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The Last Dominant
“I can have whatever I want. I own you.”
Qillian Wehr is the last of his kind. A bloodline of unspeakable power.
To the Imbrian government, he is a weapon. A last resort in their age-old war with Rhyolus.
His leaders want insurance. They want an heir. They need a genetic match. And now, they’ve found her.
Exotic. Stunning. Lethal. Rushkah Ekhayl would murder Qillian in his sleep if she got the chance. She’s Rhyolusian. She is his enemy.
The Last Dominant is a scorching enemies-to-lovers romance where a taste of treason unlocks desires of submission and control. For mature readers only.
Publisher's Note: This steamy sci-fi thriller contains elements of power exchange.
Qillian Wehr is the last of his kind. A bloodline of unspeakable power.
To the Imbrian government, he is a weapon. A last resort in their age-old war with Rhyolus.
His leaders want insurance. They want an heir. They need a genetic match. And now, they’ve found her.
Exotic. Stunning. Lethal. Rushkah Ekhayl would murder Qillian in his sleep if she got the chance. She’s Rhyolusian. She is his enemy.
The Last Dominant is a scorching enemies-to-lovers romance where a taste of treason unlocks desires of submission and control. For mature readers only.
Publisher's Note: This steamy sci-fi thriller contains elements of power exchange.
153 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2019
230 people are currently reading
763 people want to read
About the author
Eris Adderly
21 books574 followersEris writes dark, escape-from-reality romance full of criminals and outcasts. Her stories are the stomping grounds for bada** heroines, untameable alphas, a spectrum of sexuality, and a serious disregard for convention. Expect the decadent and filthy, the crude and sublime, sometimes all at once. Pick a safeword and grab a towel before reading. She is a complete nerd and possible crazy cat lady. She will annoy you with puns.
Eris posts updates with information about her latest works in progress and more on her facebook page and on her website.
Eris posts updates with information about her latest works in progress and more on her facebook page and on her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
October 27, 2019
Amazing world-building, an engaging plot, a dominant male and some hot, kinky sex
Well if that isn't enough to make you want to read the book, what's wrong with you? To many dark sci-fi romances forget the whole sci-fi part of the story, they are virtually no different to a contemporary romance. This didn't suffer from that failing. We had some really good world building and a love across the divide theme.
Quillian and Rushkah should be mortal enemies, their planets have been at war almost forever it seems. However they have more in common than would first appear, including some fairly rare DNA from which the title of the book originates.
I absolutely loved Rushkah and Quillian, neither was perfect and both battled their feelings for the other. The chemistry they shared was palpable and this is one steamy and kinky read. Quillian discovers a hitherto unknown dominant side and whilst Rushkah's head rebels at the idea, her body, soul and heart have very different ideas.
The story is written third person from both POV's, so I found it easy to connect to and understand both characters. The plot held my interest and moved with good pace. It had enough detail and thought put into it to satisfy the part of me that has read sci-fi and fantasy for over 30 or so years.
If I was to criticise anything it would be that some parts of the story could have done with a little more fleshing out. The book didn't lack detail but this was one occasion where I think a few more scenes, or longer scenes would have actually added to the book. However that is very much a case of what I personally would have liked, this is still an excellent story and one I really do recommend.
Well if that isn't enough to make you want to read the book, what's wrong with you? To many dark sci-fi romances forget the whole sci-fi part of the story, they are virtually no different to a contemporary romance. This didn't suffer from that failing. We had some really good world building and a love across the divide theme.
Quillian and Rushkah should be mortal enemies, their planets have been at war almost forever it seems. However they have more in common than would first appear, including some fairly rare DNA from which the title of the book originates.
I absolutely loved Rushkah and Quillian, neither was perfect and both battled their feelings for the other. The chemistry they shared was palpable and this is one steamy and kinky read. Quillian discovers a hitherto unknown dominant side and whilst Rushkah's head rebels at the idea, her body, soul and heart have very different ideas.
The story is written third person from both POV's, so I found it easy to connect to and understand both characters. The plot held my interest and moved with good pace. It had enough detail and thought put into it to satisfy the part of me that has read sci-fi and fantasy for over 30 or so years.
If I was to criticise anything it would be that some parts of the story could have done with a little more fleshing out. The book didn't lack detail but this was one occasion where I think a few more scenes, or longer scenes would have actually added to the book. However that is very much a case of what I personally would have liked, this is still an excellent story and one I really do recommend.
September 19, 2021
Sci-fi enemies to lovers. Not bad, but I wanted a more detailed world building.
October 1, 2019
Eris Adderly has an excellent talent for creating unique worlds and drawing you into them as though you were there. This story was so different than anything I'd read before. I absolutely loved it!! If you're looking for a book with a tough heroine, a OCD hero, and some off-the-charts chemistry, this book is for you! Sooo good! Five DOMINATE ME Stars!
March 15, 2019
DNF Chapter 1. Didn't really know what was going on, where the story took place and who was who. Confusing.
March 26, 2024
Another "you get what you pay for" Kindle Unlimited book.
I just audibly sighed after typing that opening sentence because it feels like a tremendous waste of energy to even bother writing any of what I'm about to. People don't read 130 page erotic romances for such petty concerns as "plot" or "worldbuilding," except for some reason I did. Because look, I don't just go into the KU store and download everything with a naked torso; if I'm reading it's because I've gotten a recommendation from somewhere. Well I'm going to keep playing fast and loose with my sources for recommendations because if nothing else maybe I'll have a good time reading an unintentionally hilarious book.
The main thing I need to get off my chest is that the entire premise of the book is based on the genetic compatibility of the two leads but none of it is actually how genetics works. I do have a graduate degree in genetics but you don't even need that to know how wrong this is; all you have to do is remember Punnett squares which are part of a high school curriculum. So here's a quick highly-simplified refresher, because what better place for a human genetics lecture than in a sex book review:
Colloquially, people talk about "having the gene" for whatever trait or condition they are referencing, but that's not technically correct. Everybody has every gene, two copies in fact, because everyone has two of every chromosome. You inherit one from each of your biological parents. If people are missing genes entirely, that generally means they have rare chromosomal abnormalities and they usually result in birth defects. What differs among us are genetic variants. Different variants (or mutations) of genes cause them to be expressed differently. If you've heard of BRCA1 and BRCA2, the genes most known for higher risk of breast cancer, that increased risk comes from having mutations in those genes, not from "having" BRCA1 or BRCA2. Everyone has BRCA1 and BRCA2, but most people just have two functioning copies of those genes.
Ok, so onto the concepts of "dominant" and "recessive" in genetics. A dominant variant/trait means that having even one copy of that variant means that the trait is expressed. A recessive variant/trait means that you have two copies of the same variant to express that trait. Sickle-cell disease is commonly used as an illustrative example: a person with sickle-cell disease has two recessive-variant copies of the gene, meaning that they inherited a recessive copy from each of their parents. But because not having sickle-cell disease is the dominant trait, neither parent has sickle-cell disease if they each have one copy of the dominant and recessive genes. The naming convention of dominant/recessive comes from the fact that one variant is able to "dominate" another and that only without the presence of a dominant variant is a "recessive" trait expressed.
Which brings me to the book. The whole premise is that the MMC is "the last dominant," which as the book explains means he is the only person left with the "dominant gene" that gives him a particular ability. He's thrown together in a breeding scheme with the FMC because apparently she has the equally rare "recessive gene" of this ability that makes her a genetic match for him to be able to pass on the ability to offspring. But that doesn't make sense. Let's first assume that the author is using "gene" in the colloquial sense and what she means is dominant variant and recessive variant of the same gene. So the question of inheritance is whether the offspring inherit dominant or recessive copies of that gene from their parents. But if the trait is dominant, the MMC doesn't need to be genetically matched with anybody: if any of his children inherit his dominant copy of the gene, they will have the ability. That's how dominant expression works. As for the FMC, if the dominant trait is rare than the recessive trait cannot also be rare. If the MMC is the last dominant, the only one with the variant that provides the special ability, then everyone else is recessive.
The other possibility is that the author really was talking about two different genes, and he's the only one with his version and she's the only one with her version that the combination of those two genes with their specific variants is what grants the ability. If that's the case, then first of all, dominant and recessive are completely the wrong terminology, and also the quickie explanation of how she "has the gene but can't use it because she has the recessive gene and not the dominant gene" makes no sense. Because again, if he has the ability, that means he already has the right genetics to pass on the ability. So what are her genes actually contributing? In this scenario, where there is an effort to keep dominant "genes" in the population, the best ways to do that are either by just making the dominants have lots of babies with lots of people to increase their odds of passing on the dominant variant, or to mate two dominants so all of their offspring have a higher likelihood of having the dominant variant and that some of their offspring might have two copies of the dominant variant, giving them a 100% chance of passing that variant to their offspring. The FMC being recessive makes her superfluous to the latter option and possessing of no unique qualifications for the former.
So there you go: a science lesson nobody asked for but that I couldn't just leave unsaid because it's so funny to me how wrong it all was and how woefully underused Google was in this case. Or who knows, maybe my problem was in assuming these characters are human and that their alien genetics don't actually just work exactly the way the author said that they do.Two stars for the laughs and because I tend to reserve one star for books where not even hating on them makes them more enjoyable. Who am I kidding, this was a bad book. Downgrading.
I just audibly sighed after typing that opening sentence because it feels like a tremendous waste of energy to even bother writing any of what I'm about to. People don't read 130 page erotic romances for such petty concerns as "plot" or "worldbuilding," except for some reason I did. Because look, I don't just go into the KU store and download everything with a naked torso; if I'm reading it's because I've gotten a recommendation from somewhere. Well I'm going to keep playing fast and loose with my sources for recommendations because if nothing else maybe I'll have a good time reading an unintentionally hilarious book.
The main thing I need to get off my chest is that the entire premise of the book is based on the genetic compatibility of the two leads but none of it is actually how genetics works. I do have a graduate degree in genetics but you don't even need that to know how wrong this is; all you have to do is remember Punnett squares which are part of a high school curriculum. So here's a quick highly-simplified refresher, because what better place for a human genetics lecture than in a sex book review:
Colloquially, people talk about "having the gene" for whatever trait or condition they are referencing, but that's not technically correct. Everybody has every gene, two copies in fact, because everyone has two of every chromosome. You inherit one from each of your biological parents. If people are missing genes entirely, that generally means they have rare chromosomal abnormalities and they usually result in birth defects. What differs among us are genetic variants. Different variants (or mutations) of genes cause them to be expressed differently. If you've heard of BRCA1 and BRCA2, the genes most known for higher risk of breast cancer, that increased risk comes from having mutations in those genes, not from "having" BRCA1 or BRCA2. Everyone has BRCA1 and BRCA2, but most people just have two functioning copies of those genes.
Ok, so onto the concepts of "dominant" and "recessive" in genetics. A dominant variant/trait means that having even one copy of that variant means that the trait is expressed. A recessive variant/trait means that you have two copies of the same variant to express that trait. Sickle-cell disease is commonly used as an illustrative example: a person with sickle-cell disease has two recessive-variant copies of the gene, meaning that they inherited a recessive copy from each of their parents. But because not having sickle-cell disease is the dominant trait, neither parent has sickle-cell disease if they each have one copy of the dominant and recessive genes. The naming convention of dominant/recessive comes from the fact that one variant is able to "dominate" another and that only without the presence of a dominant variant is a "recessive" trait expressed.
