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Outer Limits Quadrant #3
Interpreting Fate
She’s been human trafficked to aliens, but a dashing space pirate captain has other plans for her when he robs her abductors.
Delilah’s linguistic abilities have gotten her far in Starfleet. As far as an alien planet full of new languages and cultures to learn. But she never expected to be human trafficked by one of her own.
Captain Lucien has been sailing space since he was a boy. Re-kidnapping an already kidnapped human female is child’s play for him and the crew of the Lusty Maiden. But he’s never been around females, especially not in close quarters nor for any long stretches of time. Are they all this soft, this curvy? Or this feisty? So infuriating?
As Delilah and Lucien learn to communicate, what goes unsaid looms even larger for these two. Silent concerns, unvoiced feelings. Unfamiliar desires. With three alien species on the brink of war, this human catalyst is primed to accidentally light the fuse.
The one thing she wants most is the only thing he can’t give her. Freedom.
Interpreting Fate is a gritty action packed sci-fi novel with dark themes, political intrigue, language barriers, alien first contact, piracy, abduction, and a slow burn alien romance. Readers with triggers should check the content guide found at the beginning of the book. A HEA is guaranteed. All books in the Outer Limits Quadrant series follow a different couple but are best read in order.
Delilah’s linguistic abilities have gotten her far in Starfleet. As far as an alien planet full of new languages and cultures to learn. But she never expected to be human trafficked by one of her own.
Captain Lucien has been sailing space since he was a boy. Re-kidnapping an already kidnapped human female is child’s play for him and the crew of the Lusty Maiden. But he’s never been around females, especially not in close quarters nor for any long stretches of time. Are they all this soft, this curvy? Or this feisty? So infuriating?
As Delilah and Lucien learn to communicate, what goes unsaid looms even larger for these two. Silent concerns, unvoiced feelings. Unfamiliar desires. With three alien species on the brink of war, this human catalyst is primed to accidentally light the fuse.
The one thing she wants most is the only thing he can’t give her. Freedom.
Interpreting Fate is a gritty action packed sci-fi novel with dark themes, political intrigue, language barriers, alien first contact, piracy, abduction, and a slow burn alien romance. Readers with triggers should check the content guide found at the beginning of the book. A HEA is guaranteed. All books in the Outer Limits Quadrant series follow a different couple but are best read in order.
592 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2023
124 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
About the author
Alexis B. Osborne
16 books468 followersAlexis lives in New York with her wife and step-son and a small horde of furry beings. She began her love affair with books at an early age, and began writing for fun in High School and College. She fell in insta-love with the strange and unusual at an early age. When she’s not reading or writing she can be found painting and making subversive cross-stitch. Her favorite fairy tale will always be Beauty and the Beast. Alexis loves all things fantastical, alien, and weird. She will never forget the gorgeous glory that was the late, great David Bowie.
Join her in the Facebook group Alexis Osborne’s The ‘verse for hot Alpha and Alien art and Bonus Content!
Don’t forget to sign up for Alexis B. Osborne’s Mailing List to receive New Release Alerts, Teasers, and Exclusive Bonus Content right to your inbox! Visit www.alexisbosborne.com
Alexis loves to hear from fans. To contact her please email her at alexisosborneromance@gmail.com
Join her in the Facebook group Alexis Osborne’s The ‘verse for hot Alpha and Alien art and Bonus Content!
Don’t forget to sign up for Alexis B. Osborne’s Mailing List to receive New Release Alerts, Teasers, and Exclusive Bonus Content right to your inbox! Visit www.alexisbosborne.com
Alexis loves to hear from fans. To contact her please email her at alexisosborneromance@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
June 23, 2023
Delilah (h), a linguistically talented member of Starfleet, unexpectedly becomes a victim of human trafficking by her own kind. Captain Lucien (H), a dashing avian space pirate captain, comes to her rescue and forms a connection with her. However, their communication struggles and unspoken concerns become significant as they navigate a delicate situation involving alien species on the brink of war. Delilah's trust issues and her potential role in preventing or causing a war add tension to the story. The slow-burn romance between Delilah and Lucien takes center stage, set against a backdrop of space pirates and interstellar adventures. Loved the whole found family of the crew and their connections with one another which adds depth and warmth to the story. Delilah's strength and resilience shine through, particularly in the face of betrayal, while Lucien's captivating presence adds depth to their relationship. A gritty, action-packed slow-burn romance with dark themes, political intrigue, language barriers, piracy, abduction, and more.
October 17, 2023
Excellent wrap up
I am all about plot twists and this book delivered. Lucien was such an interesting and complex character and he and Delilah played off each other well. They each brought out different sides of each other and hooo boy their spice was hot hot hot. I was worried for a hot minute that this book was going to wrap up the love story without them having to really understand the other’s weaknesses and working through them. But it turned around and was wonderful.
Spice: 5/5
Triggers: abduction, captivity, murder, death, grief, severe injury
I am all about plot twists and this book delivered. Lucien was such an interesting and complex character and he and Delilah played off each other well. They each brought out different sides of each other and hooo boy their spice was hot hot hot. I was worried for a hot minute that this book was going to wrap up the love story without them having to really understand the other’s weaknesses and working through them. But it turned around and was wonderful.
Spice: 5/5
Triggers: abduction, captivity, murder, death, grief, severe injury
August 22, 2023
This was so much fun!!
February 7, 2024
3.5 stars
I felt that the romance started off quite well and the MCs were a cute couple. This easily could have been my favorite book in the series except for the little problem where I couldn't take anything that happened in space seriously.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
I'm not even going to talk about the Futurama 4 dimensional space whales. I'm not. I think the weirdest thing was the description of what was essentially a flying pirate ship, in a bubble?
From what I read, the space ship involved a lookout's nest, climbing the mast, taking the helm, trimming the sails etc etc. It sounds more like a seafaring vessel than a spacefaring one so far. And this ship relied on nothing but a gravity bubble and a life support dome to keep the crew safe? Oh and don't forget the "lifelines" where the crew were literally just lashing themselves down with rope. That seems really safe in a technologically advanced society. /s
And the name for their alien brew was referred to as grog? Really? It was bad enough that they sang shanties. It was like someone plucked the MMC and his crew from a cheesy paperback pirate romance and said "now go do this in space".
And then it hit me, where had I seen this weird mishmash before? Oh right, Treasure Planet. Yeah okay. Now all of the stupid things make sense, if you are borrowing from that particular IP, the solar sails, the lifelines, the pirate ship in space, the hidden "treasure" that's all from Treasure Planet. I don't know how to feel about this. If the author had tried harder to make it her own and just used certain elements as inspiration it could have been fine. But as it was written, the flying pirate ship was giving me more Peter Pan vibes than space pirates and that didn't fit IMHO with the two other books in this series.
The FMC had some interesting personal growth for a hot minute when she finally embraced her dark side but then became quite dramatic and sulky when she didn't get her way. This happened when her new beau didn't want to discuss a potentially traumatic topic just weeks after a coup, (wherein he almost kicked the bucket during said coup) and assumed leadership of an entire planet...s? (how big is his kingdom again? Yikes). Like chill and let the guy finish finding his feet first before demanding that he promise to give you all his babies.
What happened to the ruthless FMC willing to burn down the world (or palace) to protect her man? What happened to the setting up of her own spy network and making plots? I wanted machinations gosh darn it! She just lets herself be sidelined? Because she's too busy moping about because she suddenly got baby fever? Because she wants to feel needed? That's a great reason to have children. /s
The MMC stayed chaste his whole life until he met the FMC because he didn't want to experience the horror of having his child murdered just like his brother. Can the FMC not have a little patience and empathy?
Also, it is really not the time to be family planning if you are still trying to consolidate power and prevent an intergalactic war. I get that the FMC is a touch power hungry and is feeling bored being left out of the meetings but she is still a newcomer to their society. And technically the MMC hasn't even been crowned king yet nor have they been married so she really doesn't have a right to be in those meetings yet anyway.
