The Tessan Universe

 

The amazing Serena Nova created this video for me as a surprise! I can't believe how good it is.

Silent Lucidity

 

By Tiffany Roberts

Blurb

 

She didn’t ask to be abducted.
She didn’t ask to be torn away from her simple, happy life on Earth.
She didn’t ask to become a pet to a powerful alien merchant.

Abella hasn’t allowed four years of slavery to break her spirit, but after numerous failed escape attempts, the chances of making it home to her family seem bleak. That is until she shares a passionate, forbidden dance with a silent stranger. His piercing silvery eyes haunt her with a taste of hope.

Intense, mysterious, and deadly, Tenthil may be the key to Abella’s freedom. But as she finds herself increasingly drawn to him, she realizes the truth—Tenthil has no intention of taking her home.

Will he be her salvation, or will she trade one master for another?

 

Not a book review

 

Early fair warning: I told you two weeks ago that I'd recommend Tiffany Roberts time and again and here it is. I am going to gush a little, maybe a lot.

 

‘Arthos, the Infinite City

          Terran Year 2105’

 

Arthos is famous as a powerhouse of politics and trade owned by the Consortium. The whole planet is one city, including the massive underground caverns. Humans have only just established an embassy there, their membership sped unusually quickly. It is also notorious as a place where those enslaved can disappear forever and where humans are considered little more than animals by some of the many races that call the Infinite City home.

 

Abella, a professional dancer, was kidnapped from Earth and has been the property of an alien who detests her for four years, living as his slave. The only moments of freedom she knows is when she dances.

 

Tenthil was kidnapped as a child and trained as a deadly assassin. The moment he sets eyes on her, his mating instinct is tripped and he will destroy her owner and the organisation that owns him to save her.

 

I love this story so much and every story in this series. This novel introduces Alkorin, the hero of the second novel and my favourite hero of the series. The moment you see him, you'll know why. This is, by far, my favourite series of Tiffany and Robert and this story is the best of them so far, though I do love the Alkorin's book, Shielded Heart.

 

Start with Entwined Fates, which is a prequel novella.

 

I cannot recommend this book enough. If you like my books, you'll love these.

 

Fair warning: To me, this book is flawless.

 You can find Silent Lucidity here.

 

Hunted on the Predator Planet

By Vicky L. Holt

Blurb

Love will capture its prey, especially on a Predator Planet.

Esra Weaver, exo-geologist, is hired for the Kerberos-90 Mining expedition, but when she awakens in her Emergency Egress Pod on a tropical, uninhabited planet, she realizes her life has taken a drastic turn for the disastrous. ‘Predator Planet’ tries to kill her at every turn, and Esra soon discovers it also harbors a mysterious alien out for her blood. When danger and death converge on her, her hunter becomes her savior, and when her feelings for him evolve, she realizes she must battle not only Predator Planet but also her past to make room in her heart for an unexpected but passionate future.

Naraxthel Roika, Mighty Hunter of the Ikthekal race, discovers the existence of a spy on his hunting grounds planet. With blood and fury in his veins, he tracks her down, only to discover that she isn’t a spy at all, but a mighty little hunter in her own right. Against centuries of tradition and physiology, Naraxthel’s heart-home begins the biological changes that indicate he has discovered his mate. He tries to fight what his heart is trying to tell him, but love doesn’t distinguish between star systems and it won’t stop growing, even if the consequence is exile.

Together, along with Naraxthel’s hunting party, they must embark on a dangerous and desperate journey to reclaim not only Naraxthel’s place in his society but also find a way for them to be together.

 

Not a book review

With Tracked on the Predator Planet recently released, I decided it was time to start this series and I'm so glad I did.

Esra's emergency egress pod lands on one of twin planets, orbiting twin suns. She witnesses, what she thinks is, the death of an alien hunter and on investigating inadvertently helps him survive. Unaware of her help, Naraxthel hunts her down, at first believing she's a child, but later with the intent of killing her as the law of his world demands. But when he finds her, he admires her bravery, cunning and strength so much, he finds it impossible to end her life. Returning to his world, the second world in this system, he and a handful of others are sent back to the planet when he manages to insult one of the two leaders of his people. While the others are angry, Naraxthel is relieved to be rejoining the small human who threatens to change his entire world.

This is a well written book by Vicky Holt which appeals to my science-fiction loving heart. Esra's an exo-geologist and the sheer amount of research Vicky must have done to make this book scientifically accurate is mind boggling, but it never overwhelms the story, instead, it lends authenticity to it.

I've read reviews that complained that Esra is too easy about the aliens when she meets Naraxthel. Well, she runs away from him the first time she sees him, but it's also made clear that humans know about and intereact with aliens all the time. Naraxthel just happens to come from a species they aren't aware of and looks, in his armour, particularly scary. The romance unfolds slowly, with Naraxthel being more aware of it than Esra, but when it finally happens, it feels real and organic.

I'm a massive science-fiction fan, I was raised by a Trekkie, (my mum, not my dad) and have devoured science-fiction shows and books since I was a kid. I also love happy-ever-afters and this book provides both in spades.

Fair Warning: This is a Sweet romance. As such there are no sex scenes. But honestly, I loved the romance between Esra and Naraxthel so much, I barely missed it. However, you can download Vicky's novella which contains steamy scenes from here. It gives us a little more Esra and Naraxthel as well as having a great cover which shows Naraxthel's red armour and the size difference between the two, which just always makes me swoon!

For reference sake, sweet means we stay firmly outside of the bedroom. Sultry means things get hot before the bedroom door shuts and Steamy means I'm a perv who enjoys writing this stuff.  😂

 

You can find Hunted on the Predator Planet here.

The Kraken Series Boxset Books 1-3

By Tiffany Roberts

Blurb 

Fierce kraken determined to claim human mates—and win their hearts.

It all began when a storm capsized a small boat, sending a woman into the raging ocean—and into the arms of a wandering kraken whose curiosity became obsession.

Humans and krakens share a tragic, violent past, but Jax must possess Macy even though he knows it can only end in disaster. Neither Jax nor Macy can imagine how their love will change their respective worlds—or how it will change their hearts.

How much is he willing to forsake for the female he desires?

How much are all the kraken willing to risk?
------
This collection includes Books 1-3 of The Kraken Series as well as an exclusive, never before released short story, The Anniversary.

 

Not a book review

Full disclosure, I haven't read the entire series yet. With all of the writing I'm doing, I can only afford to spend a little time reading and there are so many good books.

I have read the first two and loved them. In the first book Macy gets lost at sea and is quickly found by Jax, an independent minded Kraken who should be helping his people but is more interested in exploring. When he saves Macy from drowning it ignites a fuse that threatens to destroy, or save both of their homes.  The second couple Aymee and Arkon were my favourite with their long, shy courtship that blows up out of control when the real bad guys show up into town. I also love this book because it delved deeper into the story of the world that created the Krakens. I love good worldbuilding, which is something Tiffany Roberts, husband and wife team Robert and Tiffany Freund, are excellent at.

Here, the Kraken are the results of genetic engineering, half-cephalopod and half-human. They change colour, showing off their emotions and it's such a sweet addition to the story and makes me so happy to read.

Tiffany Roberts writes, in my opinion, some of the best SFR on the market. If you're not already a fan, I encourage you to go have a look at their stories. They write both science-fiction romance and fantasy romance. The science-fiction romance is represented by this series and their Infinite City series. For their fantasy romance, there is the Isle of the Forgotten series, their Venus Needs Men duology which is a part of the larger series, a collaboration with other writers, as well as individual stories in both genres. My favourite FR story of theirs is His Darkest Craving, though The Warlock's Kiss comes a very close second.

This boxset contains the first 3 stories and a bonus exclusive short story.

I would and will recommend everything Tiffany Roberts writes.

Fair warning: Thar be Krakens and they're the heroes.

You can find The Kraken Boxset here.