of orgasms there are a few fairly graphic sexual scenes...nothing crazy but it's detailed. So be warned if that's not your thing.

I didn't get Shannen's character at all. She was supposed to be this avid reader but she doesn't have a curious mind. Humans basically know nothing about these aliens and didn't even know they existed until they were like "your killing the planet and now it's under new management " *lots of death * If I was her I would be asking questions like...."how did your species get here? What was your home planet like? Are their other aliens? How many hearts do you have? Did you leave all the other creatures on your planet to die? Did you have pets? " the list goes on forever! Instead the only question she asks is "do you have a penis?"'which is actually a very good question but she doesn't think about it until it's almost time to "do the deed" . I would have asked about their mating rituals probably back at the home castle. Anyways, we do learn a little about how they arrived in Earth and that they saw their world destroyed by a telescope they had received from another race of aliens. You would think Shannen would have follow up questions but no.

Also some of her alien friends keep hinting that their King was alive when they left their planet which was hundreds of years ago. So how long do they live? We don't know and Shannen will not ask for you. She does try to learn their language but reading about someone learning a language is almost as boring as learning another language.

Daarick's character really wasn't too bad but his reactions to situations were sometimes unbelievable.

By the way, this book is SHORT! It took me less than 4 hours to read . It also had a lot of grammatical errors (I'm sure you will find a lot in this review too)
It definitely had potential but It just wasn't very interesting when it could have been. Maybe the next book will have more back stories and better world building. I can't decide if I will buy the next book or not . Part of me is curious and the other part of me is not willing to spend the money. In some ways I hate writing bad reviews because I could definitely not write a book...so you keep at it , author girl.

[B.L. Twitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago but I just had to come back and write a review!

Daarik is an alien. I am in love with him. I mean, not only is he strong and protective of his woman, but he's thoughtful and nice. Aliens can be sexy. Daarik is sexy.

I can't even remember the name of "his woman", because I imagined me as her anyway so I don't think that matters at this point...

I wish I can remember exact quotes from when I read it, but let's just say it was so good that it has stuck with me for years. I need to read it again for sure!

So the main takeaway from this review is Daarik is a hot alien who has haunted me in the best way for years and he is one of my book boyfriends...

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Stars

Original concept, great world-building, amazing characterization. This book started off good, but immediately gets better and better. I definitely did not see that ending coming, and am thoroughly impressed by it, as well as the author's writing. Exile was a welcomed surprise, one that I would highly recommend.

[Jenny Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shannon and Daarik

A must read! Shannon and Daarik are my new favorite couple. I can't wait to start reading the next book "Riven". Great scifi romance and character development.

[LaShanta Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars

I have to start by saying I didn't think this book would be as good as it was, but I really enjoyed it. The writing kept me interested and the characters were relatable. The conflict between the humans and the Maarlai, as well as the internal strife within the Maarlai royal family gave more than enough drama to keep the plot twists intriguing.

I liked that the author made Shannen into someone that was overall disliked (by the majority of the Maarlai), while also helplessly likeable as a character. She suffered a lot in her life and essentially suffered in silence, but she was a very strong person and defended herself when need be. I liked that against all odds she chose to show trust and follow her heart and her instincts. She was in a situation where she knew no one, she was hated, and she still managed to thrive and not become bitter. I wish her relationship with Daarik had blossomed more than it did, but I guess the time that it took was warranted. They had a lot of differences to overcome. I liked that he opened up to her, but I felt he was very naïve throughout most of the story. This was surprising since he was such a renowned warrior. I loved that Shannen and Janara developed such closeness and the initial source of that friendship developed because of books - genius, on the author's part. I was afraid that there could possibly be some sort of love triangle between Shannen, Daarik, and Baerne (Daarik's stepbrother), but I'm glad the author didn't go that route.

I didn't like that this book ended on a cliffhanger (with no release date for the next book as of this review) and with heartbreak, but it does give me something to look forward to from the author. I would read other books in this series, but I find myself on the fence as far as other works by the author are concerned.

[Jacquellyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars for this one!!

I LOVED this book! It was a book that pulled me in and never let go. It had the perfect pace and the perfect balance of average life scenarios and drama. I felt connected to the characters and like I could picture myself in their shoes. I cannot wait for the next book!!

The only reason for not full 5 stars is due to editing. There was a chapter or two with a weird icon attached to some words(which was easy to overlook). But the book could have used a read through again before release. Nothing that distracted me terribly, but when the story is a dystopian type, you never know when words are purposely new and weird or not. So until I realized that it was a commuter error, I was confused.

Such an amazing story tho!

[Jada Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again?! Really?! More dead people and one that I really liked. Colleen is giving GRRM a run for his money, I swear. I love that the protagonist is more cunning than her husband and that she starts to plot a way to help out the people behind everyone's back. She sees shit that needs to be done and takes action to get it done. I am not an alien fan in books, movies, etc. but Colleen makes them feel as though they are part of any other *normal* paranormal entity. The Maarlai are now part of my paranormal community and I cannot wait to read the next one!

[Izzie d · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intersteing new world and culture.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
Political marriage between 2 sides who are not physically attracted to each other at all initially.
The Hero seeks out other woman before wedding but no details.
After marriage it's understood that he will see other people though that never happens.
Both involved with other prior to marriage.
Strong if vulnerable heroine.
Plot issues solved in this book but others are raised for book 2.

[Sara Oxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, I have been eagerly awaiting the release and when it dropped I was reading book 4 in an 8 book series, I was very conflicted and did something I never do I dropped a series to read this book. Major pressure. But it didn't disappoint, I loved it. I have yet to find a book by Colleen Vanderlinden that I haven't enjoyed and think the woman deserves God status, but even so this book is amazing..Go buy the book!!!

[Tina Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic series!

I have been a fan of Colleen's since reading her Hidden series. This woman is so talented it's crazy! Exile is different than her other series, and I already love Shennan and Daarik, I hope I spelled those names correctly. Anyway, a human is being offered to an alien race to be wedded to the Prince. It's said to bring peace to warring races, however it's so much more! Fantastic book one!

[Kandis · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW another great book by Colleen Vanderlinden!

5 Stars really isn't enough stars for this book. The story just pulled me in and I just couldn't let go. The world, the characters, and the storyline took me to a place that I just wanted to stay in. I am now so anxious for the next book and I hope there are more to come.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't know what to expect but an enjoyable book from start to finish. Humans being ruled by alins after almost ruining the earth. A human woman married to an alien man to keep the peace. Of course they fall in love, but war is brewing. An enjoyable read.