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As captain of the galaxy’s only all-female bounty hunter crew, Danica thought she was prepared for anything. She wasn’t expecting him.
Marooned on a sand planet, injured, and separated from her crew, Captain Danica Miller is not having a good day. When she’s rescued from the desert by a huge, gold-skinned alien, she doesn’t know whether to be relieved or to panic. Not only is he clearly a barbarian—a barely-dressed one at that—he seems to be able to read her thoughts. Even worse? She can sense his. And he seems to think she’s his to claim.
The last thing K'alvek wants is a frail creature distracting him from his mission—even if he does feel drawn to her. Then why can’t he stop himself from saving the willful woman and vowing to help her and her crew get off the planet? Especially when what he really wants to do is drag her to his tent and never let her go.
This standalone action-romance novel features a feisty, all-female bounty hunter crew; gorgeous, sand planet barbarian warriors; action-packed battles; and steamy scenes in an exotic desert oasis.
If you like hot alien warriors, strong women, and fated mates romance with a happily ever after, you’ll love BOUNTY, the first book in Tana Stone’s sci-fi romance Barbarians of the Sand Planet series.
Get it now!
Marooned on a sand planet, injured, and separated from her crew, Captain Danica Miller is not having a good day. When she’s rescued from the desert by a huge, gold-skinned alien, she doesn’t know whether to be relieved or to panic. Not only is he clearly a barbarian—a barely-dressed one at that—he seems to be able to read her thoughts. Even worse? She can sense his. And he seems to think she’s his to claim.
The last thing K'alvek wants is a frail creature distracting him from his mission—even if he does feel drawn to her. Then why can’t he stop himself from saving the willful woman and vowing to help her and her crew get off the planet? Especially when what he really wants to do is drag her to his tent and never let her go.
This standalone action-romance novel features a feisty, all-female bounty hunter crew; gorgeous, sand planet barbarian warriors; action-packed battles; and steamy scenes in an exotic desert oasis.
If you like hot alien warriors, strong women, and fated mates romance with a happily ever after, you’ll love BOUNTY, the first book in Tana Stone’s sci-fi romance Barbarians of the Sand Planet series.
Get it now!
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2020
1892 people are currently reading
1296 people want to read
About the author
Tana Stone
102 books826 followersI love sexy aliens and independent heroines. I grew up on Star Trek: Next Generation and Star Wars (and I adore them equally). My favorite superhero is Thor (with Aquaman a close second because, well, Jason Momoa), my favorite dessert is key lime pie (okay, fine, all pie), and I still lament the loss of Firefly.
I live in North Carolina in the US and have one husband, two teenagers, and two neurotic cats. I sometimes wish I could teleport to a holographic space station like the one in my tribute brides series (or maybe vacation at the oasis with the sand planet barbarians). :-) When I'm not writing, I love to paddleboard, dive, travel, and read obsessively!
Want to hang out with me in my private Facebook group? Join on all the fun at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tanas...
I live in North Carolina in the US and have one husband, two teenagers, and two neurotic cats. I sometimes wish I could teleport to a holographic space station like the one in my tribute brides series (or maybe vacation at the oasis with the sand planet barbarians). :-) When I'm not writing, I love to paddleboard, dive, travel, and read obsessively!
Want to hang out with me in my private Facebook group? Join on all the fun at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tanas...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
June 6, 2022
Mind Mates!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💛🖤💜💚❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 🫣🤭🫠😮🥰
The heroine: Danica Miller - she is the captain of a space ship and leader of a group of female bounty hunters in space. They chase and capture escaped bad guys throughout the galaxy and are good at their jobs. The captain of a mysogynistic rival bounty hunter ship tries to steal their bounty and sabotages their ship, stranding them on a desolate planet after saying he doesn’t think women have any business being bounty hunters, but in truth it is because he can’t take it that they are better than he and his crew and have been taking all the large bounties.
The Hero: K'alvek - he left the Oasis and is on on a trek alone across the dessert. He is hunting sand serpents and only thinks of getting revenge. He wants to avenge his father’s death against their enemy (the Krusteks) whom the new leader of the clan has signed a peace treaty with. He was so angry with the clan leader that he left on a solo hunting trek and to spy on the Krusteks.
The Story: After Danica and her crew crash land on a sand planet, they are unable to see any food or water in the vast dessert emptiness. Prior to the crash, while knocked out, Danica dreams of a Gold skinned man with hard ridges. K’alvek has a vision of a female that looks nothing like the Dothvek females he has seen before and feels a pull toward the crashed ship he saw fall out of the sky. He thinks the woman may be on the ship and he is overpowered with a need to protect her as she seemed fragile and not all the races on the planet protect the females the way his does.
I am loving alien romance lately, it is great if you want something lighter and smuttier than some of the other romance genre’s. I like the idea of the 7 foot tall broody aliens who have empathic abilities in this book. In this series the ability to tell what each other is feeling is similar to being able to read each other’s minds. It is like they can almost talk to each other in their heads. Danica is K’alvek’s mind mate and she not only sees him in her dreams, she can tell what he is feeling as well.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💛🖤💜💚❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 🫣🤭🫠😮🥰
The heroine: Danica Miller - she is the captain of a space ship and leader of a group of female bounty hunters in space. They chase and capture escaped bad guys throughout the galaxy and are good at their jobs. The captain of a mysogynistic rival bounty hunter ship tries to steal their bounty and sabotages their ship, stranding them on a desolate planet after saying he doesn’t think women have any business being bounty hunters, but in truth it is because he can’t take it that they are better than he and his crew and have been taking all the large bounties.
The Hero: K'alvek - he left the Oasis and is on on a trek alone across the dessert. He is hunting sand serpents and only thinks of getting revenge. He wants to avenge his father’s death against their enemy (the Krusteks) whom the new leader of the clan has signed a peace treaty with. He was so angry with the clan leader that he left on a solo hunting trek and to spy on the Krusteks.
The Story: After Danica and her crew crash land on a sand planet, they are unable to see any food or water in the vast dessert emptiness. Prior to the crash, while knocked out, Danica dreams of a Gold skinned man with hard ridges. K’alvek has a vision of a female that looks nothing like the Dothvek females he has seen before and feels a pull toward the crashed ship he saw fall out of the sky. He thinks the woman may be on the ship and he is overpowered with a need to protect her as she seemed fragile and not all the races on the planet protect the females the way his does.
I am loving alien romance lately, it is great if you want something lighter and smuttier than some of the other romance genre’s. I like the idea of the 7 foot tall broody aliens who have empathic abilities in this book. In this series the ability to tell what each other is feeling is similar to being able to read each other’s minds. It is like they can almost talk to each other in their heads. Danica is K’alvek’s mind mate and she not only sees him in her dreams, she can tell what he is feeling as well.
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June 21, 2022
Is this going to be a new IPB series?
Rating:
3 star
Cover:
Ugh
Trigger:
I didn't find any, so that could be a plus point.
Short review:
First in any series is always difficult to get to. Technically I was hoping for a feel-good repeat of Ice Planet Barbarians but it is much more. Lots of parallel stories going on, intergalactic bounty hunters, alien vs alien rivalry in Sand Planet, and internal tribal politics to name a few. Most of the time these factors make a story interesting but that was not the intention when I picked this book, in the first place. Having said that, I still want to know how the story progresses because even though it is a complete book, it feels like a precap of a grander story as a whole, and plus Danika's crew really interesting...
Review in image/gif:
Sorry for ruining your imagination:
Recommended:
Yes
Aftermath: (possible spoilers)
While I am interested in follow-up stories, I really think the complexity of the return-of-old-villain scenario is unnecessary but we will see how that unfolds.
Rating:
3 star
Cover:
Ugh
Trigger:
I didn't find any, so that could be a plus point.
Short review:
First in any series is always difficult to get to. Technically I was hoping for a feel-good repeat of Ice Planet Barbarians but it is much more. Lots of parallel stories going on, intergalactic bounty hunters, alien vs alien rivalry in Sand Planet, and internal tribal politics to name a few. Most of the time these factors make a story interesting but that was not the intention when I picked this book, in the first place. Having said that, I still want to know how the story progresses because even though it is a complete book, it feels like a precap of a grander story as a whole, and plus Danika's crew really interesting...
Review in image/gif:
Sorry for ruining your imagination:
Recommended:
Yes
Aftermath: (possible spoilers)
While I am interested in follow-up stories, I really think the complexity of the return-of-old-villain scenario is unnecessary but we will see how that unfolds.
March 29, 2022
IPB knockoff but with sand instead of ice
You got the fated mates thing like IPB too, but something about it feels extra stupid. Maybe because of the weird precognition elements that they never addressed? Or the fact that she went along with things for a while until she randomly decided not to? Who knows
Heroine is deliberately difficult and extremely fickle about every major plot point. Hero is kinda bland. It feels like the writer ran out of content because a good portion of chapters are about the side characters simply putzing around
You got the fated mates thing like IPB too, but something about it feels extra stupid. Maybe because of the weird precognition elements that they never addressed? Or the fact that she went along with things for a while until she randomly decided not to? Who knows
Heroine is deliberately difficult and extremely fickle about every major plot point. Hero is kinda bland. It feels like the writer ran out of content because a good portion of chapters are about the side characters simply putzing around
July 8, 2021
RATING: 4.5 STARS
I'm a little addicted to alien kink at the moment.
Great story.
Love me a barbarian and a strong female lead.
I'll be reading more.
I'm a little addicted to alien kink at the moment.
Great story.
Love me a barbarian and a strong female lead.
I'll be reading more.
Read
April 2, 2023dnf at %31 because rape attempt is a big NO even if it's not between main characters. and people compare this to ice planet barbarians? as if🥱
October 29, 2020
Not worth it.
All her thoughts are the same!!
She is on the bottom of the dune: she needs to get back to her crew
She wakes in his arms: she needs to get back to her crew
She is in the cave: she needs to get back to her crew
She is taken by two aliens from the cave: can she escape? no, she can’t at the moment
During the walk: can she escape? no, she can’t at the moment
They end up in another cave: can she escape? no, she can’t at the moment
This is not the work of a good author.
For all the talk of being a captain and leading the only female bounty Hunter crew in the known universe. It is only talk. She doesn’t show any of her strength and talents she supposedly has after the crash landing.
Her thought process is immature and repetitive. Her actions lack any flexibility and quick thinking to adapt to situations, like I would expect from a bounty Hunter.
There is nothing to back all this talk up.
Insta love and insta break coupled with an insta reunion.
The work is not on solid ground.
The world building isn’t that bad actually.
All her thoughts are the same!!
She is on the bottom of the dune: she needs to get back to her crew
She wakes in his arms: she needs to get back to her crew
She is in the cave: she needs to get back to her crew
She is taken by two aliens from the cave: can she escape? no, she can’t at the moment
During the walk: can she escape? no, she can’t at the moment
They end up in another cave: can she escape? no, she can’t at the moment
This is not the work of a good author.
For all the talk of being a captain and leading the only female bounty Hunter crew in the known universe. It is only talk. She doesn’t show any of her strength and talents she supposedly has after the crash landing.
Her thought process is immature and repetitive. Her actions lack any flexibility and quick thinking to adapt to situations, like I would expect from a bounty Hunter.
There is nothing to back all this talk up.
Insta love and insta break coupled with an insta reunion.
The work is not on solid ground.
The world building isn’t that bad actually.
February 9, 2024
Started off strong…and then it all went downhill from there.
Too many POVs and characters for one novella. Confusing at best
Too many POVs and characters for one novella. Confusing at best
February 9, 2020
3 Stars
June 25, 2020
This book spans over 4 days. The first day Danica is stranded on the sand planet and meets her barbarian, K’alvek. He rescues her and finds out that he can read her emotions. He then begins to think that she could be his “mind mate”. The very next day, they are in bed together. The day after that he is head over heels in love with her. Then they have a very stupid fight, he leaves, gets injured, she realizes the error of her ways when she feels his injury through their “mind bond”, and they get back together. Then the next day they are both head over heels in love with each other.
I feel like this book had huge potential. The world building was amazing! The author does a great job of describing the planet, the different creatures, species, and the history between the Dothveks and Cresteks. I also loved that Danica was such a badas$, she was no shrinking violet! But the story between Danica and K’alvek was just too rushed. I hate instant romances. I almost got whiplash from the speed that the relationship moved. I feel like if there was more to the book, and the couple could have actually had a chance to get to know each other, it would have made more sense.
I feel like this book had huge potential. The world building was amazing! The author does a great job of describing the planet, the different creatures, species, and the history between the Dothveks and Cresteks. I also loved that Danica was such a badas$, she was no shrinking violet! But the story between Danica and K’alvek was just too rushed. I hate instant romances. I almost got whiplash from the speed that the relationship moved. I feel like if there was more to the book, and the couple could have actually had a chance to get to know each other, it would have made more sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2020
I really don’t know how I feel about this story. The main characters were ok but I didn’t feel a connection with them. Some of the other women seemed to have a more interesting back story. I don’t think I would mind listening to theirs. It’s taken me a while to finish this story and I’m happy it’s over. I don’t want to sound mean but that’s the feeling I had when the last word was spoken.
August 27, 2021
He inhaled sharply, and she felt his hesitation.
"Don't you want me?" she asked.
"I should not."
"That’s not what I asked."
For all the love I have towards the Ice Planet Barbarian world, this book of a roasted, sand-blown planet and it's own set of alien "barbarians" gave me what I truly wanted from my recent foray into alien romances. It's gritty and fun, focusing more on character and plot development than lusty sensations and lengthy smut scenes . . . while still keeping the same enjoyable trashy vibes that I've come to crave from these types of books. Very, very impressed with this series and hope the next books continue to expand on the wonderful world and cast introduced here.
"Don't you want me?" she asked.
"I should not."
"That’s not what I asked."
For all the love I have towards the Ice Planet Barbarian world, this book of a roasted, sand-blown planet and it's own set of alien "barbarians" gave me what I truly wanted from my recent foray into alien romances. It's gritty and fun, focusing more on character and plot development than lusty sensations and lengthy smut scenes . . . while still keeping the same enjoyable trashy vibes that I've come to crave from these types of books. Very, very impressed with this series and hope the next books continue to expand on the wonderful world and cast introduced here.
April 26, 2020
Mmm. 2.5 rounded up
August 21, 2020
Really adventurous with a tiny romantic story - easy reading!
February 9, 2020
Fabulous story, boring romance, cardboard characters
Tana Stone's alien romance, Bounty, frustrated me. On the upside, this is an incredibly-well imagined and multi-layered story of potentially epic proportions. Finely constructed world-building sets up multiple conflicts:
1. viciously competitive bounty-hunter rivalries,
2. women staking out their place in a male-dominated field,
3. an evolutionary divergence in an alien species which leads to a bitter cultural divide,
4. the threat of extinction to both alien populations
5. one alien warrior's personal loss and quest for vengeance,
6. political machinations in the tribe of alien warriors alien warriors
7. an all-female, mixed species crew stranded on the aliens' desert planet
It's a treasure-trove of science fiction tropes that interweave in tantalizing snapshots, always leaving the reader eager to know more, slowly compiling an understanding of the bigger picture. I'm fascinated. I'm hooked!
The downside? All this is viewed through the multiple POV of Danica (human female ,bounty hunter), and K'alvek (barbarian alien warrior). Their supposed love story is weird, and oddly un-engaging. The author contrives for them to have dream sex before they even meet. The romance proceeds along a well-worn path - initial resistance followed by tediously detailed sex, despite the fact that she's awaiting rescue and he is focused on his mission... The romance has no fire, the sex is downright boring.and Danica in particular is a complete stereotype. But the overall tale is SO compelling, I ended up skimming the soporific sex, and really enjoying the rest of it. Readers whose focus is sex will love this book. Readers who want all the feels, not so much. SF and fantasy fans will find much to delight them, while regarding the romance as a trivial annoyance. I have to call it three stars, but I do intend to pursue the series. This is a voluntary ARC review.
Tana Stone's alien romance, Bounty, frustrated me. On the upside, this is an incredibly-well imagined and multi-layered story of potentially epic proportions. Finely constructed world-building sets up multiple conflicts:
1. viciously competitive bounty-hunter rivalries,
2. women staking out their place in a male-dominated field,
3. an evolutionary divergence in an alien species which leads to a bitter cultural divide,
4. the threat of extinction to both alien populations
5. one alien warrior's personal loss and quest for vengeance,
6. political machinations in the tribe of alien warriors alien warriors
7. an all-female, mixed species crew stranded on the aliens' desert planet
It's a treasure-trove of science fiction tropes that interweave in tantalizing snapshots, always leaving the reader eager to know more, slowly compiling an understanding of the bigger picture. I'm fascinated. I'm hooked!
The downside? All this is viewed through the multiple POV of Danica (human female ,bounty hunter), and K'alvek (barbarian alien warrior). Their supposed love story is weird, and oddly un-engaging. The author contrives for them to have dream sex before they even meet. The romance proceeds along a well-worn path - initial resistance followed by tediously detailed sex, despite the fact that she's awaiting rescue and he is focused on his mission... The romance has no fire, the sex is downright boring.and Danica in particular is a complete stereotype. But the overall tale is SO compelling, I ended up skimming the soporific sex, and really enjoying the rest of it. Readers whose focus is sex will love this book. Readers who want all the feels, not so much. SF and fantasy fans will find much to delight them, while regarding the romance as a trivial annoyance. I have to call it three stars, but I do intend to pursue the series. This is a voluntary ARC review.
October 4, 2020
I like the idea of female bounty hunters, I love women who take life (and men) by the balls. I liked Danica, but couldn't really form a deep connection with her. But I liked her enough to read the book until the end. She repeats herself a lot, which kind of got boring after she said his skin was hard, yet silky soft. I mean... aside from the constant repetition, I really don't think there is any such thing as hard, but silky soft at the same time. I just can't picture it.
The ridges on his penis remind me of something the guys in my country like to do. They put little objects into their penis to enhance sexual pleasure. It works, but not if they are too big. So, great job on the writer's part for that. I do think it's weird that the vee is there to stimulate the clitoris. Now I want to date an alien!
K'alvek (no idea how it's pronounced) reminds me of Khal Drogo. I think the writer might have had him in mind when she wrote K'alvek. That was a good call: Drogo is hot and I was sad when he died. It's safe to say 'Danica' also sounds like the nickname for Queen Daenerys, which is Dani. The name of his clan, Dothvek, sounds a lot like Dothraki. I can see the GOT and Drogo obsession here.
Even the tents they live in sound a lot like the Dothraki tents. Oh, and the sex scene where she's riding him, I can tell that's from GOT, as well.
The ridges on his penis remind me of something the guys in my country like to do. They put little objects into their penis to enhance sexual pleasure. It works, but not if they are too big. So, great job on the writer's part for that. I do think it's weird that the vee is there to stimulate the clitoris. Now I want to date an alien!
K'alvek (no idea how it's pronounced) reminds me of Khal Drogo. I think the writer might have had him in mind when she wrote K'alvek. That was a good call: Drogo is hot and I was sad when he died. It's safe to say 'Danica' also sounds like the nickname for Queen Daenerys, which is Dani. The name of his clan, Dothvek, sounds a lot like Dothraki. I can see the GOT and Drogo obsession here.
Even the tents they live in sound a lot like the Dothraki tents. Oh, and the sex scene where she's riding him, I can tell that's from GOT, as well.
February 6, 2020
Like Sand Through An Hourglass⏳
ADULT Alpha Alien Male🐺🔪🔫 Romance💕, Abduction and Space🚀 Adventure.
Scenario: An old spaceship🚀 held together with duct tape and baling wire, is captained by Danica💃💋, a bounty hunter and her small crew of alien and human women.
They pick up, Max, a scientist with a huge bounty on her head, and are promptly attacked by a larger vessel🚀. Their engines🚀 are damaged beyond repair, so they are forced to crash land on a desert🌴🌵 planet with two suns🌞🌞.
Danica💃💋 begins having waking dreams of a tall golden skinned and tattooed alien🐺🍆⛲🔪.
Funny! When she and Tori leave the ship to find an oasis🌴 or some natives, they become lost, separated, and overtaken in a sand storm.
Then K'Alvek, the golden skinned man🐺🍆⛲🔪 appears! Danica can't get his language, he is a rare and mostly primitive species with no space travel🚀, but they seem to be able to communicate without words!
ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱.
I also got this ebook with KU.
ADULT Alpha Alien Male🐺🔪🔫 Romance💕, Abduction and Space🚀 Adventure.
Scenario: An old spaceship🚀 held together with duct tape and baling wire, is captained by Danica💃💋, a bounty hunter and her small crew of alien and human women.
They pick up, Max, a scientist with a huge bounty on her head, and are promptly attacked by a larger vessel🚀. Their engines🚀 are damaged beyond repair, so they are forced to crash land on a desert🌴🌵 planet with two suns🌞🌞.
Danica💃💋 begins having waking dreams of a tall golden skinned and tattooed alien🐺🍆⛲🔪.
Funny! When she and Tori leave the ship to find an oasis🌴 or some natives, they become lost, separated, and overtaken in a sand storm.
Then K'Alvek, the golden skinned man🐺🍆⛲🔪 appears! Danica can't get his language, he is a rare and mostly primitive species with no space travel🚀, but they seem to be able to communicate without words!
ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱.
I also got this ebook with KU.
April 1, 2020
Wow out of all the alien romance books you could read in the world, this one should maybe not be the one you choose. It’s poorly written and the storyline is very not developed. The male romantic lead is all about revenge for stuff that happened prior to the book but then that just ends immediately without any resolution. The female romantic lead is annoying as hell and how many times can the phrase female bounty hunter team/crew etc be written.
Super fun idea, not great execution. I mean if you’re bored during quarantine and looking to get away from the world, go for it. But just know this one is an ehhhhhhhhhb kind of book.
Super fun idea, not great execution. I mean if you’re bored during quarantine and looking to get away from the world, go for it. But just know this one is an ehhhhhhhhhb kind of book.
November 3, 2022
Danika and her crew are kick ass bounty hunters, that have a pain in the ass enemy that just can’t let it go when he’s been bested...by women. He strands them on a primitive desert sand planet, where luckily she is found by one of the natives, that just so happens to be hot, and her mind mate.
Safe read. I loved this storyline and world that Tana Stone has created. The couple is wrapped up in this story, but there is a bigger storyline continuing with her badass crew, and their enemies, in the sky and on the planet. These two were hot af, their was some resistance, some things to work out since her place was in the sky and his on his planet, and an epilogue.
Safe read. I loved this storyline and world that Tana Stone has created. The couple is wrapped up in this story, but there is a bigger storyline continuing with her badass crew, and their enemies, in the sky and on the planet. These two were hot af, their was some resistance, some things to work out since her place was in the sky and his on his planet, and an epilogue.
wont-read-again
May 10, 2020Well, I've never read from this author before. So it was a first. I'll start out with the things I liked then the things I loved and explain why I won't give a star review.
What I liked:
I liked that the women were all strong minded and that they knew each other pretty well to know each other's mindset.
I liked that the females were all different species and were ousted by a lot of judgments of their species by racial standards. So to speak. For Danica, it didn't matter what their species was known for, it was about the person and the strength of the woman herself.
What I didn't like (which is a bit longer)
I couldn't understand the language thing going on. So did they use clicks? Did they speak English? Because in a part of the book he says something to her and it doesn't say that it was her translator. It implied he just "spoke", and it was English. So really unclear.
I was not a fan of the first conflict characters to come back into the book. There is enough drama with the other clan to at least last through the next book and then maybe bring back the other drama characters.
Not a fan of the amount of vengeance K'avlec (K'avlek?) had. A fair amount is fine, but the issue of him thinking of how much of a burden she was, come on man. It was through the entire book.
Okay. This is personal preference so please don't take this to your consideration of choosing to read or not.
I DO NOT like books from 3rd person. As soon as I started reading, I almost put it down immediately but I wanted to give it a fair go. Then, not only was the 3rd person from her, but also his character. THEN! It was from all of the characters. Just way too much for me. I had already had a hard time deciphering who was who and then everything was split up everywhere. While I get that some people like to know what is going on with the other characters while all of the other dramas are happening, I was so confused and if that were to be in the book, I wish they would have had 1st person chapters instead. This is all the reason I choose not to leave a stat review since it would absolutely not be fair to the author since it is my own personal preference.
I don't know if I'll be going into the next books.
What I liked:
I liked that the women were all strong minded and that they knew each other pretty well to know each other's mindset.
I liked that the females were all different species and were ousted by a lot of judgments of their species by racial standards. So to speak. For Danica, it didn't matter what their species was known for, it was about the person and the strength of the woman herself.
What I didn't like (which is a bit longer)
I couldn't understand the language thing going on. So did they use clicks? Did they speak English? Because in a part of the book he says something to her and it doesn't say that it was her translator. It implied he just "spoke", and it was English. So really unclear.
I was not a fan of the first conflict characters to come back into the book. There is enough drama with the other clan to at least last through the next book and then maybe bring back the other drama characters.
Not a fan of the amount of vengeance K'avlec (K'avlek?) had. A fair amount is fine, but the issue of him thinking of how much of a burden she was, come on man. It was through the entire book.
Okay. This is personal preference so please don't take this to your consideration of choosing to read or not.
I DO NOT like books from 3rd person. As soon as I started reading, I almost put it down immediately but I wanted to give it a fair go. Then, not only was the 3rd person from her, but also his character. THEN! It was from all of the characters. Just way too much for me. I had already had a hard time deciphering who was who and then everything was split up everywhere. While I get that some people like to know what is going on with the other characters while all of the other dramas are happening, I was so confused and if that were to be in the book, I wish they would have had 1st person chapters instead. This is all the reason I choose not to leave a stat review since it would absolutely not be fair to the author since it is my own personal preference.
I don't know if I'll be going into the next books.
September 13, 2022
h gets stranded on sand planet with her crew and she has a one track mind, GET OFF PLANET. H also has a one track mind and his is getting revenge against an enemy for the death of his father.
I was bored through a lot of this. Our H was pretty bland. And our h was annoying. The fated mates comes in the form of "mind mates" They can't necessarily hear each other thoughts, but they feel emotions. So a lot of the dialogue was all inner monologues of them just sharing feelings and shit and I was very bored.
It went a little bit like this, H recognizes they're mind mates and they're attracted to each other, but if he has sex with her he could never take another mind mate and he would forever feel her emotions even if she left the planet. Which would leave him heartbroken. She wants to leave no matter what and does not necessarily know about this mind mate thing. (because he hasn't told her yet. And it's not like he's keeping it a secret, it just never occurs to him that he should tell her?) h is receptive to it because it's cool but she doesn't know what it actually means for them as a couple. she just thinks it's something that happens on this planet. they have sex but H is like heartbroken already even though he knows she is gonna leave and is just pounding is sorrow out into her? Literally.
and then repeat. over and over again.
Also we get POVs from pretty much everyone. And the story is all over the place. Everyone gets split up and I feel like each story in this series will be like that. Not focusing on one couple each story but all of their stories and journey together.
From reading the reviews of other books, the series does get better, so I'm staying strong and continuing on!
I was bored through a lot of this. Our H was pretty bland. And our h was annoying. The fated mates comes in the form of "mind mates" They can't necessarily hear each other thoughts, but they feel emotions. So a lot of the dialogue was all inner monologues of them just sharing feelings and shit and I was very bored.
It went a little bit like this, H recognizes they're mind mates and they're attracted to each other, but if he has sex with her he could never take another mind mate and he would forever feel her emotions even if she left the planet. Which would leave him heartbroken. She wants to leave no matter what and does not necessarily know about this mind mate thing. (because he hasn't told her yet. And it's not like he's keeping it a secret, it just never occurs to him that he should tell her?) h is receptive to it because it's cool but she doesn't know what it actually means for them as a couple. she just thinks it's something that happens on this planet. they have sex but H is like heartbroken already even though he knows she is gonna leave and is just pounding is sorrow out into her? Literally.
and then repeat. over and over again.
Also we get POVs from pretty much everyone. And the story is all over the place. Everyone gets split up and I feel like each story in this series will be like that. Not focusing on one couple each story but all of their stories and journey together.
From reading the reviews of other books, the series does get better, so I'm staying strong and continuing on!
August 14, 2023
1.5 Sandy Stars
Look, this book had potential but the length, lack of chemistry and too many POVs weakened it.
The MCs to me didn't have any chemistry to make me really care about their dynamic. Danica was on board with the whole "alien mate" bond and then she just changed her mind because the alien could change an animal's emotions thinking he was doing the same to her. This is after she knows their whole clan can read/feel emotions. Only for her to realize - a couple of angsty chapters later - that she couldn't lose someone she loved again, so she gets back to him claiming that she overreacted.
I just dislike how in order to get to that point of angst, characters act stupid switching their whole personalities and leaving the reader confused.
The book it's told from first a POV and this is where the pacing suffers because we have some chapters from both main characters but we also have POVs from other secondary characters. Chapters that in my opinion weren't needed because they didn't contribute anything to the story. We could assume from how close everyone seemed in the first couple of chapters, the secondary character's mission was trying to find Danica, while Danica's mission was to get back to her crew.
I feel like we didn't need several chapters about those secondary characters planning how to get to their captain. Made it easier for us the reader to get to know the characters? Kinda. Did it also made the story drag? Definitely.
Several chapters of this made me lose my interest. I was reading long-descriptive paragraphs that amounted to nothing making the book way longer than it needed to be.
Look, this book had potential but the length, lack of chemistry and too many POVs weakened it.
The MCs to me didn't have any chemistry to make me really care about their dynamic. Danica was on board with the whole "alien mate" bond and then she just changed her mind because the alien could change an animal's emotions thinking he was doing the same to her. This is after she knows their whole clan can read/feel emotions. Only for her to realize - a couple of angsty chapters later - that she couldn't lose someone she loved again, so she gets back to him claiming that she overreacted.
I just dislike how in order to get to that point of angst, characters act stupid switching their whole personalities and leaving the reader confused.
The book it's told from first a POV and this is where the pacing suffers because we have some chapters from both main characters but we also have POVs from other secondary characters. Chapters that in my opinion weren't needed because they didn't contribute anything to the story. We could assume from how close everyone seemed in the first couple of chapters, the secondary character's mission was trying to find Danica, while Danica's mission was to get back to her crew.
I feel like we didn't need several chapters about those secondary characters planning how to get to their captain. Made it easier for us the reader to get to know the characters? Kinda. Did it also made the story drag? Definitely.
Several chapters of this made me lose my interest. I was reading long-descriptive paragraphs that amounted to nothing making the book way longer than it needed to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2021
This is as good as Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet Barbarians. Similar trope, except it's a desert planet instead of ice. I'm still enjoying it. It's just different enough to be interesting. I like sexy aliens who revere their women.
March 16, 2021
Sci-fi romance that is sadly surface only.
January 2, 2022
A little to much insta love for my taste. Wasn’t enough character development for me to believe any love was real. Not much else to it.
I enjoyed the action therefore 2 stars. Not enough to continue with the series. If you want insta love- this is for you. There’s some erotic sections if you just want that.
I enjoyed the action therefore 2 stars. Not enough to continue with the series. If you want insta love- this is for you. There’s some erotic sections if you just want that.
July 7, 2023
If you like Ice Planet Barbarians you might like this book. They both have kinda the same concept. I will say some parts of this book feel rushed, it definitely could have been more fleshed out.
March 4, 2024
Jess, there weren’t enough bears 😂
April 16, 2025
ridiculous and fun, for fans of Ice Planet Barbarians
November 22, 2023
I don't mind the IPB vibe but God this was a shallow plot with no real substance. The FMC also came across as a terrible captain not utilizing technology or supplies until random moments that would have helped way before if only she remembered to reach into her pocket.
May 20, 2021
This was non-stop action. Crashes, battles, & kidnappings. Really great. No typos or annoying overdone angst.
July 21, 2020
Can’t wait to read the rest of the series - Highly recommend!!
This is the beginning of a series about an intergalactic all female bounty hunting crew, another bounty hunting crew that is constantly trying to steal others’ bounties, and a golden alien warrior with ridges in all of the right places telling you that you are his “mind mate”.
Each book in the series focuses on a couples’ courtship as they find their way to a HFN. Then each subsequent book begins where the other one ended and contains reoccurring characters and an overall arcing storyline. For maximum reader satisfaction and understanding, the series must be read in order.
HERE IS HOW THE STORY BEGINS:
Danica is the captain of an all female bounty hunting crew. She inherited her ship when her dad died and it is all she has ever known. Over the years she gradually brought on her crew. They are doing well having just captured their 3rd high dollar bounty in the past year.
Then before they can even start to think of what would be possible if they collected a bounty that size, they are being fired upon and boarded by their arch nemesis, Mourad, so he can take their bounty. They were not even sure they wanted to turn over a scientist or female, so they weren’t just going to hand her over to a slime ball like him. Danica worked with Dr. Max Dryden before he got to that part of the ship and disguised her as one of the crew.
It worked, but Mourad was so mad, he knocked them out and sabotaged their ship. When they woke up, the engines were smoking, the controls destroyed, and they were set to crash land on a barbarian sand planet. Fortunately they all escaped without major injuries and needed to figure what was around them besides fine golden colored sand.
Danica and Tori went out to explore some around the ship, while everyone else worked on trying to get out an emergency rescue request sent out. As soon as they landed outside the door, they knew they were going to need something to get around on the sand. They found a piece of metal and decided to use it like a body board. This worked well until they decided to turn around. Tori ended up sliding down one side of a sand dune and getting a cut on her arm, and Danica rolled down the other side.
Danica was having a wonderful dream about a golden man with pointed ears before she woke up to a bleeding calf, no Tori, no blaster, and no water. She tied a piece of clothing to her leg and tried to find Tori before passing out.
K’alvek is a Dothvek warrior who’s main purpose in life currently is avenging the death of his father at the hands of the Cresteks about a year ago. He has been carefully watching them and exploring the area around their city under the guise of hunting. He has just killed a sand dweller when he starts seeing these images of a small, weak, strange looking female with smooth skin. Has no interest in being distracted from his revenge; females are just a weakness for a warrior and something he doesn’t want.
So why does he feel so protective of a female he hasn’t met and a strong and overwhelming pull to follow the smoking streak that just went across the sky?
This is the beginning of a series about an intergalactic all female bounty hunting crew, another bounty hunting crew that is constantly trying to steal others’ bounties, and a golden alien warrior with ridges in all of the right places telling you that you are his “mind mate”.
Each book in the series focuses on a couples’ courtship as they find their way to a HFN. Then each subsequent book begins where the other one ended and contains reoccurring characters and an overall arcing storyline. For maximum reader satisfaction and understanding, the series must be read in order.
HERE IS HOW THE STORY BEGINS:
Danica is the captain of an all female bounty hunting crew. She inherited her ship when her dad died and it is all she has ever known. Over the years she gradually brought on her crew. They are doing well having just captured their 3rd high dollar bounty in the past year.
Then before they can even start to think of what would be possible if they collected a bounty that size, they are being fired upon and boarded by their arch nemesis, Mourad, so he can take their bounty. They were not even sure they wanted to turn over a scientist or female, so they weren’t just going to hand her over to a slime ball like him. Danica worked with Dr. Max Dryden before he got to that part of the ship and disguised her as one of the crew.
It worked, but Mourad was so mad, he knocked them out and sabotaged their ship. When they woke up, the engines were smoking, the controls destroyed, and they were set to crash land on a barbarian sand planet. Fortunately they all escaped without major injuries and needed to figure what was around them besides fine golden colored sand.
Danica and Tori went out to explore some around the ship, while everyone else worked on trying to get out an emergency rescue request sent out. As soon as they landed outside the door, they knew they were going to need something to get around on the sand. They found a piece of metal and decided to use it like a body board. This worked well until they decided to turn around. Tori ended up sliding down one side of a sand dune and getting a cut on her arm, and Danica rolled down the other side.
Danica was having a wonderful dream about a golden man with pointed ears before she woke up to a bleeding calf, no Tori, no blaster, and no water. She tied a piece of clothing to her leg and tried to find Tori before passing out.
K’alvek is a Dothvek warrior who’s main purpose in life currently is avenging the death of his father at the hands of the Cresteks about a year ago. He has been carefully watching them and exploring the area around their city under the guise of hunting. He has just killed a sand dweller when he starts seeing these images of a small, weak, strange looking female with smooth skin. Has no interest in being distracted from his revenge; females are just a weakness for a warrior and something he doesn’t want.
So why does he feel so protective of a female he hasn’t met and a strong and overwhelming pull to follow the smoking streak that just went across the sky?
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