He fought like a beast. Then he claimed me like one.
Xander didn't just win me in the arena. The alien brute claimed me there too, with my punished bottom still burning and my screams of climax almost drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
Almost...
Victory earned him freedom and the right to take me as his mate, but making me truly his will mean more than just spanking me into shameful surrender and then rutting me like a wild beast. Before he carries me off as his prize, the dark truth that brought me here must be exposed at last.
Trying to look for more books like the Horde King series by Zoey Draven... And this is not one. The first chapter turned me off just by how many times the word f*ck was said, 24 times I think it was, which is super repetitive for any word, and then I think 164 times throughout the whole book, which I ended up just skimming. The heroine was aroused by everyone and everything even though she was kidnapped and tries to act "tough" by cursing at all of her alien kidnappers nonstop, but then will call them all (not just the H) super hot in her head or just cry the next second. She calls getting whipped as a punishment a "spanking" in the first couple chapters. Then there are too many "spankings", and not one decent or full sex scene - they were all fade to black. Which you would think wouldn't be the case with the nature of the plot and the hero. Immature writing, unrealistic reactions and dialogue (she says something along the lines of "no offense, but if you come near me I will kill you", while she is being held captive, to the hero, and it was such cringe) and forced OTT situations. Ya, this book definitely isn't for me.
Katarina the human and Xander her Cryton Gladiator 🔥❤️ I couldn’t believe this book had an interesting storyline! I enjoy this author, but wow this storyline had almost everything I like!
Fantastic Story & Narration🎧 Captivating & Intense!
Gladiator A Rough Sci-Fi Romance By: Piper Stone Narrated by: Richard Reynolds
Wow, this is one steamy, action packed, out of this world romance! The book grabbed my attention right from the start and held it straight to the end. Piper Stone’s book, she is a gifted author, I’ve enjoyed several of her other novels but this is my first of her SciFi/Paranormal novels and it is great to see another side of her creative mind. The story and characters she created is imaginative and original, there is excellent character development and world building. Katrina Garens, a human, finds herself in a cell with other girls, she learns she was abducted by aliens and is now a part of some sick game they want her to play. Xander Ashe aka Thor, is from Planet Cryton and was working on Earth when he was double crossed after learning things he was not supposed to know. He was sent t planet Zatan, to participate is a hunger games type of competition, the goal is to survive, the prize is a return trip back home. When he is chosen to play he fights his way to a win and is allowed to pick a mate, he sees Katrina and chooses her. One of the rules is they much try to procreate. The females that are abducted are often taken by force and used as birthing machines. Katrina’s mating saves her from that fate but Xander must show the aliens he is playing along. After some resistance the two make an awesome team as they go to face the elements and challenges. The chemistry between them is undeniable and as they go on they discover some interesting things, some things Xander already knew but it is eye opening for Katrina. This book is cleverly plotted, the twists and turns are mind-blowing! There is also plenty of drama, action, thrilling suspense, some heartfelt and emotional moments as well as erotic scenes that lead to a hot romance. Piper Stone, thank you for another amazing story.
I listened to the Audible edition, Richard Reynolds is a talented narrator and versatile voice artist. He brings the characters to life, giving each their own distinct voice and personalty. He does an awesome job covering the roles for both the male and female characters which makes it easier to follow them and their story. He sets the perfect tone for the story, capturing the characters emotions, as well as their passion and drama, projecting it all into his performance. He is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another great listen🎧
Good lord this is long and I can only imagine what her reviews look like for this book. I've only made it 28% so far and I'm about ready to give up. Its too drawn out with the whole conspiracy theory crap, Katarina is annoying as hell, and the book comes off a little too rapey IMO. I imagine she has quite a few ticked off women that left bad reviews for this one. I mean I like books with dubious consent but when the chick said no the second time and he was all dont matter u will let me do this...nope thats rape hun. Anyways I can tell you so far with what I've read Katarina wakes up on a ship chained caged with other women she's groped, humiliated, spanked, and taken to a arena where she stupidly mouths off again earning her another beat down. Xander the main guy wins Katarina after his battle choosing to try and win his freedom by trying to survive through some maze to try and get off their planet. The rules are that he has to take her with him through the maze and he has to breed her twice a day. If they manage to make it through the maze their free but if they don't I guess they get sent back to the city who knows. Right now I'm at the point where she keeps asking Xander who is he and how does he know so much about Earth. He will explain a little and then she will say again "Who are you?" and it starts all over again. Its very long and drawn out and very boring if im totally honest so I doubt I will finish this one.
I'm not a big Sci-Fi reader but with Piper Stone, I'll make an exception. This story hooked me from the first chapter and I read the whole book before I realized what time it was. Full of drama, twists and turns, this story also had some pretty hot and sexy scenes. Have some ice water handy as you may need to cool down!! Love this and am just waiting for the next book.
Xander wins Katrina in the arena where he also claims her and punishes her. Now he will make her his mate. Fast-paced read with plenty of drama and oh so hot. Great characters and world building, steamy chemistry and of drama. I liked it.
It started off well but turned into a whole different story. The heroine wasn’t likable. She kept putting herself and the hero in danger. At one point, I was hoping she would just die already.
From Webster's Dictionary, online: "Definition of malapropism 1: the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context"
This book's premise was interesting, so I kept with it, despite the fact that there were so many malapropisms in the writing, I got dizzy. If I had highlighted all the misused words and phrases, it would be ridiculous to list them all. (Ex. "...almost paid the ultimate prize." Really? I hope other readers know it's supposed to be "price"!)
So, while I give the author's work 3-stars, due to her copious imagination, and ability to hold the reader's interest throughout most of the story, there were enough jarring problems with proof-reading, editing, and malapropisms, that I couldn't force myself to give her more. I can see Stone is a prolific writer -- I'd love it if she honed her craft better.
As to the story: Enjoyed "Thor" and Katarina's lust-hate-lust-hate-lust-love story quite a lot. At the start, it was highly annoying that someone supposedly intelligent would go into a snit and run off, doing stupid things, like picking berries on an unknown planet, before she even knows if they're edible or not. But, I held back on my ire, reminding myself that most of us wouldn't know a wild edible from a poisonous plant. And she was not a biologist or a horticulturist. Her nearly insane instincts to throw herself into dangerous situations could be tolerated, by weighing them against the surreal and very intense change in her reality. Although, I had issues with that, as well, because the author puts her in a reality where everyday people know there are aliens, have seen them via the media, etc. (anyway, the Crytons). But her treatment by the Zatans would certainly make her less receptive to other aliens, even though that seems rather prejudiced. Of course, "Thor" (Xander) has his own biases to work through as well, based on his betrayal and punishment.
There's a lot of "deus ex machina" going on in the plot. By the end, I felt like the author might have run out of steam or ideas, because the resolution takes about five chapters, and a tortuous thirteen chapters just to get to what I would consider a major plot point. The author was great at getting me wound-up for a lot more, and then fizzled out. Call me a grump, but I was all ready for this to be an epic, multi-book, sci-fi series. Loki Renard has managed to do this with her Scythkin series, and I was excitedly hoping that Stone would add her voice to the genre. Perhaps I've missed something -- this is the first Stone book that I've read -- and maybe there are more books relating to this story. Are there? If not, it was a missed opportunity, for sure.
Interesting planet, with interesting species, and interesting challenges, etc. (now I sound like Bugs Bunny with Gossamer!). Just wish the world and story had been more deeply developed and fleshed out. Things turned on a dime at the end, and I was left wondering about a lot of insta-resolved issues that hadn't been fully addressed. So many more stories could've spiraled off this one....
And now, a few tangents... Cryton/Crytons: Progression of mental connections -- "The Admirable Crichton", a play by J.M.Barrie of "Peter Pan" fame; and Kryton, the android butler on Red Dwarf. Neither of these fictional characters made me think of sexy, buff purple alien warriors!
Hissing: there was a lot of it, all through the book. I kept thinking of Eddie Izzard's response to hissing from an audience, "We did that in school!"
Deja vu: This was part of the proof-reading and editing issues. Someone is let go, and then tells the same person who just let them go, to let them go. And they do. Again. This kind of deja vu, i.e. redundant action, happens throughout the book, along with asking the same thing over and over again. I understand when one of the characters is reluctant to answer, but as a dialog device, it made me screech with annoyance.
That said, Stone kept me awake a couple nights reading, which is a good indication of her ability to push the action of the story. I think she could be an exceptional writer, if she worked on the technical aspects more.
Katarina wakes up to find herself a prisoner on a planet that is not Earth. She has been captured by abusive aliens. When another prisoner Xander chooses her as a prize can they work together to solve the mystery of their capture & win their freedom? Katarina makes some mistakes that put her life in jeopardy, sometimes defiantly endangering both of them. Xander is a worthy leader, highly trained and motivated to survive. This sci-fi dark romance is full of plot twists, violence, trust issues, family drama, discipline and erotic encounters. Both characters are multi-layered. Very descriptive in setting and non-stop action. An entertaining read with a HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Katarina wakes up in an alien prison amongst other human women and find out they are to be prizes in some kind of gladatorial contest. Xander, a Crton, is also a prisoner and is forced to fight the champion of the other alien species. When he wins he is forced to pick one I'd the captive women and mated with her in front of the crowd. He picked Katarina. But this is just the beginning of a twisted plot. Together they have to work to save all three races. Ms. Stone combine great characters, a strong story line, great world building, suspense, a some real twists into a very satisfying story.
1. The characters are smart, strong, and I fell in love with them right away. 2. The steam level is high, so if you do not like to read about explicit sex, stay away. 3. The story line is unusual, and even though I did figure out some of it, I had to wait to know the complete story.
I am not going to give a synopsis of the story, but if you like dominant men, women who will fight back, but come to love their hero, this will be a good choice.
I like this author, have read many of her books, but so far this is the one I liked the best.
This book has everything political betrayal, action adventure and love , Xander is domineering and all Alpha and Katarina is smart and feisty....she find herself in a deadly competition for her life and freedom.... the book has steamy scenes with power exchange and is a page turner because you can’t wait to see the next challenge, loved the book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
For some reason this book was hard to finish. It jumped around between wanting to be sci-fi and wanting to be erotic. There was a little bit of a hunger games vibe in the beginning, but towards the middle I started skimming. The intimate scenes are ok, very explicit, but a little problematic since they have elements of reluctance and eventual Stockholm Syndrome.
I give this book 4 cups of steaming Java, ☕☕☕☕. This story had my attention from beginning to end. It was so full of twists and turns, so much angst. Xander amd Katarina, both were victims to science, greed, and war between aliens with almost no hope for all involved. In the end, hope won out, justice won out, now there is HEA with these two heros - No, warriors, they were fighters.
I was in the mood for a good Sci-Fi Romance. I couldn't get past the first 15 pages without putting it down I went back but just couldn't finish it.there was too too much sexual brutality to be a romance. The actions of the heroin were pretty reckless and stupid. This book was disappointing and not for me. Someone else might enjoy it but I don't enjoy sexual brutality.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is a hot read by Miss Piper Stone. I do enjoy a gladiator book with hot se* and action. This one has it all in spades. I look forward to more book by this new author to me.
When I started reading this book. Ot was because I enjoy spanking fiction. How ever this story by Piper. Turned out to be a great story all on it's own. With great characters. A fantastic storyline with a twist. As well as a satisfying ending too.
Well, I guess life is complex whether human or alien. Life is life. Love is love. Does it really matter if it is normal. That would be a great big no! Read this story and see if you agree.
This book is absolutely savage. It has a great storyline. Lots of angst and action throughout. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all. It’s written well and the narration is brilliant. Richard gives such a great performance.
This was very good book and very suspenseful I could not believe some of the very bad things that happened to these 2 and how they came out on top and I hope The new king finds what he wants to be happy
Katarina wakes up to find herself a prisoner on a planet that is not Earth. She has been captured by abusive aliens. When another prisoner Xander chooses her as a prize can they work together to solve the mystery of their capture & win their freedom? Katarina makes some mistakes that put her life in jeopardy, sometimes defiantly endangering both of them. Xander is a worthy leader, highly trained and motivated to survive. This sci-fi dark romance is full of plot twists, violence, trust issues, family drama, discipline and erotic encounters. Both characters are multi-layered. Very descriptive in setting and non-stop action. An entertaining read with a HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There was potential in this story. That is why I kept pushing myself to continue reading until the end. But, I found it confusing, not to mention convoluted. The author attempted the use of flashbacks for the telling of back stories and in my humble opinion, did it poorly. I wasn't sure where we were, let alone when. then came the question, who exactly is the bad guys? after the poor attempts at dramatics throughout, we were left with a rather hurriedly abrupt ending. Nothing like a convenient bloodless coup for tying up loose ends. *eye roll* Overall, a disappointing story.
A truly outstanding dark Sci-Fi romance that will capture the reader’s attention & does not let go until the last page has been turned. The story-line & plot is suspenseful, well-written & intriguing with well-developed characters that have unique distinctive personalities which ultimately complement each other throughout their dangerous journey. There is good scene descriptions & world building. There is: a young human female (Katarina) is chosen as a prize by a brutal Cryton alien gladiator (Thor aka Xander) & is publically taken by him in the arena, a despicable king (Rajah), various kinds of aliens, military conspiracies, twists & turns, intrigue, suspense, mystery, secrets, adventure, action, abduction, violence, brutality, discipline, spanking, humiliation, anguish, vengeful feelings, devious plans, memories, danger, threats, enemies, suspicions, manipulations, defiance, trust issues, memories, confrontation, deceit, betrayal, family issues, discovery, compromises, decisions, love, contentment, steamy scenes & a satisfying conclusion. I absolutely enjoyed reading this Sci-fi romance & would recommend it to people who enjoy reading this genre. I doubt that you would be disappointed.
WOW this book had everything you could want from a book. Katarina is a sassy feisty woman who has woke up in a different world. She cant understand why she is here and how they got her here. She keeps hoping its a dream but when she doesn't behave an alien gives her a spanking she wont forget. But still she remains defiant. When she is dragged with many other female women to an arena she doesn't understand what is going on. That's where she sees Xander. He had been brought into fight and everyone thinks he will be killed but he surprises everyone by winning. But its not over he has a choose to make. He gets to choose one female to take with him to go through a maze. Sounds easy but its deadly. And he chooses Katarina and this is where the true adventure begins but these two have so much up against them. Xander is a true Alpha and he wont stand for her sassy behaviour its going to get them killed and he has a way to make sure she understands but what they both cant explain is the chemistry between them its electric completely off the charts!!!!! This is one exciting read that you wont be able to put down. Its a brilliant read
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow! Talk about betrayal: by your government, your parents, your allies, your leaders. Where will it all end? Promises are repeatedly broken. And the romance? Real or manufactured? You know what they say: if it’s too good to be true....
3 1/2 Stars Arena action and run for your life adventure and throw in a few twists and turns and Pipe Stone gives you a fun story. Katarina. I get she's scared but whew a bit mouthy in the face of huge aliens that she is at their mercy. She gets all hot and warm when she sees this one behemoth and oh yeah, his eyes pins her where she stands. Xander won't go down easy and fights for his life as well as his freedom, his prize for the fight he chooses the sassy tempered Kat and he's going to have to teach her a lesson or three if he's going to survive.
Katrina isn't just another pretty face though, she just may be the key to an important breakthrough a change and that could be good for some... not so much for others. Danger, mystery and some hot scenes round out this sexy sci-fi tale. Enjoy
"With one mighty sword." Probably one of the best finishing lines in a story that I have ever read. Reading Gladiator was like riding a mysterious emotional roller coaster. I loved this world and hope there are more stories to come from it in the future.
This book took me quite a bit to read because I couldn't get into the story like I normally would. There are scenes that I want comfortable with, and in my opinion, the story seemed to be all over the place. There are quite a few plot twists that I never saw coming, and in the end, I did enjoy this book.
Please note that I did receive an ARC of this book, and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.