Tag Archives: sci-fi romance

Audio Book Review: Ruwen, by Kate Rudolph

I picked up a freebie copy of Ruwen, by Kate Rudolph.

Running out of time…

Ruwen NaNaran knows he’s a goner. The curse of his alien species has put a countdown on his life, and he’ll be dead before the month is out. Unless he finds his denya, the only woman in the universe who can save him.

Down on her luck and lost in space…

Lis Jaynx just wants to go home. Kidnapped from Earth by unknown foes, she’s dropped on a inhospitable planet with little food and no hope. She’ll do anything to find a ship to take her back to Earth, but Polai is hostile to all alien life, and Lis finds herself on the run.

An unexpected chance…

From the moment he sees her, Ru knows Lis is his denya. But she’s already wounded and distrustful of all aliens, even those who claim they want to help.

Will the explosive chemistry between them be enough to topple Lis’s fears? Or will their bond break before it even forms — leaving Ru a dead alien walking — and Lis all alone in the black of space…

I listened to an audio version of this book and came to two realizations, both of which I’ll address here. First, this is not a very good book. It’s shallow and underdeveloped. But it also isn’t erotica; smut isn’t the point. So, there should be a plot to keep readers interested. Failing that, at least well-drawn characters or an intriguing world. This book has none of that. The whole thing is just sketched out, predictable, and too linear to be interesting.

I’ll form the second point with a question. Why, if the primary readers of romance are women and the female character is central, would anyone choose a male narrator? I’ll grant that this is a dual POV, but it is still a book for and primarily about a woman (formed for and of female fantasies). I had a hard time even deciding how I felt about the book because I so very much disliked it being narrated by a man.

If you consider that I was reading (what I hoped would be a) sexy sci-fi romance, it begins to resemble engaging in a sexual fantasy of sorts. Having a male narrator felt, to me, very much like having an uninvited man intrude. The argument could be made that by virtue of purchasing the book, he had been invited. And I’ll accept that. But it was done unwittingly, and I will endeavor not to make the same mistake again.

On top of that, I don’t actually think the narrator did a very good job. Years ago, I read an autobiography of some second-rate Hollywood actor who talked about the things he did to pay the bills before making it. Apparently, narrating a romance novel was one of those things. He spoke about the book and author in a very condescending and disparaging way, basically making fun of both (as men do).

I feel like I could sense a similar undercurrent in Michael’s narration. This only added to the feeling of male intrusion. Not only was he there where he wasn’t wanted, but he was also there with his judgment (as men so often are). Of course, I could be projecting. But it all had a real effect on my ability (or lack thereof) to enjoy the book.

Other Reviews:

Scary Mary the Hamster Lady: Book Review Ruwen

Audiobook Review: Ruwen (Mated to the Alien, #1). ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review: The Power of Three, by Kate Pearce

Leave a reply

Last winter, I laid out a huge winter-vibes reading challenge for myself. Then, I basically fucked off and forgot about it. So, instead of doing a new one this year, I have gone back and started trying to work on last year’s. Hey, it’s my own blog. I’m accountable to no one but myself. I can do that. LOL.

I picked up Kate Pearce‘s The Power of Three as an Amazon freebie in December of 2021. So, look at me, going back to work on an old reading challenge by reading an even older book. (Yeah, I’m easily amused.)

Trios System 229990

Soreya Lang has never met a male telepath before, let alone one who is willing to die for her on an interplanetary mission gone wrong. Risking everything, she acts on her instant telepathic and physical connection with Esca and encounters a level of psychic power she never knew existed.

Esca can’t believe he’s finally met the female who will complete his sexual and telepathic triad. He promises himself that if they survive, he’ll take her back home, introduce her to his enigmatic First Male, Ash and pray that biology will do the rest.

But nothing is ever that simple, and Soreya, Esca and Ash will have to find their own way through the ties of family and traditions to experience the full telepathic wonder of the power of three…

I wanted to like this; I really did. It had an interesting premise, which could develop into an interesting world and characters that were likable enough. But it is just SO clumsily done that I couldn’t particularly enjoy it. There isn’t enough nuance; the plot isn’t developed enough (and it ends precipitously at an awkward point). The writing was pedestrian but functional, except for some clunky dialogue and any time the author had to discuss anything military. Then, it was shockingly amateurish. There were also some inconsistencies, and it needed another editing pass (which would also likely have caught some of the inconsistencies.) Mostly, the story it was trying to tell needed (and deserved) a defter hand.

Oh, and see how I said ‘fuck’ about. Yeah, I wish authors would just do that. This book did the annoying thing of using Frek instead of fuck and then littered it everywhere. Just curse, for god’s sake. It’s a polyamorous erotic novel. Anyone choosing to read such a thing should be able to handle a few dozen fucks in dialogue. (I hate when authors do this so much. So much.)

Other Reviews:

Book Review: Veiled in Shadow, by Chloe Parker & Clarissa Bright

Leave a reply

I picked up a freebie copy of Veiled in Shadow by Chloe Parker & Clarissa Bright.

Can one human woman seduce the most powerful males in the galaxy? I’m about to find out.

When the Aelyd mafia took my best friend, I decided to go looking for her. These aliens have been looking for brides – for vessels – and I know she must be in trouble.

Now I’ve found myself entangled with three alien crimelords, all of whom want me as their mate.

Keon, the Deviant Prince of the Ganivet Family.

Atlas, the Ganivet Boss, known as the Untouchable Man.

And Corvus, the stoic, deadly assassin playing them both.

I’ll have to tread carefully to trap these men in my web, but I’ll do it using my wits, my charm, and my body.

And hopefully I won’t get caught myself.

OK, so this was pure smut and ridiculous smut at that. But it was also silly fun. You can’t go in expecting to take it seriously. The idea that any of these characters are actually the dangerous professionals that the authors tell us they are is a joke. As someone smarter than me once said, fiction doesn’t have to be realistic, but it does need to be believable (in the context of the plot). None of these characters are. Nor is the progression of the romantic element of the story believably paced. (Especially in the case of Corvus.) The BDSM aspect feels completely out of place. (Somehow, the aliens don’t know what a boyfriend is, but know what a sub is.) And the plot is paper thin, though not porn-with-plot thin. Just accept all of that in advance.

Because outside of the above, there is some fun banter, sweet moments, sword crossing, and a strong platonic female friendship. The book is fun. Just don’t think too deeply about any single part of it.