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Recently jobless and homeless, now I've been kidnapped by aliens.
I thought my day couldn't get any worse… until the disgusting Orkun warlords who abducted me tell me I'm meant to be a "bride" for their commander.
No! No freaking way.
But before I can figure out a way off this spaceship, I find myself caught in the middle of an uprising by their other captives: a breathtakingly masculine gladiator race called Kalixians.
With their bronze skin, horns, and rippling muscles, the Kalixians look like gods.
Their leader, Tordax, is the most stunning of all. His touch sets off fireworks in my body, and I'm drawn to him in a way I can't understand-especially considering we don't even speak the same language.
But am I really safer now, or have I just traded one captor for another?
What does this powerful alien want with me?
And why does he keep looking at me like I'm his?
Claimed is a full-length standalone sci-fi romance featuring hot alien gladiators with huge… horns, a sassy heroine who finds her courage in space, and a possessive alpha hero who would do anything to protect his fated mate.
If you like sexy aliens, sweeping adventure, and steamy romance, you’ll love this series. No cheating, no cliffhanger, and a happily ever after guaranteed!
Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors series:
Book 1: Claimed (Rose & Tordax)
Book 2: Stolen (Harper & Malav)
Book 3: Rescued (Autumn & Sorsir)
Book 4: Bound
Book 5: Broken
I thought my day couldn't get any worse… until the disgusting Orkun warlords who abducted me tell me I'm meant to be a "bride" for their commander.
No! No freaking way.
But before I can figure out a way off this spaceship, I find myself caught in the middle of an uprising by their other captives: a breathtakingly masculine gladiator race called Kalixians.
With their bronze skin, horns, and rippling muscles, the Kalixians look like gods.
Their leader, Tordax, is the most stunning of all. His touch sets off fireworks in my body, and I'm drawn to him in a way I can't understand-especially considering we don't even speak the same language.
But am I really safer now, or have I just traded one captor for another?
What does this powerful alien want with me?
And why does he keep looking at me like I'm his?
Claimed is a full-length standalone sci-fi romance featuring hot alien gladiators with huge… horns, a sassy heroine who finds her courage in space, and a possessive alpha hero who would do anything to protect his fated mate.
If you like sexy aliens, sweeping adventure, and steamy romance, you’ll love this series. No cheating, no cliffhanger, and a happily ever after guaranteed!
Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors series:
Book 1: Claimed (Rose & Tordax)
Book 2: Stolen (Harper & Malav)
Book 3: Rescued (Autumn & Sorsir)
Book 4: Bound
Book 5: Broken
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2020
2234 people are currently reading
1884 people want to read
About the author
Presley Hall
89 books346 followersI love reading romance, baking (well... eating) cookies, and binge-watching sci fi shows with my husband. I'm a sucker for a dirty talking alpha with a heart of gold, and I write stories about fierce aliens and the strong Earth women they fall in love with.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
May 8, 2022
Golden Gladiators!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💚🖤💙
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗
World building: 🪐🪐🪐🪐
Character development: 👽👽👽
The heroine: Rose - after losing her job, she finds herself aboard an alien spaceship and chosen to be the bride of a fleshy alien creature called an Orkan. They go to the mating festivities which include attending gladiator style fights where other captives called Kalixian warriors had to fight each other to the death, after which she feared what would happen.
The Hero(es): Tordax - Leader of the Kalixian warriors. He and his crew have a plan to escape the fighting ring and kill their captors. They want to kill the Orkan leaders and turn the tide in a war they have been fighting with that race who has been systematically taking over planet after planet and have recently gone after the Kalixians and in taking Tordax and his crew captive have nearly won the war.
The Story: In the fight that ensues while making their escape, Tordax catches sight of Rose and realizes she is his mate. It means a great deal to him since the Orkans have killed off all of their females and his race was destined to die out after his generation dies.
The book was told in dual POV and narrated by Meg Price and C.J. Grey. C.J. has a deep and gravely voice that works well for the Alien Leader and Meg Price has a voice that I enjoy for the most part. Every now and then her cadence annoys me, but for the most part I liked it.
The story was good. I liked how they couldn’t understand each other at first and how Rose balked at being put in a medical chair to have her translation device implanted. I can see how something like that would be frightening if you don’t know what they want to do to you, and how hard it would be to convey to someone who can’t understand you that you are doing something for your own good.
There were some things that were described much better in this book than a lot of alien romance books that I have read before. Like the food which is completely different than earth food, but the women try to compare to things they are used to, such as meats and salads and something similar looking to fries.
There are also things that don’t make sense at all, like the fact that the Kalaxian warriors wear nothing more than loin cloths, which makes a bit of sense at the beginning when it is explained that they are used to fighting gladiator style since that is how they are trained when they are young (though not in fights to the death). But when they explain that they have been fighting a war in space and haven’t been on their home planet in years, a loin cloth just doesn’t quite fit the space fighter vibe.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💚🖤💙
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗
World building: 🪐🪐🪐🪐
Character development: 👽👽👽
The heroine: Rose - after losing her job, she finds herself aboard an alien spaceship and chosen to be the bride of a fleshy alien creature called an Orkan. They go to the mating festivities which include attending gladiator style fights where other captives called Kalixian warriors had to fight each other to the death, after which she feared what would happen.
The Hero(es): Tordax - Leader of the Kalixian warriors. He and his crew have a plan to escape the fighting ring and kill their captors. They want to kill the Orkan leaders and turn the tide in a war they have been fighting with that race who has been systematically taking over planet after planet and have recently gone after the Kalixians and in taking Tordax and his crew captive have nearly won the war.
The Story: In the fight that ensues while making their escape, Tordax catches sight of Rose and realizes she is his mate. It means a great deal to him since the Orkans have killed off all of their females and his race was destined to die out after his generation dies.
The book was told in dual POV and narrated by Meg Price and C.J. Grey. C.J. has a deep and gravely voice that works well for the Alien Leader and Meg Price has a voice that I enjoy for the most part. Every now and then her cadence annoys me, but for the most part I liked it.
The story was good. I liked how they couldn’t understand each other at first and how Rose balked at being put in a medical chair to have her translation device implanted. I can see how something like that would be frightening if you don’t know what they want to do to you, and how hard it would be to convey to someone who can’t understand you that you are doing something for your own good.
There were some things that were described much better in this book than a lot of alien romance books that I have read before. Like the food which is completely different than earth food, but the women try to compare to things they are used to, such as meats and salads and something similar looking to fries.
There are also things that don’t make sense at all, like the fact that the Kalaxian warriors wear nothing more than loin cloths, which makes a bit of sense at the beginning when it is explained that they are used to fighting gladiator style since that is how they are trained when they are young (though not in fights to the death). But when they explain that they have been fighting a war in space and haven’t been on their home planet in years, a loin cloth just doesn’t quite fit the space fighter vibe.
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November 8, 2022
Too tame, too sweet, too willing. No self-hate for having those omega feelings, no love-hate relationship with the freaking alien, no tug and pull, no cat and mouse, nothing. She immediately fell into a tender passion with him. I like my omegas terrified, trying to run away, denying their dynamic, rejecting their mate. Ice Planet Barbarians is as sweet as I get. I like my alphas terrifying, demanding, controlling, and not asking for consent for kisses and cuddles.
August 24, 2020
I actually DNF at 91%, but I feel like I was close enough to say I got the whole thing.
This book was very...Meh.
I had high hopes, based on the write up and it just fell really flat for me.
Rose is so...boring. She's not the defiant one, the scared one, the loud one. She's not really anything.
Tordax (I find this name so irritating) is enamored with 'his Rose'. He thinks shes amazing, beautful, funny, defiant, etc. I just don't get it.
We also get to listen to her angst lots. It gets a little old.
They don't actually get together until 70% through the book. This was a really annoying fact for me. Just so much....
I did trudge through it, intending to finish it regardless, which is not my usual MO, but then their spaceship started crashing and I found I didn't care one way or another what happened, so I stopped.
So overall, there is nothing really wrong with this book, it was just very boring for me.
This book was very...Meh.
I had high hopes, based on the write up and it just fell really flat for me.
Rose is so...boring. She's not the defiant one, the scared one, the loud one. She's not really anything.
Tordax (I find this name so irritating) is enamored with 'his Rose'. He thinks shes amazing, beautful, funny, defiant, etc. I just don't get it.
We also get to listen to her angst lots. It gets a little old.
They don't actually get together until 70% through the book. This was a really annoying fact for me. Just so much....
I did trudge through it, intending to finish it regardless, which is not my usual MO, but then their spaceship started crashing and I found I didn't care one way or another what happened, so I stopped.
So overall, there is nothing really wrong with this book, it was just very boring for me.
December 7, 2022
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: Just a bit
Perspective: First person from both hero and heroine, alternating chapters
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from A Love Less Ordinary )
Should I read in order?
This is book 1 of Hall’s Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors. With the way it ends, I think this is good to read before diving into book 2 at least.
Basic plot:
Rose is having the worst day, when she’s abducted and forced to become a bride for a member of a cruel alien race. Before she can even adjust to the idea, an uprising occurs and she’s rescued by a Kalixian warrior.
Give this a try if you want:
- Scifi romance
- alien hero/human heroine pairing
- language barrier
- fated mates
- jealous/protective hero
- higher steam – 6 full scenes with 265 pages
- mix of danger, action and romance
My thoughts:
I ended up really enjoying this one! It is very instalove on the hero’s part but I liked that the heroine wasn’t all in at first and he had to convince her a bit. It was sex heavy and lighter on the character depth/relationship growth, but I still ended up really enjoying it. I will probably continue with the series.
The main plot point here revolves around the Orkun – disgusting and cruel warriors that are more technologically advanced than the Kalixians (and, well, honestly it gets embarrassing throughout the book what a hand up on them they seem to have). There’s some kind of feud going on where the Orkun want the planet and resources. They have sent a virus that killed almost all of the women on the planet and now the race is left unable to reproduce. They never knew they could find mates outside of their race until Tordax meets Rose.
I enjoyed Tordax a lot and I am always a sucker for a hero loving his heroine from the get go – especially with a language barrier. I also loved Rose’s strength especially when it comes to saving her crew – she wasn’t one to lay around and let her hero handle everything. Their HEA is complete with no cliffhanger, but they don’t make it back to Tordax’s planet by the end of the book. Book 2 looks like it will pick up immediately on the tail of this one.
Cock/Hero Stats:
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: Just a bit
Perspective: First person from both hero and heroine, alternating chapters
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from A Love Less Ordinary )
Should I read in order?
This is book 1 of Hall’s Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors. With the way it ends, I think this is good to read before diving into book 2 at least.
Basic plot:
Rose is having the worst day, when she’s abducted and forced to become a bride for a member of a cruel alien race. Before she can even adjust to the idea, an uprising occurs and she’s rescued by a Kalixian warrior.
Give this a try if you want:
- Scifi romance
- alien hero/human heroine pairing
- language barrier
- fated mates
- jealous/protective hero
- higher steam – 6 full scenes with 265 pages
- mix of danger, action and romance
My thoughts:
I ended up really enjoying this one! It is very instalove on the hero’s part but I liked that the heroine wasn’t all in at first and he had to convince her a bit. It was sex heavy and lighter on the character depth/relationship growth, but I still ended up really enjoying it. I will probably continue with the series.
The main plot point here revolves around the Orkun – disgusting and cruel warriors that are more technologically advanced than the Kalixians (and, well, honestly it gets embarrassing throughout the book what a hand up on them they seem to have). There’s some kind of feud going on where the Orkun want the planet and resources. They have sent a virus that killed almost all of the women on the planet and now the race is left unable to reproduce. They never knew they could find mates outside of their race until Tordax meets Rose.
I enjoyed Tordax a lot and I am always a sucker for a hero loving his heroine from the get go – especially with a language barrier. I also loved Rose’s strength especially when it comes to saving her crew – she wasn’t one to lay around and let her hero handle everything. Their HEA is complete with no cliffhanger, but they don’t make it back to Tordax’s planet by the end of the book. Book 2 looks like it will pick up immediately on the tail of this one.
Cock/Hero Stats:
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
June 23, 2020
I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this new series.
I couldn't have asked for a better sci-fi r romance book. I couldn't put this book down.
I still want more of this couple so much.
Definitely recommended for anyone in a book slump who needs a good old golden warrior too save ya.
I couldn't have asked for a better sci-fi r romance book. I couldn't put this book down.
I still want more of this couple so much.
Definitely recommended for anyone in a book slump who needs a good old golden warrior too save ya.
January 30, 2023
Claimed was an interesting romance, and to be honest, I found myself disappointed with this one here. If you are a fan of alien romance or the ice planet barbarians, then it might work for you. But I was hoping for more out of this one. I am not sure if I will continue the series, while it was an alright read, it didn't make an impression on me, and I prefer my heroes more humanoid anyway not with horns lol but for those that enjoy monster romance, it might work out for you.
February 24, 2021
I really wanted to like this. I really really did. But I just couldn't and I had to keep convincing myself to keep on reading because I just could not connect with either of the main leads. I'm so annoyed that I do not even have words. I did not feel any of the connection we kept getting told about, I did not feel like any of the female actions were true except only if I think of her as a slight ditzo. Which is rude I know, but come on. As said I really can not think of what to say or how to say it besides the fact that the female leads thought process throughout the whole novel is, well, idiotic and quite frankly speaks of her lack of should I say smarts? I mean for god's sake, ******* SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER ******* at the end she separates the ship helping to destroy some of the enemy and trap some more on her side (sacrificing herself to be trapped with their leader). It was done very half @ssed and she proceeds to say how she could outmaneuver this extremely intelligent race (a race that deals in biological warfare, a race that EVERY species has agreed is of higher intelligence) and that she saved everyone. Legit the girl says 'I saved you.' Uhm, not really, the man was still trapped in a cell, along with everyone else. The enemy was still there and he (our male lead) still had to freak himself and fight the enemy before he then went off to find our female lead, kill the enemies she had on her side and free her. I'm sorry, who saved who? Yes, you helped and that should not be belittled. You did a good and brave thing but dude the gall to say that? And that's kind of the feeling the entire book gives. Where we are meant to believe that this girl has insecurities and was verbally abused and such but I felt none of that. None of her struggle to accept the male lead because of said insecurities.
SPOILERS AHEAD AGAIN
The whole reason she fights the so called bond, still never felt it btw, was because she felt it was ridiculous and that mates are not real. That is a good legit reason, yet she pretty much craps on this guys race by saying so and not stopping to think, hey I didnt even know aliens exist, maybe I should I dont know, try to ask where this dude is coming from and why he thinks these things instead of being so damn rude. The whole book she just comes off as slightly rude, unable to care for herself, oh and also makes decisions for the rest of the females as if she has that right when she finds out something important about their kidnapping. The author doesnt remember about that until the end in the epilogue, which sets up as Harpers story who's great plain is going to be to steal an alien spacecraft and fly it home.... you are not even a pilot, not even a space pilot, nor an alien pilot which is what you would need to be to run their ship! Unless the author shows her learning this skillset which I'm confident is not what will happen because the women all seem to think they're pretty smart when no one has done anything at all of value besides just simple exist... I am super sorry this review comes across as harsh but for as badly as I wanted to love this book, is as badly as I now dont like it. I am so disappointed because this could have been great, amazing. It is only a dollar though so I recommend reading it for yourself to see because it does have good reviews so clearly I'm in the minority on this.
SPOILERS AHEAD AGAIN
The whole reason she fights the so called bond, still never felt it btw, was because she felt it was ridiculous and that mates are not real. That is a good legit reason, yet she pretty much craps on this guys race by saying so and not stopping to think, hey I didnt even know aliens exist, maybe I should I dont know, try to ask where this dude is coming from and why he thinks these things instead of being so damn rude. The whole book she just comes off as slightly rude, unable to care for herself, oh and also makes decisions for the rest of the females as if she has that right when she finds out something important about their kidnapping. The author doesnt remember about that until the end in the epilogue, which sets up as Harpers story who's great plain is going to be to steal an alien spacecraft and fly it home.... you are not even a pilot, not even a space pilot, nor an alien pilot which is what you would need to be to run their ship! Unless the author shows her learning this skillset which I'm confident is not what will happen because the women all seem to think they're pretty smart when no one has done anything at all of value besides just simple exist... I am super sorry this review comes across as harsh but for as badly as I wanted to love this book, is as badly as I now dont like it. I am so disappointed because this could have been great, amazing. It is only a dollar though so I recommend reading it for yourself to see because it does have good reviews so clearly I'm in the minority on this.
Want to read
June 24, 2021🎁Part of the Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors Collection (Books 1-3) which is FREE on Amazon today (6/24/2021)! 🎁
August 7, 2020
Pretty good. Surprised me in a good way. Loved the premise and the Kalixian Warriors.
Tordax Is such a sexy, intense, sweet Alpha male. He and Rose have awesome chemistry together..
I liked this one enough to read others in this series, though I will not read book 2. At least not immediately.. I'm not interested in Harper. I didn't like her from jump. The epilogue, which is a lead in to her and Malav's story for book 2, I'm going to pass on. Her character set up/ personality just annoys me. She's portrayed as a hard as Nails CEO who is not going to take her plight for what it is. But her thoughts, reactions, and motives reads more like a TSTL female, who is going to cause a whole lot of grief for everyone involved. #NOThanks
Since each book can be read as standalones, when I return I think I'll be starting with Book 3 instead.
Based on this first intro to this series I would recommend this read.
Tordax Is such a sexy, intense, sweet Alpha male. He and Rose have awesome chemistry together..
I liked this one enough to read others in this series, though I will not read book 2. At least not immediately.. I'm not interested in Harper. I didn't like her from jump. The epilogue, which is a lead in to her and Malav's story for book 2, I'm going to pass on. Her character set up/ personality just annoys me. She's portrayed as a hard as Nails CEO who is not going to take her plight for what it is. But her thoughts, reactions, and motives reads more like a TSTL female, who is going to cause a whole lot of grief for everyone involved. #NOThanks
Since each book can be read as standalones, when I return I think I'll be starting with Book 3 instead.
Based on this first intro to this series I would recommend this read.
June 9, 2021
4 1/2 stars ⭐️
Beta reader for author.
Great new author with a fantastic new series “Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors”. Well written, great storyline, this one will keep you entertained.
Beta reader for author.
Great new author with a fantastic new series “Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors”. Well written, great storyline, this one will keep you entertained.
July 22, 2021
Hot, honorable, alien alert!
Rating: 3.5 stars
Steam: 3 flames
Genre: Alien Romance
*****
Presley Hall's "Claimed" was recommended to me during book club. I've been on a massive "ignore reality" kick lately, so I've been looking for new sci-fi romance writers to explore, and based on the recommendation I received, I decided to start with this series.
First and foremost, Tordax was a swoon-worthy, honorable warrior. He was, without a doubt, the show's star. He is kind even in the darkest of circumstances, provides without taking, and wow... in the boudoir...he is something else. He was my personal fave!
Rose has had a difficult life; her father died, her ex-boyfriend was a loser, her mother is uncaring, she has lost her job, and she is going to be evicted. She's not in a good position, and things are about to become worse when she finds herself in a cage onboard a spaceship with a group of other earth women. The Orkuns (ugly aliens) then inform them that they will all be brides to chosen Orkun Warlords.... Uh-oh…
In come the Kalixian warriors. Orkun’s and Kalixian’s are bitter enemies and the two races have been battling for years. Before the Orkun's and their new brides have their "breeding ceremony," (eww), the Orkun’s will celebrate by watching the Kalixian warriors fight each other to the death...but these are the noble aliens, and things are not going to go according to the Orkun’s plan.
This novel was enjoyable to read, and I liked the characters. This was a nice getaway from reality because it was light, hot, and easy to read. I'll continue reading the series and look forward to Harper's story in book 2.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Steam: 3 flames
Genre: Alien Romance
*****
Presley Hall's "Claimed" was recommended to me during book club. I've been on a massive "ignore reality" kick lately, so I've been looking for new sci-fi romance writers to explore, and based on the recommendation I received, I decided to start with this series.
First and foremost, Tordax was a swoon-worthy, honorable warrior. He was, without a doubt, the show's star. He is kind even in the darkest of circumstances, provides without taking, and wow... in the boudoir...he is something else. He was my personal fave!
Rose has had a difficult life; her father died, her ex-boyfriend was a loser, her mother is uncaring, she has lost her job, and she is going to be evicted. She's not in a good position, and things are about to become worse when she finds herself in a cage onboard a spaceship with a group of other earth women. The Orkuns (ugly aliens) then inform them that they will all be brides to chosen Orkun Warlords.... Uh-oh…
In come the Kalixian warriors. Orkun’s and Kalixian’s are bitter enemies and the two races have been battling for years. Before the Orkun's and their new brides have their "breeding ceremony," (eww), the Orkun’s will celebrate by watching the Kalixian warriors fight each other to the death...but these are the noble aliens, and things are not going to go according to the Orkun’s plan.
This novel was enjoyable to read, and I liked the characters. This was a nice getaway from reality because it was light, hot, and easy to read. I'll continue reading the series and look forward to Harper's story in book 2.
August 26, 2021
Series Overview: This is a cracky kind of SFR where the heroes are all horned, loincloth-wearing and ribbed for her pleasure. The insta-love doesn't bypass the issue of consent and the couples usually have lots and lots o'sex on the road to an HEA. The stories hit many of the familiar tropes and there's a comfort in that. My issues are that Ms. Hall tends to over-explain - why describe a scene with one paragraph when you can use three? That type of thing. It worked in some books for me, but overall, I just think it could have benefitted from some judicious editing. The resolution to their romantic conflict almost always comes very early (heh) in the story. And the sex was fine but this isn't a series that necessarily works as a binge because the samey-ness to the stories really stands out. It's the tropes - depending on which ones are your faves, that's what determines if it works for you IMO.
Individual Books (I would choose your own adventure and read as you like, don't think it's crucial to read in order)
Claimed: Origin story, sets up the 'verse, a little boring but serviceable. 2.5 stars
Individual Books (I would choose your own adventure and read as you like, don't think it's crucial to read in order)
Claimed: Origin story, sets up the 'verse, a little boring but serviceable. 2.5 stars
August 11, 2020
Maybe it’s because I’ve been rereading all of Ruby Dixon- but even though I love the ‘Mars Needs Women’ trope- this one fell a little flat for me.
It was interesting that even with the whole ‘fated mates’ thing, the hero alien stated that it’s optional, which others of this trope don’t do. I don’t know if that made it better or not? I really didn’t feel the chemistry between these two. They went on and on about each other but ... I wasn’t convinced.
And the heroine’s immediate negative reaction to being told they are mates was weird- maybe because I’m so used to other series but she was really into this guy and liked him and attracted and then when said ‘you’re meant for me’ and she completely rejected him instead of even a careful ‘oh, tell me more- what are you talking about’. Instead of a nuanced part of her character it just seems jarring - like an answer to some hater’s objection that the women in this trope are brainwashed or Stockholm victims or something.
Anyway, despite it being KU I might not be back for book 2 unless I can’t find another new series to try.
It was interesting that even with the whole ‘fated mates’ thing, the hero alien stated that it’s optional, which others of this trope don’t do. I don’t know if that made it better or not? I really didn’t feel the chemistry between these two. They went on and on about each other but ... I wasn’t convinced.
And the heroine’s immediate negative reaction to being told they are mates was weird- maybe because I’m so used to other series but she was really into this guy and liked him and attracted and then when said ‘you’re meant for me’ and she completely rejected him instead of even a careful ‘oh, tell me more- what are you talking about’. Instead of a nuanced part of her character it just seems jarring - like an answer to some hater’s objection that the women in this trope are brainwashed or Stockholm victims or something.
Anyway, despite it being KU I might not be back for book 2 unless I can’t find another new series to try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
August 15, 2020DNF at 72%, so no star rating. I know this is a whole genre, and I don't know who did all of the tropes first, but this realllly feels like a watered down version of Ice Planet Barbarians. Less drama, less survival, less sexiness, less intelligence. Maybe if I had read this one first, I wouldn't dislike it so much, but comparing any aspect of this book to Ice Planet, it's no contest (and I only really liked the first book in that series, only read 3.)
The heroine in this book is ridiculous. She has absolutely NO redeeming qualities. None, not a one. The ONLY thing she has going for her in her entire life is that two different alien leaders thought she was the prettiest human they ever saw. That's literally it. I don't understand why we are supposed to care about her. For example, she can barely even communicate with anyone, nevermind bonding with her mate. She doesn't try to talk to the other humans for the most part and actively keeps information from them. The plot is way lower stakes too and is dull. Will not be continuing in series.
The heroine in this book is ridiculous. She has absolutely NO redeeming qualities. None, not a one. The ONLY thing she has going for her in her entire life is that two different alien leaders thought she was the prettiest human they ever saw. That's literally it. I don't understand why we are supposed to care about her. For example, she can barely even communicate with anyone, nevermind bonding with her mate. She doesn't try to talk to the other humans for the most part and actively keeps information from them. The plot is way lower stakes too and is dull. Will not be continuing in series.
August 5, 2020
Meh. I didn’t connect with the characters. This wasn’t very interesting.
January 28, 2022
Someone had recommended this book series claiming it was in the same vein as Ice Planet Barbarians, so I thought "Why not try it?"
Here's the thing. It's the same "kidnapping a bunch of women from Earth" where a conquering alien race takes them on as prospective brides. Then, as it turns out, there's a mate bond between one of the kidnapped women and the commander of an alien race trying to escape the conquering alien race. Naturally, they succeed and the whole mate thing is literally the whole plot. There's no real plot beyond having the human woman accept the mating bond with this alien and naturally it's all very "insta-love". Honestly? It was boring. IPB actually had more plot than this because at least there is a survival plotline in them. Sure, I liked how the love interest was very loving and respectful, but this book just felt boring and the descriptions were unnecessarily lengthy which only made it worse. I was skimming so much of this book to get to the actual dialogue and even then the dialogue wasn't the most interesting thing. The main character was okay but really didn't have anything going for her except the fact that two alien races found her to be the hottest thing since sliced bread and it just made her so simple with no depth as a character.
As for the story itself, I had hoped more would be resolved in the end and I would be rewarded for sticking with it with something interesting. Unfortunately, so much was left unresolved and I was confused as to why it just felt like such an abrupt ending with an epilogue for a completely different character (which I assume is a teaser for who the next book is about). Overall, while I could see why this would be recommended to fans of IPB, it just doesn't have nearly enough character development, plot, or even an ideal writing style to make it worth reading.
Here's the thing. It's the same "kidnapping a bunch of women from Earth" where a conquering alien race takes them on as prospective brides. Then, as it turns out, there's a mate bond between one of the kidnapped women and the commander of an alien race trying to escape the conquering alien race. Naturally, they succeed and the whole mate thing is literally the whole plot. There's no real plot beyond having the human woman accept the mating bond with this alien and naturally it's all very "insta-love". Honestly? It was boring. IPB actually had more plot than this because at least there is a survival plotline in them. Sure, I liked how the love interest was very loving and respectful, but this book just felt boring and the descriptions were unnecessarily lengthy which only made it worse. I was skimming so much of this book to get to the actual dialogue and even then the dialogue wasn't the most interesting thing. The main character was okay but really didn't have anything going for her except the fact that two alien races found her to be the hottest thing since sliced bread and it just made her so simple with no depth as a character.
As for the story itself, I had hoped more would be resolved in the end and I would be rewarded for sticking with it with something interesting. Unfortunately, so much was left unresolved and I was confused as to why it just felt like such an abrupt ending with an epilogue for a completely different character (which I assume is a teaser for who the next book is about). Overall, while I could see why this would be recommended to fans of IPB, it just doesn't have nearly enough character development, plot, or even an ideal writing style to make it worth reading.
October 25, 2021
Nice try but nope! I live for alien romance novels but this one did not work for me. The beginning 2-3 chapters were great and I was feeling good about this one then a nose dive. The infamous fated mates came to light, you know the insta love. SMH! Fated mates is a way to build a relationship but this author could not pull it off. The whole fated mates was all based on sex nothing more. Furthermore nothing really went on in this book, no angst, little to no character development and very little explanation about the aliens lives.
The good I could find in this book was that it was not a cliffhanger and told from alternating POV’s. The ending was blah and their was of a HEA possibly? The book has a great beginning and some sexy scenes.
The story although was an alien book did not live up to my expectations. I need to feel good about a book while reading and look forward to that HEA! This author had little plot to keep me on track. Sadly I wish I could have jumped ship but kept hoping for a life preserver that never arrived.
The good I could find in this book was that it was not a cliffhanger and told from alternating POV’s. The ending was blah and their was of a HEA possibly? The book has a great beginning and some sexy scenes.
The story although was an alien book did not live up to my expectations. I need to feel good about a book while reading and look forward to that HEA! This author had little plot to keep me on track. Sadly I wish I could have jumped ship but kept hoping for a life preserver that never arrived.
Read
December 4, 2021DNF. Too many similarities to another series I've read, which was much better than this. This just felt like a rip off. I wish authors would at least TRY for some originality.
June 9, 2020
I think the story was a little drawn out but I think it worked in the end.
I wanted to know more about the alien customs to get a better understanding or their world and how they will react to certain things.
All the woman even Rose was very calm about everything once they saw what could happen to them. Which you except that made it more real to me.
Overall, it was a good story and I will be listening to the others in this series.
I wanted to know more about the alien customs to get a better understanding or their world and how they will react to certain things.
All the woman even Rose was very calm about everything once they saw what could happen to them. Which you except that made it more real to me.
Overall, it was a good story and I will be listening to the others in this series.
May 4, 2021
Eh, 2.5/5 ⭐️ it was okay. But overall pretty boring.
September 15, 2024
**3/5 stars**
Rose can't pay her rent and seeks a loan from a shady company, only to be abducted by the Orkuns, an alien race with whom the government secretly deals. Their trade involves sending human brides—those without close ties—in exchange for a semblance of peace. When Rose wakes up, she finds herself among terrified women, and she is chosen by Djool, the Orkuns' repugnant leader, to be his bride. Besides the human captives, there are also Kalixians being used for entertainment. Just before the Orkuns' ceremony begins, the Kalixians stage a revolt, seizing control of the spaceship. When Tordax, the Kalixian commander, encounters Rose, he feels an instant, undeniable connection—she is his Irisa, his fated mate. But how will he convince her of the bond when they don't even speak the same language?
I think I liked Rose. She was nothing special but she was brave and feisty when she needed to be. I liked the little push back when it came to the fated mate bond. She took her time to think about it, questioned if it really was what she wanted, instead of giving it right away and accepting to be claimed.
As for Tordax, he was protective and sweet towards Rose, with moments of possessiveness and jealousy. I liked the concept of the fated mate bond emphasizing consent to strengthen the connection. Instead of forcing her, he tried to charm and coax her, respecting her while showing her how attracted he was to her.
I didn't really like how their first intimacy (without going all the way) somewhat happened quickly, which was driven by instalust. I think it bothered me most because there was a language barrier for at like 50% of the book. Their interactions are quiet and it was hard to convey their feelings to the other. Overall, they made a good couple.
✔️HFN
✔️Standalone Part of a series
✔️Dual POV
✔️Fated Mates
✔️Language barrier
✔️Push and Pull
✔️Protective/Sweet H
✔️Strong/Feisty h
✔️No OW/OM
✔️No cheating
🔥 Steam level: 2.5/5
⚡Content warning
⚡Trigger warning
I believe this series has a main plot that will chronologically develop with each installment, so you probably want to read them all in order.
Rose can't pay her rent and seeks a loan from a shady company, only to be abducted by the Orkuns, an alien race with whom the government secretly deals. Their trade involves sending human brides—those without close ties—in exchange for a semblance of peace. When Rose wakes up, she finds herself among terrified women, and she is chosen by Djool, the Orkuns' repugnant leader, to be his bride. Besides the human captives, there are also Kalixians being used for entertainment. Just before the Orkuns' ceremony begins, the Kalixians stage a revolt, seizing control of the spaceship. When Tordax, the Kalixian commander, encounters Rose, he feels an instant, undeniable connection—she is his Irisa, his fated mate. But how will he convince her of the bond when they don't even speak the same language?
I think I liked Rose. She was nothing special but she was brave and feisty when she needed to be. I liked the little push back when it came to the fated mate bond. She took her time to think about it, questioned if it really was what she wanted, instead of giving it right away and accepting to be claimed.
My soul has recognized hers. The phrase flits through my mind, and I close my eyes briefly. As afraid as I am to hope, I am all but certain of it now. She is my Irisa, my fated mate.-Tordax
As for Tordax, he was protective and sweet towards Rose, with moments of possessiveness and jealousy. I liked the concept of the fated mate bond emphasizing consent to strengthen the connection. Instead of forcing her, he tried to charm and coax her, respecting her while showing her how attracted he was to her.
The pull is strong, but it must be the wish of both parties for it to take. And if it is forced, there is little chance of offspring coming from it. The bond must exist by choice, not in coercion. We may be the perfect complement for each other, a match created by the will of the universe, a fated pair—but that means nothing if she does not want me.-Tordax
I didn't really like how their first intimacy (without going all the way) somewhat happened quickly, which was driven by instalust. I think it bothered me most because there was a language barrier for at like 50% of the book. Their interactions are quiet and it was hard to convey their feelings to the other. Overall, they made a good couple.
✔️HFN
✔️Standalone Part of a series
✔️Dual POV
✔️Fated Mates
✔️Language barrier
✔️Push and Pull
✔️Protective/Sweet H
✔️Strong/Feisty h
✔️No OW/OM
✔️No cheating
🔥 Steam level: 2.5/5
⚡Content warning
⚡Trigger warning
I believe this series has a main plot that will chronologically develop with each installment, so you probably want to read them all in order.
Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors Series
1. Claimed* - 2. Stolen
3. Rescued - 4. Bound
5. Broken - 6. Consumed
7. Damaged - 8. Tempted
9. Tamed - 10. Pursued
11. Possessed
May 31, 2021
Its your standard alien abduction story. Woman is kidnapped, then rescued by other captive aliens. Thankfully the new aliens are super hot and uh oh- true fated mates! The chemistry as their bodies combust ;)
Rose was ok, I liked how she took us all by surprise to save the day against the attacking aliens. I want to read Emma's story, she seems sweet. The whole story was similar to books I had read before but what REALLY got me interested???
The new planet. This author was smart to introduce a new planet and direction to the story line and it was super compelling for me. I really wanted to learn more about the planet and how they settled in while they made enough money to buy a ship. Because going home to a potentially political situation is boring as fuck- so go planet hopping and keep finding mates!
Rose was ok, I liked how she took us all by surprise to save the day against the attacking aliens. I want to read Emma's story, she seems sweet. The whole story was similar to books I had read before but what REALLY got me interested???
The new planet. This author was smart to introduce a new planet and direction to the story line and it was super compelling for me. I really wanted to learn more about the planet and how they settled in while they made enough money to buy a ship. Because going home to a potentially political situation is boring as fuck- so go planet hopping and keep finding mates!
July 4, 2020
Rose was taken from her home on Earth with other women by Orkun warlords to a ship in space. Rose and the other woman are taken by for breeding by the Orkuns. Tordax and his men was taken from their home world to fight in their rings. But Tordax did not count on find a human woman that takes a hold of him. Now would be the time to get the book. I will be getting more from this author.
August 2, 2021
It was okay. The length of the book really wasn’t necessary for the speed of the match. The author could have used it to properly flesh everything out. But none of the characters had any depth whatsoever.
I finished it, I am going to continue with the series for now and see.
I finished it, I am going to continue with the series for now and see.
June 5, 2021
Enjoyable
This was a very enjoyable story with a HEA for now ending. I liked the insta-love aspect. The couple had more than sex going for them. There were quite a few violent interactions with the bad guys that worried me for awhile but everything turned out alright. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
This was a very enjoyable story with a HEA for now ending. I liked the insta-love aspect. The couple had more than sex going for them. There were quite a few violent interactions with the bad guys that worried me for awhile but everything turned out alright. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
January 31, 2023
Dnf 31% I was power reading just decided to stop. Wasn’t the book for me or just wasn’t what I was looking for at the time. The beginning wasn’t bad it got me to dwld the book but meh
January 10, 2025
My reading goal hates to see a group of kidnapped humans stuck on a spaceship coming
Read
October 31, 2021Zero stars from me. It has the same ideas as Worriors of Hir by Willow Danes, where an alien race whose world was plaged by a virus planted by an enemy race of aliens in order to win a war. The virus killed 90%of the females and then they discover the existance of human females and the compatibility to procreate and then a conflict apears regarding the purity of the race if the humans come in to picture to taint the alien race. Worriors of Hir series Stolen Captured Hidden Captured are masterpieces compered to this. In my opinion this is a sloppy work with a lot of borrowed ideas so I would say it is an unoriginal blend, of an overwhelming amount of explicit scenes 80% vs 20% story line, undeveloped characters with unreal reactions.
June 18, 2020
3.5 stars
I actually loved this book... well at least until the last 20% or so. There actually was so much left that needed to be finished up or extended between Rose and Tordax that the author could have had a couple more chapters or even a whole other book if she wanted to. I felt like the ending was super rushed and it really wasn't an ending at all as far as these two main characters are concerned. And additionally the main female finds out something that is super important but the book ends before she tells the main male character and the next book is about a different couple. So you have to download the scene from signing up for the newsletter after the book ends. Sigh could have been so good.
I actually loved this book... well at least until the last 20% or so. There actually was so much left that needed to be finished up or extended between Rose and Tordax that the author could have had a couple more chapters or even a whole other book if she wanted to. I felt like the ending was super rushed and it really wasn't an ending at all as far as these two main characters are concerned. And additionally the main female finds out something that is super important but the book ends before she tells the main male character and the next book is about a different couple. So you have to download the scene from signing up for the newsletter after the book ends. Sigh could have been so good.
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