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Into the Dead Fall #2
Key to the Dead Fall
The sequel to Into the Dead Fall, which was released as part of a two-book set with The Scorpion’s Mate.
A fated mate she doesn’t want.
An enigmatic alien she shouldn’t want.
Finding your way in the Dead Fall isn’t easy, but it’s nothing compared to figuring out what your heart truly desires.
Evie managed to survive for months in the strange parallel dimension where she was dropped after accidentally activating a portal in her father’s shed. The Dead Fall doesn’t treat survivors kindly, as Evie discovers when she’s captured by alien creatures and taken to the settlement of Omni to be put on display in a bar.
When a gray alien appears in the bar to rescue her, she wonders at first if she hasn’t gone straight from the frying pan into the fire. Yet, the alien she nicknames Gray proves to be friendly, if a bit too determined to see her meet some destined mate she’s not interested in finding.
Gray tells her she must seek her own destiny, but she can’t help thinking she’s already found it, despite what he says. After all, her knight in shining armor has come to rescue her, and if he just so happens to have a flying saucer instead of a white horse, that’s okay with her.
Doshakeren is a hero. A legend. They sing epic songs about the warrior among his kin. When his most trusted advisor betrays him and locks him away with a strange artifact that casts him into another realm, he faces challenges beyond anything he’d ever faced before—the biggest being his fascination with the human female who makes him have forbidden thoughts that would see him outcast from his nest.
Evie must choose her own destiny, but nothing will be easy for her, least of all the Dead Fall itself, because the Nexus is watching. And waiting.
Author’s Note: 18+ Violence and explicit sex scenes. This is a MFM romance with ménage. These alien heroes are very alien and have mating habits that might not be for everyone.
A fated mate she doesn’t want.
An enigmatic alien she shouldn’t want.
Finding your way in the Dead Fall isn’t easy, but it’s nothing compared to figuring out what your heart truly desires.
Evie managed to survive for months in the strange parallel dimension where she was dropped after accidentally activating a portal in her father’s shed. The Dead Fall doesn’t treat survivors kindly, as Evie discovers when she’s captured by alien creatures and taken to the settlement of Omni to be put on display in a bar.
When a gray alien appears in the bar to rescue her, she wonders at first if she hasn’t gone straight from the frying pan into the fire. Yet, the alien she nicknames Gray proves to be friendly, if a bit too determined to see her meet some destined mate she’s not interested in finding.
Gray tells her she must seek her own destiny, but she can’t help thinking she’s already found it, despite what he says. After all, her knight in shining armor has come to rescue her, and if he just so happens to have a flying saucer instead of a white horse, that’s okay with her.
Doshakeren is a hero. A legend. They sing epic songs about the warrior among his kin. When his most trusted advisor betrays him and locks him away with a strange artifact that casts him into another realm, he faces challenges beyond anything he’d ever faced before—the biggest being his fascination with the human female who makes him have forbidden thoughts that would see him outcast from his nest.
Evie must choose her own destiny, but nothing will be easy for her, least of all the Dead Fall itself, because the Nexus is watching. And waiting.
Author’s Note: 18+ Violence and explicit sex scenes. This is a MFM romance with ménage. These alien heroes are very alien and have mating habits that might not be for everyone.
306 pages, ebook
First published July 8, 2018
302 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
Susan Trombley
39 books836 followersBorn a dragon, but forced to take human form to fit into those little baby carriers, Susan accepted that she'd have to live a mortal life. She just wasn't going to go around being all boring about it. As soon as she was old enough, she immediately applied for an alien abduction, but got wait-listed, so she made her lair in the desert to wait out the coming zombie apocalypse with a pair of magical cats (they can appear underfoot in an instant, usually at the steps) and the dog from Hades that has three heads (and now has three bodies to go with them).
When the white knight came to fight the dragon, Susan liked him so much she decided to marry him and they now have a beautiful little dragonlet. (Who looks just like a little girl unless you use a magic mirror)
Fortunately, despite being trapped in this dimension, Susan uses her dragon's vision to see all the most interesting goings-on in the multiverse. Figuring they made great stories, she decided to share them with the rest of the mortal world, by writing fantasy, science fiction and romance.
When the white knight came to fight the dragon, Susan liked him so much she decided to marry him and they now have a beautiful little dragonlet. (Who looks just like a little girl unless you use a magic mirror)
Fortunately, despite being trapped in this dimension, Susan uses her dragon's vision to see all the most interesting goings-on in the multiverse. Figuring they made great stories, she decided to share them with the rest of the mortal world, by writing fantasy, science fiction and romance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
August 9, 2018
The Dead Fall is some kind of wormhole that appears in worlds all across the galaxy and sucks a load of junk, as well as people through it. In the Dead Fall only the strong survive, to be anything else just makes you prey for the bigger and more powerful. Evie isn't the strongest, but after a life time trained by her crazy survivalist father she is savvy and she knows what to do to survive. Until she's caught and put up for auction for the population of the Dead Fall, a population that doesn't see many women. She didn't expect to be saved and certainly not by the stereotypical grey alien; he even has his very own flying saucer. It becomes even more surreal when he tells her he is keeping her safe until her fated mate arrives...
Susan Trombley first caught my attention with her sci fi alien romance The Scorpion's Mate, a book I loved as it did one of my favourite things; it made the aliens really flipping alien. But Trombley had another surprise for me, a reverse harem story called Into the Dead Fall, a story I adored because it contained not only one, but two very alien aliens. With Key to the Dead Fall, the second in the Into the Dead Fall series we once again have a reverse harem story where the male portion of the triad is distinctly nor human. I loved it.
At first I was a little wary of this book, what we saw of Evie at the beginning of Into the Dead Fall was not good. She seemed like crazy, spoiled and just not very likeable. As I read this book my opinion of her changed. Evie was tough, a survivor and there's nothing I like more than a strong heroine. Moving on to her alien husbands...
Firstly we have Grey, who is your stereotypical Roswell alien. Grey skin, big black eyes, head seeming to large for his slender sexless bodies. I won't spoil this book, but I can assure you that his physicality does change. What I loved about their relationship was how they developed a friendship first, they develop a very strong bond before anything sexual ever happens.
Now we have husband number two: Doshakeren. He's like a vampire. Only an alien vampire who grows bigger when he drinks blood. I never felt we got as close to Doshakeren until the end of the book. His and Evie's relationship was the exact opposite of Evie and Grey's. They got right on top of the sex stuff first and then slowly bonded more emotionally afterwards.
What I liked most about this book though was the dynamic between the three, Doshakeren comes from a culture where multiple partners were part of a family or as he calls it, a Nest. It was kind of adorable seeing him building his new Nest with Evie and Grey as they both scramble to get their head around the idea. Grey because his race no longer have sexual relationships and Evie because this is outside the norm. My favourite parts of this book were ore towards the end, when they were all together and building a home for themselves. I loved seeing that dynamic between the three of them in play.
I really enjoyed this book, I know the cover is a little...odd, but if you are a fan of alien sci-fi romances then you need to give this a try. If you aren't this would definitely be plunging you into the deep end. But at the end of the day, alienness aside it was a great romance between some good characters.
Susan Trombley first caught my attention with her sci fi alien romance The Scorpion's Mate, a book I loved as it did one of my favourite things; it made the aliens really flipping alien. But Trombley had another surprise for me, a reverse harem story called Into the Dead Fall, a story I adored because it contained not only one, but two very alien aliens. With Key to the Dead Fall, the second in the Into the Dead Fall series we once again have a reverse harem story where the male portion of the triad is distinctly nor human. I loved it.
At first I was a little wary of this book, what we saw of Evie at the beginning of Into the Dead Fall was not good. She seemed like crazy, spoiled and just not very likeable. As I read this book my opinion of her changed. Evie was tough, a survivor and there's nothing I like more than a strong heroine. Moving on to her alien husbands...
Firstly we have Grey, who is your stereotypical Roswell alien. Grey skin, big black eyes, head seeming to large for his slender sexless bodies. I won't spoil this book, but I can assure you that his physicality does change. What I loved about their relationship was how they developed a friendship first, they develop a very strong bond before anything sexual ever happens.
Now we have husband number two: Doshakeren. He's like a vampire. Only an alien vampire who grows bigger when he drinks blood. I never felt we got as close to Doshakeren until the end of the book. His and Evie's relationship was the exact opposite of Evie and Grey's. They got right on top of the sex stuff first and then slowly bonded more emotionally afterwards.
What I liked most about this book though was the dynamic between the three, Doshakeren comes from a culture where multiple partners were part of a family or as he calls it, a Nest. It was kind of adorable seeing him building his new Nest with Evie and Grey as they both scramble to get their head around the idea. Grey because his race no longer have sexual relationships and Evie because this is outside the norm. My favourite parts of this book were ore towards the end, when they were all together and building a home for themselves. I loved seeing that dynamic between the three of them in play.
I really enjoyed this book, I know the cover is a little...odd, but if you are a fan of alien sci-fi romances then you need to give this a try. If you aren't this would definitely be plunging you into the deep end. But at the end of the day, alienness aside it was a great romance between some good characters.
July 11, 2018
While you don't HAVE to read the first book in this series, I'd recommend it. You miss some back story if you don't read it but you don't need that to enjoy this book.
Evie is "rescued" by Gray, which changes both of them tremendously. During their journey to find the mate Gray thinks is the one for Evie, many adventures happen to both of them. Once they meet Doshakeren (Doshak), the action really takes off!
I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Evie after learning about her in book 1. I thought she might be too flighty but I was wrong. Her interactions with the two males really show us her many facets.
Gray is what we would typically think of as an alien gray from our culture's legends - sexless, big head, powerful, emotionless. Gray's journey from that to mate to Evie is fascinating and well-thought out.
Doshakeren is a very alien alien!!! (Thank you, Susan Trombley, for another alien who looks like an alien!) His culture is fascinating and how he makes the transition from that to being a survivor in the Dead Fall is well done. I also think his biology was quite intriguing.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes SFR.
Evie is "rescued" by Gray, which changes both of them tremendously. During their journey to find the mate Gray thinks is the one for Evie, many adventures happen to both of them. Once they meet Doshakeren (Doshak), the action really takes off!
I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Evie after learning about her in book 1. I thought she might be too flighty but I was wrong. Her interactions with the two males really show us her many facets.
Gray is what we would typically think of as an alien gray from our culture's legends - sexless, big head, powerful, emotionless. Gray's journey from that to mate to Evie is fascinating and well-thought out.
Doshakeren is a very alien alien!!! (Thank you, Susan Trombley, for another alien who looks like an alien!) His culture is fascinating and how he makes the transition from that to being a survivor in the Dead Fall is well done. I also think his biology was quite intriguing.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes SFR.
February 9, 2021
E H
GR is apparently my diary today. You get what you get when I'm in this mood. This is all opinion—heavily salt crusted—and mildly spoilery.
I guess I ultimately got what I wanted from this: a little more information about the Lu'sians to fill the void while I hope that Ava from the Iriduan series will get a story down the line.
But at what a cost to myself.
A book that should have taken me 2 days to finish became a 6 day ordeal, including a lot of griping and forcing myself to read a couple more chapters to keep moving on it.
I really should have DNFed this. Because it is ridiculous to force a read.
But it also really blows to so viscerally dislike something that a lot of my GR buds with similar taste really enjoyed. Something in my reading tastes is shifting from what they were 6-24 months ago, and I wonder if my time enjoying some of these series is coming to an end.
Which means I'll move on from reading them.
I started this series reading the third book—back when Trombley and several other authors released minotaur themed fiction (I love minotaurs)—and coming back at that book from this angle...nothing in that third book makes sense. There are some fairly pointed critical reviews for that one that cover a lot of my WTactualF thoughts regarding it, but I suppose I should be talking about this book.
This messy bitch of a book.
Trombley's writing style is well and fine. She has a somewhat more decorative style that works well to paint the picture of what's happening in her stories. This story was vivid and left no questions in my mind how anything looked or smelled. Well done on that point.
None of my issues with this one are technical in nature.
There is too much random plot pulling the story in too many directions going on in here, especially the second half of the story. Some more editing was needed on that front.
And. Woof. This story uses one of my most hated tropes: I'm Going to Hurt You to "Protect" You.
That trope + this heroine + no fall out from pushing said trigger for her? That's a NOPE from me. I'm sorry, there's no universe in which you can convince me that someone with such severe abandonment PTSD literally shrugs off her newest love's framing his being taken as callously abandoning her—almost immediately after he makes a huge fuss about how amazing she is, he wants to be with her and her other mate once he's in the picture, and he'll never leave her.
That was a Choice.
Like, I'm supposed to believe his saying he missed her would soothe all that new trauma piled onto decades of pre-existing trauma.
This book is really long for no character development. Gray grows...a little, I guess (but not really), and Evie and Dorshak stay put the entire time.
And honestly, that's a consistent problem with the books in this series I've read.
No, there will be no reading 4 or 5 for me. I'm definitely done at this point. I should have stopped at number 3 and let the sleeping dog lie.
Trombley can not seem to make up her mind whether she more wants to see the scene play out in a Very Dramatic Way, or if she wants to do the work to create scenes that are consistent with the personalities she says the characters have but never shows us.
And because I've read two Trombley books pretty close together, I noticed something else that didn't sit well with me in her work that pinged this as problematic for me.
In my review of The Fractured Mate, I had commented on a running anti-sex worker theme in Trombley's work, which seems indicative of her own attitudes on the subject. There was something else in that story that nagged at me a little and I let it slide, but then I read this book and it resurfaced, meaning, again, it's Trombley and not the characters: there is a lot of NO HOMO going on in her harem romances.
Like.
A lot of it.
To the point that my queer self is giving some serious side-eye at all of the heavy-handed insistence that no two males will ever touch each other ever in these books.
In this story, Evie felt the need to practically pee on her dudes and claim them...because one of them touched the other on the knee. She then had to be very vocal that she wasn't okay with them having any kind of physical relationship with each other.
Sure, Jan.
And Gray feels the need to lay it on really thick that neither of them swing that way.
Because sexuality and intimacy growing between two males who work closely together, sleep in the same bed, and live together as part of a poly family unit would be a disgusting travesty.
Message received, Susan: you think it's icky.
I think one of the most disappointing things about SF/alien romance is how regressive and restrictive it often is.
So yeah. Obviously, this one wasn't for me.
GR is apparently my diary today. You get what you get when I'm in this mood. This is all opinion—heavily salt crusted—and mildly spoilery.
I guess I ultimately got what I wanted from this: a little more information about the Lu'sians to fill the void while I hope that Ava from the Iriduan series will get a story down the line.
But at what a cost to myself.
A book that should have taken me 2 days to finish became a 6 day ordeal, including a lot of griping and forcing myself to read a couple more chapters to keep moving on it.
I really should have DNFed this. Because it is ridiculous to force a read.
But it also really blows to so viscerally dislike something that a lot of my GR buds with similar taste really enjoyed. Something in my reading tastes is shifting from what they were 6-24 months ago, and I wonder if my time enjoying some of these series is coming to an end.
Which means I'll move on from reading them.
I started this series reading the third book—back when Trombley and several other authors released minotaur themed fiction (I love minotaurs)—and coming back at that book from this angle...nothing in that third book makes sense. There are some fairly pointed critical reviews for that one that cover a lot of my WTactualF thoughts regarding it, but I suppose I should be talking about this book.
This messy bitch of a book.
Trombley's writing style is well and fine. She has a somewhat more decorative style that works well to paint the picture of what's happening in her stories. This story was vivid and left no questions in my mind how anything looked or smelled. Well done on that point.
None of my issues with this one are technical in nature.
There is too much random plot pulling the story in too many directions going on in here, especially the second half of the story. Some more editing was needed on that front.
And. Woof. This story uses one of my most hated tropes: I'm Going to Hurt You to "Protect" You.
That trope + this heroine + no fall out from pushing said trigger for her? That's a NOPE from me. I'm sorry, there's no universe in which you can convince me that someone with such severe abandonment PTSD literally shrugs off her newest love's framing his being taken as callously abandoning her—almost immediately after he makes a huge fuss about how amazing she is, he wants to be with her and her other mate once he's in the picture, and he'll never leave her.
That was a Choice.
Like, I'm supposed to believe his saying he missed her would soothe all that new trauma piled onto decades of pre-existing trauma.
This book is really long for no character development. Gray grows...a little, I guess (but not really), and Evie and Dorshak stay put the entire time.
And honestly, that's a consistent problem with the books in this series I've read.
No, there will be no reading 4 or 5 for me. I'm definitely done at this point. I should have stopped at number 3 and let the sleeping dog lie.
Trombley can not seem to make up her mind whether she more wants to see the scene play out in a Very Dramatic Way, or if she wants to do the work to create scenes that are consistent with the personalities she says the characters have but never shows us.
And because I've read two Trombley books pretty close together, I noticed something else that didn't sit well with me in her work that pinged this as problematic for me.
In my review of The Fractured Mate, I had commented on a running anti-sex worker theme in Trombley's work, which seems indicative of her own attitudes on the subject. There was something else in that story that nagged at me a little and I let it slide, but then I read this book and it resurfaced, meaning, again, it's Trombley and not the characters: there is a lot of NO HOMO going on in her harem romances.
Like.
A lot of it.
To the point that my queer self is giving some serious side-eye at all of the heavy-handed insistence that no two males will ever touch each other ever in these books.
In this story, Evie felt the need to practically pee on her dudes and claim them...because one of them touched the other on the knee. She then had to be very vocal that she wasn't okay with them having any kind of physical relationship with each other.
Sure, Jan.
And Gray feels the need to lay it on really thick that neither of them swing that way.
Because sexuality and intimacy growing between two males who work closely together, sleep in the same bed, and live together as part of a poly family unit would be a disgusting travesty.
Message received, Susan: you think it's icky.
I think one of the most disappointing things about SF/alien romance is how regressive and restrictive it often is.
So yeah. Obviously, this one wasn't for me.
July 17, 2018
Grey
Holy cow!! This book was great!, (btw, if you have not read the first book, which is a bonus book published on The Scorpion Mate you really need to; not because is needed to understand this book but because is just great) anyhow, here we are talking about Grey, A.K.A. “the Looge” and Evie and of course Doshak. Now, I know I just finish this book, but I can barely wait for Asterious, please, please… give him his own book, (Note: I’m begging.) he deserves someone who will love him for himself.
NOTE: You know a book is good when it’s been two days and you are still thinking about the secondary characters and what you can do to convince the author to write a book about them…
Holy cow!! This book was great!, (btw, if you have not read the first book, which is a bonus book published on The Scorpion Mate you really need to; not because is needed to understand this book but because is just great) anyhow, here we are talking about Grey, A.K.A. “the Looge” and Evie and of course Doshak. Now, I know I just finish this book, but I can barely wait for Asterious, please, please… give him his own book, (Note: I’m begging.) he deserves someone who will love him for himself.
NOTE: You know a book is good when it’s been two days and you are still thinking about the secondary characters and what you can do to convince the author to write a book about them…
July 23, 2018
Loved it
After the last book, I really wasn't expecting this one to go where it did, but I approve. I loved the way the menage was done on this one. In the last book, I always thought was if you are having a threesome relationship, then have one. That whole separate men and separate rooms was strange. We got to see our old friend Loo-oge go through some serious changes in this story. I loved the other guys character too. It was very imaginative and unique. I'm not spoiling, but you will love him. I look forward to the next story, that I would bet will have a minataur in it
After the last book, I really wasn't expecting this one to go where it did, but I approve. I loved the way the menage was done on this one. In the last book, I always thought was if you are having a threesome relationship, then have one. That whole separate men and separate rooms was strange. We got to see our old friend Loo-oge go through some serious changes in this story. I loved the other guys character too. It was very imaginative and unique. I'm not spoiling, but you will love him. I look forward to the next story, that I would bet will have a minataur in it
August 6, 2018
4.5 gotta love the area 51 grays
January 12, 2024
I DEVOURED this book.
And when I say I devoured it. I mean it. My eyes were flying through the words in my desperation to read the next sentence. To truly give it justice, I will have to re-read it more calmly in the future.
I'm sad my lukewarm feelings about the first book kept me from trying the second book for so long.
When a post-apocalyptic scenario is done right
Evie's upbringing and past merge to make the perfect romantic heroine in a chaotic world. Her conspiracy crazed father raised her and her sister to be survivalists and taught them to compartmentalize and prioritize their actions and emotions. In Book 1, Into the Dead Fall, Alice is fickle in her use of these lessons. Evie, on the other hand, was practical to her core. Which allowed us to see the world under a more objective light.
What I tend to dislike about post-apocalyptic worlds is the lingering hopelessness you can't shake off, even with the supposed HEA. The world will still be chaos and surviving will still be a chore even with a partner or partners there to ease the burden. Evie's high mental capacity to adapt to her environment takes away the despair from the scenario and turns it into a thrilling adventure.
Additionally, she has emotional baggage that she needs to grow past and that is what flames the romantic aspect of this story.
When a true mental connection is done right*
*New kink unlocked
Gray is originally "無性". It can be translated as "asexual", but it's closer to "no-sex". He doesn't have reproductive organs and therefore doesn't experience sexual desire.
Which means, when he rescues Evie at the end of Book 1, he didn't do it because he was sexually attracted to her. His mind connected with hers, as it does with any mind in his vicinity, and he felt curiosity. Her strength surrounded by chaos intrigued him. This book starts with her waking up on his ship.
During this time, they both experience a strong mental and emotional connection to each other. So much so that even though she knew he didn't have any sexual organs, she still felt attraction to him only because of who he was and how he made her feel.
Gray's curiosity of her grows exponentially. His mind can't help but want to be connected to hers and there is a point where he stops fighting it and accepts he finds her being attractive. With that acceptance, his body begins to change and develop into a male who then also becomes sexually attracted to her.
This deep spiritual unity they experience before they even have sex had me melting into a puddle. To be desired so completely only based on who you are, what you experiences have been, and how you live your life...
When an addition is done right
So, this is an MFM. Evie and Doshak are soulmates.
You would think this would disturb the beautiful balance Evie and Gray have created, but it doesn't. Gray's devotion to Evie is so absolute and unwavering, there's nothing he will deny her. Even access to the one that is meant to love her beyond anything.
Interestingly enough, in Doshak's dimension, humans have invaded his planet and hunt his own more primitive species down. So now we have an enemies to lovers dynamic that because of the plot, is developed without Gray.
The language barrier between Evie and Doshak allow for them to form a similar connection. One not just sexual, but of spiritual. They are united in the care of their home and the forced proximity eventually leads them trying to understand each other better. Add to that that in his culture monogamy doesn't exist and you once again don't need to worry about any jealousies or fights within the trio.
Conclusion
I loved this book. There is a strong HFN feel to it, but if you don't want to continue the series it's possible to fool your brain into making it a HEA. I do want to continue, but I'm going to give myself time to come down from the high. I might not enjoy the next one as much and I don't want that disappointment to bleed into my love for this one.
And when I say I devoured it. I mean it. My eyes were flying through the words in my desperation to read the next sentence. To truly give it justice, I will have to re-read it more calmly in the future.
I'm sad my lukewarm feelings about the first book kept me from trying the second book for so long.
When a post-apocalyptic scenario is done right
Evie's upbringing and past merge to make the perfect romantic heroine in a chaotic world. Her conspiracy crazed father raised her and her sister to be survivalists and taught them to compartmentalize and prioritize their actions and emotions. In Book 1, Into the Dead Fall, Alice is fickle in her use of these lessons. Evie, on the other hand, was practical to her core. Which allowed us to see the world under a more objective light.
What I tend to dislike about post-apocalyptic worlds is the lingering hopelessness you can't shake off, even with the supposed HEA. The world will still be chaos and surviving will still be a chore even with a partner or partners there to ease the burden. Evie's high mental capacity to adapt to her environment takes away the despair from the scenario and turns it into a thrilling adventure.
Additionally, she has emotional baggage that she needs to grow past and that is what flames the romantic aspect of this story.
When a true mental connection is done right*
*New kink unlocked
Gray is originally "無性". It can be translated as "asexual", but it's closer to "no-sex". He doesn't have reproductive organs and therefore doesn't experience sexual desire.
Which means, when he rescues Evie at the end of Book 1, he didn't do it because he was sexually attracted to her. His mind connected with hers, as it does with any mind in his vicinity, and he felt curiosity. Her strength surrounded by chaos intrigued him. This book starts with her waking up on his ship.
During this time, they both experience a strong mental and emotional connection to each other. So much so that even though she knew he didn't have any sexual organs, she still felt attraction to him only because of who he was and how he made her feel.
Gray's curiosity of her grows exponentially. His mind can't help but want to be connected to hers and there is a point where he stops fighting it and accepts he finds her being attractive. With that acceptance, his body begins to change and develop into a male who then also becomes sexually attracted to her.
This deep spiritual unity they experience before they even have sex had me melting into a puddle. To be desired so completely only based on who you are, what you experiences have been, and how you live your life...
When an addition is done right
So, this is an MFM. Evie and Doshak are soulmates.
You would think this would disturb the beautiful balance Evie and Gray have created, but it doesn't. Gray's devotion to Evie is so absolute and unwavering, there's nothing he will deny her. Even access to the one that is meant to love her beyond anything.
Interestingly enough, in Doshak's dimension, humans have invaded his planet and hunt his own more primitive species down. So now we have an enemies to lovers dynamic that because of the plot, is developed without Gray.
The language barrier between Evie and Doshak allow for them to form a similar connection. One not just sexual, but of spiritual. They are united in the care of their home and the forced proximity eventually leads them trying to understand each other better. Add to that that in his culture monogamy doesn't exist and you once again don't need to worry about any jealousies or fights within the trio.
Conclusion
I loved this book. There is a strong HFN feel to it, but if you don't want to continue the series it's possible to fool your brain into making it a HEA. I do want to continue, but I'm going to give myself time to come down from the high. I might not enjoy the next one as much and I don't want that disappointment to bleed into my love for this one.
July 29, 2018
I make no secret of my love for human/alien romances. I've been devouring them lately and...I think I might sort of love these EXTREMELY non-human aliens. I mean, Evie's sister ended up with two aliens with four arms each and she's very happy. Evie found her happy place with an alien gray (who's mostly humanoid) and...Doshak. Let's just say Doshak has some very interesting differences and leave it at that. Because, you know, it's more fun to find out on your own sometimes.
REALLY.
Physical differences aside, the sisters' aliens also have different societal backgrounds from them (and each other). Gray's people don't reproduce in the most traditional sense, so he's open to a whole bunch of new ideas when it comes to relationships once he gets over the shock that he CAN reproduce like a human. Doshak's people don't form pair-bonds like humans do so he's completely comfortable sharing Evie. Whereas, Evie take a while to come around to the fact that she loves two very different men. (Not as long as Alice took to come around, but it still takes her a while to wrap her head around what she wants.)
Not going to lie, I pretty much loved all the interactions between all the characters as they worked through their issues. The Dead Fall is a nasty, dangerous place and it's the last place any of them think they're going to find their other half, but there they are. Falling in love. Sexing each other up. Getting kidnapped.
Oh, did I mention things are a little unsettled since Gray stepped in to save Evie? Yeah. They are. Not just for the inhabitants of the Dead Fall, either. The Nexus is all tangled up and it has ideas aren't necessarily going to end well for Evie and her dudes.
I just...REALLY like this series. It's gloriously post-apocalyptic and alien and it works so hard for me. While the sisters have their stories tied up in the most basic sense, there still feels like there's a lot more we could learn about this dark, dangerous world that's holding on by a thread. Flat out, if more of these books are written, I'll read them.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
REALLY.
Physical differences aside, the sisters' aliens also have different societal backgrounds from them (and each other). Gray's people don't reproduce in the most traditional sense, so he's open to a whole bunch of new ideas when it comes to relationships once he gets over the shock that he CAN reproduce like a human. Doshak's people don't form pair-bonds like humans do so he's completely comfortable sharing Evie. Whereas, Evie take a while to come around to the fact that she loves two very different men. (Not as long as Alice took to come around, but it still takes her a while to wrap her head around what she wants.)
Not going to lie, I pretty much loved all the interactions between all the characters as they worked through their issues. The Dead Fall is a nasty, dangerous place and it's the last place any of them think they're going to find their other half, but there they are. Falling in love. Sexing each other up. Getting kidnapped.
Oh, did I mention things are a little unsettled since Gray stepped in to save Evie? Yeah. They are. Not just for the inhabitants of the Dead Fall, either. The Nexus is all tangled up and it has ideas aren't necessarily going to end well for Evie and her dudes.
I just...REALLY like this series. It's gloriously post-apocalyptic and alien and it works so hard for me. While the sisters have their stories tied up in the most basic sense, there still feels like there's a lot more we could learn about this dark, dangerous world that's holding on by a thread. Flat out, if more of these books are written, I'll read them.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
April 30, 2021
4.5 loved it way more than book 1
Evie, the heroine in this one, is the sister of Alice, the heroine from book 1. Where Alice was reticent, prudish, bad at surviving and kinda boring, Evie is the opposite. She's tough, fun, strong-willed and impulsive. I liked her a lot.
Grey, a Roswell grey alien (or Lu'sian, as they call themselves) was a GREAT hero for Evie. Different, totally overpowered, nerdy and very new to emotions, his journey was fascinating to read. I loved every scene he was in and I'd volunteer to marry him.
Doshak, a giant with a spidery exoskeleton, and vampire teeth, was also super interesting and new. The planet he comes from? Totally cool. Also, he was very consistent with the culture that was written for him, which I enjoyed a lot. His alien type was also very unique, with him being able to feed more to grow taller and starve himself to grow smaller again. Loved that.
This time around, I did not feel as if the girl was the third wheel in the relationship, which was a huge issue for me in book 1, where I felt that the guys had way more history and chemistry with each other than with their human mate. Evie got to know Grey girst and they fell in love convincingly, and later she had time alone with Doshak to get to love him too. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Doshak and Grey too, but it only complemented their dynamic with Evie rather than to upstage her.
I liked this installment a lot and I hope the rest of the series is like this too.
Evie, the heroine in this one, is the sister of Alice, the heroine from book 1. Where Alice was reticent, prudish, bad at surviving and kinda boring, Evie is the opposite. She's tough, fun, strong-willed and impulsive. I liked her a lot.
Grey, a Roswell grey alien (or Lu'sian, as they call themselves) was a GREAT hero for Evie. Different, totally overpowered, nerdy and very new to emotions, his journey was fascinating to read. I loved every scene he was in and I'd volunteer to marry him.
Doshak, a giant with a spidery exoskeleton, and vampire teeth, was also super interesting and new. The planet he comes from? Totally cool. Also, he was very consistent with the culture that was written for him, which I enjoyed a lot. His alien type was also very unique, with him being able to feed more to grow taller and starve himself to grow smaller again. Loved that.
This time around, I did not feel as if the girl was the third wheel in the relationship, which was a huge issue for me in book 1, where I felt that the guys had way more history and chemistry with each other than with their human mate. Evie got to know Grey girst and they fell in love convincingly, and later she had time alone with Doshak to get to love him too. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Doshak and Grey too, but it only complemented their dynamic with Evie rather than to upstage her.
I liked this installment a lot and I hope the rest of the series is like this too.
January 29, 2023
4.5 - Intrigue, romance, and horror all mixed together
Trombley loves her morally grey MMCs, but this time chose to reform a villainous MMC who doesn’t think what he’s been doing is wrong. As with the previous dead fall book, this book has 2 MMCs and one FMC. The author does a fantastic job introducing 2 new cultures that are fairly well fleshed out. This book provides a LOT more background about what death fall is and why it exists. I took a half a star because I feel the author took a mild easy out for one issue.
Spice: 3/5
Triggers: horror themes, death, violence, captivity
Trombley loves her morally grey MMCs, but this time chose to reform a villainous MMC who doesn’t think what he’s been doing is wrong. As with the previous dead fall book, this book has 2 MMCs and one FMC. The author does a fantastic job introducing 2 new cultures that are fairly well fleshed out. This book provides a LOT more background about what death fall is and why it exists. I took a half a star because I feel the author took a mild easy out for one issue.
Spice: 3/5
Triggers: horror themes, death, violence, captivity
November 7, 2018
This is one of the best science fiction books I have ever read. I love science fiction in general, but with regards to romance books, it is too often that the alien hero sounds and looks like a regular American guy, as in evolving in a different planet would create the same variations as in our planet...
In this book, both our heroes are BIZARRE! Both Gray and Doshak were absolutely fascinating, not just their physical appearance but their mentality, their values and culture, their view of the world, and their sexuality. I loved that the heroine, Evie, was so open to all those differences and adapted smoothly to all those differences. I find it frustrating when the opposite happens in a book, and the heroine keeps struggling for acceptance throughout the story.
The menage relationship feels very natural, with no conflicts or awkwardness. I am still wondering about Doshak's private measurements!😜
The Dead Fall is terrifying, a dystopian kind of world. It is wonderfully described, the pace of the plot is fluid and the story-telling is smart. The author doesn't take the reader for a fool, which is appreciated. I certainly hope to see a continuation of this series, and a story with Asterius pleeeaaaase!!
I could say more, but I am just going to say that I am SO glad I discovered this author. Muchas gracias, Susan Trombley! (Thank you so much, Susan Trombley!)
In this book, both our heroes are BIZARRE! Both Gray and Doshak were absolutely fascinating, not just their physical appearance but their mentality, their values and culture, their view of the world, and their sexuality. I loved that the heroine, Evie, was so open to all those differences and adapted smoothly to all those differences. I find it frustrating when the opposite happens in a book, and the heroine keeps struggling for acceptance throughout the story.
The menage relationship feels very natural, with no conflicts or awkwardness. I am still wondering about Doshak's private measurements!😜
The Dead Fall is terrifying, a dystopian kind of world. It is wonderfully described, the pace of the plot is fluid and the story-telling is smart. The author doesn't take the reader for a fool, which is appreciated. I certainly hope to see a continuation of this series, and a story with Asterius pleeeaaaase!!
I could say more, but I am just going to say that I am SO glad I discovered this author. Muchas gracias, Susan Trombley! (Thank you so much, Susan Trombley!)
July 12, 2018
Well worth multiple re-reads!
I heard about this book being out last night in a comment on Amanda Milo's page and promptly downloaded it. I had massively high hopes as I loved book 1 so much, and I was not disappointed! I cannot wait to read the next in this series, even though I know Ms Trombley probably hasn't even started writing it yet. I am also very happy it is a book on its own since it was hard forms to find book 1 when I wanted read it again lol. Susan Trombley, you knocked this one out of the park and I cannot wait to read everything you write! Seriously, got any grocery lists laying around? ;)
I heard about this book being out last night in a comment on Amanda Milo's page and promptly downloaded it. I had massively high hopes as I loved book 1 so much, and I was not disappointed! I cannot wait to read the next in this series, even though I know Ms Trombley probably hasn't even started writing it yet. I am also very happy it is a book on its own since it was hard forms to find book 1 when I wanted read it again lol. Susan Trombley, you knocked this one out of the park and I cannot wait to read everything you write! Seriously, got any grocery lists laying around? ;)
August 17, 2018
The Dead Fall is some kind of wormhole that appears in worlds all across the galaxy and sucks a load of junk, as well as people through it. In the Dead Fall only the strong survive, to be anything else just makes you prey for the bigger and more powerful. Evie isn't the strongest, but after a life time trained by her crazy survivalist father she is savvy and she knows what to do to survive. Until she's caught and put up for auction for the population of the Dead Fall, a population that doesn't see many women. She didn't expect to be saved and certainly not by the stereotypical grey alien; he even has his very own flying saucer. It becomes even more surreal when he tells her he is keeping her safe until her fated mate arrives...Susan Trombley first caught my attention with her sci fi alien romance The Scorpion's Mate, a book I loved as it did one of my favourite things; it made the aliens really flipping alien. But Trombley had another surprise for me, a reverse harem story called Into the Dead Fall, a story I adored because it contained not only one, but two very alien aliens. With Key to the Dead Fall, the second in the Into the Dead Fall series we once again have a reverse harem story where the male portion of the triad is distinctly nor human. I loved it.
At first I was a little wary of this book, what we saw of Evie at the beginning of Into the Dead Fall was not good. She seemed like crazy, spoiled and just not very likeable. As I read this book my opinion of her changed. Evie was tough, a survivor and there's nothing I like more than a strong heroine. Moving on to her alien husbands...
Firstly we have Grey, who is your stereotypical Roswell alien. Grey skin, big black eyes, head seeming to large for his slender sexless bodies. I won't spoil this book, but I can assure you that his physicality does change. What I loved about their relationship was how they developed a friendship first, they develop a very strong bond before anything sexual ever happens.
Now we have husband number two: Doshakeren. He's like a vampire. Only an alien vampire who grows bigger when he drinks blood. I never felt we got as close to Doshakeren until the end of the book. His and Evie's relationship was the exact opposite of Evie and Grey's. They got right on top of the sex stuff first and then slowly bonded more emotionally afterwards.
What I liked most about this book though was the dynamic between the three, Doshakeren comes from a culture where multiple partners were part of a family or as he calls it, a Nest. It was kind of adorable seeing him building his new Nest with Evie and Grey as they both scramble to get their head around the idea. Grey because his race no longer have sexual relationships and Evie because this is outside the norm. My favourite parts of this book were ore towards the end, when they were all together and building a home for themselves. I loved seeing that dynamic between the three of them in play.
I really enjoyed this book, I know the cover is a little...odd, but if you are a fan of alien sci-fi romances then you need to give this a try. If you aren't this would definitely be plunging you into the deep end. But at the end of the day, alienness aside it was a great romance between some good characters.
Reviewed by Suzanne❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
July 27, 2018
3.5 ***
This was a sci-fi KU. This book was about Evie while the first book in the series was about her sister Alice. Both women are transported into another dimension by a vortex. The vortex opens and transports anything that gets caught up in it and deposits everything into a heap of detritus called the Dead Fall. Over time many different aliens and structures have been deposited into the Dead Fall. There are many dangers. There are multiple non human like alien heroes. It's not something I would read again and there were sections that dragged on so I skimmed but overall it was an OK read.
This was a sci-fi KU. This book was about Evie while the first book in the series was about her sister Alice. Both women are transported into another dimension by a vortex. The vortex opens and transports anything that gets caught up in it and deposits everything into a heap of detritus called the Dead Fall. Over time many different aliens and structures have been deposited into the Dead Fall. There are many dangers. There are multiple non human like alien heroes. It's not something I would read again and there were sections that dragged on so I skimmed but overall it was an OK read.
July 29, 2019
I'm totally addicted to this genre at present.
July 25, 2018
Three stars ⭐️ for me personally ( I’ll explain ) but 4 stars for work and content...
Ok,giving these huge piece of hard work only 3 stars is painful for me per say but part of how the story was handled at one point jarred me and took me out of the story to such a degree it really hampered my enjoyment up until that point and took me out of the story in a big way... .
And while the book is self I think is amazing and Ms.Trombley’s hard work definitely shows,the way Evie was ultimately pushed towards her second mate,didn’t work for me and ticked me off big time ....
While I can see “Gray” / Looge most likely doing just what he did,,with his personality,I really hated the way things were carried out....
Soo while it _might_ have worked for others and the story it didn’t work for me ....
Personal preference all the way, but then again so some degree when not repeating the facts do a story, spelling and punctuation mistakes etc. and character abuse , trigger warnings and over the top TSTL behavior,I guess that’s what a review always is , soo if you don’t agree once I explain myself ,please understand this is just my opinion and how I feel...
Ok, first off over all I loved,loved loved Evie and her personality and her caring and spark and Spirit and her and Grey were just soo cute and awesome together...
Watching them grow and change together ( especially Grey)
( Grey’s kinda rebirth ( for lack of better words) was kinda like watching a cross between Pinocchio and the Grinch become a Real boy) it was sweet and touching and fun to watch) was just so much fun and they were soo natural and organic as they came together ... I just loved Grey and watching him learn to love and care and change for Evie .... I’ve never soo anything like it before ... I love “fated mates” in PNR,it’s probably one of my favorite things in paranormal romance,but to see someone’s heart choose someone like this and then almost against their own will but not quite grow and change into who they need to be in order to better serve that love ? To the point your body changes with it ? Wow, just wow....
That was sooo cool but what fit me was,just as sweet Grey and spunky tenacious Evie are in the verge of truly becoming a couple ,Grey is taken from the story soo Evie can be maneuvered into being with the new guy and I didn’t like how it was done AT ALL....
Now don’t get me wrong Doshak wasn’t a bad guy per say,very VERY rough around the edges at first but not bad ,even though I still don’t know what kinda funky breed of alien sounds like a giant over 8ft. tall cross between a wingless almost dragon sounding creature ( though w/out horns or a tail or fire) but with claws and a very odd sounding kinda stomach in his middle with teeth that I think protrude from his middle and huge fangs that come with vampire type tendencies,despite all that and his anger and arrogance ,he wasn’t that bad..
But
But what got me was,Evie who had been hurt and used and abandoned soo much in her life, who had grown to love Grey soo much despite all this was just left alone Dorshak w/Grey out of the picture w/no one to love or care about BUT Dorshsk...
You see Grey told her a mate was out there waiting per day and when he arrives they go to meet him,things are rocky of course at first, I don’t want to give it all away but it just felt wrong for Evie was fighting for her love and life w/Grey one moment and the next left alone for a good while w/only Dorshsk not only to love but only Dorshak for anything ....
She is alone with Dorshak with only him to talk to or be with ,anything .... She had trees to talk to ( you’ll have to read to know) but that doesn’t count ,and with the knowledge that’s she’s “supposed” love him in the back of her head it just felt kinda forced.. You know ? You have only one ,ONE person in your world 🌍, it’s just you and them and your told your “keyed” ( fated) to love them ,well heck it’s like one way street, isn’t it? I mean your direction has been chosen for you...
And that really ticked me off and took me majorly out of the story ... you can say didn’t Evie and Grey start like that ? All alone with just each other ? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa,maybe, but Evie felt like it was all her decision there,later it did not....
Now I know it’s just me,but Evie and Grey were denied vital time together to grow things like it seemed they should soo she could be forced off into seclusion w/ Dorshak and kinda have the decision made for her....
I highly recommend! And I hope there is more,especially with Grey’s choice for a 4th mate( very interesting ) I just hope a less heavy handed approach is taken and free will isn’t negated like it felt it was here...
Thank you Ms.Trombley❣️
Ok,giving these huge piece of hard work only 3 stars is painful for me per say but part of how the story was handled at one point jarred me and took me out of the story to such a degree it really hampered my enjoyment up until that point and took me out of the story in a big way... .
And while the book is self I think is amazing and Ms.Trombley’s hard work definitely shows,the way Evie was ultimately pushed towards her second mate,didn’t work for me and ticked me off big time ....
While I can see “Gray” / Looge most likely doing just what he did,,with his personality,I really hated the way things were carried out....
Soo while it _might_ have worked for others and the story it didn’t work for me ....
Personal preference all the way, but then again so some degree when not repeating the facts do a story, spelling and punctuation mistakes etc. and character abuse , trigger warnings and over the top TSTL behavior,I guess that’s what a review always is , soo if you don’t agree once I explain myself ,please understand this is just my opinion and how I feel...
Ok, first off over all I loved,loved loved Evie and her personality and her caring and spark and Spirit and her and Grey were just soo cute and awesome together...
Watching them grow and change together ( especially Grey)
( Grey’s kinda rebirth ( for lack of better words) was kinda like watching a cross between Pinocchio and the Grinch become a Real boy) it was sweet and touching and fun to watch) was just so much fun and they were soo natural and organic as they came together ... I just loved Grey and watching him learn to love and care and change for Evie .... I’ve never soo anything like it before ... I love “fated mates” in PNR,it’s probably one of my favorite things in paranormal romance,but to see someone’s heart choose someone like this and then almost against their own will but not quite grow and change into who they need to be in order to better serve that love ? To the point your body changes with it ? Wow, just wow....
That was sooo cool but what fit me was,just as sweet Grey and spunky tenacious Evie are in the verge of truly becoming a couple ,Grey is taken from the story soo Evie can be maneuvered into being with the new guy and I didn’t like how it was done AT ALL....
Now don’t get me wrong Doshak wasn’t a bad guy per say,very VERY rough around the edges at first but not bad ,even though I still don’t know what kinda funky breed of alien sounds like a giant over 8ft. tall cross between a wingless almost dragon sounding creature ( though w/out horns or a tail or fire) but with claws and a very odd sounding kinda stomach in his middle with teeth that I think protrude from his middle and huge fangs that come with vampire type tendencies,despite all that and his anger and arrogance ,he wasn’t that bad..
But
But what got me was,Evie who had been hurt and used and abandoned soo much in her life, who had grown to love Grey soo much despite all this was just left alone Dorshak w/Grey out of the picture w/no one to love or care about BUT Dorshsk...
You see Grey told her a mate was out there waiting per day and when he arrives they go to meet him,things are rocky of course at first, I don’t want to give it all away but it just felt wrong for Evie was fighting for her love and life w/Grey one moment and the next left alone for a good while w/only Dorshsk not only to love but only Dorshak for anything ....
She is alone with Dorshak with only him to talk to or be with ,anything .... She had trees to talk to ( you’ll have to read to know) but that doesn’t count ,and with the knowledge that’s she’s “supposed” love him in the back of her head it just felt kinda forced.. You know ? You have only one ,ONE person in your world 🌍, it’s just you and them and your told your “keyed” ( fated) to love them ,well heck it’s like one way street, isn’t it? I mean your direction has been chosen for you...
And that really ticked me off and took me majorly out of the story ... you can say didn’t Evie and Grey start like that ? All alone with just each other ? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa,maybe, but Evie felt like it was all her decision there,later it did not....
Now I know it’s just me,but Evie and Grey were denied vital time together to grow things like it seemed they should soo she could be forced off into seclusion w/ Dorshak and kinda have the decision made for her....
I highly recommend! And I hope there is more,especially with Grey’s choice for a 4th mate( very interesting ) I just hope a less heavy handed approach is taken and free will isn’t negated like it felt it was here...
Thank you Ms.Trombley❣️
July 31, 2018
Great sequel
We met Alice in the book tucked in with Scorpion's Mate as she and Evie fell through the Nexus. Alice, while dealing with a language barrier and 2 aliens vying for her attention, was desperate to find her sister. In fact, Tak discovered her at the end of the book but she disappeared with the Looge (I keep picturing Olympic sledding when I read that name lol) and all that was left was a bar full of broken alien corpses. This picks up where that one left off.
Rescued from the alien monsters that trapped her in the Dead Fall by an alien that every story told on Earth would disect and study her, Evie isn't so certain that her rescue is a good thing. Gray, as she comes to call it (the reason for the generic pronoun is understood when you read the story) was sent by its people to study the Nexus. Not just the Nexus, but the beings affected by it. Along with that task it is to study certain gene keys and the roles they play in mating. Gray knows that Evie has a mate, but its rescue of her prevented the original meeting fate had planned. So now they have to improvise. Only thing is, Evie isn't so sure she wants to be a part of the "gray dating agency" and is really sure that having babies in these post apocalyptic conditions is very much not a good idea. But Gray is insistent that this is supposed to happen. Only, Gray is going through some changes, and they're not all just emotional- something its not used to as an observer. As it listens to Evie's worries and concerns Gray becomes more than just a watcher. When they go to meet Doshak in the Fall Evie realizes that while genetics may play a role they aren't all controlling. Gray has stolen a part of her heart. But fate has as many twists as the Nexus has swirling clouds, and something else is watching them. Something else has been studying the inhabitants of Omni, besides Gray. Benign or malevolent? And will Evie and Alice be reunited? Will Doshak be a part of this new nest or will Gray remain the dominant one in Evie's heart? The questions swirl about.
I very much enjoyed this story! Spoilers ahead, beware! I tried not to add them in the review but all bets are off on my opinion part lol. I love Evie. Wasn't sure from the beginning of the 1st book. She seemed too flighty and odd. And no real explanation was given for the device that she had, why she used it and how their dad had it in the first place. But, as the author has hinted at more about the sisters, I'm hoping those gaps get filled. The typos were much fewer in this one and I'm happy that the editing kept the story much smoother. Although the storyline itself is a big hook. While Alice was reserved and wary, and sadly lacking as the daughter of a survivalist, Evie hit the Fall running. She kept herself alive and protected for months on her own. With flesh eating worms, covetous aliens, and the Nexus itself dropping debris and new terrors on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis, the struggle was absolutely real. Gray saving her had unprecedented complications for both of them. It forced changes in it that it had no idea how to counter. Emotions, physical changes, idealistic changes. No longer would it be a dispassionate observer. And Doshak... I love this author's dedication to real (I know, these are fictional stories) aliens. No technicolored humans, these are beings with different looks, cultures and physiological drives. Doshak is a giant vampire-ish, spider like, Viking battle minded, insect colony like-but male led instead of a queen, male that gets yanked through the Nexus and lands in the middle of Gray's Falls and experiment. He adapts to the situation quickly, realizing that staying alive is key. Easy enough when you're 8 feet tall and packing a potent paralytic venom. Watching his culture and Evie's clash is fun. Gray has an unfair advantage with the mental abilities and all the culture studies its done. But, outside the lab and in the real world, that knowledge only helps a little bit. Real world application is a totally different creature lol. I loved the addition of the sentient forest to the Omni storyline. The hints of various mythologies sprinkled about are fun little Easter eggs, too. The Egyptian touched on in the first book meets up with some Greek in this one, along with some tie ins to her Mate series. I'd really like to meet more of the Omnians that were touched on in this book. As well as see what other overlaps occur between these series. And if her vampire spider giant gets his way about more nest mates. And... Yeah, I'm looking forward to book 3 lol!
We met Alice in the book tucked in with Scorpion's Mate as she and Evie fell through the Nexus. Alice, while dealing with a language barrier and 2 aliens vying for her attention, was desperate to find her sister. In fact, Tak discovered her at the end of the book but she disappeared with the Looge (I keep picturing Olympic sledding when I read that name lol) and all that was left was a bar full of broken alien corpses. This picks up where that one left off.
Rescued from the alien monsters that trapped her in the Dead Fall by an alien that every story told on Earth would disect and study her, Evie isn't so certain that her rescue is a good thing. Gray, as she comes to call it (the reason for the generic pronoun is understood when you read the story) was sent by its people to study the Nexus. Not just the Nexus, but the beings affected by it. Along with that task it is to study certain gene keys and the roles they play in mating. Gray knows that Evie has a mate, but its rescue of her prevented the original meeting fate had planned. So now they have to improvise. Only thing is, Evie isn't so sure she wants to be a part of the "gray dating agency" and is really sure that having babies in these post apocalyptic conditions is very much not a good idea. But Gray is insistent that this is supposed to happen. Only, Gray is going through some changes, and they're not all just emotional- something its not used to as an observer. As it listens to Evie's worries and concerns Gray becomes more than just a watcher. When they go to meet Doshak in the Fall Evie realizes that while genetics may play a role they aren't all controlling. Gray has stolen a part of her heart. But fate has as many twists as the Nexus has swirling clouds, and something else is watching them. Something else has been studying the inhabitants of Omni, besides Gray. Benign or malevolent? And will Evie and Alice be reunited? Will Doshak be a part of this new nest or will Gray remain the dominant one in Evie's heart? The questions swirl about.
I very much enjoyed this story! Spoilers ahead, beware! I tried not to add them in the review but all bets are off on my opinion part lol. I love Evie. Wasn't sure from the beginning of the 1st book. She seemed too flighty and odd. And no real explanation was given for the device that she had, why she used it and how their dad had it in the first place. But, as the author has hinted at more about the sisters, I'm hoping those gaps get filled. The typos were much fewer in this one and I'm happy that the editing kept the story much smoother. Although the storyline itself is a big hook. While Alice was reserved and wary, and sadly lacking as the daughter of a survivalist, Evie hit the Fall running. She kept herself alive and protected for months on her own. With flesh eating worms, covetous aliens, and the Nexus itself dropping debris and new terrors on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis, the struggle was absolutely real. Gray saving her had unprecedented complications for both of them. It forced changes in it that it had no idea how to counter. Emotions, physical changes, idealistic changes. No longer would it be a dispassionate observer. And Doshak... I love this author's dedication to real (I know, these are fictional stories) aliens. No technicolored humans, these are beings with different looks, cultures and physiological drives. Doshak is a giant vampire-ish, spider like, Viking battle minded, insect colony like-but male led instead of a queen, male that gets yanked through the Nexus and lands in the middle of Gray's Falls and experiment. He adapts to the situation quickly, realizing that staying alive is key. Easy enough when you're 8 feet tall and packing a potent paralytic venom. Watching his culture and Evie's clash is fun. Gray has an unfair advantage with the mental abilities and all the culture studies its done. But, outside the lab and in the real world, that knowledge only helps a little bit. Real world application is a totally different creature lol. I loved the addition of the sentient forest to the Omni storyline. The hints of various mythologies sprinkled about are fun little Easter eggs, too. The Egyptian touched on in the first book meets up with some Greek in this one, along with some tie ins to her Mate series. I'd really like to meet more of the Omnians that were touched on in this book. As well as see what other overlaps occur between these series. And if her vampire spider giant gets his way about more nest mates. And... Yeah, I'm looking forward to book 3 lol!
December 24, 2018
Loved finding out more about this world, the NEX and how they all intersected. The Hs are very different, with wonderful slow burn relationships, that becomes a menage with h firmly in the centre of their world. I really liked the h, she was playful and brave, and I liked both of them as they were so different yet also accepted her and adjusted to be the best they could be for her. Great book.
December 16, 2018
Book 2 in series takes up where book 1 into the dead fall ends..and this is where I tell you you must read book 1... not just because it’s a great book but in that it lays the foundation to this book and sets up Grey and Evie’s Meeting.
The Looge 👽👽👽... the most powerful being and self designated leader of Omni breaks his own rules.. he interfears with the timelines he has been observing for hundreds of years, he steps in and rescues Evie from a terrible fate...despite knowing that she would be saved by her key mate further down the line. The repercussions could be detrimental to everyone who has fallen through the dead fall but for some reason..The looge cannot do nothing leaving her to a terrible fate.
After inadvertently stranding herself and her sister in Omni and instantly seperated..
Evie has been lucky to avoid the weird and dangerous inhabitants that make living there a daily dose of life roulette. Having a prepper/ Uber conspiracy nut for a father has instilled skills into Evie that have helped her to survive.
After her luck runs out, Finding herself rescued by a ‘grey’ is the straw that breaks the camels back...all she has heard and been taught about grey aliens is at the forefront of her mind, however she finds herself beginning to like her rescuer, with his strange ship, wonderful and deadly telekinetic powers and a friendship begins to develop.
The Looge was a brilliant charachter and I found his transformation both mental and physical a ingenious piece of story crafting. Both wonderful and intriguing and totally original. The theme of biology taking away all personal choice and will impacting on both Grey and Evie.
I loved that Evie was able to crack his defences and make him feel despite all his technology. His serious nerdy nature and Evie’s fearlessness and sass led to some great and wonderful interactions.
The introduction of the key mates theory ( and the introduction of Doshak ) and the mild cross overs into the authors Iridian Test Subject Series was also brilliantly done. Despite some reservation around biological choices verses heart chosen choices.
The key mate theory left my mind reeling with possibilities and without going into anymore detail ( NO SPOILERS ) I was left with a lot of questions... but good questions that I’m hoping will have light shown upon them in a further book ( HINT HINT )
So if you hadn’t realised by now... I am a Sci fi romance nut, And I’ve read ALOT of Sci fi romance...the good, the bad and the downright rubbish. If you want to read a series that features more than just crayon coloured humanoids in space ( not that there is anything wrong with those ) but are left wanting for a bit more alien and a whole lotta story for your buck ( LIKE I DO ) then you should read this series.
I loved the first book, and I was estatic when the second book came out. It just delivered so much to my Sci fi loving brain...I adored this book...catching up with Characters from the first book was a welcome addition.
I am invested in this series and will wait ( not so patiently ) for more from this series and author.
The Looge 👽👽👽... the most powerful being and self designated leader of Omni breaks his own rules.. he interfears with the timelines he has been observing for hundreds of years, he steps in and rescues Evie from a terrible fate...despite knowing that she would be saved by her key mate further down the line. The repercussions could be detrimental to everyone who has fallen through the dead fall but for some reason..The looge cannot do nothing leaving her to a terrible fate.
After inadvertently stranding herself and her sister in Omni and instantly seperated..
Evie has been lucky to avoid the weird and dangerous inhabitants that make living there a daily dose of life roulette. Having a prepper/ Uber conspiracy nut for a father has instilled skills into Evie that have helped her to survive.
After her luck runs out, Finding herself rescued by a ‘grey’ is the straw that breaks the camels back...all she has heard and been taught about grey aliens is at the forefront of her mind, however she finds herself beginning to like her rescuer, with his strange ship, wonderful and deadly telekinetic powers and a friendship begins to develop.
The Looge was a brilliant charachter and I found his transformation both mental and physical a ingenious piece of story crafting. Both wonderful and intriguing and totally original. The theme of biology taking away all personal choice and will impacting on both Grey and Evie.
I loved that Evie was able to crack his defences and make him feel despite all his technology. His serious nerdy nature and Evie’s fearlessness and sass led to some great and wonderful interactions.
The introduction of the key mates theory ( and the introduction of Doshak ) and the mild cross overs into the authors Iridian Test Subject Series was also brilliantly done. Despite some reservation around biological choices verses heart chosen choices.
The key mate theory left my mind reeling with possibilities and without going into anymore detail ( NO SPOILERS ) I was left with a lot of questions... but good questions that I’m hoping will have light shown upon them in a further book ( HINT HINT )
So if you hadn’t realised by now... I am a Sci fi romance nut, And I’ve read ALOT of Sci fi romance...the good, the bad and the downright rubbish. If you want to read a series that features more than just crayon coloured humanoids in space ( not that there is anything wrong with those ) but are left wanting for a bit more alien and a whole lotta story for your buck ( LIKE I DO ) then you should read this series.
I loved the first book, and I was estatic when the second book came out. It just delivered so much to my Sci fi loving brain...I adored this book...catching up with Characters from the first book was a welcome addition.
I am invested in this series and will wait ( not so patiently ) for more from this series and author.
December 7, 2018
Note to self. Grey skinned aliens rule the universe. And that's OK
Trombley returns to the Dead Fall to share the story of younger sister and her life and loves.
Grey is the archetype of an alien with his late dark eyes, grey skin and telepathy etc. But Trombley manages to make him a believable being with emotions and weaknesses that endears him to me. The introduction of a completely unique looking species as a mate was really intruiging and RwATTLA worthy. Love it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 star read
Trombley returns to the Dead Fall to share the story of younger sister and her life and loves.
Grey is the archetype of an alien with his late dark eyes, grey skin and telepathy etc. But Trombley manages to make him a believable being with emotions and weaknesses that endears him to me. The introduction of a completely unique looking species as a mate was really intruiging and RwATTLA worthy. Love it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 star read
June 7, 2019
Another
I loved this book and the more we learn about this place and it's people the more interesting it gets. They were introduced to some new problems that could turn into enemies of at the least trouble making entities in future stories. I loved how This couple goes through changes both mentally and physically but they all come out stronger for it. And some of the dialogue between grey and Doshak and even evie was just hilarious. I'm kind of hoping maybe grey can take ideas from how the nex is patching together his nodes & guardiAns and maybe develop some bio-mechanical type engineering. And that maybe he'll Even be able to offer some engineering to helps mates procreate when they've chosen each other with out help from the keys. Overall it's a great story with a happy for now ending that's super cute and I can't wait to see what the future holds. This story in general is filled with excitement, adventure, sci-fi elements, and a multi partner romance that is hot! So give me another story with another mate because there is so much to see and learn about in this ever changing world. Good book would recommend.
I loved this book and the more we learn about this place and it's people the more interesting it gets. They were introduced to some new problems that could turn into enemies of at the least trouble making entities in future stories. I loved how This couple goes through changes both mentally and physically but they all come out stronger for it. And some of the dialogue between grey and Doshak and even evie was just hilarious. I'm kind of hoping maybe grey can take ideas from how the nex is patching together his nodes & guardiAns and maybe develop some bio-mechanical type engineering. And that maybe he'll Even be able to offer some engineering to helps mates procreate when they've chosen each other with out help from the keys. Overall it's a great story with a happy for now ending that's super cute and I can't wait to see what the future holds. This story in general is filled with excitement, adventure, sci-fi elements, and a multi partner romance that is hot! So give me another story with another mate because there is so much to see and learn about in this ever changing world. Good book would recommend.
August 3, 2019
I really enjoyed this one. I felt really bad for Evie in the first book when we found out that that jerk Jarret married her and then took all her money. I really wanted her to find her HEA. I never imagined it would be with the looge though.. or that she too would have two mates! Doshak was a very interesting character and I must have spent an entire chapter trying to decide what kind of creature he resembled. I settled on the fact that his people were human-ish but also had insect qualities like venom and carapaces and things like that. It was very interesting visualizing him. I liked Evie's relationship with her guys better I think because they weren't bothered by being together at the same time... I really like menage stories like that. I can't wait to read more about the characters in the dead fall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2020
Oh. My. God. Susan Trombley has done it again. I literally cannot wait for Ava's installment in the Iriduans series. 😍
I spent so much time giggling and laughing at everything that happened between Ava and Gray. I think the only setback this book had was the ancilla situation. As soon as Gray disappears, the book turns into narration.... Which is a dangerous thing to attempt. So it turned into a Kaitlyn O'Connor story for a couple of chapters, with the hero (Doshak in this case) and heroine stuck inside their own minds and the story feeling like it was a dream. I didn't like losing my giggling-inducing Gray. And sadly I didn't really get him back after. :( I need that whole Ava cohort now......
Also, the keys.... Are they relevant in the Iriduans stories too?? 🤔
I spent so much time giggling and laughing at everything that happened between Ava and Gray. I think the only setback this book had was the ancilla situation. As soon as Gray disappears, the book turns into narration.... Which is a dangerous thing to attempt. So it turned into a Kaitlyn O'Connor story for a couple of chapters, with the hero (Doshak in this case) and heroine stuck inside their own minds and the story feeling like it was a dream. I didn't like losing my giggling-inducing Gray. And sadly I didn't really get him back after. :( I need that whole Ava cohort now......
Also, the keys.... Are they relevant in the Iriduans stories too?? 🤔
July 25, 2018
Loved this book but you really need to read the 1st book which is a bonus book in the Scorpion Mate. Gray is an alien in the dead fall, everyone is an alien in the dead fall but Evie is rescued by Gray who tells her that her mate Dashor will be coming thru the dead fall soon and she must find him. All of these characters grow so much and the changes they go through are fascinating, expecially Gray's physical changes. Anyway I don't want to spoil it but they are all 3 great together and they're trying to bring order to a place that has no order. Loved it. Hopefully there will be more in this series.
July 28, 2018
I wanna go to the DeadFall!!
I love the dead fall world that's been created and loved they way Grey was done. I honestly wasn't sure I would like his story but was so in love with the dead fall world I didn't care. I'm so glad Grey was easy to like and love his parts were by far my favorite, though there wasn't a part I disliked about any of this book. I really hope the author continues this world and soon, I just know the minotaur is going to have his own book and I am already super impatient and excited for another dead fall book.
I love the dead fall world that's been created and loved they way Grey was done. I honestly wasn't sure I would like his story but was so in love with the dead fall world I didn't care. I'm so glad Grey was easy to like and love his parts were by far my favorite, though there wasn't a part I disliked about any of this book. I really hope the author continues this world and soon, I just know the minotaur is going to have his own book and I am already super impatient and excited for another dead fall book.
July 29, 2018
True aliens
I'm so glad that I found this author, yet another fantastic story! These aliens aren't human with blue skin, they have distinct and 'Allen' differences which I've come to love. The drastic differences in physiology requires that the author clearly builds and defines their personalities so that the reader can relate to them. I so love these books, I hate I have to wait for more!
I'm so glad that I found this author, yet another fantastic story! These aliens aren't human with blue skin, they have distinct and 'Allen' differences which I've come to love. The drastic differences in physiology requires that the author clearly builds and defines their personalities so that the reader can relate to them. I so love these books, I hate I have to wait for more!
September 10, 2018
Ok. I liked Evie better than all the other h’s by this author
Evie was awesome and what Gray did was so freaking amazing that I wanted to hug the heck out of him. Also, this is the first person I’ve ever encountered who had a logical reason for anal probes! Never even thought about it, but this author knows her shiitake mushrooms! And, btw, Dorshak was from an awesome culture I totally wanted to know all about!
Evie was awesome and what Gray did was so freaking amazing that I wanted to hug the heck out of him. Also, this is the first person I’ve ever encountered who had a logical reason for anal probes! Never even thought about it, but this author knows her shiitake mushrooms! And, btw, Dorshak was from an awesome culture I totally wanted to know all about!
July 23, 2018
This isn't how I expected things to go and I'm glad. I liked how if you have read Scorpion's Mate you get a part of the puzzle that wasn't revealed yet. Again the aliens are very alien. Sentient trees? I actually love this. There are legends of trees with spirit and thought all over the world from the earliest times I like how the author adapted this idea and made it fit into Dead Fall.
July 26, 2018
Key to the Dead Fall
I absolutely loved Evie's story and how all the characters came together. Wonderful world building that was fascinating and so different. Gray was the most fascinating of characters with all of his physical changes to meet Evie's needs. I can't wait to read more about this world and I would highly recommend this series.
I absolutely loved Evie's story and how all the characters came together. Wonderful world building that was fascinating and so different. Gray was the most fascinating of characters with all of his physical changes to meet Evie's needs. I can't wait to read more about this world and I would highly recommend this series.
July 26, 2018
I loved this book, more please!
Please write more about this strange, fascinating world! I loved reading this book and getting to know the Characters. The possibilities are endless. A third, fourth or even more mates to strengthen the nest is a resounding YES from me. Can I get a "Gray" of my own pretty please!
Please write more about this strange, fascinating world! I loved reading this book and getting to know the Characters. The possibilities are endless. A third, fourth or even more mates to strengthen the nest is a resounding YES from me. Can I get a "Gray" of my own pretty please!
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