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My name is Angel Ryan, a thirty-six-year-old assassin from California, and, as I soon discover, future queen to the four Pirate Kings of Nyxleia. Yeah, apparently a world full of sexy pirates actually exists. And according to the Sea Witch’s prophecy, me becoming their queen will save their seas from dying and islands from sinking. But all that save-the-world BS seems like a lot of work to me. So I tell them to f^ck off. I just want to go back to my life as an assassin and the eventual retirement plan of staying away from people. However, the four pirates don’t give me a choice. They have to teach me to submit and allow them to claim me together, or their kingdoms will fall. I should hate what they do to me. And yet, I can’t help but crave more. Although I still have no desire to become their queen, let alone be a hero. This is a dark "Why Choose?" (reverse harem) romance where Angel gets all four morally gray pirates and doesn’t have to pick one. Full of heat and "touch her and I'll unalive you" vibes. Detailed CWs are listed on the author’s website. Book One ends on a cliffhanger.

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2022

79 people are currently reading
366 people want to read

About the author

Minerva Kayden

2 books12 followers

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5 stars
73 (33%)
4 stars
62 (28%)
3 stars
50 (23%)
2 stars
24 (11%)
1 star
8 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Allison.
588 reviews18 followers
September 24, 2022
90% smut, 10% plot
2.5 Pirate Stars

What the fuck did I just read?
description

The good:
- Amazing sex scenes
- The smut is off the charts

The bad:
- The plot
- The writing
- The lack of character development
- The World building

I would suggest this reverse harem to someone who wants to read pure pirate smut and does not care about reading a book. The book really is mainly just sex scenes. The variety is there, which is great.
description

The author builds up consent for Non-consensual scenes.
Although it's the men I'd read about who still occasionally crept into my fantasies. No slightly swaying man with a friendly bird tattooed on his arm for me. No, I wanted one to pin me down and make me want him. Never holding back, no nice words, or attempts to be a shining white knight. Just such blazing lust that he had to have me, no matter what.

description

The world building is sparse, but the author smartly makes fun of how sparse it is, and how some things just don't make any fucking sense.

"By letting all four Pirate Kings fuck you at the same time. When we orgasm, our minimal powers will flow into you and merge with yours. That combined force will give you the power to repair the Blood Oath and reverse the fucking curse." The answer cut through my arousal. "What the fuck are you talking about? Like you have magical cum or something?"

description

But then again, this world had fucking krakens, moving islands, and supposedly powerful witches, so science might not be the answer to everything in Nyxleia.

description

I somehow could read Nyxleian too

description

Some super hot scenes:

His finger ran through my center, and I bit my lip to keep quiet. He said, "Don't. I want to hear you moans, and screams, and you losing your fucking mind, darling. I want zero doubt that you enjoy my touch."


He never stopped rubbing my clit with his textured ring, making me come and come until I was actually begging for him to stop.


The weirdest feeling was the soft, supple strap with metal running through my pussy and ass cheeks. Just moving pressed the metal against my clit and asshole, turning my blood hot and my cunt wet. Add in the pressure against my nipples—the straps running across my boobs were too tight even with the slackest setting—and...Although each stride out of the room into the next put pressure on all my most sensitive parts.


"Here's what I want from you to fulfill your vow: Fight me. Struggle. Try to kill me. Don't be meek and submissive, not until after I've fucked you. If I don't believe you're trying to flee and avoid me fucking you, then I'll ensure you wear this outfit for at least a day. I’ll tether your hands to the bed, ensuring you can’t touch yourself. Even worse, I'll keep you on edge, never letting you fall. Do you understand me?"


His grip tightened on me, and his hot breath tickled my ear. "You want me, you little whore. Look at all the honey running down your leg. You're begging for it, like the slut you are." He slapped my ass. And again.


Anyways- read it for a quick smutty pirate read that has so many holes in the plot that it's laughable. The sex was fun to read about and was super hot and the other parts were hilarious to read so overall, very enjoyable if not for the wrong reasons.
Profile Image for Taylor Hathcock.
540 reviews17 followers
September 20, 2022
Alright so this book has just about everything you could imagine: A female assassin, four hunky Pirate Kings, a Sea Witch, a prophecy, a curse and oh yeah spice. This one is for sure an 18+ read RH with spice basically as soon as the book starts. Arrival was a quick read for sure I finished it in less than a day and didn't even have to pull an all nighter to do so!
Arrival does not waste time in getting the story started by any means! It begins with our female main character, Angel, murdering another person. Turns out Angel is an assassin with morals who is full of all kinds of surprises. Yet, she's in for a surprise when she suddenly finds herself aboard a pirate ship with four Pirate Kings who claim she is important to their ability to break a curse on their world. Minerva Kayden tells the story from multiple points of view which is great because we get a real understanding of what each character is feeling and thinking. Kayden's characters are all well written and complex personalities with a backstory.
Naturally the story is heavy on the spice and like 95 percent of the book is focused on the smut but you can tell that an interesting plot is laying under it all. Kayden gives just enough information about the overall story to keep you guessing and invested in knowing what comes next. The last 5 percent of the book is when you really start to be introduced to the major plot of the story and then Kayden just drops a major cliffhanger and ends the book (literally my only complaint about this book). She introduces a huge plot point and then just leaves you with that scrap of information which clearly is going to change everything about the story.
So if you like pirates (who doesn't?), strong independent females, a lot of spice, and major cliffhangers... This should be added to your TBR pile for sure.
164 reviews
October 10, 2022
If you are looking for lots of spice, strong alpha males, pirates, some BDSM and reverse harem, then look no further. Lots to love about this great new series. There will be a cliff hanger so be warned, but that just means more to come in the next one. Love this author under her other pen names and can't wait to see where this series takes us.
Profile Image for Shannon Melrose.
63 reviews4 followers
November 7, 2022
I finished this book feeling like nothing happened? I’m all for short books that are pure smut, but like there’s a genuine attempt at a plot here (and a damn enticing one at that) but we’re left with no information on the blood oathe or how it broke, and absolutely ZERO information on any of the main characters except for their titles and sexual preferences.
Profile Image for chestercopperpot_reads.
572 reviews164 followers
November 18, 2022
actual 2.75

TW: dub-con, misogyny, CNC, captive
conversations relating to and/or mentions of: trafficking, SA, non-con, death of a family member, among others I may have missed

When Angel suddenly finds herself on a pirate ship being told by the four pirate kings holding her captive that she is the key to saving their Sea, she knows she has to try and find a way back to her own world. Angering them will only cause her pain and more trouble, but with that also comes desire.

This had an 80/20 ratio of spice to plot, so keep that in mind if that’s something you’re not into.

This is a why choose, time travel style dark romance where the Pirate Kings are more than morally grey and Angel is an assassin thrown into their world with a destiny she had no idea about.

At times, the writing was super choppy. All except for maybe one of the Kings was a tolerable love interest. Yes, this has darker themes on page but it almost felt like they were trying too hard lol. With Angel, it was a classic case of being betrayed by her body and her internal dialogue became annoying after a while.

This was only just okay. The idea was great and the execution could have been so much better, especially if the page count had been a little longer. I think actually establishing each of the MMCs personalities and showing more of a reluctance instead of acceptable would have made this really enjoyable.
Profile Image for Shawna Squire.
118 reviews5 followers
September 22, 2022
✨ Review: Arrival ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶

The content warning states, "This story also has explicit language, is extremely spicy/steamy, and most definitely isn't fade-to-black".  Ms. Minerva was NOT kidding!
 
This book was SMUTTY.  When it was brought to my attention by my girls that there was a reverse harem pirate novel ARC available I did not hesitate to sign up. I mean honestly… I applied with the quickness.

I love smut. And that’s just a fact. Love it love it can’t get enough of it. This book definitely delivered on the smut side of things! I do agree that the plot didn’t really pick up a lot until close to the end (and excuse me with that ending?!) but that’s fine with me cuz the rest was just so fun and spicy 🔥🔥🔥

Angel is a bomb assassin who finds herself in another realm with a few v hot pirates. What she doesn’t know is that she has a reason for being there and with these men specifically. This story line slowly develops (please see: smut) but I am super intrigued by the start of these backstories and will definitely read book 2. Thank you so much for letting me read your book!! Available on Amazon 🥳
Profile Image for Melissa.
51 reviews6 followers
September 21, 2022
We all dream of sexy pirates, right? It was Angel’s one fantasy, and unbeknownst to her it was about to come true. She’s abducted under mysterious circumstances and taken to another world, Nyxleia, where four pirate kings must claim her together to save their respective kingdoms.

Initially, I was concerned for this book because I kept keeping hints of plot between all the smut. Do not worry, friends! There is a plot, and it grabs you if you stick with it. Don’t get me wrong though, I enjoyed all the spiciness and seeing the differences between each of the pirates. I love all of them! We don’t get too much of a backstory for anyone (Angel included) but I’m hoping that comes in part with the next book. This book is fast paced. Some people may be able to finish it in one sitting. I managed it in two. Minerva Kayden’s writing style is easy to follow, and there’s not any cheesy spicy dialogue.

If you are into pirates, bondage, and a high spice level; you’re definitely going to enjoy this book.
Profile Image for Hillary.
536 reviews16 followers
September 22, 2022
First of all - dark, smutty, magical, pirate reverse harem!!! Totally my wheelhouse!!! Enough said right??? 🖤

The main female MC, Angel is an assassin, who suddenly finds herself in a magical world with pirates, curses, sea monsters and witches! With the help of the four Pirate Kings - Ethan, Nadif, Shen and War - Angel must figure out how to break the curse that’s plaguing the kingdoms.

Reader beware - definitely check for trigger warnings if you’re sensitive to dark romance, especially questionable/blurry consent!!! For me, this book had a ton of my favorite things - multiple POV, “look at her and you’ll be unalived”, insta-lust mixed with hatred enemy vibes, and four hot as f*ck pirate kings in leather pants

Overall I give this book four very enthusiastic stars and flames! I can’t wait to read the next one!!! Thanks again to Minerva for the opportunity to read this ARC!
Profile Image for Angela Parker.
589 reviews4 followers
September 22, 2022
Wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but a pirate RH story certainly sounds intriguing and this book doesn’t disappoint. Our FMC Angel is an assassin who has given up on finding a man to satisfy her. Who hasn’t become fed up of modern metrosexual men and yearn for a sexy self assured pirate who would dominate you yet give you exactly what you needed.
She can not believe that she is not on a film set being set up by a client to take a job instead of being transported to an alien world.
Love our pirate kings who must reluctantly work together to save their kingdoms. We see all of them here apart from Shen who has no intention of interacting with Angel bar the minimum to save his kingdom. Hopefully we’ll learn more about his history in the next book
Love the way Minerva has described the pirates, my favourite so far is War despite his tendency to issue threats and punishments. This book is spicy and very well written, you can definitely imagine yourself in this world with the pirate Kings.That revelation at the end, didn’t see that coming, it’s setting the scene for Angel to finally forward and our why she’s been brought to this world and her part about n the prophecy.Will this he next book as this series is off to a promising start
Profile Image for Sadie.
565 reviews11 followers
September 21, 2022
I wish goodreads let you give half stars because this def deserves and extra half star.

Who likes smutty alphahole pirates and sassy female MCs? If so this book I’d for you! Arrival is definitely heavy on the smut, light on plot for about 80% of the book. The plot finally kicks in in the last bit and leaves us on a cliffhanger wanting more. I wish the plot started a bit sooner but this was still a very fun, quick, very spicy (that lingerie 🥵) read. Can’t wait to see what happens to Angel and her pirate kings.
Profile Image for Rachel Stephens.
2,328 reviews41 followers
September 20, 2022
If you like pirates, fantasy and steam, this will be perfect! I thought it had an original storyline and kept me interested. There was a bit of action, mystery, angst and steam! I love that we got multiple POVs. I really liked Angel. She was tough, true to herself and had a bit of humor.
I thought this was a great start to a new series! I loved the revelation at the end and can't wait for book 2!
Profile Image for Lillie Knoll.
18 reviews
December 18, 2023
I have decided to give this book a 4/5 stars for quite an important reason… I felt like the plot was just too short. I really wish the introduction into Angels life was longer and more detailed. I also wish I was able to get to know the four kings more before she meets the Sea Witch. To say the least, this story is short and to the point. No dilly dallying. If you like short plots, this may be for you; however, if you prefer a longer plot this may not be for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
34 reviews
September 24, 2022
It’s a pirate theme RH done right. Lots of smuttiness. Heroine is an assassin in current times, got swept off into a “parallel fantasy pirate world” where she meets the 4 pirate kings who needs to copulate together with her to save their world.

I really hate book series, especially when the next book is scheduled for a release so far away 🥹
Profile Image for iliana G.
1,695 reviews27 followers
September 30, 2022
This is the first book in this new series and i have to say i absolutely loved it.
90% smut and 10% plot this book was damn hot!
I have to admit that i can't wait to see what will happen with angel and her guys!
I want to see more of their characters and i want to see more of the plot and get into this world head on.
Profile Image for Miruru Shouting.
1,033 reviews2 followers
September 27, 2022
OMG that revelation at the end. Can't wait for book 2.

Angel is an assassin by trade but gets transported to Nyxleia to break a curse and help restore the Blood Oath. She's in disbelief half the time about this fantasy land and also fighting being held captive by the Four Pirate Kings.

We've seen 3 of the 4 Pirate Kings interact and take Angel (War, Ethan, and Nadif) and I'm intrigued how Shen will finally fit into the dynamic. His heart is still grieving for his first wife, Min, and he wants revenge on whomever murdered her, so he's still aloof and cold towards Angel. Wondering how Angel will get Shen to fold.

Some confusing things I found was when Angel said she was from Earth but they said they've never heard of it, but they literally have places called "Earth" kingdoms... so same word and wouldn't they have assumed she was from there and being delusional rather than saying they've never heard of it?

Angel's personality sometimes fluctuates, which confuses me. As someone that's 36 and has been an assassin for over 20 years, she doesn't come across as a seasoned professional except flexing her skills when she has to fight. Hoping to see more character development in the 2nd book.

I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by the author.
Profile Image for Cherylynn Tilley.
597 reviews
September 27, 2022
loved it

This book was so unexpected, and I loved the angle it went. I love Angel and I can’t wait to see how she interacts with all the pirate kings at once. I’m looking forward to the next books.
Profile Image for Taryn.
55 reviews
October 2, 2022
hot, steamy and draws you in.

What’s hotter than 4 hot guys? 4 hot pirate guys of course, demanding, powerful and sexy as sin. Can not wait for the next release to discover the next stage in their adventures
196 reviews
October 12, 2022
Amazing!

This was such an amazing read! I couldn't put it down from the moment I started reading it, and ended up finishing it in one sitting. Angel is an amazing MFC and I can't wait to see how her relationship with the guys grows in the next installment of this series!
Profile Image for Sinesipho.
29 reviews
November 12, 2022
I glossed over the steam scenes and stop reading somewhere around chapter 4/5 because the consent is not clear wether it was non con or dub con. these kinds of books where the fmc isn't given a choice and treated like a sex toy aren't my cup of tea.
Profile Image for Jessica.
29 reviews10 followers
September 22, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m giving this book 3 stars for the spice…there was a lot of spice. This book was almost all spice, I love the idea the author had with this book and the little bit of the world that was described but i would have loved to have had more world building and plot exploration . The last 20% of the book did dive deeper into the world and the backstory of these pirates and the curse on their kingdoms but it needed more throughout the book, I’m really hoping we get more of that in the next books in the series, and with the cliffhanger the book ended on I’ll definitely be back to read book 2 when it comes out.

Overall would recommend if you are looking for something spicy, and if you are a fan of RH, real world/fantasy cross overs and pirates.
Profile Image for Sarah Lazowski.
Author 2 books7 followers
October 24, 2022
Good start

Good start of a story. Needed a little more plot. The spice was nice. I'm looking forward to see what is in the next book.
Profile Image for ..
446 reviews39 followers
October 25, 2022
degradation trope you will always be famous
Profile Image for Kate Ann.
85 reviews
January 17, 2023
Not for me. 95% sex scenes and 5% plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Danielle Manninger.
355 reviews2 followers
December 14, 2023
Woman from earth gets magically transported to an alternate plane where she discovers she is the key to breaking a curse. Just okay! Book 1 of a series.
Profile Image for Ashley.
15 reviews
August 5, 2025
Definately just solid Pirate Smut with a dash of storyline. Honestly just what I was lookibg for in the moment but I wasn't going for deep and intriguing when I picked this up.
Profile Image for Claire.
37 reviews1 follower
September 27, 2022
Great book and style. Only issue is the wait for book 2! 🌶🌶🌶
Profile Image for Karesha Burgess.
122 reviews
January 6, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I’m giving this book 3.5. This book is a very fast burn. Our FMC is an assassin who is then kidnapped and dropped into a new world. Right away there 4 pirate kings who lust after the FMC. The were given a prophecy about her. 3 of the 4 want to sample her before they have to share her to save their kingdoms. The 3 men each have dark tastes when it comes to bedroom activities. I would say the consent is borderline. Watch triggers. I feel like the book fell flat with the world building. Our FMC is thrown into the new world and us readers aren't given much. I would say the last 20% of the book begins to give us the back story.

Overall this book was short, dark and spicy read. I liked it enough that I will be reading book 2. I would encourage you to try it out if you enjoy dark, erotica about pirates.r
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