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The Hallans #1
Zawla
Every Hallan has their fate, but where Bothaki least expects to find his is on a planet he’s never even seen or heard of.
When a meteor storm throws his ship off course, he’s forced to land on a planet of blue and green. His hopes that the strange land is uninhabited are dashed when its people take him hostage, but his thoughts of breaking free begin to change when he finds the woman he’s waited a lifetime for just outside his cell.
Selina has always waited for opportune times to sneak into her father’s library and steal away the books she’s not permitted to read under Earth’s new law. This trip will be unlike any other. Beyond the books, she finds an imprisoned alien. She can’t take her eyes away from him, because his eyes look at her like she belongs with him.
Or to him.
*
ZAWLA is book one in THE HALLANS series featuring a HEA, and no cliffhanger. TW for violence, torture, etc.
When a meteor storm throws his ship off course, he’s forced to land on a planet of blue and green. His hopes that the strange land is uninhabited are dashed when its people take him hostage, but his thoughts of breaking free begin to change when he finds the woman he’s waited a lifetime for just outside his cell.
Selina has always waited for opportune times to sneak into her father’s library and steal away the books she’s not permitted to read under Earth’s new law. This trip will be unlike any other. Beyond the books, she finds an imprisoned alien. She can’t take her eyes away from him, because his eyes look at her like she belongs with him.
Or to him.
*
ZAWLA is book one in THE HALLANS series featuring a HEA, and no cliffhanger. TW for violence, torture, etc.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2022
25 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 2, 2022
4.25 stars
This was beyond of what i was hoping for.
I don't usually read alien romance but I inherently trust BK to deliver beautiful and well crafted stories and she never dissapoints me.
I love the world building. I understood the differences and didn't felt lost while trying to understand Bo. I actually loved the new language and when we met his world I was obsessed with it.
I liked the romance too. The built-up felt real and I was rooting for them from start to finish.
This was amazing. The little action we had was nerve-wracking and kept me at the edge of my seat. So good.
Overall this was a fantastic starter for the series.
Can't wait to read more!
This was beyond of what i was hoping for.
I don't usually read alien romance but I inherently trust BK to deliver beautiful and well crafted stories and she never dissapoints me.
I love the world building. I understood the differences and didn't felt lost while trying to understand Bo. I actually loved the new language and when we met his world I was obsessed with it.
I liked the romance too. The built-up felt real and I was rooting for them from start to finish.
This was amazing. The little action we had was nerve-wracking and kept me at the edge of my seat. So good.
Overall this was a fantastic starter for the series.
Can't wait to read more!
September 29, 2022
'Puedo sentir la forma en que él me ha anhelado, y eso me hace sonreír. Que alguien pueda quererme tanto. Que podría sentirse tan incompleto sin mí. Yo. Un alma que ni siquiera conocía'.
•Mi opinión puede contener Spoilers.
•Esta destinada a ser un descargo personal no para que alguien más lea pero si lo haces y te ofende, me disculpo porque sé lo que es que te guste un libro y otros lo critiquen.
Zawla de Ava Mona Bethany-Kris serie Hallans libro 1
Argumento:
Cada Hallan tiene su destino, pero donde Bothaki menos espera encontrar el suyo es en un planeta del que nunca ha visto ni oído hablar.
Cuando una tormenta de meteoritos desvía su nave, se ve obligado a aterrizar en un planeta azul y verde.
Sus esperanzas de que la tierra extraña esté deshabitada se desvanecen cuando su gente lo toma como rehén, pero sus pensamientos de liberarse comienzan a cambiar cuando encuentra a la mujer por la que ha esperado toda su vida justo afuera de su celda.
Selina siempre ha esperado el momento oportuno para colarse en la biblioteca de su padre y robar los libros que no tiene permitido leer según la nueva ley de la Tierra. Este viaje será como ningún otro. Más allá de los libros, encuentra a un extraterrestre encarcelado. Ella no puede apartar los ojos de él, porque sus ojos la miran como si ella perteneciera a él.
O a él.
Mi humilde opinión:
Como señala el título, Zawla, que significa pareja destinada, es una historia de amor sobre un Hallan, un alien, encontrando a su destinada, una humana, en un planeta tierra oprimido.
La historia empezó fuerte y con impacto. El héroe, Bothaki, es un alien que viene de un planeta llamado Hallalah y tiene que hacer un aterrizaje forzado en la tierra, un planeta completamente opuesto al suyo. Aquí encuentra solo hostilidad. Las personas que asumieron el poder crearon El Nuevo Orden que controla la vida de la gente con mano dura.
El general Lockett recibe a Bothaki con un grupo de soldados y lo encierra en una prisión para sacarle información sobre su origen y hacer experimentos con él. Pero Bothaki no hablará con el general y activa un traje especial que le impide tomar muestras de su cuerpo. En la celda esperando a que los suyos reciban la señal de auxilio y lo rescaten, conoce a Selina, la hija del general. Que resulta ser la mujer que ha buscado toda su vida, su destinada tiene un ojo verde y el otro azul, así como se predijo cuando él nació. La conexión es inmediata y mientras más tiempo pasa sin que llegue el rescate, más peligro corre no solo él sino también Selina. Su padre es capaz de cualquier cosa por obtener lo que quiere y quiere respuestas por parte de Bothaki que no está dispuesto a dar a menos que averigüe que su única debilidad es su hija.
Hay tanta tensión y peligro al comienzo de la historia. Odiaba al general por maltratar verbal y físicamente a Selina cuando hacía algo que no le gustaba, por apartarla de su madre. Fue horrible que encerrara a su madre en un hospital para torturarla luego de intentar escaparse de él. Su maldad no tenía límites. Quería llorar cuando obligó a Bothaki a quitarse el traje. Podía sentir la desesperación de Selina cuando lo torturaban. Fue difícil de leer la parte de la tortura. No podía culpar a Selina por lo que pasó después. No lamenté lo que pasó con el padre. Ella estaba defendiendo a su pareja.
Esperé algo de acción cuando aparece el hermano mayor de Bothaki, Halun, que llegó al rescate con un ejército al mejor estilo vikingo exigiendo que liberen a su hermano. Yo creí que iba a haber un enfrentamiento cuando los soldados del Nuevo Orden pedían que entreguen a Selina para castigarla pero no. Halun se queda en la tierra para negociar con los humanos. Ya que podría haber mujeres destinadas a Hallans allí.
Después la historia pierde intensidad, se vuelve más tranquila cuando Bothaki lleva a Selina a conocer a su familia en Hallalah.
Me gustaron los Hallans y su planeta. Estaba tan bien detallado que lo podía ver en mí cabeza. Hallalah es prácticamente un mundo perfecto, sin contaminación, con riqueza y tecnología avanzada. Los Hallans es gente adorable, viven feliz y en paz. Las mujeres, que no son muchas, son reverenciadas. Las Mina, son las primeras nacidas, las más viejas, y tienen como un don. Ayudan a nacer a todos los bebés en un tipo de ceremonia que se llama Crista y ellas anuncian a sus parejas destinadas. Así como dijeron a Bothaki que la suya tendría un ojo de cada color. Los Hallans tienen cada uno tatuajes en el cuerpo y en sus frentes su símbolo familiar, cada familia se puede comunicar por medio del tacto pasándose pensamientos y recuerdos. Bothaki tiene una medialuna y su familia es realeza en Hallalah.
Me gustó todo el tour por el planeta y pensé que sería increíble montar un Kahla! Fue lindo ver a la pareja instalarse en su casa súper enamorada después del infierno que pasaron juntos. Bothaki y Selina fueron una pareja dulce desde el primer momento en que se ven y, madre mía, también apasionados! Yo no sé Selina pero a mí me volvería loca tener que ver todo decorado color verde y azul! Aprecio el detalle romántico de Bo pero fue un poquito mucho!
El nacimiento de Fate fue hermoso y me gustó el detalle de los ojos. Me pregunto cómo encontrará a su destinado, su padre la tuvo fácil pero el de ella es descifrar una adivinanza!
En general disfruté este libro, me parece un buen inicio de serie con una buena contrucción del mundo. Estoy esperando leer intrigadísima el libro de Halun.
August 22, 2023
This was a surprise book for me. I purchased it free 9 months ago and not from a recommendation from anyone. It's surprisingly good. I love the concept and the prose is solid. Just a few nit picks.
Some of the paragraphs and lines of dialogue didn't make sense to me.
The climax of the book happened at 50%. So I spent half the book bracing for something horrible to happen and it just…didn't.
The romance was really, really, really rushed. They're fated mates and they both feel it, so I understand that. But it wasn't just the attraction that was instant. They were instantly in love which made me feel a bit cheated.
Selina's transformation from oppressed victim to joyful citizen was also rushed and easy.
That said, this book sucked me in from the start and any real life interruptions made me very angry.
The story starts with our alien MMC, Bo, needing to find a place to set down his ship before its fuel is exhausted. As he approaches Earth, he gets quite the welcome. They send their hottest ambassadors - missile 1 and missile 2.
He is able to send a call for help before he crashes and is captured. So he figures all he has to do is stay alive until they come. Meanwhile, he's kept prisoner by a general of the New Order which is exactly what it sounds like. This is one peach of a planet. The environment was destroyed long ago and the New Order brought order to the world. As in, oppressing everyone, especially women.
So we have Bo being kept prisoner by this a hole general who has career ambitions. And we have the general's daughter who is regularly beaten by him and threatened to be sent to the sanitarium where her mother resides…being beaten and tortured.
The two meet when she sneaks down to the forbidden library. And it's love at first sight. They only meet alone 2 times until she's caught. And Daddy is not pleased.
When all is said and done, general A. Hole is able to get Bo to cooperate with his own vivisection by holding a gun…to Selina's head. Smart man. A lot of torture happens causing permanent disabilities to our hero, all on page and fairly graphic.
In the end, Selina saves the day, gets her revenge and gets off this crap ass planet with her sugar bear. Lots of lovin' ensues. She meets the family and has a great life.
But, see, Bo isn't just a pilot. He's a prince. And his brother, the heir to the throne showed up to retrieve his brother with an enormous army (for reasons that are believable, but I won't go into here). And brother, is brother pissed off. And since they tortured his brother and oppress females, who should be revered, they ain't leavin' until this is rectified.
So we're left with the First Order story line to finish and a strange message that the brother/heir found his mate as well, only she is not keen on going with him and he kinda took her against her will.
I'm definitely reading the next book. Like, now.
Some of the paragraphs and lines of dialogue didn't make sense to me.
The climax of the book happened at 50%. So I spent half the book bracing for something horrible to happen and it just…didn't.
The romance was really, really, really rushed. They're fated mates and they both feel it, so I understand that. But it wasn't just the attraction that was instant. They were instantly in love which made me feel a bit cheated.
Selina's transformation from oppressed victim to joyful citizen was also rushed and easy.
That said, this book sucked me in from the start and any real life interruptions made me very angry.
The story starts with our alien MMC, Bo, needing to find a place to set down his ship before its fuel is exhausted. As he approaches Earth, he gets quite the welcome. They send their hottest ambassadors - missile 1 and missile 2.
He is able to send a call for help before he crashes and is captured. So he figures all he has to do is stay alive until they come. Meanwhile, he's kept prisoner by a general of the New Order which is exactly what it sounds like. This is one peach of a planet. The environment was destroyed long ago and the New Order brought order to the world. As in, oppressing everyone, especially women.
So we have Bo being kept prisoner by this a hole general who has career ambitions. And we have the general's daughter who is regularly beaten by him and threatened to be sent to the sanitarium where her mother resides…being beaten and tortured.
The two meet when she sneaks down to the forbidden library. And it's love at first sight. They only meet alone 2 times until she's caught. And Daddy is not pleased.
When all is said and done, general A. Hole is able to get Bo to cooperate with his own vivisection by holding a gun…to Selina's head. Smart man. A lot of torture happens causing permanent disabilities to our hero, all on page and fairly graphic.
In the end, Selina saves the day, gets her revenge and gets off this crap ass planet with her sugar bear. Lots of lovin' ensues. She meets the family and has a great life.
But, see, Bo isn't just a pilot. He's a prince. And his brother, the heir to the throne showed up to retrieve his brother with an enormous army (for reasons that are believable, but I won't go into here). And brother, is brother pissed off. And since they tortured his brother and oppress females, who should be revered, they ain't leavin' until this is rectified.
So we're left with the First Order story line to finish and a strange message that the brother/heir found his mate as well, only she is not keen on going with him and he kinda took her against her will.
I'm definitely reading the next book. Like, now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2022
Bothaki and Selina
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, humans have ruined earth and created a New Order. Ruled by men. Selina is the daughter of one of the important men. Her life was ruled by her father. Women aren’t allowed to read, or work, or speak to their husbands in any way other than obedience. They are nothing more that baby-makers and property.
Selena has one blue and one green eye, which was seen as a defect. He life was the same every day, no drive, no purpose.
Till she sees the alien in her basement.
Bothaki crash landed on earth. He hit a solar flare and was thrown off course. He must send out a signal before landing and wait for his people to come rescue him. Earth is a dying planet, a used and overused, unlike his beautiful home. While waiting for his rescue he comes across some not so pleasant beings. But he will bide his time.
While waiting, he seeing the one person he’s been waiting his whole life for… his Zawla. But what can he do when both of them are prisoners? He’s not sure yet, but he knows he will do anything to protect his mate.
Spoilers!!!!
Breeding!
Selina leaves earth willingly to go back to Hallalah to be with Bothaki. He is a prince and his family are welcoming.
The Hallan are beautifully people. They care for their planet, they don’t waste or abuse it. They’re caring to all their people. There is an hierarchy but everyone is cared for. No one is left without. It’s a matriarchal society.
The first women born is a Mina, a caretaker with certain abilities. And women are not born as often. The human women seem to be the answer to their declining women population.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, humans have ruined earth and created a New Order. Ruled by men. Selina is the daughter of one of the important men. Her life was ruled by her father. Women aren’t allowed to read, or work, or speak to their husbands in any way other than obedience. They are nothing more that baby-makers and property.
Selena has one blue and one green eye, which was seen as a defect. He life was the same every day, no drive, no purpose.
Till she sees the alien in her basement.
Bothaki crash landed on earth. He hit a solar flare and was thrown off course. He must send out a signal before landing and wait for his people to come rescue him. Earth is a dying planet, a used and overused, unlike his beautiful home. While waiting for his rescue he comes across some not so pleasant beings. But he will bide his time.
While waiting, he seeing the one person he’s been waiting his whole life for… his Zawla. But what can he do when both of them are prisoners? He’s not sure yet, but he knows he will do anything to protect his mate.
Spoilers!!!!
Breeding!
Selina leaves earth willingly to go back to Hallalah to be with Bothaki. He is a prince and his family are welcoming.
The Hallan are beautifully people. They care for their planet, they don’t waste or abuse it. They’re caring to all their people. There is an hierarchy but everyone is cared for. No one is left without. It’s a matriarchal society.
The first women born is a Mina, a caretaker with certain abilities. And women are not born as often. The human women seem to be the answer to their declining women population.
Read
June 29, 2024DNF at 42%. The premise for this was right up my alley but the execution wasn't what I expected.
For one thing, Bo (the MMC) and Selina (the FMC) immediately accepted that they were fated mates. I'm not into instalove but thought the setting (Bo is held prisoner in Selina's tyrant father's home) would allow the relationship to build slowly. Unfortunately they don't really try to get to know each other, or it's a case of "tell don't show" for the reader.
There's also a language barrier (Bo has a translator so he can understand the humans, but not vice versa). This is a trope I enjoy. However, I stopped reading when Bo was put in a tough position that he navigated by speaking perfectly conjugated sentences in English. He's been a prisoner for what, a couple of weeks at best? How'd he learn so much already?! It took me out of the story, how quickly the language issue was resolved.
For one thing, Bo (the MMC) and Selina (the FMC) immediately accepted that they were fated mates. I'm not into instalove but thought the setting (Bo is held prisoner in Selina's tyrant father's home) would allow the relationship to build slowly. Unfortunately they don't really try to get to know each other, or it's a case of "tell don't show" for the reader.
There's also a language barrier (Bo has a translator so he can understand the humans, but not vice versa). This is a trope I enjoy. However, I stopped reading when Bo was put in a tough position that he navigated by speaking perfectly conjugated sentences in English. He's been a prisoner for what, a couple of weeks at best? How'd he learn so much already?! It took me out of the story, how quickly the language issue was resolved.
January 11, 2023
Zawla: An Alien Romance (The Balkans Book 1)
Totally different and refreshing at the same time. Other being from planet Hallan meets human female after crash landing on earth. Bothaki (Bo) knows Selina is his Zawla (mate). I sorta cringed at the romance part. I mean, sex with an alien, ok?
An interesting storyline if you can follow the language guide presented in the beginning of this book.
1/10/2023.
Totally different and refreshing at the same time. Other being from planet Hallan meets human female after crash landing on earth. Bothaki (Bo) knows Selina is his Zawla (mate). I sorta cringed at the romance part. I mean, sex with an alien, ok?
An interesting storyline if you can follow the language guide presented in the beginning of this book.
1/10/2023.
December 29, 2022
Omg yes. Sign me up for more alien romances exactly like this!!
Loved the character driven story and all the fated mates angle. so so good.
Loved the character driven story and all the fated mates angle. so so good.
March 28, 2023
Such a fun and engaging alien romance!! I loved every moment. And excellent world building without it feeling an overwhelming info dump.
July 21, 2023
holy alien romance goodness!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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