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Seyton Mates #1
Breaths of Desire
A forbidden attraction, an unexpected love, and a madman willing to risk it all to keep humanity pure.
Life in space didn’t prepare Samantha for all the things she would find after her mysterious crash landing on planet X9: forests filled with massive red trees, plants that drip a liquid eerily similar to blood, and let’s not forget the demonic aliens who snatch her up the very first time she leaves the wreckage of her pod. The intrepid scientist is kidnapped by one alien and gifted to another the moment she enters the village. She never expected to become a captive bride, and she certainly never expected to find herself falling for two males who can’t seem to stand each other.
Hunters don’t get happily ever afters. Zuran is no stranger to loss, but when Samantha is ripped away from him and given to Olan, he feels the last threads of his sanity begin to fray. The breeding heat is taking over, pulling him into the inky darkness of madness he will never come back from. The spark of hope Samantha ignites in him is the only thing keeping him sane, but will he have the strength to pull himself out of the shadow of his past?
As a breeder, Olan has been preparing for his mating since the moment he stepped out of the agmari bloom, but the fiery human female his chieftess presents to him is not the bride he envisioned. She’s stubborn, mouthy, refuses to do as she is asked, and even has the gall to escape his hut while he sleeps. Samantha may have been bound to him by the All Mother, but Olan soon realizes his bride is going to make him earn the right to call her his.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. This work of fiction is intended for adult audiences only and may be triggering for some. Strong language is used. Proceed at your own discretion. This book is an MMF romance novel. It contains adult situations, graphic sex, sexual assault, and violence.
Life in space didn’t prepare Samantha for all the things she would find after her mysterious crash landing on planet X9: forests filled with massive red trees, plants that drip a liquid eerily similar to blood, and let’s not forget the demonic aliens who snatch her up the very first time she leaves the wreckage of her pod. The intrepid scientist is kidnapped by one alien and gifted to another the moment she enters the village. She never expected to become a captive bride, and she certainly never expected to find herself falling for two males who can’t seem to stand each other.
Hunters don’t get happily ever afters. Zuran is no stranger to loss, but when Samantha is ripped away from him and given to Olan, he feels the last threads of his sanity begin to fray. The breeding heat is taking over, pulling him into the inky darkness of madness he will never come back from. The spark of hope Samantha ignites in him is the only thing keeping him sane, but will he have the strength to pull himself out of the shadow of his past?
As a breeder, Olan has been preparing for his mating since the moment he stepped out of the agmari bloom, but the fiery human female his chieftess presents to him is not the bride he envisioned. She’s stubborn, mouthy, refuses to do as she is asked, and even has the gall to escape his hut while he sleeps. Samantha may have been bound to him by the All Mother, but Olan soon realizes his bride is going to make him earn the right to call her his.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. This work of fiction is intended for adult audiences only and may be triggering for some. Strong language is used. Proceed at your own discretion. This book is an MMF romance novel. It contains adult situations, graphic sex, sexual assault, and violence.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2020
209 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Octavia Kore
11 books213 followersBorn in the Sunshine State, Hayley and Amanda are cousins who have come together to write under the name Octavia Kore. Both share a love for reading, a passion for writing, and the inclination toward word vomiting when meeting new people. Ecstasy from the Deep (From the Depths Anthology version) was their very first published work. Hayley and Amanda are both stay-at-home-parents who squeeze in time to write when they aren’t being used as jungle gyms or snack dispensers. They are both inspired by their love for mythology, science fiction, and all things extraordinary. Amanda has an unhealthy obsession with house plants and Hayley can often be found gaming in their downtime.
Both authors are part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and as such tend to write LGBTQIA2S+ characters.
Both authors are part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and as such tend to write LGBTQIA2S+ characters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
February 13, 2021
The cover is really what caught my eye with this book. It’s a new series set in a world of a previous series. But I didn’t feel like I missed anything by not reading the other series first.
In this you have a human female Samantha, who finds herself on a planet that was supposed to be restricted. She’s not exactly sure how she end up in the pod that took her from her ship but she knows a rescue team will be down soon. But after she runs out of emergency rations she knows she will need to step out into the forest to find food.
What she doesn’t know is that there are Seyton hunters waiting for her to step out of her pod.
This is MMF and the storyline between the aliens started when they were young. It all comes together nicely with the back story and how and why their society is a broken one. It looks like it runs smoothly at first but the more in-depth you get with the story the more you realize that things are not done the natural way like they like to proclaim. Somewhere in the Seyton history something changed and caused a rift in their society. Samantha helps to mend that rift.
I have one major complaint. Samantha was a good character she wasn’t dumb or annoying... except for ONE scene. She has reservations about the captain and yet she still tells him about the aliens, and then brings the aliens in the ship and then leaves the aliens with the captain she has reservations and an uneasy feeling about, then showers and falls asleep? In his cabin? This did not seem natural. I would think she wouldn’t want to leave them, and if she did leave I think she would want to get right back to them. It made no sense to me.
In this you have a human female Samantha, who finds herself on a planet that was supposed to be restricted. She’s not exactly sure how she end up in the pod that took her from her ship but she knows a rescue team will be down soon. But after she runs out of emergency rations she knows she will need to step out into the forest to find food.
What she doesn’t know is that there are Seyton hunters waiting for her to step out of her pod.
This is MMF and the storyline between the aliens started when they were young. It all comes together nicely with the back story and how and why their society is a broken one. It looks like it runs smoothly at first but the more in-depth you get with the story the more you realize that things are not done the natural way like they like to proclaim. Somewhere in the Seyton history something changed and caused a rift in their society. Samantha helps to mend that rift.
I have one major complaint. Samantha was a good character she wasn’t dumb or annoying... except for ONE scene. She has reservations about the captain and yet she still tells him about the aliens, and then brings the aliens in the ship and then leaves the aliens with the captain she has reservations and an uneasy feeling about, then showers and falls asleep? In his cabin? This did not seem natural. I would think she wouldn’t want to leave them, and if she did leave I think she would want to get right back to them. It made no sense to me.
March 28, 2023
Maybe 3-3.5 stars?
I was vibing with this pretty well until the last 30% or so. The first 70% of the book or so was fun enough. I enjoyed the introduction to the Seytons and Seytonna. I liked some of the mystery that was built up about the planet, the ship, the Seyton's All-Mother, and Zuran and Olan's pasts.
Samantha was mostly alright though I think mention of her learning about Seyton culture should have come much earlier in the book. Zuran and Olan could have also worked on their communication with each other (loathe that dreaded miscommunication as source of conflict) but at least it was something that was built up over a long, long time and has sociocultural roots, and not just a single overdramatic talk or something.
All of the below is about the last third of the book.
Several new things are brought up and never addressed, things that are completely contradictory to the whole way the Seyton society works, which is the Big Conflict of the story. And they just... don't talk about it. People go missing and then nothing comes of it after it's pointed out. Characters say or do things that contradict themselves.
The plot felt rushed, like there's a ton of action happening super rapidly all of a sudden and time skips happening that make it a bit chaotic and needlessly confusing.
There's an unnecessary rape scene in this that adds nothing to the plot and it really pissed me off. It's done to a young girl who barely qualifies as an adult that's introduced to the story for the first time 75% of the way through the book FOR this scene. Her entire existence as a character in this book is to be raped. We see her one more time before the end of the book but without either scene, the rest of the plot stands on its own. I'm not sure what it was supposed to add??
I was super frustrated with Samantha at the way she let Marsel do whatever he wanted. She supposedly didn't like him so why was she constantly letting him touch her and speak to her that way? Why did she trust him so much? Was it seriously not super obvious he was up to no good all the damn time?? She was seriously blind to what a shit person he was and that was prior to the horrible things he did to the Seytons.
The whole last bit of the book felt like they didn't know how to really tie everything together or whatever grand plan they envisioned wasn't executed as well as it could be.
I was vibing with this pretty well until the last 30% or so. The first 70% of the book or so was fun enough. I enjoyed the introduction to the Seytons and Seytonna. I liked some of the mystery that was built up about the planet, the ship, the Seyton's All-Mother, and Zuran and Olan's pasts.
Samantha was mostly alright though I think mention of her learning about Seyton culture should have come much earlier in the book. Zuran and Olan could have also worked on their communication with each other (loathe that dreaded miscommunication as source of conflict) but at least it was something that was built up over a long, long time and has sociocultural roots, and not just a single overdramatic talk or something.
All of the below is about the last third of the book.
Several new things are brought up and never addressed, things that are completely contradictory to the whole way the Seyton society works, which is the Big Conflict of the story. And they just... don't talk about it. People go missing and then nothing comes of it after it's pointed out. Characters say or do things that contradict themselves.
The plot felt rushed, like there's a ton of action happening super rapidly all of a sudden and time skips happening that make it a bit chaotic and needlessly confusing.
There's an unnecessary rape scene in this that adds nothing to the plot and it really pissed me off. It's done to a young girl who barely qualifies as an adult that's introduced to the story for the first time 75% of the way through the book FOR this scene. Her entire existence as a character in this book is to be raped. We see her one more time before the end of the book but without either scene, the rest of the plot stands on its own. I'm not sure what it was supposed to add??
I was super frustrated with Samantha at the way she let Marsel do whatever he wanted. She supposedly didn't like him so why was she constantly letting him touch her and speak to her that way? Why did she trust him so much? Was it seriously not super obvious he was up to no good all the damn time?? She was seriously blind to what a shit person he was and that was prior to the horrible things he did to the Seytons.
The whole last bit of the book felt like they didn't know how to really tie everything together or whatever grand plan they envisioned wasn't executed as well as it could be.
September 13, 2020
Fresh and Exciting
A wonderful story of friendship forged under danger. Of human women stranded with no hope of recovery. And alien men in search of mates.
Now add some bad guys and you have high level action and slow heated loving...a must read!
A wonderful story of friendship forged under danger. Of human women stranded with no hope of recovery. And alien men in search of mates.
Now add some bad guys and you have high level action and slow heated loving...a must read!
August 5, 2021
This was a RIDE for me, learned a lot of new things in this book.
Samantha has been dumped on a new planet with hopes of it being a new planet for the homeless humans that have been living in spaces for decades. She is captured by a Seyton hunter, Zuran, who feels an instant connection to her. Bringing her back to the village she is then given to a breeder, Olan, to be his bride. The start of their relationship starts, all 3 of them as one kind of relationship. You learn more about their culture and watch as they over come prejudices within their own community.
This wasn't my normal kind of read but I did enjoy it and would like to see what happens with some of the side characters in this book. This takes place in the same universe as their other books but can be read without those.
There are 3 different aliens in this book. All aliens have the ability to produce electricity and have horns and a tail. The females have wings and are described to look like angles by human males. The males are either breeders, colorful and fairly normal down there, and hunters that are black, have a blade on their tail and have bumps and small tentacles down there.
The spice was defiantly in this book and supports the plot. There is MFM relationship and a few surprises I don't want to ruin for you. ;)
Trigger warnings!! There is rape and attempted rape, not very graphic but it is there. The authors put a note at the start of the book at what chapters to avoid if you don't want to read these scenes.
Samantha has been dumped on a new planet with hopes of it being a new planet for the homeless humans that have been living in spaces for decades. She is captured by a Seyton hunter, Zuran, who feels an instant connection to her. Bringing her back to the village she is then given to a breeder, Olan, to be his bride. The start of their relationship starts, all 3 of them as one kind of relationship. You learn more about their culture and watch as they over come prejudices within their own community.
This wasn't my normal kind of read but I did enjoy it and would like to see what happens with some of the side characters in this book. This takes place in the same universe as their other books but can be read without those.
There are 3 different aliens in this book. All aliens have the ability to produce electricity and have horns and a tail. The females have wings and are described to look like angles by human males. The males are either breeders, colorful and fairly normal down there, and hunters that are black, have a blade on their tail and have bumps and small tentacles down there.
The spice was defiantly in this book and supports the plot. There is MFM relationship and a few surprises I don't want to ruin for you. ;)
Trigger warnings!! There is rape and attempted rape, not very graphic but it is there. The authors put a note at the start of the book at what chapters to avoid if you don't want to read these scenes.
December 30, 2021
'While she liked Olan, his constant remarks about how blessed he was to have her as his bride drove her insane. She was not a thing that could be wrapped up and given away.'
As much as I like the other books (aka the "main" series), the spin-offs have been the stronger ones by these authors . . . and this was no exception. The characters felt fully-rounded out with their personalities and back-stories, the YEARNING in here was beautiful, and the eventual conclusion was very, very satisfying. The only dislike was the abusive aspects BUT there was a specific warning at the beginning of the book and all was handled in a tasteful manner.
As much as I like the other books (aka the "main" series), the spin-offs have been the stronger ones by these authors . . . and this was no exception. The characters felt fully-rounded out with their personalities and back-stories, the YEARNING in here was beautiful, and the eventual conclusion was very, very satisfying. The only dislike was the abusive aspects BUT there was a specific warning at the beginning of the book and all was handled in a tasteful manner.
September 26, 2020
This was a pretty good read. I enjoyed the dynamics of the couple (throuple?) and I'm definitely interested in reading more in this world
September 26, 2020
I really REALLY loved it! It had everything and the love stories were so good:)
September 27, 2020
Mates
I need to read the next book in the series before I judge the series . the first book was interesting and hooked my interest .
I need to read the next book in the series before I judge the series . the first book was interesting and hooked my interest .
April 23, 2021
This is the first book I've read from this author. The cover caught my eye and I'm glad that I found it, and this author.
This is one of the best Alien books I've read in a while. Most I've been reading have gotten bland or moved into this stagnated theme, but this book branched out and made the aliens a little more real. It might have been that the aliens were willing to adapt and couple together to be with the person they loved, which was sweet.
I've already added this author to my fav list and I'll be going through their backlog and reading more of their work. I'm glad I found them, so I have something to read for the next week or two.
This is one of the best Alien books I've read in a while. Most I've been reading have gotten bland or moved into this stagnated theme, but this book branched out and made the aliens a little more real. It might have been that the aliens were willing to adapt and couple together to be with the person they loved, which was sweet.
I've already added this author to my fav list and I'll be going through their backlog and reading more of their work. I'm glad I found them, so I have something to read for the next week or two.
September 20, 2021
Loved it💜
This was my first book by Octavia Kore and I was not disappointed! Loved it ❤ The world building, plot and characters were awesome!
This was my first book by Octavia Kore and I was not disappointed! Loved it ❤ The world building, plot and characters were awesome!
September 25, 2022
This is not a bad book and I think a lot of people who enjoy alien romance will really like it. I was personally a little disappointed for a few reasons:
Why? WHY?? Why do authors write female characters that act like children instead of adults???? She stomps her foot, she's angry and sticks her tongue out at him after saying "you can go now!" This isn't sexy or cute. Is it too much to ask for a story with female characters who don't act like 14 year olds??? The FMC started out in the prologue as pretty interesting and I was excited to read her story. Unfortunately it wasn't long before she turned into the standard "feisty" girl who shows no reasonable/realistic fear and it bizarrely aggressive with everyone around her (which is, of course, viewed as plucky strength by the MMC instead of colossal stupidity and a lack of basic self-preservation skills). It makes me more appreciative of authors who are willing to take the risk writing FMC who act the way people act (an example I keep coming back to is Homebound by Lydia Hope). Her actions become even more baffling after she demands a bath and then (after about 2 sentences) decides to try and make out with the alien she just met and has been able to talk to for 5 minutes?
The other is that the MMC started out as interesting as well. The dynamics between other members of his species was very compelling and their desire to kill the "star born" alien along with a language barrier made for the start of some great drama right? Nooope. Almost immediately that was completely wiped away for standard insta-love and a universal translator within 3 chapters.
For me this felt the author started a really fresh, interesting story and just kind of fell back into the easiest common denominator. Again, it's not bad. It's just that the characters are completely interchangeable with 3 dozen other stories in the genre.
Why? WHY?? Why do authors write female characters that act like children instead of adults???? She stomps her foot, she's angry and sticks her tongue out at him after saying "you can go now!" This isn't sexy or cute. Is it too much to ask for a story with female characters who don't act like 14 year olds??? The FMC started out in the prologue as pretty interesting and I was excited to read her story. Unfortunately it wasn't long before she turned into the standard "feisty" girl who shows no reasonable/realistic fear and it bizarrely aggressive with everyone around her (which is, of course, viewed as plucky strength by the MMC instead of colossal stupidity and a lack of basic self-preservation skills). It makes me more appreciative of authors who are willing to take the risk writing FMC who act the way people act (an example I keep coming back to is Homebound by Lydia Hope). Her actions become even more baffling after she demands a bath and then (after about 2 sentences) decides to try and make out with the alien she just met and has been able to talk to for 5 minutes?
The other is that the MMC started out as interesting as well. The dynamics between other members of his species was very compelling and their desire to kill the "star born" alien along with a language barrier made for the start of some great drama right? Nooope. Almost immediately that was completely wiped away for standard insta-love and a universal translator within 3 chapters.
For me this felt the author started a really fresh, interesting story and just kind of fell back into the easiest common denominator. Again, it's not bad. It's just that the characters are completely interchangeable with 3 dozen other stories in the genre.
June 10, 2021
Humans bad and good
Samantha got tossed into an emergency pod and sent to the banned planet. When she runs out of supplies after living in her crashed pod a couple of aliens take her to their village. Then she is given to her new husband...
Samantha got tossed into an emergency pod and sent to the banned planet. When she runs out of supplies after living in her crashed pod a couple of aliens take her to their village. Then she is given to her new husband...
February 8, 2023
Purple hair don’t care
It was funny to me that one of the FIRST things the FMC wants to do is redye her hair purple. I think it was maybe the 2nd or 3rd day of being with the aliens.
On a more serious note, this book tackled some difficult subjects like xenophobia and SA. It definitely had an overall positive message of love and acceptance, with several digs at humanity’s propensity to destroy our world. Would it even be a sci fi book if an alien weren’t horrified by our climate crisis?
I didn’t love the FMC because I didn’t feel like I really got to know her. I understood much more about what drove the 2 MMCs than I did her, which is saying something because they were literal aliens. Ama was the most confusing character because of how quickly her attitude towards a situation would change with no apparent reason.
Spice: 2 scenes
Triggers: SA, r@pe (author tells readers what part to skip of this is triggering), kidnapping, violence/murder, near death experiences
It was funny to me that one of the FIRST things the FMC wants to do is redye her hair purple. I think it was maybe the 2nd or 3rd day of being with the aliens.
On a more serious note, this book tackled some difficult subjects like xenophobia and SA. It definitely had an overall positive message of love and acceptance, with several digs at humanity’s propensity to destroy our world. Would it even be a sci fi book if an alien weren’t horrified by our climate crisis?
I didn’t love the FMC because I didn’t feel like I really got to know her. I understood much more about what drove the 2 MMCs than I did her, which is saying something because they were literal aliens. Ama was the most confusing character because of how quickly her attitude towards a situation would change with no apparent reason.
Spice: 2 scenes
Triggers: SA, r@pe (author tells readers what part to skip of this is triggering), kidnapping, violence/murder, near death experiences
December 3, 2020
It’s a great read with character building
I’m not sure why some harsh reviews for this book. It’s interesting and has three lead characters that fully develop as the storyline goes on. There is a jerk villain who thinks that he is all that. The female lead is strong and intelligent. She makes the leads work for her. The two male leads are trying to make their way in the village that is determined to break up their friendship. It was really nice to learn about these two guys and how the grew up together. The show stealer was Zyran. He gave the best advice and was the true BFF. Read On!
I’m not sure why some harsh reviews for this book. It’s interesting and has three lead characters that fully develop as the storyline goes on. There is a jerk villain who thinks that he is all that. The female lead is strong and intelligent. She makes the leads work for her. The two male leads are trying to make their way in the village that is determined to break up their friendship. It was really nice to learn about these two guys and how the grew up together. The show stealer was Zyran. He gave the best advice and was the true BFF. Read On!
November 15, 2020
Love is love
Being unknowingly dumped on an alien planet isn't as bad as it seems , or is it ? I liked this book but at times I thought it a little drawn out . There isn't alot of sexy times in it but the plot building was pretty good . The love triad isn't just 2 males loving a female . It's 2 males loving each other too . So if that kind of adult physical relationship bothers you , don't read this book. I have no problem with that and find it to be really hot. So for a first in a series I say ,yeah it's a good one !
Being unknowingly dumped on an alien planet isn't as bad as it seems , or is it ? I liked this book but at times I thought it a little drawn out . There isn't alot of sexy times in it but the plot building was pretty good . The love triad isn't just 2 males loving a female . It's 2 males loving each other too . So if that kind of adult physical relationship bothers you , don't read this book. I have no problem with that and find it to be really hot. So for a first in a series I say ,yeah it's a good one !
October 29, 2020
AWESOME STORY 😁
I'm just getting into this series and I'm already falling in LOVE with it 😃. We are such a war like species that it's not surprising that authors bring that in 🤔. But this story shows that hopefully we can overcome our nature and learn to Love the new people we meet 😍. Lots of excitement, intense situations and wonderful new characters make reading this book great 😊. Thanks Octavia, I TRULY look forward to reading more 🤗.
I'm just getting into this series and I'm already falling in LOVE with it 😃. We are such a war like species that it's not surprising that authors bring that in 🤔. But this story shows that hopefully we can overcome our nature and learn to Love the new people we meet 😍. Lots of excitement, intense situations and wonderful new characters make reading this book great 😊. Thanks Octavia, I TRULY look forward to reading more 🤗.
October 13, 2020
TSTL!
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. While I loved the Seyton people, the humans were written absolutely awful. Almost every single human was wretched... The heroine, Samantha, was extremely naive and too stupid to live! It would have been one interesting if the humans weren’t so blatantly evil. To me, that is a cop-out. Not sure if I will read another.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. While I loved the Seyton people, the humans were written absolutely awful. Almost every single human was wretched... The heroine, Samantha, was extremely naive and too stupid to live! It would have been one interesting if the humans weren’t so blatantly evil. To me, that is a cop-out. Not sure if I will read another.
November 20, 2021
I decided to continue following this author, mainly because I find her stories fascinating and I want to see where she takes her characters. I was not disappointed with this new series , there were no editorial errors like a few of her previous works, I am looking forward to the continuation of your series✌🏾💗
October 5, 2020
Just badly written
Couldn't finish it .. Flat characters, , Not one woman I know is as stupid as the females in this story. There's no time frame, jumps from one scene to another with no flow. Wasted money on this one. I deleted it from my kindle .
Couldn't finish it .. Flat characters, , Not one woman I know is as stupid as the females in this story. There's no time frame, jumps from one scene to another with no flow. Wasted money on this one. I deleted it from my kindle .
October 30, 2020
Love Triads
I chose five stars because if a book makes cry happy tears and sad tears its the best damn book to read.
I would recommend this Author to any one that's loves a book that makes them smile, makes them mad and makes them cry. This one did me.
I chose five stars because if a book makes cry happy tears and sad tears its the best damn book to read.
I would recommend this Author to any one that's loves a book that makes them smile, makes them mad and makes them cry. This one did me.
November 12, 2020
I sure hope there are more books in this world
I loved this book. So much pain, but then redemption. I truly hope more books are written and this becomes a series. Lucy and Zyar need a story As well as James and Curtis and Vasa.
I loved this book. So much pain, but then redemption. I truly hope more books are written and this becomes a series. Lucy and Zyar need a story As well as James and Curtis and Vasa.
November 23, 2020
A twist of fate
An excellent story. The characters were unique. I loved the twists and turns in the format and its terrific ending. Looking forward to more of these heroes. Kudos to the author. Recommend highly.😉
An excellent story. The characters were unique. I loved the twists and turns in the format and its terrific ending. Looking forward to more of these heroes. Kudos to the author. Recommend highly.😉
December 1, 2020
Aliens and crash landings and pink oceans, oh my
Samantha is one of a handful of humans leaving the mess of Earth and looking for a new home. Between Venium matings picking off the remainder of the women, and the fact that war and pollution ruined Earth, this ragtag group has decided to ditch Venium assistance and look for their own home. One attempt has already lost them a landing party's worth of lives. This new planet, X9, may be their last hope. But, Samantha's warnings aren't being listened to, and in retaliation, her pod is shoved to the surface. Let the culture clashes begin.
Spoilers ahead.
Ms More always writes an interesting tale. The fact that each book is the beginning of a series, that while intertwined, takes place in different timelines, makes for a challenging read. One series introduced us to the Venium, the next is during the war, this one is after. The differing viewpoints is exciting. Samantha made a bad choice in attempting to date a fellow crew member. That has repercussions when she doesn't cater to his whims and agree with everything. This new culture is divided. Males fall into 2 categories, females are the leaders, and mysticism is more than a belief system, it's everything. Human to Seyton interactions are limited, at first to Samantha and the breeder she's given to. Human females choose mates. They don't let some village leader hand them off to some random, almost name drawn from a hat kind of deal, and expect to have a happy and fruitful life. So, while she's willing to go along with some of the new rules, that one she fights. Especially, as the one she's handed off to isn't attempting to understand her norms, and is only half of where her heart lies. Bonding to 1 male, handed to another- that while she likes she doesn't accept the new circumstances, leaves her unbalanced. When 2 new humans are found, 1 makes even larger waves than Samantha. When the ship itself falls to Seyton, things go completely berserk. This is where the 1 star reviews about the assault come from. And, I completely understand their logic. That level of meanness and brutality didn't add to the story. A beating, wounds from weapons, throwing her in the cell because she was seen by the crew, all acceptable. Still would have scared her, still would have showed their xenophobia. But rape by multiple men? No. It was over the top. Especially as one of the poor alien's rapists attempts to rape Samantha in the next scene. The devolvement of human behavior is expected in situations where societal constructs have failed. But that level of ugly, with such little lead in to it (previously seen behaviors- other than being a jerk), is a blow out of left field. The most we've seen from the leader of the rapists was ignoring a more logical female because of gender, unwanted use of an idiotic nickname, a willingness to kill crew because he won't listen, and a superiority complex. Sure, all rapists do so for power, but being an idiot in power doesn't make you a rapist. So, yeah, it's jarring. And it takes a lot for the reader to get past, to even want to read the rest of the book. But, once the reader finds their feet again, she gets her revenge. And in a way I'd really like to know how. Because those things seemed to see the Seyton as possible meals. So bonding to one is something of a riddle to us. There are also some unanswered questions I have for the sequel:
*What's up with the sores?
*Was that a zombie tale we were taunted with?
*The pool of tears, pretty sure that was mentioned in another book. I'm doing rereads to confirm lol.
*The flower pods are familiar, too.
*This society is accepting of Star Born, even has a name for them, but has little interest in seeing what's out there.
*There are 2 classes of males- breeders and hunters. If a breeder loses fertility, do they become a hunter, as the females do? That would be hard as they have no knowledge of the forests, weapons training, and are more vibrantly colored. Hunters have an advantage being able to hide in the shadows, built in weapons and a more aggressive personality.
I know I am going to have more questions. I usually do lol. The world is vivid, pun intended, and the society structures are very familiar to previous books. And as they're intertwined, it makes sense. I'm fascinated by the 2 previous series starts. I'm definitely looking forward to the series being filled out. I really want to give 4 stars, but that scene is really hard, jarring how it is thrown in there, and I really really don't like rape as a plot device.
Samantha is one of a handful of humans leaving the mess of Earth and looking for a new home. Between Venium matings picking off the remainder of the women, and the fact that war and pollution ruined Earth, this ragtag group has decided to ditch Venium assistance and look for their own home. One attempt has already lost them a landing party's worth of lives. This new planet, X9, may be their last hope. But, Samantha's warnings aren't being listened to, and in retaliation, her pod is shoved to the surface. Let the culture clashes begin.
Spoilers ahead.
Ms More always writes an interesting tale. The fact that each book is the beginning of a series, that while intertwined, takes place in different timelines, makes for a challenging read. One series introduced us to the Venium, the next is during the war, this one is after. The differing viewpoints is exciting. Samantha made a bad choice in attempting to date a fellow crew member. That has repercussions when she doesn't cater to his whims and agree with everything. This new culture is divided. Males fall into 2 categories, females are the leaders, and mysticism is more than a belief system, it's everything. Human to Seyton interactions are limited, at first to Samantha and the breeder she's given to. Human females choose mates. They don't let some village leader hand them off to some random, almost name drawn from a hat kind of deal, and expect to have a happy and fruitful life. So, while she's willing to go along with some of the new rules, that one she fights. Especially, as the one she's handed off to isn't attempting to understand her norms, and is only half of where her heart lies. Bonding to 1 male, handed to another- that while she likes she doesn't accept the new circumstances, leaves her unbalanced. When 2 new humans are found, 1 makes even larger waves than Samantha. When the ship itself falls to Seyton, things go completely berserk. This is where the 1 star reviews about the assault come from. And, I completely understand their logic. That level of meanness and brutality didn't add to the story. A beating, wounds from weapons, throwing her in the cell because she was seen by the crew, all acceptable. Still would have scared her, still would have showed their xenophobia. But rape by multiple men? No. It was over the top. Especially as one of the poor alien's rapists attempts to rape Samantha in the next scene. The devolvement of human behavior is expected in situations where societal constructs have failed. But that level of ugly, with such little lead in to it (previously seen behaviors- other than being a jerk), is a blow out of left field. The most we've seen from the leader of the rapists was ignoring a more logical female because of gender, unwanted use of an idiotic nickname, a willingness to kill crew because he won't listen, and a superiority complex. Sure, all rapists do so for power, but being an idiot in power doesn't make you a rapist. So, yeah, it's jarring. And it takes a lot for the reader to get past, to even want to read the rest of the book. But, once the reader finds their feet again, she gets her revenge. And in a way I'd really like to know how. Because those things seemed to see the Seyton as possible meals. So bonding to one is something of a riddle to us. There are also some unanswered questions I have for the sequel:
*What's up with the sores?
*Was that a zombie tale we were taunted with?
*The pool of tears, pretty sure that was mentioned in another book. I'm doing rereads to confirm lol.
*The flower pods are familiar, too.
*This society is accepting of Star Born, even has a name for them, but has little interest in seeing what's out there.
*There are 2 classes of males- breeders and hunters. If a breeder loses fertility, do they become a hunter, as the females do? That would be hard as they have no knowledge of the forests, weapons training, and are more vibrantly colored. Hunters have an advantage being able to hide in the shadows, built in weapons and a more aggressive personality.
I know I am going to have more questions. I usually do lol. The world is vivid, pun intended, and the society structures are very familiar to previous books. And as they're intertwined, it makes sense. I'm fascinated by the 2 previous series starts. I'm definitely looking forward to the series being filled out. I really want to give 4 stars, but that scene is really hard, jarring how it is thrown in there, and I really really don't like rape as a plot device.
January 22, 2022
My first problem with the book is that the main character Samantha is wholly unlikeable. I might feel differently if she wasn't supposed to be a scientist. If she was a very young and naive 18-year-old girl, it might explain the way she behaved throughout the story. But I had a hard time believing the lead scientist with years of experience (some bad but no spoilers here) would be this way. I know that there were forces at work on this planet leading her to the ultimate outcome at the end... but I think we needed more evidence of that at the beginning to help us understand why she so easily accepted her circumstances. It felt like Stockholm syndrome, not romance. She was also quite self-serving throughout and this too made her unlikable. She was more concerned with the two love interests than her mission which affected a lot of innocent people. Lucy (her friend and the head of security) was the most reasonable and relatable of all the characters and she was quickly cast aside to focus more on the main characters whom I feel never deserved their HEA. That brings me to another problem; the males. While Zuran garnered some sympathy from me in a way that Olan wouldn’t ever, they both equally never once **small spoilers**
truly changed their thoughts about the gifting of brides.
I'm left with a huge unanswered question at the end... will the other human females be subjected to the same treatment as Samantha? If so, how is this a happy ending? Why is peace achieved at the cost of women's autonomy? Perhaps this book just wasn't for me... I know a lot of readers like the breeding trope.
It wasn't all bad. I read it nearly in one sitting. I was curious about how everything would turn out.
Yes, some of the transitions were jarring. There were time jumps that felt sudden and awkward but overall, it was an easy quick read with an interesting world.
truly changed their thoughts about the gifting of brides.
I'm left with a huge unanswered question at the end... will the other human females be subjected to the same treatment as Samantha? If so, how is this a happy ending? Why is peace achieved at the cost of women's autonomy? Perhaps this book just wasn't for me... I know a lot of readers like the breeding trope.
It wasn't all bad. I read it nearly in one sitting. I was curious about how everything would turn out.
Yes, some of the transitions were jarring. There were time jumps that felt sudden and awkward but overall, it was an easy quick read with an interesting world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2021
2.5 stars. I liked so many things about this book and Kore’s storytelling but what is with authors writing a ‘smart’ female character that acts TSTL. Some of Sam’s (and Lucy’s) thoughts and actions made me cringe like you do with characters in a horror movie just asking to get killed off. It became very difficult to believe that they were in any way highly educated and trained for securing a habitable world and more like barely educated workers on a xenophobic human cult ship. The characters were dumbed down and naive to the point of idiocy to provide points of conflict to resolve.
I nearly stopped reading the book when she got back on the ship and asked to speak to Marsel alone even though she had a pretty good idea he drugged her and put her in the escape pod to die. She has no self defense skills and she puts herself in a room with a man that premeditated her murder and from her own meager observation skills is a manipulative cuss. Ughhh…really finding it hard to believe she is highly educated and the top scientist when she is more naive and reckless than a teenager. It went downhill from there with ever increasing TSTL behavior.
I nearly stopped reading the book when she got back on the ship and asked to speak to Marsel alone even though she had a pretty good idea he drugged her and put her in the escape pod to die. She has no self defense skills and she puts herself in a room with a man that premeditated her murder and from her own meager observation skills is a manipulative cuss. Ughhh…really finding it hard to believe she is highly educated and the top scientist when she is more naive and reckless than a teenager. It went downhill from there with ever increasing TSTL behavior.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2021
This book was going pretty well until the sexual attack part, that was really hard for me to read, I even cried. I can't blame the writers cause they actually warn in the beginning to skip the parts if one is triggered. I don't like skipping parts and I read it all. After that point the book was not as good for me unfortunately.
I read these books for the intimate parts (a little adventure is of course always nice) and for that part the book was a bit flat for me, when I compare it to the others of this genre.
All in all I gave 3 stars cause I liked the book in the beginning, the trigger warning and the dynamic/love between the 2 male characters. The But this book wasn't for me in the end.
I read these books for the intimate parts (a little adventure is of course always nice) and for that part the book was a bit flat for me, when I compare it to the others of this genre.
All in all I gave 3 stars cause I liked the book in the beginning, the trigger warning and the dynamic/love between the 2 male characters. The But this book wasn't for me in the end.
September 29, 2020
Scientist Samantha wakes up on a planet where she meets Zuran. In his village, she is given away to be mated to Olan but she feels a connection to Zuran. Zuran has always loved his childhood friend Olan but class differences keep them apart as adults. The three figure out a way to be together. This book was going along nicely, not too dark and pretty steamy until there is a gang rape scene of a different character. I figure that was to set up the other character's story but was pretty brutal for this book.
July 2, 2024
It read like the authors were only allowed a certain number of words and so had to jam as much in as they could as fast as they could. I think it would’ve been a much better book had they taken the time to write it out as a normally-paced timeline instead of the comically stilted sped up timeline that it is. Also? Can we PLEASE stop with the making every main character the very first extra most bestest most special insert-species-here?? It’s giving “well your character can’t do that to my character because my character is secretly immune to everything” vibes.
April 10, 2021
1.5* rounded up. A lot of handwaving to make things work out, and a TSTL heroine that made the final 25% of the book an absolute slog of "you've gotta be kidding me - NO ONE is this stupid".
The alien culture was interesting, and I really enjoyed the portions of the book that focused on the relationship between the two male leads. I feel like Samantha could have been completely removed from this book, and it would have been better for it.
The alien culture was interesting, and I really enjoyed the portions of the book that focused on the relationship between the two male leads. I feel like Samantha could have been completely removed from this book, and it would have been better for it.
April 18, 2023
2.5 stars -> The premise of this sounded great, but I didn't much care about the execution in the end. There were a lot of issues with female autonomy across this book both affecting Samantha and other women in the story and some of the plot points kinda came out of left field. Plus Samantha was pretty unlikeable compared to the guys and didn't have any credibility as a scientist in my eyes. Not sure if I'll pick up another book in this series.
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