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Conscripted by the Alien: M/M gay captured by an alien space adventure romance
Ethan
Life isn’t going how Ethan planned. He’s caught in an endless cycle with his on-again, off-again boyfriend Owen. The endless spiral that threatens to consume him is abruptly halted from a higher calling, something he never expected. It’s not just the ascension to a greater cause than his problems that gets him going. The lure of true love is what really draws him to his place among the stars.
Groxun
Groxun’s plan for military superiority has brought him to a small planet in the middle of nowhere. Decades of research and abductions finally bear fruit in the form of Ethan. If the man is a true archon, the commonwealth of planets might stand a chance against the encroaching Gern Empire. Groxun’s heart, long-since hardened by constant combat and conflict, draws him to the mysterious archon. Will he see the Earthling as more than a tool, or will he fall head over heels in love?
Conscripted by the alien contains a HEA, space battles, and steamy scenes.
Life isn’t going how Ethan planned. He’s caught in an endless cycle with his on-again, off-again boyfriend Owen. The endless spiral that threatens to consume him is abruptly halted from a higher calling, something he never expected. It’s not just the ascension to a greater cause than his problems that gets him going. The lure of true love is what really draws him to his place among the stars.
Groxun
Groxun’s plan for military superiority has brought him to a small planet in the middle of nowhere. Decades of research and abductions finally bear fruit in the form of Ethan. If the man is a true archon, the commonwealth of planets might stand a chance against the encroaching Gern Empire. Groxun’s heart, long-since hardened by constant combat and conflict, draws him to the mysterious archon. Will he see the Earthling as more than a tool, or will he fall head over heels in love?
Conscripted by the alien contains a HEA, space battles, and steamy scenes.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2022
29 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 2, 2022
This is MM romance in the loosest sense. In that two characters are gay and they get together, but it has none of the elements of a romance.
Ethan, an earthling, is abducted by an alien Captain who believes he will be a powerful tool in a coming war. Ethan is immediately ok with his abduction and immediately lusts after the Captain. Things happened so lightening quickly I almost DNF'd as I couldn't understand what the drama or conflict was going to be. But I persevered and quickly realised this is a space opera more than anything, and the MM tag may just be because a fantasy set in space would get swallowed up amongst all the other books in this genre, so tagging it as romance opens it up to a wider audience.
Ethan and the Captain (Groxun) are in love purely because the plot requires them to be in love. There is no development of a relationship, or any characterisation that would explain why they loved each other. Particularly when Groxun reveals that he quite likes fucking the abductees and has every intention of fucking Ethan. So, there's something different about Ethan to make him the one abductee the Captain falls in love with, but the reader is given no indication as to what that might be other than Ethan is incredibly powerful. Similarly why does Ethan love Groxun? Is it just because he's in a uniform and commands the ship?
The fantasy element is that Archons exist who are able to access a void. Those who can access the void are powerful and could use that power in a brewing war with another species. Ethan felt like a Marty Stu because he is incredibly powerful and immediately harnesses the power of the void. But, as the story goes on, it's more about Ethan struggling to come to grips with this new power, which has a corrupting potential due to the darkness of the void. Kinda like, ohh I dunno, the one ring. There is a disembodied voice in the void that’s both nasty and contrite, like Gollum.
It was sufficiently entertaining and I did finish the book, although I skim read a fair bit of it. I picked it up as I expected a romance and, instead, got poor man's Star Wars. Ethan is clearly Luke if Luke picked up a lightsaber and immediately became proficient. The void is the Force. Groxun is Han (a dashing rogue Captain). Robert is his mentor (Obi Wan), but also a Leia type character as they have a sibling relationship. The only thing missing was Darth Vader. Now, I have nothing against a poor man's Star Wars if I'm warned ahead of time that's what I'm getting, but as I wasn't I wasn't in the right headspace, hence the skimming.
The one annoyance I have with Frisk's writing is, at times, you wonder if you missed chapter as things are being discussed that you feel need to be explained and haven't been. Except this is right at the start of the book where Ethan and Owen are combative, but it's not quite explained what their dynamic is. It seemed as though Ethan and Owen are the only gays in the village so have sex because of few options. Owen frequently breaks up with Ethan, but his reasons for it are not given. Ethan then, it would seem from a throwaway insult from Owen, sexts Owen and they fall into bed again. I felt like this should have been explained better as I have no clue what Owen's issue is. Is he in the closet. Does he feel Ethan is suffocating him. Does he want to sleep around and uses the "we were on a break" excuse?
At other times things are brought up that seem important, but go nowhere. Like
One niggling issue I had was Owen is abusive, although it's not fully explained how it's abusive, but Ethan's side very bitter which suggests there's more to it than the on again, off again nature of their relationship.
The book felt like it could do with another 50 pages, just to explain things better or to have something other than action. Much of the page was taken up describing Ethan's training and development, political machinations and ensuing conflict/battles at the expense of exposition and character interaction. There was definitely a lack of character development as several characters are one dimensional. Even the MCs aren't that well developed. Other characters are off page as the author didn't even introduce them. For example, there's a brief threat of other high ranking officers potentially taking Ethan because he's too valuable a tool to remain in Groxun's control, but these officers are never encountered on page so it was a non threat that goes nowhere. There's also an occasion when Ethan is lost and his fellow soldiers decide to give up on searching for him. This is pretty grave considering Ethan works so hard to protect them. So when Ethan next goes to great pains to protect his unit it left a bad taste in my mouth - is this the same unit that abandoned Ethan? We don't know as this plot point was just left hanging.
But the biggest failing was making no attempt, whatsoever, to develop a villain. The nebulous Gern are the species/race that forms the other side of the conflict. A grand total of two Gerns have names and they have a paragraph each in the book. I have no idea what the war was about and certainly can't feel good about the battle where the Gern are defeated (not gonna tag that with a spoiler as anyone who reads this book knows the Gern are going to be defeated) and exterminated with extreme prejudice. For all we know the Jedi Council, err the Aidu Commonwealth, are the villains and history is written by the victors. The other antagonist is also a nebulous species, ominously referred to as the Crawling.
So I think a generous three stars as it's a mildly interesting stab at sci-fi fantasy (albeit a little derivative) with an amuse bouche of mm romance, let down by not fully developing characters, setting the scene or following the trail of character interaction to a resolution.
Ethan, an earthling, is abducted by an alien Captain who believes he will be a powerful tool in a coming war. Ethan is immediately ok with his abduction and immediately lusts after the Captain. Things happened so lightening quickly I almost DNF'd as I couldn't understand what the drama or conflict was going to be. But I persevered and quickly realised this is a space opera more than anything, and the MM tag may just be because a fantasy set in space would get swallowed up amongst all the other books in this genre, so tagging it as romance opens it up to a wider audience.
Ethan and the Captain (Groxun) are in love purely because the plot requires them to be in love. There is no development of a relationship, or any characterisation that would explain why they loved each other. Particularly when Groxun reveals that he quite likes fucking the abductees and has every intention of fucking Ethan. So, there's something different about Ethan to make him the one abductee the Captain falls in love with, but the reader is given no indication as to what that might be other than Ethan is incredibly powerful. Similarly why does Ethan love Groxun? Is it just because he's in a uniform and commands the ship?
The fantasy element is that Archons exist who are able to access a void. Those who can access the void are powerful and could use that power in a brewing war with another species. Ethan felt like a Marty Stu because he is incredibly powerful and immediately harnesses the power of the void. But, as the story goes on, it's more about Ethan struggling to come to grips with this new power, which has a corrupting potential due to the darkness of the void. Kinda like, ohh I dunno, the one ring. There is a disembodied voice in the void that’s both nasty and contrite, like Gollum.
It was sufficiently entertaining and I did finish the book, although I skim read a fair bit of it. I picked it up as I expected a romance and, instead, got poor man's Star Wars. Ethan is clearly Luke if Luke picked up a lightsaber and immediately became proficient. The void is the Force. Groxun is Han (a dashing rogue Captain). Robert is his mentor (Obi Wan), but also a Leia type character as they have a sibling relationship. The only thing missing was Darth Vader. Now, I have nothing against a poor man's Star Wars if I'm warned ahead of time that's what I'm getting, but as I wasn't I wasn't in the right headspace, hence the skimming.
The one annoyance I have with Frisk's writing is, at times, you wonder if you missed chapter as things are being discussed that you feel need to be explained and haven't been. Except this is right at the start of the book where Ethan and Owen are combative, but it's not quite explained what their dynamic is. It seemed as though Ethan and Owen are the only gays in the village so have sex because of few options. Owen frequently breaks up with Ethan, but his reasons for it are not given. Ethan then, it would seem from a throwaway insult from Owen, sexts Owen and they fall into bed again. I felt like this should have been explained better as I have no clue what Owen's issue is. Is he in the closet. Does he feel Ethan is suffocating him. Does he want to sleep around and uses the "we were on a break" excuse?
At other times things are brought up that seem important, but go nowhere. Like
One niggling issue I had was Owen is abusive, although it's not fully explained how it's abusive, but Ethan's side very bitter which suggests there's more to it than the on again, off again nature of their relationship.
