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Captured Earth #1
Resist
Capture is a soldier’s worst fear, but all his training couldn’t prepare Sergeant Josh Rayne for what it meant to be caught by the alien invaders, who have claimed the desert in Western Australia.
Josh believes he is the only man left alive from the teams sent out to spy on the aliens, but in the alien prison, he is reunited with his lover and fellow soldier Xavier Fisher. There is no time to celebrate though as Xavier is gravely injured and in need of medical care.
With the exfil date fast approaching, they have to escape before the ship leaves without them.
Book one in the Captured Earth trilogy. For readers who like action, explosions, and don’t mind a little gore with their gay romance.
Josh believes he is the only man left alive from the teams sent out to spy on the aliens, but in the alien prison, he is reunited with his lover and fellow soldier Xavier Fisher. There is no time to celebrate though as Xavier is gravely injured and in need of medical care.
With the exfil date fast approaching, they have to escape before the ship leaves without them.
Book one in the Captured Earth trilogy. For readers who like action, explosions, and don’t mind a little gore with their gay romance.
117 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2021
61 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
T.J. Nichols
89 books343 followersTJ Nichols (they/them) is the author of the Studies in Demonology and Familiar Mates series. They write mostly gay fantasy and paranormal romance, but sometimes gay action/horror as Toby J. Nichols.
After traveling all over the world and Australia, TJ now lives in Perth, Western Australia.
Free gay shifter novella when you join TJ's newsletter: http://tjnichols-author.com/lp/
You can find TJ on
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TJNichols
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TJNichols.au...
follow me on Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/tjnichols or Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tj-ni...
After traveling all over the world and Australia, TJ now lives in Perth, Western Australia.
Free gay shifter novella when you join TJ's newsletter: http://tjnichols-author.com/lp/
You can find TJ on
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TJNichols
Ream: https://reamstories.com/tjnichols
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TJNichols.au...
follow me on Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/tjnichols or Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tj-ni...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 4, 2021
4 “your plans are shit” stars
This book read exactly as if I was reading the script of a sci-fi/horror movie and it worked so well for me. I had so much fun while reading this book, it was almost the same experience as watching a movie. Reading this book felt like watching an old episode of Star Trek and watching Invasion of the Body Snatchers at the same time and that really worked for me.
Brief summary
This book starts on Josh who’s in a desolated and bloddy house in Australia. Aliens that look like metal enhanced geckos have invaded the world and are killing the habitants and he’s the leader of one of the team sent by the army to try to find their base so they can explore it. He’s devasted because he thinks that his partner of 3 years, Xavier, died a couple of days ago. Josh’s team gets murdered by the aliens and he is the sole survivor and he is captured by the aliens. The aliens have an arena where they make their captors fight to death. While being a captive, he realizes that Xavier is still alive and a captive and together they try to plan their escape.
First, the descriptions of the ambiance in this was absolutely brillant. There was so many descriptions of how everything was eary, chilling and desolated and it worked so well in this context. The descriptions were so well done that I could easily imagine myself as if I was in the town too, it really worked for me.
Second, I really enjoyed how the plot of the book was done. I liked that it wasn’t all super obivious and that there was a couple of surprises to keep me on my toes. This book was fast passed, full of thrilling action sequences followed by sweet romantic scenes and the pacing really worked for me. A lot of the first part of the book is Josh thinking that Xavier is dead so he keeps thinking foundling of their time together and it made a very nice contrast to the situation he was in. I was always invested in knowing what would come next. The interactions between Josh and Xavier always were very romantic and I could easily tell why they were together. Which was a feat in itself because they were always fighting off a bunch of lizard looking aliens while having those romantic interactions.
Third, Josh, the book’s narrator, didn’t really believe that they would get out alive of the situation and win over the aliens which I really enjoyed reading about. It really helped setting in the feeling of how brutual the aliens are and how much of a treath they actually are.
Fourth, I love anything horror and gore. So I really appreciated the gore in this. The gore was mostly all creatures eating based and less violence and blood, although there was a couple of scenes. I liked that the aliens were ruthless and went to very great lengths to toture the humans. But I would have appreciated some more violence and blood, but maybe thats just me who has watched many too many horror movies in my life.
I had such a good time reading this book and I really appreciated the experience.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
This book read exactly as if I was reading the script of a sci-fi/horror movie and it worked so well for me. I had so much fun while reading this book, it was almost the same experience as watching a movie. Reading this book felt like watching an old episode of Star Trek and watching Invasion of the Body Snatchers at the same time and that really worked for me.
Brief summary
This book starts on Josh who’s in a desolated and bloddy house in Australia. Aliens that look like metal enhanced geckos have invaded the world and are killing the habitants and he’s the leader of one of the team sent by the army to try to find their base so they can explore it. He’s devasted because he thinks that his partner of 3 years, Xavier, died a couple of days ago. Josh’s team gets murdered by the aliens and he is the sole survivor and he is captured by the aliens. The aliens have an arena where they make their captors fight to death. While being a captive, he realizes that Xavier is still alive and a captive and together they try to plan their escape.
First, the descriptions of the ambiance in this was absolutely brillant. There was so many descriptions of how everything was eary, chilling and desolated and it worked so well in this context. The descriptions were so well done that I could easily imagine myself as if I was in the town too, it really worked for me.
Second, I really enjoyed how the plot of the book was done. I liked that it wasn’t all super obivious and that there was a couple of surprises to keep me on my toes. This book was fast passed, full of thrilling action sequences followed by sweet romantic scenes and the pacing really worked for me. A lot of the first part of the book is Josh thinking that Xavier is dead so he keeps thinking foundling of their time together and it made a very nice contrast to the situation he was in. I was always invested in knowing what would come next. The interactions between Josh and Xavier always were very romantic and I could easily tell why they were together. Which was a feat in itself because they were always fighting off a bunch of lizard looking aliens while having those romantic interactions.
Third, Josh, the book’s narrator, didn’t really believe that they would get out alive of the situation and win over the aliens which I really enjoyed reading about. It really helped setting in the feeling of how brutual the aliens are and how much of a treath they actually are.
Fourth, I love anything horror and gore. So I really appreciated the gore in this. The gore was mostly all creatures eating based and less violence and blood, although there was a couple of scenes. I liked that the aliens were ruthless and went to very great lengths to toture the humans. But I would have appreciated some more violence and blood, but maybe thats just me who has watched many too many horror movies in my life.
I had such a good time reading this book and I really appreciated the experience.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
October 4, 2021
Cliff-hanger ending
Yes, book 2 is out, and book 3 will be released in a few weeks. These books do not stand on their own.
This is a war story with a romance arc over 3 very short books, which take place over a very short period of time - ?a couple of weeks? The war in question is an alien invasion. Hence the sci-fi categorisation.
The story is set in Western Australia, with an authentic Australian voice, which was really nice to read. It is intense and action packed, as it is narrated from the point of view of an army sergeant on operations. I found him quite believable.
I don't have much to say here, because I have just read the three books back to back, and Resist is a "part 1", not a self contained story. It might have been better to subdivide the text further, and make it a serial - or just stick the whole lot together into one book.
Yes, book 2 is out, and book 3 will be released in a few weeks. These books do not stand on their own.
This is a war story with a romance arc over 3 very short books, which take place over a very short period of time - ?a couple of weeks? The war in question is an alien invasion. Hence the sci-fi categorisation.
The story is set in Western Australia, with an authentic Australian voice, which was really nice to read. It is intense and action packed, as it is narrated from the point of view of an army sergeant on operations. I found him quite believable.
I don't have much to say here, because I have just read the three books back to back, and Resist is a "part 1", not a self contained story. It might have been better to subdivide the text further, and make it a serial - or just stick the whole lot together into one book.
December 13, 2021
Wicked cliffhanger paired with characters who tend to act OOC. Not my thing.
DNF-ed at about @35, but scrolled all the way to the end (had reasons).
Unfinished series and cliffhanger aside, there was something at the very end of this book I didn’t like - Josh’s, the MC, out of character reaction to a certain event, where he was more concerned for himself than the others. And no, the 66% I have not read should not have turned this particular character 180 degrees.
DNF-ed at about @35, but scrolled all the way to the end (had reasons).
Unfinished series and cliffhanger aside, there was something at the very end of this book I didn’t like - Josh’s, the MC, out of character reaction to a certain event, where he was more concerned for himself than the others. And no, the 66% I have not read should not have turned this particular character 180 degrees.
May 7, 2022
I like the author's writing style ... I'm a fan of the M-M sci-fi genre ... I'm good with apocalyptic post-alien invasion scenarios - so I have no idea why this novella left me feeling emotionally 'meh'! The cliff-hanger ending didn't help things much either.
September 14, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Resist by T.J. Nichols is the first book in the Captured Earth trilogy and this really had everything I could want from this type of story. It is exciting and intense and just the right amount of horrifying. This is a short book, but the story is taut and well developed in a small number of pages. The world building here is great as Nichols establishes the alien invasion and sets the stage, dropping us right into the journey at a critical moment for Josh and immersing us in the action. The story is really exciting, with so many life or death moments. It is also scary, as the danger feels so real and the aliens are brutal and ruthless in their attempts at domination over the humans. Josh has to use all he has, both the physical and the mental, in order to find a way to break free and race to safety.
I’ll note that as the first in the trilogy, things are not resolved here. In fact, there is a big old, made me gasp cliffhanger at the end. But this feels like just the right amount of story for this type of short, intense trilogy, and I think the break in action comes at the right time.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
Resist by T.J. Nichols is the first book in the Captured Earth trilogy and this really had everything I could want from this type of story. It is exciting and intense and just the right amount of horrifying. This is a short book, but the story is taut and well developed in a small number of pages. The world building here is great as Nichols establishes the alien invasion and sets the stage, dropping us right into the journey at a critical moment for Josh and immersing us in the action. The story is really exciting, with so many life or death moments. It is also scary, as the danger feels so real and the aliens are brutal and ruthless in their attempts at domination over the humans. Josh has to use all he has, both the physical and the mental, in order to find a way to break free and race to safety.
I’ll note that as the first in the trilogy, things are not resolved here. In fact, there is a big old, made me gasp cliffhanger at the end. But this feels like just the right amount of story for this type of short, intense trilogy, and I think the break in action comes at the right time.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
August 5, 2021
Good start to a new series, can’t wait to see what happens now with josh and Xavier.
March 13, 2023
This was a really fun read! Lots of great action, with a tight, fast-paced plot that kept me engaged, and turning the pages.
The characters are also really interesting. I enjoyed both Josh and Xavier, and by the end of the book was well-invested in them, their story, and their hopes for survival. They also have a great dynamic and fantastic banter, and while the story isn’t super focused on them, their story added so much to my overall investment and enjoyment. I was really rooting for them.
