Hybrid Incubator

by Meraki P. Dark

The conspiracy theorists of the world might have gotten something right. Maybe not the details, but they got something right. Secret experiments exist!
The details they didn’t get right were probably down to not having the imagination for what an ass can be used for.

A Ph.D. in one hand and a dream in the other, Alex strikes out multiple times getting the job of his dreams. One job interview left him feeling so down that he needed a stiff drink. Depressed, slightly drunk, yet still obsessive enough to believe in a brighter future, Alex makes the mistake of trusting the wrong person.

Enslaved, marked as a lab rat, and stuffed into a windowless room to await testing to be conducted on him. That’s the future for Alex. Until one of his captures overhears half a conversation. Maybe his ass isn’t the only useful thing on Alex. And maybe even the worst roads ventured can lead to fulfilling a dream.

THIS BOOK CONTAINS: non-con, dub-con, fisting, tentacles, sex between animal Hybrids and humans, master/slave, voyeurism, power struggle, sensory deprivation, abduction, exhibitionism, slavery, psychological mindfucks, dystopia settings, mpreg in the form of eggs going…places, gestation, and a surprise ending with a HEA feel to it.

Genres: M M Romance, Science Fiction, Dark, Romance, BDSM, Erotica, Fantasy

258 pages, ebook

First published May 24, 2019

About the author

Meraki P. Dark is, as the last name suggests, the dark side of Meraki P. Lyhne.

Where Meraki P. Lyhne will play with anything from fluffy slow-burns with HEA and go to the border of dub-con, letting his characters deliver a striped ass, Meraki P. Dark will explore the depraved minds during non-con, and he’ll play with whatever fetish catches his attention.

It is the human psyche and its abilities to stretch or break that will be explored to its fullest. There will always be a plot—no one is tortured unless the character finds a good reason for it within the plot. There is room for love and tender moments, too, but they have to work hard for it!

Reviews

[nemo ☠️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

note: not on amazon but you can find it here

[Sebby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Attention everyone! I have done it. I have found the fucking weirdest piece of literature ever created and I crawled through the trenches of both Slutbox by C. Gibson and Abduction by Amelita Rae so my words carry weight in this topic.

This book has but not limited to:
- fucked up human squids
- Secret government bases kidnapping humans to help make more fucked up human squids to save the oceans from plastics
- The moral dilemma of is it ok to tentacle rape and eggpreg unwilling participants for the good of the environment
- Alex being down to get tentacled because he really loves the ocean
- Getting fisted by your doctor
- Daily anal stretching via tentacle
- A surprising amount of sex positions via harness
- An interview to pick out your most ideal squid anal stretcher (who then gets his tentacles chopped off and goes into the hotel business)
- A really uncomfortable tentacle torture scene, like violently uncomfortable
- Backward fucking your boyfriends hollow squid dick (or as I like to call it, extreme sounding)
- Falling in love with a squid man
- Naming your horrifying eldritch squid babies Micheal, Janus, Hotch, and Terry
- A fucking underwater hotel (thanks Ty)
- Naming the squid people Ursas because they look like Ursula
- Alex becoming the fucking prime minister of the squid people who are now an independent nation
- Everyone forgetting all the hundreds of humans kidnapped and raped and forced to give birth to squid amalgamations????

In conclusion there is nothing that has come before and nothing that will come after that will ever be this insane. I hated it. I loved it. It consumed me for an entire day as I read in absolute horror and fascination. I feel like Icarus having flown too close to the sun except I dug too deep in my search for the weird and queer that I unearthed literature that should have never have been found. I’m going to contemplate plastic eating squid men and the capacity of a human rectum for the rest of my life 🫠

[annob [on hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 near future stars!

It's an interesting background story arc in this book, and I very much liked the freshness of the idea. Cudos to the author for the inventiveness that went into its creation.

