Thirst

by Addison Cain

Human, fragile, available...

...should I pay the exorbitant price the insectoid flesh dealer demands.

Pretty even in her strangeness. The alien creature is everything I require to satiate my seeding frenzy. Her protected species engineered to survive my needs. Built to serve them again and again.

One look at her trapped in containment, and already my tentacles display. Skin warming from the blue of calm, straight to red.

I will feed her. Bathe her. Keep her warm in the freezing halls of my ship.

Seed her. Spawn an empire.

And, according the human manual, she will love me for it.

Genres: Aliens, Romance, Science Fiction, Erotica, Paranormal, Dark, Dark Romance

69 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2020

About the author

USA TODAY bestselling author and Amazon Top 25 bestselling author, Addison Cain is best known for her dark romances, smoldering paranormal suspense, and twisted alien worlds. Her antiheroes are not always redeemable, her lead females stand fierce, and nothing is ever as it seems.

Deep and sometimes heart wrenching, her books are not for the faint of heart. But they are just right for those who enjoy unapologetic bad boys, aggressive alphas, and a hint of violence in a kiss.

Visit her website: addisoncain.com

Sign up for her newsletter: http://bit.ly/AddisonCainNewsletter

Amazon: amzn.to/2ryj4LH
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/AddisonCain
Bookbub Deals: www.bookbub.com/authors/addison-cain
Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/AddisonlCain/
Addison Cain’s Dark Longings Lounge Fan Group: www.facebook.com/groups/DarkLongingsL...

Don’t miss these exciting titles by Addison Cain!

The Golden Line

The Alpha’s Claim Series:
Born to be Bound
Born To Be Broken
Reborn
Stolen
Corrupted (coming soon)

Wren’s Song Series:
Branded
Silenced

The Irdesi Empire Series:
Sigil
Sovereign
Que (coming soon)

Cradle of Darkness
Catacombs
Cathedral
The Relic

A Trick of the Light Duet:
A Taste of Shine
A Shot in the Dark

Historical Romance:
Dark Side of the Sun

Horror:
The White Queen
Immaculate

Reviews

[Meredith is a hot mess]

A disclaimer for Goodread's legal department, for when this review is inevitably reported by Tynia Watson McQuigg (she changed her last name lol) or the next attorney the author hires: This review is my opinion & commentary, not facts. I point to where and how I came to my conclusions, which sources I found facts from, and how I interpreted them. People are free to come to their own conclusions :)) If someone at Goodreads legal is reading this review because they've received a strongly worded letter from an attorney, and they're unaware of the full situation I suggest reading the Electronic Frontier Foundation's statement with links to the kind of letters Tynia Watson has a history of writing for her client: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/10...

I have gone out of my way to focus on the book and marketing of the book. Any mention of the author is relevant because it's in context to the book or marketing of the book.

*As of today, 2/15/2020, Thirst has been available for more than one day. This is one of the clearest examples of misleading advertising I've seen. I explain why this is unfair to readers at the bottom of this review, and why other authors would be wise to refrain from mimicking Thirst's advertising at the very bottom of the comment section.

AC's 'one day only' facebook ads for THIRST: https://imgur.com/a/A9TPgtS

AC's newsletter advertising THIRST: https://imgur.com/a/w95TR04

3 more newsletters advertising THIRST as being on sale for 'one day only': https://imgur.com/a/vHKJ7MI

Update: In AC's newsletter 2/16/2020 she said she extended the sale of THIRST because of the delay of the paperback.

^This doesn't hold up or make any sense, because in the advertisements she never said there would be a paperback. The advertisements said the ebook would only be available for one day (Feb.14th) if you one-click. AC never told readers paperbacks of THIRST would be available.

Also, something readers may not know, authors can have paperbacks independent of ebooks. The ebook version of THIRST was advertised as available for 'one day only.' On top of that, Amazon never removes paperbacks. Amazon will never take the book down in case of a third party seller with a copy or a return, even if it's out of print. The ebook version can go away, but Amazon will still hold onto the paperback version.


These types of marketing schemes and workarounds are not good for the romance industry.

_______

Original Review from 1/30/2020:

The excerpt provided in the newsletter matches an excerpt from Tentacle Warrior's Captive. So, Thirst appears to be a repackaging of a book AC wrote under a different pen name.

Excerpt from Tentacle Warrior's Captive by Aslyn S. Slither, published by Tentacle Press: https://imgur.com/a/DF0psDP

According to a review left under Tentacle Warrior's Captive, it looks like Tentacle Warrior's Captive was also republished under the pen name Itzobel Estrange as Tentacle Warrior Takes a Pet

*Here's what left me scratching my head*(the self-dedication):

http://www.thetentaclepress.com/books...

*Tentacle Press's website has recently been shut down (2/27/2020) but it's saved on the WayBackMachine:https://web.archive.org/web/201903151...

Authors webpage of Tentacle Press from 2019: https://web.archive.org/web/201903151...

I also took a screenshot because I had a suspicion the website would be shut down:) https://imgur.com/a/dyIq5dS

From that page:

We still can't believe Addison Cain actually started talking to us, wayyy back when she first found one of our tentacle books. She inspired & encouraged us to write our own Omegaverse, and then decided to join in!

From the dedication:

To the dirty girls at Tentacle Press, M.D. Pentacles, Ivana B. Kinkee, and Aslyn S. Slither, for challenging me to write something filthy just for them.

So, it looks like AC gave a dedication to her pen name, Aslyn S. Slither?

edit: Tentacle Press' endorsement of AC's Wren's Song is problematic because it breaks FTC Guidelines for endorsements: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/busin...

^Basically, it's looking like Tentacle Press consisted of a bunch of AC's close author friends, who were pretending to be brand new authors and promoting AC's own books. (MD Pentacles is Myra Danvers. Myra Danvers has been friends with AC for years and has previously worked with her. Hell they both founded Tentacle Press along with Ivana Kinkee). FTC Guidelines make it clear when it comes to endorsements close relationships should be disclosed. Otherwise it's deceptive and the business risks being investigated by the FTC. Would they in this case, no, probably not. This is another example of why other authors should try to avoid this type of advertising/endorsements though.

.

Anyhow, if you're a fan of Tentacle Press, or previously read Tentacle Warrior's Captive by Aslyn S. Slither or Tentacle Warrior Takes a Pet by Itzobel Estrange I have a feeling Thirst will be pretty similar. Hopefully extended, since those books were only about 30 pages long. Here's a stacked comparison of the excerpt from the newsletter for Thirst and Tentacle Warrior's Captive: https://imgur.com/a/KkVLxan

edit: lol I just looked at Amazon and Thirst will be 60 pages long.

**For those wanting to read a blurb before they purchase this book, AC provided one in Tentacle Warrior Takes a Pet. From there:

A prize human female for sale at the flesh market possesses a slippery recess perfect for the great warrior Glabrx's needs. Six tentacles, two tongues, and one massive, hungry flange wriggle eagerly in anticipation of playing with his newly acquired pet. Filling the sexy girl with his spawn, tormenting her with the pinch of his suckers, and making her cum at his leisure are only the beginning.

He wants her swollen with milk, sticky with his seeding fluids, and eager to debase her body for his amusement. Training begins now.

Publisher's Note: Twisted and tasty, this tale from Tentacle Press showcases a helpless human pet and her horny alien master.

A reviewer for that book said it was good noncon alien breeder smut, I have an inclination Thirst's plot be similar to the description from that blurb.

Happy Reading❤️ I'm very much looking forward to the reviews for Thirst:)

Why I'm watching the advertising and shelving this as 'repackaged':

I've started a 'repackaged' shelf because while repackaging is sometimes good for an author, and can be helpful...it can be abused and used simply as a way to make authors more money and charge more from readers. Both Skye Warren and Addison Cain have used this strategy. The Wren's Song repackaging actually costs readers more money than what the 4 novellas cost readers originally.

____

I've started a new shelf, 'misleading advertising.' This is because I've been seeing multiple popular authors use aggressive advertising techniques that puts extra pressure on readers to buy the book.

I think it's important to pay attention to advertising and marketing strategies popular authors use (not just AC, other authors like Skye Warren, Alessandra Torre, LJ Shen, etc) because smaller authors often copy larger author's business models. When readers show they don't care being charged premium prices, etc it let's other authors think they can come into the market and do the same to make a buck.

...

As of now, I'm not putting THIRST on my 'misleading advertising' shelf, but I'm watching it because if AC changes her plan, and extends the sale of Thirst, that is unfair to readers. The 'one day only sale' advertising puts pressure on readers to one-click immediately, without giving them time to read reviews from other readers to decide if the book is up their alley.

Now, most AC fans may not mind this...but there are other regular readers who do like reading AC's books sometimes, but don't feel comfortable one-clicking automatically just because it's AC. I like knowing about a book before I one-click. So, if she changes her plan and extends the sale of THIRST, her 'one day only sale' advertising comes across as a huge strategy to simply increase her presales.

Pre-Orders are a huge source of income and marketing for authors. Many authors use all kinds of gimmicks to drive up pre-orders.

If AC does this with THIRST (backs away from her advertising for Thirst, extends the sale) This kind of advertising isn't honest to readers and I'm really looking for honest, straightforward advertising from authors in the dark romance/PNR community.


*AC has extended the sale of THIRST. This is officially on my 'misleading advertising shelf'. Here's why this advertising strategy was also not fair competitively to other authors (imo):

-Mark Coker, the founder of Smashwords, has talked about how pre-orders allow author's books to rise in the charts before publication.

When an author uses an advertising technique, like, 'pre-order now, available for one day only' it increases the chances of the book rising in the charts because of the 'urgency' of this ad. When the author fully intends to keep the book up for sale more than one day ~~~ this is deceptive marketing that gives the book an unfair edge in a competitive market.


___

Why this type of advertising isn't in the best interest of authors (I'm copy and pasting from a bottom comment since the comment thread is so long now):

Basically, it skirts FTC guidelines: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/busin...

From there:

The Federal Trade Commission Act allows the FTC to act in the interest of all consumers to prevent deceptive and unfair acts or practices. In interpreting Section 5 of the Act, the Commission has determined that a representation, omission or practice is deceptive if it is likely to:

mislead consumers and
affect consumers' behavior or decisions about the product or service.

The FTC Act prohibits unfair or deceptive advertising in any medium. That is, advertising must tell the truth and not mislead consumers. A claim can be misleading if relevant information is left out or if the claim implies something that's not true.

Sellers are responsible for claims they make about their products and services. Third parties - such as advertising agencies or website designers and catalog marketers - also may be liable for making or disseminating deceptive representations if they participate in the preparation or distribution of the advertising, or know about the deceptive claims.

^This is why authors should try to avoid this type of advertising. Implying that a book will be available for only one day, but then leaving the book available for longer is implying something that's not true. It puts pressure on consumers to 'pre-order now' instead of giving them time to read other reviews. The advertising for Thirst is one of the most clear cut examples of misleading advertising I've seen.


.

[Sophia Triad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tentacles erotica. Very intense and OTT crazy.

[Vellini · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 Stars

An ok read, but I'm used to better from AC. It was too short to get to know or care about the MCs.

[Ciru · Rating 2 out of 5]

The outline was there, the details weren't filled in all that well.

As another reader noted, A.C.'s books are very rapey. This one however, ups the ante as we are then introduced to a tentacle creature.

The internet is a wondrous place. Meaning in short, this was not my intro to tentacle smut. However, all I could picture was Evangeline basically being fucked by a Predator type creature, and her wriggling stomach, there's this scene in a movie (can't remember the name/actress), where she gets infected, then that thing is wriggling around and she has to perform surgery on herself and removes something that looks like squid/an octopus, every fucking time, Evangeline was getting seeded, that is all that was playing at the back of my mind. And I had to physically refrain from scratching my tummy just imagining it.

Then we have the flip when the human manual is downloaded. I was not convinced, that all of a sudden Glabrx changed and was all of a sudden affectionate, but at least the ending was better than the Born to be series.

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

TENTACLED ALIEN HERO??

How the hell did I get here??? Why am I so tempted to read this book??

--------

Okay. I did it. I read the damn book. I don't know how to explain my feelings right now. It was certainly... unique. My face changed from horrified to wtf-laughing back and forth.

Let me spoiled it for you.
1. It's alien a.k.a. Necrimata species a.k.a Great Glabrx, with tentacles (6!). But with legs. And backward knee. And a very... promiscuous-had-their-own-will flange dick... which was accordion-ly shaped.
2. The heroine, which was kidnapped from Earth, and sold as slave, complete with the milking equipment if you bought her at such a prize. Yeah.
3. The alien gave birth to their own spawn inside the human recipient's womb/cervix. Scientifically, I had no idea how this mechanism work... but fuck it, why am I trying to find a rationale in a book like this??
4. The alien sucked the human's period. You know... and it was described, "A human period. A thing he took great pleasure in drinking down in the most disgusting of ways. Smearing his maw in her fluids, performing a fucked up version of cunnilingus with two tongues and constant physical attention." I think I threw up a little bit there.
5. The ending which I don't mind much. It was implied that their kids wanted to bang their mother. Nothing that shocked me much after that brief period description. Just another day in a fucked-up planet, I guess.


All in all, it was mindless fun! Crazy, horrifying but fun... I think. I'm too desensitized right now.

[Niki {Still a Widow but reading more} · Rating 3 out of 5]

God she loves writing crazy rapey stories doesn't she? Yet I still read them. I got a soft spot for weird aliens and Grabrx is definitely one so I enjoyed this little short. At lease he wasn't purposefully demeaning and degrading.

[꧁Persephone꧂ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Severely over priced for such a short read. Definitely not worth it. Story itself was fine but very much without plot.

[Libre · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another repackage although it was previously publish under a pen name. Anyway feels like a filler book. Like she needed to make money and didn't want to go through the trouble of actually writing one so she invented some strange characters and had them have weird sex under questionable circumstances. I also she felt like she tried to create drama and intensity were there none. Unlike her other previous stories (the omegaverse series, the historical romance series and the sovereign series) I didn't buy the love between the charcters they fell flat, felt inauthentic, and didn't connect.
There was also no plot. I am disappointed I have come to expect from Mrs. Addison to whole lot more and she have created a novella withsubstantial, complex, layered story with a gripping story line with authentic interesting characters (I am refering to immaculate. I wish she did a full novel but i am also happy because it would have been probably would have beem just an extended version of the same story (like she did with glided line and other stories) which i don't need or she would have started another series that she wouldn't finish.
The writing is still pretty good there's just no substance to back it up:(

[IncorrigibleMondays · Rating 1 out of 5]

Comparing his "flange" to wet wriggling kittens is not hot. Actually, no part of this was. Those scenes were decidedly very much not hot. Clinical and sort of gross in some ways, and no, not because of the content. I'm fine with tentacles. Many parts felt jumbled and misplaced. H went from having a pet to trying out human love words within a few pages. The epilogue felt crammed in, actual story only 70% For $4 I expected a lot more from this. Got a refund, and I never return books.

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

[Amara]

I want to read this, but $3.99 for a 60 page novella? Dream a little dream.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, the moment this book came out at midnight I jumped on it immediately, I’ve been up all morning with no sleep to read this book.

I Will Give ZERO Spoilers.

HEA(?): YES! And Yes, My Eyes May Have Up A Bit.

Heat: 5/5, Two Words: HOT & KINKY(!!!!)
Loved it!!

Romance: When I read that ending, I’m completely convinced in the Love Between then, 5/5.
Drama: 3/5
Suspense: 3.5/5
Dark(?): To Me? Not At All, But Again Thats Just Me. :)

Such a Great Read!!

My Only Complaint?
I Wish it Was Much Longer & Had More Depth.
Mainly Because Addison Cain’s Writing Is THAT Good, That I Cant Get Enough Of The Worlds She Creates!

[April Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why..

No clue why I continue with this author... I think I'm hoping that one day she'll write something more than 80pages long and perhaps not include 30 to 40 percent advertisements in the back of the ebooks... I think this was the end for me. I like the content but it's just not long enough to give any real depth. If rather spend my money on actual books instead of short stories that end within 30 minutes of beginning.

[fulano · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book in the series was romantic erotica, this is straight up tentacle, breast milk, and breeding porn. It wouldn’t have been an issue (write what you want idc) but why the hell would you completely change genre in a series. The first book was completely different to this. You are allowed to write in different genres but why do that in between a series?!!?! I did not sign up to read this, i’m scarred!!! 😫 TW for mention of abortion and heavy non-consent though.

[Innie | Kindledallnight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strangely addictive!

Ailien erotica on this level is something I've never read, but this novella was stranger ly addicting and I just couldn't put it down. Well written, easy flowing, Erotic though... Messy I still loved it.
The tearjerker on the end was strangely pulling at my heart strings.

5 stars, I was fully invested in the story throughout.

[•Kate•/ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving this two stars instead of one for important reasons.

First of all, I thought the story was creepy-fabulous. Disturbingly erotic even. Lots of good fun. I would have given it 5 stars for the premise. Great short story. Really good mix of horror/hot.

My second point is simply this; it is a measly 60 page short story that costs as much as a full-length 300ish page-count ebook. THAT should be criminal. $3.99 currently on NA Amazon.

That second star is really too generous for the above reason. In truth it should be 1.5, so if you're a die-hard fan and this is really your thing, (I can't tell you how to spend your money).. I mean go for it. But that price is ludicrous.

[Christina (stinarinareads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, alien, a little uncomfortable, and a lot erotic. It may sound strange for a story like this, but I almost wanted a little more emotional happiness, especially from the FMC. I wanted a little more connection to the characters, I guess, to have gotten that true sense of contentment when reaching the end. But he got tentacles, so at the end of the day, still won

[Elisabete · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick, tentacle-filled smut in space LOL

[jennifer | offmyredcarpet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not for everyone but I liked it. Extremely alien and manages to maintain that throughout. This is a power exchange. The FMC is bought in a flesh exchange, as such there is noncon. But she’s clever and cynical and manages to manipulate him into taking better care of her. A strange fondness transpires between them and while there is an HEA, they live a long life together dying of old age in the epilogue.

*This book does not contain trigger warnings but should for SA, captive, loss of autonomy, power exchange, implantation of larva without consent.

[♛ Garima ♛ · Rating 1 out of 5]

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like a sister novella to Strangeways.

While Strangeways dealt with aliens on planet Earth, in human society, Thirst is instead about one human lost in alien space.

Since this is a slave/pet scenario, a great deal of triggers apply and I would not recommend this to the general romance reader.

Unlike Strangeways, and despite featuring more tentacles than strictly necessary, Thirst was almost literary in ambition. I felt that this short novella displayed an unusual amount of world-building, a thoughtful application of what another race would feel and think, as well as pretty good writing.

It was quite dark, in the way that Strangeways just hinted at, but at the same time, it felt like the more hopeful of the two stories.

I loved it!

[Annica ⚡️ annica_reads_books ⚡️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever read!

But also, I loved it? I don’t know how to explain it. Trust me, you’ve never read anything like this. 5 stars for sheer creativity, the odd sweetness, and “what-the-fuckery.”

[*Erin* · Rating 3 out of 5]

weird bit of fun

Sci-fi
Alien erotica
Captive/pet human
Tentacles
Novella
Dubcon/noncon
Spice: 3/5

FMC: Evangeline
MMC: Galbrx

Did I enjoy the book? Yes
Would I read this book again? Maybe
Would I read from this author again? Yes

It was a little expensive for a novella at 3.99. It was a weird but fun read. The epilogue was sweet.
Galbrx was in need of a breeding vessel and bought Evangeline. He used her and thought he knew how to care for her, but she had to teach him and found love in the end.

[Faiza Daudo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whatever the f*ck did I just read? 😂😂😂

[Serena Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lo más raro y loco que leí de este género!




•Mi opinión puede contener Spoilers.
•Esta destinada a ser un descargo personal no para que alguien más lea pero si lo haces y te ofende, me disculpo porque sé lo que es que te guste un libro y otros lo critiquen.



Argumento:

¿Debería pagar el precio exorbitante que exige el traficante de carne insectoide por la pequeña cosa en la jaula?

Bonito incluso en su extrañeza. La criatura alienígena es todo lo que necesito para saciar mi frenesí de siembra. Su especie protegida diseñada para sobrevivir a mis necesidades. Construido para servirles una y otra vez.

Una mirada a ella atrapada en la contención, y mis tentáculos ya se muestran. Calentamiento de la piel del azul de la calma, directo al rojo. la alimentaré. bañarla. Mantenla caliente en los helados pasillos de mi nave. Sembrarla. Generar un imperio. Y, según el manual humano, ella me amará por ello.



Thirst de Addison Cain

Mí humilde opinión:

AMO los libros de aliens, descubrí el género de Ciencia ficción romántica el año pasado y muchas autoras que se convirtieron en mis favoritas y, aún hoy sigo leyendo sus sagas pero este relato corto me dejó PERPLEJA!

Addison Cain tiene una imaginación inquietante!

Desde los tentáculos, el tema de la leche materna, sí, leche materna! hasta las larvas, sí, larvas!

Y no vayamos a lo erótico si podría llamarse eso a las escenas de estos dos aquí... a mí me dio hasta escalofríos leer esas escenas!

Sé que era encuentro humano/extraterrestre pero este supera todo lo que leí antes.

Y con todo no podía dejar de leer porque quería saber al final cómo Evangeline superaba su situación.

Ni siquiera el final me dejó una buena sensación con este libro.

Una historia corta realmente LOCA sobre un alien con tentáculos...

Todavía no salgo de mí asombro.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to give anything below a 3 in a review, and I originally thought I would give it a three just cause Addison Cain is such a good writer. But, this just missed the mark on most fronts for me. The writing wasn't as good as she usually does, it was just cold, clinical, gross, and off-putting. Honestly, all this talk of tentacles- I think we could have had more of that and less flange and spawn...?!?! It also put me off that it cost what it did, but turned out to be only 60 pages and ended way before that even.
I just have to remember, Addison Cain writes horror and erotica. I'm probably not ever going to get a satisfying HEA from her - that's not what she does. I've read other things of her's that are not my norm, but she gets you to keep going - like Wren's Song. This was nowhere close.

[Daenerys Targaryen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the reviews before reading the book. The creep factor is very high.

I generally like the unusual, imaginative, new world type books. But I get it that being kidnapped by aliens and considered as a pet by a monster with a pointless existence is not for everyone. Its either ewww or oh ohhh with this book.

Very short read and within those pages you get a glimpse of a culture vastly different from that of humanity. Do not try to understand/ figure out Glabrax, really. I still don't fully understand the 5 stars though. Possibly because it is unforgettable?

[Patty Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steamy

It is spicy and naught, The detailing is graphic but hot and sexy like an erotic book should be . I did read it all in one setting. If you like steamy and sensual tales this book is definitely for you. I highly recommend it.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too short and her writing style made it too tedious to read.

2 stars

[Alejandra Ramírez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es una corta historia muy adictiva, que no puedes dejar de leer. Lo he terminado de una sentada.
Lleno de mucho erotismo y con un universo alienigena fuera de lo convencional, me gusto mucho leer sobre unos alienigenas diferentes a los que te encuentras generalmente en estas historias, me hubiese encanto continuar leyendo sobre ellos y que la utora hubiese explorado más ese mundo y esas criaturas.
No le doy las 5 estrellas por que falto algo de trama en la historia, mu hubiese gustado ver más el desarrollo de los personajes, su mundo, sus costumbres.....Al ser una historia tan corta resulta muy entretenida pero falto sin duda mucha narrativa.