Dark Swan

Otherworld Assassin #2.5

by Gena Showalter

The Alien Huntress series is back with fan favorite AIR agent Dallas Gutierrez from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling paranormal romance author Gena Showalter, who doesn’t disappoint with this sizzling hot alpha hero.


From Blood Red Kiss anthology


Lilica Swan isn’t quite human or otherworlder; she is the best—and worst—of both.

She is willing to do whatever proves necessary to save her sister from the seductive and deadly Alien Investigation and Removal agent, Dallas Gutierrez, even bonding her lifeforce to his by effectively marrying him. But the bond will fade without consummation. Can Dallas resist his insatiable desire for the powerful beauty? Or will she lead to his ultimate downfall?

Genres: Romance, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Aliens, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Novella

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2017

About the author

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs and cats.

Reviews

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

I can think of three things you need right off the top of my head,” he said. “Well. Let’s hear them.”
“A spanking, a hug, and a good hard fuck.”

Firstly, this novella was originally released as part of Blood Red Kiss, so if you have that one, you'll find this delicious little novella inside. If you haven't read Gena's Alien Huntress, you my dear friend, are seriously missing out. After I first discovered this author with her Lords of the Underworld, I soon found myself binging on her Alien Huntress series. Then I soon found myself completely hooked on Dallas and slowly dying a little with each year that passed and we didn't get another book in that series. Well Gena has finally rectified that with Dallas's story, and let me just tell you, it was worth EVERY SECOND of the wait!

...those sweet women with sweet smiles had never fully satisfied him. He’d never wanted one for more than a single night, because none had ever meant anything to him. But this woman with her carnal smile and quick wit utterly fascinated him. He couldn’t get enough of her.

Dallas has been hunting the Schon queen that's been building her army by deceasing all that come in sexual contact with her. And let's just say the woman has some...stamina. Uhem. While at first I was convinced that Dallas would somehow end up with the queen, Trinity, I was a little baffled by the heroine's name here. Who in the world (pun intended) is Lilica? Oh the deliciousness of it all!

Lilica Swan is sassy, classy, and all things bad-assy!

Congrats. You’ve mastered hiding your actions from me. Now it’s my turn.” With no more warning than that, she slammed her knee between his legs. He hunched over, gasping for breath, stars winking through his vision. She smiled at him. “Sorry there’s not a tracker to help you find your balls.”

Lilica is determined to save her sister that's in the crosshairs of AIR and especially the stranger from her dreams with the crystal blue eyes. When she finally comes face to face with Dallas, nothing can prepare either of them for what happens.

Dark Swan was everything I've come to love about this author; humor, snark, witty banter, sizzling romance and an addicting story. And it had my beloved Devyn (from Seduce the Darkness), so how can I not love it?

This finally brought the immensely satisfying conclusion to the Schon story line and gave the much awaited HEA to one of my favorite characters in the series. I really hope that there will be more books in this series, but even if it ends here, it couldn't have ended with a better book.

P.S.
I have no idea why this is marked under Otherworld Assassin series, because it's not.

ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review

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[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark Swan by Gena Showalter
Otherworld Assassin book 2.5. Alien Huntress crossover. Paranormal romance. Best read as part of the series. Previously published in the Blood Red Kiss anthology.

AIR agent Dallas and Lilica Swan finally get their HEA.
Dark, sexy and a bit snarky. Kick it heroine. Happy that Dallas finally got his story.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been awhile since I’ve read an alien based story from Showalter and I’ve forgotten how much I enjoyed these sexually charged encounters, uber alphas and their female counterparts that can kick but with even the super alphas out there.

Genetical experiments, the three sisters are now battling to find their way back to each other when Agent, Dallas Gutierrez is accidentally bonded with deadly, could be a foe.

This is a novella in length, but Showalter still manages to pack a punch. Dark Swan doses us in the sexual chemistry extreme and give us enough depth filled plot to keep the reader invested.

