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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
I suppose that I should start off by saying that I did in fact enjoy this book and I have every intention of continuing with this series. This book had everything that you would expect from an alien romance and a little more as well. That said I did have a few issues with the book as well.
Am I the only one who saw a strong resemblance to SE Smith's 'Choosing Riley'? The beginnings of both books are rather similar, and continues to have a good few similarities until after Venom and Lumen. While Lumen and Riley have very few if any personality traits in common the pet names did continue on through out the book. Another issue that I had *spoiler alert* is that for as long as this book was and with everything that happened, some how Lumen was still pregnant and had yet to give birth by the end of the book! Not sure how that worked out seeing as to me I felt like the time had far exceeded what should have been her pregnancy period.
So while I did enjoy the book and I am looking forward to the next in the series, various plot points have lead me to a 3 star rating.
Am I the only one who saw a strong resemblance to SE Smith's 'Choosing Riley'? The beginnings of both books are rather similar, and continues to have a good few similarities until after Venom and Lumen. While Lumen and Riley have very few if any personality traits in common the pet names did continue on through out the book. Another issue that I had *spoiler alert* is that for as long as this book was and with everything that happened, some how Lumen was still pregnant and had yet to give birth by the end of the book! Not sure how that worked out seeing as to me I felt like the time had far exceeded what should have been her pregnancy period.
So while I did enjoy the book and I am looking forward to the next in the series, various plot points have lead me to a 3 star rating.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
2.5 Stars
Usually a fan of alien romance books, but almost didn’t finish this one. The beginning of the book was hard for me to get through because of the language barrier between the main characters. Overall the story gets somewhat better once they are rescued from the slave planet, but there’s still a lot that Lumen goes through that overall made it not one of my favorites.
Usually a fan of alien romance books, but almost didn’t finish this one. The beginning of the book was hard for me to get through because of the language barrier between the main characters. Overall the story gets somewhat better once they are rescued from the slave planet, but there’s still a lot that Lumen goes through that overall made it not one of my favorites.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Hoo-boy. I had a hard time calling this one. I finally decided on 3 ½★ rounded up to a 4.
Venomous is a pretty hefty read with some unexpected humor after the first 25% but stays full of heaviness and darker themes throughout. If you're looking for light and uplifting? This is not your book.
And.
Content/Trigger Warning: This book has rape in it. If that's a problem for you, stay clear of this work and go for the many offerings out there without it. The beginning is especially squidgy territory. You will find plenty of other passionate reviews focusing on this particular aspect of the book; I found the framing of Cultural Differences acceptable in the context of the story, but your mileage may vary on that.
What I liked:
⤷ Lumen's lack of agency--while super frustrating and depressing--felt like a more realistic prospect in a story about alien abduction than the more cheerful route much of the sci-fi romance genre likes to take. Almost 100% of anything she tries to take a stand on or accomplish does not go her way. She rarely manages to not make things worse for herself and her clan while trying to establish some sort of identity and agency in her new non-Earth based life. I felt so frustrated for her as she mucked through the events of this story. It hurt to read her struggles. She wants to be independent and keeps having to learn hard lessons about living on a world as an alien. This poor woman can not catch a break, and it felt so much more real than having her bumble her way to success as things oddly tumble into place. On the rare occasion she does score a win, it feels so much more satisfying as a result.
⤷ Related: Lumen does not get to bulldoze her new people on their world. While her clan make some concessions for her, the culture does not alter immediately to her whims so that she's more at home. Which added to the realism of the story. I had very few, "oh, come ON," moments during this read. Because, yes: no one on your new world is going to change just because you do things differently. Try to adapt and go from there.
⤷ There is good and bad in almost every species mentioned in the book. (The L'Odo and the space pirates being the exceptions; no redeeming qualities there. Slaver and rapey pirates, EW. Amirite?) Species portrayals were not as flat as I usually expect to find in this genre. The Rök were well developed as a culture and people. There was a good mix of view points and characters were allowed to grow. Not surprisingly due to the slavery storyline, the worst of all people involved starts the book off. Even slaves from species that were likely decent people in their previous lives were warped by their experience and forced to adapt into uglier versions of themselves to survive. This includes both Lumen and the eponymous Venomous One, though Lumen spent almost no time in captivity. Both grow throughout the story. (OK. One more than the other.)
⤷ Beowyn and Éorik. OMG. They stole the book once introduced. The next book in the series promises to be something else. Best of luck to the leading lady reining the Great Alpha in; how do you contain him?!
What I didn't like:
⤷ Too much baffling TSTL without adapting of behaviors on the part of Lumen. The farther the story goes along, the more desperate and frustrating her efforts to affect any change are...and the more disastrous the outcomes. I had a hard time accepting that anyone other than her clan would think she's a very intelligent person. She would seem to learn a lesson and then almost immediately forget it because...impulse control issues and piques of temper? Not charming characteristics for the lead to have and not grow out of along the way.
⤷ The L'Odo and other antagonists were still a bit too flat and cartoonish. The first I can forgive since they're not really present in most of the story to be developed beyond their identity as Slavers who do awful things to other beings, but there are a couple in the Rök population that deserved better treatment and maybe some more depth. I know it simplifies things to have a more stark contrast between Good and Bad People, but I happen to like the murk in between.
Overall this is a solid read, and I will definitely be tackling the next book soon. I need to see where this story goes. I made the mistake of starting with the 3rd book in the series, reading a few chapters, and realizing I was going to need to start at the beginning and work through to figure out how things came to be.
Venomous is a pretty hefty read with some unexpected humor after the first 25% but stays full of heaviness and darker themes throughout. If you're looking for light and uplifting? This is not your book.
And.
Content/Trigger Warning: This book has rape in it. If that's a problem for you, stay clear of this work and go for the many offerings out there without it. The beginning is especially squidgy territory. You will find plenty of other passionate reviews focusing on this particular aspect of the book; I found the framing of Cultural Differences acceptable in the context of the story, but your mileage may vary on that.
What I liked:
⤷ Lumen's lack of agency--while super frustrating and depressing--felt like a more realistic prospect in a story about alien abduction than the more cheerful route much of the sci-fi romance genre likes to take. Almost 100% of anything she tries to take a stand on or accomplish does not go her way. She rarely manages to not make things worse for herself and her clan while trying to establish some sort of identity and agency in her new non-Earth based life. I felt so frustrated for her as she mucked through the events of this story. It hurt to read her struggles. She wants to be independent and keeps having to learn hard lessons about living on a world as an alien.
Spoiler
Seeing how each of her mates try to both bolster her up and get her to toe the line in their culture was interesting. It's a rare thing to have such clear personalities at play in multiple mate storylines, and to have those mates stay pretty consistent without melding into an indiscernible blob of MALE OPINION.⤷ Related: Lumen does not get to bulldoze her new people on their world. While her clan make some concessions for her, the culture does not alter immediately to her whims so that she's more at home. Which added to the realism of the story. I had very few, "oh, come ON," moments during this read. Because, yes: no one on your new world is going to change just because you do things differently. Try to adapt and go from there.
⤷ There is good and bad in almost every species mentioned in the book. (The L'Odo and the space pirates being the exceptions; no redeeming qualities there. Slaver and rapey pirates, EW. Amirite?) Species portrayals were not as flat as I usually expect to find in this genre. The Rök were well developed as a culture and people. There was a good mix of view points and characters were allowed to grow. Not surprisingly due to the slavery storyline, the worst of all people involved starts the book off. Even slaves from species that were likely decent people in their previous lives were warped by their experience and forced to adapt into uglier versions of themselves to survive. This includes both Lumen and the eponymous Venomous One, though Lumen spent almost no time in captivity. Both grow throughout the story. (OK. One more than the other.)
Spoiler
I really enjoyed how different Venomous was once free of being a slave. His interactions with both Lumen and Fiercely left me smiling, and I laughed or snorted many times while reading that section of the story. He is a genuinely funny guy, though he has a definite hard,dark edge to him. Soon after their rescue, Fiercely comments on how different and less carefree Venomous is from when they were previously frenemies. Venomous' 13 years as a slave leaves him open to change the most to be with Lumen. Had he not, I do not think he could have bucked his Rök socialization to the extent he did and embraced the more sexual dom he evolves into. The Rök are frigid and almost non-sexual. So he's downright deviant though fairly tame by human standards. Fiercely and Cobra also alter their expectations and behaviors to be able to mate Lumen, but neither to the extent that Venomous was able to.⤷ Beowyn and Éorik. OMG. They stole the book once introduced. The next book in the series promises to be something else. Best of luck to the leading lady reining the Great Alpha in; how do you contain him?!
What I didn't like:
⤷ Too much baffling TSTL without adapting of behaviors on the part of Lumen. The farther the story goes along, the more desperate and frustrating her efforts to affect any change are...and the more disastrous the outcomes. I had a hard time accepting that anyone other than her clan would think she's a very intelligent person. She would seem to learn a lesson and then almost immediately forget it because...impulse control issues and piques of temper? Not charming characteristics for the lead to have and not grow out of along the way.
Spoiler
As mates get added to the story and the stress increases along with each, Lumen starts to have serious outbursts of temper that had me worried for her. Realistic, but disturbing how she could turn on a dime from being totally fine to throwing shit everywhere and shrieking. It was very uncomfortable at times to realize how much mental distress she was in with no real relief.⤷ The L'Odo and other antagonists were still a bit too flat and cartoonish. The first I can forgive since they're not really present in most of the story to be developed beyond their identity as Slavers who do awful things to other beings, but there are a couple in the Rök population that deserved better treatment and maybe some more depth. I know it simplifies things to have a more stark contrast between Good and Bad People, but I happen to like the murk in between.
Spoiler
The older female relation who can not stand the idea of an alien mate or hybrid baby so she wants to make them disappear is rather overdone at this point. And Cobra's original mate was slathered in some heavy-handed Awful to make her as unsympathetic as possible. It was hard to believe that in any union that lasted more than a decade that the only thing she felt for him was a desire to torture and punish him indefinitely. That she didn't like him even a tiny bit. So what if he grew up poor? He's low level royalty in the Rök social structure now. If she were that status obsessed, surely his ascension into his position would have improved her opinion of him and their mating?Overall this is a solid read, and I will definitely be tackling the next book soon. I need to see where this story goes. I made the mistake of starting with the 3rd book in the series, reading a few chapters, and realizing I was going to need to start at the beginning and work through to figure out how things came to be.
I cannot recommend this book enough!!!!!! Please get it, then set aside the time needed to finish it in one sitting, because I couldn't put it down! I was up until almost sunrise finishing it, and I will happily pay the price for all the lost sleep!
Great characters, great story, great drama and romance. Enough "I wanna slap someome" to keep it from being too sweet or predictable!!
Can't wait to read the next one, but I will until I have 2 days off in a row (learned that lesson!), and have already put it in my KU account.
Thanks for a fantastic journey into your beautiful world!
Great characters, great story, great drama and romance. Enough "I wanna slap someome" to keep it from being too sweet or predictable!!
Can't wait to read the next one, but I will until I have 2 days off in a row (learned that lesson!), and have already put it in my KU account.
Thanks for a fantastic journey into your beautiful world!
DNF'd this one. I tried. I really did. I have been looking for a Last Hour of Gann replacement and this seemed like it would be really close. Wrong. I am now coming to the conclusion that there is only one Amber and Meoraq. Once she started calling him "Babe" that was it for me. Done.
Ok
Plot: C
Too much happened to Lumen for this to be an enjoyable read. I know that 600+ pages things have to happen to keep it interesting. But instead of everything under the sun happen, make it shorter and still interesting. She was kidnapped, experimented on, used as a battle prize, raped (lets keep it real because that's what it was),witnessed rape, witnessed suicide experienced pirates, mistreated by her mother-in-law, sold, almost experienced forced abortion, and on and on and on. And on top of that, three mates. Too much...plot overload. A few of things would have made an awesome plot line.
Characters: C
Lumen was pretty cool sometimes. She wasn't weak or let people run over her. But at times she was unreasonable and tstl. Some things she let people get away with and she was accepting of, and some things she pitched a fit over, when it seemed the situation should be reversed. Venomous was pretty cool. Loved how possessive he was...but then he was too accepting.g, to me, of the other mates and pushing her on others. Fiercely, was annoying, never was open or compromising like Lumen wanted. And I didn't see her attraction. Cobra, was sweet, and I liked him. But by this time it was mate overload, and we weren't getting their POV. Don't really know what Cobra and Fiercely saw in Lumen and vise versa, beyond sex.
Heat:C
There were random scenes through the book. Some were sexy, some weren't. Some where hard and viscous that made me fan my fave, but others were tedious. It was hit and miss for me.
Overall, this was a decent book, though entirety too long with too many mates, and too much plot. Not even dp...if there are going to be multiple mates, I need some dp. Lol. I may or may not read the next book.
Plot: C
Too much happened to Lumen for this to be an enjoyable read. I know that 600+ pages things have to happen to keep it interesting. But instead of everything under the sun happen, make it shorter and still interesting. She was kidnapped, experimented on, used as a battle prize, raped (lets keep it real because that's what it was),witnessed rape, witnessed suicide experienced pirates, mistreated by her mother-in-law, sold, almost experienced forced abortion, and on and on and on. And on top of that, three mates. Too much...plot overload. A few of things would have made an awesome plot line.
Characters: C
Lumen was pretty cool sometimes. She wasn't weak or let people run over her. But at times she was unreasonable and tstl. Some things she let people get away with and she was accepting of, and some things she pitched a fit over, when it seemed the situation should be reversed. Venomous was pretty cool. Loved how possessive he was...but then he was too accepting.g, to me, of the other mates and pushing her on others. Fiercely, was annoying, never was open or compromising like Lumen wanted. And I didn't see her attraction. Cobra, was sweet, and I liked him. But by this time it was mate overload, and we weren't getting their POV. Don't really know what Cobra and Fiercely saw in Lumen and vise versa, beyond sex.
Heat:C
There were random scenes through the book. Some were sexy, some weren't. Some where hard and viscous that made me fan my fave, but others were tedious. It was hit and miss for me.
Overall, this was a decent book, though entirety too long with too many mates, and too much plot. Not even dp...if there are going to be multiple mates, I need some dp. Lol. I may or may not read the next book.
So much anticipated re-read and yeh loved it just as much the second time around: I absolutely love this book like mahoosive amounts.
This, in my opinion, has some of the best world building and character development I have ever experienced and I actually felt like I'd been physically transported along to another realm.
The language used throughout had almost a spiritual quality to it at times which I absolutely adored.
Such an imaginative undertaking from start to finish and though a lengthy read I never actually felt bored or that it was just unnecessary page filler: each and every word used here was highly appreciated by myself and the more I immersed myself in this rich cultural outtake the harder I fell in love with this fantastic sci-fi undertaking.
From the very instant I embarked on this I was enmeshed in all it had to offer and this is so much more than some sci-fi fluff.
Venomous dealt with so many deep-seated issues including some actions that if taken out of cultural heritage and context could definitely be misconstrued as abuse.
I mean they still were but at heart they were not intended in this manner at all.
There is also a great deal of bigotry and racism practised here towards offworlders so that was interesting to experience in a sci-fi context also the poly aspect of this was unexpected but surprisingly fitting though Venom himself is still hands down my favourite male here.
The Aliens here were very different to us with an almost reptile-like appearance and I do so adore aliens that actually resemble aliens its just my jam.
This is, in my opinion, is a fantastic story that manages to strike a balance between darker themes but also knowing when it is time to sprinkle the humour in to lighten the overall equation.
Can't recommend this story enough I adored every word.
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
Great sci-fi romance
Venomous is in my mind a perfect example of a great sci-fi romance: it has non humanoïd aliens, a human female, some battle, some adventure, a pinch of surreal landscape, a whole lot of love and sex... a great recipe when reading a novel of this genre.
Venomous is in my mind a perfect example of a great sci-fi romance: it has non humanoïd aliens, a human female, some battle, some adventure, a pinch of surreal landscape, a whole lot of love and sex... a great recipe when reading a novel of this genre.