As far as the dark and erotic theme that lured me in, the plot started out strong. Then a few chapters in the story became less dark, and for me lost some of its initial drive. Alex, the main character, has a very pragmatic approach to the story as it unfolds., but I struggled with his main motivations. He was also a talker, talk-talk-talk, all the time.

What I would have needed to stay fully invested in the characters were more conflict laced into the interactions and dialogue. More tension. More suspense and uncertainty. The romance and kink that is in there was good, cute and sweet actually. It's going to be interesting to see what this author creates in his future books.

[Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am rarely one to be short of words, but it is extremely difficult to leave a review of this wonderful book without: 1. Blushing like an idiot, 2. Fugitively glancing around me to see if anyone’s watching my screen, and 3. Questioning whether I have accidentally broken my mind because I enjoyed the book.

But anyway, I’ll try to say a few words about my experience. Yes, this book is an experience. Prepare to have your mind stretched to the max (kinda like Alex’s booty). Have you ever read something so taboo that you keep trying to clench your legs (or other body parts)? This book will make you feel that way many, many times. I’m not gonna lie, the story gets dark. There was one chapter in particular that was super difficult for me to read, as it involved intense sexual and physical torture.

Still with me? Read the last sentence of the above paragraph again, and if you think you can handle that level of dark; you need to check this book out.

Hybrid Incubator is a stand-alone novel, and comes with a solid plot and a happy ending. I bought my copy of the ebook on Smashwords.

PS – There are TENTACLES. 🤩

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex thought he would be traveling with a stranger to better places but ended up restrained, blindfolded, and had to undergo all kinds of painful testing. He is not alone, there are more men kept hostage.

They are been held by humans and hybrid creatures, like, part human with tentacles.
One of them is Cooper a kind hybrid. Cooper can use his tentacles on Alex and Alex has the most delicious orgasms. When Alex understands they want to use his body to save the ocean, Alex is all in, saving the world is what he yearns for. A sort of bonus is Cooper will ‘stand’ beside him. Picture Cooper as you can see on the cover of this book, yes! right? Unbelievable sensual, erotic, and fantastic.

An extremely thoroughly developed journey. Every side—small or big— was widely explored and explained in a (thank goodness) clear way. The originality of this whole story was amazing. All the environments and circumstances were astonishing. I was looking around at all the different scenery and was blown away.

In the beginning, it was quite clinical, no extreme feelings involved, but the building up was palpable, because further into the journey the emotions were getting more intense.

The story was well balanced with emotions like angst, pain, kindness, humor, tension, anticipation, and hot sexual encounters.

This author knows how to write an intriguing and complicated story.
I loved the grand finale!

Read and reviewed for Diverse Reader

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School] · Rating 5 out of 5]

My last read of 2022 was Hybrid Incubator by Meraki P Dark. It was one of the many, many darker/taboo Smashword titles I purchased! We have Alex, an environmentalist and scientist with a ph.D who gets roofied and kidnapped one day. He is treated callously and roughly in order to be prepared to incubate eggs of hybrid Cephalopods, who will go on to eat and reduce the plastic waste in the oceans.

This story is dark and twisted, especially as we learn about what happens to the humans who do not cooperate or are deemed ‘unfit’. There is the idea of for the greater good of humanity and later the hybrids (as they are seen as more than just lab rats) as Alex bonds and mates with one of them.

Can you call this story a romance? Maybe? Alex knew his best chance was to cooperate and do as told, and he ended up bonding with a hybrid. Cooperation with the captors meant more privileges and being treated nicely; being a mate meant protection and even more elevated status. His scientific and curious mind helped him better compartmentalize, but he was also mentally affected in ways. Yes, while playing nice is good, and you get all these benefits, you are still a slave. I still enjoyed the dynamics and chemistry between Alex and Cooper.

Overall this story was really good, and I enjoyed it. It was a pretty unique plotline. We get a sort of HEA at the end, but I also felt the story and world could be expanded more. I want to know what happens after!

