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Blades of Arris #5
Ukuri
I’m in love with a villain.
Ice-cold smile, shiny collection of scalpels, and he’s ravenous to use them on me.
Joke's on you, mad scientist.
I've been trying to cut this sickness out of me since forever. Not all scars are in a place that you can see.
In your frigid alien embrace, I've found myself.
So why the hesitation in those pretty silver eyes?
You’re the big bad conqueror. I’m just an ordinary human.
Right?
Put me in your maze.
Let the experiment begin.
*** Contains unique alien shifters, fierce passion, and fated mates who defy everything to be together! Although it continues plot lines from the previous novels, this complete, self-contained, epic happily-ever-after can be read as a stand-alone.
Trigger warning: Suicide, self-harm, medical trauma
Ice-cold smile, shiny collection of scalpels, and he’s ravenous to use them on me.
Joke's on you, mad scientist.
I've been trying to cut this sickness out of me since forever. Not all scars are in a place that you can see.
In your frigid alien embrace, I've found myself.
So why the hesitation in those pretty silver eyes?
You’re the big bad conqueror. I’m just an ordinary human.
Right?
Put me in your maze.
Let the experiment begin.
*** Contains unique alien shifters, fierce passion, and fated mates who defy everything to be together! Although it continues plot lines from the previous novels, this complete, self-contained, epic happily-ever-after can be read as a stand-alone.
Trigger warning: Suicide, self-harm, medical trauma
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 19, 2023
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Starla Night
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 3, 2026
My Alien Conqueror Turned Into a Lab Nerd and I’m Not Mad About It
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💛💚🖤
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋🙂😁😍
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration
Character Backgrounds and Plot Summary
I went into this one already attached to the Blades of Arris world, and book five throws a curveball right away. Ukuri isn’t the character I remembered from earlier installments. He used to be the coldest, most brutal of the Blade warriors turned scientist, the guy other characters whispered about like he was the villain of the whole series. Here, he’s recast as a quiet, methodical researcher, more Spock than monster, and Noemi is the human woman who ends up as his subject and his obsession.
Noemi is dealing with real trauma, and the book doesn’t shy away from it, the trigger warnings for self-harm and medical trauma are earned. Like all the female protagonists in the previous books, she is infected with the alien lusteal and I think Noemi explains it better than any before her. She says that it is a brain worm that takes over her body at times, when it is in control, she can see what it is making her do and say, but it’s like through a fog or like she is watching TV. While this brain worm is in control, Noemi has none and is delegated to watching herself have hookup after hookup while feeling nothing, and while destroying every relationship she has ever had.
The relationship between Ukuri and Noemi starts in his lab, framed almost like an experiment, with Noemi telling herself the physical side of things means nothing even as it clearly starts meaning everything. That tension between what she says she wants and what she’s actually feeling is the emotional engine of the whole book.
Highlights and Limitations
The strongest material here is Noemi’s arc as an asexual heroine navigating intimacy with a man she’s falling for anyway. I appreciated that the book actually sits with that instead of hand-waving it, there are real conversations about what she wants and doesn’t want, and Ukuri never pressures her, which I found genuinely sweet given his history as the “big bad conqueror” type. The lab setting also gives their scenes a specific texture, their first real connection happens in the clinical light of the science office, which is such a strange and memorable backdrop for a romance to bloom in.
Where the book stumbles for me is the same place a few other fans of the series have flagged: Ukuri’s personality shift is jarring if you’ve read the earlier books. He goes from the vicious, scalpel-wielding mad scientist reputation to someone so analytical and restrained that I found myself wondering if this was really the same man. I wanted a bridge, a scene that explains what changed him between books, and it never quite arrives. Noemi also spends a lot of the middle stretch reacting to things happening around her rather than driving the plot herself, and I wished she’d been given one more moment where she took charge instead of Ukuri stepping in to fix things. The subplot about the betrayal within the Arris alliance is intriguing but gets less room than I wanted, it feels like setup for book six more than a fully resolved thread here.
Narration
This is a full cast production with Robert Hatchet, Willa Jaymes, and Jae Delane splitting the roles, and it genuinely elevates the material. Hatchet gives Ukuri a clipped, deliberate cadence that sells the character’s scientific detachment even when the writing itself struggles to reconcile who he used to be with who he is now. Willa Jaymes brings a lot of warmth to Noemi, especially in the quieter scenes where she’s working through her own head, you can hear the difference between her guarded voice and the moments where she actually lets herself feel something.
