Reviews

4/5 ⭐️s

Svera and Krisxox are my new faves - an absolute power couple. I appreciated that they were each strong in their own ways but absolutely unstoppable together.

I wish we’d gotten a more satisfying conclusion to the main antagonist of this book, but I suppose we’ll have that chance in Deena’s story. She’s a badass in her own right, and I can’t wait to watch her wreak havoc.

Spice: 3/5

angelsowllibrarian's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

4.0

books_ergo_sum's review

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adventurous medium-paced

4.0

Am I really going to take a star off my rating because they kept referring to sexy times as “going to the garden,” “being in the garden,” “I’m in the garden”…? Yes, yes I am.

But other than that! Great book.

I particularly love how this author explores racism in her alien romances—and this was the best one so far. Just a completely bananas mixture of unhinged fated mates pining and an alien guy’s horror and self-loathing at being mated to someone not of his species. Seriously, it was a lot.

Also, rejected mate stories (she rejects him because he’s being such a racist jerk) are just so angsty. Loved it!

mmcginnis's review

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dark emotional fast-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? Yes

4.0

andrearaereads's review against another edition

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4.0

Please help this series is taking over my life

postmortem's review

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

porcelainheart_'s review against another edition

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5.0

I have been anticipating this release since the beginning of this series, and my heart is so happy with the outcome. Svera and Krisxox's story was brutally sweet and heart-wrenching, and the character development was to die for! Meek, demure and timid Svera became savage, ruthless and bloodthirsty Svera

Spoiler

something Krisxox loves to remind her of

, while Krisxox himself comes to grips with the feelings he has for her, his fear of losing her, and finally rejects the shame his sires would have had towards him

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in Krisxox's own words, "Xok my xoking sires!"

. He realizes in that moment that whatever his sires would have thought no longer matters, not when Xaneru chose Svera for him, and it humbles him in the process.

This book isn't as long as the previous one, Sasor. Which is understandable, given Sasor was an entirely different world and culture with different characters, not to mention a standalone. Heimo features familiar faces we've come to know and love throughout the series; Kiki, Miari, the Raku and Va'Raku

Spoiler

including the newest addition to Miari and the Raku's family, their newborn daughter Dora

. We see the return of other faces from the series that were briefly mentioned here and there, most notably Mathilda. She was the leader of the human colony on Cxrian and had an implied direct role in the Hunt that took place there every year.

My favorite addition, however, was Svera's family. I'm no stranger to Arabic customs and cultures, and it was heartwarming to see how they interacted with her. I initially thought she went to go see them after she and Krisxox returned from Qath

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to inform them that she had mated with Krisxox and "ruined" herself by having premarital sex

, but her reason takes a darker turn when she reveals to them what she learned about Mathilda's role in the Hunt.

Spoiler

As it turns out, Svera's parents were medical doctors on the human colony moon. After discovering that Mathilda was murdering the women who got pregnant during the Hunt when she tried to take their babies away from them after birth, they began secretly subverting her efforts to sell the human-Drakesh hybrid babies by performing abortions on the women

.

The shame and guilt her parents felt was so palpable I felt it through the page. To know that they carried that with them for at least a decade was heart-wrenching

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but I was happy to learn that they were not viewed as criminals or murderers for their actions, rather as heroes who saved lives

. And after learning of the Xiveri bond and Xanaxana, they understood why she mated to Krisxox before she married him. They didn't judge her or disown her as some strictly religious parents might have

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as Svera's mother phrased it, it would have been unnatural if you didn't consummate it, much to the chagrin of her father and brother

. Their love for their daughter outweighed any consequences she might have faced if it had been known she broke a tenet with their Tri-God, and it was a wonderful sight.

In addition to this, Krisxox's reaction to the revelation of this tenet is one of grief for Svera's sake. She explains that she has been "ruined", and he repeatedly says he did not ruin her in any way and is completely devastated that she thinks this way of herself after what they shared. Krisxox views her as a treasure unworthy of him and it killed him to think she was defective in some way.

Subsequently, Mathilda was a horrible woman. Punishing her turns out to be an ordeal in and of itself

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given her connections to the Niahhorru pirate king

, but she gets hers in the end.

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The introduction of Ashmara was confirmation of Mathilda's treachery - human-hybrid Drakesh babies were being sold off after they were born from the Hunt, and it's possible many more like her live scattered across the universe

. While it is unclear what happens to Mathilda

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other than being exiled on the planet Kor

, there is a sense that she was eventually found and justice was doled out.

Overall, I loved Heimo and rated it a 5/5 stars. Watching Svera turn into a badass in her own right and watching Krisxox humble himself in his love for her was a rewarding experience. I'm really glad we got more information about the story as a whole, and I absolutely cannot WAIT for Deena's story!!

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