Which brings me to the book. The whole premise is that the MMC is "the last dominant," which as the book explains means he is the only person left with the "dominant gene" that gives him a particular ability. He's thrown together in a breeding scheme with the FMC because apparently she has the equally rare "recessive gene" of this ability that makes her a genetic match for him to be able to pass on the ability to offspring. But that doesn't make sense. Let's first assume that the author is using "gene" in the colloquial sense and what she means is dominant variant and recessive variant of the same gene. So the question of inheritance is whether the offspring inherit dominant or recessive copies of that gene from their parents. But if the trait is dominant, the MMC doesn't need to be genetically matched with anybody: if any of his children inherit his dominant copy of the gene, they will have the ability. That's how dominant expression works. As for the FMC, if the dominant trait is rare than the recessive trait cannot also be rare. If the MMC is the last dominant, the only one with the variant that provides the special ability, then everyone else is recessive.
The other possibility is that the author really was talking about two different genes, and he's the only one with his version and she's the only one with her version that the combination of those two genes with their specific variants is what grants the ability. If that's the case, then first of all, dominant and recessive are completely the wrong terminology, and also the quickie explanation of how she "has the gene but can't use it because she has the recessive gene and not the dominant gene" makes no sense. Because again, if he has the ability, that means he already has the right genetics to pass on the ability. So what are her genes actually contributing? In this scenario, where there is an effort to keep dominant "genes" in the population, the best ways to do that are either by just making the dominants have lots of babies with lots of people to increase their odds of passing on the dominant variant, or to mate two dominants so all of their offspring have a higher likelihood of having the dominant variant and that some of their offspring might have two copies of the dominant variant, giving them a 100% chance of passing that variant to their offspring. The FMC being recessive makes her superfluous to the latter option and possessing of no unique qualifications for the former.
So there you go: a science lesson nobody asked for but that I couldn't just leave unsaid because it's so funny to me how wrong it all was and how woefully underused Google was in this case. Or who knows, maybe my problem was in assuming these characters are human and that their alien genetics don't actually just work exactly the way the author said that they do.
January 7, 2022
This book was chosen as a buddy read by my friend, Kay.
As I told her, I am not usually a fan of other world/alien romances...however, this one was enough to convert me! I must say I really, really enjoyed this book. This author is extremely talented, because somehow, in less than 200 pages, she managed to do solid world-building and character development that is sometimes missing from novels that are way longer. The hero and heroine were both great, and don't even get me started on those sex scenes...
As I told her, I am not usually a fan of other world/alien romances...however, this one was enough to convert me! I must say I really, really enjoyed this book. This author is extremely talented, because somehow, in less than 200 pages, she managed to do solid world-building and character development that is sometimes missing from novels that are way longer. The hero and heroine were both great, and don't even get me started on those sex scenes...
February 8, 2019
I don’t generally gravitate to SCI-FI or futuristic romance but, boy. This book was my introduction to Eris Adderly and I’m hooked. Her writing flows so well and her descriptions are mesmerizing. I was swept away into this world. I loved the characters. The sex scenes were so, so well-written and I really enjoyed them. I love this author.
May 9, 2023
Reading it again, upped to 5stars
Never gets old
It's Eris Adderly. My expectations are very high, and I am satisfied.
12/10 steam, 15/10 everything
was someone reading my mind and printing it into a book bccccc
Never gets old
It's Eris Adderly. My expectations are very high, and I am satisfied.
12/10 steam, 15/10 everything
was someone reading my mind and printing it into a book bccccc
January 11, 2019
I’M INSIDE YOU, ENEMY MINE
From beginning to end, the story is an intense power exchange between two individuals from warring planets. One is a warrior for her planet, the other, a scholar and minister of records, but a Scion, the last Dominant, and one who possess a unique ability of power and control.
What happens when the warrior and her team are captured, but it is discovered that she is a recessive—the first one found in over thirty years? Without the consent of either Qillian Wehr, an Imbrian, or Rushkah Ekhayl, a Rhyolus, his government will decide that they will mate and create a baby.
“He’s going to put a baby in you. For the future glory of Imbia.”
The plot will have both Qillian and Rushkah as prisoners of the Imbian government, locked together by wrist bands that will render her unconscious if she gets too far from him. Not only that, but they monitor heart and pulse rate to know whether they engage in sex or not, so they must cooperate for the life of her team.
The story will have so much angst between them, but when they do get together, the passion is even stronger. Qillian will use his power of Push to control, overpower, and garner submission from Rushkah, but that seems to work in both their favors. How far will he go to help protect her and her team when she agrees to help him with his project of cracking codes? The story will take on a life and death risk that these enemies-to-lovers are willing to take.
There is a large cast of characters, the angst between nations, the power play between lovers, and the desire of what is right and wrong in controlling people. Will he be able to help her and her team escape after she helps him or will they all be found out before it is too late?
From beginning to end, the story is an intense power exchange between two individuals from warring planets. One is a warrior for her planet, the other, a scholar and minister of records, but a Scion, the last Dominant, and one who possess a unique ability of power and control.
What happens when the warrior and her team are captured, but it is discovered that she is a recessive—the first one found in over thirty years? Without the consent of either Qillian Wehr, an Imbrian, or Rushkah Ekhayl, a Rhyolus, his government will decide that they will mate and create a baby.
“He’s going to put a baby in you. For the future glory of Imbia.”
The plot will have both Qillian and Rushkah as prisoners of the Imbian government, locked together by wrist bands that will render her unconscious if she gets too far from him. Not only that, but they monitor heart and pulse rate to know whether they engage in sex or not, so they must cooperate for the life of her team.
The story will have so much angst between them, but when they do get together, the passion is even stronger. Qillian will use his power of Push to control, overpower, and garner submission from Rushkah, but that seems to work in both their favors. How far will he go to help protect her and her team when she agrees to help him with his project of cracking codes? The story will take on a life and death risk that these enemies-to-lovers are willing to take.
There is a large cast of characters, the angst between nations, the power play between lovers, and the desire of what is right and wrong in controlling people. Will he be able to help her and her team escape after she helps him or will they all be found out before it is too late?
April 26, 2020
Really
I really enjoyed this story. The sexy time is nice, but the story was best. Nice quick read will look into other books by this author.
I really enjoyed this story. The sexy time is nice, but the story was best. Nice quick read will look into other books by this author.
January 18, 2024
Fastidious brow beaten records keeper by day. Domineering interplanetary sexual telekinetic by night. Delivers as advertised!
January 14, 2019
Overall I liked the story and I thought the Push element was different. It gave a fresh touch to this genre.
I really liked the main characters. Rushkah was strong, smart and spunky and I loved how she gave Qillian back whatever she could.
Qillian was an interesting character because he was basically also a prisoner and forced into this situation. His snarky reactions made me laugh a lot.
I did found it hard to get into the story because there was so much information giving in the first few chapters. A lot a names and places to figure out. I wouldn't have minded a bit more background into the world and species because a lot was left unclear.
I really liked the main characters. Rushkah was strong, smart and spunky and I loved how she gave Qillian back whatever she could.
Qillian was an interesting character because he was basically also a prisoner and forced into this situation. His snarky reactions made me laugh a lot.
I did found it hard to get into the story because there was so much information giving in the first few chapters. A lot a names and places to figure out. I wouldn't have minded a bit more background into the world and species because a lot was left unclear.
March 6, 2022
Eris Adderly’s The Last Dominant is a feast of details that were downright delightful. Okay, yea, I know…sci fi, romance, enemies to lovers…but but but…the details. Qillian’s absolute discomfort at how Rushkah treats his books. His emotions were so tangible, I wanted to reach out to fix the book for him. There is the part where I have to say how much I LOVE Qillian. The humor, the sarcasm, the insults, the strength…it’s sooo good. I mean really good. The oh-so-hawt bits put my own lady bits into a delightful spasm and I pretty much inhaled this story and then needed a bit of me-time to “process everything I read.” Yea, that’s what it was because. Because. THE PUSH. Hotness on overload with this story and so very much recommended.
September 28, 2024
He'd forced her. Or at least made it appear that way. And she'd…she'd lost her mind. Qillian had never seen anything like it.
It took me a bit to adjust to the worldbuilding, but after the first 25-30% I really enjoyed the read! It felt like it could have taken ages for Rushkah and Qillian to warm to each other, and I was pleasantly surprised with the pacing of the story when I was wrong! It was also way spicier then I expected - bonus :D
I enjoyed this author's Bass-Ackwards, and will definitely check out other works in the future!
October 22, 2019
A novella about two warring societies and two semi star-crossed lovers. But they're mostly enemies for majority of the book. I wanted a little more resolution with the ending but I thought the author did a good job at fleshing out the world in a short amount of time.
August 6, 2022
This was fine, but I think it should not have been a novella. Some things were rushed to make it less than 200 pages and some things were left lacking. There should've been more world-building, more action, more romance. But alas, for a novella it's as I said, fine.
Read
June 29, 2024DNF at 46%
The beginning took a while to get into because there are so many names thrown at the reader. Eventually I kind of figured it out. The spice was spicy but not my jam. It was more CNC/DubCon and degradation. So I will just politely pass...
The beginning took a while to get into because there are so many names thrown at the reader. Eventually I kind of figured it out. The spice was spicy but not my jam. It was more CNC/DubCon and degradation. So I will just politely pass...
January 9, 2022
I read this book as a back up read along with my friend Sudasha. It was short but surprisingly packed with action and spice🌶. The world building was fabulous and the writing sublime.
Synopsis: Main hero is the last of his kind who is able to wield “the push” that is the control of others. In other words he has the last dominant gene to do so and his government requires that he breed with a woman with the recessive gene. Said woman is found but she is the enemy. They fight, they talk and they fuck. A lot. It’s a cute story. Short and sweet.
You’ll love to read it if you enjoy: other world romance, enemies to lovers and a book with a lot of spice.
Synopsis: Main hero is the last of his kind who is able to wield “the push” that is the control of others. In other words he has the last dominant gene to do so and his government requires that he breed with a woman with the recessive gene. Said woman is found but she is the enemy. They fight, they talk and they fuck. A lot. It’s a cute story. Short and sweet.
You’ll love to read it if you enjoy: other world romance, enemies to lovers and a book with a lot of spice.
April 16, 2024
Wish this was longer, really great world building. Warrior FMC with a scholar MMC but the dynamic is all sorts of topsy turby
April 13, 2025
1 ⭐️
I can overlook most diabolical, unhinged stories if it's a fun read—but as a science major and someone with standards, I draw the line at plots built on utter nonsense.
I can overlook most diabolical, unhinged stories if it's a fun read—but as a science major and someone with standards, I draw the line at plots built on utter nonsense.
December 8, 2021
Non-consent
DNF at 41% but should have bailed sooner (pushed on despite all the red flags). Avoid if you don't enjoy non-con or dub-con.
DNF at 41% but should have bailed sooner (pushed on despite all the red flags). Avoid if you don't enjoy non-con or dub-con.
December 4, 2023
1.25⭐️
this book just made me feel spectacularly stupid. the prose is impossible to read. i would have to reread passages multiple times to try and understand exactly what is happening, without much success!!
the spice was okay but came out of nowhere. the second scene follows the trend of confusion - she's floating in the air, upside down, he's behind her, she's turned around, he's in front of her, underneath her ?
the resolution was ridiculous. i don't understand the mcc's motivations at all. and the time jump - so frustrating and unfleshed out. lame.
this book just made me feel spectacularly stupid. the prose is impossible to read. i would have to reread passages multiple times to try and understand exactly what is happening, without much success!!
the spice was okay but came out of nowhere. the second scene follows the trend of confusion - she's floating in the air, upside down, he's behind her, she's turned around, he's in front of her, underneath her ?
the resolution was ridiculous. i don't understand the mcc's motivations at all. and the time jump - so frustrating and unfleshed out. lame.
March 3, 2019
Strong military officer female. Doormat superpowered male. Missed opportunity for suspended bondage sex. Rushed tentative HFN ending.
Neat scifi enemies to lovers story. Unfortunately, male didn't grow a backbone. Relationship didn't solidify, especially with expected baby. Several plot holes. Needs a good sequel.
Neat scifi enemies to lovers story. Unfortunately, male didn't grow a backbone. Relationship didn't solidify, especially with expected baby. Several plot holes. Needs a good sequel.
October 7, 2025
I read this at the same time that I read Sigil by Addison Cain and came upon some realizations. I guess my thesis statement is this: due to the nature of the genre, there is no way rate romance books objectively.
I don’t rate books according to quality anyway. I’ve always preferred to rate my personal experience. But now I believe it’s impossible to do otherwise with romances.
The two books are similar in basic premise. The FMC is being raped by the MMC. It’s a kink. It’s fine. Calm down.
So I have to ask myself why I absolutely positively love Sigil, but this book made me so furious that I almost cried. This book is by far the ‘softer’ version. I was determined to find an answer to this question, mostly because I hate being upset and would prefer to avoid it in the future.
The main difference has to be the lack of passion on both sides of the relationship war. Because if rape is happening, I want war to follow. Sigil is full of murder and wrath and personifies the ‘sink the ship you’re on just to kill the captain’ ideal. The MMC in her book is full of obsession. He owns it. Somehow Addison Cain is able to have a MMC provide justification for his actions while at the same time not belittling the trauma. I struggle with the rage, but the FMC gives me the outlet I need. For whatever reason, that’s my gold standard. It’s everything that works for me in a dark romance.
I love to feel rage and have an outlet. Let’s just call it wish fulfillment.
This one though.. I can’t say that it’s a worse book. This provides a more vanilla version of noncon sex. And that probably works better for a lot of readers?
For me though, loss of freedom is a rage trigger. Again, rage triggers are fine as long as there’s an outlet. But if you trigger my rage and follow it with a FMC who decides to just go ahead and cooperate for logical reasons, I will very literally burst into tears. I don’t know. I don’t make the rules.
And that’s what’s going on in this book. We’ve got two people who don’t want to have sex but they’re being forced to. He’s the one with all the power. He has a supernatural ability to control everything around him and he ‘freezes’ her early on when she annoys him. That’s enough to make my head explode right there. No sex needed. I need to FMC to rage. I need her to set something on fire. I do NOT need her to think through the long term consequences of her behavior. I do NOT need her to see things from his perspective. And I absolutely positively cannot handle her just accepting the situation with a shrug. In her place I would kill myself. I can’t make those two realities merge in my head.
This is me having zero fun. Negative fun, if you will.
But having the other book to compare it to (and after reading the Sigil reviews that involve pearl clutching from the opposite direction) has led me understand that the author didn’t do anything wrong. The author wrote a great book for a certain audience. That audience is not me.
So if you like to think you enjoy dark romances, but you also get offended by content of any kind in said romances, this might be your cup of tea. Because the couple technically comes to some sort of agreement before actual intercourse. Some people are really funny about that line in the sand.
So there you go. To each their own.
I don’t rate books according to quality anyway. I’ve always preferred to rate my personal experience. But now I believe it’s impossible to do otherwise with romances.
The two books are similar in basic premise. The FMC is being raped by the MMC. It’s a kink. It’s fine. Calm down.
So I have to ask myself why I absolutely positively love Sigil, but this book made me so furious that I almost cried. This book is by far the ‘softer’ version. I was determined to find an answer to this question, mostly because I hate being upset and would prefer to avoid it in the future.
The main difference has to be the lack of passion on both sides of the relationship war. Because if rape is happening, I want war to follow. Sigil is full of murder and wrath and personifies the ‘sink the ship you’re on just to kill the captain’ ideal. The MMC in her book is full of obsession. He owns it. Somehow Addison Cain is able to have a MMC provide justification for his actions while at the same time not belittling the trauma. I struggle with the rage, but the FMC gives me the outlet I need. For whatever reason, that’s my gold standard. It’s everything that works for me in a dark romance.
I love to feel rage and have an outlet. Let’s just call it wish fulfillment.
This one though.. I can’t say that it’s a worse book. This provides a more vanilla version of noncon sex. And that probably works better for a lot of readers?
For me though, loss of freedom is a rage trigger. Again, rage triggers are fine as long as there’s an outlet. But if you trigger my rage and follow it with a FMC who decides to just go ahead and cooperate for logical reasons, I will very literally burst into tears. I don’t know. I don’t make the rules.
And that’s what’s going on in this book. We’ve got two people who don’t want to have sex but they’re being forced to. He’s the one with all the power. He has a supernatural ability to control everything around him and he ‘freezes’ her early on when she annoys him. That’s enough to make my head explode right there. No sex needed. I need to FMC to rage. I need her to set something on fire. I do NOT need her to think through the long term consequences of her behavior. I do NOT need her to see things from his perspective. And I absolutely positively cannot handle her just accepting the situation with a shrug. In her place I would kill myself. I can’t make those two realities merge in my head.
This is me having zero fun. Negative fun, if you will.
But having the other book to compare it to (and after reading the Sigil reviews that involve pearl clutching from the opposite direction) has led me understand that the author didn’t do anything wrong. The author wrote a great book for a certain audience. That audience is not me.
So if you like to think you enjoy dark romances, but you also get offended by content of any kind in said romances, this might be your cup of tea. Because the couple technically comes to some sort of agreement before actual intercourse. Some people are really funny about that line in the sand.
So there you go. To each their own.
January 14, 2019
“They’ll know soon enough.”
Two people. Opposite sides of a war that has gone on forever, lost meaning as to its original intent. Prisoners both, each in their own way, they discover that in them perhaps lies a way to a different future. That future, however, may not come in the manner in which the powers in charge may have originally intended. And with that discovery they will help their respective peoples know “soon enough” that using force sometimes comes with unintended consequences. Both good and bad.
That line from the novel is one of many incredible points in Eris Adderly’s The Last Dominant, recently released from Blushing Books. It is as powerful sentence I have read in a novel (set in context, obviously) as this reader has read in a good while. This book is a tour-de-force, and one that I cannot speak highly enough of. I could wax poetic about so many scenes in this novel, and yet to give in and do so would be to spoil it, so I won’t. What I will say is that the author has created what appears on the face of it a simple Enemies to Lovers story, but it doesn’t take long for the reader to see that things are not that simple and cut-and-dried. A more accurate description might be a prisoners’ love story, but beyond that I will not say, so as not to spoil it. The words here are just incredible; the mood is set perfect in every scene (the opening scene is one that was so spot on that I was astounded to hear later that the author has never spent time in the military). The dialogue is as crisp, sharp as anything I have read recently, and it sucks you into the story so well that you suddenly find you are so much farther along in the story than you expected because you’ve gotten so caught up in it. The interaction between the two protagonists (Qillain and Rushkah) just crackles with tension and suppressed emotions in all the perfect places, and when the tone shifts as their relationship changes, the progress of it is incredible to watch unfold. And the sex scenes? Well, they are everything one would hope for, especially if you enjoy a pair of strong-willed people engaging in some very sensual D/s dynamics. It is just such a compelling, incredible story in so many ways that all comes together in a story that pulls you along without ever letting go.
There is nothing in this story that I would call a complaint, so it is hard to write of anything I as a reader would have asked for differently. I might have wanted to learn a bit more about Rushkah’s team (esp. after that opening scene), but in the context of the novel it makes perfect sense as to why that is not possible. It is a sign of just how good this novel is, however, that what would otherwise be minor, throw-away characters in any other novel are elevated to the status here of being “God, I wish I knew more about what they’re going through!” Perhaps Ms. Adderly will grace us with their story sometime in the future. :-)
I know 2019 is still fresh upon us, but if there is any one novel that I will tell readers they must read this year, this is it. Go. Purchase it. And prepare to be drawn into the world of The Last Dominant.
You are in for an incredible ride.
Two people. Opposite sides of a war that has gone on forever, lost meaning as to its original intent. Prisoners both, each in their own way, they discover that in them perhaps lies a way to a different future. That future, however, may not come in the manner in which the powers in charge may have originally intended. And with that discovery they will help their respective peoples know “soon enough” that using force sometimes comes with unintended consequences. Both good and bad.
That line from the novel is one of many incredible points in Eris Adderly’s The Last Dominant, recently released from Blushing Books. It is as powerful sentence I have read in a novel (set in context, obviously) as this reader has read in a good while. This book is a tour-de-force, and one that I cannot speak highly enough of. I could wax poetic about so many scenes in this novel, and yet to give in and do so would be to spoil it, so I won’t. What I will say is that the author has created what appears on the face of it a simple Enemies to Lovers story, but it doesn’t take long for the reader to see that things are not that simple and cut-and-dried. A more accurate description might be a prisoners’ love story, but beyond that I will not say, so as not to spoil it. The words here are just incredible; the mood is set perfect in every scene (the opening scene is one that was so spot on that I was astounded to hear later that the author has never spent time in the military). The dialogue is as crisp, sharp as anything I have read recently, and it sucks you into the story so well that you suddenly find you are so much farther along in the story than you expected because you’ve gotten so caught up in it. The interaction between the two protagonists (Qillain and Rushkah) just crackles with tension and suppressed emotions in all the perfect places, and when the tone shifts as their relationship changes, the progress of it is incredible to watch unfold. And the sex scenes? Well, they are everything one would hope for, especially if you enjoy a pair of strong-willed people engaging in some very sensual D/s dynamics. It is just such a compelling, incredible story in so many ways that all comes together in a story that pulls you along without ever letting go.
There is nothing in this story that I would call a complaint, so it is hard to write of anything I as a reader would have asked for differently. I might have wanted to learn a bit more about Rushkah’s team (esp. after that opening scene), but in the context of the novel it makes perfect sense as to why that is not possible. It is a sign of just how good this novel is, however, that what would otherwise be minor, throw-away characters in any other novel are elevated to the status here of being “God, I wish I knew more about what they’re going through!” Perhaps Ms. Adderly will grace us with their story sometime in the future. :-)
I know 2019 is still fresh upon us, but if there is any one novel that I will tell readers they must read this year, this is it. Go. Purchase it. And prepare to be drawn into the world of The Last Dominant.
You are in for an incredible ride.
October 17, 2020
INTERESTING CONCEPT, although it wasn't fully explored to its full potential and the ending did leave me hanging, making me wish that there will be a sequel instead.
QILLIAN is the last dominant of the story. I was a little confused in the beginning. I wouldn't say this story has the best introduction ever because I didn't know where was up and what was down. Anyway, the dominant gene plays an important role to the story because being the last dominant means Qillian has awesome superpowers - like psychic kinesis, allowing him to move, shape and manipulate people or objects as he wishes. This he demonstrates unto Rushkah when our headstrong heroine doesn't obey him immediately. Qillian's a scholar and translator who makes it his pride to be able to decipher the old texts. He's also a loner, grouchy but hot as hell. He doesn't like others interfering his work or personal space, so you can imagine how annoyed his is when the Unity commands he mate with Rushkah for a babe. Everybody's using everybody in this book, but not in the gossip girl drama kind of way. It's amusing to see Qillian's character evolve from scholar to bedroom dominant. I want to say that it was HOT but at the same time, I wasn't totally buying it.
RUSHKAH is the enemy to Qillian's race. Both aren't exactly humans, more of a fictional species created by the author who replicates the human phenotype. Their cultures are also different, and this I have to point out. Since Rushkah and Qillian comes from different cultures, it was a waste that it was never expounded on, like we never got to catch a glimpse of what it meant to be them, to help us understand more WHY THEY WERE AT WAR with each other. It's like America VS Russia. Anyways, Rushkah is a lieutenant of rank, and getting caught meant death for her. Yet, the enemies decided to use her as a walking incubator because she happened to have the recessive gene to possibly create another Dominant like Qillian.
OVERALL like I mentioned, this had a very interesting concept but after finishing the book, it left me with more questions than ever, making me feel like this was the author's unfinished pet project. But, as a sci-fi lover, this was definitely worth delving into.
QILLIAN is the last dominant of the story. I was a little confused in the beginning. I wouldn't say this story has the best introduction ever because I didn't know where was up and what was down. Anyway, the dominant gene plays an important role to the story because being the last dominant means Qillian has awesome superpowers - like psychic kinesis, allowing him to move, shape and manipulate people or objects as he wishes. This he demonstrates unto Rushkah when our headstrong heroine doesn't obey him immediately. Qillian's a scholar and translator who makes it his pride to be able to decipher the old texts. He's also a loner, grouchy but hot as hell. He doesn't like others interfering his work or personal space, so you can imagine how annoyed his is when the Unity commands he mate with Rushkah for a babe. Everybody's using everybody in this book, but not in the gossip girl drama kind of way. It's amusing to see Qillian's character evolve from scholar to bedroom dominant. I want to say that it was HOT but at the same time, I wasn't totally buying it.
RUSHKAH is the enemy to Qillian's race. Both aren't exactly humans, more of a fictional species created by the author who replicates the human phenotype. Their cultures are also different, and this I have to point out. Since Rushkah and Qillian comes from different cultures, it was a waste that it was never expounded on, like we never got to catch a glimpse of what it meant to be them, to help us understand more WHY THEY WERE AT WAR with each other. It's like America VS Russia. Anyways, Rushkah is a lieutenant of rank, and getting caught meant death for her. Yet, the enemies decided to use her as a walking incubator because she happened to have the recessive gene to possibly create another Dominant like Qillian.
OVERALL like I mentioned, this had a very interesting concept but after finishing the book, it left me with more questions than ever, making me feel like this was the author's unfinished pet project. But, as a sci-fi lover, this was definitely worth delving into.
November 24, 2022
Sexy/Spice Scenes: 5/5 Everything Else: 2/5
Let me first start off by saying, that first s*x scene was one of the best I think I’ve ever read. Like Wow! I was not expecting that at all 🥵. The next wasn’t bad either. Quillian TRULY is dominant at his core although I was not able to see it initially.
Unfortunately, that’s about where the good in the book ends. In a nutshell, the character development, world building, and plot SUCKED. The dialogue both internal and external was extremely weird and the writers writing style was very hard to follow. It read as extremely clumsy and did not flow whatsoever. When I first started the book I found myself having to reread entire paragraphs to get the gist of what was going on. We are given hard to pronounce foreign words without any context. Needless to say the world building was nonexistent. Could have been a very interesting story if we had learned more about their conflict and their differences as a people. Their is absolutely nothing that connected me to the main characters. I gave zero shits about what happened to any of them.
I don’t regret reading the book because the two scenes I mentioned earlier were a pleasant experience for me. But it almost seemed like the author wrote an entire book just for those scenes. Because everything else was half assed in comparison. At around the 80% mark I skimmed the rest of the book.
——Spoiler——-
The book takes an unexpected turn when this highly regarded minister decided to betray his people to help the main female character and her crew escape. We are never fully explained or convinced as to why he would do this. It was super implausible. Because she helped with a translation? I wasn’t convinced that these translations were THAT important. I do get that Quillian had is own frustrations regarding his people. But for him to be so quick to throw away his career, prestige, and well-being without much thought? Not buying it. This was a quick read overall and I think this book could have been great at the author taken more time and put in more effort outside of the sex scenes.
Let me first start off by saying, that first s*x scene was one of the best I think I’ve ever read. Like Wow! I was not expecting that at all 🥵. The next wasn’t bad either. Quillian TRULY is dominant at his core although I was not able to see it initially.
Unfortunately, that’s about where the good in the book ends. In a nutshell, the character development, world building, and plot SUCKED. The dialogue both internal and external was extremely weird and the writers writing style was very hard to follow. It read as extremely clumsy and did not flow whatsoever. When I first started the book I found myself having to reread entire paragraphs to get the gist of what was going on. We are given hard to pronounce foreign words without any context. Needless to say the world building was nonexistent. Could have been a very interesting story if we had learned more about their conflict and their differences as a people. Their is absolutely nothing that connected me to the main characters. I gave zero shits about what happened to any of them.
I don’t regret reading the book because the two scenes I mentioned earlier were a pleasant experience for me. But it almost seemed like the author wrote an entire book just for those scenes. Because everything else was half assed in comparison. At around the 80% mark I skimmed the rest of the book.
——Spoiler——-
The book takes an unexpected turn when this highly regarded minister decided to betray his people to help the main female character and her crew escape. We are never fully explained or convinced as to why he would do this. It was super implausible. Because she helped with a translation? I wasn’t convinced that these translations were THAT important. I do get that Quillian had is own frustrations regarding his people. But for him to be so quick to throw away his career, prestige, and well-being without much thought? Not buying it. This was a quick read overall and I think this book could have been great at the author taken more time and put in more effort outside of the sex scenes.
January 14, 2019
Sci Fi Enemies to Lovers. Actual enemies, none of the "you were mean to me once so now we are enemies..." These two are from different worlds, different races, different backgrounds. Rushkah is in the military, a Lieutenant. She and three of her unit are captured and taken to his planet as prisoners of war. Very quickly it is discovered she carries a recessive gene that his people have been looking for for over thirty years. She is no longer just a prisoner of war. She now get to be given to the Minister of Records, Qillian. He is a powerful being in his own right, one who can control the "Push". He is the last man with a dominant gene that gives him powers to move and control things with his mind. He is a powerful weapon for his government, and as such, a prisoner as much as Rushkah. His government wants him to make a baby with Rushkah. They have a higher chance of creating a baby that carries some of his dad's powers.
Using his powers on Rushkah, Qillian discovers that both of them like the power play associated with power exchange during sex. She is a strong, athletic warrior and giving her submission to him makes him feel even more powerful. The love scenes between these two are off the charts hot. She does not want to give up anything to her enemy, she wants him to take. The scenes are brutal in the the ferocity. Crazy sexy.
The story does not have a happy ever after. It has a happy for now. It is implied that they will stay together, but unknown what obstacles are still in their path. I also felt the story itself was rushed. Once he decides to help her get off world with her fellow soldiers, it only takes like a day. I felt they should have had more time together. The whole story felt rushed, because of it, including the ending. So I dropped a star in my review. But all in all, it was a very good book.
Using his powers on Rushkah, Qillian discovers that both of them like the power play associated with power exchange during sex. She is a strong, athletic warrior and giving her submission to him makes him feel even more powerful. The love scenes between these two are off the charts hot. She does not want to give up anything to her enemy, she wants him to take. The scenes are brutal in the the ferocity. Crazy sexy.
The story does not have a happy ever after. It has a happy for now. It is implied that they will stay together, but unknown what obstacles are still in their path. I also felt the story itself was rushed. Once he decides to help her get off world with her fellow soldiers, it only takes like a day. I felt they should have had more time together. The whole story felt rushed, because of it, including the ending. So I dropped a star in my review. But all in all, it was a very good book.
January 15, 2022
Qillian carries the Dominant gene which grants him incredible power, but he's also the last of his kind. When a captured enemy military officer is discovered to have the rare recessive gene of his power, his government orders him to breed her. Though both of them are unwilling to sleep together, they soon discover a connection which transcends their warring cultures.
This was a short and steamy read with great worldbuilding and strong characters. I liked that Qillian has been trained but isn't actually a warrior, he's a scholar. He acknowledges that Rushkah would beat him silly if he didn't have his powers to control her. Their sex scenes were hot af (this is Eris Adderly, after all) with some riveting powerplay and fantastic dirty talk from Qillian.
The plot moves at a lightning pace and packs in a lot in less than 200 pages. This resulted in a couple knowledge gaps -- for example, why did Qillian's government keep him as a secret weapon and not use him to win the war against Rhyolusia? I would have also liked more resolution at the end but there was enough for the HFN ending.
This was a short and steamy read with great worldbuilding and strong characters. I liked that Qillian has been trained but isn't actually a warrior, he's a scholar. He acknowledges that Rushkah would beat him silly if he didn't have his powers to control her. Their sex scenes were hot af (this is Eris Adderly, after all) with some riveting powerplay and fantastic dirty talk from Qillian.
The plot moves at a lightning pace and packs in a lot in less than 200 pages. This resulted in a couple knowledge gaps -- for example, why did Qillian's government keep him as a secret weapon and not use him to win the war against Rhyolusia? I would have also liked more resolution at the end but there was enough for the HFN ending.
January 12, 2019
I love all things Eris Adderly. So, when she came out with a new one, I had to be right there so that I could read it.
This is a fantastic read. I love Rushkah. She's a very strong character who isn't going to stand down from anything that she believes in. She's going to fight for what she believes in, but she's wise enough to know when it's time to fight and when it's time to stand pat, bide your time, and wait for the best time, place, and opportunity to come so that you can fight. That's an important thing to know, and knowing when to do that means that you are going to succeed better at what you are doing.
I think that Qillian is a good man. He's a much better man than his government deserves. He really should totally wipe all of them out, if you ask me. I think he and Rushkah are a perfect couple and they are a force to reckoned with. I mean, seriously, don't mess with them.
I'm hoping that there are going to be more books in this series, because I really like the premise and I like the characters involved.
This is a fantastic read. I love Rushkah. She's a very strong character who isn't going to stand down from anything that she believes in. She's going to fight for what she believes in, but she's wise enough to know when it's time to fight and when it's time to stand pat, bide your time, and wait for the best time, place, and opportunity to come so that you can fight. That's an important thing to know, and knowing when to do that means that you are going to succeed better at what you are doing.
I think that Qillian is a good man. He's a much better man than his government deserves. He really should totally wipe all of them out, if you ask me. I think he and Rushkah are a perfect couple and they are a force to reckoned with. I mean, seriously, don't mess with them.
I'm hoping that there are going to be more books in this series, because I really like the premise and I like the characters involved.
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