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From The Ashes
Calista’s a freelance space courier recovering from a disastrous marriage during which her ex sold her as a slave. Sure, she’s emotionally damaged, but you should see the state of her ex! She’s been ripping off the system and flying under the radar her entire life. Until now. Asher’s her “cargo”, a Phoenixae alien who accidentally hatched from the egg she was transporting, and bonded with her. He’s been bred as a sex slave and he can read her mind. And then there’s the small issue that if Asher is killed and his body burnt, he can be resurrected. He’s one hot commodity that illegals will kill to possess. Take one sex-deprived space courier who’ll risk everything to save a Phoenixae alien from a life of slavery. Add one hot alien sex-slave who knows her deepest desires, feels her pain, and lives to please her in every way. Mix with a ruthless ex-husband intent on vengeance. And stir in a sadistic Libertine noble who will do anything at all to get his hands on a Phoenixae. From the ashes, a hero will rise…. **First published in December 2010 by Red Sage Publishing. ( Contains graphic language and scenes more suited to adult readers.)
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2010
3 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Maree Anderson
26 books80 followersMaree Anderson writes paranormal romance, fantasy, and young adult books. She lives in beautiful New Zealand, home of hobbits, elves, and kiwis—both the fruit and the two-legged flightless variety. Her first novel for young adults, the multi-award-winning Freaks of Greenfield High, was optioned for TV, and currently has over 2 million reads on Wattpad. Alas, Freaks didn’t make it to the small screen, but it sure was a fun ride while it lasted. Readers will be pleased to know she is definitely planning to write more books in her popular Crystal Warriors and Freaks series.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 2, 2015
Very enjoyable and unusual SFR read.
My only thing I would have changed is killed the h's ex much sooner, yes I know we wouldn't have had a proper villain but still that should have been done much sooner.
And then of course more focus on the romance would have been fine.
But still spunky space faring h and hot devoted phoenix-like H. Whats not to like?
My only thing I would have changed is killed the h's ex much sooner, yes I know we wouldn't have had a proper villain but still that should have been done much sooner.
And then of course more focus on the romance would have been fine.
But still spunky space faring h and hot devoted phoenix-like H. Whats not to like?
January 10, 2011
I received this free from the publisher for review.
4-1/2 stars
I enjoyed this Science Fiction Romance. It hits the high points of what I consider the necessary criteria for Sci Fi Romance.
First good world building. I could visualize the settings in which the action took place. There were two planets involved in addition to the ships. The first planet was a desert planet. The description was clear and the dangers were clearly described and pertained to the story. The populated planet where the majority of the story took place was easy to visualize. It was a hedonistic pleasure planet and the characters actions, either in accordance with the mores of the society or contrary to custom, caused them to either get along in the place or have problems. The cultural mores of the planet were clearly shown in the actions of the characters not by telling.
Secondly the romance was well done. The hero and heroine spent enough time in each others presence for real emotions to form. They grew to know and depend on each other. They didn't just hop in the sack arbitrarily. The did spend a large portion of time in the middle of the book apart but struggling to get back to each other. I would have preferred that they hadn't been apart but that is a personal preference and doesn't mean that that part of the story was bad or unnecessary. Just not the way I would have preferred it. But I didn't write it did I? :-) The emotions seemed real and there was some pathos and sacrifice involved.
Third - Characterizations in general for all major characters where clear and well motivated. The hero and heroine both were solid characters who grew over the course of the story. The secondary characters were clearly differentiated and were true to their stated motivations. The heroine was a kick butt kind of girl. She was tech savvy and could defend herself. When things got screwed up, she came up with a plan and acted on it. He was coming from a very different place and had to grow from being a slave to learning to be his own person. He seemed very three dimensional and real.
Fourth - The plot made sense. There was a clear beginning middle and end. Actions taken had logical consequences. There was a lot going on and much of it was fun. Some of it was sad and a lot of it was tense. Not a one note book at all.
These final two thing are not common to all SFR but were pertinent here.
Alieness and sex scenes.
There were some aliens but most of the characters were human or mutated humans. Humans had come from Earth so long ago that Earth was considered a silly legend and those who believed in it were scorned. Our heroine was unmutated and was a believer in Earth. The hero was from a planet of mutated beings who had been designed as sex slaves and they had a second set of genitalia. Only a man was described though so I don't know what the women from that planet might have had. He was well written and the whole Phoenix aspect was new and interesting and really had a lot to do with the plot.
The sex scenes were not gratuitous. There were maybe 3 or 4 and only one that was completed as it were. Since he was born as a sex slave, that aspect of the story was pertinent but most of it was about what that meant to them in their personal relationship. I will say however that it didn't seem really necessary that he have two penises. I guess it just illustrated that he was mutated to be a sex slave. An outward symbol of the inner purpose of his race. It did seem like it might be a little tedious to have to do both 'ahem' entrances every time you wanted a little nooky.
The writing in general was good. The sentences flowed and I didn't notice any annoying word choices etc. There were some good quotes (example below) and it was very readable overall.
“If he found Calista hurt or damaged in any way, Asher would go after Nate and make him regret the day his father fucked his mother and inflicted their son upon the universe.”
4-1/2 stars
I enjoyed this Science Fiction Romance. It hits the high points of what I consider the necessary criteria for Sci Fi Romance.
First good world building. I could visualize the settings in which the action took place. There were two planets involved in addition to the ships. The first planet was a desert planet. The description was clear and the dangers were clearly described and pertained to the story. The populated planet where the majority of the story took place was easy to visualize. It was a hedonistic pleasure planet and the characters actions, either in accordance with the mores of the society or contrary to custom, caused them to either get along in the place or have problems. The cultural mores of the planet were clearly shown in the actions of the characters not by telling.
Secondly the romance was well done. The hero and heroine spent enough time in each others presence for real emotions to form. They grew to know and depend on each other. They didn't just hop in the sack arbitrarily. The did spend a large portion of time in the middle of the book apart but struggling to get back to each other. I would have preferred that they hadn't been apart but that is a personal preference and doesn't mean that that part of the story was bad or unnecessary. Just not the way I would have preferred it. But I didn't write it did I? :-) The emotions seemed real and there was some pathos and sacrifice involved.
Third - Characterizations in general for all major characters where clear and well motivated. The hero and heroine both were solid characters who grew over the course of the story. The secondary characters were clearly differentiated and were true to their stated motivations. The heroine was a kick butt kind of girl. She was tech savvy and could defend herself. When things got screwed up, she came up with a plan and acted on it. He was coming from a very different place and had to grow from being a slave to learning to be his own person. He seemed very three dimensional and real.
Fourth - The plot made sense. There was a clear beginning middle and end. Actions taken had logical consequences. There was a lot going on and much of it was fun. Some of it was sad and a lot of it was tense. Not a one note book at all.
These final two thing are not common to all SFR but were pertinent here.
Alieness and sex scenes.
There were some aliens but most of the characters were human or mutated humans. Humans had come from Earth so long ago that Earth was considered a silly legend and those who believed in it were scorned. Our heroine was unmutated and was a believer in Earth. The hero was from a planet of mutated beings who had been designed as sex slaves and they had a second set of genitalia. Only a man was described though so I don't know what the women from that planet might have had. He was well written and the whole Phoenix aspect was new and interesting and really had a lot to do with the plot.
The sex scenes were not gratuitous. There were maybe 3 or 4 and only one that was completed as it were. Since he was born as a sex slave, that aspect of the story was pertinent but most of it was about what that meant to them in their personal relationship. I will say however that it didn't seem really necessary that he have two penises. I guess it just illustrated that he was mutated to be a sex slave. An outward symbol of the inner purpose of his race. It did seem like it might be a little tedious to have to do both 'ahem' entrances every time you wanted a little nooky.
The writing in general was good. The sentences flowed and I didn't notice any annoying word choices etc. There were some good quotes (example below) and it was very readable overall.
“If he found Calista hurt or damaged in any way, Asher would go after Nate and make him regret the day his father fucked his mother and inflicted their son upon the universe.”
March 20, 2011
Surprisingly Sweet, Satisfyingly Smutty (4 stars)
Calista hasn't had the greatest luck in love, her ex-husband sold her into slavery! But she's not one to take that lying down and once she's back on her feet she's back to working as a courier in her ship, Doppelganger. Having had a few too many bad surprises in her life she figures she can open the crate holding her latest cargo, find out what's secreted away inside and have time to pack it back up with no sign of tampering before she gets to her destination. What she finds is an egg, an egg that hatches into a baby boy who rapidly becomes a grown man with two sets of genitals and ability to be resurrected indefinitely from his own ashes. With no one else around he imprints on her and the pair find themselves driven into a world of sadistic Libertines, her cutthroat ex and all manner of crazy.
This is my first taste of Maree Anderson and hopefully not my last. She has a great way of creating a decent scifi 'verse without a lot of pages to do so. While the idea of alien males with special "man-parts" is far from original she manages to make Asher special in other ways that make him multifaceted enough that you can buy this is romance not pure smut. It's funny, adventurous and the kind of smutty that makes ya want to skip the talky parts. The romance was unexpectedly sweet and never felt forced.
I would recommend this as an excellent place to start dabbling for readers who are interested in alien scifi romances/erotica. I'd also tell my fellow Cheryl Brooks fans to give it a read, while this is certainly not of the same caliber it's a great quickie read to fill in the time between her releases.
***Received ARC via NetGalley.
Calista hasn't had the greatest luck in love, her ex-husband sold her into slavery! But she's not one to take that lying down and once she's back on her feet she's back to working as a courier in her ship, Doppelganger. Having had a few too many bad surprises in her life she figures she can open the crate holding her latest cargo, find out what's secreted away inside and have time to pack it back up with no sign of tampering before she gets to her destination. What she finds is an egg, an egg that hatches into a baby boy who rapidly becomes a grown man with two sets of genitals and ability to be resurrected indefinitely from his own ashes. With no one else around he imprints on her and the pair find themselves driven into a world of sadistic Libertines, her cutthroat ex and all manner of crazy.
This is my first taste of Maree Anderson and hopefully not my last. She has a great way of creating a decent scifi 'verse without a lot of pages to do so. While the idea of alien males with special "man-parts" is far from original she manages to make Asher special in other ways that make him multifaceted enough that you can buy this is romance not pure smut. It's funny, adventurous and the kind of smutty that makes ya want to skip the talky parts. The romance was unexpectedly sweet and never felt forced.
I would recommend this as an excellent place to start dabbling for readers who are interested in alien scifi romances/erotica. I'd also tell my fellow Cheryl Brooks fans to give it a read, while this is certainly not of the same caliber it's a great quickie read to fill in the time between her releases.
***Received ARC via NetGalley.
November 23, 2011
It was a really entertaining read and I absolutely enjoyed reading it, but the story lacked somehow.
Calista is pretending to be a strong woman, because she doesn´t want others to see how badly hurt she is because of her ex-husband. He treated her very badly and wanted to sell her(!), which led me to the question how stupid and vulnerable a woman can actually be, but then I was pleased when I found out that she payed him back in a really bloody and satisfying way.
Then she meets Asher and gets to see his "extras". He actually has two penis, which I kind of found really disturbing. A sex slave I can handle, but that? I´m sorry, but I don´t think that´s sexy at aaall.
Anyway, Asher has a really great personality!Anderson did a really good job at creating him. I have a slight crush on him now, and that´s not because of his assets ;-)
The last 30 pages where totally chaotic. One thing happened after the other and sometimes I wondered "How did that happen again?". It was not really realistic. They get into trouble and of cooourse they get out of it...I just think Anderson should have put more heart into it.
Then there are the sex scenes, which are actually close to nill. This is supposed to be an Erotica, but it somehow lacked this whole sex thing.
I mean, okay, after 20 pages I understand that Asher looks yummy and that Calista can´t resist him, but this whole "his body is so beautiful I want to lick him all over" gets boring after reading it for the 30th time.
To sum it up: It´s a good read and I enjoyed it very much, but it´s nothing special.
Calista is pretending to be a strong woman, because she doesn´t want others to see how badly hurt she is because of her ex-husband. He treated her very badly and wanted to sell her(!), which led me to the question how stupid and vulnerable a woman can actually be, but then I was pleased when I found out that she payed him back in a really bloody and satisfying way.
Then she meets Asher and gets to see his "extras". He actually has two penis, which I kind of found really disturbing. A sex slave I can handle, but that? I´m sorry, but I don´t think that´s sexy at aaall.
Anyway, Asher has a really great personality!Anderson did a really good job at creating him. I have a slight crush on him now, and that´s not because of his assets ;-)
The last 30 pages where totally chaotic. One thing happened after the other and sometimes I wondered "How did that happen again?". It was not really realistic. They get into trouble and of cooourse they get out of it...I just think Anderson should have put more heart into it.
Then there are the sex scenes, which are actually close to nill. This is supposed to be an Erotica, but it somehow lacked this whole sex thing.
I mean, okay, after 20 pages I understand that Asher looks yummy and that Calista can´t resist him, but this whole "his body is so beautiful I want to lick him all over" gets boring after reading it for the 30th time.
To sum it up: It´s a good read and I enjoyed it very much, but it´s nothing special.
March 3, 2011
This is a good book which did keep me reading it till the end. I enjoyed the story. It was entertaining and fun. The by play between the characters was amusing. If you are into intergalactic travel and bodies with extra appendages, then this is the book for you.
Review by Noushie
Calista is a self made woman, rising out of the ashes of her life, after near miss into slavery by her ex-husband. She has created a life for herself as a top courier pilot. She is a strong woman, but a damaged one. She trusts no one but herself and she likes her solitude just fine, till an egg drops into her lap.
Asher is an enhanced alien slave. He can rise from ashes of death himself. Literally! Being Phoenixae, he has multiple lives and multiple body parts. Male body parts!
Slavery is a sour subject with Calista, once Asher has imprinted with her. After his premature birth, she realizes she cannot let this wonderful creature go to his intended master. Calista learns that her ex is in the deal as well.
This was an interesting book. At times a bit rough to read, the language was more colorful than it really needed to be. Still, it held my attention and I wanted to know what happen next to this couple as they worked through issues with each other. If you are into Science Fiction/Fantasy, I recommend this book.
Reviewed by Dreamy One
DIVA RATING: 3
HEAT RATING: Spark
Link:http://www.deviantdivaseroticbookrevi...
Review by Noushie
Calista is a self made woman, rising out of the ashes of her life, after near miss into slavery by her ex-husband. She has created a life for herself as a top courier pilot. She is a strong woman, but a damaged one. She trusts no one but herself and she likes her solitude just fine, till an egg drops into her lap.
Asher is an enhanced alien slave. He can rise from ashes of death himself. Literally! Being Phoenixae, he has multiple lives and multiple body parts. Male body parts!
Slavery is a sour subject with Calista, once Asher has imprinted with her. After his premature birth, she realizes she cannot let this wonderful creature go to his intended master. Calista learns that her ex is in the deal as well.
This was an interesting book. At times a bit rough to read, the language was more colorful than it really needed to be. Still, it held my attention and I wanted to know what happen next to this couple as they worked through issues with each other. If you are into Science Fiction/Fantasy, I recommend this book.
Reviewed by Dreamy One
DIVA RATING: 3
HEAT RATING: Spark
Link:http://www.deviantdivaseroticbookrevi...
December 15, 2010
From the Ashes combines two of my favorite genres – romance and science fiction. So I knew when I got it, I would probably like it. I was not disappointed. There is plenty of action for me (and, no, not just the sexual kind!!!) and a nice mix of romance and science fictional things.
I was hooked when her ex shows up and demands Calista’s cargo. Incidentally, her cargo is our hero, Asher (he was hatched!). His extras are particularly interesting. I liked the revelations – how her ex had sold her into her slavery and she destroyed his face in payment. I liked how Asher died and came back to life afterward. It goes with the title – From the Ashes – as he is a Phoenixae and death doesn’t manage to kill him permanently.
Another scene I really liked was when her ex caught her, was planning to give her to someone and she convinced him to kill her ex. Very nice.
Asher is very nice, too. He is disturbing when he first hatches as a baby and turns into a child, than a teenager, than a man. The part where he turned into a man was a relief. I didn’t want a child hero.
He escapes from his own captors and goes in search of her. Calista has a problem with that Asher is from a slave race and he has to please his owner. Well, I would be disturbed by that, too. Who wants a lover who pleases only because he is slave and has no choices? Who wants a slave at all? Not Calista – she disapproves of slavery. But he convinces her they can be together and it all works out.
I was hooked when her ex shows up and demands Calista’s cargo. Incidentally, her cargo is our hero, Asher (he was hatched!). His extras are particularly interesting. I liked the revelations – how her ex had sold her into her slavery and she destroyed his face in payment. I liked how Asher died and came back to life afterward. It goes with the title – From the Ashes – as he is a Phoenixae and death doesn’t manage to kill him permanently.
Another scene I really liked was when her ex caught her, was planning to give her to someone and she convinced him to kill her ex. Very nice.
Asher is very nice, too. He is disturbing when he first hatches as a baby and turns into a child, than a teenager, than a man. The part where he turned into a man was a relief. I didn’t want a child hero.
He escapes from his own captors and goes in search of her. Calista has a problem with that Asher is from a slave race and he has to please his owner. Well, I would be disturbed by that, too. Who wants a lover who pleases only because he is slave and has no choices? Who wants a slave at all? Not Calista – she disapproves of slavery. But he convinces her they can be together and it all works out.
January 28, 2011
From the Ashes by Maree Anderson is an erotic sci-fi story about a human space courier, Calista and an alien Phoenixae named Asher who she unwittingly becomes bonded to. The story is unique and holds your attention. The problem is that is lacks depth. You are told that the characters love each other but you don’t see it happen. The relationship is suddenly there, as appose to gradually building. There is a lot of internal dialog instead of actions. This leaves you feeling a slight disconnect to the characters. Overall, it’s a good book and you should find yourself entertained if not that impressed. From the Ashes should appeal to fans of sci-fi erotica.
January 10, 2011
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