#hattie jacks

[lostmeadowjade]

Currently reading Treasured by a Dragon Warlord, by Hattie Jacks. I'm only like 3 chapters in and very much enjoying it. Gillian is one hell of a badass lady.

[lostmeadowjade]

I may have added a little to my collection tattooed dead trees...

Only 34 books in this order.

And only 8 books and 3 novellas to complete this verse (or at least what's been released/published so far)... But those novellas are going to be a bitch to get my hands on.

And I had one book arrived badly damaged. A replacement should be here by the end of the week. Hopefully.

[lostmeadowjade]

November Reads

Ahh it's that time again! Read 26 books last month. And I very clearly had a theme going, or at least a genre that has captured me, lol.

The sci-fi/alien romances have had an incredible draw on me lately. I don't even know how to explain.

Hattie Jacks books were great, and her FMCs are all 30+ which is such a refreshing change, honestly. And her MMCs all have such interesting backstories that contribute so much the universe all of her books are set in.

A.G. Wilde's Captured Earth series (Arrival is book 1) was also another great series. It's different in that you have a slightly more traditional alien story, but you still get the little twists and cool things.

And then there is Brimstone, of course. I now have the audiobook too, so I am going to be putting that into my ears very soon! Was great read and like many I was left flipping and shaking my book looking for more pages and extra chapters!

And below the read more is a complete list of all the books. Doesn't include any of the re-reads I've done (including the new listens of books I've previously read).

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

Hattie Jacks ~ Savage Prize ~ Release Blitz / ARC Review

      NEW RELEASE     Savage Prize Warriors of the Citadel #1 by Hattie Jacks   Sci-Fi Alien Romance           Blurb: On a planet where ther

[prose-mortem]

Taken: Alien Commander's Captive Review

Rating: 5/5 Stars

This is one of the better sci-fi alien romances I have read-- and I have read many of them. Taken: Alien Commander's Captive follows Jayne and Rexitor as they navigate Jayne's abduction from the earth, Rexitor's reclamation of his rightful place in the empire, and all the cultural/political drama that ensues.

I love the fact that the FMC is 38 years old and not an 18 or 19-year-old child... I hate it when romances have teens as the MCs in adult romances, but it's hard to find FMCs over 30 no matter what the genre is. All ages deserve to be represented in literature, but to people over the age of 25, an 18-year-old looks and acts like a kid, so it's weird to always have them as hyper-sexual MCs. The FMC also does not struggle with her fertility (an annoying trope that seems to affect anyone over 35 in books) and there is no big deal made about her age or childbearing ability. The fact is that a 38-year-old is not a child, but they are also not old yet either. It's a relief that this author understands that and gives actual adults a chance to shine, be smutty, and find happiness. (I'm only 30, but I love seeing all ages represented.)

Next, I really appreciated the fact that one of the prominent species in the book, which is much more ancient than humans, has not evolved all that much beyond human silliness. For example, there is still a clear gender role expectation (The women are expected to breed, but otherwise can do what they want), and political strife and manipulation are at play. I think the author delved into a deep truth that some people don't like to face: We may have mostly tapped out on our potential to evolve in a positive sense, and almost everything runs in cycles. Evolution, contrary to mainstream understanding, is not synonymous with improvement, and Hattie Jacks hit the nail on the head as she acknowledges that. It is not cynical to suggest that a species will never be perfect or that it takes millennia to move just a fraction of an inch forward. Our collective narcissism as humans makes us believe that we're the best things in the universe and that we've come a long way mentally when we're actually experiencing many of the same social issues that occurred 8,000+ years ago (SA, cheating, jealousy, political power plays, etc.). And in fact, we are not that different cognitively from the Neanderthals! I love that the author has enough human social experience and sci-fi knowledge to recognize that perfection isn't possible, even for fictional cultures. (And neither I or the author are saying that improvement ISN'T possible. I think we would both just agree that development is painfully slow and messy. It takes millions of years just for small genetic things to adapt... It makes sense that social refinement would take its time as well. And Jacks makes it clear that the true-born leader of the old Haalux line WILL bring healing to the empire, so we still get our HEA!)

The author also busts up the DNA modification trope by explaining that meddling with genetics actually held an entire culture back in this story! I am not for the demonization of cutting-edge science or genetic mods, but it's nice to see that scientific progress does not correlate with benefits all the time.

This book is a great balance of smut and plot! The character development is good, though I wish I could learn even more about Jayne's earth life! =) This is only the first installment in the Haalux Empire series, and I am definitely a fan! The deeper social commentary combined with all the *steam* was just what the doctor ordered for me!