However, this is a pretty gruesome read, and if you have a weak stomach, you may want to skip it, but if you’re the mood for scenes that invoke genuine horror, revulsion and fear, this is a solid read with many scenes that had me squirming in my seat, and reading through my fingers.
My one issue was though I really liked this, I wish the story was longer and the characters more developed. I would’ve loved to have had Xavier’s POV as well.
If you love a bit of mm romance mixed with your science fiction/horror, give this one a go, but mind the cliffhanger. I didn't mind it, but others might. It’s a very sudden ending, but it definitely had me hyped and looking forward to more.
The characters are also really interesting. I enjoyed both Josh and Xavier, and by the end of the book was well-invested in them, their story, and their hopes for survival. They also have a great dynamic and fantastic banter, and while the story isn’t super focused on them, their story added so much to my overall investment and enjoyment. I was really rooting for them.
However, this is a pretty gruesome read, and if you have a weak stomach, you may want to skip it, but if you’re the mood for scenes that invoke genuine horror, revulsion and fear, this is a solid read with many scenes that had me squirming in my seat, and reading through my fingers.
My one issue was though I really liked this, I wish the story was longer and the characters more developed. I would’ve loved to have had Xavier’s POV as well.
If you love a bit of mm romance mixed with your science fiction/horror, give this one a go, but mind the cliffhanger. I didn't mind it, but others might. It’s a very sudden ending, but it definitely had me hyped and looking forward to more.
September 30, 2021
4,5 stars for a powerful start to a sci-fi trilogy (realistically it could have been one book I think, but for most people it's easier to read three shorter books than one long one .... so maybe this is better)
careful, this ends on a cliffhanger.
You can find my full review for all three books at the last book - Revolt
careful, this ends on a cliffhanger.
You can find my full review for all three books at the last book - Revolt
October 2, 2025
October 2025
Kindle edition
This one was different. Bit of MM amongst alien captivity and gladiator arena. I'm curious how this one will go but another time. I'm surprised Danny didn't survive after what they did to keep him alive.
Kindle edition
This one was different. Bit of MM amongst alien captivity and gladiator arena. I'm curious how this one will go but another time. I'm surprised Danny didn't survive after what they did to keep him alive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2021
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
Resist (Captured Earth, 01) by T.J. Nichols
★★★★★
3rd person POV, single character
Themes: alien invasion, action/adventure, military, capture, gay romance
Triggers: references to human sacrifice, gross food factor, violence, medical ick
Genre: action/adventure, Urban Fantasy, MM, sci-fi, aliens
World-Building: ★★★★★
Heat: ☆☆☆☆☆
Chemistry: ★★☆☆☆
Plot: ★★★★★
Romance: ★★☆☆☆
Resist is the first book in T.J. Nichols' new series – Captured Earth. A refreshingly original take on an alien invasion, it's both urban fantasy and sci-fi, with a contemporary invasion on Earth, but exploring alien tech and their activities, that gives it a very sci-fi, alien-planet feel.
The story is a blend of action/adventure, with a military twist, and a hint of MM romance with two MC's in a relationship but separated by the war. It focuses on a single-person POV, of the military leader and medic Josh. He begins with an almost life-action scouting mission through war-torn Australia, and ends up being captured by the aliens, called Geckos.
The aliens kind of remind me of the movie District 9 (in the way they have a small community set-up and are well trained, with extravagant weapons), and also the insect nature of the books Haven Prime, by Albert Nothlit. However, the Geckos are a blend of both – intelligent, animal-based, with organised military awareness, and yet are somehow strikingly similar to human soldiers in behaviour. The Gladatorial influence, the betting and fighting, are clever nods to how humans can be like even an alien species we've never encountered before. War brings out the worst in everyone.
There's not much I can say about the plot, without giving things away, but though I rated this 5 stars, I have two small niggles that almost swayed me down to a 4 star review:
1. The story ends on a cliffhanger. While that's not a deal-breaker for me, I know it might be for others, but trust me when I say that you get A LOT of story, before that cliffhanger, and it makes sense that it has to end somewhere, or the book would be too long to publish or too expensive to buy. I found that it was a great ending, with a mixture of good/bad news.
2. There's a point at 60% of the book, where Josh is reunited with his boyfriend, Xavier. This *could* have been a massive moment in the book. It should have been a huge moment of relief for Josh and excitement for us, a massive plot twist that gave a spark of hope. Except...it wasn't. Because it was mentioned in the blurb. The blurb literally says “he is reunited with his lover...Xaveir is gravely injured” and, personally, that ruins about 5% of the story, at the 60% mark. If that bit had been left out of the blurb, I would have enjoyed the reunion SO much more. It would have been unexpected, a total surprise, and something that felt hopeful and emotional. Except, I knew it was coming and kept waiting for it. Maybe if it had happened well before the first half of the book, I could have understood it being included in the blurb, but to keep it so far to the end felt stranger, and made what should have been an emotional reunion feeling flat and lacklustre.
However, despite that small glitch, I loved the book. I found the action/adventure part exciting and intriguing. The aliens kept my interest the whole way through, and I'd love to learn more about them and how they function. I loved Josh, as a main character, and look forward to his growth and his relationship with Xavier kicking off, now they're reunited.
Overall, I'm excited to see how the series will continued.
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
Resist (Captured Earth, 01) by T.J. Nichols
★★★★★
3rd person POV, single character
Themes: alien invasion, action/adventure, military, capture, gay romance
Triggers: references to human sacrifice, gross food factor, violence, medical ick
Genre: action/adventure, Urban Fantasy, MM, sci-fi, aliens
World-Building: ★★★★★
Heat: ☆☆☆☆☆
Chemistry: ★★☆☆☆
Plot: ★★★★★
Romance: ★★☆☆☆
Resist is the first book in T.J. Nichols' new series – Captured Earth. A refreshingly original take on an alien invasion, it's both urban fantasy and sci-fi, with a contemporary invasion on Earth, but exploring alien tech and their activities, that gives it a very sci-fi, alien-planet feel.
The story is a blend of action/adventure, with a military twist, and a hint of MM romance with two MC's in a relationship but separated by the war. It focuses on a single-person POV, of the military leader and medic Josh. He begins with an almost life-action scouting mission through war-torn Australia, and ends up being captured by the aliens, called Geckos.
The aliens kind of remind me of the movie District 9 (in the way they have a small community set-up and are well trained, with extravagant weapons), and also the insect nature of the books Haven Prime, by Albert Nothlit. However, the Geckos are a blend of both – intelligent, animal-based, with organised military awareness, and yet are somehow strikingly similar to human soldiers in behaviour. The Gladatorial influence, the betting and fighting, are clever nods to how humans can be like even an alien species we've never encountered before. War brings out the worst in everyone.
There's not much I can say about the plot, without giving things away, but though I rated this 5 stars, I have two small niggles that almost swayed me down to a 4 star review:
1. The story ends on a cliffhanger. While that's not a deal-breaker for me, I know it might be for others, but trust me when I say that you get A LOT of story, before that cliffhanger, and it makes sense that it has to end somewhere, or the book would be too long to publish or too expensive to buy. I found that it was a great ending, with a mixture of good/bad news.
2. There's a point at 60% of the book, where Josh is reunited with his boyfriend, Xavier. This *could* have been a massive moment in the book. It should have been a huge moment of relief for Josh and excitement for us, a massive plot twist that gave a spark of hope. Except...it wasn't. Because it was mentioned in the blurb. The blurb literally says “he is reunited with his lover...Xaveir is gravely injured” and, personally, that ruins about 5% of the story, at the 60% mark. If that bit had been left out of the blurb, I would have enjoyed the reunion SO much more. It would have been unexpected, a total surprise, and something that felt hopeful and emotional. Except, I knew it was coming and kept waiting for it. Maybe if it had happened well before the first half of the book, I could have understood it being included in the blurb, but to keep it so far to the end felt stranger, and made what should have been an emotional reunion feeling flat and lacklustre.
However, despite that small glitch, I loved the book. I found the action/adventure part exciting and intriguing. The aliens kept my interest the whole way through, and I'd love to learn more about them and how they function. I loved Josh, as a main character, and look forward to his growth and his relationship with Xavier kicking off, now they're reunited.
Overall, I'm excited to see how the series will continued.
July 28, 2021
I had an advance cop of Resist to review if I chose to. As you can see I did as I enjoyed reading it.
Josh Rayne is a special forces sergeant sent in to investigate as alien incursion in Western Australia, part of a greater invasion across the world’s deserts. His unit is the only surviving one out of the three units sent in. The fact that Xavier, the man he loved, was in one of the lost teams has hit him hard but he has bit the sorrow back and is looking after his men as best he can. Sadly his best is not good enough when they are sent in with virtually no back up and minimal info. The humans are outclassed and outnumbered in every way. It is only a matter of time before he is captured and begins to discover aspects of the aliens’ strategy that are very unsettling to say the least. The only good thing that comes out of his capture is his discovery that Xavier is alive and a prisoner.
Josh has to get everyone out before the waiting ship leaves. He has to find a way out and get his fellow prisoners to agree. To remain is to die, maybe not today but sometime soon. To try and escape may also bring death but some may get out. A small hope but a hope still.
I was not sure I was going to like this as I tend to avoid military science fiction but I was engaged with Josh’s predicament pretty quickly. Josh is a good guy put in an impossible position. He is resourceful and controlled even when unprepared for what he has to face. He is not one to give in even when the odds are stacked against him. He is definitely tough but fair. You can see why Xavier was drawn to him, not that we’ve seen much of them together yet. I got a sense of the trust and respect that they have for each other even though they are working through some stuff here.
The aliens are an unknown quantity. They are efficient and brutal but we do not know what is driving them yet. I get the feeling that there is more to them than meets the eye and that we will find out more about them as Josh does. I wish this instalment was longer. Yeah, I liked this a lot, bring on the rest.
Josh Rayne is a special forces sergeant sent in to investigate as alien incursion in Western Australia, part of a greater invasion across the world’s deserts. His unit is the only surviving one out of the three units sent in. The fact that Xavier, the man he loved, was in one of the lost teams has hit him hard but he has bit the sorrow back and is looking after his men as best he can. Sadly his best is not good enough when they are sent in with virtually no back up and minimal info. The humans are outclassed and outnumbered in every way. It is only a matter of time before he is captured and begins to discover aspects of the aliens’ strategy that are very unsettling to say the least. The only good thing that comes out of his capture is his discovery that Xavier is alive and a prisoner.
Josh has to get everyone out before the waiting ship leaves. He has to find a way out and get his fellow prisoners to agree. To remain is to die, maybe not today but sometime soon. To try and escape may also bring death but some may get out. A small hope but a hope still.
I was not sure I was going to like this as I tend to avoid military science fiction but I was engaged with Josh’s predicament pretty quickly. Josh is a good guy put in an impossible position. He is resourceful and controlled even when unprepared for what he has to face. He is not one to give in even when the odds are stacked against him. He is definitely tough but fair. You can see why Xavier was drawn to him, not that we’ve seen much of them together yet. I got a sense of the trust and respect that they have for each other even though they are working through some stuff here.
The aliens are an unknown quantity. They are efficient and brutal but we do not know what is driving them yet. I get the feeling that there is more to them than meets the eye and that we will find out more about them as Josh does. I wish this instalment was longer. Yeah, I liked this a lot, bring on the rest.
September 4, 2021
Book one in the Captured Earth trilogy starts with Josh, deep in his feels because he thinks Xavier (his boyfriend and another soldier) has been killed in action, and his unit on a recon mission Things take a turn for the worse when they're attacked - he's the sole survivor and is captured by the alien invaders.
Swiftly adapting to the prison environment and his fellow prisoners is a test of Josh's resilience and training. It's pretty grim and Josh has to make some difficult decisions but on the plus side he finds Xavier, injured and weak but alive. Although I would have preferred their reunion to be a surprise (the blurb spells this out), I do like the way in which it's handled. The focus is absolutely on getting out of their predicament, aside from the dialogue that shows the closeness of their relationship there's literally no time for passion or romance. Yes, Resist is a zero heat level book, but that just makes sense to me. The author knows how to paint a picture with their words, too. The descriptions of the aliens, captivity and the fighting are very well-written.
So, the thing that I guess might be a turn off for some readers...the cliffhanger. Personally I'm OK with it and, actually, because of the length of the book it feels like the first in a serialised book to me rather than an actual trilogy, if that makes sense? There's no getting away from it, though, it's absolutely a hell of an 'oh shit' moment and I'm sure that people who need to read a complete story in one go would struggle with it. Well, the good news is that book two is already out and the final part is only a few weeks away…not too long to wait if you're a binge reader.
The bottom line, for me, is that this is an intriguing start to what I hooe's going to be an exciting sci-fi story and we'll get to see Josh and Xavier's romance rekindled in the next episode. Book two, here I come. 4.5*
A copy was provided by GRR. This is my honest review.
Swiftly adapting to the prison environment and his fellow prisoners is a test of Josh's resilience and training. It's pretty grim and Josh has to make some difficult decisions but on the plus side he finds Xavier, injured and weak but alive. Although I would have preferred their reunion to be a surprise (the blurb spells this out), I do like the way in which it's handled. The focus is absolutely on getting out of their predicament, aside from the dialogue that shows the closeness of their relationship there's literally no time for passion or romance. Yes, Resist is a zero heat level book, but that just makes sense to me. The author knows how to paint a picture with their words, too. The descriptions of the aliens, captivity and the fighting are very well-written.
So, the thing that I guess might be a turn off for some readers...the cliffhanger. Personally I'm OK with it and, actually, because of the length of the book it feels like the first in a serialised book to me rather than an actual trilogy, if that makes sense? There's no getting away from it, though, it's absolutely a hell of an 'oh shit' moment and I'm sure that people who need to read a complete story in one go would struggle with it. Well, the good news is that book two is already out and the final part is only a few weeks away…not too long to wait if you're a binge reader.
The bottom line, for me, is that this is an intriguing start to what I hooe's going to be an exciting sci-fi story and we'll get to see Josh and Xavier's romance rekindled in the next episode. Book two, here I come. 4.5*
A copy was provided by GRR. This is my honest review.
October 1, 2021
I had to catch myself from giggling every time I read the name for the aliens in here. You'll get it when you see it. But I kept picturing another little guy and I would just laugh and then remember, these guys were nothing like that.
This was actually quite a story. Not at all what I expected. It's definitely one for the sci-fi fans that love some action. I really enjoyed it.
I felt Josh mainly in this book. If you've known anyone in the military that has been in any kind of active war, it takes something from them. Having friends, lovers, heck, even people you didn't like die on the field, there's survivor's guilt and all kinds of things. And Josh is doing everything he can to save everyone he can. But he's only one person. And even with a team of trained military with him, things can go FUBAR in a flash. And they do. And now Josh is alone again. Trying to fight for his life from idiots who are bullies, and trying to find his way out. But my favorite part was his saving grace in Xavier. Knowing the one man that means more to him than life itself is still alive, I think that made the book for me.
They knew they may not make it but that they were together again made all the difference in the world. It gave them something to fight for again. And that's a great feeling.
The ending kind of killed me. It's definitely a cliffhanger but thankfully book 2 is right here so I can jump right in. And I'm going to for sure. I am very anxious to see how they are going to survive these aliens and how the series turns out. It's really interesting and I think you guys need to give it a shot.
This was actually quite a story. Not at all what I expected. It's definitely one for the sci-fi fans that love some action. I really enjoyed it.
I felt Josh mainly in this book. If you've known anyone in the military that has been in any kind of active war, it takes something from them. Having friends, lovers, heck, even people you didn't like die on the field, there's survivor's guilt and all kinds of things. And Josh is doing everything he can to save everyone he can. But he's only one person. And even with a team of trained military with him, things can go FUBAR in a flash. And they do. And now Josh is alone again. Trying to fight for his life from idiots who are bullies, and trying to find his way out. But my favorite part was his saving grace in Xavier. Knowing the one man that means more to him than life itself is still alive, I think that made the book for me.
They knew they may not make it but that they were together again made all the difference in the world. It gave them something to fight for again. And that's a great feeling.
The ending kind of killed me. It's definitely a cliffhanger but thankfully book 2 is right here so I can jump right in. And I'm going to for sure. I am very anxious to see how they are going to survive these aliens and how the series turns out. It's really interesting and I think you guys need to give it a shot.
December 9, 2023
2.75 stars. M/M military OFY romance trilogy with a dash of sci-fi horror.
This is a review of all 3 books.
Josh and Xavier are closeted alpha male soldiers in the Australian army.
Their relationship was ill defined despite going on for 3 years when earth was invaded by lizard like aliens.
All 3 volumes are told from Josh’s POV.
In Resist, the focus is on a futile military operation while Josh is drowning in sorrow and regret as he remunerates about their disagreement and harsh last words. When captured by the aliens, he slowly learns of the horrors that are inflicted on the other human captives. It is the relationship with other captives, the gladiator scenes, the farm horrors and the great escape that dominate this plot. There is very little interactions between Josh and Xavier especially since Josh thought for the majority of the book.
The book ends on a cliffhanger.
In Regroup, with the non stop threat of recapture, Josh and Xavier gain perspective on their relationship and their life. If it wasn’t for the disgusting farm related scenes this book would have been nicer as we see them work together and love hard. It was one scene but they definitely earned it and it was sweeter with the . It also ends on a cliffhanger.
In Revolt, annoyingly the relationship regresses as the exact same argument occurs again! This time putting Josh in mortal danger. I was annoyed at Xavier’s naive approach to the mission and their role in it. Josh was the more pragmatic one and he might have skirted close to the line of what’s acceptable but his focus was on keeping everyone alive.
It didn’t help that the plot was full of holes. There was no explanation for
The sense of doom hanged heavy over this plot and not much romance. There was one super rushed scene, light on details. But they were mostly not seeing eye to eye in this plot.
So in summary, I don’t like insect related horror, the plot was full of holes and the relationship development was uneven. Xavier was annoyingly naive and unnecessarily kept risking Josh who just wanted to keep him happy as penance or something at his own personal cost.
The epilogue was super rushed! And considering that they kept making the same relationship mistakes, I have to wonder if their relationship can make it.
This is a review of all 3 books.
Josh and Xavier are closeted alpha male soldiers in the Australian army.
Their relationship was ill defined despite going on for 3 years when earth was invaded by lizard like aliens.
All 3 volumes are told from Josh’s POV.
In Resist, the focus is on a futile military operation while Josh is drowning in sorrow and regret as he remunerates about their disagreement and harsh last words. When captured by the aliens, he slowly learns of the horrors that are inflicted on the other human captives. It is the relationship with other captives, the gladiator scenes, the farm horrors and the great escape that dominate this plot. There is very little interactions between Josh and Xavier especially since Josh thought for the majority of the book.
The book ends on a cliffhanger.
In Regroup, with the non stop threat of recapture, Josh and Xavier gain perspective on their relationship and their life. If it wasn’t for the disgusting farm related scenes this book would have been nicer as we see them work together and love hard. It was one scene but they definitely earned it and it was sweeter with the . It also ends on a cliffhanger.
In Revolt, annoyingly the relationship regresses as the exact same argument occurs again! This time putting Josh in mortal danger. I was annoyed at Xavier’s naive approach to the mission and their role in it. Josh was the more pragmatic one and he might have skirted close to the line of what’s acceptable but his focus was on keeping everyone alive.
It didn’t help that the plot was full of holes. There was no explanation for
The sense of doom hanged heavy over this plot and not much romance. There was one super rushed scene, light on details. But they were mostly not seeing eye to eye in this plot.
So in summary, I don’t like insect related horror, the plot was full of holes and the relationship development was uneven. Xavier was annoyingly naive and unnecessarily kept risking Josh who just wanted to keep him happy as penance or something at his own personal cost.
The epilogue was super rushed! And considering that they kept making the same relationship mistakes, I have to wonder if their relationship can make it.
July 16, 2021
I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I have long been a fan of T. J. Nichols's books and this one didn't disappoint even though it is as far from previous books as you could get.
The main characters are a group of soldiers who are sent to check out a base set up by Gecko-like creatures who turn out to be nothing like the cute little creatures we see wandering around our homes and gardens. These ones are big and they are brutal. The story is set in Australia, but not in an Australia I would like to stay living in. Everything is destroyed and there is no escaping these violent, nasty "things". Josh and Xavier were lovers and Josh believes Xavier has been killed, but captured by the Geckos he sees Xavier in another area of the compound where they are being help captive. Josh needs to escape and take as many of the survivors in this place with him as he can. But are the weakened men up to the task and once they are clear of he compound they still have hundreds of miles to go to get to the coast and meet their rescue ship.Will they make it or will the nightmare that has become their existence over-run them all.
Highly recommended.
I have long been a fan of T. J. Nichols's books and this one didn't disappoint even though it is as far from previous books as you could get.
The main characters are a group of soldiers who are sent to check out a base set up by Gecko-like creatures who turn out to be nothing like the cute little creatures we see wandering around our homes and gardens. These ones are big and they are brutal. The story is set in Australia, but not in an Australia I would like to stay living in. Everything is destroyed and there is no escaping these violent, nasty "things". Josh and Xavier were lovers and Josh believes Xavier has been killed, but captured by the Geckos he sees Xavier in another area of the compound where they are being help captive. Josh needs to escape and take as many of the survivors in this place with him as he can. But are the weakened men up to the task and once they are clear of he compound they still have hundreds of miles to go to get to the coast and meet their rescue ship.Will they make it or will the nightmare that has become their existence over-run them all.
Highly recommended.
September 28, 2021
I enjoy a good science fiction action drama, and added bonus for this series being set in Australia. Although there is a romance at the centre of the story, the focus is on the horrible situation they’re in with tension, and the death toll, rising as they try to find a way to defeat the alien attackers. You’ll want to read the three books back to back, and in order, as each book ends on a cliffhanger, and reads more like a long book divided into three shorter ones.
Resist does a great job in introducing the main characters, and setting up the scenario. The plot hits the ground running and pulls no punches in showing how dire their situation is. The world building is wonderful, and the aliens and their ghastly bugs and larvae are nasty.
I liked Josh and that he’s fallible, yet despite his and Xavier’s relationship, both men act like soldiers, and do what is needed in order to protect civilians and escape. I liked the mix of action and emotion, and that their escape is realistically not easy and fraught with danger. The cliffhanger at the end is a nice touch.
Resist does a great job in introducing the main characters, and setting up the scenario. The plot hits the ground running and pulls no punches in showing how dire their situation is. The world building is wonderful, and the aliens and their ghastly bugs and larvae are nasty.
I liked Josh and that he’s fallible, yet despite his and Xavier’s relationship, both men act like soldiers, and do what is needed in order to protect civilians and escape. I liked the mix of action and emotion, and that their escape is realistically not easy and fraught with danger. The cliffhanger at the end is a nice touch.
October 1, 2021
Sometimes gross, always intriguing and edge-of-your-seat thrilling
This is a short novella, part one of a three-part story. Easy read except for the Aussie slang which I didn’t understand. A glossary might have been nice for we out here who don’t know these things. Overall though it kept me reading and wondering if they would get out OK or not.
Sgt Josh Rayne and his team are on a rescue and recon mission to scout out the Aliens aka “Geckos” so dubbed as they appear to be upright-walking lizards with a dangerous tail and weapons. Their technology is far beyond that of humans so Josh’s team finds no rescue operation at all. THERE ARE NO PEOPLE TO RESCUE! Where did they all go? Unfortunately, Josh finds out when he is captured. Ends on a cliffhanger.
I was so engrossed in this book that a noise elsewhere in the room caused me to jump. If you like alien books with intrigue and thrills, try this M/M romance. Absolutely no romance in this first book. Now I’m off to read REGROUP, book two in this trilogy. I volunteered to review an ARC of these three books for Gay Romance Reviews.
This is a short novella, part one of a three-part story. Easy read except for the Aussie slang which I didn’t understand. A glossary might have been nice for we out here who don’t know these things. Overall though it kept me reading and wondering if they would get out OK or not.
Sgt Josh Rayne and his team are on a rescue and recon mission to scout out the Aliens aka “Geckos” so dubbed as they appear to be upright-walking lizards with a dangerous tail and weapons. Their technology is far beyond that of humans so Josh’s team finds no rescue operation at all. THERE ARE NO PEOPLE TO RESCUE! Where did they all go? Unfortunately, Josh finds out when he is captured. Ends on a cliffhanger.
I was so engrossed in this book that a noise elsewhere in the room caused me to jump. If you like alien books with intrigue and thrills, try this M/M romance. Absolutely no romance in this first book. Now I’m off to read REGROUP, book two in this trilogy. I volunteered to review an ARC of these three books for Gay Romance Reviews.
September 18, 2021
Sergeant Josh Rayne is on a reconnaissance mission when he is captured and the rest of team is killed. Nothing prepared him for being captured by these aliens, dubbed geckos. The only good part about his capture is he is reunited with his lover Xavier Fisher. Xavier is gravely injured and needs medical attention. Josh knows the only answer is to escape and resist the aliens, but, in so many ways, they seem to be invulnerable.
This is an action-packed story filled with more than a few surprises. Josh was amazing. He refused to sit back and await his fate. He planned his actions but support was limited. Josh did have second thoughts but was determined to stay on his course of action. Excellent story but not for the truly squeamish ones. I enjoyed it from the first page to the last. I will be routing them on in subsequent stories.
This is an action-packed story filled with more than a few surprises. Josh was amazing. He refused to sit back and await his fate. He planned his actions but support was limited. Josh did have second thoughts but was determined to stay on his course of action. Excellent story but not for the truly squeamish ones. I enjoyed it from the first page to the last. I will be routing them on in subsequent stories.
July 28, 2021
Thank you for the ARC read, I voluntarily give this book an honest review. Josh wasn't supposed to be there he was supposed to on leave with his lover but nope aliens had decided today was the day to attack. Three different teams sent out to recuse and recon his lover included. Only now it was down to his team with just recon turned escape plan he was the lone survivor of his unit take prisoner to be entertainment for the lizards. Finding others was alive along with a miracle living Xavier but how long will they stay that way? Is there even an escape if the aliens was everywhere? Such a thrilling drama with emotional and physical struggle throughout as hope is lost and found, but to leave me with so much suspense for the next book.
July 29, 2021
Josh is a compelling character: he’s determined, resilient, focused, and doing the best he can in the worst possible circumstances— pretty much everything goes wrong around him and plunges him into a dystopian nightmare. There’s an urgent quality to this story (which makes sense, given the military sci-fi premise…nothing casual or laid back about an alien invasion) and it’s easy to be pulled in to every tense, uncertain moment. The aliens are equally terrifying and fascinating. There’s clearly so much more about this premise, and the characters of this series, to come that I didn’t even mind the cliffhanger too much— I desperately want to know what happens next, and I’m sure it will be worth waiting for.
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 29, 2021
Josh is special forces sent in to investigate an alien incursion. The area of Western Australia was abandoned, no signs of life anywhere. His unit was one of three sent in. He lost his partner Xavier; he was in one of the other three lost. He is captured and, in the process, finds Xavier alive. Josh now has to find a way to get everyone out and keep them all alive. I absolutely loved this story kept me on the edge of my seat!! I cannot wait for the next one!! The story was really well written, highly recommend. I’m voluntarily reviewing from an advanced copy that I received. My review is solely based on my thoughts and opinions.
September 4, 2021
There is nothing better than when you are starting a book and you are drawn in so fast it seems like you just started and next thing you know your finished, having read the whole book. Which started me thinking, oh my goodness this was an awesome story and I can't hardly wait to drive into the next part of this adventure. Alien invasions, soldiers sent on a mission trying to find answers, capture, reunions, and possiblity of escape all wrapped around an adventure just waiting for you to turn the next page, this was a good story my first by this author but nor my last, I really enjoyed reading it.
February 14, 2024
The one review I saw of this book mentioned it was gory. To me it wasn't that bad at all--keep in mind I'm a big fan of movies like John Wick and anything like it--and this wasn't nearly as gory . To me it was mildly dark. Not nearly as detailed as most of the military scifi books I read, or the movies I enjoy watching.
I get some readers might be upset at some of the things mentioned here but for me this was a great book. I bought it via Google Play, and read it in one go while bored at work, finishing the last pages once I got home.
A great read and an author I've never read before. And now I'm off to buy the other pair in the trilogy.
I get some readers might be upset at some of the things mentioned here but for me this was a great book. I bought it via Google Play, and read it in one go while bored at work, finishing the last pages once I got home.
A great read and an author I've never read before. And now I'm off to buy the other pair in the trilogy.
September 28, 2021
Wow what an action packed adventure. I loved the whole earth invasion vibe. The deconstruction of morals and communication splashed with army man living in the closet. It was great world building and ended on a cliffhanger. Onto part 2 bc I gotta see what happens. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Gay Romance Reviews for introducing me to this new author.
October 2, 2021
Soldiers,aliens invading earth,action packed thriller?What's not to love!?
An absolutely brilliant story that grabbed my attention straight from the beginning and I couldn't put it down.
I'm not going to give spoilers for this,I would love to give readers the chance to dive in and discover just how brilliant this story is for themselves.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
An absolutely brilliant story that grabbed my attention straight from the beginning and I couldn't put it down.
I'm not going to give spoilers for this,I would love to give readers the chance to dive in and discover just how brilliant this story is for themselves.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
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September 1, 2022Not rating since I wasn't able to finish it. I did a couple of attempts at powering through but my stomach is too queasy for this type of book.
I love other books by the author and will read anything that is not dark. I think I read somewhere that this series are much darker than others but thought I'd be OK with the gore part as long as its glossed over.
I shudder to think what goes in books under Toby J Nichols penname.
This is on me not the author and I'll keep reading "lighter" fare.
I love other books by the author and will read anything that is not dark. I think I read somewhere that this series are much darker than others but thought I'd be OK with the gore part as long as its glossed over.
I shudder to think what goes in books under Toby J Nichols penname.
This is on me not the author and I'll keep reading "lighter" fare.
February 22, 2025
This was a mixed bag for me and in the end it left feeling a bit meh. No real romance and the cliff hanger ending didn't help any. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with it - but it just didn't grab me and I'm a fan of alien apocalyptic books. I'm on the fence about continuing this series. Would I like to know how they get away and eventually defeat the aliens - yes. Do I care enough to read 2 more books - probably not.
September 19, 2021
Josh is a soldier in the Australian army and is leading 1 of 3 recon teams after gecko-like aliens invade earth. That is the basics of this story. He hears the other two teams have been over taken and he goes crazy because his lover, Xavier, was in one of the other groups. This is action packed and intense and doesn’t stop…leaves you on a cliff hanger but is still really good!!
October 2, 2021
For those of us who remember the TV series V, where lizard aliens invaded this has much of the same vibe for me. We have the heroic resistance fighters and in this book, we don't get everything tied up so I have to come back for next week's episode, aka book two and then book three. I really enjoyed the Australian setting and have my fingers crossed for Josh and Xavier as they fight on.
October 9, 2021
Josh is on a reconnaissance mission when he is captured, and the rest of the team is killed. The only good part about his capture is he is reunited with his lover Xavier. Xavier is gravely injured and needs medical attention. Josh knows the only answer is to escape and resist the aliens, but, in so many ways, they seem to be invulnerable. I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.
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