Reviewed by: Sue Eaton

TITLE: The Fourth State of Matter

SERIES: The Valence Chronicles

AUTHOR: D’Arcy Arden

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 349 Pages

RELEASE DATE: May 31, 2022

BLURB:

Earth is dead. Humanity survives by selling the only resource available—themselves. 2689 has signed away his rights as a living being and become décor, living artwork that rich aliens use to decorate their homes. It’s a stable existence but a boring one. Until one day his owner plays host to three unexpected guests. Large, loud, and more potent than anything 2689 has ever experienced, this trio of ship-dwellers from the wrong side of the universe awakens a desire he
can’t ignore.

However, blissful days of sex and companionship with Brog, Desmodian, and Xavis come to an end when 2689 discovers a plot that could land the trio in jail…or worse. 2689 will have to make a choice—stay silent and allow three innocent lives to be ruined or give up his stable life
to protect the ones he loves.

REVIEW:

This was a very interesting book with a very different point of view.  The author reimagines what the future might hold for humanity and paints a very bleak picture.  The earth has no resources left and sells the only thing of value its people.  The people are sold as decoration to stand around in rich alien’s homes and look pretty.  Basically being the same as any other work of art, a living statue.  People who consent to this have their identities erased and become living dolls, fed mush and are expected to be silent and stand still, they are auctioned off to the highest bidder and used to show off extreme wealth.  The people have no names, just identified by their auction number.

The book starts in the present but frequently flips to the past and back again, which I enjoyed, it enabled me to find out what had happened previously while moving the plot along at a fast pace.

2689 has no expectations of life, he has very little in the way of thought and the highlight of his very mundane existence is getting a glimpse of the outside world through a window if he is lucky enough to be placed near one.

Then 3 shipboard aliens come to visit his owner and everything changes, most of the changes just happen, they aren’t by design.  Brog, Desmodian, and Xavis are most unusual, they live onboard their ship, which is looked down upon by planet dwelling aliens, they are all different species, another anomaly and they are bonded to one another.  What starts as a bit of fun and distraction with 2689, who they call Pet.  When Pet, saves them from disaster at the risk of his own standing, they in turn rescue him.

The majority of the book takes place onboard their ship as they travel in search of a missing passenger spaceship, lost in a sector of space that is at war.  It is interesting, how Pet, develops his own personality, that has been suppressed for so long, his eagerness to explore every sight, sound and experience.  Little by little he finds out more about his aliens.

There is a lot of tension within the plot, with inspectors from the décor directorate who are determined to take Pet back, his fear at having his memories wiped again and not only losing his aliens but every memory of them as well.

Space pirates who have seized the missing ship, past transactions from Brog, Desmodian and Xavis coming back to haunt them.  Finding out more about how Brog, Desmodian, Xavis and Pet first meet.  You know they are happily living onboard their ship, but still the writing draws you in and you wonder what will happen next, how will they get to live onboard the ship together.

There are plenty of twists and turns and I was on the edge of my seat reading this book, it has everything, mystery, romance, erotica, action and aliens.  Really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to reading the next one, to see where they go from here.

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

Amazon