Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts by Lyn Gala
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this quick novella. It’s incredibly hot, interesting, and a lot of fun. The writing is clean and descriptive with a nice blending of instruction and emotion. Blending an alien world and culture with a human submissive is a fun idea but the story is very clever. From start to the finish the entire novella is well crafted. The characters are also well developed, even if the differences in cultures are sometimes hard to imagine. This is a great introduction for those new to this author and fans are likely to appreciate the quirky humor and excellent writing.
Liam is a soldier who’s been ill-treated most of his life. His submissive tendencies have led him to be raped, abused, misused, and abandoned. His needs, wants, and sexual desires have only given him pain so he has survived by trying to bury this nature very deep within. He lives a happy enough life learning the culture and language of the Rownt. After a particularly bad trade with his favorite trader Ondry, Liam’s life is about to change. He wakes up to find himself chained and claimed by Ondry. The lessons are just beginning for both men.
The story is just a quick novella but I have to say I devoured it in one sitting. I easily could have read more about these two as they figure out their differences and mutual pleasures. Liam is a wonderful character, flawed and damaged as he struggles with demons from his past. These collide with his true submissive nature and leave him grasping for truth and someone he can rely on. Liam’s struggle to come to terms with Ondry and the reality of his situation feel genuine. It’s easy to sympathize with his pain and sense of loss and then cheer for him as he realizes Ondry is the kind of dominant he always wanted.
I truly enjoyed the alien culture and world. Enough details are offered to help fill out the world but not too many to distract from the focus. Given the shorter length, the balance is perfect between world building and relationship dynamics. Both could have used more space and likely would have gotten it in a longer novel but for this novella, it works very well. The different concepts brought up are insightful and interesting while the conversations Liam and Ondry have while figuring out how to communicate are engaging and entertaining; especially when it comes to sex.
Hopefully Gala will return to this culture and world as it’s too interesting to ignore. The Rownt aren’t really sexual creatures, well not sex for pleasure, so there are only a few erotic scenes. However, those more than make up for any lack as the sex is incredibly hot, it even involves tails. There is very little I can complain about in this novella and I thoroughly enjoyed it. More please!
three am 