Hidden In Ashes (A'yen's Legacy #5) by Rachel Leigh Smith #futuristic #romance

Title: Hidden in Ashes (A'yen's Legacy Book 5)
Author: Rachel Leigh Smith
Genre: Futuristic Romance
Publisher: Rachel L. Smith
Available: Kobo, B&N, Amazon (535 pages $4.99)
Rating: 4*
Rater: Pippa




Blurb:
Childhood enmity turns to love, with one problem: his heart isn't his to give.

Lorin is a daro, a Lokmane man trained to make humans feel special and valued. As Prime of Arkos House, no one stands between him and the safety of the daros under his care—except his mistress. The dead one, and the new one. He needs to focus on the Essence crisis infiltrating the Houses, and his sister's safety. Not figure out how to balance his duties with falling in love.

When her mother dies, emotionally wounded Sagira Memeos becomes the Marcasian Empire’s newest High Lady. And reluctant owner of the most sought after daro in said empire. He’s her childhood nemesis, and way too sexy for his own good. With his kindness finding its way into her bruised soul, asking for his help to navigate her succession to ruling high lady probably isn't her brightest idea.

Lorin wants Sagira. But not if he has to pay for it with innocent lives. She’s a distraction he can't afford while the bedrock of Marcasian high society is under attack. Not to mention facing losing his sister to the man who wounded Sagira. If the daro houses fall, all hope of freedom goes with them.

What I liked:
As always, Smith delivers a well written and emotional twister of a tale with a rich and culturally diverse background that builds on her universe. And while the longest book of the series so far, I didn't feel that the overall story dragged or got tedious.

What I didn't like:
This just didn't grab me or give me the intense emotional impact of the other books. I think the tension and threats to the characters could all have been cranked up a notch throughout and/or the resolution of their feelings not come quite so soon. Though its length didn't make it drag, it did feel repetitive in places and the ending felt incomplete (though the author notes their story will continue in the next book). And while I personally have nothing against tattoos and piercings, having both, the constant references to Lorin's tongue studs made me feel icky all the way through.

In conclusion:
A worthy tale to add to A'yen's Legacy series but I'm glad I waited for the next book to be out before reading this one so I don't have to wait for a full conclusion of Lorin and Sunny's story. Not to be missed if you enjoyed the previous four books though I don't think this can stand alone without reading the others to understand the full background to the plotline.

Disclaimer: All information correct at time of posting. Book purchased by the reviewer from a legitimate retail site for their own personal enjoyment.

Freedom's Embrace (A'yen's Legacy #4) by Rachel Leigh Smith #futuristic #romance

Title: Freedom's Embrace (A'yen's Legacy #4)
Author: Rachel Leigh Smith
Genre: Futuristic Romance
Publisher: Rachel Leigh Smith
Available: Goodreads, Kobo, B&N, Amazon (pages 321,  $4.99)
Rating: 5*
Rater: Pippa




Blurb:

They made the wrong choice. Putting it right requires going into a war.

A'yen's Reign: Year Two
Taran has served Nicco, prince of Marcase, for twenty-three years. While on a fact-finding mission to Corsica--a planet annexed by the empire thirteen years ago--Taran and Nicco are kidnapped by the Freedom Alliance and taken deep into the Corsican hardwood forests.

Da'Renna, sister to King A'yen's linked bodyguard, has loved Taran since the moment he saw her. Leaving him behind wasn't easy, but her brother needed her more. Hearing about Taran's kidnapping makes her wonder if she made the right choice.
With the help of a friend from Corsica, Da'Renna and her brother sneak in to find Taran. When mercenaries take her hostage, Taran must make the choice he dreads most: his master, or his soul-mate.
If Taran loses his girl, he'll never find his way to freedom.
Note: This novel stands alone and is a great entry point into the A'yen's Legacy futuristic romance series

What I liked:
Fully fleshed and complex, tortured characters you can immediately sympathize with (though I wanted to slap the main couple). I was so happy to see more of Ro and Jasmine even though this wasn't their story, the majority of that having taken place in book three. This book can stand alone so you don't have to read the previous three to be able to follow the majority of it (although personally I was glad I had as it gives you more back up/lead up to this story and the politics/history behind it). It continues to build on the A'yen universe and the slow crawl toward freedom for all the Lokmane. This is a story about divided loyalties, what freedom means to an individual, and what they are prepared to sacrifice for love. This is perhaps the smoothest read of the series so far, and not only progresses the story but also ties up some loose ends from the previous books.

What I didn't like:
I actually can't pick up on anything I didn't really like. The 5* rating says it all. Aside from getting frustrated with the central couple (which is the whole purpose of the story), and maybe a bit too much of the cupping faces again (but touch is so much more important to a Lokmane because of the almost spiritual connections couples share), I can't fault it.

In conclusion:
Recommended for those who want to try scifi romance but are put off by the prospect of having to wade through a lot of science, or for paranormal/UF lovers looking for something a bit different to the usual vampires, shifters, demons etc. You don't even have to have read the previous books in the series as this can stand alone (though personally I would suggest that you do).

To Save A Life by Rachel Leigh Smith #futuristic #romance

Title: To Save A Life (A'yen's Legacy #3)
Author: Rachel Leigh Smith
Genre: Futuristic Romance
Publisher: Rachel Leigh Smith
Available: Amazon $4.99 (Kindle) 354 pages
Rating: 5*
Rater: Pippa




Blurb:
A'yen's loved ones are under attack. To save them, he'll risk everything.

Half the Lokmane are free and the resettling of Lok'ma is in progress. A'yen is crowned king, but it isn't stopping his enemies. Someone is after Ro, and the woman he's falling in love with is caught in the middle.

When Fae is injured in a cave-in at a dig site, A'yen knows who's to blame. Proving it is the hard part. Things get worse when he walks into a political trap, and Ro is framed for murder. Saving his reputation is easy compared to saving Ro. Ro's demons come for him, taking him back to a life not worth living.

A'yen races to save Ro before he can act on his deepest desire: killing his tormentor. Happily ever after can't happen if Ro is dead.

Note: The first three A'yen's Legacy futuristic romances are best read in order.

What I liked:
This is back to the full on angst and emotional punch of book one, though this time focused on A'yen's linked bodyguard, Ro. And this is a torturous, no-holds-barred look at the pain, humiliation and brutality experienced by those considered lowest on the Lokmane slaves. Ro's blue ink mark him as not only open for the use and abuse of any human, but hatred and distrust from his own people. In this universe, you can't come any lower than a sex slave. If anyone deserves a happily ever after, it's Ro, and despite everything, despite his own conviction he's unworthy of even a moment of kindness, he's a good man.

What I didn't like:
Nothing.

In conclusion:
This is a huge step back up from book two in terms of emotional punch and action, while still moving the politics forward. It's also moved from focusing on A'yen and Farran to Ro, though both men will are put through hell. The bedroom scenes are all closed doors, but you are left in no doubt about the absolute torture Ro is put through, an example of the all too common treatment of his people in this universe. If you like to see your heroes tortured beyond your endurance but with a HFN, in a rich, complex and well-drawn out future universe, this is the book for you.

The King's Mistress (A'yen's Legacy 2) by Rachel Leigh Smith #futuristic #romance

Title: The King's Mistress (A'yen's Legacy #2)
Author: Rachel Leigh Smith
Genre: Futuristic Romance
Publisher: Rachel Leigh Smith
Available: Amazon $4.99 (Kindle) 347 pages
Rating: 4*
Rater: Pippa




Blurb:

Freedom has a cost. Can A'yen pay it without losing his soul?

Liberation of the enslaved Lokmane begins with the king's family. A'yen and Fae agree to visit the Hidden, a group of escaped Lokmane, to protect his identity while the Shadows make their move with emancipation acts. But A'yen is not prepared for the prejudice rampant in the Hidden, or their lack of patience for him. and his new linked bodyguard is unstable to the point A'yen fears for the young man's sanity.

