What do you think?
Rate this book
Testrios #1
Keeper of the Flame
Testrios - Keeper of the Flame By Stephanie Burke Book 1 in the series Testrios Out of this world...WAY out Flame will do whatever it takes to protect his unborn children, including flee the only home he's ever known, a matriarchal planet where males have no rights and are kept only as workers because of their huge size and as sexual chattel for the same reason. Oh baby It was supposed to be her wedding day. Kendall never expected to spend it helping a man give birth to twins But this gorgeous alien escapee has captured her heart. Now if she can just keep him alive...
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2001
24 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Burke
162 books126 followersStephanie is a multi published multi award-winning wife and mother of two whose unparalleled imagination causes her no end of trouble. From sex shifting shape-shifting dragons to under sea worlds, up to sexually confused elemental fey and homo erotic mysteries, all the way to pastel challenged urban sprites, Stephanie has done it all, and hopes to do more.
Stephanie is co-founder of the charitable organization Write 4 Hope, Co Creator of the Japanese Culture and Anime Convention Mikomicon, Home-school Mom, English Tutor, an Orator on her favorite subject of writing and world building, a sometimes teacher when you feed her enough coffee and donuts, an anime nut, a costumer, and a frequent guest of various sci-fi and writing cons where she can be found leading panel discussions or researching more and varied legends and theories to improve her writing skills.
Stephanie is known for her love of the outrageous, strong female characters, believable worlds, male characters filled with depth, and interracial that make the reader sit up and take notice.
Stephanie is co-founder of the charitable organization Write 4 Hope, Co Creator of the Japanese Culture and Anime Convention Mikomicon, Home-school Mom, English Tutor, an Orator on her favorite subject of writing and world building, a sometimes teacher when you feed her enough coffee and donuts, an anime nut, a costumer, and a frequent guest of various sci-fi and writing cons where she can be found leading panel discussions or researching more and varied legends and theories to improve her writing skills.
Stephanie is known for her love of the outrageous, strong female characters, believable worlds, male characters filled with depth, and interracial that make the reader sit up and take notice.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 10, 2022
3 Stars _Weird Alien Pregnant Hero
I dont know know how I got this book on my kindle but I did. I buy weird books. So I gave it a try!
Good effort on a creative story! But the author could work more on serious issues and fleshing out a best seller.
An innocent (sort of. kind of) hero who is an alien and pregnant and the heroine helps him with his labour to give birth to his twins.
Did that storyline above capture your attention ? I think the storyline is what made me buy this book as I was looking for weird quirky reads.
It was a light read for me and I enjoyed the author's imagination but the heroine is very childish and insecure at times but I found the book had enjoyable parts as well. I liked this book for the cuteness despite some major flaws.
The issues in the book were nothing major. I kind of skipped all the parts with her sister and ex boyfriend etc etc. But the fantasy the author carved out worked but she couldnt execute it well enough though. I read on about about the sweeter parts the couple shared and skipped some annoyed parts.
Give it a go but be cautioned about the heroine.
Flame was a different kind of hero you would have never read about. The book was enjoyable because of the HERO!
I dont know know how I got this book on my kindle but I did. I buy weird books. So I gave it a try!
Good effort on a creative story! But the author could work more on serious issues and fleshing out a best seller.
An innocent (sort of. kind of) hero who is an alien and pregnant and the heroine helps him with his labour to give birth to his twins.
Did that storyline above capture your attention ? I think the storyline is what made me buy this book as I was looking for weird quirky reads.
It was a light read for me and I enjoyed the author's imagination but the heroine is very childish and insecure at times but I found the book had enjoyable parts as well. I liked this book for the cuteness despite some major flaws.
The issues in the book were nothing major. I kind of skipped all the parts with her sister and ex boyfriend etc etc. But the fantasy the author carved out worked but she couldnt execute it well enough though. I read on about about the sweeter parts the couple shared and skipped some annoyed parts.
Give it a go but be cautioned about the heroine.
Flame was a different kind of hero you would have never read about. The book was enjoyable because of the HERO!
December 1, 2015
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
The premise of this story was intriguing and had a lot of potential. However, the pace of the book moves very quickly and there a lot of story told in a rush.