Jae Delane rounds things out on supporting characters and keeps the side cast distinct, which matters in a series this dense with returning names. The chemistry between the two lead narrators during the intimate scenes is where the audio really outperforms what I imagine the page version delivers, there’s a push and pull in the pacing of their dialogue that sells the will they won’t they tension even when I wanted Noemi’s internal narration to move faster.
Final Opinion
I’d call this a solid but imperfect entry in a series I still enjoy. If you’ve loved the earlier Blades of Arris books, the tonal whiplash with Ukuri’s character might bother you the way it bothered me, I kept waiting for an explanation that never fully landed. But if you’re coming to this one mostly for Noemi’s journey and for a slow burn built around trust rather than instant heat, there’s a lot to like. I teared up a little during one of her more vulnerable scenes in the lab, which surprised me, I didn’t expect this book to hit an emotional note that hard.
The narration carries a lot of the weight when the writing gets shaky, and I’d still recommend it to anyone invested in the series, just don’t go in expecting the same Ukuri from the earlier books.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💛💚🖤
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋🙂😁😍
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration
Character Backgrounds and Plot Summary
I went into this one already attached to the Blades of Arris world, and book five throws a curveball right away. Ukuri isn’t the character I remembered from earlier installments. He used to be the coldest, most brutal of the Blade warriors turned scientist, the guy other characters whispered about like he was the villain of the whole series. Here, he’s recast as a quiet, methodical researcher, more Spock than monster, and Noemi is the human woman who ends up as his subject and his obsession.
Noemi is dealing with real trauma, and the book doesn’t shy away from it, the trigger warnings for self-harm and medical trauma are earned. Like all the female protagonists in the previous books, she is infected with the alien lusteal and I think Noemi explains it better than any before her. She says that it is a brain worm that takes over her body at times, when it is in control, she can see what it is making her do and say, but it’s like through a fog or like she is watching TV. While this brain worm is in control, Noemi has none and is delegated to watching herself have hookup after hookup while feeling nothing, and while destroying every relationship she has ever had.
The relationship between Ukuri and Noemi starts in his lab, framed almost like an experiment, with Noemi telling herself the physical side of things means nothing even as it clearly starts meaning everything. That tension between what she says she wants and what she’s actually feeling is the emotional engine of the whole book.
Highlights and Limitations
The strongest material here is Noemi’s arc as an asexual heroine navigating intimacy with a man she’s falling for anyway. I appreciated that the book actually sits with that instead of hand-waving it, there are real conversations about what she wants and doesn’t want, and Ukuri never pressures her, which I found genuinely sweet given his history as the “big bad conqueror” type. The lab setting also gives their scenes a specific texture, their first real connection happens in the clinical light of the science office, which is such a strange and memorable backdrop for a romance to bloom in.
Where the book stumbles for me is the same place a few other fans of the series have flagged: Ukuri’s personality shift is jarring if you’ve read the earlier books. He goes from the vicious, scalpel-wielding mad scientist reputation to someone so analytical and restrained that I found myself wondering if this was really the same man. I wanted a bridge, a scene that explains what changed him between books, and it never quite arrives. Noemi also spends a lot of the middle stretch reacting to things happening around her rather than driving the plot herself, and I wished she’d been given one more moment where she took charge instead of Ukuri stepping in to fix things. The subplot about the betrayal within the Arris alliance is intriguing but gets less room than I wanted, it feels like setup for book six more than a fully resolved thread here.
Narration
This is a full cast production with Robert Hatchet, Willa Jaymes, and Jae Delane splitting the roles, and it genuinely elevates the material. Hatchet gives Ukuri a clipped, deliberate cadence that sells the character’s scientific detachment even when the writing itself struggles to reconcile who he used to be with who he is now. Willa Jaymes brings a lot of warmth to Noemi, especially in the quieter scenes where she’s working through her own head, you can hear the difference between her guarded voice and the moments where she actually lets herself feel something.
Jae Delane rounds things out on supporting characters and keeps the side cast distinct, which matters in a series this dense with returning names. The chemistry between the two lead narrators during the intimate scenes is where the audio really outperforms what I imagine the page version delivers, there’s a push and pull in the pacing of their dialogue that sells the will they won’t they tension even when I wanted Noemi’s internal narration to move faster.
Final Opinion
I’d call this a solid but imperfect entry in a series I still enjoy. If you’ve loved the earlier Blades of Arris books, the tonal whiplash with Ukuri’s character might bother you the way it bothered me, I kept waiting for an explanation that never fully landed. But if you’re coming to this one mostly for Noemi’s journey and for a slow burn built around trust rather than instant heat, there’s a lot to like. I teared up a little during one of her more vulnerable scenes in the lab, which surprised me, I didn’t expect this book to hit an emotional note that hard.
The narration carries a lot of the weight when the writing gets shaky, and I’d still recommend it to anyone invested in the series, just don’t go in expecting the same Ukuri from the earlier books.
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June 25, 2026
I think this is love. It’s not the overpowering self-destructive chaos of my great-grandmother’s movies or my own family history. It’s his unshakable faith in me, his small touches when no one’s looking, and how there’s always a space reserved for me at his side.
Even though these guys fall in love with these women because of the lusteal they are chosen back. Noemi is taken by Ukuri and is almost killed but he’s infected and already wants her. I feel like any man, in fact all men, around her do too. But she feels the same way for him. Like they belong together. Only him.
He is not a good alien. He does not see a human, she is a lessers. But getting to know her and then finding value in her. Intelligence. Admiration. He starts to change and this change brings out the good in him. At least towards her. She makes him human. Not some creepy alien mad scientist. There’s other stuff. Other crazier even worse mad scientist. Other crazier bad aliens. So many things happen!
Even though these guys fall in love with these women because of the lusteal they are chosen back. Noemi is taken by Ukuri and is almost killed but he’s infected and already wants her. I feel like any man, in fact all men, around her do too. But she feels the same way for him. Like they belong together. Only him.
He is not a good alien. He does not see a human, she is a lessers. But getting to know her and then finding value in her. Intelligence. Admiration. He starts to change and this change brings out the good in him. At least towards her. She makes him human. Not some creepy alien mad scientist. There’s other stuff. Other crazier even worse mad scientist. Other crazier bad aliens. So many things happen!
August 9, 2023
You know that I must admit that I had a few doubts about Ukuri going in. I mean, how could I not? I adore bad boys and morally gray is one of my favorite colors, but an overzealous scientist with an untamed urge to make you his latest, greatest experiment just didn't sound very swoony to me... BUT I am beyond pleased to say I was very, very wrong. In fact, Ukuri is quite swoon worthy, kind of charming, surprisingly sweet, undeniable clever and pretty hot! Lol All kidding aside, I thought this book was really amazing. It was exciting and suspenseful, dramatic and emotional, and heart melting and steamy. Noemi is truly a perfect match for him and as with all the heroines in this series, she makes your heart ache for her even as it fills with awe over how actually awesome, she is. As far as the overarching storyline goes, we get some interesting twists and lots and LOTS of developments that have left me filled with a potent blend of anticipation and anxiety about what will happen in the next and final book. It is going to be EPIC! Honestly, I can't wait but I don't want to say goodbye either. This is my independent, impartial review.
September 20, 2023
Great Action… not so great everything else.
Action, twists, ending really riveting. The Ace and Polyamory rep? Ham fisted might be the most polite word, sadly. I don’t think there was any malice on the authors part, perhaps, but the written rep (conversations, scenarios, plot progression, etc.) seemed to come from a very internalised -ism place. Like maybe the author was aiming for communicating ‘Ace & Polyam don’t have to explain themselves! Love is love!’, but instead fell into the pit trap of incessant justifications for these two rep’s existence aided in part by the convenient 2D near tropification of prior main and side characters. Atana’s book, the one just prior to this, also has the same problems except that time with regards to mental health.
Ukuri/Noemi’s book really hammers home that the author seems to have been more focused on the external perception created representation of the mental health issues in Atana’s book, or Noemi’s Asexuality, or Inga’s Polyamory, like with a google search or non-intersectional community beta/alpha/whatever readers. Either way, it looks like Falkion and Zeerah’s book will end on a ‘safe’ mf pairing almost as if to compensate for having moderately diverse books in this series. To be honest, it’s pretty disappointing. Especially since I kept hoping for better. I won’t be continuing the series, but maybe others will enjoy it.
Action, twists, ending really riveting. The Ace and Polyamory rep? Ham fisted might be the most polite word, sadly. I don’t think there was any malice on the authors part, perhaps, but the written rep (conversations, scenarios, plot progression, etc.) seemed to come from a very internalised -ism place. Like maybe the author was aiming for communicating ‘Ace & Polyam don’t have to explain themselves! Love is love!’, but instead fell into the pit trap of incessant justifications for these two rep’s existence aided in part by the convenient 2D near tropification of prior main and side characters. Atana’s book, the one just prior to this, also has the same problems except that time with regards to mental health.
Ukuri/Noemi’s book really hammers home that the author seems to have been more focused on the external perception created representation of the mental health issues in Atana’s book, or Noemi’s Asexuality, or Inga’s Polyamory, like with a google search or non-intersectional community beta/alpha/whatever readers. Either way, it looks like Falkion and Zeerah’s book will end on a ‘safe’ mf pairing almost as if to compensate for having moderately diverse books in this series. To be honest, it’s pretty disappointing. Especially since I kept hoping for better. I won’t be continuing the series, but maybe others will enjoy it.
September 22, 2023
Naomi is on a ship that is attacked by pirates but taken by Arrisan war ship but the Science officer Ukuri is in charge of her and until he releases her to his superiors. But Naomi also finds that he is interesting and she makes sure she stays with him as she is smart she helps with his work and while he wants to get inside and determine how the lustrell works on her he sticks to what he can without killing her and they are both satisfied with the arrangement, he also has invented something to protect his ship from her scent he continue to take samples it is almost a year before he is found out and the head of the Science Center on Arris is on her way to take her back to the Science Center. A fight is taking place with the Eruvisan who claim they own the lessers to them. Everything is not as it seems. Interesting story line and the characters are entertaining. H.E.A. I read a copy without obligation. I volunteered an honest review.
September 19, 2023
Another great addition to this series. I loved this book with its awesome characters and storyline. Ukuri, an ex-blade and science officer, is all about his work and making a name for himself to get from under his father’s tainted reputation. Noemi, a lusteal lesser, has been having a hard time with her condition and is ready to end it all if she can’t be cured, and Ukuri is the perfect one to do it. Unfortunately, they must fight through a few obstacles. Not only must they evade the Vanadisans who are trying to make a move on the empire but also Menavi, the head Science Officer, who is trying to seize Noemi for her own personal experiments. Ukuri and Noemi must work together if they hope to achieve their ultimate goals. This was an amazing read and I look forward to the next installment.
September 1, 2026
Okay, this was the book I was most hesitant about. But hot damn was it a fantastic story! Getting to read a romance story with one character publicly on the asexual spectrum was such a delight (specially when the other reads as being somewhere along that spectrum as well). It was a subject that handled clearly and tactfully, allowing to show the struggles people face in their day to day lives with family, friends, and medical professionals. As well as highlighting the cultural prejudices with a bit of alien makeup. Ukuri and Neomi were incredible together as a couple. From the very start of their relationship right up to the final pages we were treated to beautiful character growth in them both. The respect and care they have for each other shone through every interaction.
September 20, 2023
This was an exciting addition to the series and I love that we get more details, development and some fab twists for the over arching plot. Ukuri turned out to be quite swoony, with charm, smarts and a great hot factor ;P I didn't expect to like him but yeah, he redeemed himself. Noemi was his perfect match and I loved seeing them work towards their HEA. Expect to get caught up in the drama, suspense, emotions and steamy romance when you dive into this engaging read. We only have one more book to go to close out the series and I'm anxious to see how it'll end :D
June 28, 2026
keep ‘em coming
This is a delightful series. Noemi is a flavor of asexual, which makes her response to lusteal particularly heartbreaking. I love all the different reactions from the humans. It makes each story unique. The way Niemi and Ukuri fit together really works.
This is a delightful series. Noemi is a flavor of asexual, which makes her response to lusteal particularly heartbreaking. I love all the different reactions from the humans. It makes each story unique. The way Niemi and Ukuri fit together really works.
September 7, 2023
Whoa!! This is so intense and darkish, steamy and surprisingly sweet.. Never expected this from this scientist, but so worth it. I really liked it!
August 16, 2026
Ukuri & Noemi - Good, lots of action and encounters with other humans and their mates. Vanadisan's finally make their move and nearly succeed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2024
Ukuri
I enjoyed this story. Naomi and Ukuri were a great couple. The differences between the couples is very well written. The world building continues to be fascinating. I would recommend this book and this series.
I enjoyed this story. Naomi and Ukuri were a great couple. The differences between the couples is very well written. The world building continues to be fascinating. I would recommend this book and this series.
November 6, 2024
5 stars. Audiobook is fabulous. The narrators did a fantastic job!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews