idkitworks79's review
1.0
Very Dark! Frequent mentions of rape, sexual assault, forced impregnation, and Dub-con.
It's not light dub-con either. It's intentionally removing any option for refusal.
Warnings aside, I didn't really like the writing either. It's overly dramatic, tropey, with unbelievable behavior. It really gave YA vibes, the opening was as YA tropey as you can get.
I wasnt a fan of the age of the FMC, like I get why she chose 21 for most of the book, but it's super gross
It's not light dub-con either. It's intentionally removing any option for refusal.
Warnings aside, I didn't really like the writing either. It's overly dramatic, tropey, with unbelievable behavior. It really gave YA vibes, the opening was as YA tropey as you can get.
I wasnt a fan of the age of the FMC, like I get why she chose 21 for most of the book, but it's super gross
Spoiler
that the MMC was attracted to her at 16,he doesn't get a gold star for waiting. Ew.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Rape, and Torture
Minor: Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Slavery, and Suicide
pulpfan's review
2.0
Check the reader CWs for this one, since the author didn't list any.
I couldn't find ANY CWs for this scene in the blurb or book. I think they were omitted on purpose and the scene was couched as "consensual" so a book with a graphic rape scene could masquerade as Amazon safe.
Due to this, a standard 3-star read drops to a 2-star.
Spoiler
The "consensual non-con" torture scene in the latter part of this book made me incredibly angry. Up until that point, I was more or less okay with how tropey and buttery the story was because Taylor explicitly writes her books that way, but the complete lack of warning for such an incredibly hateful torture scene absolutely blew me away. I say this as someone who regularly reads dubcon and noncon that is properly tagged.I couldn't find ANY CWs for this scene in the blurb or book. I think they were omitted on purpose and the scene was couched as "consensual" so a book with a graphic rape scene could masquerade as Amazon safe.
Due to this, a standard 3-star read drops to a 2-star.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
chaebe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
beckiebookworm1974's review
2.0
This just didn’t do it for me though I’m usually all over this particular trope. The humans whose colony ship crash landed on an inhospitable planet initially arranged an accord with their Xalthurian alien Overlords. A virus had decimated the Xalthurian population affecting their own females those left behind were sterile. The stranded humans agreed to a deal for their survival and now their young women are forcibly impregnated in a mandatory breeding ceremony the resulting male babies removed to be raised by their oppressive overlords.
The humans definitely didn’t get a fair deal as they are now all worked to the bone and near starving. They are attempting to survive but the provisions provided to them are minuscule. They are also looked down on as inferior branded lazy and treated like irrational animals. I mean they don’t even give them translators or wear one themselves this is bigotry at its finest
Kira catches the eye of their leader Tel D’Rek he is the current Kel and he vows to return for Kira when she comes of breeding age she will produce his heir and he will also work her out of his system. Straight away this was problematic not so much the story direction just the whole lack of logic and harsh treatment without any actual proof of lack of Intelligence. It just didn’t seem realistic that so little would have been investigated regarding the humans. I mean how did an advanced race even broker this deal without any proper in-depth conversations together?
I then found the interactions between these two over the top and quite cheesy and for me, they lacked deeper chemistry together. There were red flags everywhere from their initial interactions to the drugging and forced intimacies and the fact that Kira’s sister actually died because of these practices and she manages to easily get past all of this. I have no issues with certain story scenarios and this wasn’t particularly dark it was just how these events were then dealt with this just didn’t feel authentic or realistic there was a basic lack of deeper clarifications. Finally, I didn’t like D’Rek and I never warmed to him he came across as superior arrogant and a bit of a megalomaniac whilst Kira was just a total naive pushover who seemed completely cock-dazzled.
The writing was, for the most part, was ok if a tad cringy I just wasn’t invested and didn’t believe in their shared connection together I also started to heavily skim. I don’t think I’ll be continuing on with this series there was just something missing for me and it all felt a bit simplistic with a lack of extended world-building which was unfortunate as this easily could have been so much more if expanded on. It also felt rather tired as this trope has been done many times before. If your looking for some easy sci-fi romance with heat that isn’t too taxing on the brain then this may be a fit.
The humans definitely didn’t get a fair deal as they are now all worked to the bone and near starving. They are attempting to survive but the provisions provided to them are minuscule. They are also looked down on as inferior branded lazy and treated like irrational animals. I mean they don’t even give them translators or wear one themselves this is bigotry at its finest
Kira catches the eye of their leader Tel D’Rek he is the current Kel and he vows to return for Kira when she comes of breeding age she will produce his heir and he will also work her out of his system. Straight away this was problematic not so much the story direction just the whole lack of logic and harsh treatment without any actual proof of lack of Intelligence. It just didn’t seem realistic that so little would have been investigated regarding the humans. I mean how did an advanced race even broker this deal without any proper in-depth conversations together?
I then found the interactions between these two over the top and quite cheesy and for me, they lacked deeper chemistry together. There were red flags everywhere from their initial interactions to the drugging and forced intimacies and the fact that Kira’s sister actually died because of these practices and she manages to easily get past all of this. I have no issues with certain story scenarios and this wasn’t particularly dark it was just how these events were then dealt with this just didn’t feel authentic or realistic there was a basic lack of deeper clarifications. Finally, I didn’t like D’Rek and I never warmed to him he came across as superior arrogant and a bit of a megalomaniac whilst Kira was just a total naive pushover who seemed completely cock-dazzled.
The writing was, for the most part, was ok if a tad cringy I just wasn’t invested and didn’t believe in their shared connection together I also started to heavily skim. I don’t think I’ll be continuing on with this series there was just something missing for me and it all felt a bit simplistic with a lack of extended world-building which was unfortunate as this easily could have been so much more if expanded on. It also felt rather tired as this trope has been done many times before. If your looking for some easy sci-fi romance with heat that isn’t too taxing on the brain then this may be a fit.
markita_reads's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Definitely, His To Claim I enjoyed this book so much. I love that the MFC is POC and her strong personality and her willingness not to submit to someone who doesn't deserve her submission at the beginning. I love these characters have development and a HEA.
lesliea's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
emilycwilkinson's review
fast-paced
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Misogyny