Full Description

Rogue

He crawled toward me on his hands and knees like a tiger stalking his prey.

The third book in The Cat Star Chronicles series - a hot, sexy paranormal romance.

No woman has ever tamed him before...
Enslaved for years, Tychar belongs to the Queen of Darconia. His feline gene gives him remarkable sexual powers and every female on the planet is in love with him. Then, the Queen gives him to Kyra...

Does she even stand a chance?
Or will she be just another one of his conquests? Why would he choose the modest piano teacher? Yet the two are drawn to each other with a powerful, magnetic attraction unlike any he's felt before... Then the palace is attacked in a coup, and Tychar has to choose between freedom and love...

DISCOVER THE CAT STAR CHRONICLES

"Fun, unique, and wicked sexy!"
Sydney Croft

"With a little bit of action, romance, and sci-fi — what more could you want?
Wild On Books

"I read this in a couple of days and just couldn't put it down. It was original and entertaining and I can't praise this book enough. Go and buy it now!"
Angela Richardson, Trashionista.com

Praise for Slave:
"Fascinating world customs, a bit of a mystery, and the relationship between the hero and heroine make this a very sensual romance."
Romantic Times

"A sexy adventure with a hero you can't resist!"
Candace Havens, author of Charmed & Deadly

"Wow. Just… wow. The romantic chemistry is as close to perfect as you'll find."
BookFetish.org

Praise for Warrior:
"A compelling tale of danger, intrigue, and sizzling romance!"
Candace Havens, author of Like a Charm

"A worthy second installment, Warrior whet my appetite for more!"
Romance Junkies

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter 1 of Rogue

As you might expect from a planet where the intelligent species were reptiles, Darconia was hot, dry, and lacking in natural beauty—unless you happen to be fond of rocks. Lots and lots of rocks—as far as the eye could see, and then some. The palace was built of stone, as were all of the other buildings in the capital city of Arconcia, which made you feel only slightly cooler once you were inside.

"Should have listened to my mother," I muttered. "You're much too timid, Kyra!" she had said. "I can't even imagine you traveling alone." My father's comments had been similarly discouraging. "No point in compounding one mistake by making another," he had said. Not having an artistic nature himself, he hadn't approved my choice of music as a profession. "And when you get there, they'll walk all over you, just like everyone else does!" Mom had thrown in for good measure. But I'd found the courage somehow, and here I was! And what, I thought to myself, was a humble piano teacher from Upper Sandusky doing so far from Earth, about to be introduced to a lizard queen in a remote corner of the galaxy?

For that matter, when was the last time you heard of anything interesting happening to a piano teacher? I mean to the teacher herself, not one of her students who went on to find fame and fortune as a result of her outstanding musical instruction. Think about that for a minute. Have you—ever?

Well, I certainly hadn't, so when I ran across an ad for teaching the daughter of an offworld queen, I was intrigued. So what if the locals were all reptilian? It still seemed preferable to teaching the sons and daughters of no one in particular here at home. Interstellar travel had long been common, but I'd never been offworld before, and the idea of space travel appealed to me. It was a chance to see other worlds and other species, because if my information was correct, Darconia was a very long way from Earth.

Maybe the fact that none of the musicians I knew— even those who participated in the galactic music scene—seemed interested in the job should have been the first clue that I should have avoided it myself. But sometimes, you just have to go with your gut instincts, and my gut was telling me to go for it. If nothing else, it would look good on my resume—I mean, my student would be a princess, after all—and if I ever wanted to get beyond teaching at the primary school level it might be helpful.

I'd been teaching for all of the ten years since I left college armed with a degree in music education. The offers to teach at the university level hadn't exactly been pouring in, largely due to the fact that I'd never gotten up the courage to apply for that level of job—and I had yet to teach anyone who was even minimally gifted. Despite having been hailed as a promising new talent in my own school years, I hadn't built up enough of a reputation to attract any really good students, and since I was going nowhere, I figured I might as well go nowhere somewhere else—if you catch my drift.

I had no love interest to leave behind, either. Love and I were virtual strangers, and though I'd been through the usual series of unsatisfactory relationships most girls experience, there had never been one that I truly regretted having lost. I guess I should have known that giving piano lessons wouldn't put me in the way of meeting many eligible bachelors, but that never occurred to me when choosing my life's work.

I doubted that I would find true love in my new job, either, but I would at least get a taste of what life was like on different planets, and that sounded romantic enough. I'd done some research—though the information I'd found was a bit sketchy—and it all sounded fine to me. Darconia was a relatively peaceful planet and, although having royalty in power rather than an elected government seemed a bit backward, the fact that the Queen wanted her child to learn to play piano spoke of at least some degree of culture.

The strange thing was that while keyboard players weren't uncommon on any world, the ad had specified that the Queen wanted a well-qualified, young, and unattached Terran female. That was me. Why the requirements were so limited was a mystery, but I decided that a Queen could afford to be as choosy as she liked.

None of that mattered on the morning I waved goodbye to my parents and embarked for Darconia. I was leaving Earth for the first time, and no matter what happened, it was exciting! It was raining heavily, and my flight was delayed due to technical difficulties—but I was young and resilient and not particularly superstitious. My fellow travelers and I waited for what seemed like hours before the ship was finally cleared for takeoff, but at last we were on our way.

Once the ship was in space and we were free to move about, all I heard from just about everyone was, "Where did you say? Darconia? Never heard of it." It was no surprise that I'd never heard of it before, but the fact that it was unknown to most other travelers was unnerving. I rechecked the database at my earliest opportunity and assured myself once again that, yes, Darconia did exist, and, no, I was not making a huge mistake by going there to work. I made a holocopy of the documentation— even showing it to a blue-skinned showgirl from Edraita who had been initially impressed when I told her that I
would be teaching a princess, though, according to her, Darconia was such an out-of-the-way planet that even royalty didn't count for much. Later on, I learned that everyone—and not just the showgirls—on Edraita was notoriously snobbish.

This particular woman was tall and shapely with a brilliant mass of red hair, which contrasted nicely with her blue skin—and since her chief manner of dress seemed to be strings of beads of various shapes and sizes, I can assure you that she was blue all over. While her jewelry didn't cover enough of her to leave anything to the imagination— or keep her particularly warm—the jingling noise it made as she moved did encourage you to look in her direction, and once you did that, it was difficult not to stare.

Her name was Nindala, and we were as different from one another as two women could possibly be. She was confident and sensuous, while I was timid and would never have walked around wearing nothing but beads!

Despite our differences and her inherent snobbishness, Nindala and I became friends during the trip, which lasted nearly six weeks for me, though only about half that time for her. She was joining up with a troupe of acrobatic entertainers who were performing throughout the quadrant. I learned a lot from Nindala; for example, did you know that the men on Salurna Zebta have two penises and always have two wives? One for each cock, she explained. I tried, but I couldn't imagine what kind of evolutionary twist would account for such a variation. I mean, males wouldn't suddenly sprout a spare just because
the women of their species outnumbered them two to one, would they? I came to the conclusion that this must have been the result of an extremely popular mutation, or it was genetically engineered at some point in the planet's history—though such practices were generally frowned upon.

Reviews

Reviews

Coffee Time Romance Cherokee
Rogue is quite a fascinating hot read. I thought the plot was cleverly composed. The well-rounded characters explode off the pages. Cheryl Brooks pens a read that transports the reader right along the ride to another planet with Kyra. The marvelous world she builds, along with the vibrant players, each diverse from the other, are yet magnificently sketched to become realistic in this reader’s eyes. Ms. Brooks allows me to feel the drama that accompanies Tychar and Trag, as the ache they share for Kyra slowly builds with intensity. I love the purring sound Tychar and Trag make. If you want sizzle, with a little slow burn along the way, this exciting tale is an absolute delight.



Cherokee
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance

Romance Reader at Heart Susan Barton
Thinker: Susan Barton
AuthorName: Cheryl Brooks
BookTitle1: The Cat Star Chronicles #3: Rogue
ISBN: 9781402217623
PubDate: March 2009
SubGenre: Paranormal/Future
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
4RR: 4 Rose Read Award

NovelThoughtComments: Cheryl Brooks sets her paranormal romance, ROGUE (The Cat Star Chronicles #3), on the planet Darconia, a mostly desert plant with the dominant inhabitants being reptilian. Kyra Aramis from Upper Sandusky, Earth, arrives ostensibly to teach piano to the Princess Zealon, though that may have been secondary to the Queen’s ultimate goal. The Queen Scalia owns quite a menagerie of off-world slaves. She treats them well and only locks them in for their own good. Two of her slaves are from the destroyed planet Zetith. They are humanoid with a definite feline streak and apparently can’t mate unless the female has the right smell. The Queen has been trying to find the right smell for them for twenty years, and Kyra has the right smell. It is reciprocated for them when she first sees the two naked tiger men and has an orgasm that is off the charts, and they can sense it. Kyra is particularly taken with Tychar, but what if Trag needs her just as badly?

Brooks understands what is erotic and builds Tychar from there, but the sky seems to be the limit! Not only do he and Kyra respond to each other on a chemical level, but he had a vision years earlier of her arriving to be his love and change his life. The two tigers seem to be made for her maximum enjoyment with anatomic enhancements that are enticing, stimulating and delicious. Their amorous pursuits even turn on the other residents of the palace, taking advantage of all this arousal to their own advantage and ultimately saving them all when a villain slips in a conveniently located puddle of semen. Kyra may have been a schoolmarmish nobody back home on Earth, but on Darconia, she comes into her own, knowing what she wants and taking it. One of the things she doesn’t want on a permanent basis is to be the mate for both brothers. After one night of appeasement, Trag is let down and the reader is left wondering, "what if?"

Okay, so, ROGUE is a little light on plot—the Queen is adapting her planet’s inhabitants for change and that isn’t welcome to everybody, thus triggering a coup—but it is certainly long on sexual pleasure. Take that however you wish. I think purring will be on my request list from now on. Readers who enjoy explicit passion will be extremely well rewarded for their time. I suddenly have a craving for the first two books in the series and can’t wait for Book Four to come out.

Long and Short of It Reviews Xeranth
Rogue is amazing romance adventure that takes a reader on a fascinating journey that explores the senses. Ms. Brooks has the astounding talent of world building for each and every book of this series and so far the results are incredible.

This story is told in first person POV, following the courageous Kyra as she ventures off world for the first time on a life changing mission: to teach piano. Because this is told in Kyra’s words, I learned the same time as she did about the new world she ends up on and the strange inhabitants of Darconia. Well, they think she’s strange too because she’s totally different from them. You see, they are lizards but as the story goes along you start seeing them the way Kyra does – as people. I forgot that they were lizards after awhile because their emotions and feelings were not unlike my own. Ms. Brooks has Kyra embracing her new students and in doing so discovers hidden depths and talents thought to be impossible. The heroine is a catalyst that shakes up the status quo and the excitement left me turning pages at a fast clip.

The brothers Trag and Tychar are exceptional men who have been slaves for a long long time and have become resigned to their fate. They even have a sense of humor about it all. They are a major source of steamy possibilities and for a bit I wasn’t’ sure which brother was going to get his HEA. I enjoyed their passion and their talents in the bedroom and out. Both Trag and Tychar are strong characters with the ability to be gentle and earnest with Kyra. At one part, one of them broke my heart.

There is a vast array of secondary characters that enhance the story. Zealon is one of Kyra’s students and plays a sweet and surprising role. In fact, Ms. Brooks tackles alien politics, prejudice, and unconventional sex with a deft hand. Every twist and turn pulled me deeper into the story and I was filled with hope that all would be resolved in a way that Kyra’s romance would not be the only ‘happily ever after’.

As I’ve come to expect with Ms. Brooks’ talent, her sense of humor and sense of the silly is alive and well in Rogue. She had me giggling when it was revealed that a fast food chain in space is just as addictive as it is here on Earth. I challenge anyone who reads this story to keep a straight face about it. There’s even a pratfall moment that is not only critical but hysterically funny and I expect the cause will leave you snickering as it did me. That mental image was pure genius.

Rogue is a story chock full of witty and fast moving dialogue, unique and diverse characters, hot sex (one during which your heart strings are tugged) and alien politics sure to please the sci-fi fan inside the reader. I think you will laugh, fall in love with an alien or two, and be truly agog at the richness Ms. Brooks brings to her worlds as two people find their HEA in the most unexpected of places.

Genre Go Round Reviews Harriet Klausner
Queen Scalia of the remote planet Darconia hires Upper Sandusky, Ohio resident Kyra Aramis to teach her daughter Princess Zealon to play the piano. The Queen assigns slave Tycharian to cater to whatever the earthling needs while she stays on the arid reptile dominated world.

Ty informs his “mistress” that he comes from the destroyed planet Zetith, and Scalia saved him and his brother Trag when she bought them at a slave auction. He also tells her he can smell her “scent of desire”. As they begin to fall in love, Trag becomes jealous while Ty turns possessive and Kara confused. However, there are bigger issues on the planet as some of the more traditionalist reptiles object to the Queen’s efforts to assimilate their world into the greater galaxy starting with the piano teacher and subsequently a McDonald’s.

The third Cat Star Chronicles science fiction romance (see WARRIOR and SLAVE; neither read by me) is a terrific character driven thriller as the piano teacher and the slave fall in love on a third world. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Trag introduces himself to his “scent of desire” and never slows down as plots against the Queen balance nicely with the romance. Fans will enjoy ROGUE and look forward to Trag’s thriller as he wants what his brother got, his own “scent of desire” and some more daring readers would also like a certain assertive female reptile’s tale told.

I Just Finished
When Kyra Aramis answers an ad for a music teacher to go offworld, all she wanted was a little adventure in her life. The world she goes to is called Darconia, it is a hot, dry and the ruling species is Reptiles. The Queen wants to open the word to other world trading and she believes that by bringing an outsider to teach her children music it will be easier for her people. But there are others who want to keep things the way there are. When the queen wants Kyra to see her cats Kyra is shocked to see two males. They are part of the queen’s exotic slaves. The queen gives one to Kyra for as long as she is there. Kyra never dreams that she would end up falling in love with one of the slaves. Now with the palace in an uproar, it is up to Kyra and the brothers to protect the queen’s children.

If you like your stories red hot and sexy, then this is the book for you. Ms. Brooks does not disappoint in the latest in the Cat Star Chronicles. This story is the third in the series. This one will only wet your appetite for more.

Romance Junkies Chrissy Dionne
Kyra Aramis is a simple piano teacher who has accepted a position teaching on the planet of Darconia. It’s a civilization so different from Earth that Kyra is convinced at first that she might have made the biggest mistake of her life. After all it’s a whole planet full of lizard people and she’s not at all sure that she’ll fit in, besides with it being a desert planet the lack of water is a huge concern.

Soon after arriving in the capital city of Arconcia, Kyra is introduced to Queen Scalia and daughter, and Kyra’s new student, Princess Zealon. She also learns about Scalia’s penchant for collecting various species to keep in her harem. She’s shocked by the fact that Scalia keeps slaves in any fashion but when Scalia brings in her ‘cats’ which turn out to be more humanoid than feline and the most beautiful creatures that Kyra has ever seen she could understand why the other woman added them to her collection. Scalia mentions that she would love to breed them as their planet was destroyed and any who survived are being exterminated.

The queen assigns Tychar to Kyra after witnessing their attraction to each other. He’s told to see to her every need but Kyra isn’t comfortable with the idea of him acting as her slave and certainly isn’t satisfied with him being considered a slave. Besides she isn’t at all interested in being part of Scalia’s breeding program even if Tychar is the most exciting temptation she’s ever encountered. She’s there to teach music to the queen’s daughter and that’s exactly what she intends to do but as she comes to know Tychar and the other beings that inhabit the palace she begins to blend in more and adapt to their way of life. Resisting Tychar and his obvious desire for her becomes impossible but is that such a bad thing when they’re so perfect together? The only downside is Tychar’s brother Trag and his need for female companionship. Zetithian’s are mammalian and cannot cross with reptilian egg layers, they also can only perform if they’re excited by a female’s scent. For Trag and Tychar it’s been twenty years since they’ve experienced lovemaking – and Kyra is the one female in all of Darconia who smells unbelievably good to both males. Is there any hope for a happily ever after when all their futures seem so precarious?

Cheryl Brooks takes readers on an intergalactic venture that they won’t soon forget. The blending of so many different species brings about some delightfully captivating scenes and highly memorable conversations that really incite the imagination. The characters are vivid and loveable – even the ones I wasn’t too sure about in the beginning I found loveable by the time I finished reading. Ms. Brooks delivers plenty of sexual tension, suspense and pleasure in simply being alive in this awe-inspiring novel that is worthy of a special place on my keeper bookshelf.

The next book in this wonderful series OUTCAST is due to be released in June 2009 and I’m definitely looking forward to spending more time immersed in these sexy feline heroes. It’s enough to make any woman purr in pleasure.

Drey’s Lubrary Audrey Salick
Rogue is book #3 in the Cat Star Chronicles by new-to-me author Cheryl Brooks. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a big reader in the romance genre, and I’ve definitely never read a romance/sci-fi book. My first thought on inter-species romance was "ewww", the second was "hmmm, it could work." No kidding.

Kyra Aramis is hired as piano teacher to a princess. So what if said princess is light-years away on Darconia, and Kyra’s never even left the country before? It should be an adventure at the very least, right? And who’d have thunk that downsized, snub-nosed versions of the T-rex (in Kyra’s own words) could even play the piano?

In any case, Kyra travels to Darconia and takes up her assignment. Whereupon the queen, Scalia, introduces Kyra to two of her slaves - Zetithian brothers who are devastatingly gorgeous and incredibly sensual. They’re also humanoid, which contributed to the 2nd thought on inter-species romance - see above... The fact that they walk around mostly naked doesn’t help alleviate the sexual tension present - Kyra’s from the two yummilicious specimens of virility, theirs from not having had any in twenty years. Twenty years! Can you just imagine??

The world-building is detailed enough to be imagined, as are the various races present in the queen’s private slave stash. The storyline moves along, mostly predictably. The *s* scenes don’t overpower the storyline, though I cannot imagine it’s good for a girl to be walking around thinking about *s* ALL the time. Then again, this is a romance, after all, regardless of which inter-galactic space it occupies. There’s more of a plot than girl-meets-boy, girl-falls-for-boy, girl-lives-happily-ever-after-with-boy, which is just dandy with me, even if girl most probably does live-happily-ever-after-with-boy. And no, I’m not going to tell you if she picks one, or which one. =) Hah!

Rogue was an enjoyable read, if you like romance novels set in space.

The Book Girl Carrie Zimmerman
I love the Cat Star Chronicles series by Cheryl Brooks. The books are original and keep my interest from the first page. In ROGUE, Kyra is a terran who has never been off-planet. In her own quest to find something more in life she accepts the job of teaching a princess on the planet Darconia to play the piano. During her first day she meets the “tigers” Trag and Tychar. She is instantly taken with one of them, but is still drawn to the other also. The relationship between Tychar and Kyra evolves quickly and is very steamy. I like how the author did give Kyra time to adapt to her new surroundings instead of having her immediately acclimate. The love story between Tychar, Trag, and Kyra is HOT and deeply emotional. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for OUTCAST (June 2009).

Books 4 Moms Christine Plaisted
Before I get into my review of this book, I’d like to let you know immediately that this is an adult book. It is only suitable for Mature Audiences. Although the book is very explicit, this review will not be. Please be aware of the adult nature of this book. With that being said, Moms after all ARE human and do have needs of our own as well! ;) So as adult women, let me tell you about this AMAZING book!

Rogue By Cheryl Brooks
From the back of the book:
Third in The Cat Star Chronicles series - a hot, sexy paranormal romance by a proven author. No woman has ever tamed him before... Enslaved for years, Tychar belongs to the Queen of Darconia. His feline gene gives him remarkable sexual powers and every female on the planet is in love with him. Then, the Queen gives him to Kyra.

My Thoughts:
First I’d like to say WOW! This is one hot and steamy book! If you like "Romance" novels with a sci-fi twist then you’ll love this book. I know I do! But don’t read it on a night that you’re by yourself. Rogue is the third installment of Cheryl Brooks’ Cat Star Chronicles, but don’t let that keep you from reading this book before you’ve read the others. I haven’t read the other books in this series, and I was not left out in the dark. It’s a full story all on it’s own with little reference to the other books (or at least that I could figure out).

Tychar and Trag are "slave boys" of the Queen of Darconia, Scalia. Scalia has a bad habit of "collecting" various species from around the galaxy for her own personal pleasure. However, to her chargrin, the sexiest slave boys in her collection don’t find her attractive and aren’t phsycially capable of pleasing her, as much as they would like to. This all changes when the Queen bring Krya to the planet.

Set in the backdrop of an alien world that is full of Lizard like humanoids, with the lovely Kyra Aramis as the only human who is brought to the world to teach piano to the princess. Or is that the only reason she was brought to the world? On Kyra’s first night on this new and strange world she is introduced to two of the sexiest aliens she or YOU will ever meat...meet (Freudian slip?). They are Tychar and Trag, brothers and Cat people.

Quickly you see how and why Krya is the only being on the planet that can satisfy the great cat brothers. The amazing sexual powers of the two "men" will make Krya think and do things that she never thought possible, including finding love on an alien planet full of lizards. Then Krya finds out that the Queen may have brought her to the planet for more than just teaching piano and having "fun" with the cat boys. Is this something that Krya wants? Can she imagine living the rest of her life with the lizards and the sexy love of her life? You’ll have to read this book to find out!!

This is a very well written, extremely sexually graphic, exotic tale of love and seXXX (triple X’s intended!). Cheryl Brooks can not only weave a fantastic science fiction tale of strange alien worlds and characters, but she can also get your heart rate up! She explores that basic instinct of sexual gratification with expertise that will make you wish you were Kyra, the heroine. I know I did!

The intensity of the sexual tension between the two main characters is amazing. You’ll be begging for more but Cheryl Brooks doesn’t just give you what you want, when you want it, she likes to draw it out in a strip tease sort of way. She makes you wait for the "happy ending" until you can hardly stand it. I read through the first 10 chapters in one night!

I couldn’t put the book down, and not just because I was wanting to "get to the good stuff" but because I was drawn into the story so completely I wanted to read more. It’s not every book that can do this, and even fewer that are "romance" novels that can keep me involved in the story line like this one. I will definitely be buying the first two books of the series, and will be grabbing the 4th inJune!

This book comes out this month, March 2009 and will be quickly followed by the fourth book in the series "Lover", in June 2009. So be sure to grab your copy as quickly as you can and you’ll be ready for another one when it comes out!

My rating: 4.5 stars

Cheryl’s Book Nook Cheryl Koch
Kyra Aramis has answered an ad for a piano teacher. She is excited as this will be her first time traveling to another planet other than Earth. Kyra will be going to the planet of Darconia. All Kyra knows about this planet is that it is dry like a desert and the people living there are reptilian.

Once Kyra arrives and gets her first good look at Darconia she is shocked. The people there are clothed in barely anything at all. Before Kyra can get herself composed, she is whisked away to the dining hall where she meets Queen Scalia and her daughter Princess Zealon, whom Kyra will be teaching piano to. As if there couldn’t be any more surprises Kyra thinks, Queen Scalia shows Kyra her prized collection of exotic cats. Their names are Trag and Tychar. They are brothers and 100% male in every part of the way.

The queen presents Kyra with Tychar to keep her company during her stay on Darconia. Instantly Kyra becomes aroused by Tychar and the feelings are mutual. But how will Kyra feel when Trag comes into the picture. Can anyone say three-some?

Rogue is book three in the Cat Star Chronicles series by Cheryl Brooks. This series is about a bunch of hot, sexy males who have cat like features. They have been separated and each book is about a different guy or guy’s story. The best part about this series is that you can read the books in any order. Of course having the male leads as out of this world hunks, who know how to pleasure a woman is not a bad thing either. I instantly fell in love with Cheryl when I read Warrior the second book in this series. I am so surprised that I have not heard more about this author. She is a talented author, who deserves to be praised. I know that from now on I plan to read every single book that Cheryl Brooks writes and I plan to tell all my friends about her.

Marta’s Meanderings Marta Hoelscher
All I can say is WOW! I hadn’t read the first books in this series and normally sci-fi isn’t my top of the list favorite genre to read. I had no idea how a sci-fi romance would work, and I was happily surprised. This book if totally fun! There is always something completely unexpected around the corner with this romance. The book is very explicit, so there are some who just shouldn’t crack the cover of this one. And obviously it’s not meant for teens. But for everyone else I’d recommend that you pick this book up. Personally, I’m going to go back and read the earlier books, and I’m definitely looking forward to upcoming books in the series. This book is just plain HOT!

Rhi’s Reading Rhianna Walker
Lions and Dinosaurs and Octopus-fingered Guys - OH MY! (5 stars)

Kyra is a piano teacher from Earth looking for a little adventure when she accepts a job teaching on the distant planet of Darconia. Hot, dry and not particularly beautiful Darconia is home to a dinosaur-esque race ruled by Queen Scalia. As far as rulers go, Scalia is quite progressive, welcoming outsiders from other worlds in the interest of enjoying diversity, technology and in the case of Kyra, entertainments. Among her many interests in off-worlders, Scalia has collected ’slaves’ from other planets. Most prized among these are a pair of feline featured males the likes of which Kyra has never seen. One smile from the one called Tychar and she’s ready to set him free.

Tychar and his brother Trag have been slaves on Darconia for the past twenty years. During this time the sexual prowess for which their race’s males are notorious has gone to waste. Unable to become aroused by the Darconians they have lived a quiet, if lonely, existence hidden within Scalia’s palace. Then Kyra arrives and the twenty-year famine ends for Tychar when Scalia makes him her personal servant. Her scent, her desire, awakens his dormant nethers. Whether Scalia intended this all along in hopes of breeding more of her beautiful Zetithians or whether this is a happy coincidence Kyra can only guess. But there are two brothers to be bred and Trag certainly isn’t happy to be left out. Can Kyra convince Scalia to free Tychar? What is she to do about Trag? And what’s with the octopus-fingered guy?

Blending once more the humor, eroticism and adventure she is quickly becoming known for, Cheryl Brooks hits it out of the ballpark again! I will admit, I was a little concerned about where this story could go with two Zetithian slaves and one quiet piano teacher from earth. But Brooks knows just how to take such a storyline to a point for the sake of the erotic side of the story while not killing the romance between two characters. Kyra and Tychar has great chemistry, though I still think Captain Jack is my favorite heroine of the series thus far.

In the previous stories secondary characters didn’t play as large of roles as I tend to like but Rogue required a lot of them. The Darconians were really interesting and amusing, I grew particularly fond of Wazak the palace’s Chief of Security. From Scalia’s children learning the piano to Kyra becoming more open to the cultural norms of their world her interactions with the Darconians were always entertaining. There were also the other slaves Scalia kept, the toad-like Refdeck and the octopus-fingered Sladnil were great additions to the storyline. If this weren’t a romance series I’d have loved to see their worlds. I love that Brooks isn’t afraid to get adventurous with her alien races both in their physical descriptions but in discussing their sexuality.

Of course, no review in this series would be complete without mentioning the sex. Maybe this one is just fresher in my mind but there seemed to be a LOT more of that going on. It would be my one small complaint about the story... there was almost too much of it for my personal tastes. What I enjoyed very much though was the dirty talk. You don’t see it enough. Tastefully nasty pillow talk done to perfection! Not many authors I have read can pull it off. I can’t stand when characters are telling one another what to do in bed as if they are putting together a bicycle. Thankfully if you enjoy characters expressing their passion and sensual desires in a way that feels natural and real this book has it.

Overall this was a really enteraining book and added nicely to the series. The humor, the adventure and the sensuality made this one a definite recommended read.

The Book Binge Ames
Trag and Tychar are brothers sold into slavery when their planet was destroyed. Their race carries a feline gene, giving them sinuous beauty and extraordinary sexual powers. Tychar’s female conquests are legendary, but they never meant much to him, and Trag just laughs at his playboy brother. Living on Darconia, a planet of friendly but unattractive lizards, neither has been with a woman in many years. When the queen hires Kyra Aramis, a human from Earth, to teach piano to her children, Trag and Tychar agree to share the female and set out to win her over...

But suddenly Tychar becomes possessive - Kyra is unlike any woman he’s ever known. But he’s sure he’s ruined any chance of her trusting him with her heart...


I have to say this right off the bat, that blurb does not do this book justice - at all.

So here’s my nifty little summary. Kyra Aramis is an average piano teacher on Earth. She doesn’t go on any wild adventures and it’s very easy to say she leads a very tame life. But when the opportunity arises for her to go offworld to teach piano to some lizardlike aliens, she jumps at the chance. When Kyra arrives in Darconia, she realizes why no one else was beating a path to that particular job offer. Darconia is a very barren, desert-like planet. Ruled by biped lizards. Yeah she’ll be teaching the Queen’s daughter the piano, but when she faints from the heat and there appears to be some Darconian’s who do not like offworlders on their planet, Kyra questions her decision.

But Kyra has one tempting reason to stay. The first night in Darconia, the Queen assigned one of her slaves (treated more like treasured pets) to Kyra - to satisfy any needs she may have. Kyra isn’t sure if she should take that literally, because the Queen is very fond of her subject. But Kyra is oh so tempted and eventually gives in Tychar’s charms. Tychar, or Ty, has been enslaved on Darconia for 20 years with his brother Trag. They used to be Zetithian soldiers before their planet was decimated, but now they’re slaves. It hasn’t been too difficult being treated like a pampered pet except all the Darconians do absolutely nothing to turn them on. Ty is overjoyed at the possibility of satisfying Kyra, and Trag is jealous.

But there’s definitely a whole lot more to this story than a guy and a girl and the guy’s brother. :)

Ok, the set up seems to scream menage a trois - but it’s not really that kind of book. There’s one menage scene - but that’s the only one, the rest of the time Trag teases Kyra and Ty. So there’s definitely a story for Trag in the works, I’m guessing.

I like Cheryl Brook’s books because you can’t take them seriously. They’re like roadtrippy comedies with out of this world characters and oddball situations. The women begin as ordinary ladies because the men are so outrageous (in bed). But the women very much run the show, which I think is a good thing.

I have to say, out of the 3 books in the Cat Star series so far, Rogue is my favorite. And there’s no weird nose sex. LOL 4 out of 5 (B)

The Ginger Kid’s Den of Iniquity Jennifer Barker
Have you ever read a book (or a series of books) that just made you feel good? One that didn’t make you think too hard, didn’t insult your intelligence, and didn’t attempt to do anything other than entertain you? That’s what the Cat Star books are like for me. They’re like a night out with the girls—good fun (mostly at the expense of the men in our lives), raunchy jokes, frank discussion about sex and relationships, and lots of silliness.

Rogue is a book about Kyra, an Earthling pianist that decides to seek some adventure in her life by applying for a piano instructor job on a desert planet inhabited by giant lizards. When she gets there, the Queen (her boss) introduces Kyra to her slaves, a pair of sexy cat-like warriors named Trag and Tychar. Though Kyra finds them both attractive, she is most taken with the seductive one named Tychar. Kyra and Tychar develop a sexual relationship and fall in love along the way. When the Queen is attacked and the government is overthrown, Kyra and Tychar band with the other slaves and the citizens of the planet to battle the bad guys and bring peace back to the land.

I should note that there are two blurbs for this book. I chose the one that best fits the story. The other one implies that Rogue is a menage story, which is completely inaccurate. Tychar, Kyra, and Trag are involved in one brief threesome scene that actually works fairly well within the story, but this is not a menage.

I had a few small problems with the story, but nothing major enough to really subtract points. Tychar was a tiny bit flat and Trag seemed somewhat out of place in the second half of the book. I would’ve also liked to see a bit more relationship development between Kyra and Tychar. There were some POV and editing issues, but I will attribute those to the fact that I had an uncorrected ARC and I’ll assume the final version is much cleaner.

As I said in response to another review, I don’t understand the negative reviews that this series often receives. Yes, the books are campy. Yes, they’re somewhat ridiculous. Yes, the heroes could be a bit more multi-dimensional. But I enjoy these books because they’re campy and ridiculous (in a fun way) and because the heroine is the main focus of the story. Is the idea of nose sex and hazelnut-flavored semen silly? Well, yes. But it’s also hilarious and insanely creative! These books are incredibly freeing. I like that the world-building is simple enough that I don’t have to memorize heaps of crazy mythology. I like that the sex scenes and the pillow talk are funny and liberated, and that the characters are shameless and uninhibited. I like that the heroes are mellow and allow the heroines to take center stage.

Ms. Brooks doesn’t take herself or her characters too seriously, and I adore that. It’s very clear that she truly has fun with her writing. I get the impression that she dearly loves her characters and that she enjoys the worlds she creates. Sometimes I imagine I can tell the difference between writing for fun and writing for a living, and Cheryl Brooks’ writing strikes me as the former.

I don’t offer to review many books because it often feels like a chore. That is not the case with the Cat Star Chronicles. Slave (Book 1) was one of my favorite books of 2008 (5-Star Keeper) and Warrior (Book 2) was a thoroughly enjoyable 4-star read. As long as Cheryl Brooks continues to write these books, I will continue to request them. They are fun and relaxing reads, and I look forward to each one of them. I enjoy this author’s voice immensely and I can’t wait to read Outcast (Book 4) in June. I’m super excited about that one. It takes place on a ranch!

Final Grade: 4 Stars

A Blog of Books Nikki Heffernan
If you are looking for the normal run of the mill love story this book isn’t for you. This book combines an extra terrestrial story with a hot and graphic sexual love story between Kyra and her cat-man Tychar.

I have to admit I wasn’t sure what I would think of a love story like this that ties two different races (one closely tired with Tigers) together. But other then a few extra special sexual abilities Tychar (and his brother Trag) are much like any normal man.

The story is definitely different and inventive. A lizard planet. Political Power and war. Slavery vs. freedom. All sorts of topics are covered with the most interesting one being the relationship between Kyra and her man. Kyra is a nice person who you see grow sexually so that she becomes bold and sure of herself. And her relationship helped her do it.

Night Owl Romance Tammie King
Cheryl Brooks brings us the third installment in her fabulous off world adventures. The Cat Star Chronicles can be read as stand-alones, but you will get more out of them if read in order as characters from previous books have a way of showing up at some point. Why read only about you sexy Zetithian when you call have them all and be looking out for the next? Cheryl creates some of the sexiest beasts.

In Rogue we meet Kyra Aranis. She is a young piano teacher who has never left her home planet. She is setting off on an adventure of a lifetime. Kyra was lucky enough to be chosen as a piano teacher to royalty. She has no idea what the planet she is to teach on is like, but is willing to give it a try. The Queen of Darconia has hired her. She is to teach the queens daughter to play and ends up teaching other members of the household. It turns out one of the queens sons is a natural. On Darconian men do not rule. Men are seen as having too hot of tempers to rule. The queen also has an interesting hobby of her own. She likes to collect different types of species. Is Kyra just one more species for her to collect? Does the queen have more in store for her than teaching piano? And what’s up with he gorgeous cat like men the queen has in here menagerie?

Trag and Tychar are Zetithian brothers and hail from a world that no longer exists. The world of Zetith was annihilated by another race. The few to survive were sold into slavery. Some are treated better than others and Tychar and Trag seem to have it pretty good on the whole. The queen is more of a savior as the race who annulated the Zetith have a bounty on all Zetithian heads. Trag and Tychar have not had full on sex for 20 year, but with the introduction of a piano teacher something triggers their hormones. How will she deal with two gorgeous men who want her? How will she pick just one when they both come to mean so much to her?

Hold on ladies, hot Zethithians are on their way. Make sure to set several hours aside to read this book cover to cover. Once you get started it’s hard to put down. Cheryl Brooks knows how to write descriptions with the best and her sexy men round everything out. With two Zetithians you will surely be seeking a third. Not one, nor two will do. Rogue is a fascinating book that will have you salivating for more. Cheryl books Zetithians are incredibly sexy and wonderful to read all around. This is the third book and I’ve read the whole series. There is also another book coming out in 2009, Outcast. It’s not to be missed and already in my hot little hand. So, stay tuned for a review of Outcast at the end of May.

Literary Escapism Jackie Morgan
The one thing I had against Warrior (here’s my review), was that it seemed off balanced - I’m not against a lot of romantic development, but I like my plot spread out a little better. That, I am happy to say, is not the case with Rogue. This time around we’re given a story that is engaging and has characters you want to know more about. Seriously, Brooks has given the Darconians an interesting culture and the obvious discontent relating to some of their new progressive ideas. Of course, this is all occuring in the background of the blossoming relationship between Kyra and Tychar, but the two elements were intermingled well and I was never bogged down with lots of sex or lots of plot.

The developlment of Kyra and Tychar wasn’t that deep, but it wasn’t required. We were able to learn more about these two based on their actions than in any retelling of their backgrounds. I really liked the focus on the two getting to know each, and essentially allowing us to know them, instead of being told this has happened in their past. Their relationship also wasn’t automatic. Kyra did balked at first about it, but we were able to see Tychar move himself into her way and I enjoyed it.

Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed Rogue and while Warrior didn’t make me want to go out and find Slave (the first Cat Star Chronciles novel), Rogue has made me curious about the story behind Jack and Cark (since they also appear at the end of Rogue as well as Leo and Tisana from Warrior). If you’re looking for an erotic science fiction novel, then take a look at Rogue by Cheryl Brooks.

Romance at Heart Magazine Rose Brungard
"On that thought, the door opened again and the two cats entered-but they weren’t cats, at least in the ordinary sense. They were tall male humanoids-undoubtedly more af Scalia’s "exotic slaves"-and they certainly were exotic!"

Kyra Aramis was not expecting the most unusual and erotic vision of her relatively young life to be so real. Oh she totally expected to be the only human on the planet, and strictly speaking, she was the only human. However, the fact the Darconian Queen has requirements for her employee to be young and single had not really put her off, but this? This was so much more than she expected. On a planet where slavery was not frowned on, a place where Queen Scalia selected and collected exotic slaves was outrageous. This was something Kyra didn’t know if she could live with, and yet the two humanoid males she was introduced to were extraordinary. Naked except for the jeweled collars that adorned their necks and genitals, the two “cats” were beautiful. They almost looked to her as the tigers of earth. One reminded Kyra of a Siberian, while the other was in her mind a Bengal. To her astonishment, the Siberian- looking one was assigned to her as her personal slave, an attendant who would help her adjust, teach her what she needed to know, and fulfill her every wish if it was within his power. To feast her eyes on the pair, and on the one assigned to her, and she was certain there were few wishes he could not handle and many he was more than powerful enough to carry out extremely well.

There was, of course, the fact Tychar and his brother Trag were Queen Scalia’s slaves, her exotic, select, and very personal property. She claimed she brought these glorious creatures here and locked them up for their own safety, although the danger she claimed to be here, Kyra thought, remained to be seen. It brought heat to her cheeks, the thoughts of these two slaves with their jeweled collars, brilliant eyes, and luxurious hair. Oh yes, it was even more heat than the hot planet could muster, and that was in all reality saying something. The desert heat alone was going to take some getting used to, but then so were these “slaves”, and Kyra was certain she needed to take great care of she would die of heat stroke in more than one way. To actually have one of them assigned to her was dangerous, and yet it was through this pair that her life would be changed, and when she learns their secrets, it is the danger they face and combat together that will make Kyra realize just how special her place is in this society. The only thing she knows at the moment, however, is that she needs to avoid temptation, but then maybe this is part of the reason the Queen has such specific requirements. This idea needed some serious thought, but later…

Neither Tycher nor his brother Trag were stupid, far from it, but then keeping that particular secret was not too hard. They were once valued warriors, protectors of their people. When the time came, he returned home to do his familial duty and find a mate, but he was not prepared for the devastation he found and the plight the Zetithians were experiencing. It was a battle to the end, and if it hadn’t been for the shuttle not being able to take off in time, the men he was with might not have been captured or survived at all. The rest of the citizens of the planet Zetith, however, were not so lucky and when the end came, it was sudden, brutal, and unexpected. He did not know of the fate of the rest, he only knew their lives were changed, their freedom gone. There was no honour left, no hope, no chance of freedom. For all Tychar knew the rest of his kind were gone, dead or dying in slavery. Tychar and Trag were relatively lucky, and as they were, still abandoned to the cruel fate of extinction. He did not know why his world was attacked, and he neither knew, nor cared, what happened to himself at this juncture. Neither he nor Trag had thought much about it. But now, from a strange new place was there hope?

Their home world was gone, the whole planet of Zetith destroyed in an act of war. Their survival was an accident, fortunate maybe, for they still lived, but slavery, benign or not was still slavery, and it rankled. Not only were they enslaved, but the species were not compatible to them, and there was not any commonality, nothing to ground or to share with any of the other inhabitants of the palace. But the new teacher, now there was a revelation, and both Tychar and Trag began to share some semblance of hope, something missing from their lives since they were captured. They knew they had nothing to go back to, but at least now they possibly had something to look forward to if Tychar’s reaction to the human was any indication. Neither man knew the turn events would soon take, but it was a measure of their persistence, their will to succeed that kept them going. Their skills, and their desires for freedom and love would stand them in good stead in the life-changing trials to come…

The Cat Star Chronicles are a series of tales about the people of Zetith, however, it is only what remains of them. In truth, is could only be actually a small handful of captured warriors, who were ordered to be destroyed. These Zetithians were taken and enslaved by the Nedwuts, exactly why was not known to them. They only knew that instead of being disposed of as was ordered, they were sold into slavery. Now, scattered across the universe, they see little chance of finding those who were captured with them. The last of their people, it is up to them to keep the memories alive, and in Rogue, Tychar and Trag have at least a small chance of survival. What is not expected is any chance of finding a mate, let alone one to whom he will bond. The greatest pleasure for them is to find that special one with whom a Zetithian will find enough love to last a lifetime. Enslaved as he is, Tychar will find something he was not expecting, and so will his brother Trag. The fates have decided a special ending for this pair, and for Tychar it begins with Kyra Aramis, piano teacher and musician to the Darconian Queen. She will soon become the orchestrator of every song his heart sings, and the key to both his and his brother’s future….

The Cat Star Chronicles: Rogue is the third book in the series, and is another read full of the erotic excitement and action for which Cheryl Brooks is becoming known. Although again, it is written in the first person, I find myself enraptured and lost in the temper of the book, the vividness of the characters and the innate ability Ms Brooks uses to tell what could have been a bland and strange story. There are not many who can actually immerse you in the surroundings when writing in first, but Cheryl has the talent to make you forget the seemingly selfish nature of the “I” and “ME” references. She manages to give you a glimpse of things surrounding characters, places, and events, and do it in an intense way. The reader is well and truly caught, drawn into the tale, and experiencing events that are happening around her stars, the characters, albeit in a limited way. As you know, I picked up the first book in the series, The Cat Star Chronicles: Slave, almost by mistake, and for most of you, knowing how much I hate first person, I know you are laughing out loud. I soon became engrossed in the story, and when the opportunity to review The Cat Star Chronicles: Warrior came about, I had to jump and go for it. I have not been disappointed, and certainly not in the third installment either. All I can say is that I highly recommend this series, and definitely the first three books because Ms Brooks is keeping up the quality of the writing, and I have not a doubt in the world about this, the rest of The Cat Star Chronicles will also be as necessary to purchase as The Cat Star Chronicles: Slave, The Cat Star Chronicles: Warrior, and The Cat Star Chronicles: Rogue! I suggest you check out these fine books through SourceBooks’ Casablanca Romances or at Amazon.com and order your copy of The Cat Star Chronicles: Rogue today.

Yours in good reading,
Rose!

Bitten By Books Lyda
Kyra Aramis is just a simple piano instructor from Earth. Really, that’s it. Never having been out of the country, much less the planet or the solar system, she now finds herself wondering why she agreed to take on a job on a planet somewhere far, far away where she would probably be the only Terran woman for miles (or planets) around. On Darconia, a planet ruled by lizards, is where she, the simple piano teacher from Earth, will be instructing the queen’s daughter to play those 88 keys. That is, if the heat does not kill her first. Why did she decide to leave again?

Once on Darconia, Kyra finds her whole body automatically covered with sun dried sweat and surrounded by huge lizards with rather big jaws that look like they could bite her in half. She has no idea how to tell if they are male or female and has a fear deep down in the pit of her stomach that she looks like a nice and tasty lunch to them. Kyra is on the verge of just calling it quits and rushing home, until Queen Scalia introduces Kyra to her favored pet “cats“.

Tychar and Trag are Scalia’s Zetithian pet slaves who live in a gilded cage - well treated, given everything they could need, just under lock and key. One with the coloring of a Bengal tiger and the other favoring that of a Siberian tiger, these brothers have gone twenty long years without the loving of a good woman. So once Kyra is within arms reach, they both tell her she smells like desire. And after two decades, it drives both brothers to find a way to persuade her that Darconia is not so bad after all.

Deciding to tolerate the heat on the desert planet, Kyra now has to figure out what to do with two tigers both vying for her attention. She deeply cares for one but she also desires the other. Could she possibly find a way to have both? But her time on Darconia is running short. A small contingent of the planets inhabitants are not happy with the changes Scalia has been making in her regime. Someone is out to get the throne and eliminate all foreigners who threaten the status quo - including Kyra and the Zetithians.

To put it simply, Rogue is just sexy. Really sexy. Sizzling kind of sexy. Honestly, only Cheryl Brooks can deliver a line like, “I can give you joy unlike any you have ever known” and not only make it work but also make you want to melt in the process. This is truly an enjoyable read. Besides, you know what they say, “Once you go cat, you never go back.”

The Romance Studio Sandra
Kyra, a piano teacher from Earth, has traveled across universes to the planet Darconia. A dry, hot, desert like planet populated by a species of reptiles. Queen Scalia has hired Kyra to teach her daughter to play the piano.

Shortly after her arrival at the palace, Kyra is surprised to find out that Queen Scalia has a penchant for unusual species and keeps several of them as slaves. The Queen introduces Kyra to two of her favorite’s, brothers, Tychar and Trag, Zetithains, a feline like species. She cannot believe her eyes as two of the most beautiful men are suddenly standing in front of her, completely naked. As soon as she lays eyes on Tychar with his sensual feline movements and gorgeous blue eyes she is lost. Love quickly has Tychar and Kyra under its spell, but where does that leave Trag? Is there room in her bed and in her heart for two?

I have enjoyed this series immensely, but have to say this one moved a little slower for me and I found it harder to get into, but as I moved through the pages the action built and it became an interesting, fun read. I loved Kyra and Tychar, as they are such great characters and the love between them is so well written and believable, but throw Trag into the mix and you have one fun ride. I have to say that the secondary characters were most interesting and added a layer of humor to the story, with their unusual appearances ranging from blue acrobats with red hair to toad like creatures with suction cup arms, this is definitely a world of fantasy that will stretch the readers imagination. Once I got into the story, I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the next in this great series. I would not only recommend this book, but this entire series to anyone who likes to lose themselves in new exciting worlds with gorgeous, sensuous cats.

Overall rating: 4/5 stars
Sensuality rating: Very sensual

Bella Online Elizabeth Darrach
This time out, I have the latest from Cheryl Brooks, Rogue (Sourcebooks), the third (and, for those of you interested, not the last) in her ’Cat Star Chronicles’ series. This time out, Kyra Aramis has left Earth and gone to the planet Darconia to teach piano to the daughter of the queen. Upon her arrival, Kyra discovers that Queen Scalia has a large ’collection’ of slaves from other planets, including the sexy brothers Tychar and Trag, both Zetithians. Kyra isn’t sure exactly what to make of them, but she can’t really argue with the queen when Scalia gives her Tychar as her ’personal assistant’. And hey, what red-blooded woman can resist these sexy cats? Not Kyra, not once she’s had a taste of just what he can do to her, for her. Even better for her, a little later, Tychar invites Trag to join them, making the forbidden even more enticing and incredibly sexy. But Kyra’s new position is in very grave danger when rebels take deadly aim at the ruler, and she, along with a number of natives and slaves have to save the queen’s children and defeat the usurpers. Then there’s the hot sex all along the way. This one, like the two before it, is told in first person, which I’m not regularly fond of. And this one, like the second book in the series, did not grab me in quite the way the first one did. The story is okay, though the heat this pair (sometimes trio) generates is off the charts. Kyra makes some serious adjustments, too, from wannabe brave piano teacher traveling to a faraway planet, to a sassy, in-charge woman. Fans of the series will want to grab this one if they haven’t already. I’m borrowing three and a half of Cupid’s five arrows for it.

Confessions of a Romance Books Addict Danielle Atwater
When books are written in a series I tend to like to read them in order so I don’t feel that I’m missing something. I honestly didn’t have that problem when reading Rogue. Everything was explained in great detail so I didn’t feel “lost” in the story and feel like I have to read the first two books - though I definately plan to anyway. I found out why brothers, Tychar and Trag were enslaved so long ago along with others from their destroyed planet Zetith and why it was destroyed. The descriptions of the palace, the planet, its people, everything were in great detail. I felt that I was right there in their world, seeing and experiencing it all through the characters/authors eyes.

I really enjoyed discovering the world of Darconia - where Tychar and Trag are enslaved. I love being introduced to new unknown worlds. Now when you think of the word “enslaved” you most likely think of it in a bad way which is what I assumed as well but, for being slaves they were actually treated very, very well. I’m honestly glad the author didn’t make them being slaves into a horribly, bad, and depressing part of the story, that would have ruined the story.

The world of Darconia I found facinating from their dry, rock infested desert land to their many resourceful products/resources like the glowstones and cleaning cloths - I would explain in more detail why I found these things so facinating but, I don’t want to give too much away. Also that their planet was pretty much inhabited by talking lizard people was pretty interesting as well. I’m not a big fan of reptiles they kind of creep me out so if I would have ever seen them talk it would have taken some getting used to.

Now onto the good part, Tychar and Kyra’s romantic chemistry was beyond amazing. You could just feel it crackling and sizzling in the air. It was really funny seeing Kyra struggle with trying not to (pardon my french) jump his bones even though she really wanted to and I found Tychar absolutely charming. I did find it kind of weird to hear Tychar talking about love so soon in the beginning of the book. Usually if a woman even mentions the word love to a man they go running. Well, I guess Tychar isn’t exactly human so it doesn’t count but, still it was really weird.

On the other hand Tychar’s brother, Trag he seemed to catch my eye more. I think it was the fact that he was so cocky and had a sense of humor with a temper to match. I tend to be drawn more to male characters with those characteristics for some odd reason.

In all, this book was a great read and I definately recommend it. Even try picking out one of the other books in The Cat Star Chronicles series, I’m sure they’re as good as this one. I’m hoping to get my hands on the first two books in the series so I’ll for sure do a review on them when I manage to get my hands on them. You will be expecting a review from the 4th book in the series called, Outcast by the end of the month. It releases from Sourcebooks, Inc. on June 1, 2009!

Fresh Fiction Leanne Davis
Kyra Aramas leaves Earth for the first time in her life to teach piano to the daughter of the Queen of Darconia. When she arrives, Kyra figures she will be the only one there who isn’t reptilian. She learns she is wrong. The Queen has a collection of exotic slaves; two of which are humanoid.

Tychar and his brother, Trag, were captured when their home planet was destroyed. The inhabitants had feline characteristics. They can smell desire and are aroused by it. Between Tychar and Trag, Kyra is in an almost constant state of arousal.

As Kyra settles in, her relationship with Tychar deepens. She begins to adopt the local customs. She is enjoying her work and has even added teaching some of the Queen’s other children.

Not all the inhabitants of Darconia are happy with the Queen’s plans to modernize their world. During a recital for the Queen and some of her guests, the Queen is killed and a revolution is started.

Kyra and others will escape the palace and seek refuge until they can find out if there are others willing to support the new Queen.

I’ve been a fan of Ms. Brooks since Slave came out. She builds interesting worlds; her characters are smart and entertaining. Her books are highly erotic and she takes this one up a notch with a ménage á trois. If you like science fiction romance with a lot of humor, don’t miss this series.

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