Aydarr

Sectors New Allies #1

by Veronica Scott

Jill Garrison, a maintenance tech at the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony, goes to sleep one night as usual only to wake up in her nightgown stranded in the middle of a forest on an unknown world. There’s no time to think as she’s stalked by carnivorous predators and rescued by genetically engineered warriors calling themselves the Badari. Turns out they and she, along with her whole colony, are now prisoners of the Khagrish, a ruthless race of alien scientists. Working for enemies of the Sectors, the Khagrish have created the Badari to be super soldiers.

Aydarr, the Badari alpha, isn’t sure he can trust Jill but his attraction to her is undeniable. He impulsively claims her as his mate to prevent her death at the hands of the Khagrish.

Can he continue to protect her from the experiments already underway? Will his claiming her put his pack in jeopardy from their alien masters?

As Jill searches for a way to rescue her fellow humans and get them all to safety, she finds herself falling for Aydarr, despite the secrets he’s keeping. She has a few of her own.

The situation becomes dire when Aydarr and his pack are sent offplanet on a mission, leaving Jill unprotected, prey for the senior scientist. Can she escape the experiments he has in mind for her? Will she be able to thwart the Khagrish plans and liberate humans and Badari alike? How will she and Aydarr reunite?

This is the first book in a new scifi romance series and each novel has a satisfying Happy for Now ending for the hero and heroine, not a cliffhanger. Some overarching issues do remain unresolved in each book since this is a series but romance always wins the day in my novels!

Genres: Science Fiction, Aliens, Science Fiction Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Ebooks, Futuristic

148 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 3, 2017

About the author

USA Today Best Selling Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance author.

Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart. Dad loved science fiction, Mom loved ancient history and Veronica thought there needed to be more romance in everything. When she ran out of books to read, she started writing her own stories.

MISC FACTS ABOUT VERONICA
Seven time winner ~ SFR Galaxy Award

Proud recipient ~ NASA Exceptional Service Medal but must hasten to add the honor was not for her romantic fiction!

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt – I’ll improve your process (mwahahahaa)!

Elvis Presley’s best friend once serenaded Veronica on a local TV telethon…now that could be a novel…

Reviews

[E.G. Manetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of Veronica Scott know that no matter how harrowing the danger or despicable the villains, there will be an HEA. For the Badari Warriors, Ms. Scott has amped the despicable and harrowing with the dark side of alien abduction, as in it's time to experiment on the captives. Although nothing super gruesome happens on page, knowing that it has and can, makes former special forces tech Jill's battle for survival page turning. Aydarr is everything I love in an alpha; strong, dangerous, protective, and if a bit clueless, willing to learn. The sadistic pseudo-scientists they combine forces to escape deserve everything that happens to them. That escape hinges on a bit of miraculous ancient technology is a bit of an eyebrow raiser, but MARL-the-AI's character is so entertaining, it enhanced the narrative.

4.5 rounded to 5.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It is the beginning of the Badari Warriors series, and sets the bar high. Full of action and adventure, this story captured my attention from the get go.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

After over a year delving into The Sectors series world and wrapping up the last of the released stories in that series, I was not utterly depressed like I get when favorite series are over because I was well aware this spinoff series, Sectors New Allies awaited me. Set in the same sci-fi world, but in a new location outside The Sectors, I was eager to explore an exciting new alien situation and romance.

Aydarr opens with a human woman from the Sectors, ex-Special Forces tech and lately colonist, waking up in an unknown jungle. She went to sleep one night in her home and woke up here. Then bad becomes worse when hard, fit and large warrior human-like men known as the Badari break it to her that she’s been captured by a cruel alien race to use in their scientific studies and experiments and not likely to survive.
The Badari pack protect her and take her in as their leader’s mate all to keep her alive, but Aydarr is immediately drawn to the courageous human woman, Jill Garrison, who plans to find the other humans and free them all against formidable odds. He has yearned for freedom for so long.

The very first moments are action-filled and I loved how the situation is dire right from the get-go. Captured by cruel aliens and long odds had me all in to see Jill, Aydarr and the rest somehow pull it off. The romance is a cross between fated mates and instalove. Things happen fast and are somewhat forced with the romance due to the aliens wanting to observe their captive human and one of their Badari (whom they see as barely sentient animals) breed.

This does the work of setting up the world of the series and driving forward with an exciting plot. The first half goes slower and gets the reader settled into the world, the characters, and Jill and Aydarr’s romance. The second half splits them up and the action takes over driving the plot. I liked what I got from both aspects.

Jill is no damsel in distress and she’s ex-military. She tends to be a dive in and make it happen rather than a planning analytical type so it was fun to see her butt heads with first Aydarr who cautions her the get the lay of things first and then something similar with another leader type she meets later in the story because she definitely likes being in charge herself. Jill does most of the narrating and the focus stays on her part of the story the longest so the world can be introduced as Jill gets to know it. Aydarr gets some narration and I enjoyed having both.

I won’t spoil it, but there is a fun side character that comes along to be Jill’s sidekick and I hope the sidekick is a regular figure in the rest of the series.
Several characters are introduced and I could easily see how others will become prominent and likely get their own stories as each installment will focus on a different couple involving the Badari and the humans.

All in all, I was entertained and flew through this with a taste for more Badari getting their stories and seeing what comes next in the ongoing series plot.


My full review will post at Books of My Heart on May 21st.

I enjoyed Buddy Reading with Lola from Lola's Book Reviews.

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in Veronica Scott's Sectors New Allies series. Jill Garrison went to bed one night and woke up to a nightmare. She is on an unknown planet with strange beasts and even stranger "men". The Badari are some kind of genetically engineered beings produced for the Sectors' enemies. Aydarr is their alpha and has claimed Jill for her protection. The Badari have super senses and strengths but are prisoners of the Khagrish.

Meanwhile, Jill has sisters and many other humans that were taken too. The Baldari along with Jill seek to find and liberate the prisoners. And destroy the labs along the way.

I love Veronica Scott's work. Sci-fi romance is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I just wish there were more authors writing it. While I wouldn't say that the story was perfect, I loved it all the same. Excited about getting on to the next book. This series has a story line that continues on to the next book. Not sure you could call it a cliffhanger since no one is dangling over a cliff. (hehe). But the story isn't done.

[Jeffe Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this science fiction romance! With a savvy, courageous heroine who's been captured by a cohort of alien races and a very sexy hero, this book pulled me right in and kept me turning pages. Fascinating universe and competing alien races. Loved every bit of it. Recommend!

[Debra Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Purch Amz Dec 5, 2021
from Elfie Sparklepants

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aydarr is the first book in a new series by veronica Scott and I've been eager to start this new series, but also a bit hesitant to start a new series and wonder whether I would like this one as much as her previous books. Aydarr was a solid start to this new series, while different in tone that some of the author's other books, I also recognized elements that I've come to expect in Veronica Scott's books. I read this as a buddy read with Sophia and had fun discussing the book while reading.

Aydarr is told mostly from the point of view of Jill, who gets kidnapped from her home on a colony world and wakes up on an alien planet with dangerous creatures, she gets rescued by some Badari warriors who take her in and care for her. The Badari warriors are genetically engineered warriors and help captive by those who run the experiments on this planet. It was absolutely horrifying to read about how the Badari warriors were treated and from the start I was hoping they would manage to escape. Most of the details of these horrifying experiments are only mentioned and not shown, but it still made me feel uncomfortable to hear what the had to go through.

A lot of the story takes place while the characters are in captivity and while it made for an engaging story with me wanting to read more and see how and when they would escape, I felt like it made for a less than romantic setting for a romance. The plot was exciting and filled with danger and some action and it kept my attention as I wanted to see what would happen next and whether they would manage to escape and free everyone.

I liked both Jill and Aydarr as characters and they have their own personalities. Aydarr is a clear leader and also is sensible enough in how he approaches things and tries to keep his pack safe. While Jill is more of the barge in and take risks type. I liked how she had some skills that came in handy as she used to be in the military. There are plenty of promising side characters as well. And a side character that gets introduced later in the book that I really liked.

When it came to the romance I struggled a bit more with this one. Jill and Aydarr meet as he saves her from a creature and he takes care of her and helps her recover from her poisoning. They are attracted to each other, but there isn't a lot of time for them to spend with just the two of them and really get to know each other. I felt the author still managed to give us a feel for both characters and build their connection, but it still felt a bit fast to me. It bothered me how at first Aydarr wouldn't tell Jill much, even though his reasons for doing so made sense. I didn't like the circumstances surrounding their first intimate time together, even while it was clear their feelings ran deep and they cared for each other, the circumstances didn't feel right. It also felt a bit fast to me how things developed, but I did feel their bond and love for the other was clear.

The world building is well done and as the book progresses I got to understand more about the Badari and their captors. The situation on this planet becomes clearer too and who is behind it all and how things work. I especially liked learning more about the Badari, their customs and their culture. I liked how they developed their own culture, values and traditions even while being held captive their whole lives. I found it interesting reading about them. The Badari feel a bit like shifters in some ways, with how this pack is called a pack and they have claws and fangs as there are canine DNA in their genetics of this pack.

To summarize: Aydarr was a solid start to this new series, it introduced the Badari and their situation. What the captors did to the Badari is absolute horrifying and I wanted to know if and how they would escape. The story was compelling and kept my attention, but I would've liked to see more of the characters being free as so much of this took place while they're in captivity. While the story was interesting, I felt the romance felt a bit off due to the circumstances and setting. I liked Jill and Aydarr and we get to know them and feel their bond, but I thought their romance progressed quite fast and I didn't like the circumstances surrounding their first time being intimate together. They both are likable characters to read about it and I like seeing how they work together. There are some interesting side characters as well and I am looking forward to reading more about them. The world building is well done and as the book progresses there is more information about the world, the alien captors and the Badari.

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong hook in the opening, good pacing and lots of action in this SFR. I liked how balanced the hero and heroine were, with both being capable and strong. Interesting world-building.

Quibble: Finding working weapons when needed seemed a bit too coincidental.

[Debrac2014 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it tho it has a cliffhanger ending!

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fighting For 💘Love

This is a very interesting Alpha Alien Male🐺🍆🌋🔪 X Romance because Jill💋, the woman in the book, is a human maintenance technician with extensive military training, and she is transported to an alien world in the middle of the night.

The Alien, Aydarr🐺🍆🌋🔪, is also a soldier, but he's an unwilling soldier that was bioengineered to fight, and is forced to fight in off world skirmishes with his pack of all males. His race, the Badari🐺, is all male, all warriors. They are controlled by another alien race👹 and a special bracelet that cannot be removed.
The pack is left to roam in a nature preserve as primitive hunters inbetween wars they are dispatched to fight.
The bracelet summons the pack to a headquarters when they are needed to be sent somewhere to fight. Jill💋 is the first female to ever be sent among them. Was her insertion into the pack a mistake or was it done on purpose?

There is a lot of world building and good descriptions of the Alien men🐺, alien technology, and alien creatures👹. I liked the book immensely because there is a lot going on all the way through. The book📑 ends in kind of a cliffhanger, which paves the way for the next book📑!

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I did not like about Aydarr is the fact that the heroine has to start the adventure dressed only in a revealing nightie. Yeah, I get the circumstances, but I would like a special forces veteran to be a bit more practical when she is sleeping alone in a Sectors colony.

Despite Jill’s dubious scantily clad start, she proves to be a strong heroine, used to taking charge and getting things done. At one time this clashes with the alpha-dominated structure of Aydarr’s tribe. Good. They (the Badari and Jill) all need a little conflict to work through.

Aydarr is the original nice guy. Maybe too nice. I mean, a nearly naked woman shows up out of nowhere and all he can think about doing is protecting her. It is nice to think a hero can be an alpha and a nice guy.

Other genetically engineered soldiers add interest to the story as do an AI named MARL, alien races and ties to the history I already know from the Sector SciFi Romance series. If you are a fan of that series, I am certain you will enjoy Aydarr. The story stands alone, but there are cliffhanger aspects. This does not prevent what one assumes to be a HEA for the heroine and hero. It does set the reader up for another book in the series.

In the last few weeks, Aydarr is one of two books that I have read that has the element of genetic engineering. The theme of re-defining the sentient being is a theme that I always enjoy reading about. It causes us to think about what it means to be ‘human’ or, as I prefer to say, a viable sentient being that is equal to what I know to be a human being. I hope Ms. Scott will explore this theme more in upcoming books in this series.

The author provided a copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.

[Diane Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Winner for Veronica Scott. Jill wakes up in not just a strange place, on a strange planet. When she's rescued from a monster, she discovers she and her rescuers are prisoners in a cruel science experiment. Her rescuers, the Badari, are genetically engineered warriors. Aydarr is their alpha, who claims Jill as his mate to save her from death by their ruthless keepers.

Although this is a new series, the reader will recognize the Sectors (the good guys), the Chimmers (the bad guys) and their overlords, the Mawreg (really bad guys). As usual, Ms. Scott gives enough description to let our imaginations fill in the rest. Her character development is top notch. Jill's courage and daring endears the reader. Aydarr, an alien (to Jill) species, has the sensitivity of a true hero and the skills to protect his clan. The plot moves quickly with more danger than Jill imagines. I do not recommend starting this book before bed. You will be up all night, like me. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Leann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book because the world was different even within this genre, and the plot flowed nicely, though not very believably. Unfortunately the writing was so bland and superficial that it was frustrating. All tell, no show. It’s like reading a factual report of events. And while I liked the main characters, there was barely any emotion, no depth. They were just not believable, and considering the world and situations, it was just odd and boring that there was no interpersonal conflict or misunderstandings. But the clincher for me was that in this “romance”, the main characters only spend a handful of days together (conscious) throughout the whole book, including ONE tepid romantic scene. 🥱😒

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

**MINOR SPOILERS**
This series is fairly large and has connections, I think, to other series. The books are set in the same universe with different planets and different species.
The Badari are a group of enhanced soldiers that have had animal DNA spliced into them. Various experiments have been performed on them over the course of several generations. There are no female Badari. The doctors, aliens called Khagrish, have done the experiments are generally sadistic in a way that is reminiscent of Nazi Germany.
Jill, the female main character, is an amazing person and the hero of the story. She is described as a mechanic and former soldier, but she also has hacking abilities. She is also honorable and loyal. Small spoiler… as the book continues, she is a good leader.
Jill was abducted from her home world and wakes up in a forest. The how and why were not made clear, but the who is an enemy species, the Khagrish, that run experiments on other species. When they abducted Jill and others, a cruel guard thought it would be interesting to leave her in a forest with dangerous animals. However, she is rescued by a team of Badari led by Aydarr.
The Badari are an alien species that have been experimented on in the hopes they will become super soldiers. Each 5 years, a new group of cadets is created and Aydarr, the male main character of this book, is part of the 8th generation. Following that logic (and the way older generations are killed), , Aydarr would have been about 20, but the way his character and that of his pack was written, he seemed to be a bit older.
Aydarr and his pack have fangs and claws. They also can communicate telepathically with each other. They have been kept in line by the Khagrish because of their concern for the younger soldiers or cadets.
The story was told mostly from Jill’s point of view but includes a few scenes from Aydarr’s POV.
The story happens over a short period of time. There is insta-love between Jill and Aydarr. Part of this is because of a mate bond that might come from Aydarr’s animal side.
I liked the AI of the story, MARL.
The next two books in the series are about Jill’s sisters.
I wanted to try a new author. I plan to try another book by this author. It is not a perfect 5 star book but I rounded up.

[mlady_rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aydarr (Badari alpha) & Jill Garrison (former Special Forces maintenance tech aka hacker extraordinaire, Sectors Amarcae 7 colony)

Jill wakes up, still in the lingerie she went to bed in, only to find herself in the middle of an alien forest. Strange animal noises have her fleeing, only to tumble into a pit. Faced with another predator, and unable to free herself from the pit, Jill finds herself rescued by a group of male warriors.

Aydarr is the alpha of his small band of Badari warriors. The Badari are the prisoners of the Khagrish scientists who made them by blending a base DNA with animal DNA to form a sort of super soldier. Aydarr and his pack are the 8th such generation. They are kept in check by control bracelets and by the threat to the next two generations of Bardari kept separate from the grown warriors.

The idle in the wilderness is the Bardari’s reward for a mission well done. Soon they will be ordered back to the labs, where the painful experimentation will continue. Jill was thrown in the Preserve with the Bardari as a mating experiment. She is one of a large group of humans abducted from the Sectors Colony Amarcae 7. The rest lie in stasis, waiting for the Khagrish scientists’ next sadistic experiment.

Aydarr does indeed claim Jill as a mate, first to protect her, then as a lasting bond.

When the Badari are sent on an off planet mission, Jill finds a way to escape the lab via ventilation shafts much too tight to accommodate the size of the Badari. She finds a valley protected by an ancient AI which bonds to her. On her first foray back to the labs she frees her sister and several special forces soldiers from stasis.

Their second more organized raid is lined up to when the Bardari are returned, as Jill wishes to save both her warriors and her fellow humans. Most critically is getting Aydarr out in time, as he refused to follow orders on the latest mission and is due to be executed.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jill Garrison was a maintenance tech on the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony but wakes up in her nightgown in the middle of a forest on an unknown world being stalked by carnivorous predators. She is rescued by a Badari genetically engineered warrior and it becomes clear that they are all prisoners of a race of scientists called the Khagrish who work for Sectors enemies. Aydarr is the Badari alpha and is attracted to Jill and so claims her as his mate to save her from the Khagrish. The question is can he continue to protect her and can Jill find a way to rescue the other human prisoners and can she stay safe when they send Aydarr and his pack off-world on a mission?

I enjoyed that Jill was her own woman and not prepared to accept a role as the little woman hiding behind her alpha and his pack. She definitely proved her abilities and her resourcefulness both before, during and after the Badari was sent on their mission. Easy to read and understand. Contains some mature content. A good start to the series, not sure if it was enough to persuade me to read the next in the series.

[Heidi J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tech Sergeant Jill Garrison wakes up on her own in a pink satin negligee in ‘the Preserve,’ an experimental testing ground for an alien race known as the Khagrish. She’s a fighter by nature, but even a strong women appreciates a helping hand when trapped by two vermores interested in feeding her to their poisonous nestlings.

It doesn’t hurt that Aydarr, the alpha of a pack of genetically-engineered super soldiers is kind to her and built like…well, as you’d imagine a genetically-engineered super soldier would be.

Her odds of staying alive certainly appear better as Adyarr’s mate and part of the pack, but they are all prisoners. With the help of a 10,000 year-old A.I. named MARL, Jill must find out what happened to her sisters and the other human colonists who were taken, and help Aydarr’s Badari warriors in their competition to survive the winnowing of their genetic line the Khagrish have planned.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was disappointed when I started Aydarr. I though Oh No another alien abduction story. It is that but it had some interesting twists that kept it from being run of the mill. For one thing the main female character was a Sector solider at one time and she can take care of herself. Of course there is that alien she bonds with. She was abducted from the Sector and that is the tie in to the previous series set in the Sector. The abductors are another tie in as they are the same enemies from the sector series. There are some very interesting characters, a well developed plot and a very predictable romance.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book and the series has great promise. Lots of action, intrigue, sci-fi, and of course strong alien cyborgs! So why not five stars? Because the cyborgs are more human emotionally than the actual humans. In that respect the book reads more like a modern day romance. Way too much understanding and goodness in beings that have no humans to emulate but rather evil overseers and physicians. If this goodness is innate in the human DNA used as building blocks over 8 generations ago, that in itself would make for an interesting storyline. As the book reads, there really is no sense that the ‘heroes’ are true cyborgs other than heightened abilities.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast moving, with a interesting plot, a good story line.
I loved the two main characters and how they with the help from others managed to overcome the many difficult situations being faced at every turn, such as stopping the breeding experiments from happening, finding other kidnapped humans, getting free from the Khagrish, all the while they do their best to stay alive..
This was a new series for me and I'm looking forward to continuing with the next two book and finding out what happens next.

[Severine Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It!

This was recommended to me and I was in search of a new series. I was not disappointed.

I loved the heroine, Jill. She a tech, not a total Mary Sue and she learns from her mistakes. Aydarr is strong but a gentle man who doesn't like his circumstances.

I cannot wait to see what happens next.

[sharon e hochstetler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!!!

The action. The complete confidence and bravery of Jill. Her amazing ingenuity. She never gave up. She pushed hard. Aydarr was a fair male. He took charge without being a jerk. He took the leadership role personally. He protected everyone. Jill's rescue of Aydarr was AWESOME. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!!!!

[Natasha Maltman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4
1 Star = DNF.
2 Star = Finished. Didn’t really enjoy.
3 Star = Finished. Story was neither good nor bad.
3.5 Star = Finished. Story was good. Will probably pick up next in series if there is one.
4 Star = Finished. Enjoyed story & will definitely pick up next in the series!
5 Star = Bloody LOVED it! ❤️

[Whitney (whtnymllr) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! Jill and Aydarr are such a great couple. There’s definitely some insta-love/fated mate stuff, but I really believed they were meant for each other (even though the book was on the short side!) Despite Aydarr’s “alpha” status, they’re very much equals. Really excited to see more of this series!

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great start to a new series! The story had it all – alien abduction, evil scientists, alpha heroes and a setting/backstory that makes me think about the creation of all the storm troopers in Star Wars. I really enjoyed how so many different characters, situations and even tech components came together in such a great plot. Clearly there are many directions that the story can go from here!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story line.

Purchased this book on a recommendation from another, was so happy she did. After reading this one I went out and bought the rest of the series immediately lol.

[Chrissi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book in this series and have happily clicked on the second book.
The world building is great, and the characters are well developed. Super interested to see where this series goes.

[Juanita E. Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great start to a new series. The storyline is filled with action and adventure. The characters are endearing and I can't wait to read more from this author. I received this book as a Free copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.

[Pamela daSilva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aydarr by Veronica Scott

What a couple was Aydarr and Jill. This couple was strong and courageous. They both fought to save love ones. This was action pack with a dash of romance two things I adore in a good book. I encourage you to get the book.

[Cheri Winget · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written well and the world developes with each chapter. Jill and Aydarr's relationship ends in a HEA. Lots of action and romance.
Well worth my time and $$
I received an ARC from this author but am leaving this review freely.