The book felt like it could do with another 50 pages, just to explain things better or to have something other than action. Much of the page was taken up describing Ethan's training and development, political machinations and ensuing conflict/battles at the expense of exposition and character interaction. There was definitely a lack of character development as several characters are one dimensional. Even the MCs aren't that well developed. Other characters are off page as the author didn't even introduce them. For example, there's a brief threat of other high ranking officers potentially taking Ethan because he's too valuable a tool to remain in Groxun's control, but these officers are never encountered on page so it was a non threat that goes nowhere. There's also an occasion when Ethan is lost and his fellow soldiers decide to give up on searching for him. This is pretty grave considering Ethan works so hard to protect them. So when Ethan next goes to great pains to protect his unit it left a bad taste in my mouth - is this the same unit that abandoned Ethan? We don't know as this plot point was just left hanging.
But the biggest failing was making no attempt, whatsoever, to develop a villain. The nebulous Gern are the species/race that forms the other side of the conflict. A grand total of two Gerns have names and they have a paragraph each in the book. I have no idea what the war was about and certainly can't feel good about the battle where the Gern are defeated (not gonna tag that with a spoiler as anyone who reads this book knows the Gern are going to be defeated) and exterminated with extreme prejudice. For all we know the Jedi Council, err the Aidu Commonwealth, are the villains and history is written by the victors. The other antagonist is also a nebulous species, ominously referred to as the Crawling.
So I think a generous three stars as it's a mildly interesting stab at sci-fi fantasy (albeit a little derivative) with an amuse bouche of mm romance, let down by not fully developing characters, setting the scene or following the trail of character interaction to a resolution.
September 28, 2022
Many clichés and discrepancies
This book reads like it’s written by a very inexperienced author.
**mild spoilers **
The time sequences are very odd. The Captain starts a war, and is fighting a skirmish inside an hour, which he wins by enjoying being bloodthirsty. Then he just walks down the hallway, thinks about how un-bloodthirsty he is in his later years, hears a klaxon at the end of the hallway and suddenly “yearns” for there to be a break between battles. He has not even been fighting the war an hour, is in the middle of a battle at the beginning of the hallway that he has succeeded in by being bloodthirsty, decides he isn’t really bloodthirsty in the middle of the hallway, and at the end of the hallway he’s desperately battle-weary from his one hour fight and hopelessly longing for a break from the endless stream of battles? This is presented as a very serious illustration regarding battle and I confess I laughed till I cried. If this were a real person, I would have serious concerns about his mental health.
There are an enormous number of clichés and stereotypes.
There are misspelled words, inappropriately used homonyms (like “peaked” instead of “peeked” around a corner), and grammar errors every few pages.
Additionally, the character developments conflict with each other every few pages. For instance, I think the big reveal where the captain finally confesses his love for the very first time, happens about 3 times (twice in front of the same side character, who has to tell Mr. second time confessor that his feelings are obvious because he’s apparently trying to hide them after the first confession). Also, the Captain is a big softy who lets his archon walk all over him, push him to his knees, throw him around in the bedroom, and never harshly enforces his superior rank. Despite this, after the third (1st time) “I love you” reveal (near 80% of the book) the story states that the archon only ever saw the Captain’s harsh lines before the present time. What harsh lines? Further, there is no relationship development because the romantic leads are busy confessing their love first time, constantly, throughout the book.
The archon’s own characterizations are so in conflict with one another that I read several multiple times and still couldn’t figure out who the author is characterizing the archon to be. The archon’s descriptions are inconsistent with one another. Ethan is described as an instant natural who loves his new job, training himself hard every second, with his sanity only saved by love. He is also described as a sulky, power-hungry, self-sabotaging loner, which the Captain says he pushes too hard (this never actually happens), and who also can’t feel love. Each conflicting character trait is set within a few pages of one or more of the opposite set of descriptions. These conflicting character developments proceed to flip-flop back and forth the majority of the book.
Then there’s a discernible chain around the heart theme, but the author can’t figure out what he or she wants the theme to be. First, Ethan has a chain of abuse and pleasure wrapped around his heart and he can only be an archon because of the mixture of joy and pain. But then it’s really a chain of the void’s hate, but no, it’s a chain of his abusive ex-boyfriend’s hate, and then it somehow morphs into a chain of his own doubts about loving the Captain that he can just decide to release as opposed to healing from his allowing abuse cycle and learning to set safe boundaries or deciding to forgive.
-There are huge loose ends like whether Trul must admit his abuse was not okay instead if gaslighting Ethan, saying that as the victim, Ethan shares responsibility for his own abuse because he was lonely and kept coming back. The abuser alone is responsible for his choice to abuse, never the victim.
-Whether Trul ever gets a new body
- why an unrepentant abuser can suddenly be a “chosen” archon with apparently eternal life and unlimited power and magically, no one takes issue with this?
Plot points also flip-flop. -Massive effort put into keeping a secret/ but 3 pages later there was no point because the rulers see “all”
-Teeny ship may attack / 3 seconds later it’s an enormous, deadly threat Class requiring lots of derring-do to outfight/ but 3 seconds later it dies with one shot/ Oh No it isn’t really dead and can send messages but it can’t move
Some of the plot points make no sense or are difficult to follow because the author changes their mind multiple times during the narrative about how they want to write it.
Minus 3 stars for incoherent characterizations, inconsistent plot development, and no real relationship development beyond grand declarations (that often repeat themselves). Showing the relationship development, beyond intimacy scenes, would help.
Plus one star because I laughed so hard I couldn’t stand up (literally)
Plus one star because there was no rape
I cannot recommend this book until someone proofreads and edits it.
This book reads like it’s written by a very inexperienced author.
**mild spoilers **
The time sequences are very odd. The Captain starts a war, and is fighting a skirmish inside an hour, which he wins by enjoying being bloodthirsty. Then he just walks down the hallway, thinks about how un-bloodthirsty he is in his later years, hears a klaxon at the end of the hallway and suddenly “yearns” for there to be a break between battles. He has not even been fighting the war an hour, is in the middle of a battle at the beginning of the hallway that he has succeeded in by being bloodthirsty, decides he isn’t really bloodthirsty in the middle of the hallway, and at the end of the hallway he’s desperately battle-weary from his one hour fight and hopelessly longing for a break from the endless stream of battles? This is presented as a very serious illustration regarding battle and I confess I laughed till I cried. If this were a real person, I would have serious concerns about his mental health.
There are an enormous number of clichés and stereotypes.
There are misspelled words, inappropriately used homonyms (like “peaked” instead of “peeked” around a corner), and grammar errors every few pages.
Additionally, the character developments conflict with each other every few pages. For instance, I think the big reveal where the captain finally confesses his love for the very first time, happens about 3 times (twice in front of the same side character, who has to tell Mr. second time confessor that his feelings are obvious because he’s apparently trying to hide them after the first confession). Also, the Captain is a big softy who lets his archon walk all over him, push him to his knees, throw him around in the bedroom, and never harshly enforces his superior rank. Despite this, after the third (1st time) “I love you” reveal (near 80% of the book) the story states that the archon only ever saw the Captain’s harsh lines before the present time. What harsh lines? Further, there is no relationship development because the romantic leads are busy confessing their love first time, constantly, throughout the book.
The archon’s own characterizations are so in conflict with one another that I read several multiple times and still couldn’t figure out who the author is characterizing the archon to be. The archon’s descriptions are inconsistent with one another. Ethan is described as an instant natural who loves his new job, training himself hard every second, with his sanity only saved by love. He is also described as a sulky, power-hungry, self-sabotaging loner, which the Captain says he pushes too hard (this never actually happens), and who also can’t feel love. Each conflicting character trait is set within a few pages of one or more of the opposite set of descriptions. These conflicting character developments proceed to flip-flop back and forth the majority of the book.
Then there’s a discernible chain around the heart theme, but the author can’t figure out what he or she wants the theme to be. First, Ethan has a chain of abuse and pleasure wrapped around his heart and he can only be an archon because of the mixture of joy and pain. But then it’s really a chain of the void’s hate, but no, it’s a chain of his abusive ex-boyfriend’s hate, and then it somehow morphs into a chain of his own doubts about loving the Captain that he can just decide to release as opposed to healing from his allowing abuse cycle and learning to set safe boundaries or deciding to forgive.
-There are huge loose ends like whether Trul must admit his abuse was not okay instead if gaslighting Ethan, saying that as the victim, Ethan shares responsibility for his own abuse because he was lonely and kept coming back. The abuser alone is responsible for his choice to abuse, never the victim.
-Whether Trul ever gets a new body
- why an unrepentant abuser can suddenly be a “chosen” archon with apparently eternal life and unlimited power and magically, no one takes issue with this?
Plot points also flip-flop. -Massive effort put into keeping a secret/ but 3 pages later there was no point because the rulers see “all”
-Teeny ship may attack / 3 seconds later it’s an enormous, deadly threat Class requiring lots of derring-do to outfight/ but 3 seconds later it dies with one shot/ Oh No it isn’t really dead and can send messages but it can’t move
Some of the plot points make no sense or are difficult to follow because the author changes their mind multiple times during the narrative about how they want to write it.
Minus 3 stars for incoherent characterizations, inconsistent plot development, and no real relationship development beyond grand declarations (that often repeat themselves). Showing the relationship development, beyond intimacy scenes, would help.
Plus one star because I laughed so hard I couldn’t stand up (literally)
Plus one star because there was no rape
I cannot recommend this book until someone proofreads and edits it.
October 10, 2022
It was great read
I think her mood determines whether or not we think a book is good.......I was searching for something different and I got it with this book so I thought it was pretty good.
I think her mood determines whether or not we think a book is good.......I was searching for something different and I got it with this book so I thought it was pretty good.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews