This Etherya’s Earth prequel takes us back to the beginning when Vampyres and Slayers were still at war with each other. When enemies Alrec and Kilani find themselves alone in a secluded cabin together, and with one tied to the bedframe no less, we know these two won’t be at war for much longer.
What’s it About?
Before the end of hatred, there was the dawn of peace…
Two immortals from warring species save each other’s lives as the conflict rages on. Alrec, the hulking Vampyre warrior, spares her first. Years later, Kilani, the fierce, uncompromising Slayer, returns the favor. Stuck in her remote cabin, their bond grows as Kilani warily nurses her injured Vampyre, determined to deny her growing desire for the man with deep, knowing eyes and mesmerizing fangs. And, of course, there’s only one bed…
The sizzling prequel to the Etherya’s Earth paranormal romance saga
First Impressions
Any journey we can take to Etherya’s Earth is bound to be an entertaining ride, and this proved true once again when the author takes us back to before the events of the first novel in the series, just a few years after the Awakening has pitted Vampyre against Slayer as immortal enemies. Kilani has never felt like she truly belonged to the high society world she was born into, and until the Slayer army will accept women into their ranks she knows her strength and prowess with a sword will be pushed to the sidelines. That all changes one night when a raid on her family’s compound results in a direct confrontation with a Vampyre soldier who makes her blood boil and her loins…do some boiling of their own. Alrec and Kilani are worthy combatants who like to taunt and tease, which makes their intense sparring quickly turn into the most delightful kind of foreplay. Alrec spares Kilani’s life during their first confrontation, and it isn’t until years later when they cross paths once again that Kilani has the opportunity to return the favor by nursing this wounded soldier back to health in her secluded cabin far away from the prying eyes of Slayer, Vampyre or Deamon. Not one to let her guard down however, Kilani sees the need to tie up this currently bedridden Vampyre so as not to risk his quick healing abilities coming back to literally bite her down the road.
When Alrec awakens following his injury he’s delighted to see the woman who rescued him is the same one he hasn’t been able to stop daydreaming about for the last few years. The two immediately pick up where they left off, ergo an inordinate amount of flirtatious teasing, eyebrow wagging, and tented bed sheets. What follows is the most delicious evolution of enemies to lovers, as the confined space of the cabin creates a seductive bubble wherein these two can escape, if only for a brief moment, the complexities and battles of the world outside. They have been taught to despise each other, yet when left to their own devices their true nature can’t help but shine forth. They are dutiful soldiers who want to serve their people, but they also have a caring and tender side which comes to the forefront when trapped in each other’s company. He is one of the only men to ever admire and encourage her desire to fight, and Alrec also can’t help but love the courage of this little vixen to stand up and spar with him at any possible moment. As they continue to build up his strength we just know it’s only a matter of time before they test out his newfound strength in the bedroom, but also not long before Alrec must return to his duties as a soldier. How can our lovebirds possibly find their happily ever after when we know that peace between the species is still several centuries away?
A Secluded Observation
Another hallmark of this series is the savage war being waged against the Deamon leader Crimeous and his scourge of minions. While we’re usually privy to some intense battle scenes in Etherya’s Earth, the fact that Alrec and Kilani spend the vast majority of the novel on the outskirts of civilization within their love cabin means that most of the drama of the story comes from the “will they or won’t they” romance between our lead characters. In a way, the only fight scene we really see come to fruition in exacting detail is the one which takes place at the start of the novel between Alrec and Kilani. There’s a few ensuing mentions here and there of fighting some Deamon clusters, but nothing quite at the level to put us on the edge of our seats. While I definitely appreciated the centralized focus on what was happening inside this secluded cabin, I really would have loved just one scene where we could have witnessed Alrec and Kilani fight together. So much of their time together is spent training and sparring, and to see them work in tandem as partners to defeat a common enemy would have been the cherry on top of the proverbial sundae.
This is a delightfully quick read which can easily be devoured in one sitting. Considering this is a prequel to events which we know will eventually transpire, and that we know a happily ever after is guaranteed with any addition to this series, you can’t help but commend the author at her ability to heighten our anticipation as we wonder how Alrec and Kilani will ever be able to overcome the multiple obstacles surrounding them to ultimately find peace and happiness with each other. There were definitely a few times that I worried we might be witnessing a tragedy in the making, or maybe even two characters who were doomed to spend centuries apart before finally finding each other again once the events of the subsequent novels have a chance to play out. Alas, rest assured we have a much more satisfying conclusion to their romance than any scenario my mind was conjuring up throughout the read.
*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*
Series: Etherya’s Earth, book 0.5. This is definitely one of my favorite paranormal romance series of all time. I’ll take any full-length, novella or prequel addition I can get my hands on.
Final Impressions: Enemies-to-lovers, secluded cabin, sparring, and light restraints to prevent escape. What’s not to like here?! This is a fantastically quick read that can kick off your exploration into this amazing series. I’d recommend it to anyone going on their next beach vacation, and this is coming from someone who usually isn’t a fan of paranormal romances! The only nitpick I’d have is that I wish we would have had one scene where Alrec and Kilani joined forces to fight off a Deamon or two as a couple. It could have been the perfect culmination to all their training, demonstrate the strength of Kilani as a female fighter, and perhaps even highlight that they’re stronger together as a couple. Again though, this is a minor nitpick to an overall entertaining and steamy read.
Smut Level: Mmm, sparring. 🙂 The perfect form of foreplay when it comes to this series. All that close contact, heavy breathing, sweating…mmm. And did I mention the bed frame restraints and tenting of sheets?!
Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $0.99 Kindle Price. Reading Goddess Press, LLC.
Romance Novels for the Beach 