Inanna and Ashur are Nasaru, ancient beings sent to Earth to fight off the Etu Daku, a swarm of planet-destroying aliens. Fighting with them are the Chosen: humans who have been transformed into winged immortals, powerful… but still, all too human.
Becoming
After a shocking betrayal by Ashur, Inanna left to Become, a process of seemingly endless reincarnations that will give her the strength necessary to fight the approaching Etu Daku swarm. In the meantime, Inanna’s Chosen, Shamash, has been waiting for Inanna’s return for over five thousand years. His Goddess, the only woman he’s ever loved. The only woman to bring him to his knees.
Inanna’s Becoming is nearly complete, her final form that of Natalie, a young human. A human whose frail body cannot contain the power that Inanna now commands. So Inanna pushes Natalie to meet with Shamash to transfer the rising power, allowing Inanna’s consciousness to subside once more, until she can rise in her true form as Earth’s Guardian at Natalie’s death.
Natalie is only now realizing just who she’s been sharing her head with for this past year – Inanna, the immortal Goddess. A being so powerful she could tear the world in half. A being that hasn’t touched her lover in more than five thousand years, and it shows. Reluctantly, Natalie agrees to meet with Shamash, a decision that will trigger a whirlwind of changes.
For her. For Inanna and Shamash. And for the rest of the world.
Becoming is the first book in the Nasaru of Earth, a sci-fi romance series. It features several very powerful, very sexy aliens with wings and more than its fair share of smexy times. Also, there’s a cliffhanger. Recommended for 18+. Content warnings: violence, blood and blood-play, gore, graphic injuries, and death.
So this one started off very information heavy, and while it was all relevant, I did struggle at first to get to grips with the world building and characters. However, sticking with it a bit longer I really came to enjoy the worlds and the characters in this book.
As someone who does really enjoy fantasy, I can confidently say if you stick with it, the semi-confusing first few chapters are well worth the story you read through the rest of the novel, and are very necessary as they hold vital information to understand some of the character relationships.
Out of all the characters, Inanna was my favourite. She's a character who knows who she is, is confident in herself, and although she can occasionally come across as arrogant, she's also kind hearted and fair. I really enjoyed reading her character arc.
Let's not forget to mention the spice between Inanna and Shamash, you could toast marshmallows on the heat coming from those two, and that's even without them being anywhere near each other.
Overall, I enjoyed this book - and I recommend it for lovers of the fantasy genre!
As a newish reader to fantasy, I very much enjoyed this book. I was very eager to learn about these characters and Natalie was so sweet. I liked how the three main characters of Inanna, Shamash, & Natalie grew and chose to see things from a new perspective in the one year of time they "interacted". Shamash has my heart and I'm ready for my ride in the sky. 💞 Inanna knows exactly who she is, even just as a Chosen, and has never backed down. She could have been so arrogant at any time but her time during the lead up to the Becoming altered her perfect. I felt the pacing was good, the world building was very well done as was the character descriptions. I could feel the size of their wings and color intensity through the page. Would liked to have had a touch more about Cassandra, but soooo look forward to seeing how she kicks ass in book 2. The trio of Sabine, Inti, & Menewa were fun, but oh boy they have some stuff to work out. 😐
Now I can admit I struggled to get into this book. I found myself questioning if I had picked up book 2 in the series and didn’t realize it. As I questioned myself, I also struggled to connect the dots between the characters.
After the first few chapters, I felt more confident and started to enjoy the story more.
I don’t think I can properly explain what this story is about without getting someone confused. I feel like it is a story you really have to sit and pay attention to so you can understand who is who and how everyone fits together.
The writing was done so well!
I think the next time I read this book I’ll use a paperback so I can mark in it and take better notes. I’d like to see where the series goes.
A whole new woooooorld!!! Man, this book is a ride! Initially it was quite a slow start for me, only because it's a big world and lots of characters. It's a good mix of time as well, giving enough context for this book, whilst leaving so many curiosities in its wake.
What I loved most about this book was our main boss bitch Inanna. Dominating in all ways, she's very much the one in charge and knows what is up!! No messing about! Her relationship with Shamash has so far to go, there's a big history there that I hope we get to see more of in future books! I also hope they communicate more clearly, rather than having sex. It's good spice, just sometimes I wish they spoke first!
The spice is FUELLED. Inanna and Shamash are horny 24/7 but it makes sense, they've been apart for centuries and the main segment of this book takes place between Monday and Friday so... Reunion sex week? I think so. Honestly understandable.
I really want to know what's happening with Cassandra, I'm surprised we didn't really see anything with her during the second half of the book, but going by that epilogue I'm sure some shit is going to go DOWN in the sequel!
Sabine sort your boys out. 🤣
This book is a big set up for the rest of the series, which at times I had to reread a moment to get to grips with what was happening but I'm intrigued to know where the series is going!
Robert. You're a great butler. 👏
I enjoyed the different POVs, there weren't too many and it always changed at a good time; it was never jarring! I forgot how far I was when the epilogue came up- that was a shock!
The chapters also vary in length, a lot of them are quite short but it sets up a good pace for reading!
Thank you so much @adriennessexystories for accepting me onto your ARC team and being so kind and patient. I can't wait to read more of your work! 🧡
Every so often a book comes along and you think "okay, this will be fun" and then it smacks you in the face with a plot you never knew you wanted but now you desperately need more of?
Yeah, Becoming did that to me.
Before this book I never thought I would fall so hard for a romance that spans multiple millennia, features a strong female lead whose love interest lives to "attend her" and enforce her will. But fall hard I did! Becoming is a seamless blending of genres ranging from romance to sci-fi and fantasy. Adrienne Steele has created a genuinely fresh universe filled with Nasaru (assigned alien protectors of the earth), their Chosen (the humans they've imbued with superhuman power and almost eternal lifespans) and the primes (humans) who revere them as the almost gods they are.
Becoming spans the ascension of Inanna, earth's protector, as she ascends to her final form and reconnects with the love she left behind. I can't say much more with out spoiling the book but if you are looking for a high heat, compelling read then this story is for you.
Becoming is the first book of the Nasaru Of Earth series. It is a fantasy romance featuring Inanna, a Nasaru, and Shamash, one of the Chosen.
Let me start by saying that it took me a minute to connect with this book, but in the end, it was worth my persistence. My recommendation would be to skip over the Introduction and jump right in with Chapter 1. Also, you should know that this book contains a lot of sex. If that's not your cup of tea, move along as it would not be easy to skip over all the explicit material. Now, moving on to the plot...
The Nasaru have come to Earth to defend it from a forthcoming threat: the Etu Daku. We don't learn much more about this threat in this book but I assume more will come in future books. We do learn about the Nasaru though, and the process they must undergo in order to effectively protect Earth against this enemy.
Inanna came to Earth with Ashur. They are both Nasaru - think extraordinarily powerful winged being. They then select people to transform into Chosen, immortal winged beings (like the Nasaru) who look like the people from which they've been formed, but much larger. The Chosen seem to each be given territories over which they preside, while also tending to the Nasaru, as needed. There aren't many - only about 2 dozen - and they have been transformed over millennia.
It isn't clear when the Nasaru arrived but the first Chosen seems to have been transformed around 7600 BC. Much of the book is set in the present day.
The two Nasaru have important roles - one becomes the Judge and the other Becomes, a process of repeated reincarnation in order to become Earth's Guardian. They are not the ones who decide their roles; it is the planet that decides. Inanna thought she was to to become the Judge, but Earth has decided otherwise and she thus prepares for her Becoming. Unfortunately Ashur has become quite obstinate and refuses to assume the role of Judge, even going so far as to betray Inanna. She therefore is forced to empower Shamash, the Chosen who is her right hand and lover.
After transferring power to Shamash, she vanishes only to awaken in a new form. Over several millennia she experiences life in different forms, sometimes as animals or insects, sometimes as vegetation. In each form she bonds with the planet and amasses power which requires the Judge to visit her in her new form and take this power, which he then pushes out to the Chosen. He misses her profoundly, but is forever loyal.
Her last reincarnation is in the body of a Prime, the Nasaru term for the primary inhabitants of a planet. Natalie is a 24-year old woman who is a cancer survivor. Part of the story is recounted through Natalie's experience where she knows Inanna resides within her and learns how to navigate this unique experience. Inanna's becoming stop within Natalie is necessary to allow her to develop emotional intelligence, which has been lost over her timeless existence.
While I won't detail the rest of the story, I will say that it involves a threat to the Nasaru, a strong connection with Shamash, Inanna's Becoming, and next steps to protect Earth against the imminent arrival of the Etu Daku.
There are also a bunch of fun secondary characters including a trio of Chosen (Sabine, Inti, and Menewa) who enjoy each other's company, Natalie's best friend Cassandra, and a Prime named Robert who is a butler extraordinaire.
This was a fun story with diverse characters. I look forward to reading the next book: Chosen.
Becoming is the first book in the Nasaru of Earth series, a fantasy with a hint of science fiction and a lot of romance. This book was wildly entertaining and I was completely captivated by this story of love and duty spanning millennia.
As with many epic fantasy novels, the initial world building was a little intense in the beginning but the reader is rewarded once the story takes off a few chapters in. We meet Inanna (an immortal and powerful Nasaru), Shamash (her loyal and dutiful Chosen), and Ashur (the great betrayer). Following the events of the betrayal, Inanna must leave Shamash behind to Become and ultimately fulfill the duty of protecting the world from the Etu Daku as the Guardian.
After thousands of years, Inanna is in her final iteration as a frail, sensitive, and smart college student named Natalie. When Natalie realizes she’s sharing headspace with a Goddess, she’s shocked but they slowly settle into a coexistence. Things get really interesting once they connect with Shamash. After thousands of years apart, can they come to terms with who they are now?
Having to deal with drama among the Chosen, facing Ashur, and catching up with centuries of being away, Inanna and Natalie have their hands full. If those issues weren’t enough, they learn that dark forces are at play that threaten the world. Will they be able to stop it in time?
Tropes/Themes: Fantasy/Sci-fi Romance Multi-POV World building Powerful FMC Possessive MMC Ends with cliffhanger 🌶️: 4.5/5
“Whatever you need, I am yours, Inanna,” I tell her quietly. It’s a vow, echoing across time. Millennia together and then millennia apart, memories and emotions and a connection that’s lived between us for nearly ten thousand years.
“She introduced me to a kaleidoscope of emotions, but the most bittersweet was regret.”
Each of the characters is so vivid and rich and continues to evolve throughout the book. Cassandra, Natalie’s childhood best friend, is the complete opposite of Natalie: sassy, bold, and adventurous. The Inanna/Natalie interplay was written in a way that was so seamless. The loneliness and longing of our main characters was also brilliantly captured. The chemistry with Shamash was electric and his unwavering devotion and passion made me both swoon and burn with jealousy. I’m looking forward to seeing where the next books take them!
**I received a free copy of this e-ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Thank you to Adrienne Steele and Romance Me With Books for the opportunity!**
Becoming is the first installment Adrienne Steele’s Nasaru of Earth series. It centers around Inanna, who has gone through many reincarnations to become the guardian of Earth, and her lover Shamash. For me, this was a unique plot and had a lot of very interesting concepts. I loved the blend of the familiar (a modern day Earth setting) with aspects that are original to the story.
I felt though that the world building being scattered throughout the story in flashbacks and conversations ultimately slowed down the plot’s progression. It also made it difficult at times to keep the timeline straight, and having to skim back along the chapters to double check dates also took me out of the story.
I think the author’s originality in her plot though still makes for an incredibly interesting read.
The characters in Becoming are as unique as the plot’s concept. I liked a lot about them as individuals, and I enjoyed the character development. The scenes set in the past versus those in the present also helped develop the characters as the story progressed.
I really liked Inanna’s final reincarnation, Natalie. I also loved her relationship with Shamash, and I found myself wishing she had stayed in this form a little longer before transitioning in Inanna. Natalie brought a lot of warmth to the story that was more difficult to find in the detached immortal characters and once her part was over I had some trouble truly latching on to another character.
Overall I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The concept is so unique, and I absolutely love when an author comes up with something I haven’t really read before. It is quite spicy, so definitely for mature audiences.
Read and take notes with this one. There is a bunch to remember.
This is the start of Nasaru of Earth Series. Many players are introduced as well as a world very similar to our but also wildly different. Earth has beings that are called Chosen. There is one being Inanna who is more powerful than all. She has spent thousands of years in various forms until she is able to become the Guardian of earth. She will protect it from dangers coming. She has her Judge Shamash who has traveled the world making sure her interests are cared for until her becoming. Once her becoming is complete she now must prepare for protecting earth as well as dealing with her counterpart who betrayed her thousands of years earlier.
Take your time reading this. There are many details that can easily be missed. This is an excited world full of beautiful characters. There are multiple POV throughout which helps with understanding each character development. Without giving too much away prepared for twists, turns, surprises, and a cliff hanger.
With all the moving pieces throughout the book it would be easy to get lost in it all and focus on the romance of Inanna and Shamash. That does not happen. Even with all the passion Inanna and Shamash has their focus remains on the task at hand- protecting earth and dealing with Ashur (the betrayer) Again take notes during the read.
This book will leave on a cliffhanger. It’s not super satisfying because as most cliffhangers this one is right when the action is starting. It does however prepared you for the next book. This will suck you in slowly then you will not want to put it down.
I absolutely fell for this world. A masterpiece of world building. That I was drawn into from the very beginning.
At the beginning Inanna is In Atlantis, preparing to transition into what is called the becoming where she can be the guardian of Earth. This transition reminded me of what it would be like to be reincarnated. She grows and changes into her ultimate self. She is such a strong character. What I loved most about her is the balance between strength and kindness. She cares about this world but don’t mistake her.
Shamash is Inannas lover and the judge. The judges job in this world is to oversee the chosen in order to keep the balance of power. I loved his character. His unwavering loyalty to Inannas cause throughout all her reincarnations is goals. Also not to be forgotten the spice and chemistry these two have is off the charts. I could not get enough of them.
If you love great time lapse and dual POV then this book is for you. Dual POV is my personal fave. For fans of delicious spice, look no further. Most important if you love great world building, I can’t recommend enough. I look forward to reading the next installment. 😌
Quotes: “You think to mount me, Chosen? I will make you pay.”
“I would Choose you every time, Shamash.”
“The ability to enjoy the moment, to recognize each fleeting instant as the gift it is.”
“Do you want to wear your surrender to the Temple, my Judge?”
What to expect: ✨Dual POV ✨wing play ✨🩸 play ✨Strong MC’s ✨reincarnation
What did I like? Can the whole thing be the answer? Maybe not since I do have one thing I felt could be improved upon. Take notes while reading this book if you don't remember things well or have trouble keeping up in a fantasy world. This book was very good. I enjoyed the characters, the spice was good and it took me a while but I finally figured out what was happening. Natalie is such a sweet caring person and I love how she just adapted so easily to having another entity in her body and even tho I can't imagine that, I feel like in a fantasy setting this could be normal for her. The relationship between Inanna and shamash was so... Absolutely amazing. Winged men are now a new favorite? 😅 Definitely something I would recommend if you are into fantasy books w/ romance and spice. The only thing I maybe wished for was a bit of slowness just so I could keep up with all the stuff going on.
I received this book as an arc. I had a hard time getting into the book at first. I would have liked to see a character list or something that explained the differences between those who become, chosen, and judged. I think that would have helped me to connect with the story quicker. As I read on I found my self becoming interested in the characters relationships with each other. I believe that I would have connected with the book quicker if it had been a physical copy. One thing that I would have liked to see more is the connection between the overarching story line and the spicier scenes. Some of the spicier scenes just felt thrown in randomly and didn’t really flow with the book for me. I enjoyed the book though and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series and hopefully gaining more clarity and understanding of the world Adrienne has created.
This book surprised me, in a good way! The start was admittedly a bit slow and took me a bit to get into, I felt like I was dumped into the middle of already established events, and that I had missed a book or chapters leading up to it. However, once it picked up I was hooked until the very end.
The plot was intriguing, the MC’s had depth and complexities and the growth in both of them felt natural. By the end I enjoyed them so much that I wasn’t a fan of who they had been in the beginning before the events of the book took off, especially the FMC. The chemistry and spice between the characters is *chefs kiss* and is not lacking in amount at all.
This is book one and ends on a cliffhanger, I’ll definitely be picking up the next one!
If you like smutty reads with unique plots you'll really love this one. I struggled a bit with this one to understand a lot of the plot points, i wasn't sure what had happened and felt like we werent given enough information to understand. The plot builds the excitement nicely but them just stops and says to be continued before you find out.
Aside from that the basic premise is very unique amd interesting and really had a lot of potential. I liked the message that came through about the goddess being one with all aspects of nature and that humans are no better than the rest of nature.
Spoiler: it really bugged me that when natalie dies after being the main character for a few chapters everyone just moves on like it was nothing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was a little confused when I first started this book because I did not know there was a prequel novella but once I caught on to what was happening and who the Nasaru were everything started to fall into place and I ended up really enjoying this book. I'm going back to read the novella then jumping right into the rest of the series. I love the new connection between Inanna and Shamash and seeing everyone point out the change in Inanna before her Becoming makes me excited to read the novella to get a full picture of how she was before. Very excited to keep going with this series.
The beginning of the book is little difficult to get into, it was kind of slow and confusing. But the world building was great and I really enjoyed the unique concept. However the story falls flat once the sex scenes happen. It was like the sole focus of the book turned to just sex. And I need a good story as well to enjoy it. I have so many unanswered questions now and I'm not sure if I'll even bother with reading more of the series now.
In a fantasy world, this novel explores an other worldly force and romance. With so much action and story going on, it is easy to get hooked. And the romance adds even more passion to the novel.
As always, I love a strong female lead, and this story emphasized that. Getting to see her strong side, as well as her romantic side was so dynamic. I also really enjoyed this fantasy world. I felt like I escaped my first week back from school every time I dove into this story. If you are a fan of fantasy romance, this book is totally for you!
Well for starters, the spice is absolutely amazing. That alone should make you want to read the rest of this series. I think the pacing and the world building was very well done. It was a lot of information, so you may want to keep notes of certain things so that you don't forget anything. The different POVs were done very well. You didn’t ever stay too long in a certain POV. I felt like the change in POVs always happened at good points. I think this was a very good set up for the rest of the series.
Whenever l read something toted as new —it usually tries too hard. But in this case, it is clever and witty and very spicy/steamy. Like wowowow. College girls. best friends. cancer survivor. Angels. Social media. kink. mythology. gods and goddesses. It has it all, and it's a new niche genre you will want to keep reading.
What a wild fantasy romance. This book starts on the slower side and you’ve got to pay attention because it spans multiple millennia but once you get the gist of it you better hang on. It’s addicting! And the spice is woah! I loved how this set up the series so perfectly. This book contains multiple POV’s and is honestly such a great read!!
This book took some time getting into because it felt slow at first. Once you get into the book a little it picks up. The storyline was good. The writing was good. I love the multiple point of views. I love all the detail. If you read this on kindle be prepared to highlight a lot to keep track of everything. It was spicy with sexy aliens. I can not wait to read more.
Sexy. Fun. Boss bitches. Hot people with wings. Such a good read, lost the plot in a couple places but quickly found it again. Brb adding the rest of the series to my tbr
This book took a little time to get into. It throws you in and it takes wsome time to figure out what is going on. Once you are in it, it gets really fascinating and interesting! Reincarnation with ancient aliens and a love that has lasted a literal millennia. If you are into complex creatures with a lot of spice - this is for you!
I really wanted to like that book. The premise was amazing. Beings from an other planet coming on Earth to protect it, looking like angels, temples… A goddess living in the consciousness of a humain to learn about the planet she will need to save… It sounds amazing!
Until they start to f!ck… And the story goes out the door. I feel that we could have both, the s!x AND the story. The world building was so well written, why not use it? I finished that book confused and with to many unanswered questions.
Don’t get me wrong, the connection between both MC is fantastic, their chemistry is off the charts and the smutty scenes are well written. Maybe the fantasy reader in me expected more of that story.
If you like stories where you can find:
- She’s the boss - Wingspan - Goddess - Can’t stop fu!king each other - Touch her and you ☠️