Please check TWs, as this story is not for everyone. Here are some TWs from the blurb on GR - non-con, dub-con, fisting, tentacles, sex between animal Hybrids and humans, master/slave, voyeurism, power struggle, sensory deprivation, abduction, exhibitionism, slavery, psychological mindfucks, dystopia settings, and mpreg (of the egg variety)

[⋆｡°✮ Lucy InTheSky ✮°｡⋆]

I can't rate this. I wouldn't even know how.

This is not a romance novel. This is a sci-fi tentacle porn.
You're thinking... good, right?
Well.

∆ breeding
∆ mpreg
∆ very and plenty of non-con
∆ physical violence
∆ cheating? well, certainly engaging in sexual stimulation with plenty of others (forced)
∆ the human MC is very delusional or has some strong signs of early mental illness, my humble opinion
∆ the only character I liked in the whole book is Cooper, the tentacle hybrid



All jokes aside, I really did like him. 😄

I've been going through reviews and I couldn't find the exact spoilerish plot anywhere.
So, here it is.

Alex gets abducted and taken into a secret facility, where there's an ongoing experiment with mixing human and octopodidae genes, the result being human-octopus hybrids.
Alex is taken in, strapped forcefully, explained nothing, given a medical exam and taken to a room, where he's to be prepped for anal stimulation from other hybrids to open him up for a sexual intercourse with such a hybrid, where the human man gets penetrated, eggs get deposited through his anus and he's gestating them for about a month. When he's done, another cycle begins. In the meantime, there's daily stretching and opening up with tentacles, all the time in restraints and completely non-consensual. Fine, we know it's non-con, that wasn't really the problem here, I just wasn't expecting other men than the MC to experience this and in such a manner. But it's a secret project and it's not pretty, I get it. That wasn't the issue.

Alex meets Cooper, the head of the breeding department. He's a humanoid octopus, he's kind to Alex and they form sort of a friendship. I couldn't really tell how real it was, since Cooper is impregnating other men all the time himself, but in came Alex, a very willing human, and there I was expecting that shift, where the story would start focusing on their developing relationship, but it never came.

Cooper did choose Alex as a mate, but the depth of the bond just wasn't there. That was the biggest disappointment. There was a tiny glimpse into their time alone and I really liked them together, there was so much potential there, but that was just a tiny amount of time, all the rest was about the project, about breeding and about plastic.

Oh yes, the plastic in the ocean.
You know there's something very wrong with the MC when he's being beaten and raped repeatedly and he's still thinking, I should just relax, I have to save the ocean, the ocean has so much plastic, so I'll try to orgasm and get impregnated, even though I'm crying and screaming from pain inflicted on my body, but...the ocean needs me.
Dude, seriously?


I didn't really like the writing, the story could have been saved if the relationship between Alex and Cooper would be really thought out and would be the main plot, but it wasn't. Actually I don't even know what was. The characters weren't likeable, I didn't like Alex at all, Cooper was a bright exception, but again, I felt he wanted more and he wanted things to really change, but after reading that epilogue, I guess they didn't. They were seeking out willing participants, but how exactly did that happen and why was Alex still in the breeding program? There was no real development.
All I can remember at this point is that Alex saw his eggs expelled in that pool and said "It...it looks like Ursula."

[iam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was WILD, bordering on bizarre, and yet I kind of absolutely loved it.

Content warnings include: kidnapping, enslavement, roofying, rape and other unconsensual acts, enema, sensory deprivation, tentacles, forced orgasm, electroshock, fisting, figging, torture, caning, egg laying tentacles and incubation with mpreg in that context, gestation, misogynistic language; mentions of bullying, suicide, amputation/loss of limbs, death due to cancer. Most content warnings can also be found in the blurb and at the beginning of the book.

My favourite part about this was the plot.
Was it absurd? - Absolutely.
Was it just a thinly veiled setup for egg-laying tentacle porn? - Well, yeah.
Did I still love it? - Definitely.

I was delighted when it turned out that Alex, the protagonist, was an environmental activist with a PhD in technologies to decrease ocean pollution. I was even more delighted when that was not just a "hey let's give the protag a cool job just to never mention it again" thing but actually plot relevant.
Because as soon as Alex is told what the facility that abducted him and is abusing him in the name of science is working towards... he is totally up for it and not just willing but enthusiastic about the cause.

Which isn't to say he mindlessly supports their methods. They are highly unethical and straight up horrible, and I liked that it wasn't just depicted as necessary evil and then brushed aside. Alex is constantly struggling with his own acceptance of what's happening to him and agreeing to it versus seeing how this is the worst nightmare for the other men around him in the same position, and how he is complicit in their suffering.
While Alex supports the cause, he doesn't support the facility, and when he has to choose.... he choses neither. Isntead he choses the hybrids, who are the tentacly creatures.

I would not really call this a romance. There is mating and bonding going on, but love..? Love doesn't really come up until the very end after a timeskip, and even then it's cursory at best. It's more about comfort, safety and likeability - and fucking, of course. But even then it's not really straight up fucking for the fun of it because it's all out of necessity for a higher cause? As I said, it's WILD.

Obviously this is not all sunshine and roses. Lots of horrible things happen. Some scenes were hard to read, especially when Alex has to watch other men who aren't willing, who are actively fighting.
It helped that the plot actually covers topics like rebellion and how science isn't just about the cause and about results, but also about how single people can make changes to bigger institutions and make it better for eveyone. There is some history and plot about the facility and one of the leading scientists and what he accomplished there, which I loved to read about.

One thing that I wished had been a topic but wasn't was consent. Obviously consent is horribly violated here for the most part. And even when Alex is willing and being explained what's going on, there are still so many question marks and ultimately he is still a slave to them. It's highly unlikely they would have let him leave had he wanted to, or if they would have stopped had he objected to some of the things done to him, but it's just kind of brushed aside after he says he wants to do this willingly.

There was one part I absolutely hated. Because there is one bit that was just straight up torture porn. It didn't really add anything to the plot or the feeling of the book and felt totally unfitting and random to me. I mostly skim read it, because urgh. Nope. Not my thing. Luckily it was pretty short and can easily be skim read or skipped completely.

Another thing that bothered me was the treatment of female characters. There weren't really a lot of them, which was just weird, because it's explicitly stated that incubators are not just men and that women are used as incubators as well. Yet there doesn't seem to be a single female incubator at the facility, and while there are female hybrids too, 99% of the time when someone talks about incubators or hybrids, they talk as if they are all exclusively male. And when we finally do meet a female hybrid, she isn't even given a name, despite being close and important to the person introducing her, who keeps talking about her as "the female hybrid", which just felt super weird. Especially since she later appears in the epoilogue, where she suddenly does have a name????

I read an ARC of the book, so I can't say for sure if things are different in the release copy, but since the book is already out and the ARC was said to be a final proof I assume no big changes have been made. The writing itself was okay and surprisingly light-hearted as the blub suggests, which helps keeping the darker themes bearable. However, there were a few weird word choices. Some felt unfitting (so many "wow!"s and "awesome!"s and generally "!!!"s) while others just annoyed me (stop saying "ass rape", you sould like a child trying to make fun of it. It's rape. Period.) It also had a general feeling of being a bit unpolished, and it's not the most well written book ever, but still defintiely readable.
I wish things had been explained more with more elaboration. I both mean that plot- and background- wise and when describing scenes and conversations. I couldn't always perfectly follow what as going, be it the surroundings, the thoughs of the protagonist, or conversations, which was a minor annoyance but definitely noticeable.

Despite the long list of content warnings and some of the horrible scenes, it wasn't an entirely dark book. The ending is said to be "a surprise ending with a HEA feel to it", though to me it wasn't all that surprising, and as someone who loves HEAs and hates it when endings aren't happy, I couldn't have come up with a better or more satisfactory happily-ever-after epilogue for everyone! I mean Ty has his hotel!!!! Hybrids are acknowledged as a people equal to humans!!! They have rights!!! And their own lands!!! Ocean pollution is presumably going down!!!! No more slavery for years now because Alex stopped it!!!! Big happy family!!!! The one thing I could have done without is a well-loved side character having died from cancer in the years that passed, which was random and made me sad.

For those worried about the mpreg: It's.... not actually that big of a theme? Like, yeah, the plot is all about the egg-laying, but the focus is heavily on the preparations for the egg laying/incubation process. The gestation itself is barely mentioned and only described in a few sentences after a time skip when it happens.
Trans people are pretty much not acknowledged at all, except during a conversation about pansexuality, which I appreciated on the one hand, though on the other hand it kind of implied only pansexual people could love someone who is trans which was super weird.

Ultimately I did enjoy Hybrid Incubator a lot. I read it in pretty much a single sitting. With some exceptions I looooved the themes it covered, from enviromental activists, ocean pollution, questions about ethical science and compliance, how to make a difference, rebellion, and of course, HUGE TENTACLE CREATURES, because let's be honest, that's what we're really here for.

I received and ARC and reviewed honestly & voluntarily.

[Lee Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best. Tentacle. Sex. Ever!!
This was a well thought out storyline and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.
Dark and entertaining.
Meraki knows how to deliver

[Chappy · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, this was not was I was expecting...but still a very intriguing premise.
It starts off pretty dark with Alex's abduction and introduction into the hybrid incubation system.
Alex tries to make the best of a bad situation and decides to learn more about the process and try to help.
Cooper was amazing but I wanted more from him.
The epilogue was wonderful.

[Patricia Hoffstaetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author to me & I was pleasantly surprised at how well this book was written, this author has created a complex, somewhat dark Sci-Fi tentacle MM romance. It has a well-paced, descriptive story-line & plot filled with excellent scene descriptions, combined with unexpected occurrences & events. The characters are unique with complex personalities, some of the characters displayed compliance & struggle with acceptance in a new & unfamiliar world, while other characters display determination combined with some deviousness to get their goals.
There is: hybrids, humans, twists & turns, intrigue, abduction, clinical examinations, psychological manipulations, tentacle penetration, sexual acts between hybrids & humans, dubious consent, punishment, forced non-consensual sexual scenes & strangely enough there is attraction, happiness, love & a satisfying happy conclusion

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

A wild and uncomfortable ride featuring lots of tentacles and non-con/dub-con.

CW: So many. Abduction, forced enema, non-con, dub-con, rape, psychological torture.

________

Alex's life isn't going to plan and after yet another unsuccessful interview, he gets drunk with some strangers in a bar, then decides to hitch a ride out of town with one of them and make a fresh start elsewhere. He gets roofied and wakes up shackled to a wall, surrounded by other prisoners, and...tentacled creatures. He's given a medical examination and when he manages to come during the prostate exam, is deemed to be a Prime incubator, and sent to his own rooms.

He's definitely still a prisoner, but when Cooper, the 4th Gen Hybrid supervisor of his zone, explains that they're doing all this to save the oceans by breeding octopus-human hybrids that eat plastic, Alex decides to go along with it willingly. See, Alex has a PhD in Environmental Sciences and saving the oceans has always been his obsession.

________


So this was weird as fuck but pretty good actually. Not for those who aren't into dark content.

Alex just rolls with it all, he is definitely obsessed with the cause and can't believe this solution also comes with the perk of getting lots of orgasms. As the story progresses, Dr Freely explains that the reason they do this is because the younglings have a higher chance of survival when pumped with the hormones that flood the body during orgasm. Survival rate is even higher when a hybrid mates with an incubator, and Cooper has been showing definite signs of this being the case with Alex.

The darkest content was not what I was expecting and came much later in the book; it was intense and I found it very hard to read. I actually skimmed the whole scene first to see the resolution and then went back to read it properly. Full spoiler: Alex is captured after the humans mutiny, suspected of being in allegiance with them even though he was actually defending the hybrids. He's raped, and physically and psychologically tortured with a simulated incubation which causes Alex to spiral when he can't feel the younglings moving and thinks he's not actually a Prime incubator. It's explicit and detailed.

I did think that Alex's initial trauma over being captured and forced to orgasm against his will was dealt with quite quickly, but the trauma from the above gets a very different treatment and felt a lot more genuine.

Overall, I would have liked a bit more romantic development and a bit less science/plot. Alex and Cooper spend a lot of time together, but I found myself questioning the depth of their relationship a few times.

The prose is a bit dense. I liked the scientific approach but sometimes the conversations were just confusing and I found myself re-reading paragraphs more than I would have liked.

This ends with a HEA, and an epilogue set well into the future where Alex and Cooper have managed to breed young which can procreate on their own, allowing the hybrids to be recognised as their own species and become sovereign of their lands. It was foreshadowed but I thought that killing off Dr Freely with just a mention in the epilogue was unnecessary.

Sexual content: So much. So explicit. All kind of weird and kinky. Eggpreg, voyeurism, exhibitionism, sensory deprivation, fisting, tentacle sex, prostate stimulation, docking/sounding (Cooper's physiology allows Alex to put his entire dick inside Cooper's penis). Non-consensual: figging.

[Funzee Shu · Rating 3 out of 5]

THIS BOOK CONTAINS: non-con, dub-con, fisting, tentacles, sex between animal Hybrids and humans, master/slave, voyeurism, power struggle, sensory deprivation, abduction, exhibitionism, slavery, psychological mindfucks, dystopia settings, mpreg in the form of eggs going…places, gestation, and a surprise ending with a HEA feel to it.

I must admit, this is my first time I read this kind of story. I’ve been ‘avoiding’ read anything that include tentacles for so long but the warning this book gave successfully poke my curiosity and the next thing I know I fill out the arc form and sent it. And now I must face the consequences by devouring the book and prepared myself for what will this book offers me and fight my logic.

It needs lots of adjustments to understanding the story, a bit confused at the beginning, but since I determine to open wide my mind to this story, later I found that the story really captivating and intriguing enough to satisfied my curiosity, surprisingly I do really enjoying the dynamic this book gave me and less cringed myself to the whole new things about this tentacles things.

At the end I must congratulate myself for the bravely act to step out from my comfort zone and trying to widen my reading experience by giving this book a try and having fun moment enjoying the story.

For someone who never tried this kind of trope before, I think this book is good enough to try, because the story is interesting enough to follow.




*ARC is kindly provided by the Author in exchange of a fair, unbiased and honest review*

[Rachwithheadinabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of tentacles in this book! It is an enjoyable and kind of sweet to read if you give it a go.
A human cephalopod hybrid, incubated in a human colon that eats plastic to clean up our oceans! What a great idea. Alex is a scientist through and through, full of curiosity and so many questions, willing to hand himself over to help save the world. Cooper is kind, patient with Alex but also so possessive and loving.
This is a book that has its harsh elements as it is dub-con, and non-con with a scene of punishment and rape which is although in keeping with the book did jar me slightly. The ending is good and rounds out this standalone story nicely.
I will definitely read more from this author. I got this as an ARC from LesCourt services the book can be brought from Smashwords.com.

[Teal Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hybrid Incubator by Meraki P Dark is a stand alone contemporary sci-fi novel that definitely made me glad I gave it a chance. It was unique, interesting, and surprising. The characters drew you in, the story was well written and a well developed world. Some of the aspects of the book were... uncomfortable to read, I admit that I wanted to jump past a certain section. But it was meaningful to the story and I can appreciate why it was there. There is even a sweetness to this story. I truly enjoyed reading this.


