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Age of the Andinna #3

The Warrior's Assault

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Mave finally has a home.

The Ivory Shadow Mercenary Company has taken the long winter off, letting everyone recover from the troubles of the Empire and the shadows that loom over them. Despite the tumultuous beginning to her newfound freedom, Mave has stumbled upon everything that’s ever been denied to her. A family. A home. A place where she can feel she’s starting to belong, as she dives deeper and deeper into her missing culture. She’s finding her wings and touching the skies. For the first time in her life, Mave knows what real happiness is.

There’s only one thing that can ground the warrior that dared to survive a thousand years of slavery.

When she’s brought to her knees, Mave must do what she does best. This time, though, she doesn’t have to stand back up alone. The Ivory Shadow Mercenary Company, their King, and their people, will all be standing up with her.

Together, they will draw their swords.


The Mercenary’s Bounty is a 132,000+ words, full-length novel.
Age of the Andinna is a reverse harem epic fantasy series. The female lead will collect her lovers as the series progresses.
There is triggering content in this series including but not limited to: abuse, violence, mature language, and sexual content. It’s recommended for mature audiences.

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 13, 2019

402 people are currently reading
562 people want to read

About the author

Kristen Banet

27 books1,396 followers
Kristen Banet has a Diet Coke problem and smokes too much. She curses like a sailor (though, she used to be one, so she uses that as an excuse) and finds that many people don’t know how to handle that. She loves to read, and before finally sitting to try her hand at writing, she had your normal kind of work history. From tattoo parlors, to the U.S. Navy, and freelance illustration, she’s stumbled through her adult years and somehow, is still kicking.
She loves to read books that make people cry. She likes to write books that make people cry (and she wants to hear about it). She’s a firm believer that nothing and no one in this world is perfect, and she enjoys exploring those imperfections—trying to make the characters seem real on the page and not just in her head.
She might just be crazy, though. Her characters think so, but this can’t be confirmed.

Check out her social media to catch what's going on in the worlds inside her head. She drops teasers, new covers, and opens ARC reader slots through her Facebook group, The Banet Pride.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/kristenbanet...
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBa...

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5 stars
1,595 (55%)
4 stars
885 (30%)
3 stars
336 (11%)
2 stars
50 (1%)
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14 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
Profile Image for Aurialis .
141 reviews24 followers
February 16, 2020
This book, perhaps, might have been the worst in the series up till now! It was terrible and not at all upto the standards of the previous books, or other books by this author.

The plot was extremely unbelievable, false and impossible. The entire basis of the storyline was shaky at best.

Take the entire burning down the village situation, for example. How is it possible for an entire army to ambush an entire village? Battalion is noisy, large and requires lots of supplies. No way can you sneak a battalion into a village and burn the entire village before you are caught. Where were the patrols and guards. No way, a warring race leaves their entire village unguarded for some tradition! Not to mention, how did they find the village in first place? If it was hidden, the first thought should be of a traitor. And if it wasn't, then why did the empress allow it to grow and develop for more than 1000 years?

That brings me to stupidity of the two "brilliant tacticians and strategists". There entirely ingenious plan is to RUSH them into an impenetrable fortress??? Because brute strength served them so well in 100 year war! This was just the best example of their IQ, not the only one.

The other thing that made no sense for me was the hate and anger. Let me just get this straight. An entire race hates a 5 year old for playing outside, which indirectly (like way indirectly)led to them losing the war; but they are completely alright following orders from the empress SON that actually killed and enslaved them? Not that, thatwas much of a surprise. And for that matter, if you follow that circular logic, it can easily be argued that Luykas was the cause of the war. After all, the Express might not have gone after the General's daughter if the said general had not taken Luykas from his mother. Basically, there is a five year old girl who is at wrong place at a wrong time who ends up as a slave for 1000 years v/s a 300 year old adult whose mother is the Empress responsible for subjugating an entire race and father who killed the queen of the said subjugated race - and the girl wins the award for being the most hated?? Wow!

Add in the conversation, where Alchan refuses to feel guilty for leaving her in the pits! And is an ass about it. They also make it very clear to her that they wouldn't have saved her except the guard insisted and add that they didn't know anything about her and if she was alive, only considered her a myth. Now, compare it to the fact that they get attacked immediately by Elvasi in a free country far away from the empire specifically targeting Mave. What? The information only goes one way? And again, we are talking about 1000 years here! Could it be more unbelievable?

And then, there is some more unreasonable drama, where the village (including her friend) then blames Mave for being responsible for the attack. And this all from a race that lives thousands of year! I would think they would learn some perspective, patience and damn military tactics.

There were many other irregularities too, like, their time on the ocean. Travelling by water is not like travelling by air. If the ship leaves one day earlier, it doesn't mean it reaches exactly one day earlier after two month journey! And you can very easily catch up with a warship.

Unfortunately, the characters were a bust for me too. I felt as if Mave devolves! All through the book, the only feeling she has is of anger. The bond between her and Luykas is not consistent either. And didn't Luykas created the bond to protect Mave from Empress? By the same logic, the bond should also protect him.

Basically, except for the writing, this book is... lacking!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mada Linx.
278 reviews29 followers
January 20, 2022
Reread 20.01.2022


Well deserved 5 stars.

This time around, nothing made me bored or complain about stuff that could have been done better, but actually glued me to the pages, begging for more.

Mave is not one of those heroines, who as soon as they fall in love they completely lose themselves in what I like to call love induced stupidness, but remains faithful to who she is; a ruthless killer who wants nothing more than to kill her enemies with a passion.
Even after finding her place with her people, it does not change who she always will be. She’s a killer, and a very good one.

I’m not even bothered by the fact that the book has little romance.

I hope this not to be the last book from the series. Finally we have a direction which I totally support and want to be there every step of the way.

I’ll wait impatiently for the next instalment from the series.
Profile Image for Soph .
246 reviews40 followers
December 7, 2019
3rd book in this series

This series is a massive under taking for the author, a brilliant well thought out culture and world building series. However it’s slow build, despite being a high fantasy with a RH twist , at times it feels like a YA which there is nothing wrong with at all, just usually not my first go to, it does have gore and a one M15+ sex scene. The slow build in the harem if the harem will ever expand is personally exhausting.. I know Mave needs time, time to grow and change and come into her own. But I was frustrated at her and

If you are looking for a slow SLOW burn RH high fantasy with a YA ish feel then this is for you. Book 2/3 have dragged this series but I know I KNOW. I will finish reading because Kristen ❤️ I adore the worlds you write and maves is no different. Come on MAVE dont make a
Profile Image for Kelly.
1,328 reviews525 followers
September 16, 2019
My least favorite of the series so far even though it was really good. I wish it had a little more romance in it.
Profile Image for Marzipop.
625 reviews107 followers
September 27, 2019
3.5 stars
Mmm. Not my favorite for sure, I kept waiting for stuff to happen and it took forever for it to finally come to pass. I think I have better predictions now for whose gonna end up with who.

Mave:

I doubt it will be much more than that. Super disappointed though there wasn't more romance. There was so much time in the beginning of the book for it but it felt like we were all going around in the same angst circles lmao.

As for other mashups,

As for that ending, I think i'm just kind of dumb or a genius because I thought that was the case this entire time for some reason. Guess I was just ahead of the learning curve this time.
Profile Image for Mia LeNae.
482 reviews6 followers
September 20, 2019
She said he was disgusting

One thing I haven’t run into is why the empress wants Mave so bad. Did I miss it? Also, I’m sorry but why do I feel so bad for Luke? He really didn’t do the bond on purpose. Lmao I just want to hug him! Maybe he can help Mave kill his mom?? #couplegoals. Ah sh*t Learen is giving me bad vibes I can feel it. Is he one of the Empress’ spies? Sooo should I be this uncomfortable with Alchan eyeing Rainev?? Because Rain is like 300 and Alchan is like ~1800.... that’s a baby sir. It was supposed to make the reader feel better that Alchan was always hands off when it came to Rain. Huh, guess we’ll see. Zayden... really you got the hots for Mave do you? That shall be an interesting pairing if it happens. I just wanna see her harem have 6 husbands in it.
Profile Image for Brandy.
160 reviews21 followers
September 13, 2019
All. The. Stars. Again. Kristen Banet delivers another immersive addition to Age of the Andinna series.

The world just continues to open up the further in we go. I loved getting a more in depth look at some of the Andinna culture. Also getting to meet some of Free City leaders, humans, was eye opening but their behavior wasn't surprising.

The twist at the end is both a surprise and not. I had hoped that wasn't the case. I'm confident Mave can work through it; hopefully she won't let it jade her thoughts too much.

I'm eagerly awaiting the next book to see how Mrs. Banet will move forward after everything that happened here.
Profile Image for Siri.
1,219 reviews69 followers
September 16, 2019
This is one of the books i was most excited for to read, i love this world. And i think this series is even better than the other series which says something cuz i fucking loved the redemption saga series! Mave is one kind of a badasss, i can´t wait until i get my hands on the next book. She is going to kick and kill some dead ass ass. The beginning was kind of slow but it was needed, cuz i feel when authors rush to explain the world and stuff it feels it´s going to fast. The world building needs time and get worldy explained so people can understand and get some feeling for how everything is.
Profile Image for Rhiannon Chillingworth.
841 reviews221 followers
September 11, 2019
4.5.

Kristen Banet really needs to be commended for writing what is probably one of the only high fantasy RH series'. The world building is truly emmense and the level of depth and detail of the Andinna culture is always something that strikes me throughout the books.

Why not 5 stars? A couple of niggly reasons, really. Firstly, the pace really doesn't get going until over 40%, and I did find myself begin to get a bit bored after a whole with all of the details of what was happening in the village. I understand why the writer did it, because it makes the action, when it does kick in, more powerful, but I was finding myself not massively wanting to pick it up at the start. But once it got going I flew through the last 60%.

I also found some of the characters a bit...lacking, maybe? Mat and Bryn felt a bit on the sidelines, which I didn't mind because I find some of the other characters much more interesting. I also found Maeve a bit off putting at times. I find her whole attitude to Luykas just nasty now, really, although there is some development there.

However, the world building is truly what sells this series for me and the fact that it is a RH that actually feels like a proper book, where the romance is a side storyline, which just happens to be RH.

I also really liked the way Maeve developed relationships with the other females and particularly Alchan. It's clear there's nothing romantic there, but their understanding of one another has come a long way.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough and is one of the best RH series out there.
Profile Image for Danielle (Danniegurl).
1,963 reviews109 followers
March 20, 2020
Cliff hanger ending for sure.

Wow. The ending. I had inklings that this would be the case. Don’t read this if you don’t want to know the epic secret !!!!!

Like wow. That’s gunna be not so great.

This one felt really filler though because it was glossed over a lot of parts. There was one part where they mention that there might have been an incident that left one of her lovers out of the bedroom, but we never actually hear what happens.

There are several parts where they allude to something but it’s never explained further for the reader. I was confused several times about what was going on.

But I still liked the book except what went down. This is going to be an epic battle.

I kinda wish I could figure out who will be in Maves harem cause 2 is not a harem. Lol. I keep wanting to see her with Zayden. And honestly I’d love to see her with Alchan but apparently that won’t ever happen. I really have no idea who will be added. But I’m excited with the turn of events coming.
Profile Image for Jeanny.
2,070 reviews172 followers
September 23, 2019
Cliffhanger ending with an intriguing twist. Great set up for book 3.
3.5 stars. Why not 5 stars? Bc parts of it felt slow but they all served to move the plot forward. & sometimes I wish the h would be more than just a gun in royal hands. Her lack of interest in politics & decision making is a bit of a let down.
All that said, this series continues to be an excellent fantasy Rh.
Profile Image for Heather Gilbert.
1,798 reviews86 followers
February 10, 2020
Delicious

This book has everything you want from an epic fantasy and more. There’s romance, intrigue, danger, magic and death, all placed in a world so foreign to our own, yet somehow so familiar in its struggles. It’s gorgeous, and the ride is really just beginning,

Pros:
- So Very well written.
- captivating from beginning to end.
- Fully immersive.
- Mave is amazing, the company around her is amazing - and their journey is truly inspiring.
- ALL the characters grow in this installment. Relationships are forged, secrets revealed and hints of the future are given.
- I had hopes that Alchan would be part of her family, and while that may be the future case, in setting it form in a different way than I first imagined.
- That bomb at the end.... dang.... that bomb.

Cons:
- None. Except maybe the slight loss of hope for one relationship, though I think he’s going to end up somewhere very good anyway.
- Wanted a final POV of Trevan. I do NOT trust that mitt he’s talking to in the pits.
Profile Image for Mei ☽︎.
450 reviews86 followers
September 10, 2023
Definitely my favorite of the series so far, and I really appreciate the pacing and buildup with this one. I was convinced that we'd get more new full-on romance, and was pleasantly surprised by the nuance of the worldbuilding + relationship building here. Full RTC!!
Profile Image for Krista.
1,145 reviews32 followers
April 29, 2021
RE-read April 2021: this time I stopped to absorb the plot, and was not understanding why a flying warrior race would spend 2 months WALKING after their enemies that had just raided and kidnapped their people. Why did they not just fly and take over them in battle before they got to the city? They could have picked them off a bit at a time and gotten their people back.

It must have just made for a better transition into the next phase: rebellion. But that bothers me- why didn't they just fly...

This story is just that- a nice transition. Mave is dealing with Luykas and working to trust him, she is settling into relationships with the women, enjoying her "males" and then BAM disaster strikes.

Original review: Unashamedly- I blew thru this one as well to get to the next :)

All I can say is that they should have listened to Mat! Senri- I was disappointed in your lack of concern with the patrols being a big deal. And do they not have any historical records?
Of course the enemy attacks when all the males are gone hunting. Sheesh.
Profile Image for Eve.
938 reviews21 followers
April 19, 2021
Another solid installation. I can't say I'm entirely sure of what's to come, but I suppose that makes it even more exciting. I was really expecting oh well. Onto the next one I suppose.

Also, side note but my heart just hurts, don’t judge me
Profile Image for Camila Latorre.
45 reviews
February 10, 2024
El mejor de los 3 y probablemente la mejor lectura del año aunque recién este empezando. No entiendo como está saga no es conocida si es magnífica
Profile Image for ❀ Crystal ✿ -  PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS .
2,533 reviews315 followers
December 16, 2023
The journey continues for Mave and company. It was to be expected their happiness and freedom would be short-lived. After an attack leaves the Andinna crippled and many prisoners taken, Mave is determined to end the Elvasi once and for all. The Queen will never stop hunting them and it's time her people find peace. There's also word on both Dave and Trevan who helped her escape in book one. It's been about a year and she's absolutely gutted to learn they are both alive, feeling as if she abandoned them to the same fate she suffered for centuries. Feels like this book sets us up for a lot more battles, betrayals and victories to come. Every time they one up the empress it makes me happy and I'm eager to watch her slowly crumble. The Andinna may be outnumbered but it's time they fight back and stop being used as slaves, gladiators and whores just for the crown of an evil woman!!!
Profile Image for Rambling Reader.
472 reviews75 followers
September 14, 2019
The Warrior's Assault is intriguing, teasing, and features some moments that will leave your jaw dropped. In its final paragraphs, I thought I needed something or someone to hug because I had ZERO chill left.

Much of the first portion of TWA are digging into Mave's continued assimilation into the village. She's not just finding a new way to survive, she's finding a way to truly live. She's building her home with Matesh and Brynec (who are so effing adorable, I can't stand it aka I love it), learning how to use her bond with Luykas, and figuring out what it means to be an Andinna who's actually part of their culture. We also get some signs to hint at who might be the next addition(s) to the harem! Though, after finishing the end, my mind is totally blown as to what order this will actually happen. All bets are off, folks.

When something unexpected happens (totally won't spoil it for you), the Company finds itself fighting in a conflict that they were totally unprepared for, and the Empress has something quite evil....though undeniably creative....up her sleeve to try and take down the Andinna.

I love the friendship between her and Senri, two bad*ss females who can kick butt, takes names, and are creating this sweet dynamic where Mave really has her first true taste of a friend. I think it goes a long way towards helping her see that people outside the Company can be kind, supportive, and loyal to her. There's also some great growing pains as Mave still struggles to figure out where she really belongs in the hierarchy of the Andinna females, and there's plenty of Jesvena and Allaina moments to keep readers on their toes.

We also get the chance to see other females find their strength, which is awesome, and I think it's going to lead to some beautifully bloodthirsty girl power in the next book. Totally ready for this. Let's go, ladies!

Banet paces TWA very well, so there were no points where I felt like the story was lagging/dragging. Instead, I found myself captivated by even the moments that weren't inherently packed with action. The characters are well fleshed out, and their different thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors are all distinct in this wonderful way that makes each POV unique and special. We get check-ins with the Company crew as well as checking our how things are back in the pits and with the easy-to-hate Empress.

If I wanted for anything, it was a little more of the romance. By that, I don't mean s*x, I mean intimacy. With the Company traveling in book two, and Mat and Rain being in the pits with Mave in book one, we (and by that, I mean I) got a bit spoiled in terms of the harem content. In TWA, the guys are busy a lot, and we don't get as many of those moments that make us sigh and squeal. Don't worry, Banet gives us some, I'm just greedy. However, it's totally my own fault because I already knew that the romance was not the biggest emphasis in this series. In any case, there are some adorable Rain/Mave moments, she starts building a rapport with (GASP) Zayden, and even Luykas manages to make a crack in the walls that Mave puts up.

There's still so much to be happy about, that I couldn't stand to take any stars away. Overall, I'm really loving this series, and it's this epic journey that holds me captive until the final words, and that's really the most that I could hope for.
Profile Image for Steph.
532 reviews16 followers
August 29, 2022
DNF 55%. I was never the biggest fan of this series. I think the first book was the best. I liked (not loved) Mave the gladiator. But began to loose interest in her and the company as the series progressed. She just wasn’t turning out to be the person I hoped she would be. I think the author got a lot of the insecurities right at the start which I thought was very believable. However the longer the series went on the less interesting everything and especially Mave became. Also there are so many plot holes you could drive a truck through it. The biggest one is the fact that these people live up to 6,000 years. You would think they would get some perspective and not act like the 20-30yr olds I would compare them with in human terms. I feel these guys live this long because they are just that dense and need that much time to gain some kind of maturity. I also don’t get the blame Mave received regarding her roll in the 100yr war. I also don’t get the whole baser instinct thing they have going on: like asserting dominance through eye contact or the nest building or the fertility period etc. For a race that lives that long you would think they would evolve past that. Mace’s reactions to certain situations just didn’t seem authentic to me. A lot of their customs and behaviours are extremely cringe worthy and non of the love scenes were any fun to read. I cringed and rolled my eyes a lot a lot during this series so far and just couldn’t get over some of the more awkward scenes. So I give up at book 3 since I have completely lost interest.
Profile Image for Toma.
839 reviews
September 23, 2019
I am not really sure what to complain about as it just did not make an impression.
I have to admit that plot wise this book was necessary, however, it gave nothing to Mave's mayara, these relationships did not evolve. Other relationships grew, though at a snail's pace. It should have felt more convincing because of that but it felt too long.
A positive thing was that in this book I finally began remembering who was who. The different POVs helped in seeing things from their side. Without that it would have seemed like even less progress was made in the relationship building.
Still an interesting series and a nice plot twist but I expect much more from the next book.
Profile Image for Anna.
92 reviews2 followers
September 17, 2019
Give Luykas a chance on the next book 💔

