Reviewed by Carissa
TITLE: Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities
SERIES: Claimings #2
AUTHOR: Lyn Gala
PUBLISHER: Loose Id
LENGTH: 225 pages
BLURB:
Ondry and Liam have settled into a good life, but their trading is still tied up with humans, and humans are always messy. When political changes at the human base lead Ondry to attempt a difficult trade, the pair find themselves entangled in human affairs. Liam wants to help the people he left and the worlds being torn apart. He also wants to serve Ondry with not only the pleasures of the nest but also by bringing human profits.
Ondry has no hope of understanding human psychology in general, he only knows that he will hold onto his palteia with the last breath in his body, and he’d like to keep his status and his wealth too. Unfortunately, new humans bring new conflicts and he is not sure how to protect Liam. He does know one thing that humans seem to constantly forget—that the peaceful Rownt are predators and when their families are threatened, Rownt become deadly killers. Liam is his family, and Ondry will protect him with his last breath… assuming that he can recognize the dangers in time to do so.
REVIEW:
Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities picks up soon after the ending of the first book, Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts (which is required reading if you want to actually get this book).
Liam is now settling into his role as palteia to Ondry, and is finding himself safe and at home for probably the first time in his life. Speaking for Ondry in trade, seeking both profit and pleasure for his chilta, Liam is really starting to come into his own. He is stronger now, than he was before. Stronger for having someone to care for (who actually cares for him back) but also for having a place where his voice is respected and his knowledge is valuable and worth much in trade.
Ondry can’t remember a time in his last two centuries where he has ever been happier than when he is with Liam. The stories had spoken of the joy of have a palteia, but that was nothing to the experience of it. Liam’s trust is worth more than any trade–and for a Rownt that is saying something. He will not lose Liam for anything or to anyone–which makes the sudden appearance of human conflicts back into their lives, all the more worrisome. But even if the humans were to bring the full force of their armies in order to separate Liam from Ondry, Ondry would fight. He just hopes that strong enough, and smart enough, to face the pure illogic of human strategy.
I don’t think I have the words to say how much I loved this book. I adored Claimings and was more than a little thrilled that Lyn Gala had decided to write a sequel. The world that she created in the Rownt and with Liam and Ondry was one of the best sci-fi stories I had read in a long time. Also one of the most realistic when it comes to alien contact, communication, and that whole tricky area of sex and sexual reproduction.
I have always found it highly unlikely, if not downright illogical, the way that humans and aliens interact in most sci-fi stories. Giant gaps between languages, both verbal and non-verbal, seem to get ignored in favor of quick explanations that don’t even begin to cover the difficulties of trying to communicate between two groups of people that do not have a common history, stories, or slang to draw from. And don’t get me started on how odd it is to find current pop-culture/slang popping up in stories set over two centuries from now.
So I love how this book is practically based on the idea of communication between human Liam and rownt Ondry. Rownt have a hard time understanding the pure illogical actions of humans. And humans have an even harder time understanding the Rownt. And it doesn’t help that humans are more likely to shoot the unknown thing, then they are to get to know and understand it. The way that Liam and Ondry trade knowledge as if it were metals or spice, is a really cool idea. The idea that knowledge is just as valuable, if not more so, than material objects, makes it so just about anything can become trade. And while that should probably irk me, that even a conversation can become a trade deal, I found it rather fascinating.
The idea of sex and sexual reproduction was also very well done, here. And not just because we got some awesome tail-sex in the mix. Liam and Ondry are not sexualy compatible–at least in the Rownt sense or the word. In fact, if they were to try to have sexual intercourse it is very likely that Liam would die–or very much wish he had. It is just not going to work like that. But “pleasure based intercourse” as Ondry calls it, is still very much a part of their relationship. Liam gets to find out exactly what Ondry can do with that wonderful tail of his, and Ondry gets practically high off of Liam stroking his fora (bumps along the side of a Rownt neck that induce contentment and relaxation). It is very much how I would imagine that two alien species would have to interact sexually, since the chances that they would both be wired in such a way to enjoy (or be physically compatible) with our idea of sex, is just a bit far fetched.
When it comes down to it, I can barely describe how pleased I was with this book. The cultural aspects were fascinating and incredibly well thought out, but also the relationship between Ondry and Liam was truly lovely. Ondry is one BAMF that you don’t want to ever mess with, but he is also caring and so freaking centered on Liam that I might have swooned a bit. They have a love that is not ‘normal’ is so many senses of the word. And Liam knows that. But he also knows what he feels, and what Ondry feels.
When Ondry’s tail slid over and curled around Liam’s leg, that felt a lot like love. And yes, Liam was well aware that Rownt emotions were different, and a psychologist could probably give a hundred reasons why he shouldn’t think of Ondry as loving him, but he did. Ondry would protect him and hold him close and fight to make him happy, and that was enough.
I dearly hope there is going to be a third book in the series (and not just because I am dying to see Ondry in Spaaaacceee!!!). This series so far has been so highly above the cut that it currently sits as some of my favorite books ever. I adore these characters and this world. And am more than a little grateful that Lyn Gala took the time to create them in such a way that everything feels so very real, and yet so incredibly fantastic.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
I loved this, it was a perfect follow up to Claimings.