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The 5th Gender
(Tinkered Stars)
by
A species that has no word for murder, has a murderer aboard their spaceship.
ALIEN
Tristol lives in exile. But he’s built a life for himself aboard a human space station. He’s even begun to understand the complex nuances of human courting rituals.
Detective Hastion is finally flirting back!
MURDER
Except that Tristol’s beloved space station is unexpectedly contacted by t ...more
ALIEN
Tristol lives in exile. But he’s built a life for himself aboard a human space station. He’s even begun to understand the complex nuances of human courting rituals.
Detective Hastion is finally flirting back!
MURDER
Except that Tristol’s beloved space station is unexpectedly contacted by t ...more
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OMG!!!! 😱 How much I loved this book!!! 😍 This is my second hair tentacles book and it sure was freaking glorious! Who knew hairs could be so sexy? 😁😉 But no, this book is so much more than kinky hair tentacles. The world building, the storyline, the protagonists, it was fresh, it was unique and it was just so damn enthralling. I couldn’t put down this book. I simply couldn’t. Read it in one sitting and already revving towards rereading it again.
Tris is an exiled alien who’s now working and liv ...more
Tris is an exiled alien who’s now working and liv ...more
4.5 Alien Loving Hearts!
What is it about an endearing lavender alien, whose guileless charm, flirty ways, and innate goodness oh so easily and seamlessly melted my cold heart? Throw in said alien having fae features, an excellent sense of fashion and basically, fascinating “sentient” hair (crazy I know), and you’ve got quite the start to a new series!
Tristol is an outcast amongst his fellow galoi, and he lives his life on a bustling space station, as his very sunny disposition makes him the perf ...more
What is it about an endearing lavender alien, whose guileless charm, flirty ways, and innate goodness oh so easily and seamlessly melted my cold heart? Throw in said alien having fae features, an excellent sense of fashion and basically, fascinating “sentient” hair (crazy I know), and you’ve got quite the start to a new series!
Tristol is an outcast amongst his fellow galoi, and he lives his life on a bustling space station, as his very sunny disposition makes him the perf ...more
Super weird! If you like monster-porn with tentacle sex or alien romance or male/male romance, this is your bag, baby! For me, it was a strange fever-dream that is actually enjoyable. If you like those comics with the aliens like this, you will love this.
So the set-up is that there is an interplanetary space station where a lot of humans live alongside with other aliens. Our alien-hero is Tris who is from an alien race that is super insular so not many of his species has ever been seen. This mak ...more
So the set-up is that there is an interplanetary space station where a lot of humans live alongside with other aliens. Our alien-hero is Tris who is from an alien race that is super insular so not many of his species has ever been seen. This mak ...more
4.5 stars
I absolutely loved this story. Color melavender gobsmacked. After Carriger's last foray into our MM romance world (The Omega Objection), which I detested, I had no hope whatsoever she would ever write another MM book that I'd read. I loved The Sumage Solution, but that second book dumped the series in the toilet for me.
The five-gendered society of Gal and its culture were absolutely fascinating, if a bit confusing. It was a joy to watch Tristol bring lightness and laughter to those ar ...more
I absolutely loved this story. Color me
The five-gendered society of Gal and its culture were absolutely fascinating, if a bit confusing. It was a joy to watch Tristol bring lightness and laughter to those ar ...more
Cuddlelicious!!!!
This story was simply ADORABLE!! 😱😱
Wait! It’s Tris, our lavender, wriggly-haired alíen that’s ADORABLE! ❤️❤️❤️ He is beyond precious and so full of love!
I’ll warn you that this is a very insta-love story with “baby” and “honey” endearments from the get-go. I always have a problem with that, but Tris made me look the other way and not mind so much when his hunky, brown and bearded detective called him baby.
Tris is from a mysterious and xenophobic race of beings. Detective Hasti ...more
This story was simply ADORABLE!! 😱😱
Wait! It’s Tris, our lavender, wriggly-haired alíen that’s ADORABLE! ❤️❤️❤️ He is beyond precious and so full of love!
I’ll warn you that this is a very insta-love story with “baby” and “honey” endearments from the get-go. I always have a problem with that, but Tris made me look the other way and not mind so much when his hunky, brown and bearded detective called him baby.
Tris is from a mysterious and xenophobic race of beings. Detective Hasti ...more
Aug 23, 2019
Ariana
rated it
it was amazing
Recommended to Ariana by:
A Reader Obsessed
Shelves:
sci-fi-and-metahumans,
lgbtq
5 shiny, sparkling, stars for ...
.) the sheer wealth of imagination
.) the fabulous and intricate world building
.) all that delightful humour
.) one of the cutest couples I’ve read in 2019
But MOST of all for …
Tris(tol), the purple (oops, sorry, LAVENDER) alien.
He is without any doubt one of the cutest, sweetest, most heart-warming characters ever. I’m sure I had the broadest smile on my face virtually throughout the whole book.
I loved everything about this cutie-pie from outer space.
His honesty a ...more
Re-read June 2019
Such a sweet story.
-----------------------------------
Now this was cute!
Tristol is a galoi, a purple alien. Oh, I’m sorry, a lavender alien. He has puffy hair when he’s happy and when he’s around detective Hastion his hair betrays his extreme attraction and tries to pet the handsome detective.
Tristol loves humans and their weird customs, like keeping a furry creature as a pet, also known as a cat. Of course he is thrilled when his friends Elle and Olav ask him to pet sit (althou ...more
Such a sweet story.
-----------------------------------
Now this was cute!
Tristol is a galoi, a purple alien. Oh, I’m sorry, a lavender alien. He has puffy hair when he’s happy and when he’s around detective Hastion his hair betrays his extreme attraction and tries to pet the handsome detective.
Tristol loves humans and their weird customs, like keeping a furry creature as a pet, also known as a cat. Of course he is thrilled when his friends Elle and Olav ask him to pet sit (althou ...more
5 stars for the 5 genders .
I really hope this author continues this series !
I really hope this author continues this series !
This was a lot of fun, a light SciFi mystery romance, as a human cop on a space station falls for a kind, enthusiastic, exiled alien. Tris is the fifth of his species' five genders, and usually his kind would be home on a planet closed to outsiders. But Tris couldn't live with one of the essential demands made by his society, and as a result he's exiled into human space, literally "nothing" to his people anymore.
Those of Tris's kind who choose this exile are valuable in the wider multi-species ...more
Those of Tris's kind who choose this exile are valuable in the wider multi-species ...more
Cracky yet profound with bonus ninja feels
Whoa. What even is this book? I thought I was just getting a charming little book full of fluff. And it was that. It was charming and ridiculous and so full of crack that I was instantly hooked. I was happily skipping along, spouting words like "precious" and "adorable" and "sugary sweet" when WHAM! I was hit upside the head with the feels.
This book turned out to be way more deep than I expected, and I daresay it was profound. It eerily mirrors current ...more
Whoa. What even is this book? I thought I was just getting a charming little book full of fluff. And it was that. It was charming and ridiculous and so full of crack that I was instantly hooked. I was happily skipping along, spouting words like "precious" and "adorable" and "sugary sweet" when WHAM! I was hit upside the head with the feels.
This book turned out to be way more deep than I expected, and I daresay it was profound. It eerily mirrors current ...more
SUCH a delight
The sample hooked me and I was in love from the start. Tris is quirky and utterly adorable, and I loved his unique and hysterical take on things. He’s paired with a big, growly, protective detective, and they were PERFECT together. This shot straight to my favorites list, and I HOPE there are more in the series.
The sample hooked me and I was in love from the start. Tris is quirky and utterly adorable, and I loved his unique and hysterical take on things. He’s paired with a big, growly, protective detective, and they were PERFECT together. This shot straight to my favorites list, and I HOPE there are more in the series.
Overall book rating: 5
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3.5
I’d like to compliment the author on a few things.
- The uniqueness of Tristol’s character. There were so many things I loved about him. I’ve read about a character with the hair thing before but the way it was used with Tris was something else. The emotional thing really really worked for me and it was also totally new. Very special to me.
- The way everything was described to the reader without information dumping. The only thing I still wou ...more
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3.5
I’d like to compliment the author on a few things.
- The uniqueness of Tristol’s character. There were so many things I loved about him. I’ve read about a character with the hair thing before but the way it was used with Tris was something else. The emotional thing really really worked for me and it was also totally new. Very special to me.
- The way everything was described to the reader without information dumping. The only thing I still wou ...more
Read this book as part of the 2019 Members' Choice Awards Challenge.
Categories: Best Sci-Fi/Futuristic/Post-Apocalyptic/Steampunk
I wanted to like this book more. I was looking forward to reading it very much - I was expecting at least a 4 star read. It was sweet, insta-love, and fun, but nothing more.
It reminded me a lot of the Claimings series by Lyn Gala. It was too easy to draw parallels between the two books - both aliens were purple, they both made nests for their mates, they both had a t ...more
Categories: Best Sci-Fi/Futuristic/Post-Apocalyptic/Steampunk
I wanted to like this book more. I was looking forward to reading it very much - I was expecting at least a 4 star read. It was sweet, insta-love, and fun, but nothing more.
It reminded me a lot of the Claimings series by Lyn Gala. It was too easy to draw parallels between the two books - both aliens were purple, they both made nests for their mates, they both had a t ...more
This was a delightful romance and mystery. SUPER Queer, super gender transgressive, super cute. The Queer scifi I wish I had had access to as a child.
Everyone who was waiting for The Unadulterated Good Queer Content from Gail, untempered by Victorian/Modern day sensibilities…The 5th Gender is it. I highly recommend this book, even if you don't generally like m/m series (like myself). :)
(I received an Advanced Reader Copy of The 5th Gender in exchange for my unbiased review.) ...more
Everyone who was waiting for The Unadulterated Good Queer Content from Gail, untempered by Victorian/Modern day sensibilities…The 5th Gender is it. I highly recommend this book, even if you don't generally like m/m series (like myself). :)
(I received an Advanced Reader Copy of The 5th Gender in exchange for my unbiased review.) ...more
Reviewed: 10-05-20
Amazing World Building
Overall: 5 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story: 5 stars
This was such a fun , sexy and entertaining story. The world building is rich , layered and massive.
Even though, there's a lot of really steamy , sexually explicitly intimate times and laughter galore , the plot and narrative of the story is serious and very real. I love how compassionate and empathic this story was written.
Michael Lesley narration was perfect! It was an absolute delight , listening ...more
Amazing World Building
Overall: 5 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story: 5 stars
This was such a fun , sexy and entertaining story. The world building is rich , layered and massive.
Even though, there's a lot of really steamy , sexually explicitly intimate times and laughter galore , the plot and narrative of the story is serious and very real. I love how compassionate and empathic this story was written.
Michael Lesley narration was perfect! It was an absolute delight , listening ...more
“There is no doubt about it. Humans are weird.”
There is something special about a story that grabs you in the first couple of sentences. Looking at them again, there is nothing so unique about these two sentences. Nothing so shocking or awe-inspiring. And yet…I was caught, filled with an almost instinctual knowledge, grown out of decades of reading, that I was going to love this journey. Maybe it was because I am predisposed to like this author’s stories. Maybe it was because I was looking f ...more
Jul 23, 2019
haletostilinski
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
alternate-universe,
mm-romance,
paronormal,
romance,
no-cheating,
happy-ending,
mystery,
detective-cop,
fluff
Oh, this was such a delightful read, I loved it from start to finish!
This takes place in some distant future where humans and other aliens have discovered each other and are used to each other, so much so that there is an established space station and humans live among other alien species on that space station in general peace.
Tris is an alien (to us) that is a galoi, who has fairly recently - in his timeline - been exiled his home planet and from his whole galoi society. Tris has been off the ...more
This takes place in some distant future where humans and other aliens have discovered each other and are used to each other, so much so that there is an established space station and humans live among other alien species on that space station in general peace.
Tris is an alien (to us) that is a galoi, who has fairly recently - in his timeline - been exiled his home planet and from his whole galoi society. Tris has been off the ...more
OMG, this is the book I wish Jailmates had been.
Okay, no. They are two different stories, by completely different authors...but the level of world-building detail was nicely balanced with the romance here and the pet-names weren't annoying or misplaced. And the sex was smoking hot. Plus, hey, nicely disguised scathing social commentary on gender roles and expression, sexual orientation and societal expectations/demands. (The case solution broke my heart; I thought it was coming but wasn't ready ...more
Okay, no. They are two different stories, by completely different authors...but the level of world-building detail was nicely balanced with the romance here and the pet-names weren't annoying or misplaced. And the sex was smoking hot. Plus, hey, nicely disguised scathing social commentary on gender roles and expression, sexual orientation and societal expectations/demands. (The case solution broke my heart; I thought it was coming but wasn't ready ...more
3.000005 repeater?
enf.
I have only really liked one book by carriger, the sumange solution. Otherwise I found her work too elizabeth petersish.
The settings were all wrong for me, and the sci fi pretty lame. The insta love didn't work for me, or the infantilised feminised cutsy alien.
sigh.
Maybe the next one will be better. ...more
enf.
I have only really liked one book by carriger, the sumange solution. Otherwise I found her work too elizabeth petersish.
The settings were all wrong for me, and the sci fi pretty lame. The insta love didn't work for me, or the infantilised feminised cutsy alien.
sigh.
Maybe the next one will be better. ...more
While on the surface this is an adorable m/m romance with aliens and a mystery plot, I just couldn't get over the deeply transphobic and other uncomfortable undertones.
Content warnings include: exile, sex on-page, language and concepts that might be harmful for trans readers, constant conflation of sex and gender, xenophobia, pro-life sentiment, suicide, indirect forced pregnancy through tampering with birth control, denial of reproductive autonomy, denial of medical advocay.
Anyone looking at m ...more
Content warnings include: exile, sex on-page, language and concepts that might be harmful for trans readers, constant conflation of sex and gender, xenophobia, pro-life sentiment, suicide, indirect forced pregnancy through tampering with birth control, denial of reproductive autonomy, denial of medical advocay.
Anyone looking at m ...more
Wow!! I haven’t read a science fiction book quite as fascinating as this in a long time! The aliens were definitely unique and a very welcomed breath of fresh air! I love this universe and this Galoi race the author has built. So utterly charming and lovely and just, so so sweet! 😍
Admittedly it took some getting used to and understanding the 5 different genders but certainly once you do understand it, it’s pretty much a no-brainer. Why wouldn’t we have 5 different genders?!?
But! The breakout sta ...more
Admittedly it took some getting used to and understanding the 5 different genders but certainly once you do understand it, it’s pretty much a no-brainer. Why wouldn’t we have 5 different genders?!?
But! The breakout sta ...more
2nd read
Such a great story. Loved Trus and Drey and really want to see more of them
1st read
I loved this book. the world-building (especially the idea of the galoi) was great. I loved Tris and his little quirks and I found his world and his way of communication and his POV interesting.
Drey is perfect for him
the mystery is well done as well and it was really interesting to read.
Please, I want another one with these two!!! PLEASE!!!!
Such a great story. Loved Trus and Drey and really want to see more of them
1st read
I loved this book. the world-building (especially the idea of the galoi) was great. I loved Tris and his little quirks and I found his world and his way of communication and his POV interesting.
Drey is perfect for him
the mystery is well done as well and it was really interesting to read.
Please, I want another one with these two!!! PLEASE!!!!
Update:
I'd just like to point out that, even though I only finished this audiobook two days ago, I'm already listening to it again. I just couldn't get it out of my head. I have other audiobooks I'm supposed to be listening to, but I don't even care.
Review:
I loved pretty much everything about this. Great story, great characters, great audio narration. This will probably be a frequent re-read (or re-listen) for me. ...more
I'd just like to point out that, even though I only finished this audiobook two days ago, I'm already listening to it again. I just couldn't get it out of my head. I have other audiobooks I'm supposed to be listening to, but I don't even care.
Review:
I loved pretty much everything about this. Great story, great characters, great audio narration. This will probably be a frequent re-read (or re-listen) for me. ...more
4.5 stars
This was fun and sweet (and surprisingly sexy)!
This was fun and sweet (and surprisingly sexy)!
Jun 18, 2019
Daesy
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
fbi-agents-cops-bodyguard,
romance,
sexual-tension,
4-5-stars,
good-end,
cute,
no-rape-or-cheat,
love,
funny,
2-idiots-in-love
**grm**
First of all, I want to thank Susan <3 for this suggestion, it was a funny and cute book, and something I really needed after the awful ones I have read in the past weeks.
Sci-fi was always one of my favourite genres and here is really well done. The book was interesting and the story captivating, but most of all, I loved Tris and Drey.
Tris was the cutest alien ever and he was so sweet and in a kind of way also pure, something that usually is hard to associate with a guy which culture bel ...more
First of all, I want to thank Susan <3 for this suggestion, it was a funny and cute book, and something I really needed after the awful ones I have read in the past weeks.
Sci-fi was always one of my favourite genres and here is really well done. The book was interesting and the story captivating, but most of all, I loved Tris and Drey.
Tris was the cutest alien ever and he was so sweet and in a kind of way also pure, something that usually is hard to associate with a guy which culture bel ...more
A species that has no word for murder, has a murderer aboard their spaceship.
ALIEN
Tristol lives in exile. But he’s built a life for himself aboard a human space station. He’s even begun to understand the complex nuances of human courting rituals.
Detective Hastion is finally flirting back!
MURDER
Except that Tristol’s beloved space station is unexpectedly contacted by the galoi – a xenophobic species with five genders, purple skin, and serious attitude. They need the help of a human detective ...more
ALIEN
Tristol lives in exile. But he’s built a life for himself aboard a human space station. He’s even begun to understand the complex nuances of human courting rituals.
Detective Hastion is finally flirting back!
MURDER
Except that Tristol’s beloved space station is unexpectedly contacted by the galoi – a xenophobic species with five genders, purple skin, and serious attitude. They need the help of a human detective ...more
Going in, I wasn't sure what to expect. For the first few pages things seemed rather confusing as is often the case in a sci-fi story with aliens, spaceships, new worlds and in particular in a society where our gendernorms don't exist. However, once I was past that initial "what the what now" feeling, the story grabbed hold of me and didn't let go.
The author does a great job of handing out enough information to keep you informed without giving a huge info dump or leaving you floundering wonderin ...more
The author does a great job of handing out enough information to keep you informed without giving a huge info dump or leaving you floundering wonderin ...more
Oh my, where to even start with this cute and sexy sci-fi love story?
Well, how about with talking about how adorable Tristol (Tris) is? He's lavender (not purple, thank you very much), with hair that expresses emotion and is highly sensitive, boundless enthusiasm, and a heart that's just aching for love. His human crush, Trey Hastion, is large, bearded, and highly attractive, and -- as it turns out -- has a secret thing for Tris. But just as the two start to connect, Tris is called in to consult ...more
Well, how about with talking about how adorable Tristol (Tris) is? He's lavender (not purple, thank you very much), with hair that expresses emotion and is highly sensitive, boundless enthusiasm, and a heart that's just aching for love. His human crush, Trey Hastion, is large, bearded, and highly attractive, and -- as it turns out -- has a secret thing for Tris. But just as the two start to connect, Tris is called in to consult ...more
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
The 5th Gender is a really engaging story that combines humor, romance, and a little bit of mystery. The first thing that struck me here is the playful tone to the story. Fans of Carriger’s San Andreas Shifters series will recognize the style with a lot of humor and silliness amidst the more serious plot elements. Much of the source of the humor comes from Tristol, who is fairly acclimated to life among humans, but also at times has a sense of shock and wonder that ...more
4 stars
The 5th Gender is a really engaging story that combines humor, romance, and a little bit of mystery. The first thing that struck me here is the playful tone to the story. Fans of Carriger’s San Andreas Shifters series will recognize the style with a lot of humor and silliness amidst the more serious plot elements. Much of the source of the humor comes from Tristol, who is fairly acclimated to life among humans, but also at times has a sense of shock and wonder that ...more
Oh. My.
G.L. Carringer has created a whole new world in this book and I'm so excited at the prospect of this being the bomb-ass start of an amazing series! Tristol was truly the most adorable little lavender bean, (he's right up there with our other smol-bean Harry from Alessandra Hazard's "That Alien Feeling.") and I loved him so much. The concept of there being five genders was originally what pulled me into this book since I'm not much of a mystery reader, but this book didn't focus entirely o ...more
G.L. Carringer has created a whole new world in this book and I'm so excited at the prospect of this being the bomb-ass start of an amazing series! Tristol was truly the most adorable little lavender bean, (he's right up there with our other smol-bean Harry from Alessandra Hazard's "That Alien Feeling.") and I loved him so much. The concept of there being five genders was originally what pulled me into this book since I'm not much of a mystery reader, but this book didn't focus entirely o ...more
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Tinkered Stars
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