The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars was because I was hoping Mave would make Luykas her male. I hate that she’s making it so hard on him and barely gives him any attention when all he wants is to make her happy.
Profile Image for innferno.
147 reviews18 followers
August 29, 2022
I'm not comfortable with Alchan eyeing Rainev.
Profile Image for Shin.
112 reviews2 followers
April 4, 2024
DNF %16
⚠️SPOILERS and LONG ASS REVIEW (3 books out of 7)⚠️
(Don’t start a mob, just my opinion)

*✧・゚: *✧・゚:*✧・゚: *✧・゚:*✧・゚: *✧・゚:
My Review
.☆。• *₊°。 ✮°。

This series is bittersweet to me. I really enjoy the concept! A story about a gladiator, a survivor, and a dominating woman, also known as Mavelna The Champion. She is the myth, the legend, and she WILL rise to the top! And following her story was something I was down for…and still kinda am.

First I want to give where credit is due! The world-building is just…WOW, it gets you really immersed! From book 1 down to the 3rd, I felt the environment shift. We were placed in the "Pit" for at least 6+ hours max when Mave was trapped. We were on a ship, then a port, and now a village when she escaped! And man~ let me tell you- I felt just as free when they finally left that restrictive space. It was liberating, and I loved every second of it, to the point my eyes dried from barely blinking LOL!

But what makes this book bittersweet for me? Well, a lot of things actually, some might call it petty, but whatever!
.☆。• *₊°。 ✮°。

You’re Dragginggg~ It…

As many others say, this is a slow x2 burn~. There are many pages of Mave learning things and adjusting to her new life. And I love that for her! It’s something I can appreciate, I’ve always been the type to get excited over learning new things; culture, and language. Improving yourself for the better is my life motto! But, if you come this far you should know that this book is not just reserved for Mave. This is a Multi-Pov Series, there are changes, and there are pages that can simply consist of a character (who is not Mave) talking to another character about a problem of theirs, that’s it. It’s something I like and dislike, but I digress.

I can understand why most stopped at book 2, and I respect that! They have a strong preference and I aspire to gain it once I explore more genres, like I did with this one! I do things differently though, I’m the type to look at reviews- good and bad on the first 3 books of a series. I can be a little stubborn and will avoid the book until I feel comfortable making my judgment! And I’m glad I did with this one! Personally, I was able to handle them long ass pages and I even enjoyed the time I had with the newly introduced characters in book 2! It was fun making predictions! Although it’s a little contradicting to what I’m about to say, my eyes will skip over multiple paragraphs because I aint reading allat LMAO! Especially if it’s from a character who's not emotionally connected with the FL (yet, i hope). Which leads me to the next topic…
.☆。• *₊°。 ✮°。

Is it really her story?

Well, for me to bring up this question the answer is obviously no. It’s a debatable topic though, one I’m not up for, someone else can do it LOL! The world doesn’t revolve around Mave, periodt. The story? Yes, we will always follow her, but THE WORLD….? The author pushes you as the reader to let you know that everyone in this book has their own story and the FL is just a person who happens to be in it.

The multi-pov is something new to me and I dislike it. It kind of reminds me of a book I read about an Alpha Female. The title and the book cover reference her, the plot is about her, and we are mainly placed in her perspective, so why did I feel like it was not her story I was mainly reading? I have to mention that I love a good duel POV with sprinkles of other perspectives, preferably third POVS or a person who is significantly important to the main lead (for example, a love interest, family member, or close friend) now and then. But GAH LEE it gets tiring reading a 4-hour book and having the POVs change multiple times through 8 people!
.☆。• *₊°。 ✮°。

What happened to Mave?

Deadass, what happened to her? I love a change in characters, but do I really like this one? I saw a review that said they DNF because she wasn’t turning out to be the person they hoped her to be. And I can understand the reason why. I am 2 guilty of expecting a different outcome with Mave's new and improved personality once she got into the real world!😩🖐 I wanted her to be more gentle and understanding of her men which we got, but some just didn't feel right.

Was it how her personality shifted to a person who is more open-minded and loves staring into people's eyes asserting dominance and then wondering why she can’t stop doing that with every person she meets? Or is it just a new personality? Periodt. I do not recognize this woman from book 1 and I think that’s good and bad. Character growth! Remember!? I truly don’t know what I expected, but IK it wasn’t this. To simply put it, Mave became bland and less interesting.And I disliked that I was feeling that way about a character I truly loved in a book.
.☆。• *₊°。 ✮°。

Change of Dynamic

With Mave's new connections and personality change, the dynamics took a turn for the best, question mark. We are shown that Mave is not perfect, which we already knew from the get-go. But no! This is different, someone can take down Mave?! *GASP* Someone is faster, stronger, and even more dominant than her?! *GASP* Not all men want to hurt her?! *GASP* . Mave is busted from her sl*ved bubble, she is now in the real world and needs to get used to the new rules.

We discover that she is not the only person who went through some shit, and was it refreshing? No, but was it necessary? Yes! Mave was really stubborn- still is, but she was also confident in what she did. Of course, she has insecurities, she is a living being! But what made me fall in love with her in the 1st book was her confidence, her being observant, and her being cool & collected to make rational decisions. I didn’t see much of that after she escaped. If you call asserting dominance by staring into a person's eyes till they look away ‘confident and collected’, well smack my ass red! I’m kinda repeating what I said in “What Happened to Mave?” But this is when it clicked to me, that Mave is not the person I grew to love.

Mave became less confident and her insecurities were eating her alive. She didn’t understand her people's language and felt like an outcast. Other people are telling stories of how her parents helped them and she felt jealous knowing she wouldn't be able to experience that. I like that empathetic side, and I felt it was greatly needed, but DAMN 6+ hours of that is tiring! Once again, it drags…from the “Pit” to the damn Village!

Mave relationship dynamics also changed. Mat doesn’t give off this “Distant Alpha Male” personality anymore, and that kinda sucks 🫤. He and Mavee used to go back and forth, he pushed her! And that’s what made Mave like him from the jump! Now he’s a pampering lover who gives her a slight push, is a little jealous, but also soothes her concern. Thank you? But can we also get that “Distant Alpha Male” who pushes her for the better back?

And the same with Rain! After Rain's assault from the “Pit”, he changed for the worse. Like everyone said in the book, he is not the person he was before he was enslaved. Rain became more distant, even with Mave and Mat. I missed their interactions and I missed how they were slowly growing closer to eachother. I thought Rain was going to consult with Mave since she understands his pain and he sees her as a sister but no, he just bottles everything in. Rain is now a changed man, and that’s a little hard to accept even for me, but we won’t be getting that giddy, clingy younger brother I was promised in book 1. And it sucks that it ended before it even started. AND I have a feeling we won’t see Mave, Mat, and Rain together by themselves anymore. 🤦
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I’m here for ROMANCE!

That’s why I started this series. Word around the street was that this book has a Badass FL, Slow-Burn Pace and it’s a Reverse Harem. I had to see what they were selling and it sounded like a dream! Sure it’s a RH, but not one you expected my lovely RH readers. If you read everything above and will continue to read below you should already know why it’s not your typical RH. The first 3 books are not lovely dovey and I’m not sure about the rest, there’s barely any romance. In most cases, I’ll say it’s closely related to the ‘feeling of duty’. Since there is some type of hierarchy within their species they have to play the roles of someone in the said group. I’m not sure about the other 4 books, so don’t quote me with that. There are a few sex scenes, but I kinda skipped them due to their situations. Like having sex after not washing up with blood, sweat, and dirt for 2 months is CRAZYY but I’ll digress.
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I spoiled it for myself!

I had to know, I needed to know who was going to pair with whom! It was at 16% when a subtle hint showed that Anachln and Rain may become lovers and I almost jumped out of my seat! Rain and Anachln?! So I did the thing I love doing the most, reading the last book spoilers. Turns out another woman joins Anachln and Rain's group, Anachln has 2 kids with her, and they are now a family. My stomach dropped to my stomach, my giddy, younger brother is now a father? Lord this had me emotional. 😭 And I was presently witnessing the start of Anachln and Rain’s relationship. This is what slow-burns do to you! It gets you in your feelings because the most common things in them are CHARACTER GROWTH! Remember?!
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Why I stopped reading?

Well after giving myself the biggest spoilers, I felt a knot in my stomach that the book and characters I became invested in might not be everything I wanted. I started this book with a list of expectations, read above and you’ll see it. Some pairings that I thought of didn’t happen, the FL was slowly changing into a person I wasn’t expecting, and relationships grew and became distant. The story isn’t just Mavelna The Champion story, it’s everyone, and damn it’s so bittersweet for me. I’m salty.
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I Might…

I might pick up on it again! Wished I stopped before my brain got tricked into thinking these characters were real people LMAO. I read spoilers but I would also like to experience- you know? I feel kinda left out that a lot of people finished everyone's story, but I think this series wasn’t right for me currently. I was kinda just hoping for a Revegeful Adventure RH with badass FL as she slowly builds herself, her harem, and connections around her who show her love, and mainly focus on those aspects. But, nope, I got thrown into a whole ass life cycle! I guess some people can agree what I described sounds exactly what this book is, but not to me LOL! Anyways I’m getting tired, so here’s something fun….
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People I thought were going to be paired but didn’t

-Rain & Mat &(Mave):

I had this thought in the first book! But then it was clarified quickly. Mave thought Rain and Mat were together in Book 1. But the author made it known that Rain isn't her type, and he only likes males.


-Aldachn & Mave :

Yes! I thought so at first and was thinking this was gonna be them enemies to lovers ARC, but nope! It clicked when the author kept reminding us that it would be bout damn near impossible for them to be with each other since their equally dominant or, if not more. Also, how Aldachn is looking for someone submissive, preferably male. While Mave is looking for someone who wouldn't try to control her. They are the same yet the opposite.


-Nevyn & Varon & Bryn:

I had a brief thought while they were on the ship🥴

-Mave & Nevyn & Varon:

2 bonded men, the author entertained the idea that women tried to get between them, but it didn't work out. Mave asked if they believed there was 1 out for them, and they agreed. It was a brief thought, but come on, all, I'm an RH reader😭

Profile Image for Suz.
2,294 reviews75 followers
December 27, 2020
3.5

This is quite good, but I'm seeing a trend of doing major reveals at the end of the book and it's a bit off putting. I mean, I am cruising through the book and loving the developments, the twists, just the right amount of action, and there's heat even if this particular author's versions of smexy don't particularly ring my bell but not too much of it.

The series has it all, but the reveals at the end feel manipulative and off putting. I'm glad there is only one book that hasn't yet been released and is due out in the spring. These endings would probably cause me to lose interest if I had to wait a long time for the next one. Not true cliff hangers, but big reveals that you know are going to be drama and issues and then "the end." Kinda tacky.

But that's all there is to complain about with this series, and I'm enjoying it immensely, so I'm not going to down grade for it, just whine instead. LOL
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