Sadly because the FMC is feeling so neglected and bored, she decides she needs to go on a girl's trip that she may or may not come back from. The MMC is afraid of losing her, so he backs out of the coronation at the last minute and abdicates the throne.
That the MMC abdicates the throne before putting in any meaningful work to set up an alternative plan for elections frustrated me. He just let the military take over the government. (Do you want civil war? Because that's how you get civil war.) I thought he wanted to affect real change on his society?
You came in and murdered their king, talked about change, then abdicated on a whim and said "nah fix all this stuff yourself, you are on your own. We are going to go back to being a symptom of the failed monarchy, boozy pirates for the win!" (Lucien sweetie, drinking wine is not a personality trait no matter what those rowdy soccer moms claim)
The things I did like: I loved that the MMC was persnickety about the FMC using his toiletries in the beginning. I did like their relationship up to a point and they did have some smutty good fun.
I felt that the romance started off quite well and the MCs were a cute couple. This easily could have been my favorite book in the series except for the little problem where I couldn't take anything that happened in space seriously.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
I'm not even going to talk about the Futurama 4 dimensional space whales. I'm not. I think the weirdest thing was the description of what was essentially a flying pirate ship, in a bubble?
From what I read, the space ship involved a lookout's nest, climbing the mast, taking the helm, trimming the sails etc etc. It sounds more like a seafaring vessel than a spacefaring one so far. And this ship relied on nothing but a gravity bubble and a life support dome to keep the crew safe? Oh and don't forget the "lifelines" where the crew were literally just lashing themselves down with rope. That seems really safe in a technologically advanced society. /s
And the name for their alien brew was referred to as grog? Really? It was bad enough that they sang shanties. It was like someone plucked the MMC and his crew from a cheesy paperback pirate romance and said "now go do this in space".
And then it hit me, where had I seen this weird mishmash before? Oh right, Treasure Planet. Yeah okay. Now all of the stupid things make sense, if you are borrowing from that particular IP, the solar sails, the lifelines, the pirate ship in space, the hidden "treasure" that's all from Treasure Planet. I don't know how to feel about this. If the author had tried harder to make it her own and just used certain elements as inspiration it could have been fine. But as it was written, the flying pirate ship was giving me more Peter Pan vibes than space pirates and that didn't fit IMHO with the two other books in this series.
The FMC had some interesting personal growth for a hot minute when she finally embraced her dark side but then became quite dramatic and sulky when she didn't get her way. This happened when her new beau didn't want to discuss a potentially traumatic topic just weeks after a coup, (wherein he almost kicked the bucket during said coup) and assumed leadership of an entire planet...s? (how big is his kingdom again? Yikes). Like chill and let the guy finish finding his feet first before demanding that he promise to give you all his babies.
What happened to the ruthless FMC willing to burn down the world (or palace) to protect her man? What happened to the setting up of her own spy network and making plots? I wanted machinations gosh darn it! She just lets herself be sidelined? Because she's too busy moping about because she suddenly got baby fever? Because she wants to feel needed? That's a great reason to have children. /s
The MMC stayed chaste his whole life until he met the FMC because he didn't want to experience the horror of having his child murdered just like his brother. Can the FMC not have a little patience and empathy?
Also, it is really not the time to be family planning if you are still trying to consolidate power and prevent an intergalactic war. I get that the FMC is a touch power hungry and is feeling bored being left out of the meetings but she is still a newcomer to their society. And technically the MMC hasn't even been crowned king yet nor have they been married so she really doesn't have a right to be in those meetings yet anyway.
Sadly because the FMC is feeling so neglected and bored, she decides she needs to go on a girl's trip that she may or may not come back from. The MMC is afraid of losing her, so he backs out of the coronation at the last minute and abdicates the throne.
That the MMC abdicates the throne before putting in any meaningful work to set up an alternative plan for elections frustrated me. He just let the military take over the government. (Do you want civil war? Because that's how you get civil war.) I thought he wanted to affect real change on his society?
You came in and murdered their king, talked about change, then abdicated on a whim and said "nah fix all this stuff yourself, you are on your own. We are going to go back to being a symptom of the failed monarchy, boozy pirates for the win!" (Lucien sweetie, drinking wine is not a personality trait no matter what those rowdy soccer moms claim)
The things I did like: I loved that the MMC was persnickety about the FMC using his toiletries in the beginning. I did like their relationship up to a point and they did have some smutty good fun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2023
I received an ARC copy of Interpreting Fate for review purposes, all thoughts are my own.
I was sent this book after ARC reading for another series and hadn't read the first two books in the Outer Limits Quadrent series and almost didn't read this because of that. I'm glad I decided to go ahead! There were definitely spoilers for the other books so I would recommend reading in order if that bothers you. However, I was still able to understand the book without the context of the previous two.
I fell in love with Delilah and Lucien. I became so invested in them and their found family. My heart broke for them and I rejoiced for their successes.
****SPOILERS****
I am so glad that the author didn't have Lucien stay to rule the Diggi. That just didn't fit with his character to me and my heart broke at the thought of him having to change so much and potentially lose the life he had fought so hard for. He and Delilah deserved to be able to leave royal life behind for good instead of having it follow him, even if if was not longer in effort to eliminate him.
My only complaint, if it can even be called that, about this book is that we didn't get a scene with the package Lucien took from the android shop.
I was sent this book after ARC reading for another series and hadn't read the first two books in the Outer Limits Quadrent series and almost didn't read this because of that. I'm glad I decided to go ahead! There were definitely spoilers for the other books so I would recommend reading in order if that bothers you. However, I was still able to understand the book without the context of the previous two.
I fell in love with Delilah and Lucien. I became so invested in them and their found family. My heart broke for them and I rejoiced for their successes.
****SPOILERS****
I am so glad that the author didn't have Lucien stay to rule the Diggi. That just didn't fit with his character to me and my heart broke at the thought of him having to change so much and potentially lose the life he had fought so hard for. He and Delilah deserved to be able to leave royal life behind for good instead of having it follow him, even if if was not longer in effort to eliminate him.
My only complaint, if it can even be called that, about this book is that we didn't get a scene with the package Lucien took from the android shop.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2023
I beta read this one, but let’s be real: it’s only going to get better from how I read it, and I already loved it.
General rundown:
This picks up with Gunner at the big dinner that happened in book two before he tries to kidnap Darcy, then splits off from her story to focus on Delilah.
Delilah finds herself with a band of bird alien space pirates. She understands about a quarter of what they say to her, but she’s thankful she’s not in a cage.
So slow build pirate romance, but in space. And he’s a birdman.
I don’t know how many other details will be spoilers, but it’s a hoot. There’s great found family elements, and weird alien anatomy that’s somehow always leaking, and some blood thirsty shenanigans. And dang those heat levels are high.
If character art existed for that boat and figurehead, I would buy it in a heartbeat.
General rundown:
This picks up with Gunner at the big dinner that happened in book two before he tries to kidnap Darcy, then splits off from her story to focus on Delilah.
Delilah finds herself with a band of bird alien space pirates. She understands about a quarter of what they say to her, but she’s thankful she’s not in a cage.
So slow build pirate romance, but in space. And he’s a birdman.
I don’t know how many other details will be spoilers, but it’s a hoot. There’s great found family elements, and weird alien anatomy that’s somehow always leaking, and some blood thirsty shenanigans. And dang those heat levels are high.
If character art existed for that boat and figurehead, I would buy it in a heartbeat.
July 16, 2023
Is this the end of the series? I enjoyed this book quite a bit. A spacefaring pirate ship with gangplank?! Awesome! Lots of fun pirate themes in this book including a hunt for hidden treasure.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending and wish things had been a bit different. No spoilers, but there was another book I read recently (The Dark King by Gina Maxwell) that had a similar ending twist that I also didn’t really like so I think it’s me and my preferences opposed to poor choices by the authors.
Overall, love this series!
I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending and wish things had been a bit different. No spoilers, but there was another book I read recently (The Dark King by Gina Maxwell) that had a similar ending twist that I also didn’t really like so I think it’s me and my preferences opposed to poor choices by the authors.
Overall, love this series!
August 3, 2023
I loved the galactic politics in the first two books, and this would have been a disappointment for its lack. BUT! Space pirates are my kryptonite and there is no way I couldn't enjoy it. Major plot points for the series were buttoned up nicely, with room for more in this quadrant if needed.
Trying to convince someone to change their mind about parenthood is a big ick.
Ruthless murder is a resounding yes. Thank you to the author for not pulling punches with the murdering, and sparing us pages of characters in mental anguish over the deaths they cause. Just because in real life I probably won't fuck a bird or shoot someone in the face for being disrespectful, doesn't mean I don't want to positively revel in it when it happens on-page.
Trying to convince someone to change their mind about parenthood is a big ick.
Ruthless murder is a resounding yes. Thank you to the author for not pulling punches with the murdering, and sparing us pages of characters in mental anguish over the deaths they cause. Just because in real life I probably won't fuck a bird or shoot someone in the face for being disrespectful, doesn't mean I don't want to positively revel in it when it happens on-page.
July 5, 2023
I received this as an advanced reading copy
I loved the plot and constant being “on my toes” in the duration of the book! Delilah is such a strong female character and her ability to learn the languages was awesome when they finally could cohesively communicate!
This story gave me adult version treasure planet vibes with the characters and some of the conflict they faced !
I loved the plot and constant being “on my toes” in the duration of the book! Delilah is such a strong female character and her ability to learn the languages was awesome when they finally could cohesively communicate!
This story gave me adult version treasure planet vibes with the characters and some of the conflict they faced !
July 27, 2023
3.5/5*
This one has its ups and downs. I loved the first half but in the second half Delilah pissed me off. I’m glad it all worked out but at the same time their selfishness could’ve started a civil war and more poverty. Worked out but found the last bit very eh
This one has its ups and downs. I loved the first half but in the second half Delilah pissed me off. I’m glad it all worked out but at the same time their selfishness could’ve started a civil war and more poverty. Worked out but found the last bit very eh
July 10, 2023
Unsure what happened here
This third volume in the series is supposed to be the last, and tie up the story. I'm not sure this book does that.
The overall tone of this book isn't at all like the other two. They were both quite suspenseful, with alot of intrigue, action, lying, deception, subplots, and hot sex. I can't say I loved the first two books, as I struggled with the deceptions and instant forgiveness as well as the lack of clarity about WTAF was going on. This book doesn't provide answers to that either.
This third volume read alot like Pirates of the Caribbean in Space. The story meandered and circled and stalled with no point more times than I can count. At one point there's a maddening discussion about pregnancy that spirals for about 30 pages. It's like it dropped into the storyline for NO reason, except I guess that trope had to get smushed in there. And when the story finally began to move towards an ending, it veered waaaaay out to a preposterous conclusion that negated much of the direction of the previous books.
The ML is a swaggering Captain Jack sorta fella, complete with interesting clothes and colorful decor on his ship. He's a standard "sorta good, sorta bad" guy with a crew of untrustworthy pirates. The FL is a sweet, sheltered slip of a thing who supposedly finds her inner badass along the way. You know this because she gets progressively more whiney although she learns how to kill bad guys when needed. Her character was scattered and all over the place. At one point she goes on and on about having a baby just out of the blue. I guess the author HAD to get that baby trope in there somehow.
The end actually has three parts, but that doesn't really wrap it up or provide a satisfactory conclusion. I needed a lot more world building, more of a substantial plot that had answers, and a bit less Fifty Shades in the last 50 pages. I've read that before, and again, felt this trope got squeezed in there to satisfy some need that nobody wanted.
The author is a truly awesome writer. Her characters and dialogue are great. It's the plot that just didn't work. Lots of buildup and a sad letdown that made virtually no sense. The main plot sounded ok, but it was never clear in the end. Were they all trying to avoid war? Unite against a future human takeover attempt? Figure out if the humans were the bad guys who sacrificed their own to gain an upperhand? Who knows? These questions never get answered.
This third volume in the series is supposed to be the last, and tie up the story. I'm not sure this book does that.
The overall tone of this book isn't at all like the other two. They were both quite suspenseful, with alot of intrigue, action, lying, deception, subplots, and hot sex. I can't say I loved the first two books, as I struggled with the deceptions and instant forgiveness as well as the lack of clarity about WTAF was going on. This book doesn't provide answers to that either.
This third volume read alot like Pirates of the Caribbean in Space. The story meandered and circled and stalled with no point more times than I can count. At one point there's a maddening discussion about pregnancy that spirals for about 30 pages. It's like it dropped into the storyline for NO reason, except I guess that trope had to get smushed in there. And when the story finally began to move towards an ending, it veered waaaaay out to a preposterous conclusion that negated much of the direction of the previous books.
The ML is a swaggering Captain Jack sorta fella, complete with interesting clothes and colorful decor on his ship. He's a standard "sorta good, sorta bad" guy with a crew of untrustworthy pirates. The FL is a sweet, sheltered slip of a thing who supposedly finds her inner badass along the way. You know this because she gets progressively more whiney although she learns how to kill bad guys when needed. Her character was scattered and all over the place. At one point she goes on and on about having a baby just out of the blue. I guess the author HAD to get that baby trope in there somehow.
The end actually has three parts, but that doesn't really wrap it up or provide a satisfactory conclusion. I needed a lot more world building, more of a substantial plot that had answers, and a bit less Fifty Shades in the last 50 pages. I've read that before, and again, felt this trope got squeezed in there to satisfy some need that nobody wanted.
The author is a truly awesome writer. Her characters and dialogue are great. It's the plot that just didn't work. Lots of buildup and a sad letdown that made virtually no sense. The main plot sounded ok, but it was never clear in the end. Were they all trying to avoid war? Unite against a future human takeover attempt? Figure out if the humans were the bad guys who sacrificed their own to gain an upperhand? Who knows? These questions never get answered.
July 8, 2023
This is by far my favorite book of the series. Every part of it was a delight - the MCs, the plot, the supporting characters, the weird bird habits - all wonderful. It's such a different (and welcome) vibe from the second book. Will absolutely be reading this one again in the future.
September 18, 2023
“It means you’re mine…It means that anyone who tries to take you from me, who tries to hurt you, dies. I’m not a good male, Delilah. I’ve committed horrors. Robbed people. Destroyed their ships. Killed them. And I would do so much worse for you. To keep you safe, because you’re mine.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶 🌶
I want to thank Alexis and Book Sirens for the ARC copy of this book! Below is my honest review and thoughts.
Summary
Delilah was brought on the crazy suicide mission to save Sasha as she was the one to pick up the alien frequency. She travels though the wormhole with Darcy, William and Gunner. Darcy ends up falling in love with a Raxion and during a peace talk with the United Council, Delilah leaves with Gunner. Little does she know he plans on selling her to the Diggi’s who are dying to get their hands on the blood nanos. She ends up a hostage only to be saved by an alien pirate!
Lucien is a prince of Diggi even though he gave up on the desire to be King long ago. He takes his ship the Maiden Lady and does what pirates do best...plunder! He comes across Delilah and decides he’s taking her for himself.
⚠️ Caution Spoilers ⚠️
My Thoughts
There are three species to note when reading the book and here are their descriptions. You have the Kursh who are bipedal lions with fur and tails! They are massive in height and considered more honorable out of the three. Then you have the Diggi’s who are bird like with feathers on their arms that can help them glide but not fly. They are also the species that values strength if they can take something from you they will because that meant you were too weak to have it. Last but not least is the Raxions which are legit lizard people. They are driven and the line for them is very blurred they want to do what is right for the most no matter how much pain that can cause. So we have a full animal kingdom of characters…literally.