Upon returning to Titan, A'yen is kidnapped and taken to the largest breeding farm in the galaxy. This time he'll be himself even if it kills him. His resolve to unite his people grows as he wonders if he'll live long enough to do it.

With A'yen kidnapped, Fae returns to the Lokmane homeworld seeking the final pieces of what happened two thousand years ago when they were conquered and enslaved. Getting as far away from her father as possible is the only way to keep her from disappearing too.

Separated by light years, A'yen and Fae have to stand alone and fight for their right to live in freedom. No matter the cost.

Note: The first three A'yen's Legacy futuristic romances are best read in order.

What I liked:
As always, Smith plays on the emotions of the reader with her tortured heroes, and the theme of slavery and what it means to be a slave, to have no rights of your own including what you do with your own body. The political situations and implications of this universe as a whole and what the abolishment of slavery would take and its consequences are fully explored and deftly explained without being an info dump. You see it clearly through the eyes of all those affected, on both sides of the battle. There are multiple story threads woven throughout, some tied off in this book but others still to be settled. The world building and its gritty realism are perfectly done.

What I didn't like:
Considering the title, Fae came across as very much background in this story, a fill in between the events with Ro and A'yen. The pace was slower, with less action, and less angst, and even the big reveal in this one was kind of half-hearted and not really played out well. There was also way too much hugging, touching and cupping of faces in the first third of the book, to the point I got irritated. I understand touch plays an important part in the Lokmane society, but it felt overkill.

In conclusion:
This did not live up to its title in my opinion, and wasn't up to the same standard as the first book (in terms of action and emotion, though not a fault in the writing itself). While I can see the necessity for the book to have progressed in the way it did - moving the massive political machine forward to the required level for book three and the crawl towards freedom - it was rather like the political intrigue and underhand dealings of the Trade Federation in the Star Wars prequels: slow and not much action or angst other than that provided by the introduction of Ro. Considering the title, I expected Fae to be much more the focus of this story. However, it is still an enjoyable read (if a little frustrating), and I was still eager to read the next because so much in this book promises more explosive happenings later on. For those who prefer paranormal elements in their scifi romance rather than heavy on the SF, with thorough and in-depth world building, and for the hero-centric.

My Name Is A'yen (A'yen's Legacy #1) by Rachel Leigh Smith #futuristic #romance

Title: My Name is A'yen
Author: Rachel Leigh Smith
Genre: Futuristic Romance
Publisher: Rachel Leigh Smith
Available: Kobo, B&N, Amazon (351 pages $0.00)
Rating: 5*
Rater: Pippa


Blurb:
They've taken everything from him. Except his name.

The Loks Mé have been slaves for so long, freedom is a distant myth A'yen Mesu no longer believes. A year in holding, because of his master's murder, has sucked the life from him. Archaeologist Farran Hart buys him to protect her on an expedition to the Rim, the last unexplored quadrant.

Farran believes the Loks Mé once lived on the Rim and is determined to prove it. And win A'yen's trust. But she's a breeder's daughter and can't be trusted.

Hidden rooms, information caches and messages from a long-dead king change A'yen's mind about her importance. When she's threatened he offers himself in exchange, and lands on the Breeder's Association's radar. The truth must be told. Even if it costs him his heart.

What I liked:
I adore tortured heroes, and A'yen is probably the most tortured soul I've ever encountered. Just when you feel thing can't get any worse and you see a glimmer of hope, Rachel Leigh Smith has A'yen's plight tear out your heart again. Beautifully descriptive writing and a real emotional rollercoaster. Good romantic tension, and plenty of action, mystery and intrigue. The word building was multi-layered and interesting.

What I didn't like:
For me, the action/tension toward the end dropped off a bit. Considering how hard A'yen had to fight throughout the story to be seen as an individual rather than a thing and how his inability to control his life as a slave was abused, I felt some of the conflict/danger aspect from at least one individual could have been stronger.

In conclusion:
This was an excellent debut and a promising start to a hero-centric, potentially epic scifi romance series. Looking forward to the rest of the books!