Silent Lucidity

The Infinite City #1

by Tiffany Roberts

He’s an alien assassin who has never known a female’s touch—until hers.

Abella hasn’t allowed four years of slavery to break her spirit, but after numerous failed escape attempts, the chances of making it home to her family seem bleak. That is until she shares a passionate, forbidden dance with a silent stranger. His piercing silvery eyes haunt her with a taste of hope.

Intense, mysterious, and deadly, Tenthil may be the key to Abella’s freedom. But as she finds herself increasingly drawn to him, she realizes the truth—Tenthil has no intention of taking her home.
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Warning: Contains darker themes. Check author's website for full content warnings.

Genres: Aliens, Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction Romance, Monster Romance, Monsters

392 pages, ebook

First published May 28, 2019

About the author

Tiffany Roberts is the pseudonym for Tiffany and Robert, a husband and wife writing duo. The two have always shared a passion for reading and writing, and it was their dream to combine their mighty powers to create the sorts of books they want to read. They write character driven sci-fi and fantasy romance, creating happily-ever-afters for the alien and unknown.

Reviews

[Sunseeker☀️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars- was well written and the plot/world building was unique and interesting for what you typically see in the sci-fi smut genre. However, it was very OTT with “sweetness” to the point I started to skim. Normally I love that sh*t so it’s saying a lot when even I think it’s too much! Lol

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Something in me recognizes you. Something in me knows that you are mine. That I am yours. I cannot ignore it, cannot deny it. It is the deepest, most primal part of me."

So did I enjoy this book? For the most part yes, but the early actions of the H kind of colored my view of him for the rest of the novel.



First through--backstory--In this story we have our h, Abella, a human dancer that has been trafficked from earth to serve as a pet for a cruel and wealthy alien. She is doing one of her famed dance routines when she catches the eye of our H Tenthil.

He is in the seedy underground club to complete his assassination mission when he becomes distracted by Abella's grace and beauty on stage- and insta-love/ lust ensues. Plus a whole lotta chaos.


Spoiler Rant Review:


Alright--I get that he is experiencing instincts and the whole mate bond thing for the first time, but the mine. mine, mine of it all gets a little annoying.



Also what made me not like him- even though he comes around eventually- is that he basically sexually assaults her when she's passed out. She's just been hurt and is unconscious for over an hour, and he strips her to heal her back- but then just goes ahead and touches her breasts while she's out cold.

I know he backs off afterwards but...yikes.





So yeah, I liked the sci-fi space setting and writing- and might read on to the next book in the series in hopes of something different because I liked the overall premise just not some plot points.

[Paula Valadez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gustó mucho la primera mitad del libro, pero se hizo bastante lenta a la mitad y me costó mantener el impulso al leerlo. Creo que se prolongó demasiado para mí.
El final me pareció un poco lento, ¡pero realmente me encantó el epílogo🤭😍!

En general, fue una buena lectura, pero, probablemente no lo volvería a leer.

[Somia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Kidnapped and sold when he was young, Tenthil was made into an assassin but has never been the obedient tool his master wanted, and when he sees Abella he finds himself for the first time overpowered by desire, his focus narrowing to having Abella and ensuring she is protected. Abella for her part is determined to get back home to her family, the unexpected attraction she feels to the alien (captor) who has taken her, from the fiend who bought her, is one she didn't expect and has her running, until she realises the only place she is safe is with Tenthil.

I have to say the scene where Abella is unconscious and Tenthil touches here before stopping himself going further was not good, and had me cringing.

The romance and action may be predictable but it was enjoyable and the main characters kept me engaged.

I liked seeing Abella and Tenthil's life once they were on Earth, good way to end the book.

Potential Triggers: Kidnapping, torture and slavery.

Acquired via KU.

[Tiblu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soo disappointed.
The h was such a TSTL and a rather ungrateful one at that.....
We start with Tenthil and while I do agree there was a lot, a L O T of descriptive prose out there, I can't say
if it was too much or not necessarily but it did make me impatient to get to the meat of the story and character and
I found myself skimming a lot. I just saw most of it as world building though and I was grateful for their efforts and saw myself as impatient at the time. Soo I really can't say it it was too much,even though I wish some things had been more to the point,I tried to appreciate they were building a new series...
any way.
Back to what destroyed the story for me : Arabella the ungrateful.
Here you have a young woman ,I'm guessing 24-25 ,she was taken in collage I believe ,who's been held for 4 years by
a monster against her will. From how her interaction starts w/Tenthil ,the Dance,the Kiss I was expecting a woman
who was mature and willing not just to take the consequences of her actions but had common sense and strong survival instincts.
What I found instead of a girl who's willing to take lashes laying on the ground for a moments connection through a dance and a kiss,she'd never felt the like of before. Lashes that were still hurting her a week later. A kiss and a connection she was still thinking about a week later.,that still supposedly worth the pain but when he appears and rescues her all she really gives in return is mistrust and childish fits,assumptions,anger and ingratitude.
WTH?
Tenthil was amazing I thought. He's as much a slave or more soo than Arabella,unlike like her he's totally lost his former self. Tent no longer remembers or knows who he is or where he came from or anything except what his "master" has tried to teach him or beat out of him. In his way he's nothing but caring and loving.
I wanted a h who was going to ask questions first and try and understand first before she made her mind or formed
false assumptions. Arabella wakes up naked sure,sure but w/her back healed and her collar gone w/the male she was willing to take lashes for trying to feed her and care for her and her 1st thought isn't "Thank you! you amazing creature!!!" it's "I won't be your hore or pet!" Seriously ? after your amazing connection,he's killed for you,healed you,wants to care for and feed you and took that F'ing slave collar off your scrawny neck,That's your first thought ?
You ungrateful Itch! Then being as ignorant as ignorant can be the moron w/the brain the size of a gnat wants to either fight him while being chased by assassins (because they only want to kill him for killing her "master") (seriously ?) and then later again she fakes sleep after he's gotten her someplace safe and is again ONLY thinking of her and her safety. Seriously ? where do you think your going lil girl w/a weapon you don't know how to use,one a planet where your only seen as something to see for a quick profit ?
Seriously being that dumb SHOULD be painful. Tenthil of course NEVER complains and only tries to be a better mate to her as he goes against all he knows and his programming.
That poor B deserved better than a TSTL like her who seems to fight him at every move just because just because she's supposed to .... I'm not for those books w/the h has some kinda "Stockholm syndrome" kinda love for that jerk who's kidnapped her. NO! But this scrawny idiot just lacked common sense and gratitude...
Poor Tenthil

[Marina Simcoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love Tiffany Roberts’ writing. If you find a quiet spot to read, you can literally ‘watch’ the story unfold in your head like a movie. The descriptions are vivid, making this unique world come alive. And I really envy the authors’ imagination.
I loved both main characters. Complex and well-developed, they felt real to me. And whenever Abella and Tenthil got together sparks flew. Their love was what really made this story for me, the romance was wonderful.
Beautiful storytelling.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The silent assassin and the human pet in a dangerous city surrounded by dangerous beings. Not going to lie, this was a fun one. Both Abella and Tenthil had a lot of issues to work through and Tenthil's instinct to protect and claim alllllmost works against him. As you can imagine when the person an assassin claims is one who's been held a captive as a pet for years.

Tenthil is dark and deadly and has been trained to kill since he was a child. Despite her captivity, Abella still has the will to fight back against her captor and attempt escapes. Unfortunately for both of them, she sees Tenthil as her captor after he rescues her and ends up in an unsavory situation or two in her drive to get free of him.

Fortunately, things work out. Sure, Tenthil might have to kill a few aliens who dare lay hands on his lady love, but it's a dangerous universe out there and THINGS HAPPEN, right?

Captivity, danger, love, sexy times, more danger, and redemption of the sort only a trained assassin can mete out. Yesssssss. I'm loving what we've seen of the Infinite City so far. LOVING IT.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[jenn *mother of dragon & snake* · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 fucking amazing alien assassin stars

jesus chricket. just as good as the first time i read this book. i love this soooo much. and now that my other babies have had books made i thought i read this series again and let all my panties burn in my chest of drawers.

no regrets. i'm fully alien trash.



🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 fucking amazing alien assassin stars

Jesus. Y’all need to read this series if you love aliens.