Kendall accepts Flame's explanation of who he is and where is from without many doubts and fewer questions. Flame seems to know much about Earth even though his race believes the planet is not very sophisticated.
~~Wicked Reads Review Team~~
The premise of this story was intriguing and had a lot of potential. However, the pace of the book moves very quickly and there a lot of story told in a rush.
Kendall accepts Flame's explanation of who he is and where is from without many doubts and fewer questions. Flame seems to know much about Earth even though his race believes the planet is not very sophisticated.
~~Wicked Reads Review Team~~
Read
January 15, 2011This was one of the first of Stephanie Burke's I'd read. I wasn't sure what I was walking into but she paints an elaborate picture of her story here that it was hard not to love it! Her character development is spot on that leaves you no doubt about each player in her books. And her imagination know's NO BOUNDS!!
April 1, 2009
This family is wacky, but I loved this book.
June 11, 2021
Good Job
I never read any books by this author but, after finishing this book she has a new fan...Loved Fame...Loved Kendall...they were perfect together...will recommend this book and this author.
I never read any books by this author but, after finishing this book she has a new fan...Loved Fame...Loved Kendall...they were perfect together...will recommend this book and this author.
May 25, 2018
Review to come
February 15, 2020
Verily, I do say
Flame shot across the sky. No, really, Flame, in his spacecraft, dropped through Earth's atmosphere. Then he hauled his pregnant self onto Kendall's porch. Escaping was hard enough, but heavily pregnant made things much more difficult for him.
Kendall, still reeling after finding her sister modeling her wedding veil, and her fiancee, gets another shock as this very tall, and very pregnant, man shows up at her door. Helping him deliver his children is another day at the office for the labor and delivery nurse. Except, this is her first male patient. But as he recovers, and she learns about him and what he left to save his kids, she realizes what a miracle she has. For a woman unable to have kids, she basically had a ready-made family dropped in her lap. So what if he could be used as a 6'7" stunt double in Firestarter, right?
Spoilers ahead.
While highly amusing, and mildly traumatic, the story was entertaining. The romantic scenes tended to cause more giggles than anything else, though. Ex: "invading love staff to her quivering cleft." & “I’m going to explode inside of you now.” are just a couple of the highlights. I'm trying to erase "moist delta" from my mind completely. *shudder*
The planet Flame hails from is female dominated. Completely. Men are surgically altered to carry the implanted children. Think seahorses, not omegaverse. Their life is servitude and pain, and no complaining is allowed. But, some of the things mentioned don't make sense:
*If twin siblings feel pain, and many are fraternal male/female sets, wouldn't the females feel the pain inflicted on the males and stop it? If for no other reason than to not experience the discomfort?
*They're circumcised as adults, as part of a manhood, last rites before marriage, sort of event. If the men are basically arm candy and baby vessels, wouldn't they have done this as infants, same as humans? Lot less scarring. And goes back to that shared pain thing.
*The "aliens" are simply taller humans with elemental abilities. And advanced, but cruelly used, medical techniques.
*I get that women control everything. But the Brotherhood remains independent, if mostly knuckled under. Why don't the men sneak a few infants here and there away from that society? Raised in secret, as equals, since both males and females can be born with abilities. It would only take a few generations to stage a coup. Especially as many of the matriarchs aren't born with abilities.
*Is dark hair the default for those born without powers?
*If Fire house has red hair, Ice has white, what do Wind and the others have?
*Are there no other habitable planets nearby? They have ships but there's no mention of other alien races. But it could still get them to a new world and away from what they're dealing with.
*How did they know about Earth? Other than being scandalized by equal rights and considered backwards, there's not any mention.
*Please, for the love of all that's holy, unholy and indifferent, can those romantic scenes be redone? I only posted a few examples, but pretty much every scene had a good cringer in it.
*The babies accelerated growth and development was never really explained.
*Also, if they're basically human, why the year long gestation?
*Abilities or not, a sneak attack can take down just about anyone. In the name of defending your kids from going through what you did, why hasn't there been an uprising?
*Flame rejected his "alteration". Which kind of sucks for Kendall, but is it all that common? Would it be redone back on Testrios or would they be sent on the Brotherhood?
*Before the romance angle kicked in, Kendall was telling him how to survive on Earth as a single parent. But, the career he settled on, wasn't a "work from home to hide the fact my babies look like X-Men extras". How was he planning on doing that on his own? Because a nanny or sitter would probably have noticed the flames and indoor snow. Eventually.
*A major complaint I had was the night after their birth those babies didn't eat or get changed. Is the physiology so different? Because no allergic reactions to human food, pollen (she has a garden and her house is in woods), or anything else. I don't know any human babies that would have slept through the night directly after being born without a full belly. Which would then mean a diaper change. And for a delivery nurse to not even think of a quick run to the store for basic supplies is very odd. She showed more concern for cleaning the sofa he gave birth on than baby supplies.
That all said, there were some absolutely adorable and hysterical scenes. Like, the breakfast Flame made for Kendall. Or, the talk show and ice cream fest. It was...an interesting book. I'll keep an eye out for the sequel.
Flame shot across the sky. No, really, Flame, in his spacecraft, dropped through Earth's atmosphere. Then he hauled his pregnant self onto Kendall's porch. Escaping was hard enough, but heavily pregnant made things much more difficult for him.
Kendall, still reeling after finding her sister modeling her wedding veil, and her fiancee, gets another shock as this very tall, and very pregnant, man shows up at her door. Helping him deliver his children is another day at the office for the labor and delivery nurse. Except, this is her first male patient. But as he recovers, and she learns about him and what he left to save his kids, she realizes what a miracle she has. For a woman unable to have kids, she basically had a ready-made family dropped in her lap. So what if he could be used as a 6'7" stunt double in Firestarter, right?
Spoilers ahead.
While highly amusing, and mildly traumatic, the story was entertaining. The romantic scenes tended to cause more giggles than anything else, though. Ex: "invading love staff to her quivering cleft." & “I’m going to explode inside of you now.” are just a couple of the highlights. I'm trying to erase "moist delta" from my mind completely. *shudder*
The planet Flame hails from is female dominated. Completely. Men are surgically altered to carry the implanted children. Think seahorses, not omegaverse. Their life is servitude and pain, and no complaining is allowed. But, some of the things mentioned don't make sense:
*If twin siblings feel pain, and many are fraternal male/female sets, wouldn't the females feel the pain inflicted on the males and stop it? If for no other reason than to not experience the discomfort?
*They're circumcised as adults, as part of a manhood, last rites before marriage, sort of event. If the men are basically arm candy and baby vessels, wouldn't they have done this as infants, same as humans? Lot less scarring. And goes back to that shared pain thing.
*The "aliens" are simply taller humans with elemental abilities. And advanced, but cruelly used, medical techniques.
*I get that women control everything. But the Brotherhood remains independent, if mostly knuckled under. Why don't the men sneak a few infants here and there away from that society? Raised in secret, as equals, since both males and females can be born with abilities. It would only take a few generations to stage a coup. Especially as many of the matriarchs aren't born with abilities.
*Is dark hair the default for those born without powers?
*If Fire house has red hair, Ice has white, what do Wind and the others have?
*Are there no other habitable planets nearby? They have ships but there's no mention of other alien races. But it could still get them to a new world and away from what they're dealing with.
*How did they know about Earth? Other than being scandalized by equal rights and considered backwards, there's not any mention.
*Please, for the love of all that's holy, unholy and indifferent, can those romantic scenes be redone? I only posted a few examples, but pretty much every scene had a good cringer in it.
*The babies accelerated growth and development was never really explained.
*Also, if they're basically human, why the year long gestation?
*Abilities or not, a sneak attack can take down just about anyone. In the name of defending your kids from going through what you did, why hasn't there been an uprising?
*Flame rejected his "alteration". Which kind of sucks for Kendall, but is it all that common? Would it be redone back on Testrios or would they be sent on the Brotherhood?
*Before the romance angle kicked in, Kendall was telling him how to survive on Earth as a single parent. But, the career he settled on, wasn't a "work from home to hide the fact my babies look like X-Men extras". How was he planning on doing that on his own? Because a nanny or sitter would probably have noticed the flames and indoor snow. Eventually.
