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Regent Killian Larrestes survived a harrowing attack and the betrayal of his family by his mother, and has since worked to help them all recover, learning the complexities of protecting and commanding a large, sprawling Clan.
Shiloh Zahirris is seeking Sanctuary from a marriage he doesn't want when he ends up under the protection of Killian Larrestes. Killian takes him in, and they find themselves falling in love. But will social objections, personal insecurities, and someone seeking revenge destroy their chance at happiness?
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2018
4 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
T.N. Tarrant
15 books52 followersTN is a hardworking single mom living in the wilds of Wyoming who enjoys embarrassing her child with bright red lipstick prints to the forehead. When she isn't embarrassing her child or hunting, killing and dragging groceries home through the snow, she loves to write romantic stories with hot lovers.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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January 15, 2019A Joyfully Jay review.
DNF
I regretfully was unable to finish this book. From the blurb, I expected more world building, and social and moral examinations of relationship, gender, and rank. Instead, much of the relationship between the two main characters happens off screen, the villains are barely one dimensional, and the world building is almost nonexistent. While the writing isn’t bad, I found myself unable to connect with the author’s writing style, their world, or their characters. However, my discomfort with the mental and physical age of some characters who are engaged in adult relationships is what ultimately led to this being a DNF for me.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
DNF
I regretfully was unable to finish this book. From the blurb, I expected more world building, and social and moral examinations of relationship, gender, and rank. Instead, much of the relationship between the two main characters happens off screen, the villains are barely one dimensional, and the world building is almost nonexistent. While the writing isn’t bad, I found myself unable to connect with the author’s writing style, their world, or their characters. However, my discomfort with the mental and physical age of some characters who are engaged in adult relationships is what ultimately led to this being a DNF for me.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
June 13, 2019
Reading this book evokes the literary equivalent of the "uncanny valley" effect. The situation and world of this book is similar to our own, but off just enough to make me extremely disturbed. I'm okay with a gender-role reversal--along with an effective "sex role" reversal--but only if an author does the work to build a foundation upon which such an upside-down world can exist. There exists documented and well-researched psychological difference between men and women (whether that is a result of socialization, biology, both or neither is beyond the scope of a book review!), such as men being more competitive while women are more collaborative. You cannot handwave these observed facts away if you're building an inverted world. You must address them, and the explanation must be believable. It's a tall task, and it's why most people wouldn't choose to write about a society such as the one attempted in this book. In case it's not clear by this point, I think this book fails in that attempt.
I'm giving this two stars because it was different from what I'm used to, but most of our favorite harmful MM tropes were still present. Sad.
I'm giving this two stars because it was different from what I'm used to, but most of our favorite harmful MM tropes were still present. Sad.
November 27, 2018
This book was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.
Killian is set in a matriarchal society where women wield more power than men, but men can be given the title Lady at the discretion of the council, by hereditary inheritance, or as regent for a female heir.
My favorite part of the book is the word building and political system. The book does deal with rape, abuse, and power dynamics, but I feel they are handled appropriately.
The character interactions are a little too fluffy and sweet for me, but if you enjoy sappy shmoop, this is your story.
4/5 primarily for the world building and legal system. Looking forward to future novels.
Killian is set in a matriarchal society where women wield more power than men, but men can be given the title Lady at the discretion of the council, by hereditary inheritance, or as regent for a female heir.
My favorite part of the book is the word building and political system. The book does deal with rape, abuse, and power dynamics, but I feel they are handled appropriately.
The character interactions are a little too fluffy and sweet for me, but if you enjoy sappy shmoop, this is your story.
4/5 primarily for the world building and legal system. Looking forward to future novels.
November 27, 2018
I received a copy of Killian by T.N. Tarrant via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review. The author has created an intriguing AU in their Hidden World, one where an undiscovered alien race lives among us. The women are the dominant gender, both for good and bad. Unfortunately for him, Killian mostly experiences the bad that power leads some women to commit. He is an engaging MC, both strong and unassuming. He meets Shilo, who is a more sheltered male who also has to step outside of their society’s norms. The trials and tribulations of these two make the reader despair for their happiness, but they do achieve it. It is this alien society existing alongside our own world that makes this book a worthwhile read. It will be interesting to see where the author takes this series next.
December 2, 2018
This story takes place in an alternate universe, where an alien race lives along side humans, living in their own society that is mostly separate from humans. Their society is matriarchal and has a very intricate political system. The author does a great job at explaining how the society and political system is set up and providing a dictionary for the terms used in their AU. The worldbuilding is very creative and has lots of details. The story does deal with rape, but it's off-page, fits the story, and is dealt with. Shiloh comes to Killian for protection, which he gladly gives. They begin to fall in love, but things aren't easy for them with others causing trouble. Their romance was fairly syrupy sweet, which times I felt was a bit overdone but not enough to turn me off to the story. It's a story that is worth your time, especially if you like AU.
March 16, 2019
I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked this book up, but it wasn’t this.
In a nutshell, the book begins with a young Killian just having escaped a sexual assault by his fiancée, a marriage arranged by his mother as the head of their house. Years later Killian finds himself in a position to aid a second young man, Shiloh, escape this same woman as she once again refuses to take no for an answer. Against a backdrop of political maneuverings the two men fall in love, but their happily ever after isn’t as easy as it should be due to the matriarchal society they belong to. Not to mention Anan, the twice-thwarted fiancée who believes she can simply take whatever man she fancies.
This book is unlike any other that I’ve read before. And while I enjoyed the relationship between Shiloh and Killian well enough, for me, this story was all about the society they lived and the way the author opened my eyes to the misogynistic bullshit I’ve always accepted as normal.
The author uses the first scene, that of Killian denouncing his attempted rapist, to really whack you across the face with just what it is to exist in a gender controlled society. It was a scene that I have probably read many times before, usually in historical romances, where a young virginal woman will appeal to her imposing father to save her from the handsy asshole that she has been betrothed to. And I’ve thought nothing of it, because that’s just how it was in the past and we know better now (well, somewhat). But flipping those gender roles brought attention to the situation, made me take notice, and OMG, I realized just how horrible it all seemed. It occurred many times throughout the book, scenes that should have been nothing more than mundane occurrences, like the local men descending on the house to prepare it for a wedding, but it annoyed the heck out of me that it was considered a man’s job and why were the women too good to help!? Honestly, I never would have questioned it if it were the other way around. I have no idea if the author wrote this book intending it to be a feminist call to arms, but hey, I’m hearing the cry, that’s for sure.
I really think that some readers will love this story, for its uniqueness if nothing else – not that there is anything wrong with the rest of it. I really hope that the author chooses to continue this as a series because I’m definitely interested in reading more of this world that was the most fascinating combination of historical vibes with trackpants and internet.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2019/03/0...
In a nutshell, the book begins with a young Killian just having escaped a sexual assault by his fiancée, a marriage arranged by his mother as the head of their house. Years later Killian finds himself in a position to aid a second young man, Shiloh, escape this same woman as she once again refuses to take no for an answer. Against a backdrop of political maneuverings the two men fall in love, but their happily ever after isn’t as easy as it should be due to the matriarchal society they belong to. Not to mention Anan, the twice-thwarted fiancée who believes she can simply take whatever man she fancies.
This book is unlike any other that I’ve read before. And while I enjoyed the relationship between Shiloh and Killian well enough, for me, this story was all about the society they lived and the way the author opened my eyes to the misogynistic bullshit I’ve always accepted as normal.
The author uses the first scene, that of Killian denouncing his attempted rapist, to really whack you across the face with just what it is to exist in a gender controlled society. It was a scene that I have probably read many times before, usually in historical romances, where a young virginal woman will appeal to her imposing father to save her from the handsy asshole that she has been betrothed to. And I’ve thought nothing of it, because that’s just how it was in the past and we know better now (well, somewhat). But flipping those gender roles brought attention to the situation, made me take notice, and OMG, I realized just how horrible it all seemed. It occurred many times throughout the book, scenes that should have been nothing more than mundane occurrences, like the local men descending on the house to prepare it for a wedding, but it annoyed the heck out of me that it was considered a man’s job and why were the women too good to help!? Honestly, I never would have questioned it if it were the other way around. I have no idea if the author wrote this book intending it to be a feminist call to arms, but hey, I’m hearing the cry, that’s for sure.
I really think that some readers will love this story, for its uniqueness if nothing else – not that there is anything wrong with the rest of it. I really hope that the author chooses to continue this as a series because I’m definitely interested in reading more of this world that was the most fascinating combination of historical vibes with trackpants and internet.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2019/03/0...
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews