Found by Evangeline Anderson

I read a few books from this series a couple years back and I'm really glad I decided to get back into it. I love a good science fiction novel and the way the author blends romance into her stories is wonderful. The love scenes are pretty erotic and not for the faint of heart but as a whole, the novel isn't just about the romance. There's an actual actual story that involves dangerous situations, multiple characters and many storylines.

The main storyline is about Lauren, a Florida native who was abducted by an evil alien race called the Scourge. It was prophesied by the AllFather, the leader of the Scourge, that she was the future of their dying race. Luckily, she was saved from a grave future of rape and torture by one of her captors, Xairn, whom she falls for romantically. At first, she attributes her feelings to a sort of Stockholm Syndrome but the more time she spends with Xairn, the stronger her feelings become. Xairn promises to keep Lauren safe but his duty doesn't come easily, especially when the AllFather still wants her. Also, Xairn feels he must protect her from himself and his dark sexual urges, so he represses his feelings, which annoys Lauren immensely.

They try to create a life together but Xairn's finds controlling his sexual urges difficult, especially with a very affectionate Lauren. The more Xairn shares about his past, the more Lauren realizes where his fears come from. Xairn's childhood was an abusive one which has shaped him into the cold warrior that he is. When the AllFather threatens someone he loves, the cold warrior facade might be the only thing that saves both of them.

The author made the right choice with Lauren. She could have made her the hapless female that is mentally scared by her abduction but instead Lauren has turned out to be a strong female lead. Xairn might be afraid of hurting her, but at this point, the only thing that could possibly hurt her is leaving. They've gone through so much together, including DNA modification, escaping the AllFather and a horrible market trade on a strange planet. I can't help but cheer for this couple, even if they are the most unlikely pair.

Space travel, psychic abilities, medical advances and alien technology are present in this novel, but the one thing I wish the author could have done is spent more time on is elaborating these aspects. Evangeline Anderson has created a wonderful and strange world and I can't wait to learn more about it and its remarkable inhabitants. Found is a compelling science fiction romance that is leading this series in a great direction.



 

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Posted by Tynga at 04:08

 aliens, Brides of the Kindred, Erotica, Evangeline Anderson, Purchased, Review, Romance, Science Fiction, Science-Fiction, Self Published  Leave your mark

Hunted by Evangeline Anderson

I'm quite obsessed with this series. Honestly, it isn't great literary fiction but it is fun and entertaining to read when you're looking for a good romance book. Sci-fi romance is a guilty pleasure of mine and this second book of the series definitely delivers.

This book tell the story of Sophia and Sylvan. In this alternate reality, Earth is threatened by the Scourge, and evil alien race. Enter the Kindred, a warrior alien race that have sworn to protect Earth's inhabitants. On one condition: the Kindred females are very rare and so, the Kindred warriors need human brides in order to guarantee the survival of their race. This genetic exchange is mandatory for all unmated human females. For some, it's a dream come true. For Sophia, it's a nightmare.

Sophia has been scared to get close to anyone ever since she was attacked on her prom night. That horrible ordeal has followed her through adulthood, along with her fear of needles and pointy things. The worse possible thing for her would be to be claimed by a Blood Kindred. She probably wouldn't mind the Beast Kindred or the Twin Kindred, but luck has her being attracked to Sylvan, a Blood Kindred. A vampire-like sub-bread of the Kindred, Sylvan feels the urge to bite and bond Sophia to him forever. However, he knows Sophia is very afraid of him and his fangs so their relationship is a complicated one. Even more, Sophia is being hunted by the Scourge for some bizarre reason and Sylvan has sworn to protect her personally. That keeps them in close proximity for flames to burn and attraction to deepen. But still, they fight the bond between themselves, Sophia out of fear, and Sylvan out of honour.

Sylvan is your typical Alpha male hero and you couldn't ask for a better leading man. As for Sophia, she really got under my skin. Quite frankly, she's pathetic. Her fears are founded, but quite honestly, by now you would think she would have out-grown and tried to get over them. In my opinion, she's too weak, too sensitive and too tortured to be considered a good heroine.

This book is quite erotic at times but also has a good storyline. We're almost guaranteed a happily-ever-after but bumps along the way makes you doubt a good ending. If you can get over the tortured and teary-eyed heroine, this is a fantastic sci-fi romance. It has action, and evil antagonist and steamy love scenes. Great for the guilty pleasure shelf, however, not so great for feminism.

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Posted by Tynga at 04:35

 aliens, Brides of the Kindred, Evangeline Anderson, Paranormal Romance, Purchased, Review, Romance, sci-fi, Self Published  Leave your mark

Claimed by Evangeline Anderson

To find that yourself in a position to aid in the understanding between your own culture and another can have its own reward. If it comes with a price equal to or less than your own gain, the rewards should be even greater. Then why does Olivia balk at being a part of a bridge between two cultures when she has so much to gain? Well, it might be the price of only rarely seeing her family, to include her fraternal twin sister. It may also be the other culture, who is from another world. An even greater disincentive might be she is expected to be not so much an ambassador, but a bride to a rather large warrior.

This is familiar, though not overly abused, story of two complete different people reluctantly bound by fate. We get to discover an alien race and culture alongside a woman who was thrust into it without warning. This story has many of the common pitfalls in store for Olivia though, many are approached uniquely enough to make them feel newer. We also get to see and feel the personal struggles of some of our characters as events unfold and easier and safer routes seem to appear but, those opportunities often run counter the characters beliefs, convictions or goals.

The main characters of Olivia, her sister Sophia and Baird and his brother inhabit most of the scenes and so, are the most developed in the book. As time goes on, through flashback we are given glimpses into their lives. These flashbacks start to answer many question they (and we) have of the others. Some of the exposition felt a little uneven to me. Much of what was given up in the first few chapters could have been teased out throughout the book to add to the drama.

This book has a significance I had not expected. I am accustomed to books with some steamy love scenes that include frank descriptions of sex. What I did not expect from this book was how frank and how often the subject was brought up. The phrases run from the somewhat clinical to euphemistic to plain vulgar. Now, I’m no prude and I offer this story, Kryptische, as proof. It was written by the author as a companion piece to my last year’s Camp NaNoWriMo novel. When I read it, I thought it wasn’t too bad even though my novel is much tamer. Point being, I can not only endure but enjoy a well-crafted sex scene. These came off tepid to me because of the constant vulgarity. It’s likely a matter of taste or maybe I’m just that jaded.

Claimed is an entertaining book with a very intriguing premise. The idea of two very divergent races with needs the other can fulfill if they can work past their differences is a timely tale no matter when it is told. This is not one for anybody younger than 18 and get a definite X rating for language and sexual content.

 

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Brides of the Kindred, Evangeline Anderson, Purchased, Review, Science Fiction, Self Published, Space  3 People left their mark