This book truly saved the series, after book two it was hard for me to get back into the world but this one really helped me fall back in love! Delilah is a sweet and more timid character but that doesn’t mean she is weak! She is very intelligent and refuses a translator preferring to pick up the alien languages on her own. After Gunner sold her off to the Diggis she is rescued by Lucien the pirate prince. I would bet $100 dollars that Alexis loved Treasure Planet because this book had all those vibes! First off he has a space pirate ship that has sails and a gang plank which is wild but so cool!
you have cook who is a mute cyborg
they go off to look for treasure which ends up being an AI robot
Pretty much is treasure planet just with a female lead and A LOT of smut like a lot!
Lucien is the best male character of the series and has such a huge personality. He’s cocky, loyal, morally grey it’s just perfect! His love for Delilah is very authentic and genuine. He wants to take care of her and make life better for her and be a better male. The supporting characters in the series also all stood out and it were so much fun to read.
Lucien ends up wanting to take the throne back from his brother so the Diggi people can live in peace. It was so great to see more of their world and how they have extremely poor areas and then the rich living in their own bubble of delusion. The whole book was action packed with amazing tension and all around a fantastic read!
What I Loved
• LUCIEN he was so fantastic perfect mix of cocky and loyal
• Delilah really surprised me by how fierce she could be even though she comes off more reserved
• The pirate ship I mean again all Treasure Planet vibes and I was here for it!
• The nine year time jump and getting to see they had kids
• Darcy and Sasha making an appearance
• The fact that he has two ya know that was umm interesting
What I didn’t Like
• Maddox making an appearance seriously that man gives me the ick
• I wanted more of them being happy, safe and in love
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶 🌶
I want to thank Alexis and Book Sirens for the ARC copy of this book! Below is my honest review and thoughts.
Summary
Delilah was brought on the crazy suicide mission to save Sasha as she was the one to pick up the alien frequency. She travels though the wormhole with Darcy, William and Gunner. Darcy ends up falling in love with a Raxion and during a peace talk with the United Council, Delilah leaves with Gunner. Little does she know he plans on selling her to the Diggi’s who are dying to get their hands on the blood nanos. She ends up a hostage only to be saved by an alien pirate!
Lucien is a prince of Diggi even though he gave up on the desire to be King long ago. He takes his ship the Maiden Lady and does what pirates do best...plunder! He comes across Delilah and decides he’s taking her for himself.
⚠️ Caution Spoilers ⚠️
My Thoughts
There are three species to note when reading the book and here are their descriptions. You have the Kursh who are bipedal lions with fur and tails! They are massive in height and considered more honorable out of the three. Then you have the Diggi’s who are bird like with feathers on their arms that can help them glide but not fly. They are also the species that values strength if they can take something from you they will because that meant you were too weak to have it. Last but not least is the Raxions which are legit lizard people. They are driven and the line for them is very blurred they want to do what is right for the most no matter how much pain that can cause. So we have a full animal kingdom of characters…literally.
This book truly saved the series, after book two it was hard for me to get back into the world but this one really helped me fall back in love! Delilah is a sweet and more timid character but that doesn’t mean she is weak! She is very intelligent and refuses a translator preferring to pick up the alien languages on her own. After Gunner sold her off to the Diggis she is rescued by Lucien the pirate prince. I would bet $100 dollars that Alexis loved Treasure Planet because this book had all those vibes! First off he has a space pirate ship that has sails and a gang plank which is wild but so cool!
you have cook who is a mute cyborg
they go off to look for treasure which ends up being an AI robot
Pretty much is treasure planet just with a female lead and A LOT of smut like a lot!
Lucien is the best male character of the series and has such a huge personality. He’s cocky, loyal, morally grey it’s just perfect! His love for Delilah is very authentic and genuine. He wants to take care of her and make life better for her and be a better male. The supporting characters in the series also all stood out and it were so much fun to read.
Lucien ends up wanting to take the throne back from his brother so the Diggi people can live in peace. It was so great to see more of their world and how they have extremely poor areas and then the rich living in their own bubble of delusion. The whole book was action packed with amazing tension and all around a fantastic read!
What I Loved
• LUCIEN he was so fantastic perfect mix of cocky and loyal
• Delilah really surprised me by how fierce she could be even though she comes off more reserved
• The pirate ship I mean again all Treasure Planet vibes and I was here for it!
• The nine year time jump and getting to see they had kids
• Darcy and Sasha making an appearance
• The fact that he has two ya know that was umm interesting
What I didn’t Like
• Maddox making an appearance seriously that man gives me the ick
• I wanted more of them being happy, safe and in love
July 14, 2023
Series: Outer Limits Quadrant #3
Rating: 4 stars - It was really good
This book picks up shortly after Delilah was sold to the aliens and is being rescued by space pirates who are determined to keep her away from all three warring species. While I didn’t like the previous book, this one really made up for it. This had some of my favorite sci-fi tropes like communication issues, cultural differences, found family, and forced proximity.
Delilah so far in this series has been a bit of a shy and submissive character. She has basically been going along with what the others wanted but after her rescue by Lucian we see her finally come into her own. She gains confidence and learns to fight for what she wants. I loved the progression of Delilah’s character and how she learned to kill when necessary for survival.
Lucian is a pirate and prince of the Diggi people. He has been hiding from his brother since he was a child but meeting and falling in love with Delilah makes him accept his destiny. Lucian at the beginning is a colorful pirate who lives a life of drinking, parting, gambling and looting. But we quickly see him grow up and start to fight for his people. He challenges his brother and tries to fix a lot of the issues in the Diggi culture. Just like with Delilah, Lucian had wonderful character development and I really loved his character.
“It means you’re mine…It means that anyone who tries to take you from me, who tries to hurt you, dies. I’m not a good male, Delilah. I’ve committed horrors. Robbed people. Destroyed their ships. Killed them. And I would do so much worse for you. To keep you safe, because you’re mine. Because you make me want to be better, and you make me believe it’s possible. When you look at me, it’s me that you see. Not a captain. Not a prince. Not someone who could do things for you. Me. And you have no idea how special that is. How much that means to me. You came into my life and wrecked it, and now we’ll build something stronger. Something better in its place. Together.”
The relationship between these two was a wonderful slow burn. While hiding out and learning each other's language they slowly fall for each other. Lucian was surprisingly sweet but also dominating, which was just hot! I really loved watching these two navigate their sexual relationship and learning how to utilize two penises. Also, I loved how we see them deal with cultural differences and the pressures of being king. While we do get to see a little bit of how Lucian’s time as King changed the Diggi people, I do wish we had seen a bit more of how it impacted the truce and if it was actually making changes for his people.
Overall, this was another great alien romance. I am so glad I didn’t give up on this series because this was another great slow burn.
Trigger Warnings: human trafficking; kidnapping; PTSD; animal attack; fratricide; violence and injuries
Rating: 4 stars - It was really good
This book picks up shortly after Delilah was sold to the aliens and is being rescued by space pirates who are determined to keep her away from all three warring species. While I didn’t like the previous book, this one really made up for it. This had some of my favorite sci-fi tropes like communication issues, cultural differences, found family, and forced proximity.
Delilah so far in this series has been a bit of a shy and submissive character. She has basically been going along with what the others wanted but after her rescue by Lucian we see her finally come into her own. She gains confidence and learns to fight for what she wants. I loved the progression of Delilah’s character and how she learned to kill when necessary for survival.
Lucian is a pirate and prince of the Diggi people. He has been hiding from his brother since he was a child but meeting and falling in love with Delilah makes him accept his destiny. Lucian at the beginning is a colorful pirate who lives a life of drinking, parting, gambling and looting. But we quickly see him grow up and start to fight for his people. He challenges his brother and tries to fix a lot of the issues in the Diggi culture. Just like with Delilah, Lucian had wonderful character development and I really loved his character.
“It means you’re mine…It means that anyone who tries to take you from me, who tries to hurt you, dies. I’m not a good male, Delilah. I’ve committed horrors. Robbed people. Destroyed their ships. Killed them. And I would do so much worse for you. To keep you safe, because you’re mine. Because you make me want to be better, and you make me believe it’s possible. When you look at me, it’s me that you see. Not a captain. Not a prince. Not someone who could do things for you. Me. And you have no idea how special that is. How much that means to me. You came into my life and wrecked it, and now we’ll build something stronger. Something better in its place. Together.”
The relationship between these two was a wonderful slow burn. While hiding out and learning each other's language they slowly fall for each other. Lucian was surprisingly sweet but also dominating, which was just hot! I really loved watching these two navigate their sexual relationship and learning how to utilize two penises. Also, I loved how we see them deal with cultural differences and the pressures of being king. While we do get to see a little bit of how Lucian’s time as King changed the Diggi people, I do wish we had seen a bit more of how it impacted the truce and if it was actually making changes for his people.
Overall, this was another great alien romance. I am so glad I didn’t give up on this series because this was another great slow burn.
Trigger Warnings: human trafficking; kidnapping; PTSD; animal attack; fratricide; violence and injuries
July 10, 2023
Interpreting Fate
Alexis B. Osborne
Here we have an utterly delightful romp through Quadrant 4 of the Milky Way, in a standalone sci-fi romance that also concludes a trilogy.
This book has an almost exhaustive list of content warnings, which has become one of the things I appreciate about Alexis.
The main ones are to do with abduction & communication difficulties, but please do check out Alexis’ list.
On to my usual questions…
Characters of Colour?
Kind of.
The main love interest is not human, but the description of him repeatedly points out that the humanoid aspects of his appearance indicate he has warm, brown skin, & rich brown hair.
The human MC is white, with blonde hair. Because this is the third book in the series, very little time is spent describing secondary characters that were present in previous books.
QUILTTBAG/Queer characters?
There was some mention of a masculine character & his husband, but none of the primary or secondary characters are obviously queer, trans, or intersex.
That said, some of the aliens in Alexis’ Quadrant 1 (the Rounaii) are beautifully non-binary, so if that’s your jam, check them out!
Disabled characters?
There’s a decent chunk here!
Cook, whose role matches his name, has a cybernetic arm, & has no tongue with which to speak. Regrettably, he doesn’t have a robust sign language. The human MC is a linguist, & spends a decent chunk of time learning how to communicate with Cook specifically. I appreciate the h*ck out of that.
The human MC has a decent amount of trauma, which manifests mostly in night terrors. This trauma does inform many of this character’s early decisions.
Worth my time?
At almost 8 hours’ read time for me, this is a moderately hefty book! There was only one section that really disappointed me, but Alexis managed to wrap it up beautifully.
I don’t understand how the alien MC can simultaneously wax poetical about the human MC’s diplomacy skills, & still shut the human out of discussions where those skills could best be put to work.
You’ll absolutely understand what I mean when you get there.
Re-read?
This series is now complete, & many of the wrapping up elements have me deeply intrigued about the other books. I’d love an excuse to read the whole trilogy, giving me deeper understanding of the characters by the time I get back to this one.
So yeah, the short answer would be “H*ck yeah!”
Recommend?
Oh h*ck yeah, I’d absolutely recommend this to all my nerdy smut-devouring friends.
Particularly because avian aliens are so rare, & Alexis has written these people so beautifully.
Alexis B. Osborne
Here we have an utterly delightful romp through Quadrant 4 of the Milky Way, in a standalone sci-fi romance that also concludes a trilogy.
This book has an almost exhaustive list of content warnings, which has become one of the things I appreciate about Alexis.
The main ones are to do with abduction & communication difficulties, but please do check out Alexis’ list.
On to my usual questions…
Characters of Colour?
Kind of.
The main love interest is not human, but the description of him repeatedly points out that the humanoid aspects of his appearance indicate he has warm, brown skin, & rich brown hair.
The human MC is white, with blonde hair. Because this is the third book in the series, very little time is spent describing secondary characters that were present in previous books.
QUILTTBAG/Queer characters?
There was some mention of a masculine character & his husband, but none of the primary or secondary characters are obviously queer, trans, or intersex.
That said, some of the aliens in Alexis’ Quadrant 1 (the Rounaii) are beautifully non-binary, so if that’s your jam, check them out!
Disabled characters?
There’s a decent chunk here!
Cook, whose role matches his name, has a cybernetic arm, & has no tongue with which to speak. Regrettably, he doesn’t have a robust sign language. The human MC is a linguist, & spends a decent chunk of time learning how to communicate with Cook specifically. I appreciate the h*ck out of that.
The human MC has a decent amount of trauma, which manifests mostly in night terrors. This trauma does inform many of this character’s early decisions.
Worth my time?
At almost 8 hours’ read time for me, this is a moderately hefty book! There was only one section that really disappointed me, but Alexis managed to wrap it up beautifully.
I don’t understand how the alien MC can simultaneously wax poetical about the human MC’s diplomacy skills, & still shut the human out of discussions where those skills could best be put to work.
You’ll absolutely understand what I mean when you get there.
Re-read?
This series is now complete, & many of the wrapping up elements have me deeply intrigued about the other books. I’d love an excuse to read the whole trilogy, giving me deeper understanding of the characters by the time I get back to this one.
So yeah, the short answer would be “H*ck yeah!”
Recommend?
Oh h*ck yeah, I’d absolutely recommend this to all my nerdy smut-devouring friends.
Particularly because avian aliens are so rare, & Alexis has written these people so beautifully.
July 3, 2023
I received an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I gotta admit, I was real curious how Osborne was going to finish off the trilogy with the Avian race after describing them as beaked and taloned with eyes on opposite sides of their heads. However it appears that every monster fucker has their limit lmao. The male love interest of this book is more humanoid than the others because of the specific family he's from .
This book had a very different vibe from the others because most of the story takes place on a pirate ship that's described as a dead ringer for the RLS Legacy from Treasure Planet (which is honestly one of my favorite films so points for style!). It's an old fashioned double masted sailing ship that has some sort of high tech shield around it so the whole ship has artificial gravity and the open air top deck has atmosphere but you're just walking around on deck under the blackness of space.
This lends the third book in the Outer Limits series more of a historical swashbuckling feel, rather than the high tech futuristic aliens in space vibe of the previous books. I'm not mad about it but it did feel like a tonal shift from the first two books.
I'm a huge fan of pirates and pirate fiction, so I loved the way this book melded those tropes and details with the aliens in space setting. I'm a sucker for found family, fake dating, and a light enemies to lovers. Plus the 'kidnapped from the kidnappers' is always a good time. I also liked the fact that since Delilah is a linguist, she refuses a universal translator implant and picks up a new language on her own. The mute cook was one of my favorite characters and the way he and Delilah forge a friendship gave me oodles of warm fuzzies.
I gotta admit, I was real curious how Osborne was going to finish off the trilogy with the Avian race after describing them as beaked and taloned with eyes on opposite sides of their heads. However it appears that every monster fucker has their limit lmao. The male love interest of this book is more humanoid than the others because of the specific family he's from .
This book had a very different vibe from the others because most of the story takes place on a pirate ship that's described as a dead ringer for the RLS Legacy from Treasure Planet (which is honestly one of my favorite films so points for style!). It's an old fashioned double masted sailing ship that has some sort of high tech shield around it so the whole ship has artificial gravity and the open air top deck has atmosphere but you're just walking around on deck under the blackness of space.
This lends the third book in the Outer Limits series more of a historical swashbuckling feel, rather than the high tech futuristic aliens in space vibe of the previous books. I'm not mad about it but it did feel like a tonal shift from the first two books.
I'm a huge fan of pirates and pirate fiction, so I loved the way this book melded those tropes and details with the aliens in space setting. I'm a sucker for found family, fake dating, and a light enemies to lovers. Plus the 'kidnapped from the kidnappers' is always a good time. I also liked the fact that since Delilah is a linguist, she refuses a universal translator implant and picks up a new language on her own. The mute cook was one of my favorite characters and the way he and Delilah forge a friendship gave me oodles of warm fuzzies.
Read
April 25, 2024This is the first alien book I have read by Alexis and I knew I would love it due to how much I loved her Heatverse books. I went in totally blind having not read the first 2 in this series and it absolutely held it's own as a standalone.
I was pleasantly surprised that this had a very Treasure Planet sort of feel and that definitely made me love it that much more. When it comes to books I am almost never impressed by, nor do I find love for pirate stories. This one is definitely had me in a chokehold.
Initially the pacing felt a bit slow but it didn't take long to pick up and it is actually very important to the story overall. The romance itself was a slow burn which I am usually not that into but this one really delves into their perspectives as they work through their developments both individually and as a couple.
Delilah wrestles with some very valid concerns about her situation and her developing feelings for Lucien as he never attempts to hide his violence from her while simultaneously never directing at her. Lucien struggles with his feelings for Delilah knowing he is keeping her against her will and falling for her. He's very conscious of the fact he is toeing a fine line between rescuer and captor.
This book like her others has a fantastic flow from plot to spice. It flows so naturally in the story and segues smoothly every time and like her other work the spice is HOT.
As a zoology nerd I really loved the very birdlike traits the Diggi had as people and as a society. They have a love for bright shiny things and as a people it's reflected in their culture being built on the principle of those who can, take.
I was pleasantly surprised that this had a very Treasure Planet sort of feel and that definitely made me love it that much more. When it comes to books I am almost never impressed by, nor do I find love for pirate stories. This one is definitely had me in a chokehold.
Initially the pacing felt a bit slow but it didn't take long to pick up and it is actually very important to the story overall. The romance itself was a slow burn which I am usually not that into but this one really delves into their perspectives as they work through their developments both individually and as a couple.
Delilah wrestles with some very valid concerns about her situation and her developing feelings for Lucien as he never attempts to hide his violence from her while simultaneously never directing at her. Lucien struggles with his feelings for Delilah knowing he is keeping her against her will and falling for her. He's very conscious of the fact he is toeing a fine line between rescuer and captor.
This book like her others has a fantastic flow from plot to spice. It flows so naturally in the story and segues smoothly every time and like her other work the spice is HOT.
As a zoology nerd I really loved the very birdlike traits the Diggi had as people and as a society. They have a love for bright shiny things and as a people it's reflected in their culture being built on the principle of those who can, take.
June 26, 2023
First off, I reallly enjoyed this book!
When I got my ARC copy of Interpreting Fate, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to follow along since I haven’t read the first two books in the Outer Limits Quadrant series, but while it’s recommend to read in order, you don’t have to so I was easily able to follow along with the story!
I’ve read quite a few alien romance books, but this was the first avian romance that I’ve read so I was very intrigued about how the story would go. I was not disappointed! I enjoyed watching Delilah (mfc) over come her challenges as they came at her, especially the huge one that was the language barrier. I liked that she had a quick wit and always tried to be nice and fair with everyone. I also loved the banter that she had with Lucien (mmc). I honestly fell for Lucien when I read his first couple chapters. I loved the way he was portrayed as a pirate captain, but also had a soft side (that was reserved for Delilah after he took her).
Interpreting Fate had Lucien and Delilah making a lot of big changes, and I was happy to see them work through them together. Especially closer to the end of the book when Lucien made a huge choice 😉. I loved that this book had a decent mix of action and story telling, and nice helping of spice 🥵🔥. I also really enjoyed the supporting characters as well (Drutus was pretty funny). Alexis did a great job writing this book, and I very much enjoyed the character development for Lucien and Delilah. I would most definitely recommend this book to others! 10/10
When I got my ARC copy of Interpreting Fate, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to follow along since I haven’t read the first two books in the Outer Limits Quadrant series, but while it’s recommend to read in order, you don’t have to so I was easily able to follow along with the story!
I’ve read quite a few alien romance books, but this was the first avian romance that I’ve read so I was very intrigued about how the story would go. I was not disappointed! I enjoyed watching Delilah (mfc) over come her challenges as they came at her, especially the huge one that was the language barrier. I liked that she had a quick wit and always tried to be nice and fair with everyone. I also loved the banter that she had with Lucien (mmc). I honestly fell for Lucien when I read his first couple chapters. I loved the way he was portrayed as a pirate captain, but also had a soft side (that was reserved for Delilah after he took her).
Interpreting Fate had Lucien and Delilah making a lot of big changes, and I was happy to see them work through them together. Especially closer to the end of the book when Lucien made a huge choice 😉. I loved that this book had a decent mix of action and story telling, and nice helping of spice 🥵🔥. I also really enjoyed the supporting characters as well (Drutus was pretty funny). Alexis did a great job writing this book, and I very much enjoyed the character development for Lucien and Delilah. I would most definitely recommend this book to others! 10/10
June 30, 2023
Interpreting Fate by Alexis B. Osborne is the third book in the Outer Limits Quadrant series. We've got pirate birdmen, a mess of a human, and a romp to overthrow a prince.
🏴☠️
The Pirate's Life vibes in this book were so much fun! It felt like the perfect summertime read, and I kept forgetting that I was reading about aliens, lol. The Diggi are an interesting race. Birdmen who are very particular, pretty brutal, and not used to soft demanding humans like Delilah. Lucien isn't so easy either. He's fussy, brutal, and very territorial about his personal things. He loves the finer things in life and dresses like a drag queen on vacation. He and Delilah butt heads a lot, and most of the time, it didn't seem like they even liked each other, even when the spice started to pick up. But eventually, the close proximity, harrowing adventures, and learning each other's languages brought the two together.
💰
Once Lucien and Delilah decide to work together to keep her safe from those who would use her to start a war, sparks FLY! Sěxy training, light ĆÑĈ, reenacting spicy book scenes, soooooo much dirty talk, and TWO SPIRALING PĖĖNS! Lucien is *packing*.
🤣
Besides the high heat , there are awesome found family shenanigans, booby trapped caves, and a questionable tentacled figurehead. It was a long story, but you really needed the time with these characters to build trust and work towards their goal of a better life for their people. I had lots of fun even though I missed the entertainment of the first book. Also, one gripe. Delilah did NOT need to whine that long and hard about babies. She didn't even want them until she saw that the other humans had them. That section turned her into a brat, and not the fun kind, and she lost points in my eyes. But you know me, I'll always be grumpy about baby stuff. 🤷🏽♀️
🩵
So many thanks to the author for the ARC opportunity. Tomorrow is release day and ,ou guys really don't want to miss Lucien and his Sunshine.
🏴☠️
The Pirate's Life vibes in this book were so much fun! It felt like the perfect summertime read, and I kept forgetting that I was reading about aliens, lol. The Diggi are an interesting race. Birdmen who are very particular, pretty brutal, and not used to soft demanding humans like Delilah. Lucien isn't so easy either. He's fussy, brutal, and very territorial about his personal things. He loves the finer things in life and dresses like a drag queen on vacation. He and Delilah butt heads a lot, and most of the time, it didn't seem like they even liked each other, even when the spice started to pick up. But eventually, the close proximity, harrowing adventures, and learning each other's languages brought the two together.
💰
Once Lucien and Delilah decide to work together to keep her safe from those who would use her to start a war, sparks FLY! Sěxy training, light ĆÑĈ, reenacting spicy book scenes, soooooo much dirty talk, and TWO SPIRALING PĖĖNS! Lucien is *packing*.
🤣
Besides the high heat , there are awesome found family shenanigans, booby trapped caves, and a questionable tentacled figurehead. It was a long story, but you really needed the time with these characters to build trust and work towards their goal of a better life for their people. I had lots of fun even though I missed the entertainment of the first book. Also, one gripe. Delilah did NOT need to whine that long and hard about babies. She didn't even want them until she saw that the other humans had them. That section turned her into a brat, and not the fun kind, and she lost points in my eyes. But you know me, I'll always be grumpy about baby stuff. 🤷🏽♀️
🩵
So many thanks to the author for the ARC opportunity. Tomorrow is release day and ,ou guys really don't want to miss Lucien and his Sunshine.
July 1, 2023
4.5 stars. Delilah, the female human lead, has been betrayed by her supposed colleague/friend and trafficked to bird aliens. When Lucien, the alien birdman male lead, rescues her with his pirate crew, she’s sure she can’t trust him.
Lucien is a prince in exile so his older brother doesn’t kill him. He never wanted to be king but his brother is doing an astonishingly poor job of it and they’re nearly at war with the two other sentient species in their sector of space. Delilah convinces him that he can do something about the situation and, wanting to keep her safe, Lucien starts to work on overthrowing his brother.
If he succeeds, he still needs to keep Delilah and achieve their overarching goals for his people. And Delilah wants to see her remaining colleagues/friends again, even though they’re associated with the theoretical enemy species…
This EXTRA LONG story is dual POV, well written, and an extremely complex, detailed, political, erotic romance. I enjoyed Delilah’s personal development and her change over time, as she refused to accept being a victim or target. I enjoyed Lucien’s growing awareness that he not only had the capacity to enact change but the responsibility to. I enjoyed their erotic intimate scenes and the exploration they both engaged in. I enjoyed the evolution of their relationship and the challenges they worked through. I enjoyed the erratic nature of Lucien’s choices. I enjoyed the ending for all characters across the three stories in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lucien is a prince in exile so his older brother doesn’t kill him. He never wanted to be king but his brother is doing an astonishingly poor job of it and they’re nearly at war with the two other sentient species in their sector of space. Delilah convinces him that he can do something about the situation and, wanting to keep her safe, Lucien starts to work on overthrowing his brother.
If he succeeds, he still needs to keep Delilah and achieve their overarching goals for his people. And Delilah wants to see her remaining colleagues/friends again, even though they’re associated with the theoretical enemy species…
This EXTRA LONG story is dual POV, well written, and an extremely complex, detailed, political, erotic romance. I enjoyed Delilah’s personal development and her change over time, as she refused to accept being a victim or target. I enjoyed Lucien’s growing awareness that he not only had the capacity to enact change but the responsibility to. I enjoyed their erotic intimate scenes and the exploration they both engaged in. I enjoyed the evolution of their relationship and the challenges they worked through. I enjoyed the erratic nature of Lucien’s choices. I enjoyed the ending for all characters across the three stories in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 7, 2023
This is this first time I have ever DNFed one of her books (made it to 60%). WTF happened???? The first two books in this series were a breath of fresh air. Competent FMCs, complex and believable political plots, etc. This one has a space pirate with a heart of gold who is a secret prince. The FMC tries to escape the aliens (who saved her from then horrible conditions she was being kept in) by running into an alien jungle at night with no shoes on.
The secret-pirate-prince, despite trading all over the galaxy and literally living with pirates his entire life, doesn't know anything about sex and doesn't realize it isn't normal to sleep with the FMC in his bed or take baths with her. He refuses to have any sexual contact with anyone because he's worried about having kids (apparently oral sex wasn't something on his pirate sex-ed curriculum)
She spent the entire last book aware that the aliens all want access to the nano healing tech in her blood, but is the only person in the book series who can't figure out what the aliens want her for all of a sudden.
In the other books the FMC's learned to adapt to the aliens appearances. Most of the MMC's species have the faces of birds but he happens to have super handsome human face.
This isn't even touching on the ridiculously on-the-nose pirate references (Blackfeather's treasure instead of Blackbird ffs).
Did someone else steal her pen name????? I'll say it again: WTF happened???????
The secret-pirate-prince, despite trading all over the galaxy and literally living with pirates his entire life, doesn't know anything about sex and doesn't realize it isn't normal to sleep with the FMC in his bed or take baths with her. He refuses to have any sexual contact with anyone because he's worried about having kids (apparently oral sex wasn't something on his pirate sex-ed curriculum)
She spent the entire last book aware that the aliens all want access to the nano healing tech in her blood, but is the only person in the book series who can't figure out what the aliens want her for all of a sudden.
In the other books the FMC's learned to adapt to the aliens appearances. Most of the MMC's species have the faces of birds but he happens to have super handsome human face.
This isn't even touching on the ridiculously on-the-nose pirate references (Blackfeather's treasure instead of Blackbird ffs).
Did someone else steal her pen name????? I'll say it again: WTF happened???????
June 29, 2023
Interpreting Fate is a richly detailed and imagined third book of the Outer Limits Quadrant series with storyline aspects that do carry over from the previous books but itself can be read as a standalone.
When MFC Delilah finds herself in a precarious position after someone she has trusted does the unthinkable by selling her to alien traffickers fate thankfully steps in to provide a rescue from a source she could hardly have imagined as the arrival of MMC pirate Captain Lucien and his crew of miscreants proceed to kidnap her from the kidnappers which will also test her linguist abilities as she strives to communicate with what she hopes are her new found saviors?
Between the alien political machinations, language barriers, mystery, and slow-burn romance I found an amazing Sci-Fi action-adventure which was artfully written, introduced a cadre of vibrant characters and whose world building was beyond impressive.
The reader should not be daunted by the length of this book because the story will keep you so immersed in it the pages will fly by and those are the books, I enjoy the most and made Interpreting Fate my new FAVORITE of the series which will be re-read again, often.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When MFC Delilah finds herself in a precarious position after someone she has trusted does the unthinkable by selling her to alien traffickers fate thankfully steps in to provide a rescue from a source she could hardly have imagined as the arrival of MMC pirate Captain Lucien and his crew of miscreants proceed to kidnap her from the kidnappers which will also test her linguist abilities as she strives to communicate with what she hopes are her new found saviors?
Between the alien political machinations, language barriers, mystery, and slow-burn romance I found an amazing Sci-Fi action-adventure which was artfully written, introduced a cadre of vibrant characters and whose world building was beyond impressive.
The reader should not be daunted by the length of this book because the story will keep you so immersed in it the pages will fly by and those are the books, I enjoy the most and made Interpreting Fate my new FAVORITE of the series which will be re-read again, often.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 23, 2023
I am reviewing this as a ARC reader. I found this book to be a great addition to the Outer Limits Quadrant series. I normally speed read but I took this book and paced it. I read it over 4 days, highly unusual for my normal style but the story was great and I did not want it to end.
To start off, I love this series. This book is great at world building and excellent pacing. Spice level is high with a pleasant surprise of breath play kink tossed in just a smidge.
The main heroine, Delilah, is a strong female lead without the stupid reckless decisions made in a lot of other human/alien romance books you see today. I felt the writing was excellent, especially with the internal conflict and thought processes. The ending was a pleasant surprise that I did not foresee.
The hero of the story is an excellent blend of the best parts of a hero and a villain. He shows great character growth throughout the book. Delilah also showed character growth, however, I felt his was more profound.
At the end of the story the biggest takeaway is: "What is most important to you and what would you sacrifice to keep it?"
To start off, I love this series. This book is great at world building and excellent pacing. Spice level is high with a pleasant surprise of breath play kink tossed in just a smidge.
The main heroine, Delilah, is a strong female lead without the stupid reckless decisions made in a lot of other human/alien romance books you see today. I felt the writing was excellent, especially with the internal conflict and thought processes. The ending was a pleasant surprise that I did not foresee.
The hero of the story is an excellent blend of the best parts of a hero and a villain. He shows great character growth throughout the book. Delilah also showed character growth, however, I felt his was more profound.
At the end of the story the biggest takeaway is: "What is most important to you and what would you sacrifice to keep it?"
June 22, 2023
I loved the third book in the series, it’s a continuation from the second book. Doctoring Fate, which is always good. I loved the characters in this story, I really felt for Delilah and how she was betrayed by her supposed friend Gunner. Do you Lila was fantastic in how she reacts when she is taken from the Pirates who acquisitioned her. I really enjoyed her interaction with Lucien. I thought that he was a strong character, he wasn’t afraid to show her who was the boss, and I really thought that he had a really soft spot for Delilah. I absolutely loved the way. She was with the rest of the Pirates, and how she pulled them in and took them in hand, and how she won them over. I thought the story to be really exciting and easy to follow, and the story flowed very well and was engaging. I find that with any book that I am totally engaged in, I wanted to keep going on. The book was great!
I was given an advanced copy of this book to read and I am reviewing with my honest and fair opinion.
I was given an advanced copy of this book to read and I am reviewing with my honest and fair opinion.
June 27, 2023
Love, love, LOVE this series! When I finished Doctoring Fate last year, I was so upset to learn that I'd have to wait MONTHS for the thrilling conclusion of what happens with our third human woman in the OLQ#3 series. I was ecstatic to be able to read this book a bit early, for free. :D
If you've ever dreamed of becoming a space pirate or loved Treasure Planet, you will have such a fun time with this book. I really enjoyed the blending of "traditional" pirate tropes with scifi updates--plus with a handsome Pirate King to boot! I'm not a huge fan of instalove plots, so I really savored that ABO took the time to build the relationship between Delilah and Lucien in what felt like a natural progression and pace.
While you could read this as a standalone--the author does a thorough job of bringing the reader up to speed on the events that take place at the close of the last book--I'd recommend at least reading Doctoring Fate for a bit more context on the situation and stakes of the main plot. It makes the final page that much more rewarding!
If you've ever dreamed of becoming a space pirate or loved Treasure Planet, you will have such a fun time with this book. I really enjoyed the blending of "traditional" pirate tropes with scifi updates--plus with a handsome Pirate King to boot! I'm not a huge fan of instalove plots, so I really savored that ABO took the time to build the relationship between Delilah and Lucien in what felt like a natural progression and pace.
While you could read this as a standalone--the author does a thorough job of bringing the reader up to speed on the events that take place at the close of the last book--I'd recommend at least reading Doctoring Fate for a bit more context on the situation and stakes of the main plot. It makes the final page that much more rewarding!
May 22, 2024
A Linguist And A Pirate Prince
I didn’t read the first two books in this series and after the first few chapters, that gives enough of a background to know where we’re at, the story takes off on its own.
Delilah thinks she is ‘just’ a linguist, not realizing what a strong person she is underneath it all. It takes somebody else to hold the mirror and tell her. Even with all the natural problems while not having the same language to communicate, Lucien sees her in all her glory. Did he rescue her (as he sees it) or is he another captor (as she sees it). It takes a while for the mutual feelings to grow and acknowledge and then they develop into some steamy and kinky bedroom scenes.
The interaction between the two is fun and sweet, and the way Delilah works her way into the good graces of the crew is very heart warming. The world building and political part of the story is well written and very realistic, even with all the strange aliens living in this quadrant. Really enjoyed this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I didn’t read the first two books in this series and after the first few chapters, that gives enough of a background to know where we’re at, the story takes off on its own.
Delilah thinks she is ‘just’ a linguist, not realizing what a strong person she is underneath it all. It takes somebody else to hold the mirror and tell her. Even with all the natural problems while not having the same language to communicate, Lucien sees her in all her glory. Did he rescue her (as he sees it) or is he another captor (as she sees it). It takes a while for the mutual feelings to grow and acknowledge and then they develop into some steamy and kinky bedroom scenes.
The interaction between the two is fun and sweet, and the way Delilah works her way into the good graces of the crew is very heart warming. The world building and political part of the story is well written and very realistic, even with all the strange aliens living in this quadrant. Really enjoyed this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 2, 2023
First time reading this series and I'm completely invested in continuing it. Now I highly recommend reading book 1 and 2 first if you haven't already. I started this book and ended up stopping to pick up the other books first. So much is going on and you'll be confused in the beginning.
Delilah is a human and she's been betrayed by someone she once considered friend. Trafficked she comes into Lucien and his band of pirates hands. What starts as being held captive turns to something more. With a possible intergalactic war looming and Lucien no longer running from his past there's plenty of action.
I keep forgetting how much I like alien romance and this one is going down as a favorite. It's a bit of a slow burn at the beginning between the main characters but oh my when they give in 🥵. Plus there's some fancy 🍆 action. I absolutely loved Lucien and Delilah's story. I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series!
Delilah is a human and she's been betrayed by someone she once considered friend. Trafficked she comes into Lucien and his band of pirates hands. What starts as being held captive turns to something more. With a possible intergalactic war looming and Lucien no longer running from his past there's plenty of action.
I keep forgetting how much I like alien romance and this one is going down as a favorite. It's a bit of a slow burn at the beginning between the main characters but oh my when they give in 🥵. Plus there's some fancy 🍆 action. I absolutely loved Lucien and Delilah's story. I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series!
July 5, 2023
While I am so sad that this trilogy is over, this book was an incredibly satisfying ending to the series! There was so much whimsy with the bird-like space pirates and the deep world building and plot that I expect from Osbourne as a writer.
Lucian was definitely my favorite reluctant hero of the trilogy. He gave off big “Wizard Howl” energy and I loved every page he was on. I thought the character development for both him and Delilah was well thought out and I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold.
I would classify this book as a medium burn and a 3/5 on the spicy scale.
I felt plot wise every loose end for both the book and series was tied up nicely. I am looking forward to more Four Quadrant books from Osborne and would love to see her revisit this side of the universe someday in the future. She will continue to be a one-click author for me!
Lucian was definitely my favorite reluctant hero of the trilogy. He gave off big “Wizard Howl” energy and I loved every page he was on. I thought the character development for both him and Delilah was well thought out and I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold.
I would classify this book as a medium burn and a 3/5 on the spicy scale.
I felt plot wise every loose end for both the book and series was tied up nicely. I am looking forward to more Four Quadrant books from Osborne and would love to see her revisit this side of the universe someday in the future. She will continue to be a one-click author for me!
July 12, 2023
2.5 stars (It's not you, it's me)
I enjoyed it much better than Doctoring Fate but not nearly as much as Engineering Fate and I think my expectations were a little high. I was really looking for an amazing redemption book from the mess of the last one. I liked Lucien and it was nice having a sexually inexperienced male character for once. Language barriers are often difficult to write and still tell a productive story, but Ms. Osborne does it well.
I enjoyed it much better than Doctoring Fate but not nearly as much as Engineering Fate and I think my expectations were a little high. I was really looking for an amazing redemption book from the mess of the last one. I liked Lucien and it was nice having a sexually inexperienced male character for once. Language barriers are often difficult to write and still tell a productive story, but Ms. Osborne does it well.
July 14, 2023
This is part of a series, and while I think it can stand alone, especially in terms of relationship development, there’s context to be gained and closure to be found in having read previous installments. I’ll give props to the author here for creating interesting characters and letting them shine: I liked Delilah’s strength and Lucien’s general…everything. The premise is creative, the personalities are vividly drawn and while the plot had, for me, some challenges, it was for the most part engrossing and easy to get caught up in. I liked that, when given the chance, characters stayed true to themselves while still allowing themselves to stretch/grow. The stakes are high, there’s action, intrigue, romance, and more all carefully interlaced to make for a generally compelling read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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