*A major complaint I had was the night after their birth those babies didn't eat or get changed. Is the physiology so different? Because no allergic reactions to human food, pollen (she has a garden and her house is in woods), or anything else. I don't know any human babies that would have slept through the night directly after being born without a full belly. Which would then mean a diaper change. And for a delivery nurse to not even think of a quick run to the store for basic supplies is very odd. She showed more concern for cleaning the sofa he gave birth on than baby supplies.
That all said, there were some absolutely adorable and hysterical scenes. Like, the breakfast Flame made for Kendall. Or, the talk show and ice cream fest. It was...an interesting book. I'll keep an eye out for the sequel.
January 20, 2015
Keeper of the Flame by Stephanie Burke
This was a good story.
The description of the book I am listing below is from the back jacket of the book. I'm adding it because I believe the one on the Goodreads page does not depict this story.
Flame will do whatever it takes to protect his unborn children, including flee the only home he's ever known, a matriarchal planet where males have no rights and are kept only as workers because of their huge size and as sexual chattel for the same reason. Oh baby It was supposed to be her wedding day. Kendall never expected to spend it helping a man give birth to twins! But this gorgeous alien escapee has captured her heart. Now if she can just keep him alive...
This was a good story.
The description of the book I am listing below is from the back jacket of the book. I'm adding it because I believe the one on the Goodreads page does not depict this story.
Flame will do whatever it takes to protect his unborn children, including flee the only home he's ever known, a matriarchal planet where males have no rights and are kept only as workers because of their huge size and as sexual chattel for the same reason. Oh baby It was supposed to be her wedding day. Kendall never expected to spend it helping a man give birth to twins! But this gorgeous alien escapee has captured her heart. Now if she can just keep him alive...
February 29, 2020
I love this new take on man and woman role.
I love the world that the women was in charge. It just made me happy but the way the women treated the men was unfair. But the sabing grace was flame children that can go back an change their old world for all to be equal. I like that a strong man given birth. Hey i think all women wish that was real. I would like to see a second book because i want to know did flames sister change or did she gain the power she wanted. That is the question because her father and mother know she lied about her brother death. So do the story continues or is this the end. I say to all read the book it was fun and a little scary because it made me think of fire starter. But a book that earn five stars.
I love the world that the women was in charge. It just made me happy but the way the women treated the men was unfair. But the sabing grace was flame children that can go back an change their old world for all to be equal. I like that a strong man given birth. Hey i think all women wish that was real. I would like to see a second book because i want to know did flames sister change or did she gain the power she wanted. That is the question because her father and mother know she lied about her brother death. So do the story continues or is this the end. I say to all read the book it was fun and a little scary because it made me think of fire starter. But a book that earn five stars.
April 28, 2020
Curiosity and Fantasy
I originally bought this book out of sheer curiosity. I am an avid devourer of paranormal books and nothing gets stranger than a book about an alien man, Flame, who shows up at the door of our heroine, Kendall, in the stages of active labor. Yes, you read that right. What kept me riveted to the story was a fancifully woven tale about healing, love, and strength. Add a heaping of romance and dash of danger and honey, you won't put this book down. This would be a tale that I have no problems rereading again. Well done!
I originally bought this book out of sheer curiosity. I am an avid devourer of paranormal books and nothing gets stranger than a book about an alien man, Flame, who shows up at the door of our heroine, Kendall, in the stages of active labor. Yes, you read that right. What kept me riveted to the story was a fancifully woven tale about healing, love, and strength. Add a heaping of romance and dash of danger and honey, you won't put this book down. This would be a tale that I have no problems rereading again. Well done!
May 7, 2020
Good Read. Couldn't put it down!
I rated this book five stars because there was literally nothing to complain about. The plot was enticing and the characters were well-developed. Very unique and intriguing.
I rated this book five stars because there was literally nothing to complain about. The plot was enticing and the characters were well-developed. Very unique and intriguing.
December 27, 2009
LOVED the innocence of the Hero in this, plus the sex appeal.
March 7, 2014
Hmm, The cover is completely inaccurate, but overall the story was weird and strangely appealing in its own way.
March 18, 2020
Awesome read🙌
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews