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Iriduan Test Subjects #6
The Fractured Mate
As a captive of aliens, Paisley is forced to work as an engineering assistant on an ancient wrecker starship. She knows she has to keep her head down and her behavior humble in order to survive.
When the crew responds to an automated distress call from an Akrellian warship that shouldn’t be malfunctioning, she senses a threat, but she knows no one will listen to her warnings. Paisley realizes that her days of avoiding danger are over when, among the rescued passengers, trouble with a capital “T” is escorted onto her ship—in chains for bringing an apocalypse to Earth that resulted in millions of deaths.
Something about the prisoner makes it impossible for her to look away from him, and it isn’t just the fact that he’s the most handsome alien she’s ever seen. Yet, when he meets her eyes, there’s a darkness in his intense gaze that makes her think his captors might be telling the truth about him, despite his claims of innocence.
Caught between two greedy groups seeking wealth and power, Paisley soon discovers that far more lies behind the mystery surrounding the Iriduan prisoner they call Halian. He might be stealing her heart, but she can’t keep him in chains, because he could be the key to saving the galaxy—or destroying it.
This isn't a light read, featuring a sweet-from-the-start hero. The main male character has villainous facets to him that do not immediately soften in this slower-burn romance. The journey to love will be very rough at times.
If you're in the mood for a complex villain seeking redemption through love, a plucky, intelligent heroine willing to risk it all, and a story packed with action and romance that finally blows the doors off the galactic mystery that has lurked beneath the surface of the Iriduan Test Subjects series, then this book is for you.
When the crew responds to an automated distress call from an Akrellian warship that shouldn’t be malfunctioning, she senses a threat, but she knows no one will listen to her warnings. Paisley realizes that her days of avoiding danger are over when, among the rescued passengers, trouble with a capital “T” is escorted onto her ship—in chains for bringing an apocalypse to Earth that resulted in millions of deaths.
Something about the prisoner makes it impossible for her to look away from him, and it isn’t just the fact that he’s the most handsome alien she’s ever seen. Yet, when he meets her eyes, there’s a darkness in his intense gaze that makes her think his captors might be telling the truth about him, despite his claims of innocence.
Caught between two greedy groups seeking wealth and power, Paisley soon discovers that far more lies behind the mystery surrounding the Iriduan prisoner they call Halian. He might be stealing her heart, but she can’t keep him in chains, because he could be the key to saving the galaxy—or destroying it.
This isn't a light read, featuring a sweet-from-the-start hero. The main male character has villainous facets to him that do not immediately soften in this slower-burn romance. The journey to love will be very rough at times.
If you're in the mood for a complex villain seeking redemption through love, a plucky, intelligent heroine willing to risk it all, and a story packed with action and romance that finally blows the doors off the galactic mystery that has lurked beneath the surface of the Iriduan Test Subjects series, then this book is for you.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 17, 2020
352 people are currently reading
745 people want to read
About the author
Susan Trombley
32 books849 followersBorn a dragon, but forced to take human form to fit into those little baby carriers, Susan accepted that she'd have to live a mortal life. She just wasn't going to go around being all boring about it. As soon as she was old enough, she immediately applied for an alien abduction, but got wait-listed, so she made her lair in the desert to wait out the coming zombie apocalypse with a pair of magical cats (they can appear underfoot in an instant, usually at the steps) and the dog from Hades that has three heads (and now has three bodies to go with them).
When the white knight came to fight the dragon, Susan liked him so much she decided to marry him and they now have a beautiful little dragonlet. (Who looks just like a little girl unless you use a magic mirror)
Fortunately, despite being trapped in this dimension, Susan uses her dragon's vision to see all the most interesting goings-on in the multiverse. Figuring they made great stories, she decided to share them with the rest of the mortal world, by writing fantasy, science fiction and romance.
When the white knight came to fight the dragon, Susan liked him so much she decided to marry him and they now have a beautiful little dragonlet. (Who looks just like a little girl unless you use a magic mirror)
Fortunately, despite being trapped in this dimension, Susan uses her dragon's vision to see all the most interesting goings-on in the multiverse. Figuring they made great stories, she decided to share them with the rest of the mortal world, by writing fantasy, science fiction and romance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
September 2, 2021
Reread 9/2/21: Started skimming through to get a sense of Shulgi again before reading his book, and got sucked right into rereading this. Still gobsmacked how all the pieces came together. Susan is a masterful storyteller!! Like an expert weaver that blends all these chaotic strings together and once completed is a beautiful tapestry, which tells an amazing story. This is still my number one SFR series of all time!! I am so excited to read the two newest additions.
HOLY SPLIT PERSONALITIES, BATMAN!!!
WOW!!!
Halian, oh sweet broken Halian....you have become my favorite of this series. I wish I could give you more than 5 Stars!!!
I did not know how Susan was gonna be able to redeem Halian, and I'm not gonna give out a single spoiler, but what she did was soooooo good. Amazing. Magical. This was such a great ending to this series. She always writes such amazing stories!!! I don't know what the heck I'm gonna read now :(
*After reading some reviews I feel I need to make a note to potential readers.....Do Not Read This Book First. Read this series in order!! If you don't, you seriously miss out on all the history, relationships, betrayals, and amazing build up that got us to this point. Every book is so well done and entertaining. You won't be disappointed!! It makes me frustrated to see reviews where people say they just picked up this one or skimmed all the back story and then rated it low because they didn't understand or connect to the characters.
HOLY SPLIT PERSONALITIES, BATMAN!!!
WOW!!!
Halian, oh sweet broken Halian....you have become my favorite of this series. I wish I could give you more than 5 Stars!!!
I did not know how Susan was gonna be able to redeem Halian, and I'm not gonna give out a single spoiler, but what she did was soooooo good. Amazing. Magical. This was such a great ending to this series. She always writes such amazing stories!!! I don't know what the heck I'm gonna read now :(
*After reading some reviews I feel I need to make a note to potential readers.....Do Not Read This Book First. Read this series in order!! If you don't, you seriously miss out on all the history, relationships, betrayals, and amazing build up that got us to this point. Every book is so well done and entertaining. You won't be disappointed!! It makes me frustrated to see reviews where people say they just picked up this one or skimmed all the back story and then rated it low because they didn't understand or connect to the characters.
February 27, 2020
I loved this book so hard. I've been waiting for Halain's book since the moment he was introduced, and Susan did not disappoint! I'm a sucker for a villain romance, especially one that doesn't hurt his heroine but will raze chaos and destruction to the world around him. Halain had three different personalities, and I was so in love with Killer. I don't know what it says about me that I really dig the villain/bad guys so much, but Killer is something. **Fans self**
Paisley was the perfect mate for him. She's sweet, caring, emphatic, but she has backbone and will protect the one she loves, refusing to leave their side. Halain needed that.
If you haven't read this series yet, and if you love aliens that look alien, I highly recommend this series!
Paisley was the perfect mate for him. She's sweet, caring, emphatic, but she has backbone and will protect the one she loves, refusing to leave their side. Halain needed that.
If you haven't read this series yet, and if you love aliens that look alien, I highly recommend this series!
January 17, 2023
This was seriously amazing I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did I love a villain romance and here Hallian had the ultimate redemption arc. This went places I wasn’t expecting and was incredibly intricate a tangled web of madness and distinct choices all leading up to a certain point and very particular outcome. Halian is an incredibly complicated individual his psyche fractured and split by what has previously occurred but rather than the bad character I was expecting he was definitely shades of grey each of his three personas providing such different and diverse traits.
I found the reasonings behind some of his prior actions fascinating and though it didn’t excuse some of his previous choices it certainly provided clarity and a sense of the why and these reasons actually made sense on why these choices were arrived at.
I’m not sure who was my favourite personality out of the three Halian possessed each provided something totally unique and Paisley found herself eventually appreciating all three some much easier than others.
The mostly dominant source and the easiest for Paisley to warm to was Halian in all of his innocence and naivety. He had such a need to be accepted and liked but was also incredibly brilliant his vulnerability shone brightly. He also believed in his own innocence regarding the many crimes his memory’s obscured I mean he didn’t even initially accept he was fractured. This male had a serious case of plausible deniability.
Killer was all about self-preservation and was prepared to do what he needed to protect what he considers his weaker twin and ultimately himself. He was cutthroat cynical and totally brutal but I couldn’t help being equally charmed by him.
And then we have the puppet master and orchestrator the one with all of the answers Enki. A terrifying male with a secret agenda that he keeps so close to his chest even Killer is incredibly wary of this one. Each of these three makes up the core of what is Halian. But they are also very distinct and consider themselves separate. They each have their own goals and aspirations and individual traits functioning separately but also as a connected unit. Each constantly fighting for control and all fighting for their individual survival.
Paisley is the key to saving them all and up till now she’s been existing as a slave aboard a ship just trying to survive. Abducted from Earth as a teenager this girl is resilient and pragmatic with a massive dose of self-preservation. She dreams of escape from her master but knows she needs to bide her time waiting for a chance as failure could mean a much worse fate even death.
When Halian is brought aboard the salvage vessel she calls her home she takes her opportunity. Cunningly playing all of the angles her then collaboration and reluctant partnership with the iriduan prisoner is one born of necessity rather than any great trust ultimately her options are limited and he’s currently her best chance of freedom. But the more time she spends around this complicated male the more she realises he’s not quite right but without another viable option, she will just have to be vigilant and careful in how she handles Halian going forward.
This journey spanned from a ship deep in space to an abandoned leisure dome salvaging scrap all the way back to earth. It was incredibly imaginative with such nuances and heart and was such an enjoyable experience. I like the way it was all eventually resolved and the outcome arrived at was fitting and I felt how it should be. The world-building was again elaborate and this one has definitely been a stand-out of the series for sure.
What a journey this was I absolutely adored fluffy and also catching up with some old faces. Paisley is the key here it’s her strength of character that shines through so strongly. Her ability to accept each facet of Halian so completely that paves the way forward. She loves and accepts unconditionally and without placing harsh conditions on those affections. I definitely recommend this series it’s one of my favourites and each book is so completely different and totally unique.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
March 8, 2020
So... I don't know why I thought I would like this but whatever.
The good... I actually liked Paisley. She was a survivor and she was brave. I liked that she never gave up and she didn't let Halian/Killer/Enki intimidate her too much.
The story behind fracturing
Nemon was back!
The okay...
Halian was the best of the bunch. He treated her well and he tried so hard to do the right thing. Could have done without the "I have practiced oral on prostitutes but I am a virgin" nonsense. Again, with this authors? Sex doesn't have to involve a phallus. He WAS NOT a virgin.
Some of the other characters were back and they didn't get on my nerves.
The bad...
Killer was like alien Jack Sparrow but not even kind of charming. He was basically her psychotic Dom.
Enki was a controlling jackass. Also, the surprise was not a point in his favor.
ST was open about her slight of hand in the end but that doesn't make up for the fact that it took all of the depth out of the only interesting part of the plot
Tarin and brats ruined the epilogue.
Safe Mostly -
The good... I actually liked Paisley. She was a survivor and she was brave. I liked that she never gave up and she didn't let Halian/Killer/Enki intimidate her too much.
The story behind fracturing
Nemon was back!
The okay...
Halian was the best of the bunch. He treated her well and he tried so hard to do the right thing. Could have done without the "I have practiced oral on prostitutes but I am a virgin" nonsense. Again, with this authors? Sex doesn't have to involve a phallus. He WAS NOT a virgin.
Some of the other characters were back and they didn't get on my nerves.
The bad...
Killer was like alien Jack Sparrow but not even kind of charming. He was basically her psychotic Dom.
Enki was a controlling jackass. Also, the surprise was not a point in his favor.
ST was open about her slight of hand in the end but that doesn't make up for the fact that it took all of the depth out of the only interesting part of the plot
Tarin and brats ruined the epilogue.
Safe Mostly -
December 13, 2025
Not what I expected
What I originally loved so much about this series was the 'imprinting' some male alien species do in this universe. It's basically fated mates but more biological. A male will become enslaved by the female's pheromones. However,
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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What I originally loved so much about this series was the 'imprinting' some male alien species do in this universe. It's basically fated mates but more biological. A male will become enslaved by the female's pheromones. However,
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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September 6, 2021
I don't even know how to write a review for this book. I can say it is definitely in my Top 5 Reads of 2021, and it may be one of the most unique, well-written romances I have ever read. EVER.
IT'S THAT GOOD.
Halian was so damned evil in previous books, I couldn't possibly imagine how he could be redeemable. But DAMN if our author didn't come up with the absolute most genius, creative, plot twist of an explanation!
Not only was he redeemable, he has become my favorite hero of the series, which is TOUGH competition next to Thrax and Hunter.
Susan Trombley is a master genius world builder. Whenever I read one of her books, I literally feel like I'm stepping into another universe. And when I finish, it takes me a day or two to get my head back on earth.
If you're thinking about reading this, DO IT. DO IT DO IT DO IT.
I'm off to go suffer a serious book hangover. 😭
IT'S THAT GOOD.
Halian was so damned evil in previous books, I couldn't possibly imagine how he could be redeemable. But DAMN if our author didn't come up with the absolute most genius, creative, plot twist of an explanation!
Not only was he redeemable, he has become my favorite hero of the series, which is TOUGH competition next to Thrax and Hunter.
Susan Trombley is a master genius world builder. Whenever I read one of her books, I literally feel like I'm stepping into another universe. And when I finish, it takes me a day or two to get my head back on earth.
If you're thinking about reading this, DO IT. DO IT DO IT DO IT.
I'm off to go suffer a serious book hangover. 😭
April 12, 2021
Villain Romance, so worth it
SPOILERFREE REVIEW OF THE WHOLE SERIES (this final book is not a stand-alone, and not reading the prior books - no matter how insufferable some of them are - will diminish the value of this one)
The Iriduan Test Subjects series can also be viewed as 6 unequal siblings. Some of them are charming, some are brats, and some you want to yeet from the orbit. This final book is a gem, in terms of writing, characters, plot and tension. It truly is the masterpiece that Susan Trombley wanted to write all along, and this book doesn't simply tie up plot-strings that were picked up and discarded in earlier books but also (most remarkably of all) offered a love story that is uniquely memorable and has re-read potential.
Book 1 of the Iriduan Test Subject series,
The Scorpion's Mate (3/5 stars) 1st Person Dual POV
has a simple premise: Claire, a human woman abducted by aliens, ends up in an Iriduan research facility, where she is experimented on together with other humans, as well as more exotic genetic experiments. Thrax - one of the "creatively" engineered lab rats, imprints on her, just like the researchers wanted. Unfortunately for the evil scientists, Thrax and Claire have NO intention of breeding like bunnies to supply the Iriduans with cannon fodder. Apart from the alien setting, this is a straightforward paranormal romance, but with creepy monster sex (very cool creepy monster sex).
Book 2,
The Kraken's Mate (4/5 stars) 1st Person Dual POV
Picks up where book 1 left off, with a second experiment, Nemon, and his human mate, Joanie. This is the book where Halian is introduced, and next to the final book, Nemon and Joanie's romance is my favorite. It's a straightforward paranormal monster sex book, once again. But the characters are sweet and we get a glimpse at what's to come.
Book 3,
The Serpent's Mate (2/5 stars) 3rd Person Multiple POVs
diverts from the tried and tested 1st person POV formula and instead features multiple POVs, all in 3rd person. In hindsight, the extra POVs outside of the main couple mostly enhanced Halian's storyline. I did not enjoy this book much, mostly because the hero, snek guy Nahash, is a petulant, resentful dick.
Book 4,
The Warrior's Mate (2/5 stars) 1st Person Dual POV
was a gigantic MESS. I was SUPER stoked to read Tirel and Thérèse's story (and we even got 1st person POV again!). But. The pacing of this installment? UGH. Tirel and Thérèse had history prior to this book, but instead of one or two flashback chapters, we got a half-assed rehash. Then, the book just threw readers in cold water with some crazy mess Halian orchestrated, only for the story to come to a screeching halt after the 30% mark and just ... never really start moving again. It was maddening. And awful. Especially because the story was actually really good. It's just that chapters and chapters of nothing happening will kill each and every book, no matter what. So yeah, I wanted to love this way more than I ended up loving it. Only a few scenes (the mating dance! the weird hunting ritual!) remain in my mind.
Book 5,
The Hunter's Mate (2/5 stars) 3rd Person Dual POV
went back to third person POV for pretty much no reason (I think there was one additional POV at the end, but the rest could easily have been 1st person POV). That being said, the pacing was SO MUCH BETTER than book 4. So much better. Too bad I wanted the heroine dead, vacuumed into space, annihilated, never to be talked about again. She's a selfish, abusive asshole, and unfortunately the hero puts up with it and thinks she hung the moon or something. Tarin should've married that asshole Nahash instead and they could've gone somewhere to die together.
Book 6,
The Fractured Mate (5/5 stars) 3rd Person Dual POV
introduces the heroine, Paisley, for the first time. The other books in the series usually had a familiar face for the heroine (except for book 3 - Cass and Nahash were both new), so this was challenging to pull off, especially since Halian was literally everywhere in books 2 through 5 and many parts of his personality (split as it is) and motivations (complicated though they are) were established. Paisley is a good heroine because she isn't a jumpy crybaby and instead takes the stuff that's thrown at her with a matter-of-fact stoicism. I like that. Throughout the book, she is Halian's rock, not the other way around. So they have a really different dynamic from other romance couples, the fact that Halian is basically three individuals notwithstanding.
So why is this book the best, by far? Halian (and his aspects) have great chemistry with Paisley. Even better than Nemon and Joanie, who I loved but who were sometimes too sweet. Paisley is no push-over. Halian and all his versions are extremely intriguing and well-done. The two have lots of times together, but it doesn't feel unnatural or orchestrated. Side characters (both new baddies and familiar faces) are well chosen and don't clog up the plot, but enhance it. The pacing is fast and tense, even though this is the longest book in the series.
Also, the background story is seriously brought to a new level in this book. I really enjoyed everything.
Why should you read this series, even if some of the books are not as good as the others, or as this one?
In terms of alien erotica, this series tries to do things differently. The women are all human, but the heroes, rather than just be a cute alien species with abs, are real abominations. We're talking body armor, mandibles, tentacle penises, feelers, wings, weird dildo appendices etc. Like, weird stuff. Every single book features a radically new species or anatomy for the hero, and I liked that a lot. The different species introduced were often not very humanoid, and that made for fascinating reading as well as creative monster sex.
It's like the author saw all the humanoid "aliens" in sci-fi romance and was like ... I wanna see some really horrific stuff. Because many of the heroes are genetically engineered lab rats, the result of those experiments has nothing to do with the Adonis beauty ideal romance readers are used to. I really liked that.
I also liked that Trombley made a concerted effort to give her heroines hobbies, and personality. Claire is a cosplaying industrial dancer. Joanie is a gambling addict. Cass is a successful businesswoman. Thérèse comes from a loving restaurant family. Tarin is an asshole. Paisley is a Shiba Inu, loyal and strong.
Finally, Halian's villain arc is the best villain arc I have seen for any villain in paranormal or sci-fi romance, ever. He is mentioned in book 1 and features heavily in all the other books, so we see much of his facetted actions and motivations before coming to this book. This book tries to redeem Halian, or at least make him worthy of love, and it really works. More importantly, his personality through his POV and words and actions really checks out. Because Halian and Paisley are so well done, it's an effortless read. However, upon scrutiny, it's very noticeable that the writing can't have been easy. This book is the most complex in the series, and it's a flawless, seamless experience. I loved everything, and now I'm mad it's all gone and apparently reader interest in Ava's story (that's Claire's bestie from book 1, who appears throughout the books) is not very high :( Boo.
SPOILERFREE REVIEW OF THE WHOLE SERIES (this final book is not a stand-alone, and not reading the prior books - no matter how insufferable some of them are - will diminish the value of this one)
The Iriduan Test Subjects series can also be viewed as 6 unequal siblings. Some of them are charming, some are brats, and some you want to yeet from the orbit. This final book is a gem, in terms of writing, characters, plot and tension. It truly is the masterpiece that Susan Trombley wanted to write all along, and this book doesn't simply tie up plot-strings that were picked up and discarded in earlier books but also (most remarkably of all) offered a love story that is uniquely memorable and has re-read potential.
Book 1 of the Iriduan Test Subject series,
The Scorpion's Mate (3/5 stars) 1st Person Dual POV
has a simple premise: Claire, a human woman abducted by aliens, ends up in an Iriduan research facility, where she is experimented on together with other humans, as well as more exotic genetic experiments. Thrax - one of the "creatively" engineered lab rats, imprints on her, just like the researchers wanted. Unfortunately for the evil scientists, Thrax and Claire have NO intention of breeding like bunnies to supply the Iriduans with cannon fodder. Apart from the alien setting, this is a straightforward paranormal romance, but with creepy monster sex (very cool creepy monster sex).
Book 2,
The Kraken's Mate (4/5 stars) 1st Person Dual POV
Picks up where book 1 left off, with a second experiment, Nemon, and his human mate, Joanie. This is the book where Halian is introduced, and next to the final book, Nemon and Joanie's romance is my favorite. It's a straightforward paranormal monster sex book, once again. But the characters are sweet and we get a glimpse at what's to come.
Book 3,
The Serpent's Mate (2/5 stars) 3rd Person Multiple POVs
diverts from the tried and tested 1st person POV formula and instead features multiple POVs, all in 3rd person. In hindsight, the extra POVs outside of the main couple mostly enhanced Halian's storyline. I did not enjoy this book much, mostly because the hero, snek guy Nahash, is a petulant, resentful dick.
Book 4,
The Warrior's Mate (2/5 stars) 1st Person Dual POV
was a gigantic MESS. I was SUPER stoked to read Tirel and Thérèse's story (and we even got 1st person POV again!). But. The pacing of this installment? UGH. Tirel and Thérèse had history prior to this book, but instead of one or two flashback chapters, we got a half-assed rehash. Then, the book just threw readers in cold water with some crazy mess Halian orchestrated, only for the story to come to a screeching halt after the 30% mark and just ... never really start moving again. It was maddening. And awful. Especially because the story was actually really good. It's just that chapters and chapters of nothing happening will kill each and every book, no matter what. So yeah, I wanted to love this way more than I ended up loving it. Only a few scenes (the mating dance! the weird hunting ritual!) remain in my mind.
Book 5,
The Hunter's Mate (2/5 stars) 3rd Person Dual POV
went back to third person POV for pretty much no reason (I think there was one additional POV at the end, but the rest could easily have been 1st person POV). That being said, the pacing was SO MUCH BETTER than book 4. So much better. Too bad I wanted the heroine dead, vacuumed into space, annihilated, never to be talked about again. She's a selfish, abusive asshole, and unfortunately the hero puts up with it and thinks she hung the moon or something. Tarin should've married that asshole Nahash instead and they could've gone somewhere to die together.
Book 6,
The Fractured Mate (5/5 stars) 3rd Person Dual POV
introduces the heroine, Paisley, for the first time. The other books in the series usually had a familiar face for the heroine (except for book 3 - Cass and Nahash were both new), so this was challenging to pull off, especially since Halian was literally everywhere in books 2 through 5 and many parts of his personality (split as it is) and motivations (complicated though they are) were established. Paisley is a good heroine because she isn't a jumpy crybaby and instead takes the stuff that's thrown at her with a matter-of-fact stoicism. I like that. Throughout the book, she is Halian's rock, not the other way around. So they have a really different dynamic from other romance couples, the fact that Halian is basically three individuals notwithstanding.
So why is this book the best, by far? Halian (and his aspects) have great chemistry with Paisley. Even better than Nemon and Joanie, who I loved but who were sometimes too sweet. Paisley is no push-over. Halian and all his versions are extremely intriguing and well-done. The two have lots of times together, but it doesn't feel unnatural or orchestrated. Side characters (both new baddies and familiar faces) are well chosen and don't clog up the plot, but enhance it. The pacing is fast and tense, even though this is the longest book in the series.
Also, the background story is seriously brought to a new level in this book. I really enjoyed everything.
Why should you read this series, even if some of the books are not as good as the others, or as this one?
In terms of alien erotica, this series tries to do things differently. The women are all human, but the heroes, rather than just be a cute alien species with abs, are real abominations. We're talking body armor, mandibles, tentacle penises, feelers, wings, weird dildo appendices etc. Like, weird stuff. Every single book features a radically new species or anatomy for the hero, and I liked that a lot. The different species introduced were often not very humanoid, and that made for fascinating reading as well as creative monster sex.
It's like the author saw all the humanoid "aliens" in sci-fi romance and was like ... I wanna see some really horrific stuff. Because many of the heroes are genetically engineered lab rats, the result of those experiments has nothing to do with the Adonis beauty ideal romance readers are used to. I really liked that.
I also liked that Trombley made a concerted effort to give her heroines hobbies, and personality. Claire is a cosplaying industrial dancer. Joanie is a gambling addict. Cass is a successful businesswoman. Thérèse comes from a loving restaurant family. Tarin is an asshole. Paisley is a Shiba Inu, loyal and strong.
Finally, Halian's villain arc is the best villain arc I have seen for any villain in paranormal or sci-fi romance, ever. He is mentioned in book 1 and features heavily in all the other books, so we see much of his facetted actions and motivations before coming to this book. This book tries to redeem Halian, or at least make him worthy of love, and it really works. More importantly, his personality through his POV and words and actions really checks out. Because Halian and Paisley are so well done, it's an effortless read. However, upon scrutiny, it's very noticeable that the writing can't have been easy. This book is the most complex in the series, and it's a flawless, seamless experience. I loved everything, and now I'm mad it's all gone and apparently reader interest in Ava's story (that's Claire's bestie from book 1, who appears throughout the books) is not very high :( Boo.
March 22, 2020
Susan Trombley.
Thank you.
Sincerely, from the bottom of my icy-cold frozen alien lovin' heart.
'Cause you da realist sista.
The Scorpion's Mate was one of my very first foray's into the world of alien romance, and boy OhPete, what an absolute eye opener that was for me. I never would have imagined that wings, horns, armor plateing, and other bodily structures of questionable origins would be my thing....
Apparently I was wrong...
And damn proud.
Holy Geeze. What a trip. What a head friggin head trip.
Halian is a character that we have LOOOOOOOVVVVEEEEDDDD to hate for a majority of this serious. We first really get to meet him in The Krakens Mate and from there begins our quest to either hate this male, or......feel really bad for him.
( Side Note: The Krakens Mate is genuinely my favorite alien book Boyfriend OF ALL EXISTENCE. EVER. Nemon is Top Notch)
To be fated to become a slave to the female whose scent attracts appears to be handled pretty shittily for his people, and he just wants to make an existence where he can be free to choose. (AND he was basically Nemon's dad so there is absolutely no way I could ever hate him.)
He's been such a complex character from the starting line, and his complexity has only become more complex over time. Should I say complex one more time? Complex Ho.
But that is just the flavor that S.T. delivers to us. Nothing can be cut-n-dry simple HO NONONO. This ISH has layers on layers. The world is vast, the people are complex (not even sorry bro), and the romances haven't been easy. And. I. Love. It.
You can't enter a S.T. book and expect to find your one true love after one glance. I like to imagine that if aliens were to become a thing (which, I'll be honest, With this virus out here, I AM WAITING for them to come down to the rescue with a cure Ri-Bough-Now) this is how I imagine a relationship would go with them. It's slow. It's awkward. What goes where. WTF does that do.
And that just makes things more interesting in my opinion. We get a different species, a different personalities/cultures, and YES, different MF'n Females y'all.
Trombley writes some real A$$ chicks. And Paisley, is no exception. We don't have Jessica Rabbit with her size 6 waist, double D's, and legs to the moon, with Katniss Everdeen bad-a$$ness. I feel like we can relate more to a lady like Paisley, which is honestly a point that can make or break a book for me. Home girl is sarcastic, so she immediately scores BIG points with me. She isn't some street-fighter Legend. She's scared, but she's coping the best that she can in order to survive.
AND...
"Her breasts were too small to be sexy, her hips too wide to be fashionable with the rest of her skinny body. She couldn’t pull off “heroin-chic” or voluptuously curvy. She was caught in a weird, in-between state, and it hadn’t been only her overprotective parents and a life filled with farm chores that had kept her a virgin. Much to her disappointment, she hadn’t grown into any curves, despite now being fully mature."
IBTC FOR THE WIN
(which I know, is a petty thing to enjoy. But You can't fault someone for wanting to imagine a girl like themselves could be right where they are.)
This book has it's high moments, it has it's slow's, it has it's uhhhh huh's, and it also has a few Wait Tf Just Happened moments. But above all else it has heart. (and Nemon which is Basically the same thing. I don't write the rules.) I'm so happy that we finally have Halian's story, and finally get a look at this man who has been a question mark in the minds of many a conflicted reader. Paisley was a delight, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her stumble her way through the mind-Fudge that was Halian.
Now, S.T.
I need some more here sista. We need more. This was a beautiful gift wrapped ending to the Iriduan Test Subjects Series. To ask your readers if we would ever want More...
I think i can speak for us all when i say......
That hint at the ending, that the subjects kids could be potentially finding their own love, was fantastic and I want so much more! She write Sci-fi romance like a Mu-F'N wizard, and I will always throw my money at anything and everything she makes.
Are you ready to be transported to a world that will make you book your next flight on a spaceship?
Well....start with book one in the series, homie...
but when you get here, enjoy how sweet that ride will be.
4.56 Multiple-Personalities-Is-Like-A-Discount-Harem stars 🎇
Thank you.
Sincerely, from the bottom of my icy-cold frozen alien lovin' heart.
'Cause you da realist sista.
The Scorpion's Mate was one of my very first foray's into the world of alien romance, and boy OhPete, what an absolute eye opener that was for me. I never would have imagined that wings, horns, armor plateing, and other bodily structures of questionable origins would be my thing....
Apparently I was wrong...
And damn proud.
Holy Geeze. What a trip. What a head friggin head trip.
Halian is a character that we have LOOOOOOOVVVVEEEEDDDD to hate for a majority of this serious. We first really get to meet him in The Krakens Mate and from there begins our quest to either hate this male, or......feel really bad for him.
( Side Note: The Krakens Mate is genuinely my favorite alien book Boyfriend OF ALL EXISTENCE. EVER. Nemon is Top Notch)
To be fated to become a slave to the female whose scent attracts appears to be handled pretty shittily for his people, and he just wants to make an existence where he can be free to choose. (AND he was basically Nemon's dad so there is absolutely no way I could ever hate him.)
He's been such a complex character from the starting line, and his complexity has only become more complex over time. Should I say complex one more time? Complex Ho.
But that is just the flavor that S.T. delivers to us. Nothing can be cut-n-dry simple HO NONONO. This ISH has layers on layers. The world is vast, the people are complex (not even sorry bro), and the romances haven't been easy. And. I. Love. It.
You can't enter a S.T. book and expect to find your one true love after one glance. I like to imagine that if aliens were to become a thing (which, I'll be honest, With this virus out here, I AM WAITING for them to come down to the rescue with a cure Ri-Bough-Now) this is how I imagine a relationship would go with them. It's slow. It's awkward. What goes where. WTF does that do.
And that just makes things more interesting in my opinion. We get a different species, a different personalities/cultures, and YES, different MF'n Females y'all.
Trombley writes some real A$$ chicks. And Paisley, is no exception. We don't have Jessica Rabbit with her size 6 waist, double D's, and legs to the moon, with Katniss Everdeen bad-a$$ness. I feel like we can relate more to a lady like Paisley, which is honestly a point that can make or break a book for me. Home girl is sarcastic, so she immediately scores BIG points with me. She isn't some street-fighter Legend. She's scared, but she's coping the best that she can in order to survive.
AND...
"Her breasts were too small to be sexy, her hips too wide to be fashionable with the rest of her skinny body. She couldn’t pull off “heroin-chic” or voluptuously curvy. She was caught in a weird, in-between state, and it hadn’t been only her overprotective parents and a life filled with farm chores that had kept her a virgin. Much to her disappointment, she hadn’t grown into any curves, despite now being fully mature."
IBTC FOR THE WIN
(which I know, is a petty thing to enjoy. But You can't fault someone for wanting to imagine a girl like themselves could be right where they are.)
This book has it's high moments, it has it's slow's, it has it's uhhhh huh's, and it also has a few Wait Tf Just Happened moments. But above all else it has heart. (and Nemon which is Basically the same thing. I don't write the rules.) I'm so happy that we finally have Halian's story, and finally get a look at this man who has been a question mark in the minds of many a conflicted reader. Paisley was a delight, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her stumble her way through the mind-Fudge that was Halian.
Now, S.T.
I need some more here sista. We need more. This was a beautiful gift wrapped ending to the Iriduan Test Subjects Series. To ask your readers if we would ever want More...
I think i can speak for us all when i say......
That hint at the ending, that the subjects kids could be potentially finding their own love, was fantastic and I want so much more! She write Sci-fi romance like a Mu-F'N wizard, and I will always throw my money at anything and everything she makes.
Are you ready to be transported to a world that will make you book your next flight on a spaceship?
Well....start with book one in the series, homie...
but when you get here, enjoy how sweet that ride will be.
4.56 Multiple-Personalities-Is-Like-A-Discount-Harem stars 🎇
February 28, 2020
I admit it, I skipped a lot of the backstory but I loved the multi-personality/ fractured soul storyline that was going on.
July 28, 2023
3.5
I was so excited for this book because there is so much build up in Halian’s character and I wanted answers and someone to love him in all his craziness. But… I can‘t say what bothered me without spoiling. It had SO MUCH POTENTIAL only to turn the plot into something that didn’t fit with what, in my opinion, had been established in previous books.
However, there were answers to many questions, whether I liked them or not.
I still love this universe and I’ll continue the series.
Spice: 3/5
Triggers: murder, slavery, species genocide, attempted SA, discussion of torture
I was so excited for this book because there is so much build up in Halian’s character and I wanted answers and someone to love him in all his craziness. But… I can‘t say what bothered me without spoiling. It had SO MUCH POTENTIAL only to turn the plot into something that didn’t fit with what, in my opinion, had been established in previous books.
However, there were answers to many questions, whether I liked them or not.
I still love this universe and I’ll continue the series.
Spice: 3/5
Triggers: murder, slavery, species genocide, attempted SA, discussion of torture
August 13, 2020
This book was Beautiful😍 Amazeballs. I cant believe its over... Sigh😩😊Reviewwww coming when in the mood
February 3, 2021
Can we PLEASE have Ava's story now?
Even though I pre-ordered this book, it released right as where I am locked down for covid, and I wanted to wait for things to settle so I could really snuggle in and read this. And then it took nearly a full year to finally accept that wasn't going to happen.
I'm....conflicted about this one. There are some things I really liked, some things I hated, and well, some of the things I loved about this book ended up being negated and ruined by the ending of this book.
I'm, like, one of maybe 5 fans of this series who really didn't give a hoot about getting a Halian book. My favorite book to date is Tirel's, I love Hunter as a redeemable character, and well, I like pretty much anyone but Nahash, if I'm being totally honest. I just pretend book 3 doesn't exist. 🤷♀️
Anywho.
I just never really cared too much about why Halian is fractured and his personalities are all over the place and causing trouble.
I do not think there is any way for me to talk about this book without spoilers out the wazoo, so in case the spoiler tags are not showing up,** SPOILERS ARE STARTING HERE AND NOT STOPPING ANYTIME SOON **.
** OKAY, SPOILERS ARE DONE NOW. **
So. This isn't my favorite book in the series, and it makes me feel guilty, because Ms. Trombley obviously loves it so much. I'll hang on to the hope that we'll get Ava's story and find out more about her Lusian crew.
Please?
Even though I pre-ordered this book, it released right as where I am locked down for covid, and I wanted to wait for things to settle so I could really snuggle in and read this. And then it took nearly a full year to finally accept that wasn't going to happen.
I'm....conflicted about this one. There are some things I really liked, some things I hated, and well, some of the things I loved about this book ended up being negated and ruined by the ending of this book.
I'm, like, one of maybe 5 fans of this series who really didn't give a hoot about getting a Halian book. My favorite book to date is Tirel's, I love Hunter as a redeemable character, and well, I like pretty much anyone but Nahash, if I'm being totally honest. I just pretend book 3 doesn't exist. 🤷♀️
Anywho.
I just never really cared too much about why Halian is fractured and his personalities are all over the place and causing trouble.
I do not think there is any way for me to talk about this book without spoilers out the wazoo, so in case the spoiler tags are not showing up,** SPOILERS ARE STARTING HERE AND NOT STOPPING ANYTIME SOON **.
** OKAY, SPOILERS ARE DONE NOW. **
So. This isn't my favorite book in the series, and it makes me feel guilty, because Ms. Trombley obviously loves it so much. I'll hang on to the hope that we'll get Ava's story and find out more about her Lusian crew.
Please?
August 4, 2021
4. 5 Stars
I wasn’t sure I was going to like Halian’s story because, well, he was kind of a dick throughout the series. That said, it ended up being my favorite so far. Trombley did an excellent job of making him into a likeable anti-hero, and as the reasons for some of his past misdeeds are revealed in the context of the larger picture, you realize he wasn’t quite the treacherous villain he seemed to be.
This story makes a lot more sense and is probably more enjoyable if you read all the previous books first. Trombley does a great job of world-building and weaving the different couples’ stories together as she goes, leading up to Halian’s. After reading this book, I’m looking forward to reading Shulgi’s story and hope we get to see Ava’s story in the near future.
I wasn’t sure I was going to like Halian’s story because, well, he was kind of a dick throughout the series. That said, it ended up being my favorite so far. Trombley did an excellent job of making him into a likeable anti-hero, and as the reasons for some of his past misdeeds are revealed in the context of the larger picture, you realize he wasn’t quite the treacherous villain he seemed to be.
This story makes a lot more sense and is probably more enjoyable if you read all the previous books first. Trombley does a great job of world-building and weaving the different couples’ stories together as she goes, leading up to Halian’s. After reading this book, I’m looking forward to reading Shulgi’s story and hope we get to see Ava’s story in the near future.
May 10, 2020
Fabulous, beautiful conclusion to Halian's story, the unlovable Hero, the twisted and murderous villain, this book deserves more than 5 stars.
Ms Trombley has got a special gift to develop characters and the changes in their hearts, making an ode to romance and emotions without crossing the line to cheesiness, IMO. You can fall in love with these two main characters because of their vulnerability, their fears and their struggle with the hardships of their very harsh lives...This is a beautiful book, perhaps one of my favorite from this author and I cannot but admire what a special sensitivity one must have in order to write like this.
This is a slow burn but there's so much depth to the plot (many events get explained, it may result confusing if you have forgotten the details mentioned from the other books in this series) that the steam factor is going to be secondary.
I loved this book and I highly recommend it and this series for science fiction lovers who prefer their aliens to be not so human-like and stories with plenty of substance, action, intrigue, and emotions.
Ms Trombley has got a special gift to develop characters and the changes in their hearts, making an ode to romance and emotions without crossing the line to cheesiness, IMO. You can fall in love with these two main characters because of their vulnerability, their fears and their struggle with the hardships of their very harsh lives...This is a beautiful book, perhaps one of my favorite from this author and I cannot but admire what a special sensitivity one must have in order to write like this.
This is a slow burn but there's so much depth to the plot (many events get explained, it may result confusing if you have forgotten the details mentioned from the other books in this series) that the steam factor is going to be secondary.
I loved this book and I highly recommend it and this series for science fiction lovers who prefer their aliens to be not so human-like and stories with plenty of substance, action, intrigue, and emotions.
February 20, 2020
Conflicted joy
Ok, this was male that the author did a superb job in redeeming me to like him. Wow, all that was happening. At first liked the female then disliked her then got to love her. Kinda had the same journey with the male. Interesting story of the fractures and how the female got to know each one and live them despite their flaws and them to live her back that they would change time to be with her. Especially loved the epilogues that showed their eldest child fighting for independence from overprotective parents. Sweet, wanted more of them of their together and their family.
Ok, this was male that the author did a superb job in redeeming me to like him. Wow, all that was happening. At first liked the female then disliked her then got to love her. Kinda had the same journey with the male. Interesting story of the fractures and how the female got to know each one and live them despite their flaws and them to live her back that they would change time to be with her. Especially loved the epilogues that showed their eldest child fighting for independence from overprotective parents. Sweet, wanted more of them of their together and their family.
May 13, 2020
Interesting sum up of all the events leading up to this book. I was very happy with how it ended.
March 2, 2020
i weep
I've been waiting for Halian's book and I'm so pleased with it! He's been an antagonist, if not an outright villain, in previous novels, so I was very curious to see how Trombley wrote his romance. I think she did a great job acknowledging his past mistakes and allowed him to actually deal with the consequences of his choices instead of waving a redemption wand and having him be a better person immediately.
I'm always leery of stories that have characters with multiple personality states, or in Halian's case, "fractures", because there are a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about dissociative identity disorder. DID has been used often as shorthand for a villain or someone evil, and that's pretty shitty, honestly. I'm by no means an expert, but I thought Trombley handled it respectfully and in a way that actually made sense for the character, instead just waving her hand and going: "He has multiple personalities and that makes him eeeevillll!"
I knew it was going to take someone incredibly special to fall in love with Halian, and Paisley was absolutely perfect. She takes no shit, but she's managed to keep a caring heart under the very necessary mask of efficient practicality during her time as a slave. That kind of perseverance takes Herculean amounts of strength, but she did it and I'm so proud of her tbh.
I've been waiting for Halian's book and I'm so pleased with it! He's been an antagonist, if not an outright villain, in previous novels, so I was very curious to see how Trombley wrote his romance. I think she did a great job acknowledging his past mistakes and allowed him to actually deal with the consequences of his choices instead of waving a redemption wand and having him be a better person immediately.
I'm always leery of stories that have characters with multiple personality states, or in Halian's case, "fractures", because there are a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about dissociative identity disorder. DID has been used often as shorthand for a villain or someone evil, and that's pretty shitty, honestly. I'm by no means an expert, but I thought Trombley handled it respectfully and in a way that actually made sense for the character, instead just waving her hand and going: "He has multiple personalities and that makes him eeeevillll!"
I knew it was going to take someone incredibly special to fall in love with Halian, and Paisley was absolutely perfect. She takes no shit, but she's managed to keep a caring heart under the very necessary mask of efficient practicality during her time as a slave. That kind of perseverance takes Herculean amounts of strength, but she did it and I'm so proud of her tbh.
February 21, 2020
MORE PLEASE!
I love this series. I have been looking forward to this book since the beginning. Halian is such a magnificently layered, complex, damaged hero. It thought this book was beautifully crafted and everything goes together very well. I am so wanting to hear about Ava, Roz, beast, associate and their crew! The grays are an intriguing unique group. I can see how the race is so like Gray from her series Into deadfall (another captivating series by Susan Trombley.) This book was full of all the awesomeness of Action, adventure, drama, thrills, heart pounding and adrenaline fueled moments. The passion was wonderful and the love was well earned by the characters. Definitely a five 🌟 for me.
I love this series. I have been looking forward to this book since the beginning. Halian is such a magnificently layered, complex, damaged hero. It thought this book was beautifully crafted and everything goes together very well. I am so wanting to hear about Ava, Roz, beast, associate and their crew! The grays are an intriguing unique group. I can see how the race is so like Gray from her series Into deadfall (another captivating series by Susan Trombley.) This book was full of all the awesomeness of Action, adventure, drama, thrills, heart pounding and adrenaline fueled moments. The passion was wonderful and the love was well earned by the characters. Definitely a five 🌟 for me.
March 18, 2022
waiting
It took forever but I finally got halians story. One I had been waiting for since he was first mentioned in book one. And everything that made halian halian just kept getting better!
It took forever but I finally got halians story. One I had been waiting for since he was first mentioned in book one. And everything that made halian halian just kept getting better!
June 21, 2022
The Fractured Mate
I Give this Book a 2.5-3/5 Star Rating, Listing as 3.
HEA(?): Yes.
Relationship Type: MFMM-ish(?)
Romance: 2/5
Heat: 4/5, Astonishingly…I wasn’t entirely thrilled with the first main heat scene, while the scene itself is really great, if I read it later on in the book the scene would’ve felt right and perfectly placed, but where it’s at, just seemed like a dropped in heat scene that seemed a tad misplaced.
Or actually it is in the perfect spot, but it needed something before the scene, rather than the constant gloss-over of events & detail, cause it really feels like a convenient heat scene to keep the reader entertained(?)
Dark(?): Not to me, no.
Drama: Too much drama, yet not enough pages, detail, depth or flow to equalize/balance all of it.
Suspense: 2.5/5
Pacing: I wasn’t too thrilled with the pacing to be honest, too fast and cut down way too much, which made the glaring lack of detail & depth become too obvious.
It may not be insta-romance/love in typical description, but the development is mainly done off page, and what you are able too see it’s obvious it’s developing way too fast or to me just felt forced. Everything pretty important seems to be off page, rather than be given a scene or POV change.
When Paisley says “I love Halian.”: as the reader I shouldn’t be confused, cause there was no development whatsoever (to me), again majority was off page and what was on page felt a tad forced. So when she says “I love Halian.” There isn’t a true feeling of affection that is being really shared between the characters.
Breathing Space(?): Too much packed, that there is nearly zero breathability. Too Rushed.
Can be Read as Stand-alone(?): near the end it’s apparent that this shouldn’t be read as a stand-alone, the ending is so congested with characters from previous books that it’s entirely confusing and dramatically slowed my interest in finishing this book, while I did finish the book there really was too much to take in at the end. This book should’ve been a duet or just a 700pager to really feel like a more fulfilling story.
Overall, too much plot, not enough detail, too little of a book.
I Give this Book a 2.5-3/5 Star Rating, Listing as 3.
HEA(?): Yes.
Relationship Type: MFMM-ish(?)
Romance: 2/5
Heat: 4/5, Astonishingly…I wasn’t entirely thrilled with the first main heat scene, while the scene itself is really great, if I read it later on in the book the scene would’ve felt right and perfectly placed, but where it’s at, just seemed like a dropped in heat scene that seemed a tad misplaced.
Or actually it is in the perfect spot, but it needed something before the scene, rather than the constant gloss-over of events & detail, cause it really feels like a convenient heat scene to keep the reader entertained(?)
Dark(?): Not to me, no.
Drama: Too much drama, yet not enough pages, detail, depth or flow to equalize/balance all of it.
Suspense: 2.5/5
Pacing: I wasn’t too thrilled with the pacing to be honest, too fast and cut down way too much, which made the glaring lack of detail & depth become too obvious.
It may not be insta-romance/love in typical description, but the development is mainly done off page, and what you are able too see it’s obvious it’s developing way too fast or to me just felt forced. Everything pretty important seems to be off page, rather than be given a scene or POV change.
When Paisley says “I love Halian.”: as the reader I shouldn’t be confused, cause there was no development whatsoever (to me), again majority was off page and what was on page felt a tad forced. So when she says “I love Halian.” There isn’t a true feeling of affection that is being really shared between the characters.
Breathing Space(?): Too much packed, that there is nearly zero breathability. Too Rushed.
Can be Read as Stand-alone(?): near the end it’s apparent that this shouldn’t be read as a stand-alone, the ending is so congested with characters from previous books that it’s entirely confusing and dramatically slowed my interest in finishing this book, while I did finish the book there really was too much to take in at the end. This book should’ve been a duet or just a 700pager to really feel like a more fulfilling story.
Overall, too much plot, not enough detail, too little of a book.
February 25, 2020
It's a good thing I don't remember much of what happened in the previous books because it allowed me to enjoy the sheer d.r.a.m.a. of everything. And I love it! I've never read anything like this before and I enjoyed reading it.
One teensy thing tho.
That. Insta-love. Thing.
Halian. That villain turned hero did not work for the heroine's love. I mean the happy ending of this story was contingent on the heroine's kindness and acceptance while this hero pieced all the pieces together like a mad scientist to get what he wants. The underlying true motive of Halian was selfish. Was it romantic? Hell yes. Bend the entire universe to get to your true love.
But still, I mean. It's still Instant Love at first sight. Halian, you cunning ass twisted psycho, you couldn't have wooed her ass?
Overall. This truly is a creative book. It is inspired! I've never read anything like it. I'm really loving the cheesy drama in sci-fi romances. Grade-A entertainment.
Want to read
July 10, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/10/2021)! 🎁
March 2, 2024
Let’s pretend no one can see this…
May 21, 2020
THE MORE IRIDUAN I READ FROM SUSAN TROMBLEY LATELY, I CAN'T HELP BUT GET LESS ENTERTAINMENT FROM IT. AFTER THE SERPENT'S MATE....THE REST WAS JUST...
[image error]
HALIAN we've all most probably waited for and after waiting so long, I forgot why the hell I was even waiting for his story.
The good thing is that in this book he supposedly lost his memories, and I get to find out at least WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED since I skipped Tarin's story. Okay, so Halian's dragged in as a prisoner in transport when he meets our heroine (who is also meh for me) and he gets her to help him escape. From there on, they are on their way to GOD KNOWS WHERE....they don't even know what their future will hold. Yeah, that's just :
I know their ALONE time is supposed to be the best part for them to know each other, and yes while they did, I didn't feel that their chemistry was AU NATURAL or at least, they didn't give me butterflies. The only part about Halian that intrigued me was his FRACTURED split personalities. My favourite personality is KILLER, who is the kind of who will talk dirty and give you rough sex yet protect you. The Halian that Paisley loves first is the Mr.Goody Goody and Sweet. The third Halian just confused the fuck out of me - Enki. Maybe cause I skipped out on reading the previous book that I don't know what went down but Enki's like some fragment of a God? Even after reading it I was still confused.
In a Nutshell, Halian's fractured because he imprinted on a female who loves another. That female happens to be Tarin and I'd say Halian's imprinting was A COLOSSAL ACCIDENT. The poor male. We all know that Halian's been a bad bad boy and did some shit that put him on plenty of people's ENEMY list. Maybe I had high hopes, because it certainly didn't hit the bar at all. Halian's like the byproduct of the Iriduan Test Subject Series that HAD TO BE WRITTEN and this is what you get.
PAISLEY. Her namesake definition sounds more interesting than she is. Taken from her farm on Earth at 17, she's been sold into slavery as an engineer and her master's equivalent of a ship's powder monkey. Because of her job efficiency, she was saved from the nasty of being raped because who would trade sex for life or death when your ship malfunctions? You'll die anyway. So yeah, when one day an Akrellian or Iriduan ship bumps into theirs and some shit went down and a prisoner got brought aboard aka Halian. Paisely and Halian met andddd....
Paisley's boring to me. Nothing interesting or personality to recommend. She's not a spitfire, she's like THERE existing and claiming to love Halian.
OVERALL I think the problem with the story is too much technicalities and NOT ENOUGH EMOTIONAL BUILDING. I mean what connects the TWO characters together that they will DIE FOR EACH OTHER? All I saw was one threatening the other, and there was distrust and the fact that Paisley just accepted Halian's split personalities? Too good to be true. Halian's split personalities would have been gold for some angst. Spice up the story.
[image error]
HALIAN we've all most probably waited for and after waiting so long, I forgot why the hell I was even waiting for his story.
The good thing is that in this book he supposedly lost his memories, and I get to find out at least WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED since I skipped Tarin's story. Okay, so Halian's dragged in as a prisoner in transport when he meets our heroine (who is also meh for me) and he gets her to help him escape. From there on, they are on their way to GOD KNOWS WHERE....they don't even know what their future will hold. Yeah, that's just :
I know their ALONE time is supposed to be the best part for them to know each other, and yes while they did, I didn't feel that their chemistry was AU NATURAL or at least, they didn't give me butterflies. The only part about Halian that intrigued me was his FRACTURED split personalities. My favourite personality is KILLER, who is the kind of who will talk dirty and give you rough sex yet protect you. The Halian that Paisley loves first is the Mr.Goody Goody and Sweet. The third Halian just confused the fuck out of me - Enki. Maybe cause I skipped out on reading the previous book that I don't know what went down but Enki's like some fragment of a God? Even after reading it I was still confused.
In a Nutshell, Halian's fractured because he imprinted on a female who loves another. That female happens to be Tarin and I'd say Halian's imprinting was A COLOSSAL ACCIDENT. The poor male. We all know that Halian's been a bad bad boy and did some shit that put him on plenty of people's ENEMY list. Maybe I had high hopes, because it certainly didn't hit the bar at all. Halian's like the byproduct of the Iriduan Test Subject Series that HAD TO BE WRITTEN and this is what you get.
PAISLEY. Her namesake definition sounds more interesting than she is. Taken from her farm on Earth at 17, she's been sold into slavery as an engineer and her master's equivalent of a ship's powder monkey. Because of her job efficiency, she was saved from the nasty of being raped because who would trade sex for life or death when your ship malfunctions? You'll die anyway. So yeah, when one day an Akrellian or Iriduan ship bumps into theirs and some shit went down and a prisoner got brought aboard aka Halian. Paisely and Halian met andddd....
Paisley's boring to me. Nothing interesting or personality to recommend. She's not a spitfire, she's like THERE existing and claiming to love Halian.
OVERALL I think the problem with the story is too much technicalities and NOT ENOUGH EMOTIONAL BUILDING. I mean what connects the TWO characters together that they will DIE FOR EACH OTHER? All I saw was one threatening the other, and there was distrust and the fact that Paisley just accepted Halian's split personalities? Too good to be true. Halian's split personalities would have been gold for some angst. Spice up the story.
July 11, 2023
ok i read this book like a half a year ago but, i DO remember being confused as fuck throughout the entire thing.
it had really interesting setup and i was so excited for the dynamic at first (i forgot whos personality showed up first lmfao, but whoever that was) - and then PLOP. we discover this vessel has 3 personalities?? who are completely and entirely different people with their own backstories, goals, and mannerisms, btw.
if this was supposed to be a polygamous book then sure, but throughout the author keeps wanting to enforce that all these men are actually THE SAME and she love and accepts ALL OF THEM equally. in the beginning she actually had an entirely different dynamic with all of them.
It's just a real shame, because I enjoyed a previous book from this author (The Serpent's Mate) - but this wasn't even a romance to me. It felt like a weird psychological thriller mess with a small amount of porn on top.
The heroine herself isn't anything special and when it comes to these men, she lacks such a spine and loses all independence as a character imo. SHE decides to blend all these men into one guy and "accepts" them all... ew. Not to mention 2 of them treat her like shit and one of them is a fucking boring oaf lmao.
I got the most entertainment in this entire story with Killer. I actually liked his dynamic with the H at some points and hated it at others, when he became a toxic fuck with no remorse. Porn was hot with him tho obvi
it had really interesting setup and i was so excited for the dynamic at first (i forgot whos personality showed up first lmfao, but whoever that was) - and then PLOP. we discover this vessel has 3 personalities?? who are completely and entirely different people with their own backstories, goals, and mannerisms, btw.
if this was supposed to be a polygamous book then sure, but throughout the author keeps wanting to enforce that all these men are actually THE SAME and she love and accepts ALL OF THEM equally. in the beginning she actually had an entirely different dynamic with all of them.
It's just a real shame, because I enjoyed a previous book from this author (The Serpent's Mate) - but this wasn't even a romance to me. It felt like a weird psychological thriller mess with a small amount of porn on top.
The heroine herself isn't anything special and when it comes to these men, she lacks such a spine and loses all independence as a character imo. SHE decides to blend all these men into one guy and "accepts" them all... ew. Not to mention 2 of them treat her like shit and one of them is a fucking boring oaf lmao.
I got the most entertainment in this entire story with Killer. I actually liked his dynamic with the H at some points and hated it at others, when he became a toxic fuck with no remorse. Porn was hot with him tho obvi
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2025
So I read this book first... and I don't know why. I mean holy hell did I absolutely LOVE it to pieces. But man do I wish I would have started at the beginning to not have so many of the relationships of the other stories spoiled for me. I for some reason thought each one would be a stand alone, so reading the one that intrigued me the most first (instead of the actual order they were written) wouldn't be a problem. And it wasn't for about 80% of the book, but then I started to be introduced to all these characters I knew the Author wanted me to already know. So that's 100% my bad, but I still was able to ADORE this book without any prior knowledge of the series.
I love dark and messed up characters, because that makes them more real to me. Not everyone can be perfect and just stumble across the right and noble decisions. I loved the slow burn of this romance, and how the fractures kept everything fresh, new and exciting. and damn, the mystery of the other fractures, and their angle and who they were was so fun to unravel!
I love dark and messed up characters, because that makes them more real to me. Not everyone can be perfect and just stumble across the right and noble decisions. I loved the slow burn of this romance, and how the fractures kept everything fresh, new and exciting. and damn, the mystery of the other fractures, and their angle and who they were was so fun to unravel!
June 12, 2020
Paisley is a human slave who works as a handyman aboard her ship. When they intercept another ship’s distress signal, she is surprised to see that it’s Iriduans needing help. Their race is known for being especially vicious in the galaxy but they seem to be guarding one prisoner in particular. Halian has also become enslaved and is being accused of things he doesn’t remember. He needs Paisley’s help for his freedom, unless of course one of his other personalities kills her first.
I liked this book because it was weird, but the romance didn’t particularly appeal to me. There were 2 different instances of other woman drama. There’s not necessarily any cheating, but I like for my heroines to be the ultimate, hands-down soulmate. I did like Paisley, I just felt bad for her. And honestly it seems like she only liked Halian because he was the only guy that had ever been nice to her.
I wouldn’t keep this on my shelf but I would recommend it if you like interesting alien romances.
I liked this book because it was weird, but the romance didn’t particularly appeal to me. There were 2 different instances of other woman drama. There’s not necessarily any cheating, but I like for my heroines to be the ultimate, hands-down soulmate. I did like Paisley, I just felt bad for her. And honestly it seems like she only liked Halian because he was the only guy that had ever been nice to her.
I wouldn’t keep this on my shelf but I would recommend it if you like interesting alien romances.
June 29, 2020
I was really looking forward to this book and it met every expectation. Love it.
June 9, 2021
anthony kiedis as a fairy.
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