I am Misha.
My name was given to me at birth by the doctor who delivered me. I have never known my parents. I live in a ten by ten space with one window, a sink and toilet, a bed and a locked door. Once a day I’m taken to an outdoor exercise area. I am allowed a limited access tablet and tutored online by computer programs. I have one friend I talk to through a tiny crack in the wall. His name … His name is Cedric and he has trouble keeping himself quiet. When he isn’t talking to me about monsters and demons, he screams all the time.
Why is my life so isolated and depressing? Because I am a Sylph. Sylphs are the byproduct of illegal Omega to Omega matings. We are all beautiful, but 99.9% are born insane. The rarest of Sylphs, like me, show no outward signs of madness or brain damage, but we live in institutions because we cannot be trusted.
All of us Sylphs who have lived long enough to pass through puberty have hypersexual disorder which makes life even more difficult for us, let alone our keepers. It is like something Alphas call the Burn, a mating urge Alphas experience once every couple of months.
But we’re Sylphs, not Alphas, and this Burn thing? We experience it all the time. It’s a huge problem and why we are kept isolated. Most of us don’t survive through our teens because of it.
One day, a handsome Alpha comes to interview and study me. He calls himself the Chief of Staff but his real name is Geo. Like magic, I fall in love with him instantly. I do everything I can to seduce him. He will have none of it because touch between an Alpha and a Sylph is taboo. But I have plans. No matter what, I intend to bond him and make him mine. Forever.
A non-shifter Alpha/Omega-Sylph love story of forbidden love, rescue, and HEA. Standalone read. No Mpreg. 58k words.
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Very different and a beautiful romance
I felt like this volume in the series was very different from the others. Misha is an unusual character with very different ways of seeing the world. The author’s Sylphs are a really interesting addition to the ABO verse, though a sad one. Their stories are grim and limited, but Misha transcends them. Geo certainly makes some sacrifices to gain his bondmate, and their romance is beautiful. Great chemistry and a really unusual story make this one of the more interesting stories I’ve read lately.
Sweet, taboo and steamy PNR M/M romance between two unlikely guys
I love this world that Ms. Rathbone has conjured. I don’t love what happens to the Sylphs in it however. Misha is a 20yo Sylph, which is a person in this land who usually dies young, has hyper-sexual appetites and may be violent. Misha was not young by Sylph standards and not violent, but unfortunately, he did suffer from hyper-sexual arousal all-the-time. He taught himself to cope under these severe circumstances and was well above average in intelligence among the others locked away in this ward of Sylphs. They are kept separate from the general population for their own safety…yeah, keep telling them that!
One day he is introduced to the new Chief of Staff, Geo, who is 30yo, good looking and wants to make changes for the benefit of the Sylphs in his care. What Geo doesn’t expect is to have everything he wants fall apart.
I loved this unique story. I was so sad for Misha’s upbringing and for Geo’s past romantic experience. If you like PNR and M/M romance, read this book. You will love it too. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Gay Romance Reviews and it gets a resounding 5 stars.
From the very beginning of the series I was intrigued by the idea of Sylphs and new we’d get at least one of their stories. For all the mystery and agony surrounding these men, there had to be individuals among them that didn’t fit the lore passed around their society. Misha was one such man and it took a kind, earnest, and determined Alpha to give him the future filled with love he didn’t dare to dream could become a reality.
There were quite a few directions we could have been taken in with this story and while none that I expected happened, the path we took was interesting in quite a few ways. Despite being interesting it drifted from one point to another while not really progressing and that made this book a little harder to read than the previous two. I think there was a bit missing in the way of depth because for all the intrigue, mystery, genetic anomalies, surprise bonds, nefarious characters, and “planning” for their future, we got virtually none of the completion of any of those points. They really could have been streamlined and refined and this would have easily been my favorite of the series.
It took way, way too long for anything romantic to happen and Geoff’s constant denial was incredibly taxing, especially because there were a couple times when he seemed to come to the defining conclusion about his convictions toward Misha rather than away from him and in the next moment he’s mentally and verbally denying anything he feels about him. This is not my kind of roller coaster.
Overall there was a whole lot that drew me in with the premise, but the slow-burn wasn’t implemented effectively to make me believe in the MC’s or their romance. With so many points of interest that weren’t visited with intention I’m wondering where this series is going from here. I’m still interested enough in how the author weaves a story from unconventional societal pairings with the men of this world that I’ll absolutely be back for more.
By this book 3, I need to confess I am a huge fan of this dystopian world created by Ms Rathbone, so I thought I was ready to embrace it again. No, I wasn’t, not really. Misha’s way to confront his situation and Geo’s kindness and care and how they fell for each other was too much emotional for me. I cried and cried, throughout the book until the very end. The story is sweet and endearing, the characters are so well written that with every dialog you can feel their despair and sadness but also, their hope, love and faith in each other and in their future. The incredible roller coaster of emotions was intense but totally worth the ride. Loved it!
The book approaches a new gender in the A/O world, with the Sylphs. If I thought the omegas had so few rights, Sylphs are much less. They are rare and Misha is a rare jewel. I loved his approach on life, even with so many limitations. Always positive and so poised. He is loving and totally lovable. His King really came through in the end. Fantasy at its best.
This is a interesting, slightly dark MM romance has a somewhat unusual approach to the non-shifter omegaverse MM romance & and highlights the prejudices & challenges faced by the “Sylphs” (children born from the mating of two omegas) who are imprison through no fault of their own but it is an enjoyable read & it is a good addiction to the “Omega Misfits” series. The plot is interesting & has some intriguing situations with good world building. The characters are quite complex individuals that are realistically flawed but have good chemistry between them.
There is: a rare young male sylph (Misha) imprisoned his whole life is visited by the new alpha male chief of staff (Geo) & the attractions flare, twists & turns, drama, intrigue, some suspense, memories, attractions, bonding, attempted assault, violence, apprehension, fear, manipulations, trust issues, confrontations, decisions, alternative arrangements, plans, escape, contentment, love, some steam & a satisfying conclusion.
This is the third book is the series and it can be read as a standalone (although I highly recommend reading the other two books because they’re brilliant). I love the world the author has created and it was great visiting it again. It’s different than most omegaverse worlds and I like the change.
In this universe when a child is born from two omegas it’s called a Sylph. Sylphs can’t knot like an alpha and they can’t have children. They’re are also in a constant Burn, have health issues and most of them don’t survive past adolescence.
Misha is a Sylph but he’s the exception to the rule. He’s twenty, he’s intelligent, healthy, non violent and he can control the Burn.
Misha was a fascinating character. The ways he found to cope with his situation were impressive. I couldn’t help loving him and feeling for him, and crying for him.
Geo is an Alpha and the new Chief of staff at the place where Misha lives. He fights for Misha and he cares for him and wants to help him. A bond develops between them, and it’s beautiful.
But a relationship between an Alpha and a Sylph is forbidden by law so they both have to make a hard decision.
The story was amazing, I loved every single word. I couldn’t put the book down. Also, I absolutely adore the writing style! It’s magical.
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 3 in the Omega Misfits series, but you don’t need to have read Trust No Alpha (book 1) or The Alpha’s Fake Mate (book 2) before you read this one. They all take place in the same world, but can totally be read as a stand alone read. I HAVE read them, although I did not write reviews for them as I read them via the Unlimited programme.
And I found THIS one the weakest of the three.
Alphas are supposed to mate with Omegas and ONLY with Omegas. However when 2 Omegas mate, and produce a child, that child is a Sylph. Sylph children are removed from society and kept locked up for their own good. They live with a constant Burn, unlike Alphas who get them regularly, and most do not live into adulthood for going insane.
Misha is such a child. Well, not a child, he is well into adulthood and a bit of an anomoly. He can control his Burn, and be a productive member of society, BUT for the fact he is Sylph. Geo is an Alpha and the new general manager at the facility where Misha lives. When Geo touches Misha without gloves, a bond begins. A bond that is as illegal as it is dangerous. To BOTH of them.
Both Misha and Geo know this is different, whatever they are feeling, but Geo is best able to voice it and rationalise what is happening between them. Misha is, for want of a better explanation, away with the fairies most of the time, but then again, being locked up all the time would make anyone so. Misha KNOWS he is Sylph, he KNOWS he cannot bond, so he doesn’t know what this is between him and Geo. He KNOWS he wants Geo, in a way that is different to his usual want (Sylphs want everyone) he just doesn’t know what to do. Geo makes the decision, but Misha is given a choice. I liked that it took time for them to act on the bond, to consummate it. They both have thoughts about the other, it just takes time for them to act on it. I’ve filed it as m-preg, cos it is talked about and does appear in other books in the series, but there isn’t any here.
Both guys have a say, in the first person. Misha’s voice is a little airy-fairy, like I said and Geo’s is very much an Alpha, but he does go a little off the rails, and that comes out of nowhere, to be honest. I found Geo the least liked of the three Alphas in these books and I cannot pinpoint exactly why.
I liked how it all sorted out, but I would have liked a bit of an epilogue, a some-time-later type thing, to catch up on them, and how things pan out after what they did, and whether things had changed for Misha with a fully formed bond.
A nice read, a GOOD addition to the series though and I think it really was needed, a story about the Slyph children, who are talked about in the other books. This book just didn’t push my buttons as the other two did, I’m afraid.
3 good solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I was very apprehensive as to how the author will approach portrayal of Sylphs, who were glimpsed as a total taboo in previous parts. My expectations were surpassed at every second!
From the very first words in the book, the feel is almost ethereal, melodic and poetic. The craft put into words and sentences is so vivid here, it’s almost uncanny. The creation of Misha is absolutely fantastic, as is the story as a whole. There is always some more charm to forbidden love stories, but this one is a quality standard on its own!
Alpha’s Embrace by Wendy Rathbone is the third book in The Omega Misfits series. This book has dual POV which really lets you get into Misha’s state of mind.
I liked that in this story we get back to the fairytale quality of book one. I loved Misha. Despite being a prisoner, and in a hellish place he is upbeat and loveable. He truly is one of a kind.
Geo is the new Chief of Staff. He wants to change things, make life better for the people is he is protecting. He is 30 and unmated. He bonded with an Omega as a child. He never wanted to go through a broken bond again. He carries a ton of pain.
I loved getting to know this class of people. It made me feel like I wanted to help them too. Very emotional.
There is one thing I am going to mention cause it was in both book one and book two. There is violence against Misha by a person who has power over him. It is a fight that is a near-rape. I get using this to bring us to the point Misha is powerless in his situation. But having this scene in every book is not particularly making me want to read more. I really hope this is not something in future books. So, I will say, if you are a sensitive reader, this is not the book for you.
But on the flip side, this book is very intense. Lots of emotional moments, and full of hope. I cannot wait to read more from this series in the future.
Four Twinkling Stars
Alpha’s Embrace by Wendy Rathbone is the third book in The Omega Misfits series. This book is interesting and entertaining. The universe created in the series intrigues me and I am loving learning about it. The characters here are sweet and wonderful. Geo and Misha are fantastic and I just found myself needed them to find a HEA. The story is well told and definitely satisfying.