Reviewed by Sarina
This is a Series Review of the Planetary Submissives Series (Books 1 – 3)
AUTHOR: Amber Kell
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
SERIES REVIEW:
This was one of those easy read series that’s good for when you want something without a lot of conflict and on the one hand I enjoyed that aspect of the books but on the other hand I kind of wish there had been more meat on the bone, so to speak. Also, the submissive aspect was mostly lacking in each of the books, which threw me off a bit, but I enjoyed the stories overall. If you want a quick sci-fi book with a fast track romance, any of these might be for you.
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TITLE: Chalice
LENGTH: 65 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2015
BLURB:
In order to stop his magic from eating him alive, Chalice seeks out a man strong enough to dominate and control him.
Chalice might be a prince on his planet but his submissive tendencies prevent him from dealing with the incredible energy coursing through his body. Magic users need a second to balance them out, but there has never been a case where the one with the power didn’t hold the dominant position. Chalice’s ability as a rare four elemental magic wielder already marks him as different, though. And with the king in denial of his son’s needs, he has no choice but to look off—planet to find a powerful partner.
He runs into a diplomat on a mission who leads Chalice to agree to be the pet of an emperor—one whose reputation for tossing aside subs is only balanced out by the fact that Chalice thinks he’s the sexiest creature he’s ever seen. Chalice takes the plunge, hoping the biggest gamble of his life won’t prove to be his biggest mistake.
Publisher’s Note: This book was previously released under the same title. It has been re-edited for re-release with Pride Publishing.
REVIEW:
Chalice has a problem in that his submissive nature is clashing with his natural magic, making it unstable. The only solution is to find someone strong enough to balance him out but with his family in denial about his needs, he decides to take matters into his own hands and leaves home in search of a master. Emperor Terrin is used to taking a pet and then discarding them when bored but there’s something about Chalice that calls to him like no other. When an attack on his home causes Chalice to flee, will he go after his newest acquisition or will he move on to someone else?
This was a really easy read that wasn’t quite instalove but was close enough that the book may not be for everyone. I enjoyed it regardless but like other books of this type, the overall story was rushed and the characters weren’t as flushed out as they could’ve been. Chalice wasn’t a bad character but I wish someone so determined to help himself had a little more depth; Terrin was a little rougher as you don’t see him as much outside of his interactions with Chalice so I didn’t get much of a chance to really know him. You also don’t get to see anything much resembling a dom/sub relationship regardless of the series title. There’s some kneeling and one instance of spanking but I really wouldn’t classify this as anything resembling a bdsm book. The book wasn’t really anything requiring a lot of deep thoughts to get through but it was an enjoyable way to pass a little time and you could easily fit in into a spare half hour to an hour’s time.
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TITLE: Orlin’s Fall
LENGTH: 61 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 8, 2015
BLURB:
Orlin didn’t know when he put himself up for sale that he would be responsible for changing a kingdom.
Broke and homeless, Orlin puts himself up for sale as a pet. Approached by his new Master, Orlin decides maybe being owned by a gorgeous king wouldn’t be fate worse than death. He doesn’t expect to become the one person who changes the views of an entire kingdom…or to be more than a lover for the man who buys him. At first sight of the sexy oiled sub, Aester Fall knows he’s not leaving until Orlin belongs to him. He might be hanging on to his kingdom by his fingernails but he knows some things are worth the fight. When he returns home with Orlin, he learns his new pet might not be as pet-like as he first appeared. Neither man expects to change the fate of a world much less two of them.”
REVIEW:
When Orlin’s parents die leaving him destitute, he figures the only hope he has is to put himself up for sale as a pet. The plus side is that he’ll gain enough money to be set but the downside is that he’ll have to spend five years effectively belonging to someone else. With nothing else to lose, however, things can only go up, right? Aester has never wanted to own a pet but per the laws of his kingdom he has no choice. Its lust at first sight when he see’s Orlin but it isn’t long before he decides he doesn’t just want Orlin for five years but forever. The death of the ruling family on Orlin’s home planet changes things, however, and he may not have a choice about letting Orlin go.
This book moves along the same lines as the previous one in that it was a quick, easy read with a fast romance. I actually liked Orlin’s character; he did what he had to do to survive but he wasn’t afraid to fight for things that he wanted regardless of what other people said. I wish I’d been able to get to know Aester more but he seemed like a decent character, as well. What I didn’t really see was the “ He doesn’t expect to become the one person who changes the views of an entire kingdom” or the “Neither man expects to change the fate of a world much less two of them.” parts of the blurb. What does happen in the book just doesn’t seem to fit either of those parts to me though maybe someone else would see it differently. I really just wanted more from this book; it just seemed like the set up was there but the follow through was lacking. It was still a nice diversion in between doing other things but I would’ve liked it if more had happened.
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TITLE: Zall’s Captain
LENGTH: 55 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 15, 2015
BLURB:
Book three in the Planetary Submissives Series
When ex-slave Zall is asked to be Captain Teslan’s cabin boy, he learns sometimes you have to bend your rules to offer your heart.
Zall is settling in on the ship Chalice chose for him. Even though he’s not a soldier, he’s learning from them and developing his own skills. When the ship changes captains, Zall has to decide if he’d rather keep his independence or offer himself to a man who might be everything he’s ever wanted…or his biggest mistake.
Danner Teslan has agreed to investigate a possible smuggling ring on a military ship. However when he arrives and meets Zall, he’s convinced the ex-slave is his other half. Zall is not interested in becoming another man’s property and Danner has to decide whether he’s willing to give another person the freedom to destroy his heart.
REVIEW:
Zall never thought he’d be anything more than a slave but when Chalice freed him, he opened up a galaxy of new opportunities. Settling in on a space ship isn’t easy but Zall is determined to learn and is starting to find spots of happiness, too. When the ship’s captain is suddenly replaced, however, Zall finds himself having to deal with something new; wanting to actually be with someone. His determined not to belong to anyone ever again puts a damper on any romantic leanings, though, no matter how much he wishes otherwise. Things change when Zall overhears plans to move against the captain, however, and the former slave will have to choose between saving the only man to ever make him want and saving his heart.
This was my favorite book of the three; Zall’s character was more fleshed out though it also helps that he was originally introduced in book one. You also get to see Zall and Danner together more outside of the bedroom than you did with any of the other main character pairs, which was nice. . I think my main disappointment with the book, even though I did like it overall, was the wasted potential in the plot; I did like it more than the others, but if there had been more effort put into it the book would’ve gone from a decent read to a really good one. The romance did move quickly, like the others, but it was nice not having it be an immediate aspect of the book regardless of how fast the feelings did develop once Zall and Danner were together I’ll probably read this one more than the others in the series, honestly, and again, its good for a quick diversion but it could’ve been so much better.
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