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sleepey's reviews
77 reviews
Taken by M.A. Church
dark
funny
3.0
This romance story immediately paints itself into a corner by having one half of the main couple kidnap the other & mutate his body for breeding purposes.
Dale, the human protagonist, feels so terrified and violated that there's nothing anyone could say to bring him over to the aliens' side. And so, the author just doesn't bother - they have sex and suddenly he doesn't care any more. Keyno, the alien captain, sits in bed working on plans for the next "harvest", where hundreds more men will go through this trauma, and Dale happily sits beside him without a thought in his head. When those plans are put into action, Dale worries about how stressful the whole thing is, for Keyno.
This kind of premise isn't impossible to navigate. I've read stories that make every element here fun, thrilling, arousing, you name it. But this one fails so hard at setting up the main romance that at a certain point I had to stop & say "ok, let's just draw a line under the first act, pretend this relationship was handled better, & try to enjoy the rest as though it was earned."
Under those parameters, honestly, I thought the rest of the book was mostly pretty fun. I enjoyed Dale & Keyno's playful rapport, there was some interesting worldbuilding... and then it just abruptly ended. 👍 Great. See you in book 2 I guess.
The problems aren't limited to the story itself by the way, the writing is also incredibly sloppy. Pivotal conversations & scenes are glossed over, some of the characters (like Chad & his mate) are so thin as to barely exist, and bizarrely, on multiple occasions, Dale is totally surprised to hear something he definitely already knew. Like he specifically had a conversation about it a few pages ago, and now it's news.
For all its flaws I think this book manages to shine when it's doing classic romance stuff (like Keyno furiously protecting his mate from harm, and that heartbreaking chapter where something's come between the two of them, & Dale doesn't know how to reconnect). It's also great when it's going totally off-the-wall (like when Keyno gets dosed with alien catnip). Everything in between those extremes is hit and miss though, with some pretty profound misses.
So overall, not the best thing I've ever read. But if you can get past all these issues I think there's a spark of something lovable in there.
Dale, the human protagonist, feels so terrified and violated that there's nothing anyone could say to bring him over to the aliens' side. And so, the author just doesn't bother - they have sex and suddenly he doesn't care any more. Keyno, the alien captain, sits in bed working on plans for the next "harvest", where hundreds more men will go through this trauma, and Dale happily sits beside him without a thought in his head. When those plans are put into action, Dale worries about how stressful the whole thing is, for Keyno.
This kind of premise isn't impossible to navigate. I've read stories that make every element here fun, thrilling, arousing, you name it. But this one fails so hard at setting up the main romance that at a certain point I had to stop & say "ok, let's just draw a line under the first act, pretend this relationship was handled better, & try to enjoy the rest as though it was earned."
Under those parameters, honestly, I thought the rest of the book was mostly pretty fun. I enjoyed Dale & Keyno's playful rapport, there was some interesting worldbuilding... and then it just abruptly ended. 👍 Great. See you in book 2 I guess.
The problems aren't limited to the story itself by the way, the writing is also incredibly sloppy. Pivotal conversations & scenes are glossed over, some of the characters (like Chad & his mate) are so thin as to barely exist, and bizarrely, on multiple occasions, Dale is totally surprised to hear something he definitely already knew. Like he specifically had a conversation about it a few pages ago, and now it's news.
For all its flaws I think this book manages to shine when it's doing classic romance stuff (like Keyno furiously protecting his mate from harm, and that heartbreaking chapter where something's come between the two of them, & Dale doesn't know how to reconnect). It's also great when it's going totally off-the-wall (like when Keyno gets dosed with alien catnip). Everything in between those extremes is hit and miss though, with some pretty profound misses.
So overall, not the best thing I've ever read. But if you can get past all these issues I think there's a spark of something lovable in there.
Tristan by Sylvain St-Pierre
dark
4.5
Tristan is a brutal, cold-hearted killer out for revenge, with heightened alien senses, extensive combat experience, genius-level technological expertise, & the ability to put on a false persona so convincing that even the narrative treats it like a separate character. It's a lot of fun to watch him scheming & manipulating & just generally being overpowered, kind of like if Gus Fring was a big cat man from space.
There are some basic spelling & formatting errors here & there, which is a shame, but when you look past those the writing is actually really strong - it's able to lead you through an intricate plot & setting, in the heads of some rather idiosyncratic characters, without becoming too confusing or expository. Some events maybe don't hold up to full scrutiny (surely there are easier ways to detain a guy for 1 day while you use his ID than infecting yourself with a bespoke strain of bio-engineered sex flu ) but I think it all works in the moment at least.
I'm interested to see where the series goes from here, hoping to see some more substantial growth from the main character. His antics are enjoyably shocking, but I can see myself changing my mind if he's still at it 5 books later!
There are some basic spelling & formatting errors here & there, which is a shame, but when you look past those the writing is actually really strong - it's able to lead you through an intricate plot & setting, in the heads of some rather idiosyncratic characters, without becoming too confusing or expository. Some events maybe don't hold up to full scrutiny (
I'm interested to see where the series goes from here, hoping to see some more substantial growth from the main character. His antics are enjoyably shocking, but I can see myself changing my mind if he's still at it 5 books later!
Red Dwarf Omnibus: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers & Better Than Life by Grant Naylor
3.5
Generally well-written & enjoyable, & it's interesting to see what direction they could have taken the story without the constraints of a TV show. But then there are whole scenes & plotlines ripped directly from the show & barely changed at all, which makes this kind of a slog if you've seen it all before (technically one episode was written here first & adapted for TV later, but the effect is the same). The omnibus edition also makes it really obvious when things change or go missing from one book to the next.
As a long-time fan I'm glad to have finally read it, but it didn't exactly blow me away.
As a long-time fan I'm glad to have finally read it, but it didn't exactly blow me away.
Human Omega: Trapped in the Alien Jungle by Eileen Glass
4.5
The story picks up directly after "Discovered on the Slave Planet" - I'd recommend reading that first if you can (though there is a bit of catch-up exposition at the start so you wouldn't be totally lost)
Our main trio spends the first half of the book surviving in the jungle while trying to get to know each other a little better. The language barrier is promoted to main villain status here. There's some lovely worldbuilding as they travel further & come across remnants of civilisation that had to be abandoned when the bugs invaded.
I'll spoiler tag the 2nd half but still not going into specifics:
They end up meeting more of Siel's people & being taken to stay at a military outpost. I was kind of dreading this shift from the very intimate, isolated survival adventures to more broad relationship drama & interpersonal conflict, but of course the author handles it really well. The barracks are small & remote so they're not quite "home" yet, giving everyone a chance to ease into the new status quo.
According to the author's note at the back, she was considering ending the series here, & I'm very glad that didn't happen because I love spending time with these characters. Plus the way it ends would have been absolutely infuriating without a follow-up!!
Our main trio spends the first half of the book surviving in the jungle while trying to get to know each other a little better. The language barrier is promoted to main villain status here. There's some lovely worldbuilding as they travel further & come across remnants of civilisation that had to be abandoned when the bugs invaded.
I'll spoiler tag the 2nd half but still not going into specifics:
According to the author's note at the back, she was considering ending the series here, & I'm very glad that didn't happen because I love spending time with these characters. Plus the way it ends would have been absolutely infuriating without a follow-up!!
The Cassini Mission by Rob Colton
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.5
Bit of a step down from "The Degan Incident" in many ways, but I did enjoy the more Trek-y space adventure plot.
The character writing is frustrating at times. The main relationship felt a bit forced & cartoonish, & I was waiting the whole book for some kind of "alien pheromones" explanation for their behaviour that never came. Everyone's constantly digging at the protagonist for his previous discharge from the military & he just meekly accepts it (Aron: "Here's a full copy of the scientists' illegal research data, & here's the actual specimen they were experimenting on. Also the guy we arrested just admitted the whole thing, he's not even hiding it." / Captain: "You think I'm just going to believe some ex-con with a hunch??????" - Bro, get a fkn grip ). There's also kind of an outrageous incident in the showers early on that goes completely unaddressed (see content warnings).
But yeah the broad strokes of the story hold together, the mission itself is pretty thrilling, & I wouldn't mind seeing Aron & Kane again in the 3rd book.
The character writing is frustrating at times. The main relationship felt a bit forced & cartoonish, & I was waiting the whole book for some kind of "alien pheromones" explanation for their behaviour that never came. Everyone's constantly digging at the protagonist for his previous discharge from the military & he just meekly accepts it (
But yeah the broad strokes of the story hold together, the mission itself is pretty thrilling, & I wouldn't mind seeing Aron & Kane again in the 3rd book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
The Degan Incident by Rob Colton
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This book is in a weird spot where it 100% worked for me personally, but I don't know if I could honestly recommend it to other people 😅
It's got kind of an "unrestrained" quality, just swinging wildly from one extreme to another like an excitable dog. From saccharine romance to sticky, sweaty sex scenes, to devastating loss & genuinely unsettling abuse, to triumphant rescue & catharsis. It's a rollercoaster, it goes for the highest highs & lowest lows of any given scenario. And the impressive part is that it does this without feeling edgy & pointless; everything that happens to characters has weight (if not sensitivity), they get strengthened & damaged & changed throughout.
Also kudos for writing a conspiracy plot that makes sense & isn't so sprawling that it becomes impossible for the heroes to realistically defeat.
It's got kind of an "unrestrained" quality, just swinging wildly from one extreme to another like an excitable dog. From saccharine romance to sticky, sweaty sex scenes, to devastating loss & genuinely unsettling abuse, to triumphant rescue & catharsis. It's a rollercoaster, it goes for the highest highs & lowest lows of any given scenario. And the impressive part is that it does this without feeling edgy & pointless; everything that happens to characters has weight (if not sensitivity), they get strengthened & damaged & changed throughout.
Also kudos for writing a conspiracy plot that makes sense & isn't so sprawling that it becomes impossible for the heroes to realistically defeat.
Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams
4.0
Enjoyed this more than the previous book in the series, probably because I remembered less of it from when I read them all ages ago, so I could better appreciate the jokes. As the foreword notes, this is more plot-focused than Adams usually writes, which is fine by me as the plot is quite good (despite all the cricket).
"I am at a rough estimate thirty billion times more intelligent than you. Let me give you an example. Think of a number, any number."
"Er, five," said the mattress.
"Wrong," said Marvin. "You see?"
Human Omega: Discovered on the Slave Planet by Eileen Glass
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
GIve me a book about a guy being doted on by a couple of big snuggly porcupine creatures & I'll enjoy it. That's a fact. But there's some compelling scifi here as well, dealing with survival & communication on a war-torn alien world.
The human, Carter, is obviously at the biggest disadvantage, being physically weaker than everyone around him & unable to speak the local language. But his alien companions have cultural barriers between them too, they've each got their own perspectives & flaws, so it's not like they're just dragging him around, waiting for him to catch up. It really feels like 3 people working things out, getting through it together. And when Carter finally gets an opportunity to shine it's such a genuine "hell yeah!" moment.
Sweet, funny, tender, and exciting. Great stuff.
The human, Carter, is obviously at the biggest disadvantage, being physically weaker than everyone around him & unable to speak the local language. But his alien companions have cultural barriers between them too, they've each got their own perspectives & flaws, so it's not like they're just dragging him around, waiting for him to catch up. It really feels like 3 people working things out, getting through it together. And when Carter finally gets an opportunity to shine it's such a genuine "hell yeah!" moment.
Sweet, funny, tender, and exciting. Great stuff.
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
4.5
I'm glad I read through the glossary etc at the back of the book first because a lot of the story would have been totally incomprehensible otherwise. I feel like the translator could have gone a few steps further to communicate certain words & concepts in plain English without too much impact, but maybe that's just me being basic. It's my first one of these.
The story is a lot of fun, if a bit slow in places, & weirdly structured due to it originally being serialised. The main characters are all super endearing, & the way the plot is set up with the protagonist kind of knowing what's going to happen (but also kind of not) is really interesting. I ordered the 2nd book as soon as I finished, I have to know what happens!
The story is a lot of fun, if a bit slow in places, & weirdly structured due to it originally being serialised. The main characters are all super endearing, & the way the plot is set up with the protagonist kind of knowing what's going to happen (but also kind of not) is really interesting. I ordered the 2nd book as soon as I finished, I have to know what happens!
Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Kind of flops at the end but the journey is so fun it doesn't even matter