Stolen by a Dragon.My kidnapper is tall, dark and alien…. My dull, predictable life as a scientific researcher is ripped apart the day blood-thirsty pirates attack our space ship. In the confusion, the ship is thrown off course.We crash land on a planet that can barely support life.Yeah…things are going swell.I’ve escaped the pirates, at least. But I’ve got a new problem. The planet is home to a … I’ve got a new problem. The planet is home to a dragon-alien, and he has his eyes set on me. Ladon, a powerful Zmaj warrior rescues me from the scorching desert wasteland.
Ladon takes me to his lair. I’m his treasure. His mate. He loves my curves and my soft, human form. He makes it clear that he intends to keep me and claim me in every way. The moment he touches my trembling body, he leaves no doubt.
This fierce, protective dragon owns me.
Dragon’s Baby by USA Today Bestselling Author Miranda Martin is a full length, standalone SFR novel with a happily ever after ending, plenty of steam, bloody battles and alien-human intrigue.
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I often feel so silly reading books like this, but I can’t help it! They’ve won me over. Sexy hunky aliens needing women? Hot af. Pure fantasy and I love it. This one starts out a little slow, but I liked it. Yes, it’s a stand-alone… sorta. The next book focuses on a character from this book. I’m not gonna follow up on it because I’m pretty tired of sequels right now. On to the next read! This title is free on KU and $3.99 for purchase on Kindle.
Space travelers, alien pirates attacked and then crash landing on a planet forgotten by time. Native inhabitants are a humanoid dragon form and were at one time a more advanced civilization but greed brought destruction. One woman captures the interest of one of the surviving males of the planet and thus begins the adventure.
Read for 2021 SPSFC
Overall Thoughts
Alright. So this will be an interesting review. Let me get this out of the way first: this won’t be one of my recommendations to move on to the next stage of the contest. That said, I have read sci-fi romance stories before and this absolutely follows the tropes and fulfills the story it intends to tell. It was a fun diversion. However, I don’t think it’s a good match for a contest looking for the subjective best indie science fiction book out of 300 books submitted.
In fact, having just completed publishing a sci-fi (lesbian) romance anthology myself, I am more in tune with the tropes and storylines that go into a romance story than usual. If you like romances (with explicit sex scenes), this might be an enjoyable read for you. However, I’m reviewing these books for an indie science fiction contest and, well, I have to think people knew what they were getting into when submitting books…
Plot
Ok, buckle up and we’ll get into the nitty gritty. The plot here is the standard romance: girl is on a generational ship, girl gets attacked by pirates, girl crash lands on a planet, girl meets a sexy dragon-man with (since he’s descended from reptiles) not one but two huge…errrrr…wings, and hijinks ensue!
Ahem. In all seriousness, I did have some issues with how the romance was treated here. Ladon (dragon-dude) effectively tries to rape Calista the first time he meets/abducts her, which I am definitely not alright with. There are many more chances in which she gives consent, even if some are in the throes of passion, but I keep going back to the first meeting and the fact that it was never fully addressed for me.
Second, even a romance needs some ups and downs. Most of the danger and tension in this story come from external dangers of flora and fauna. There’s very little tension between the characters, Calista is pretty okay from the beginning with knocking boots with a giant alien, and nothing much comes between them in any meaningful way except some language barriers. There’s a little tension with a skeevy guy from the ship, but it’s pretty obvious that’s not going anywhere. Overall this trended toward the more erotic side of romance than the will they/won’t they tension of relationships.
Setting
*Cracks Knuckles*
So you want to submit a fluffy, fun, alien romance to an indie sci-fi contest filled with crunchy, techy books? More power to you.
I will have some issues with this.
So, first off, this starts out on a generational ship, but I guess the only media that’s survived the years after they left Earth is Star Trek and Star Wars? Like, there are multiple references, and the only comparison used for the hostile-ness of the planet, which seems like it’s just trying too hard. It’s a desert planet compared to Tatooine and Vulcan. What about Arrakis, especially since there’s a giant worm species that has a connection to an addictive substance? In addition, Calista is supposed to be a plant biologist, but seems to be absolutely useless at any other sort of science. Her expert opinion on plants is also…lacking:
“…there is a rough-bladed species of grass. I run my hands around myself. The grass is thick and almost sharp on the edges. A hardy breed, which also means logically this must be an oasis. Grass and plants can’t grow without water.”
I…would have liked a little more scientific analysis. For example, wouldn’t the plants outside an oasis need to be hardier than the ones inside? Also, grass and plants? As a scientist, she doesn’t even use the proper names she would be familiar with for classification of plants. This doesn’t even get into the logic jump when she determines a species of plant must change her DNA when she eats it.
The first few pages in this story almost turned me off because they could have been in any chick-lit story about a woman and her girlfriends talking about guys at work and what to eat. It was a small thing, but there were no hints that they were on a generational ship, which is a very specific sort of self-contained space ship, until I think a chapter or two in.
None of the characters on the generational ship seem to have any clue how to approach emergency measures or repairs for basic things like light, water, and heat. Plus the entire ship crashes on a planet, but thousands of people are still alive after it breaks up in space and then hurtles through atmosphere to land in a desert. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, but not with these people at the helm.
Character
The two main characters pull the reader through the story, and I think the romance is definitely intriguing. The (several) sex scenes are, well, *fans self,* which is the point of this story, after all. That said, the biggest issue I had was the characters seemed fairly generic. Calista is the nerdy (not really) girl who does Science and thinks she can never get a man because her girlfriends are so much better at that sort of thing. Ladon is the very alpha, protective overly macho male who is at the same time completely considerate of his female and will do anything to protect her.
As I mentioned above, I would have liked a little more tension to the story. There are some fights with dangerous creatures, and a slimy boss from the ship who naturally also wants Calista, but from the first, somewhat rapey meeting between the two main characters, there’s never any doubt the two will be together. Even when they encounter the rest of the crashed refugees on the planet, there’s no relationship tension. Her gaggle of girlfriends is instantly forgettable, and there are five or six of them. There also is very little reaction to the generational ship, which presumably has been a self-contained home for three generations, crashing with all their dreams, with no chance of rescue. I would think the characters would be completely unaccustomed to being on a planet, since they’ve lived their whole lives on the ship. I don’t think it was ever stated where they were going or why.
Score out of 10 (My personal score, not the final contest score)
Temporary score until more books in the contest are read: If you love romance and you’re reading this for the D(ragon), then it’s a fun, fluffy read. If you want any sort of thought-provoking science fiction, I’d look elsewhere. I think romances are completely capable of doing both, but this is not one of those. 3/10
I’m not sure how long I’ve been reading the Dragons of Tajss stories but I always enjoy them. They are light and easy reading and always entertaining. There is enough character building and world building to make them understandable and an easy read without overwhelming us with stuff that takes away from the story. This was a fast and easy read and very enjoyable. I liked the characters and found that they were great alone but even better together. I’m ready for more……
Landon is one of only a few dragons left on this planet, so they all have wide territories that they look after. Celeste is part of a science ship that gets set upon by pirates and then the ship is split apart into sections and hers end up crashed on a strange hot planet. She goes scouting for food and gets heat exhaustion so Landon, who has been watching the group, rescues her to safety and then the fun begins.
The characters are very different from regular stories in what they do and their thoughts. The storyline has plenty of surprises and twists, situations that make most of the story. The romance of the pair gets steamy. Suspense builds as the group starts to split into two. Can not wait to see what happens next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this book! It was fast paced and flowed nicely. The turn of events was done beautifully, and the ending was terrific! This is a fun and exciting paranormal romance! I liked it!! It has drama and steam, with very likable characters.
loved it !!! love Ladon !!! swoon worthy !!! love Calista !!! love that Ladon keep saying that Calista was his treasure… great world building and colony ship building… I cried when we learned about what happened to Ladon’s world. was happy when Calista openly admitted that she loved Ladon!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is such an awesome story. So much imagination coming from this author. Calista is such a sweet, caring woman, even to those you don’t agree she should be. I loved how Ladon, from when he first finds Calista he does so much to save her. I love how she stands up for herself. Such a hostile planet, hope all continues to go well for them.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love the story and series. Calista is on a generation ship that is going to a new planet to colonize it. The ship is attacked and it crashes on to a red planet. Everyone that survived is having difficulty with the extreme heat of the planet and supplies are low. Calista is out looking at vegetation and passes out from the heat. She is rescued by Ladon, a native dragon of the planet. Their adventure begins. I could not put the book down. sweet sexy romantic. two people learning about communication. learning about the others culture and trying to survive. excellent book
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The first book in the Red Planet Dragons of Tajss series a well written sci-fi story that kept me turning pages, this is a New & Lengthened 2021 Edition story. Ladon a Zmaj warrior and human scientist Calista his treasure’s story of suspense, drama, danger, villains, and romance. I am going to reread this series again after reading this book. A story that was well worth reading.
I love the Zmaj and Ladon and Callista’s story is epic. The characters are well written and the worldbuilding is awesome! This story has everything, action, adventure, romance and the all the tenets that make it a story shows why so many stories were were created from this beginning. I will say I read the original and was pleasantly surprised at the content and how it elaborated the story. Again, a must read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Not sure how I feel about this book half of it kept me turning the pages and the other half I’m undecided where I liked it or not. Claista is a botanist and while working on the spaceship they are attacked by pirates and crash landed on what look likes an inhabitant planet that’s very hot but that soon changes once she comes to after fainting with a strange alien man touching her private parts at first she is confused and concerned and panics but weirdly she finds him attractive. Landon is a Dragon shifter and a Zmaj warrior and while hunting a shiny thing falls from the sky so he investigates and there are weird people walking around but one catches his eye and he follows her and with there fare skin they will burn and get sick and then Claista faints and Landon goes to save her and takes her back to his lair which he soon discovers she is his mate. Trying to work out how to communicate with each other causes a few problems but the chemistry between them has no barrier and the bond very quickly and now she is pregnant. What happens next I’ll leave it up to you to find out. Overall not a bad first book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ladon is the only survivor of his city since the devastation. As he’s out gathering food he sees the spaceship break apart and fall to the sand that is his home on Tajss. Ladon is a Zmaj who has scales, has wings and can breath fire like the dragon that is part of him. There may be other Zmaj but they are at different territories. When he investigates the the sand dunes he sees something and when he get closer he sees that it’s a “she” of a different species. This story is about the survival and love of Calista and Ladon. There is plenty of action, adventure, danger, fear, hope, survival, language difference, and the love between two species that end up loving each other and proving that they are compatible. I have read this story and series before she extended this book. I’ve enjoyed each and every book of this series. I added each book to my library. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have to say that the wonderful world that was created here is stunning. The creatures and the descriptions are fantastic. This is the first book in the series and it really sets the scene well. Human colonists are living on a ship heading to a destination that is for the grand-children and great-grandchildren to live on. Those alive today are expected to live out their lives on the ships never making landfall. That is until they end up crashed on a planet along the way. Calista is a botanist so she is tasked with trying to find some food by way of plants. Ladon has been alone for a long time and he fells a pull to the strange new creature who have fallen from the sky. What is it, no she? What is she to him?
I enjoyed reading this book, the interaction and chemistry between the characters is wonderful. The storyline, is entertaining, and filled with action and adventure, great addition to the story. I can’t wait for more from this author. I received this book as a FREE ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.
From the Beginning
This story was the beginning point of my addiction to Zmaj warriors. I loved reading about Calista and Ladon. Wondering what was going to happen next. This “new updated” version only intensifies that addiction. With this version, some things become a little clearer and the entire story-line seems to flow easier.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I like this revised version!
by LNovotasky
This is the first book of the Series Red planet dragon’s of Tajss. It was originally published in 2016. In this version we see more about the everyday lives and the background of different character that were in this generational ship. The ship was traveling from Earth to this new planet that was like 5 or 6 generations from Earth. This is like the 3rd generation and they get attacked by pirates and part of the ship crash landed in Tajss. I recommend you give this a second look to this story you get more of the background story but they made some changes that make the heroine more likeable and less TSTL and if you are reading the spin off of this series Gladiators of Krix I also recommend that you read this one even of you are not planning to read the rest of the series.
Send out to search for plants that are edible Callista encounters Ladon.
Traveling on a space ship designed to support generation of inhabitants as it travels into deep space Calista works adapting plant to grow in different environments. When they are attacked by space pirates the ship goes off course and crashes on a planet that is covered in red sand as far as the eye can see. The crash site is littered with the injured, dead and chunks of the ship with a huge section of the ship embedded nose first in the sand. Calista is sent to find plants that might be useful to them. Zmaj warrior Ladon is out hunting when he sees a strange female figure walking towards him and goes to meet her.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
2021 Revised and Lengthened Edition
Although I have read the previous edition of this story, I was curious about the added content (plus I love the series). I am so happy I did take the time to read this extended edition because it answers so many questions that hadn’t been answered in other books.
Being a fan of Miranda Martin, I can see how she has improved as an author. The characters have been developed more thoroughly and you understand the motives behind their actions and decisions. As always, the world building is so detailed that you are transported to the Red Planet of Tajss. It’s easy to imagine the endless expanse of desert sands, unyielding heat, and unique creatures of this foreign world. This is a great introduction to a series that will keep you captivated and entertained from the first page to the last.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a wonderful read and I thoroughly enjoyed every single page
Whilst she is on her spaceship, she suddenly has her whole life thrown into chaos when she and her ship are attacked and she is flung uncontrolled into space in a ship that is totally off course and it is purely skill and chance she manages to land on an unknown planet.
She discovers that the planet is actually inhabited by Zmaj warriors who are a race of extremely powerful and intelligent Dragon Shifters aliens. Landon she soon discovers is actually her Mate and he knows that she is intended for him and him alone and he is going to keep her safe and protected so takes her to his lair where he intends to solidify their bonds.
He is fierce and protective and would die to keep her safe and secure and she knows that she also has feelings for this warrior.
A great read which I am sure you will enjoy as much as myself.
voluntarily received and review an Advanced Reader Copy
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading any future publications; keep up all the great writing.