I received this ARC copy of Dark Swan from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books - Pocket Star. This is my honest and voluntary review. Dark Swan is set for publication September 25, 2017.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Gena Showalter
Print Length: 160 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star
Publication Date: September 25, 2017
Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
ASIN: B071CTJYFV
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled (for those text to speech listeners out there, Audiobook is available)
Genre: Scifi Romance | Aliens

Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Julia's Book Haven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a part of the Blood Red Kiss anthologies bundle just fyi for anyone who might want to read it before it comes out in Sept on its own.

[Marta Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has already been published in the Blood Red Kiss anthology so check before buying in case you own it.
So finally the author returns to her sci fi series and yes it's at last Dallas who gets his own story although it is slightly disappointing as it's practically novella length. This series about aliens in New Chicago and the AIR agents who 'police' them were the first books I read by this author so naturally it's one of my favourites and yes Agent Dallas has been there since the beginning. Oh he's not exactly how he started and has definitely gone through trials of his own even whilst others got their happy ending . Still it's been obvious for some time now that the Schon queen as well as going around infecting people has set her sights on Dallas . The disease that controls her is insidious and downright nasty but still far too many men fall prey to her advances and Dallas and the rest of the AIR are determined to catch her .
Into this the author introduces three sisters who were created using DNA from so many species I've lost count! So expect abilities that are truly out of this world. No longer children but young women who can be deadly and our heroine is Lilica and when Dallas first meets her Lilica is a prisoner of his closest friend Devyn. Well it just so happens that Dallas has been having visions and yes you've guessed it they heavily feature the colour changing Lilica! Dallas knows that somehow she's the key to taking down the Schon queen but first of all he needs to convince Lilica to trust him.
I loved being back in this world and reading the interactions between Dallas and Devyn was truly as amusing as ever as the word ego simply was made to define this wise cracking pair. Plus there's a couple of old favourites that manage to sneak into the story so that made me happy. I had gotten the impression that Lilica is naturally blessed with a black skin tone that changes so truthfully I'm not that happy with the cover that shows a female that could have stepped off a YA fantasy book! This right here is partially why this story is regrettably not a five as it fell far short of the previous steamy books. Yes they want to jump each other's bones but it just lacked the fire of previous books such as Seduce the Darkness and Ecstasy in Darkness. I've always enjoyed the mixture of hot passionate romance that's a bit naughty that slots happily into a fast paced rollicking adventure . For this reader admittedly there is chemistry but not the pure adrenaline rush that the authors sizzling romances have had in the past. I enjoyed catching up with Dallas and I'm very pleased that there's finally a happy outcome to the Schon storyline but I'm left wondering about the character John that appears here and I'm hoping he does get a book at some point.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

[Siobhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a point where the only romance stories I would read were of the paranormal variety. Things have changed over time, and I’m much more willing to pick up romance stories of all kinds, but paranormal remains my favourite. Despite it being my favourite, I’ve read surprisingly few of the big names in the genre. Gena Showalter is one such big writer in the genre I have failed to pick up.

Whilst the Lords of the Underworld series does seem interesting, I’m not crazy about picking it up. There is potential, but it does not scream out to me in the way some series do. Of Gena Showalter’s series, it’s the Lord of the Underworld series that interests me the most. Thus, you can see why I have not picked up a Gena Showalter book before.

However, I was finally given my introduction to Gena Showalter through Blood Red Kiss. I brought it to read Kresley Cole’s The Warlord Wants forever, yet I was happy to give the Larissa Ione and Gena Showalter stories a read as well. Unfortunately, of the three, the Gena Showalter story was my least favourite.

It’s possible I would have enjoyed this one more had I read the two prior Otherworld Assassin books, but I’m not sure. A part of me believes if I were to go and read the Otherworld Assassin books I would not enjoy them much, and I would blame it on how I have not read the Alien Huntress series of which it is a spinoff. I believe this is one of those situations where my desire to like something will have me creating excuses of why I didn’t like it. Sadly, the reality of the situation is that very little of this one appealed to me. Moreover, I’m not interested in finding out more.

Throughout the entire book, I failed to connect with any of the characters. I wasn’t at all interested in the details of their lives, nor did I feel anything towards them. Anything could have happened and I wouldn’t have been at all bothered – there was nothing to make me care about them, nothing that interested me. I know followers of the series enjoyed this story because of the male lead being of interest from the prior books, but I didn’t care for him at all. There was nothing about him that I found interesting – and I didn’t feel anything for our female lead either.

The story failed to entertain me, too. I kept expecting something big to happen, for there to be a moment where I felt something, but it went along without me caring. I kept reading – forcing myself at times – hoping something would occur, but nothing ever did. There was no plot twist, no real moment where things made me feel, and it was all rather expected and cliched.

There was the potential for things to be interesting, a part of me was curious about the world building, but the way in which the story was told left me feeling nothing at all. Part of me blames this on my lack of knowledge caused by not having read the prior stories, but a much larger part of me believes it was Gena Showalter’s storytelling – whilst it wasn’t bad, it simply wasn’t something I enjoyed.

Overall, I’m unlikely to be picking up another Gena Showalter book at any point in the foreseeable future. My sister has read her White Rabbit Chronicles and really enjoyed it, which means she has been asking me to read it for quite some time, so there’s the possibility of me one day picking up something else Gena Showalter wrote, but it is unlikely to be soon.

[Donna Sweeney]

Hallelujah

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Gena strikes again. I devoured this book, I seem to always say the same stuff when I review Gena's books but I am not lying, I am not pretending to love her work, I just do. I truly do. Gena is a treasure, she's precious.

Back to the actual book. Dark Swan is not a full novel but it's not a novella either, I think it's about 216 pages long, more or less. I usually have a hard time liking shorter books, it's hard for me to connect with the characters, love story etc but it wasn't the case with Dark Swan, from the very first word to the very last one, I was hooked.

We've all been waiting for Dallas's book, it's been years and Gena finally wrote his story for us. I've always been a big fan of his in the Alien Huntress series and so I was thrilled to be able to read and learn more about him. Trust me ladies, he does not disappoint! Dallas is as broody and sassy as ever in Dark Swan. Of course, it's a shorter book so at the end you may want more time with him but, don't fret, I have a feeling Gena isn't done with this world and these characters...

I strongly encourage you to read the Alien Huntress series before reading Dark Swan, for several reasons:
- it's an amazing, funny and kick-ass series
- Gena wrote it
- you'll get to read more about Dallas and his past
- and, obviously, you'll understand the book much better

Anyway, Dark Swan basically starts right where Dark Taste of Rapture ended. The AIR is still trying to find the Schon queen, the bitch is still infecting people and Dallas is still Dallas. Our heroine, however, is new to us. Lilica is not an alien, she's not human either, she was created by scientists along with her two sisters. Lilica meets Dallas through Devyn when the latter captures and tortures her for information about the Schon queen. I really can't say much more except that I hadn't read more than 20 pages before Gena dropped a small bomb on me and I was shocked. Well done, G, well done.

I honestly loved that book, I think Gena did a marvelous job with it. I mean, it's not easy writing about a character from 5 years ago, remembering all the little details about him but also about the universe, the secondary characters, the plot etc. I found myself right back into it, it was like Gena never stopped writing about them in the first place.

If you loved Dallas before you're going to love him even more now! He made me laugh right from the start with his oversized ego and his relationship with Devyn is so precious. I think their bromance is my favorite from all of Gena's bromances. I really liked Lilica as well, she too is very funny and quite sassy (Gena is the queen of sassy heroines), determined, strong and with a drop of innocence. And, if I'm not mistaken, I think Lilica is Gena's first black heroine. Which was a very nice change and something I really appreciated!

The sexual tension is off the charts in this book! Loved the playful relationship Dallas had with Lilica, he doesn't hold back at all with her and it's so amazing to read. I laughed in more than one occasion while reading this and it was mostly because of what Dallas said to her without restraint. Or vice versa.

Of course and to my delight, a lot of characters from the Alien Huntress series make an appearance in Dark Swan. Especially Devyn and Bride, both are important to the story. Devyn is one of my all time favorite characters, I love him so much and I was so happy to have more of his cocky self in this book. He is just so precious and hilarious.

All in all, I'm sure Dark Swan wasn't an easy book to write but Gena did it brilliantly, the plot was very well written and it gave a satisfying conclusion to the series...even if I'm sure we're not quite done with them yet.

[Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Dark Swan brought me back to a beloved universe, as The Alien Huntress was one of my very first PNR reads.
Lilica and Dallas were fun to follow, but there were several scenes that felt very familiar to me somehow, and that made me enjoy myself less than I could have.

[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - The world of Otherworld Assassins is still very interesting. I wish there had been more.

[Under the Covers Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes!  The heavens opened up and answered my prayers.  Dallas, in my hands, my greedy greedy hands.  Full disclaimer here that I think the males of this series are so sexy and so alpha and so delicious that you won't be able to not fall for them!  But back to Dallas.  Whenever there's a story I anticipate this much it's a very exciting moment to start reading it but also it's nerve wrecking.  The expectations that I've built up are through the roof, and quite frankly I have to wonder if the author can deliver.  My nerves were even bigger because this is a novella.  A NOVELLA!  I thought for sure Dallas needed a full length book in order to be the HEA I wanted for him.  He's just so special.  So I was scared to read it but also couldn't wait.  Let's just say that... I should've just trust Ms. Showalter.  DARK SWAN is definitely not what I expected but it's the story worth of Dallas and it does him justice.  I was quite happy with the heroine (another big fear of mine) and I found I connected with her from the beginning.  And I really loved how who she is brings a chapter in the overall plot to a close.  Dallas is his usual cocky self and thank God for that.  The man is hot, he knows it and he also knows how to use it.  I admit there was a lot of quote highlighting with this one, in part because of Dallas, but in part because this book features a bit of Devyn.  Now if you read my review of SEDUCE THE DARKNESS you'll know I am head over hills for this cocky otherworlder and it was delightful to see him in this story as he is Dallas' BFF.  Their dynamic is awesome and brought many smiles to my face.

While DARK SWAN gave me everything I was waiting for so long, it's also reignited my love for this series and I hope we get to see a lot more from it soon!

Favorite Quotes:

"I can think of three things you need right now off the top of my head," he said.
"Well.  Let's hear them."
"A spanking, a hug, and a good hard fuck."

Lady Wicked wants her man.

"Every word and every action is a seed.  One day something will grow from it.  Whether good or bad.  Just depends on the kind of seed I planted."

*ARC provided by publisher
Reviewed by Francesca❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really sure why this is labeled as part of the Otherworld Assassin series since Dallas is a character from the Alien Huntress series and so is the sister of the heroine of this books. This really is a novella for the AH series since all the secondary characters in this story all had books of their own. (Shrug)

In any case, I loved that Dallas FINALLY got his own story even if it was just a novella, but at least it was a long novella. Since we see Dallas in most of the previous books in the AH series it felt like his story had already started.

Dark Swan was funny and sexy. Make me wish there were more books in the Alien Huntress series but I still have the two books in the Otherworld Assassin series (which is a spin-off) to enjoy.

[Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never read a book by this author before and I always wonder why I haven't.

The reason I picked up this book? The cover. I just love it!

I must admit I have never read a book like it, like an alien created by human species with super powers. It was nice for a change up in my reading.

Would I read another book like it. I think I would!

[Kimmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the first time I met Dallas in Mia's story I've waited patiently for his story. And Gena did not disappoint me. I love Lilica. She keeps Dallas on his toes. The story is action packed. Another home run and worthy of five stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Selenity Jade (Coffee Addicts Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Another hit from Gena Showalter. Anything this author creates is gold and this novella proves that. Got to love Lily and Dallas!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review posted on Got Fiction?

This story was published in the Blood Red Kiss anthology Read my review here

This Gena Showalter story takes us back to her Alien Huntress/Otherworld Assassins series which is one of my favorites. And finally! Dallas’ story!

It’s a long novella, and it’s vintage Showalter. By that I mean, it fits in perfectly with the Alien Huntress series, even though it’s listed as part of the spin-off the Otherworld Assassins. Lilica Swan is one of three triplets who were created rather than born. Their entire lives are spent under observation and experimentation. It isn’t pleasant. Yet she grows up to be a good and decent person, even though she believes she’s evil.

Her sister is a long-time enemy of AIR, and Dallas is going to use Lilica as bait to capture her sister Trinity, and contain her. But Lilica isn’t having that. She allowed herself to be captured, and is planning on thwarting Dallas’ mission. What neither one of them counts on is falling in love.

Lilica believes she can help her sister, Dallas wants to kill her. Meanwhile, Lilica is his captive. Not the best way to start out a relationship…

Dallas, oh Dallas, have I been waiting for his story. And I loved it! He was worth the wait, and I hope this series is not over. After all, there are hints of her other sister Jade having a love interest. With her wit and snark forefront, Ms. Showalter has created a likeable heroine with a sassy mouth, a hero who’s just as quick, and an intriguing world.

note: I think this can be read as a stand-alone. You’d be missing out on a bit of backstory, but you wouldn’t be confused. Although, if I may, this series is perfect for bingeing. Just sayin’.

***ARC courtesy of Pocket Star

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Swan was the novella in Blood Red Kiss.

[Diane Lynch Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

review to come

[Ang -PNR Book Lover Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Swan by Gena Showalter
Wow, Bookish friends (!!!)
If I knew I could have read this like months ago I would have, you see that this little novella is in the anthology Blood Red Kiss alongside Kresley Cole and Larissa Ione *hangs head* I brought that little guy months ago, any who…

Dark Swan is about Dallas, and when I say I, and the rest of the AIR fans have been waiting a long time for this story I don’t mean weeks or months even. I mean like YEARS (!!!) Yes, you hear me correctly I have been waiting for the Dallas’s story for years, and finally the day had come, I am overwhelmed with excitement.

He was worth the wait, you could read this as a standalone but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Gena takes us back into the Alien Huntress/Otherworld Assassins series which for me was one of my favourite series by Gena. I love that this story was a decent size, as always Gena’s writing is flawless and the pace of this story was perfect. The characters have her signature banting couple, that are HOT for each other and accidently mate, but try not to make that bond any stronger.

I felt like this was an end of a chapter, she tied up loose ends with the AIR series and it was well done. I loved that I see my fav characters from previous books, this one Dark Swan picks up from Dark Taste of Rapture ended all them years ago. I didn’t need to go re read it, I just jumped in head first and gobbed it down. The team is still trying to capture Schon Queen, she’s still the murderous bitch we all hate, just this time there is a twist. The female lead in this story is her sister, Lilica and she wants to save her sisters.

If you loved Dallas, or loved even Devyn then you will love this story. These guys had me laughing from the first page, and even till the end I was giggling. Gena did such an awesome job with this novella.
Arc was received by the publishers
PNR BOOK LOVER REVIEWS

[Book Reading Gals · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Dark Swan

Series: Otherworld Assassin Book #2.5
Author: Gena Showalter

Genre: Romance, Paranormal

Blurb: The Alien Huntress series is back with fan favorite AIR agent Dallas Gutierrez from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling paranormal romance author Gena Showalter, who doesn’t disappoint with this sizzling hot alpha hero.

Lilica Swan isn’t quite human or otherworlder; she is the best—and worst—of both.

She is willing to do whatever proves necessary to save her sister from the seductive and deadly Alien Investigation and Removal agent, Dallas Gutierrez, even bonding her lifeforce to his by effectively marrying him. But the bond will fade without consummation. Can Dallas resist his insatiable desire for the powerful beauty? Or will she lead to his ultimate downfall?

Favorite excerpt: “I can think of three things you need right off the top of my head,” he said.

“Well. Let’s hear them.”

“A spanking, a hug, and a good hard f@#k.”

Thoughts: So it’s been awhile since I read a book from this series, and it was always one of my favorites by Gena Showalter. And trust me, this book will remind all of us what we have all been missing! Instantly, your thrown back into the world that Showalter does so well and with characters we’ve been missing for so long. Many of us love Dallas, so to get a book centered all on him? Yes, please! We also learn more about the Schon Queen, Trinity, and her sisters. And Lilica is the perfect foil for Dallas, and one of my favorite characters.

So, what are you waiting for? You’re in for a treat with this one, so rush out and get your copy!

Rate: A
Review by:Sarah
http://www.thebookreadinggals.com

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hesitant to start Dark Swan because it's been so long since I've read the others books in the Otherworld Assassin series. I'm so glad I jumped right back to it. It was so easy to just fall right back into the world that Gena created in this series. The characters are so magnetic, aggressive but charming in this... gritty sort of way. Lilica (such an awesome name) is such a well crafted, head strong character. You want her to conquer the world. Save her sister who has lost her way. She and her sisters lived one hell of a life... if you can even call it a living. Lab rats basically. Enter Dallas... sigh worthy, gritty, sexy Dallas. He lived a hellish life as well. They make an add pairing but you can't seem to get enough of them when Lilica accidentally bonds them together.

Steamy, sexy, gritty, heart-stopping.... I couldn't get enough.

I was sad that this wasn't a long, full length novel. Being a 2.5, these were two characters that I would've read a 500 page novel on just because I couldn't seem to get enough of them.

Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars
Cover Rating: 3 Stars
Plot: 5 Stars - Plenty of ups, downs, highs & lows. You cheer & you rail for and at the characters.
Climax: 5 Stars! Crazy how the power was there all along.
Ending: 5 Stars (I was so sad that it was wrapping up and ending. Pretty sure I pouted aloud as I read the last few pages.)

[Tracie R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story, it was great to go back and touch base with the Otherworld Assassin series if only for a short while. Dallas & Lilica are great characters and the dynamic interaction had you right back in the series. I really hope we get to read more of this series

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've missed this book series so much<3 I love Dallas and I'm so happy he finally found his happily ever after:)

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5🌟This was delightful! Very different but I had a great time with this story.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Tanya Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first comments are that I was very confused by this book's series assignment. I knew the character Dallas and the whole Schon disease from the Alien Huntress series. If I remember right, some of the characters leak over to the Otherworld Assassin series, but to me, Dallas was Alien Huntress. In Goodreads, it is listed as Otherworld Assassin. When I went to Gena's site, it showed it under both series. Color me confused. So, for indexing in my review, it will go in Otherworld Assassin, but truly I believe this is Alien Huntress.

Dallas's story was one I had been anticipating since I read the series, oh gosh, a couple of years ago maybe? He was a wise ass, self-centered character who had a slight issue with some of his new abilities. His attitude made him a favorite and I wanted to see who would be able to tame him. Dallas was having a lot of visions and communications with Trinity, the Queen of the Schon, and I was hoping SO hard that he didn't hook up with her. The introduction of Trinity's sisters brought on a whole new meaning to some of Dallas's visions.

Lilica was one of three sisters created in a lab with mixed alien heritage. They all had different abilities and were treated harshly in their lab environment growing up. The three are inseparable until Trinity contracts the Schon disease. Lilica and the third sister, Jade, are out to try and find her, thinking they can save her. We find Lilica as a prisoner of Devyn's. Devyn is another of my favorite characters with his self-centeredness and general devil may care attitude. Once Dallas takes over the care of Lilica, they find themselves in a situation that brings them together win a way that is both good and bad for them.

I enjoyed Dark Swan and was really glad to have Dallas's story. Even more glad he didn't end up with Trinity. However, I didn't have the connection with Dallas I had in the previous books. He wasn't as off the wall outrageous as he was before. Lilica did temper his normal personality some. It is still there in places, but I didn't feel it as strongly. It also could be that I haven't read an Alien Huntress book in years and my feelings for him have diminished a bit. I felt like the story left off with a possible love connection that I'm wondering if it might potentially lead into another book. We'll have to see!This review was originally posted on Rantings of a Reading Addict

[Rhiannon Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Swan by Gena Showalter is the tale of a woman named Lilica who has over twenty parents. Yes, twenty plus. She also hatched/created from an egg, along with her two sisters, Trinity and Jade, but that’s the least most odd thing about this fantastic story. For the sake of spoilage, I won’t go into detail about the world created for us, but in case you haven’t read any blurbs about the story yet, it takes place far into the future, in a world where alien species live along with human beings. Technology is crazy advanced.

And showers are almost unheard of. No, really. Wait to read about that for yourself.

I find it wonderfully fitting that Lilica, once dubbed Lady Wicked, finds a romantic hero and powerful lover in a man who is tasked with capturing and killing her sister, Trinity, in order to zap out a futuristic super STD. The romantic scenes were sizzling and the tension between Dallas and Lilica was fierce. I also enjoyed the action scenes, though there were few.

What I always love about Gena Showalter is that her storytelling doesn’t slow down. I can keep the same pace throughout the entire book and not feel like I’ve entered a Twilight Zone of meandering prose (and, let’s face it, that happens sometimes when you’re a reader of books). The characters in the story all have incredible background stories that I wanted to explore almost as much as the main character’s story. Also, I can confidently say I wasn’t disappointed in learning the ins and outs of the futuristic, alien filled world within the story. No topic left the reader in the dark and everything alien or futuristic subject or object was described and explained adequately.

I gladly offer anyone who enjoys a good, spicy romance my recommendation for this book.

[archdandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm 99.99% sure I am NOT a fan of Gena Showalter's work after reading this short story of hers. The only other books I've read by her were the first two in the Otherworld Assassin world and I gave both of them a 2 star rating so I must have disliked them as much as I did this one. I guess I forgot about it because it's been a while since I read them.

I'm not sure how this really plays into the Otherworld Assassin world but maybe it would have made more sense to me if I had read her Alien Huntress series. There were one or two familiar characters but the rest were all new and not great. Plot wise I don't think it fit into the other series at all. I'm pretty confused on why it's categorized as this series at all.

The characters were kind of lame and I hated the dialogue between them. I'm really not a fan of when she starts a sentence that's already been cut off. They don't start the way proper sentences should and it really irritates me. The two main characters had insta-love and it was really nauseating. Dallas wasn't appealing and Lilica was pretty annoying. I understand it was a short story and maybe we would get more in the Alien Huntress series but I wish they had developed Lilica a bit more. The fact that she grows up in a lab as an experiment is so interesting and the book kind of glossed right over her escape from that hell.

I liked the premise and some of the world building that was going on. I think it could have been a good book but Gena Showalter's writing is just not for me I guess. Also that cover is horrendous.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, maybe it is because the previous books didn’t tie in nicely or deliver surprises much, but this book was so good! It’s almost the size of a normal book but was apparently part of an overall anthology. We read this in book club to finish up this world and it delivered a nice bookend to the bigger story arc.

Dallas has been the focal point (or at least key contributor) to all the AIR books. He has been through a lot in the form of essentially changing his species to due to an emergency “blood transfusion” from an alien. He has adapted, made good friends, hurt bad people, but has been the perpetual bachelor of the bunch. He attracted the attention of the queen of a race of deadly aliens, but then there was a bunch of hand waving that set her back in the priority of deadlies. Now she’s back, and we even get to learn about her origins!

Lilica is the co-star here, in the form of a sister to the evil queen. There are three sisters in total, all lab created by combining alien bits and birthing these triplets. They are vastly different in ability, childhood, and desires, but are inseparable. After that lab, as predicted, implodes after the “queen” gets infected, the girls are forced into the real world for the first time ever.

Through some twists and turns, we end up seeing Lilica and Dallas meet up and hook up with major complications. Was this the absolute/tie all the things up/perfect end to the series? No, of course not. But this was immensely satisfying to get to Dallas’s HEA. It’s smutty, fun, and gives a satisfying end to this series/world.

[MMBAT · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dallas is like the William of this series, and I expected a THICC book entailing his story and his heroine. I did not expect a novella and definitely did not expect the heroine we got. The Schon Queen would have made for a better match, I swear. He had so much potential, and mainly because he was with us from the very start of the series. His character was a bomb, his personality and the mystery that shrouded him in his every step were things that made me think his story needed a book of its own. But all that potential was flushed down the toilet and we ended up with the weakest story-line there was to date in the Alien Huntress series. Color me unimpressed and so disappointed that I had to pull a Men in Black and delete whatever I read from my memories so as to not feel the heartbreak I felt when I read it.

So. No thanks and pass for this one. Love the series, though.