I really liked this one. I felt like there was something missing but I’m not sure what. Tenthil is everything. A silent assassin who was stolen from his home world as a kid. Has taken a vow of silence but does not let The Master permanently silence him. (AKA acid to destroy his vocal cords)

✦ I seriously love Tenthil
✦ He is amazing.
✦ Uber protective
✦ He’s suffered so much.
✦ If I remember correctly, he’s a virgin.
✦ Yes ma’am.
✦ ugh I need a life for real
✦ just read this damnit.

Jennymort Out.

[Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ENjoyed it! Review to come

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique Fated Mates, Sci-Fi Romance. I loved this couple and their connection. Very interested in more of this series.

4.5/5 stars

[Jessen Reads Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Mika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant and original

This was my first time reading anything by Tiffany Roberts and, I have to admit, it wasn’t at all what I expected.

I didn’t expect to be blown away by the quality of writing that graced my eyes within the first few sentences of what I assumed would be another mediocre sci-fi romance that was composed of more sex than story, but boy was I (blessedly) wrong! Oh there were steamy scenes, many steamy scenes, but they were intimate and beautiful; a reflection of true romance and not simply smut for smut’s sake.

I stayed up until four am to devour this book in its entirety, and found myself smiling into a cup of coffee as the sun rose with that same barely sated hunger that follows me immediately after I eat a Starbucks birthday cake pop in one bite. What can I say? I don’t know the meaning of restraint. Like that cake pop, the delicious experience was over too soon, leaving me hungry for more.

Needless to say I’ll be following this author quite closely from now on.

Long story short the book was incredible.

-M

[Hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ⭐️s

I’ve heard this series is amazing, but I’ve also been told you have to get past the first book. Maybe that affected my view, or maybe it’s just the absolute truth…but I didn’t love this book.

Tenthil was very alpha male with a hard-on for Abella, and that’s it. That’s his entire character. He had no depth, and it was disappointing because his past was rich with possible storytelling. I know we were TOLD what happened to him, but we didn’t see any of that really affecting him in the present (with the exception of his scratchy voice). The man’s been through hell. I would’ve much rather seen him coping with leaving an abusive and cult-like past then listening to him constantly be horny for Abella.

Tenthil and Abella together fell flat for me. They were horny. That’s what I felt like their entire relationship was built on. It was hard to be invested in them because they lacked depth.

The world-building saved this for me. I’m really interested in learning more about this planet in future books.

[Tiffany Roberts]

[Kay ❣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid action scenes and environment descriptions, but the romance felt juvenile. I'm fine with most "mate" tropes, but the hero needed constant reassurances that she was his mate. It seemed like there was a reminder of it on every page, of him asking or behaving in a way requiring her to validate it yet again.

Maybe the target demographic is preteens and maybe I'm just too old for this idk. hopefully the rest of the series isn't like this

[BookishKB · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been 100 pages shorter

I was so excited to read this! And while I did enjoy a lot of the story, I also found myself getting bored throughout the book.
It was also darker than I was expecting. I don’t mind dark romances but this one felt a bit bleak and depressing throughout the book.

The ending felt a bit dragged out but I did really love the Epilogue!

Overall, this was an ok read. I will likely not reread. A

[Under the Covers Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel pretty proud of my love for all things sci fi alien romance related. I’m certainly not shy about letting you all know what I’ve read and recommending my favourites. From my experience of reading all the sci fi alien romance I can get my hands on, I’ve found that you could further split down the genre. You have your complete chedder where it’s so cheesy that you have to suspend disbelief pretty hard but, if you’re like me, you are loving every second of it. And, it’s not always about how alien the hero and heroine is, there are some sci fi romances that fit in this category where the aliens look human. Then there are the books that hold the middle ground, they still have that deliciously ridculous edge but they take themselves a little more seriously.

Finally, we have books like Silent Lucidty. Tiffany Roberts has started building a robust and interesting and dynamic world full of possibilities. It just happens to be in space. And it just happens to have aliens in it. And this is where she has placed our two main characters, Abella, a former dancer, now slave and Tenthil a ruthless assassin. We now have to see if they survive this world and somehow find happiness together by the last page.

I really liked the hero and heroine, at first they seem very different; however, they are both people who have had their freedom taken away and have no control with how others use their body, despite their mastery over it. Abella is a slave with a master who views her as an animal. She has no control over what happens to her, but she is a very talented dancer. Tenthil is an assassin, but not by choice. Stolen as a child and forced into the Order, his choices were to comply or die. They even attempt, and partially succeed, in removing his voice. Now, as an adult the only way to leave the Order is to die. The parellels in their situations were fascinating and gave them insight into eachother that may not have been possible otherwise.

Although the action and romance follows a predictable path, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy it. Abella and Tenthil had great chemistry and their romance was both sexy and touching. However, as much as I enjoyed the romance, it was the complex world that Roberts had started to build that I enjoyed the most and I can’t wait to explore further.

This was an intense book, not only did Roberts expertly build the world and really make Infinite City come to vibrant life they also packed in plenty of action and of course some sexy romance. With events happening fast, it was a very hard book to put this book down and if you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend you picking this book up!

Reviewed by Suzanne❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤

[Victoria Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new fantasy has been unlocked! I need an alien mate! I give it four stars because the writers style was a little hard to get used to. She spent a lot of time talking about things I didn’t care about, like two pages just on the main character going to the bathroom. And the fight scenes were a little hard to follow. I did really enjoy this story by the end.

“Something in me recognizes you.” He met her gaze again. “Something in me knows that you are mine. That I am yours. I cannot ignore it, cannot deny it. It is the deepest, most primal part of me.”
-Tenthil

Tenthil said the sweetest things throughout the whole book! He saw her and immediately knew that was who he wanted! He was an assassin and he would kill anyone who got in the way of getting his mate. He was dangerous and possessive. And I loved it 🥵
She took some time to warm up to him which really made me not like her character at first. It took her a while to come around to the idea of being with him. Her attempts to run away also got her into trouble. He was always there to rescue her though!

“In that moment, she knew, without a doubt, that he was hers. Her mate. She was the entirety of his world. He would do anything for her, everything for her, just to keep her as his own, to keep her safe.”
-Abella

Together they were great partners. They freed themselves from both their captors and found hope and happiness together. I loved that they built a home on Earth and that they were accepting of other creatures in this world.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romance: 🩷🩷🩷
Action: 👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ursula · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable sci-fi read with some good world-building and writing. I liked both the MCs- he was a rather tortured soul with a good heart and serious combat skills, she was a kidnapped human who had been treated (brutally, I might add) as a pet/slave by a wealthy alien but nevertheless managed to retain her courage and spirit.
Will definitely go on to read the next in the series.

[Cat H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
This was so good!
The world in this book was absolutely massive, with so many different species and cultures and wildly differing landscapes. I mean with this as the first in the series there’s endless possibilities for what comes next.
And it was all so beautifully done.
Tenthil is so hot. Honestly. I always love the ‘mate’ trope. And the fact that he just immediately zeros in on her and totally forgets himself just to be close to her. So fucking sweet. And so fuckin sexy.
And Abella! That girl has a steel spine. Fours years held as a slave, treated like a barbaric pet. Punished harshly for any and all infractions her ‘owner’ perceives. And still she has not broken. Has not let the fear and pain and seemingly hopeless situation dull her spirit. She’s an absolute badass.

Then there’s the action. Holy shit. It was plentiful and complex and a whirlwind to read.
I will admit to skimming some parts though only because I’m impatient as fuck and didn’t much care about the little fights with the unimportant Acolytes before and after Tenthil is with Abella. That’s not really anything against the writing or scenes themselves though. Just a testament to my own impatience.

And the sex! Jesus. Not only do we get the alien 🐓with ridges and small knobules, but we also get some vampire type action with sweet cinnamon flavored venom(and other liquids😏). Plus the claws!*sigh* So fucking hot.

I am sincerely excited to read the next book. Alkorin was a very intriguing character and I’m hoping whoever he ends up with gives him just as much hell as he gave Tenthil.
Also. I can’t wait to see what other kind of alien features he has besides his third eye.
Alien smut is top 3 best smuts. For real.

[Cara Bristol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abella is a young dancer who was abducted by aliens, to be treated as a pet by a cruel alien master. While she's dancing at an nightclub in the seedy underbelly of the planet, Tenthil, an assassin shows up to make a hit. But he sees Abella, and realizes she's his mate and he must have her. Distracted by Abella, his hit goes awry. He'd also been abducted from his home world, and is forced to work as an acolyte assassin for the Master of the Order. Risking his life, he goes back to the club, kills Abella's master and rescues her. Now, they are both on the run from the Order.

The world-building is very detailed (almost down to the nuts and bolts of the construction of the undercity), the alien races very descriptive, and the action non-stop. Silent Lucidity is an SFR Die Hard on steroids.

[Nerdy Housewifey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good world building.

So my problem is I love sci-fi especially with aliens buuuuuuuut I don’t really like smut.

Roberts’ books are still a little too smutty and I end up skipping through some because there does tend to be numerous sex scenes (it just seems repetitive to me after awhile 🤷🏻‍♀️) although they’re not as bad as the other series with alien romances.

They have definitely become one of my favorites despite the sex, simply because they consistently have amazing and well developed characters and well built, unique worlds. I’m especially excited for Alk’s book next since I really enjoyed him in this book.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

On paper, this is everything I love in a scifi romance:

▪️ Good writing
▪️ Possessive hero who is just the right amount of "not human"
▪️ Likable, soft but strong FMC
▪️ Kidnapping/Protecting plot where they have to survive together and slowly get to know one another
▪️ World building that is a little dark and decently intricate

But I just never connected with the MCs, especially the heroine. They never felt "real" so I could not get invested in the story. This is surprising bc I really liked some of Tiffany Robert's other books.

It's worth a read if you really like those tropes I mentioned though.

[Amelia Fenton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overwritten to the Point of absurdity

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but it is so overwritten that it becomes a labor rather than a joy to read. The authors need to dial it back, because right now they have ornate, purple prose set to max and whoa is it ever tedious. Yikes.

This book is little more than the authors engaging in literary masturbation.

[Katelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love

This book was so good! I purchased on a whim after seeing the gorgeous cover, and God am I glad I did. The world that was built was so refreshing and realistic. The love and strength in the characters was perfect. I am going back for a reread of this, I just cannot get enough!

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erm this was good, but I kind of found the writing… impersonal? Like although it was written well it felt very flat.

[✨Gretch✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 Stars

Abella has been essentially a slave since she was abducted from Earth four years ago. Her only saving grace is that her "owner" see's her more as a pet than anything else. She has no idea that one single dance is about to change her life forever.

When Tenthil see's Abella dancing, her doesn't know why he is drawn towards her, just that he can't fight his instincts telling to reach out to her. When he does, but chaos ensues, he does what any assassin would do - track her down and steal him for himself. It's only later once he has her does he realize they are mates and he is never going to let her go.

I had such a great time reading this book! I loved the tech and cyberpunky feel the Infinite city has. If I could travel anywhere in space, I would want to see this place. As long as I could be safe though... Abella and Tenthil's relationship doesn't start out as all sunshine and rainbows. Partially because Tenthil abducted Abella for the second time in her life, but because the order of assassin's he belongs to is hot on their tail. They have so much to overcome and learn about each other, and constantly having to look over their shoulder makes it hard enough. I will say, I love them together, and I really liked watching them each break down their walls and trust the each other.

I can't wait to get my hands on book two and read about a certain intriguing, forger Alkorin.

[Willa · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐ 3,5 stars

It had everything for me to like, but I feel like the pacing made it difficult for me to truly love it. Still, there was a lot to enjoy!

I really loved the premise. The worldbuilding was so unique, and I was totally into the whole sci-fi space setting and the cyberpunk vibes.

​I also liked the characters, but I found myself way more drawn to Tenthil—his backstory and the assassin plotline were definitely my favorite parts. Abella was great, too. She was smart and persistent, which made her a perfect match for our MMC.

​I will say, the slow burn was really testing me until about the 50% mark. I’ll admit I even thought about DNFing it for a second because it took a while to get moving, but I’m glad I stuck with it! Once the action finally took over the plot, I found myself hooked on how everything would turn out. Overall, I enjoyed it and I'm excited to read the next one.

[Arenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ rounded up. The couple themselves are sweet; Tenthil’s one of those sort of silent, serious, touch-her-and-die types and is utterly devoted to Arabella. I really appreciated that she reciprocates though and didn’t fuck with his feelings once she acknowledged them.

Plot is definitely a bit suspenseful and it’s definitely a bit gory, so fair warning if you’re squeamish.

Also, loved the epilogue; super fitting for this couple and their HEA.

[Marishka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Safety - She was only kept as a pet and no one was allowed to touch her. Virgin hero and experienced heroine- she's been celibate for almost five years.