"She, and the other Earth women Serena meets aboard ship with her, have been captured by the Moyds, interstellar merchants, their mission, to procure fertile wives for the men of Volarn, where their race is endangered due to the wide-spread sterility of their own women."
Author: Myra NourPages: 264 pages
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing on July 2005
Form: E-book (from tour for an honest review)
Genre: Sci-fi Romance
Series: Volarn Chronicles #1
Amazon: Love's Captive (Volarn Chronicles I)
( EU price, click to see yours )Barnes & Noble: Buy / $6.49 (Nook)
Smashwords: Buy / $6.49 (E-book)
"When Serena awakes, after a close and unpleasant encounter with some sort of stun gun, she very quickly learns that resistance is futile and escape only a yearned for dream. She, and the other Earth women Serena meets aboard ship with her, have been captured by the Moyds, interstellar merchants, their mission, to procure fertile wives for the men of Volarn, where their race is endangered due to the wide-spread sterility of their own women.
Learning this is at least some relief to the captured women, but Serena is disgusted to realize that they are nothing in these men's eyes but baby makers. Regardless, she knows she has no choice but to face the fate that awaits her with as much dignity as she can muster.
Once they arrive on Volarn, Serena learns that her assessment has not been entirely accurate. Using their power crystals in the Tarthra Ritual, the warriors approach the women with their crystals to find the mate most suited to them.. .a woman to love who can love them. Serena is chosen to become King Rhamus' queen, but, just as she feels herself weakening to Rhamus' romantic, passionate nature, Rhamus' enemy, Xarath, abducts her." ~ From Goodreads
Warning: Contains explicit sex, graphic language and some violence
The story in Love's Captive is interesting to say the least, it has that sci-fi erotic romance feel with abduction and aliens but then has very strong romance to it with the mating system the Volarns have which is all about a love match. There's a whole lot to this world and as a series it makes sense, all the strange names for plants and people hint that there is more to come. Ms. Nour did a good job in writing an entertaining chick-lit sci-fi with a strong romance and two very different cultures - a novel that had all the actions, passion and threat that a good book requires!
Serena's wrestler physique making her desirable in Volarn was an interesting twist, you usually don't have too many women wrestler heroines. But she made a good match for Rhamus who was seven foot and built like a warrior from fantasy game - I liked all the depth Rhamus had, instead of just brutish force and plan of seduction, and Nour had written him with a very distinct separation from human culture with was interesting to read. I enjoyed Serena's lessons in becoming a Queen - but also when she had rely to her old strengths when abducted by Rhamus' arch enemy.
The romance was good, from seduction to Rhamus leaving her right after the first act it felt bit odd, but I chucked it under different cultures. The thing was they weren't falling in love from page one they were falling in lust so all the warm and fuzzies didn't really show up until they begun to know each other. And for a slow simmering romance this was good - but to be honest I'm more the high emotional charge from the beginning kind of girl. ;) But like I said it did come when they begun to fall in love.
If you love... sci-fi romance with a fantasy feel and heroine who can kick butt trying her hands at being a Queen then this is for you! Also if you're an arachnophobic then this isn't for you.
The second book in the series Heart of The Dragon is out!
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