The Lasaran by Dianne Duvall
Narrator: Kirsten Potter
Series: Aldebarian Alliance #1
Also in this series: The Segonian, The Segonian
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: April 21, 2020
Format: eBook
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 460
Length: 11 hours and 23 minutes
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Series Rating:
New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers the first novel in a thrilling new sci-fi series full of action, intrigue, humor, and romance.
Taelon searches the galaxy for his younger sister, who mysteriously disappeared while on a diplomatic mission. When an ally reveals that she was seized and is being held prisoner on Earth, Taelon descends upon the blue planet, intent on freeing her and exacting vengeance. However, all does not go as planned. Before he can find her, Taelon is captured and becomes the subject of torturous experiments. For what feels like an eternity, all he knows is pain and fury… until a mind tentatively touches his own and a woman’s voice forever changes his world.
After suffering tragic losses, Lisa is finally beginning to carve out a future for herself when chance sends her to the Anomalous Cognition Research Institute. What at first appears to be a benign organization seeking participants for a psychic study instead turns out to be a government facility harboring a much darker intent. Lisa discovers this too late and soon becomes the unwilling subject of a terrifying experiment. Just as fear and desperation threaten to consume her, a deep, compelling voice penetrates the looming insanity and lends her hope.
Having seen only the worst of humanity, Taelon is shocked when Lisa risks everything to free him. Together the two make their escape, and Taelon finds himself fascinated by the small human woman who—despite all she’s suffered—can still laugh and tease and lure smiles from him. Friendship swiftly grows between them as they work together to evade soldiers intent on capturing them and find themselves hunted by mystifying preternatural beings. Through it all, Lisa steadfastly remains by his side, stealing more of his heart each day while she helps him unravel the mystery of his sister’s fate. Can they find his sister before the hunters find them? If they survive their quest, will Taelon have to bid Lisa farewell… or can he coax her into leaving her planet and joining him for the adventure of a lifetime?
The Lasaran is the first SF romance that I have read in a long while. I have somewhat of a mental block for this genre, though I don’t know why. After reading the Immortal Guardians series, I decided to give The Lasaran a try. I am so glad that I did.
Taelon is headed to Earth from Lasara to find his sister. After leaving on a peacekeeping mission, Amiriska goes missing. Taelon is determined to find her. When he arrives on Earth, he is taken captive and experimented on for months. During one of his torture sessions, he hears a woman telepathically screaming. He has no idea who she is or even if she’s part of the group that took him.
Lisa only volunteered for the psychic study to make a little extra money. She had no idea that there was a nefarious plan afoot. While at the research center, Lisa is abducted. She wakes up seven months later to find that she is pregnant and has no memory. Her savior ends up being the man that ran psychic tests on her. When he comes in to help her, Brad tells her that she has been impregnated against her will. Not only that, but she is carrying an alien baby.
After their escape, Lisa & Taelon go on the run. They don’t know who to trust, nor do they know how they will find Amiriska. It’s only when Roland (Darkness Dawns) shows up at a motel that they’re hiding out in that they realize they might have options after all. I thought the pacing was great in this book & I really loved how excited Taelon was for the baby. Women on Lasara haven’t been able to have children so Taelon is especially please though he is incensed that it was done again Lisa’s will.
When Amiriska and Taelon eventually reunite? OHMYHEART. It was so sweet. I loved seeing their relationship, specifically how excited Ami was to see Taelon.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This does sound intriguing, Casee. Thanks for your review!