I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hybrid Incubator was actually a really thought provoking book, which I didn’t expect going in. The environmental side of it, along with the “lab rat” parts made me think.

Alex is a true scientist...seriously full of questions. Cooper was ashamed of his nature and I loved that Alex tried to show him how to be who he really was. Yes there’s tentacles involved...but these were important to the furthering of the story. The punishment part made me quite uneasy, and Alex’s reaction to it was quite heartbreaking.

An unusual book that I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy, but the fact that I read it in one go tells it all.

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let there be tentacles. Okay I have to say that there is a scene that I had a hard time with and that was the punishment. It was rape, no two always about it. It was brutal and it tore me up. I loved the premise behind the story and how the hybrids came to be. I loved how accepting Alex is and really is onboard, all in. Where most men are like; wait, what? He was like, I have a ton of questions and bring it on. I adored Cooper and he was perfect for Alex. This is a new to me author and I want to read more of his books. I also would like more from this world.

ARC provided by LesCourt Services in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok this was a bit different of what I have read of sci-fi of mm and of mpreg genre. And to be honest I don't know if I like how the story went. Alex and Cooper were great there is no doubt about that but the reason for all of this to happen to Alex is the one that didn't do it for me it was just not a reason enough for me. But the ending was still good at least Alex found happiness in his world.

[Joscelyn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect from this going in but I found it surprisingly enjoyable. Yes there's tentacle sex but it's tentacle sex with a purpose. It's a blend of science fiction, taboo sexual encounters, and environmental restoration. All in all a weirdly enjoyable read.

*I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book*

[JoAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Not gonna lie... I had some dental work yesterday and was on some intense pain killers throughout most of this read... So I really don’t have much to say about, as I am still not feeling too perky.

Anyways I’ll try and put words into a review later.

[Kaila · Rating 5 out of 5]

holy dark and interesting and tentacles. haha i loved this.. sexy.. amazing.. hott.. wonderful.. interesting and intriguing.. very good

[Aerielle Bondi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I liked this! There are a few rough spots that I kinda skimmed through but most of the story is actually very sweet. If you have an open mind I really recommend this one.

[Ay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pay attention to the warnings!

I have no idea why I was okay with this book.

The only real issue I had with the book is the use of the word “ursa”.

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for the detail alone. It was presented as if it was a scientific journal or something. The amount of thought and explanation put into the details of the breeding was absurdly good.
Alex's voice, the only pov we get, was so unique. How he overcame his circumstances and began to care for Cooper felt understandable. His thought processes, the way he boxed things up, to see the greater good was almost fanatical. He does some morally ambiguous things himself.
Absolutely gripping, if uncomfortable at times

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite an interesting story. Alex basically set himself up for something to happen to him but ends up finding happiness and love in the end too.

There were parts that were hot and some that bugged me to, but I expected that to an extent. When Alex is with Cooper and even those showing kindness I absolutely loved those scenes but when it came to the punishing scene that Alex went through it made me sick to my stomach and no matter what they was flat out violent rape.

I liked how Alex was able to accept his fate but also grabbed on with both hands to help save the world too. How the scientists were going about everything wasn’t quite right but I like that it seems Alex will be the big change for that, even if we don’t get to see the details.

I don’t usually bring this up, but considering I was provided a “final proof” it’s going to be out there to everyone, this book needed an editing overhaul. There were quite a few incorrect work choices (i.e. tracks instead of tracts, they aren’t even the same thing) and at times the language or phrases the characters used just didn’t sit right with how they were portrayed.

I received an ARC of this book and am giving an honest review.

[Marzipop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird lol

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Look there's no 2 ways about it, this author is a skilled wordsmith. But good God this book lacks charm. It's all fine and well to go into details and describe your world building but this is the kind of details that are just not helpful in the long run and with the density they're scattered throughout the story. I get the characters are scientists but there is a way to write scientists and sex without making it sound like you're at work doing the most unromantic, unsexy science from a textbook on the planet.

It's been done. But not in this book.

Immersion ruining over-delving into biological concepts when completely unnecessary with so little chemistry.

Also, for the record, an 'ursa' literally means bear 🐻.

[Dani · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping to like it since it was recommended to me after reading Amelita Rae’s books. I didn’t think it compares to Abduction though. This one wasn’t sexy and at times Alex made me uncomfortable. He might not have raped guys himself but because of his actions other guys were raped. It was a thin line for me.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I was engrossed in this fascinating story.
Alex's journey as a kidnapping victim will keep you immersed in his story and on the edge of your seat as it unfolds.
This book had all the feels, some of them uncomfortable but engrossing none the less.
A great, original story line and world building that was fantastic.
*Head the warnings!!

[Mug · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was like a nightmare….how alex adjusted so fast is mind blowing to me…..like he can’t care about plastics in the ocean THAT much to suddenly be kinda okay with everything going on right……

when alex went to watch his first incubation, the way he lowkey threatened & scared the guy into taking the 9th egg was wild to me……it’s like watching alex go from victim to villain but while also still being the victim…..bc whatever sense of consent or free will he has is completely false, which is totally demonstrated after the humans attempted a coup and completely horrific stuff was done to him…….oh and all alex cares about is not being a good prime and losing the eggs…..all this shit and that’s what upset you……to me, he has absolutely and completely lost the plot at this point like the trauma is brainwashing him or something….

totally fucked up move to try to stop these victims (which alex seems to forget includes himself) from escaping this torture palace filled with their captors/rapists (and i get the hybrids are basically slaves themselves but that doesn’t change the fact of what they’re made to do is wrong)……it’s like watching the oppressed turn into the oppressors…….like alex is doing what’s best for himself in the situation he’s found himself in but damn there’s no way getting the plastics out of the ocean is worth non-consensually subjecting these humans to that violating shit and he becomes completely compliant and therefore complicit in their suffering once he makes that decision to trick the humans to stop their escape…..like alex is in an extremely fortuitous position being a prime that’s attracted a mate….like he has perks and he’s respected and he’s somehow convinced himself he wants to be an incubator…..while those other humans don’t have shit, are in worse conditions, and 100% do not want to be there having that shit forcibly done to them……bUt ThE pLaStIcS😒😒😒😒😒 i can’t hear him talk about the plastics anymore like it’s the most noble cause in the world….it’s fine if he wants to “give himself up” to the cause (as much as a kidnapping victim unable to leave can give themselves up with no real free will to do so since he will be forced to do everything anyway) but to make decisions that condemn the rest of the humans to have to stay and endure this fate is cruel……esp since alex has no way to change anything for the humans atp. alex’s mind works in mysterious ways fr bc you don’t really get to see him fighting for the well-being and treatment of humans at all, but you get to see him fighting for the well-being and treatment of hybrids. in fact, the humans are pushed to the side and not mentioned until the very end of the story 16 years later where we learn alex made sure all humans were willing participants only. like thanks for finally caring enough to address that alex lmaooo. i wonder how long that took bc it really seemed for a second there that alex had gone full mad scientist and would continue to let humans be kidnapped for the “greater good” of getting rid of all the plastic in the oceans.

as for the “romance” (if you can even call it that), it felt scientific…..as in they only talked about biology and natural instincts and mating…..there was no romantic development at all……every action could be explained by procreation and mating instinct which made cooper’s actions feel more like duty rather than love since it felt like there was no real intent there.

overall, i enjoyed the read. it was super creative esp with the tentacles and incubating and dick sounding and all that crazy shit…..i found alex’s characterization the best part of this….don’t read this for romance bc there’s basically none and it’s not satisfying…..anyway i’ll probs be thinking about this one for awhile