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teresab78's review
4.0
3.5 stars
Epic isn’t a big enough word for this book. Lexi Ander’s imagination is vast and from it comes this complex story. Unfortunately I found it overwhelming. There are so many species and planets and characters to keep track of.
The first half of the book takes place during Striker, the second book in the series. It was cool to see another perspective but I found the very beginning more of a “previously on Valespian Pact” video montage (but in words) than part of the story. I had a really hard time getting into the narrative with two characters I hadn’t really connected with in the first two books being the MCs. As the book dragged on I began to see them differently and as the story turned to new information I began to enjoy it more.
However, there are a few unnecessary scenes that could have been released as bonus material rather than be part of this story. It would have improved pacing and shortened this huge book. However, I know there are some who will love all the details and complexity. Like I said, it is very imaginative!
Epic isn’t a big enough word for this book. Lexi Ander’s imagination is vast and from it comes this complex story. Unfortunately I found it overwhelming. There are so many species and planets and characters to keep track of.
The first half of the book takes place during Striker, the second book in the series. It was cool to see another perspective but I found the very beginning more of a “previously on Valespian Pact” video montage (but in words) than part of the story. I had a really hard time getting into the narrative with two characters I hadn’t really connected with in the first two books being the MCs. As the book dragged on I began to see them differently and as the story turned to new information I began to enjoy it more.
However, there are a few unnecessary scenes that could have been released as bonus material rather than be part of this story. It would have improved pacing and shortened this huge book. However, I know there are some who will love all the details and complexity. Like I said, it is very imaginative!
jugglingpup's review
4.0
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
This is a massive book. It is much longer than the first two books and not once did it feel like it was as long as it was. I forced myself only to read a little bit at a time. I didn’t want to start reading and look up and it was the next day, which was completely possible with Ander’s books. I very well could have read half the book in one sitting, which is exactly what I did today.
I did have some issues with this book. The main issue was there were a lot of info dumps. There was a lot of rehashing the first two books as well. Combined and the first three hundred or so pages took longer than the last 500+ pages did to read. It made sense that there was a lot of information dumped, but it was very choppy and dense when it happened. The flashbacks that happened at first were setting the stage, but also happened in the middle of other scenes in a way that was jarring and off putting. The flashbacks themselves were AMAZING, the execution was not so much. It felt like characters were just wandering around and thinking very vivid thoughts that slowed down their progress to what the plot wanted them to do. The flashbacks and info dumps might not be as jarring if you take a book or two between reading book two and this one. I jumped right in, so everything was fresh.
The plot MY GOD THE PLOT. There was so much happening. I was worried since some of the scenes were in a new perspective. There is a real chance that things would just read so poorly if this wasn’t done carefully. Most of the scenes were well handled. There were a few that I went “I don’t remember that happening” or “That dialogue seems different”. I did not go back and check, I was too excited to see what happened next to give too much thought to this. I could just be imagining things. The skill required to pull this off makes me in awe of Ander’s abilities. I have read so many books where it is handled so poorly that it ruins both perspectives.
The romance was slower than the others, but it still felt too fast. It didn’t feel like there was enough chase and angst for it. I think this is mostly due to my inability to tell how much time has passed in this universe when it is passing. There was possibly a year between two chapters that I almost missed happening near the end. So the timing may very well be me in this case. I also didn’t mind the quickness of the love. They had known each other for so long that their love felt more secure and solid. There was so much foundation that was already laid. This love had so much behind it and it was crafted so perfectly even in the other books. It didn’t feel like a total surprise, despite not reading any descriptions of the book. The scenes that were in the first two books were retold in this way that gave them deeper significance and made me feel the relationship was truly fate.
The sex was a bit more tame than the others. It had some magical elements and a lot of fluid marking behaviors. I was intrigued by the physiology of the Mar’sani people. I was more interested in that than I was in the actual sex scenes. They just felt so tame compared to the first two books which may sound like a complaint, but it felt better to me. It allowed for a different feel for the couple. It allowed for new behaviors and new scenes. The way they were the same species added a different element. The sex was entertaining and happened during more appropriate for the story and the climate times than the first two books. I see this all as improvements of the plotting and crafting of the book.
I am a bit let down by the lack diversity in behaviors in the book. Every pairing has jealousy and controlling behavior, no matter the species. I am not a fan of jealousy being seen as a sign of love and the health of a relationship. This was called out a little bit at the very end when it came to brother/brother relationships, but it was a sign of affection for romance. Is it because most of the species that have been the focus are warrior based and have high intensity situations happening? I really hope it is. I need a bit more diversity in behavior to believe this rich universe that Ander’s has created is fully functioning and not just copy and paste across all of the species and worlds presented.
I really liked this series as it stands. I am worried that I will not like it going forward though. It is beautifully written and I adore the characters. I am just not a fan of gods and magic, the books are starting to go more into that direction. I worry that I will be left behind because of this dislike. I want to keep reading, but Ander’s will need to really bring it (though I don’t doubt her abilities, I am just worried because I loved the series so much that I don’t want to give it up).
I got an ARC of this book.
This is a massive book. It is much longer than the first two books and not once did it feel like it was as long as it was. I forced myself only to read a little bit at a time. I didn’t want to start reading and look up and it was the next day, which was completely possible with Ander’s books. I very well could have read half the book in one sitting, which is exactly what I did today.
I did have some issues with this book. The main issue was there were a lot of info dumps. There was a lot of rehashing the first two books as well. Combined and the first three hundred or so pages took longer than the last 500+ pages did to read. It made sense that there was a lot of information dumped, but it was very choppy and dense when it happened. The flashbacks that happened at first were setting the stage, but also happened in the middle of other scenes in a way that was jarring and off putting. The flashbacks themselves were AMAZING, the execution was not so much. It felt like characters were just wandering around and thinking very vivid thoughts that slowed down their progress to what the plot wanted them to do. The flashbacks and info dumps might not be as jarring if you take a book or two between reading book two and this one. I jumped right in, so everything was fresh.
The plot MY GOD THE PLOT. There was so much happening. I was worried since some of the scenes were in a new perspective. There is a real chance that things would just read so poorly if this wasn’t done carefully. Most of the scenes were well handled. There were a few that I went “I don’t remember that happening” or “That dialogue seems different”. I did not go back and check, I was too excited to see what happened next to give too much thought to this. I could just be imagining things. The skill required to pull this off makes me in awe of Ander’s abilities. I have read so many books where it is handled so poorly that it ruins both perspectives.
The romance was slower than the others, but it still felt too fast. It didn’t feel like there was enough chase and angst for it. I think this is mostly due to my inability to tell how much time has passed in this universe when it is passing. There was possibly a year between two chapters that I almost missed happening near the end. So the timing may very well be me in this case. I also didn’t mind the quickness of the love. They had known each other for so long that their love felt more secure and solid. There was so much foundation that was already laid. This love had so much behind it and it was crafted so perfectly even in the other books. It didn’t feel like a total surprise, despite not reading any descriptions of the book. The scenes that were in the first two books were retold in this way that gave them deeper significance and made me feel the relationship was truly fate.
The sex was a bit more tame than the others. It had some magical elements and a lot of fluid marking behaviors. I was intrigued by the physiology of the Mar’sani people. I was more interested in that than I was in the actual sex scenes. They just felt so tame compared to the first two books which may sound like a complaint, but it felt better to me. It allowed for a different feel for the couple. It allowed for new behaviors and new scenes. The way they were the same species added a different element. The sex was entertaining and happened during more appropriate for the story and the climate times than the first two books. I see this all as improvements of the plotting and crafting of the book.
I am a bit let down by the lack diversity in behaviors in the book. Every pairing has jealousy and controlling behavior, no matter the species. I am not a fan of jealousy being seen as a sign of love and the health of a relationship. This was called out a little bit at the very end when it came to brother/brother relationships, but it was a sign of affection for romance. Is it because most of the species that have been the focus are warrior based and have high intensity situations happening? I really hope it is. I need a bit more diversity in behavior to believe this rich universe that Ander’s has created is fully functioning and not just copy and paste across all of the species and worlds presented.
I really liked this series as it stands. I am worried that I will not like it going forward though. It is beautifully written and I adore the characters. I am just not a fan of gods and magic, the books are starting to go more into that direction. I worry that I will be left behind because of this dislike. I want to keep reading, but Ander’s will need to really bring it (though I don’t doubt her abilities, I am just worried because I loved the series so much that I don’t want to give it up).
iam's review
4.0
Read this review and more on the blog!
4.5 stars
The third book in the Valespian Pact series introduces even more intergalactic intrigues and convoluted family dynamics while focussing on the members of the Vondorian family.
Content warnings include: violence and graphic injury, torture, past torture of children, child abuse, intense xenophobia & bigotry resulting in the brutally enforced isolation of an entire people, child gets orphaned and subsequently adopted, sex on-page, exile; mentions of unconsensual surgery on intersex child.
[b:Alpha Trine|18158645|Alpha Trine (The Valespian Pact #1)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373322910l/18158645._SY75_.jpg|21990725] absolutely hooked me, and [b:Striker|20700123|Striker (The Valespian Pact #2)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394240207l/20700123._SY75_.jpg|40019764] was just as good, so it was a no-brainer for me to read Constant, despite it having different protagonist. Constant plays parallel to [b:Striker|20700123|Striker (The Valespian Pact #2)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394240207l/20700123._SY75_.jpg|40019764] and a huge chunk is pretty much the exact same events happening, just told from another POV and with an entirely different focus.
Despite knowing many of the events already, it was never boring. A lot of the big things from [b:Striker|20700123|Striker (The Valespian Pact #2)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394240207l/20700123._SY75_.jpg|40019764] were not described as in depth, instead elaborating on what happened in between those key events or to another character at the time.
Technically, Constant could be read as a stand-alone, as it repeats pretty much everything that happened in the series thus far, but I do recommend reading the prequels first. The world of the Valespian Pact is just so huge and encompassing, so complex and convoluted, in all aspects of worldbuilding, backstory, plot and character dynamics that I cannot imagine understanding the events of Constant without such a previous knowledge.
That said, not everything lined up with the prequels. There are a couple small details in Constant that are different from [b:Striker|20700123|Striker (The Valespian Pact #2)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394240207l/20700123._SY75_.jpg|40019764], but it wasn't a too big distraction, and makes more sense this way anyways.
The protagonists of Constant are Warlord Sohm'lan and Mestor, but the book focusses a lot on the Vondorian family as a whole. There are a lot of flashbacks to the siblings' childhood, and several family members, like Ashari, Shaneva, Canry, Zeus and Azaes get POV chapters as well. I loved how important and connected the entire family was, though some of the personal character arcs felt out of place or mistimed, particulalry Zeus's in combination with what happened in [b:Striker|20700123|Striker (The Valespian Pact #2)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394240207l/20700123._SY75_.jpg|40019764].
The book is long. Like, really long. As such there are quite a few plotlines, both over-arching and self-contained sequential ones. I was a bit thrown by one that popped up around the middle of the book and then pulled pretty much the entire focus, almost completely pushing the overarching plot around the lost Bespoken, the Grid and V'Saar into the background. It was still a cool plot however.
The romantic subplot was mainly focussed on Sohm'lan and Mestor, and I was a bit apprehensive about it since Sohm'lan is Mestor's "waterfather", basically his godfather, and played a big role in raising him. This age difference was handled well, though, and helped by Mestor being in his thirties at the time of the book and when the two get together.
Several side couples and triads are also mentioned or develop a bit.
That said, the romance, and particularly the sexual part of it, was way less in the foreground than in the previous two books. While there are sex scenes, they were less detailed and shorter than the ones in [b:Alpha Trine|18158645|Alpha Trine (The Valespian Pact #1)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373322910l/18158645._SY75_.jpg|21990725].
Personally I did not mind that, and I found Mar'Sani sex interesting as their biology differes a bit from humans (though they are still humanoid.)
Generally, as I have mentioned before, the aliens and alien cultures are one of the things that make me love the series. The Mar'Sani in particular are in the foreground, but there were a lot of glimpses into other species. I especially liked the Dire D'Noss. I also liked small details like humans being obsessed with a species that look like dolphins and regularly beg to be put in contact with them.
Humor such as that is a frequent occurence - despite the dark touches and content, I wouldn't say the series is especially dark or heavy.
Overall I loved the book. The series quickly wormed its way into my heart, and I love its focus on family. The plot is so interesting and I enjoy it despite how tangled and far stretching it is. It doesn't always make sense or align perfectly, but I'm absoltely hooked and looking forward to the sequels, because hoooo boy there are still so many unanwered questions and loose plot threads!
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
4.5 stars
The third book in the Valespian Pact series introduces even more intergalactic intrigues and convoluted family dynamics while focussing on the members of the Vondorian family.
Content warnings include: violence and graphic injury, torture, past torture of children, child abuse, intense xenophobia & bigotry resulting in the brutally enforced isolation of an entire people, child gets orphaned and subsequently adopted, sex on-page, exile; mentions of unconsensual surgery on intersex child.
[b:Alpha Trine|18158645|Alpha Trine (The Valespian Pact #1)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373322910l/18158645._SY75_.jpg|21990725] absolutely hooked me, and [b:Striker|20700123|Striker (The Valespian Pact #2)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394240207l/20700123._SY75_.jpg|40019764] was just as good, so it was a no-brainer for me to read Constant, despite it having different protagonist. Constant plays parallel to [b:Striker|20700123|Striker (The Valespian Pact #2)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394240207l/20700123._SY75_.jpg|40019764] and a huge chunk is pretty much the exact same events happening, just told from another POV and with an entirely different focus.
Despite knowing many of the events already, it was never boring. A lot of the big things from [b:Striker|20700123|Striker (The Valespian Pact #2)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394240207l/20700123._SY75_.jpg|40019764] were not described as in depth, instead elaborating on what happened in between those key events or to another character at the time.
Technically, Constant could be read as a stand-alone, as it repeats pretty much everything that happened in the series thus far, but I do recommend reading the prequels first. The world of the Valespian Pact is just so huge and encompassing, so complex and convoluted, in all aspects of worldbuilding, backstory, plot and character dynamics that I cannot imagine understanding the events of Constant without such a previous knowledge.
That said, not everything lined up with the prequels. There are a couple small details in Constant that are different from [b:Striker|20700123|Striker (The Valespian Pact #2)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394240207l/20700123._SY75_.jpg|40019764], but it wasn't a too big distraction, and makes more sense this way anyways.
The protagonists of Constant are Warlord Sohm'lan and Mestor, but the book focusses a lot on the Vondorian family as a whole. There are a lot of flashbacks to the siblings' childhood, and several family members, like Ashari, Shaneva, Canry, Zeus and Azaes get POV chapters as well. I loved how important and connected the entire family was, though some of the personal character arcs felt out of place or mistimed, particulalry Zeus's in combination with what happened in [b:Striker|20700123|Striker (The Valespian Pact #2)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394240207l/20700123._SY75_.jpg|40019764].
The book is long. Like, really long. As such there are quite a few plotlines, both over-arching and self-contained sequential ones. I was a bit thrown by one that popped up around the middle of the book and then pulled pretty much the entire focus, almost completely pushing the overarching plot around the lost Bespoken, the Grid and V'Saar into the background. It was still a cool plot however.
The romantic subplot was mainly focussed on Sohm'lan and Mestor, and I was a bit apprehensive about it since Sohm'lan is Mestor's "waterfather", basically his godfather, and played a big role in raising him. This age difference was handled well, though, and helped by Mestor being in his thirties at the time of the book and when the two get together.
Several side couples and triads are also mentioned or develop a bit.
That said, the romance, and particularly the sexual part of it, was way less in the foreground than in the previous two books. While there are sex scenes, they were less detailed and shorter than the ones in [b:Alpha Trine|18158645|Alpha Trine (The Valespian Pact #1)|Lexi Ander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373322910l/18158645._SY75_.jpg|21990725].
Personally I did not mind that, and I found Mar'Sani sex interesting as their biology differes a bit from humans (though they are still humanoid.)
Generally, as I have mentioned before, the aliens and alien cultures are one of the things that make me love the series. The Mar'Sani in particular are in the foreground, but there were a lot of glimpses into other species. I especially liked the Dire D'Noss. I also liked small details like humans being obsessed with a species that look like dolphins and regularly beg to be put in contact with them.
Humor such as that is a frequent occurence - despite the dark touches and content, I wouldn't say the series is especially dark or heavy.
Overall I loved the book. The series quickly wormed its way into my heart, and I love its focus on family. The plot is so interesting and I enjoy it despite how tangled and far stretching it is. It doesn't always make sense or align perfectly, but I'm absoltely hooked and looking forward to the sequels, because hoooo boy there are still so many unanwered questions and loose plot threads!
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
rubyn's review
4.0
This was looooonnnnggg, phewwwie. The back and forth in time to show memories, in the beginning was a bit annoying and I almost quit but I pushed on. So many holes were filled and I’m grateful for that. The series makes a lot of sense now but I gotta say, I’m still lost on where we left Star Eater. We last saw him with Madux on the Gorgon on the way to Valespia. After that, no mention.
I’m so happy for Zeus that his dream came true. Mestor is the jokester of the family it seems, some of his lines were really hilarious. Azaes’ possessiveness, hehe, so unreasonable . Ashari and Valdor were like the best parents ever even in their mistakes. Somh’lan, honorable and loving, it feels like your battles are just starting. Kryp and Matsya, all the secondary characters really were great additions can’t mention all, would take forever.
I thought this was the final book but it seems like there will be so many other books even Nethus’
I’m so happy for Zeus that his dream came true. Mestor is the jokester of the family it seems, some of his lines were really hilarious. Azaes’ possessiveness, hehe, so unreasonable . Ashari and Valdor were like the best parents ever even in their mistakes. Somh’lan, honorable and loving, it feels like your battles are just starting. Kryp and Matsya, all the secondary characters really were great additions can’t mention all, would take forever.
I thought this was the final book but it seems like there will be so many other books even Nethus’
hhaung's review
5.0
This is an amazing sequel to Alpha Trine and Striker in the Valespian Pact series. It can be read as a standalone of sorts but is significantly better if you’ve read the first two books.
Alpha Trine was like dipping your toe into water. With Striker, you are immersed up to your knees in a beautiful lake. Now, in Constant, I feel like we are up to our chest in a breathtaking bay that’s beckoning you further into the ocean beyond.
Story
This is more or less a story of Mestor and Sohm’lan though Zeus still remain a focus from the edges of the story throughout. From prologue to about half way of the book, the events were happening in parallel to events in Striker. We get to know more about all the younglings of the royal Vondorion family and their chief warlord Sohm’lan. Things that were hidden from Zeus’s focus come to the fore here and we really get to enjoy the Mar'Sani world and events on their home planet.
What I loved
This is an epic love letter. There’s sweet childhood stories, rousing battles, wanton cruelty (which happened in the background) that causes visceral flinch and disgust for the perpetrators, uncertainty and fear for your beloved characters, secrets and mystery that slowly unravels for you and for the characters. What runs through all this is really love — love for family, love for friends, love for anyone who needs it, and of course romantic love. The overwhelming emotion you feel is love and acceptance. My heart breaks for some of the characters but I rejoice at their perseverance, their victory over their travails.
The story tied up a lot of threads from the prior two books. It is just perfectly long for me as I savor the characters I have come to love and when the story ends, my heart is full with joy, love, and satisfaction.
This story is science-fiction AND fantasy. This is an epic. This is about love, friendship, family, acceptance, honor, integrity, and heroism.
I eagerly await the next book in this series. Highly recommended.
Alpha Trine was like dipping your toe into water. With Striker, you are immersed up to your knees in a beautiful lake. Now, in Constant, I feel like we are up to our chest in a breathtaking bay that’s beckoning you further into the ocean beyond.
Story
This is more or less a story of Mestor and Sohm’lan though Zeus still remain a focus from the edges of the story throughout. From prologue to about half way of the book, the events were happening in parallel to events in Striker. We get to know more about all the younglings of the royal Vondorion family and their chief warlord Sohm’lan. Things that were hidden from Zeus’s focus come to the fore here and we really get to enjoy the Mar'Sani world and events on their home planet.
What I loved
This is an epic love letter. There’s sweet childhood stories, rousing battles, wanton cruelty (which happened in the background) that causes visceral flinch and disgust for the perpetrators, uncertainty and fear for your beloved characters, secrets and mystery that slowly unravels for you and for the characters. What runs through all this is really love — love for family, love for friends, love for anyone who needs it, and of course romantic love. The overwhelming emotion you feel is love and acceptance. My heart breaks for some of the characters but I rejoice at their perseverance, their victory over their travails.
The story tied up a lot of threads from the prior two books. It is just perfectly long for me as I savor the characters I have come to love and when the story ends, my heart is full with joy, love, and satisfaction.
This story is science-fiction AND fantasy. This is an epic. This is about love, friendship, family, acceptance, honor, integrity, and heroism.
I eagerly await the next book in this series. Highly recommended.
meghanreadsmm's review
5.0
Very impressed with this third book in the series. Lexi Ander has kept up the top-notch quality of writing, imagination, characters and story development.
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