The Zandians have taken back their planet. Now they need brides. All human females have been assigned to mates. Yes, mates, multiple.I’ve been given to three handsome males–cousins. Huge, purple and horned, they act like they want to eat me for breakfast.After what I’ve been through with previous slave masters, I don’t know how I’ll survive this. But I have to. It’s adapt or be sent off-planet, … adapt or be sent off-planet, which would mean my death, considering I’m wanted for murder.
My mates cannot find out I’m not able to reproduce. I need to keep my secret, figure out a way to survive, stay focused. But when the Zandian warriors claim me, they make me forget my past and scream with pleasure.
I can’t let myself fall for them.
If they learn my secret, I’ll lose more than my life.
I’ll lose my heart.
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It may seem unexpected, but as an anthropologist/social theorist, this book made me nerd out like crazy!
The Zandians have won back their planet and are now on a mission to repopulate and rehabilitate the land. The humans who have assisted the Zandians have won their freedom on the planet, but it is a conditional freedom. The main character, Riya, recognizes that these conditions are akin to another form of slavery. With so much emphasis put on repopulation, the culture created is one that is very similar to what can be found in various places on earth: a woman’s power is through her children. In certain cultures, a woman marries into a patriarchal home, where she lacks any sort of power or influence – that is until she has children. Her children will revere and respect her, and once they are of an age to be in charge, they will defer to her. It’s similar here with the Zandians. Lili explains to Riya essentially that their freedom will live on through their children and decedents. Their children will be free to choose and will be the ones in charge, the dominant culture. Having lived life as slaves, this is a new and radical idea. The theme of “owning the future” is a prominent one among the human women. But of course, Riya knows she can never have children…
Once on their own homestead, Riya and her three make quick work building a thriving home. It is here that Riya’s brilliance is finally allowed freedom to shine. It’s discovered that though she has been denied formal education and even literacy, she understands complex concepts of chemistry that even scholars often have a hard time grasping. Botany, agriculture, healing, experimenting – these things all come naturally to her. Her rigorous work is not only something she enjoys, but something she feels she needs to do to compensate for the fact that she cannot have children – and that she is withholding that fact. In her eyes though, nothing she can do will ever be good enough to replace that, despite her epic contributions to society.
We learn that much of Riya’s brilliance comes from the resourcefulness of her human predecessors. Under the oppression of slavery, humans relied on the strong oral culture that many human cultures have been using for eons. Their knowledge, traditions, and stories, are exchanged diligently and passionately in the night. It is something they feel loyal to before anything else – it is their one connection to their own identity, and they cling to this last breath of air with their entire being.
Zandian sexual practices are closely intertwined with ideas of discipline and “training” (the later, simply being a more militant way of saying “getting to know what another and their preferences.) With Riya having been a slave – and a horrifically mistreated one at that – these practices would intuitively and typically be traumatic and awful for her. But it is made clear that much of this talk is done in a playful way. Each scene includes that all three are careful to always be checking in with Riya with concern, making sure that what is being done and said is to her pleasure. They have all communicated prior to each other what they enjoy. We do not witness in the book what these conversations look like, but the fact that they have taken place is mentioned multiple times throughout. Much of it is a game of playing with the idea of power and the inversion of traditional power ideas. The three bulky warriors take the physical and verbal role of being the dominant and demanding where Riya does the physical and verbal motions of being the submissive obedient. But what is arousing to each individual is the fact that it is Riya who has the real control. She – and they – revel in the fact that she – her existence – has the power to bring these mighty warriors to a pile of mush and pleasure. She has the power to make them lose control over themselves – putting her in control. Their actions, though taken at face value with no context, seem to be about them using her, are purely focused on her pleasure. Their pleasure is derived from hers, and vise-versa, ultimately a mutual enjoyment.
Jax, Torren, and Ronanare also clear, from the start, that though they are physically attracted to her, it is her as a person, as an individual with agency, who they desire and admire. She’s more than sexual pleasure to them; she is their inspiration, their brilliant leader, their partner. Both Riya and the cousins are ultimately learning how to live. Riya comes from the background of slavery, and the cousins from the background of living in a sort of liminal state – having been driven from their planet and in constant guard and fight to regain it. They learn to be people, individuals, who are happy.
We get to see a part of Zandia that has not been over mined by the Finns – a lush Eden where their crystals grow in abundance. The crystals hold a great deal of symbolism for the Zandians and the story. The Zandians subsist on these crystals. It is the source of their life, energy, and strength. The fact that they adorn their mates with their crystals is a way of emphasizing the importance of the relationship. Their mates are the life, subsistence, energy, and reason for being. They can’t exist without these crystals, and their mates are as vital to them as their own breath. It is in this Eden that Riya feels a spark and a peace; there is clearly a change that happens here, though something that can’t be put into words. But it certainly places in the readers’ minds that perhaps Riya’s worries aren’t necessary…
Riya’s guilt becomes too much for her as the women from all the other homesteads become pregnant. She sees that her mates have received her file and it is only a matter of time before they learn the truth. Her guilt drives her away, despite the fact that she sees no joy to life without them. She wants their happiness, and feels she can’t give them complete happiness. Are her mates smart enough – do they truly know her well enough to know that her withholding this was not an act of deceit, but one of survival?
4.5 stars
This is my favourite Zandian book so far, it had such emotional depth and we really got to know Riya as a character. There was such love and caring shown to her, by Ronan, Jax and Tarren, that it felt much more a relationship between equals than in previous books. That isn’t to say that there weren’t some hot punishment scenes, but they were very consensual and really well written.
I liked all four characters, they each brought something special to both the relationship and the book. There are plenty of scenes from the perspective of each of the males which meant I felt as good a connection to them, as I did to Riya. The four worked really well together and I really liked that the ‘bedroom’ scenes didn’t involve acrobatics and the flexibility of a gymnast.
The story totally engaged me with its captivating plot and wonderful characters. Not only is it easy to read, but it is also fun, steamy and packs quite an emotional punch on more than one occasion. It’s a good starting point if you are new to the world of the Zandians, as it is the first set on their home planet. If you are a fan of the series then you really won’t want to miss this one.
“Night of the Zandians” is the first of what I hope are many stories written by the writing duo of Renee Rose and Rebel West. If you don’t know who the Zandians are, then get yourself over to THAT series and get caught up. I’ll wait. Ready? Okay, it’s time for a reverse harem romance with sexy purple warriors with horns that are a direct link to…uh huh. But you knew that already since you know who the Zandians are. What’s that? You haven’t checked out the other series yet? Well, that’s okay. Each story is a standalone with the much needed happily ever after and you shouldn’t get lost when the other characters from the other stories come through. But it helps. And well, the warriors are totally sexy and the women are all incredibly feisty and did I mention the horns?
Yay! More Zandians! Renee Rose brought her Zandians out to play for the Night of… Reverse Harem series. I hope that it’s going to be the start of a new spin-off series from the original books, because I love the Zandians. Those giant, horned, purple aliens have a special place in my heart. Renee invited along Rebel West to help her with this story and it was great.
The Zandians have managed to kick the Fins off their planet and take it back, King Zander announces that his goal is to repopulate and rehabilitate Zandia. Since all the Zandian females of breeding age are already mated, the Zandian males are going to have to find someone to mate. All the escaped human slaves who Zander declared free since they helped fight for the planet are included in the plan to increase the population. Zander says that the males need to form a team and find a human woman to mate. Jax, Tarren, & Ronan, three cousins, already have their eye on their woman, Riya.
Riya is a former agrislave who was really, really tortured by her former slave owners. Now, as a freed woman, she’s been working as a medic for the Zandians. Tarren met her when she was patching him up, and they got a little up close and personal. Then he threatened to spank her when she left safety to go pull in injured.
There are lots of really hot sections of this story, as well as some really romantic parts. But there is also one big section that made me cry. It was really sad, and my heart hurt for everyone involved. But, being a Renee Rose/Rebel West book, I knew I should expect to have some feelz going on. And I did. It was awesome. I really, really hope that there are more books to come, because I don’t want to lose our big guys.
I really enjoyed this book. For me the trick of a Good Reverse Harem book is that you have characters who are well fleshed out so there are well recognised individual characters. And the main female character has a special relationship with each of the man.
This book had all that. Jax, Tarren, & Ronan made me laugh a lot. they were wonderful character and I loved how they treated Riya. they were so proud of her intelligence and her accomplishments and the way she brought life, love and warth with her.
Riya was an amazing character. Smart, strong and a bit sassy. I loved seeing her explore all her possibilities. This was also an emotional read.
I can’t wait to read the next book.
Night of the Zandians is a deliciously sexy read that leaves you begging for your own alien mates! Zandians have finally taken their planet back with the help of some slave humans. (All humans have become slaves). The king puts a re-population plan down and the human females must mate with a group of Zandians. Riya is terrified of this, not only was she abused as a slave she was left infertile from the abuse. Tarren, Ronan, and Jax have chosen her as their mate, she hides the fact she’s infertile and goes along with it fearing what would happen if anyone knew.
Tarren is my favorite, he’s so strong and gruff yet he shows a vulnerable side to him that leaves me breathless. Ronan is my second favorite, he has self image issues that really drew me into him. He has these issues yet at the same time he’s the jokester of the three and never lets Riya see his doubts. Jax is the laid back one who takes everything as it comes, yet he’s still fiercely protective. All three of them make an amazing team of mates for Riya. Riya is brave and strong, yet she’s also plagued with doubts from keeping up her secret for so long.
This fast paced story had everything I love about sci-fi romance. Aliens, new planets, mates, and different ideals. It’s one you will get lost in and not want to leave!
This book made me cry but am so happy for Riya.
Book one in the Zandian Brides series a well written story with a good storyline. This is human Riya and her Mates Tarren, Jax, and Ronan’s story which I enjoyed reading I will be reading the rest of this series. I read a copy through K.U. and I am voluntarily reviewing.
I love the Zandian series, although I’m not a big fan of multiple partners. The author does, however, seem to write to a scripted plot theme. It’s very predictable, but that’s probably the point of this fantasy theme. The sex scenes are a bit redundant throughout the book and unbelievable, but again, that’s probably the point of the books. I skip them and just read the the rest which makes it a very quick read. I wish the author would do less unbelievable sex and more plot and character development, because I love the premise of the Zandians winning back their planet and realizing the potential of the humans! I wish I could find more books of this genre without the Penthouse Forum sex scenes!
Great read
Zandian females are rare and when you find one that can keep the Zandians race alive would you marry her and keep the promise you made to your dad. Or would you marry the sassy, backtalking human that get underneath your skin and teases you mercifully and can’t stop thinking about?
This is an HEA
Anyone who knows me knows that I love romance but Sci-Fi has never been my go to genre. That being said, I am always open minded and willing try a new adventure in romance with a “new to me” author, especially if it is co-written by one of my all time favorite authors. So I decided that I needed to dive into Night of the Zandians and try out Renee Rose’s writing while basking in Alexis Alvarez’s talent once again while writing as Rebel West . It wasn’t long and they had me completely riveted to this rather desolate post war planet that is trying to rebuild and repopulate by mating human women with the colorful, massive, and hot Zandian males! And if that isn’t enough to get your pulse pounding, Renee and Rebel gives us not one but three horned, eager, and captivating heroes to satisfy one slightly distrustful and weary heroine! Talk about a story full of sexual desires, angst, and emotions running wild!
Riya is a woman who has been through such trials and tribulations that have left her body scarred along with her mind and heart. I couldn’t help but feel for this heroine who deserves so much better than the torture that she has received in the past. When she looks at her new mates Tarren, Jax, and Ronan you can see the fear and uncertainty that rises to the surface in her mind. It is troubling to hear about her past but once you meet her three mates, a reader is filled with nothing but hope and a rising temperature from the heat waves of desire that explodes between all of them when they are in the same room together.
I think out of all of three of the Zandian males that Riya is paired with, my heart most belongs to Tarren. He is fierce, protective, and his silence and intensity is often misunderstood. I loved getting to know this hero that is at first reluctant to share but instead shows Riya that he will claim every inch of her body and her heart and help her find unimaginable pleasure in the arms of him and his cousins.
Jax has kindness, intelligence, and sexiness that oozes from every pore and leaves no doubt that even though he doesn’t seem as intense at Tarren, he is more than capable of rocking Riya’s world! He always thinks about Riya’s needs first and cherishes her in every way! Jax melted my heart with his thoughtful and attentiveness towards Riya.
I don’t know what it is about a cocky, and humor filled hero that rattles me to the core and puts a smile on my face but Ronan does that and so much more! I enjoyed every moment with this slightly younger male who inspires laughter at every turn. He puts the sparkle back in Riya’s eyes and shows her that there is more good left in this world. As if his humor isn’t enough to obliterate all of Riya’s defenses, he keeps things extra hot in the bedroom and always leaves Riya breathing heavy and flushed with pleasure.
Renee Rose and Rebel West deliver an amazing tale that keeps our hearts palpitating with visions of horned men doing much more than dancing in our heads..wink, wink! I highly recommend Night of Zandians for a venture into another world filled with sexual tension, high emotions, and hope for survival of the planet. Renee and Rebel show us that love and uncontrollable desire comes in many different shapes, forms, and colors and can be out of this world exciting and thought provoking. I can’t wait to step back into this fictional world and become enraptured with these colorful characters again!
A good story once it gets going
I did enjoy reading this book, the characters were strong and the storyline was interesting to read. I was tempted to skim through some of the tedious parts to get to fresh content, because I enjoyed the interactions between the main characters, but it dragged in some places and it was repetitive. Some information was just dragged out in the name of dramatic suspense but you got the ideas anyway. Rita was a strong character, I could see her having a great impact on Zandian society in future books, maybe discuss what caused her miracle at the end?
A woman with a secret and 3 hot aliens who want her, how can you go wrong. This is another hit for Ms Rose, this series just keeps getting better. The Zandian’s have retaken their home world and now need to repopulate it and with the human’s who came with them, that’s what they’re going to do.
Night of the Zandians: an RH HEA filled with love!
“My mates cannot find out I’m not able to reproduce.”
Riya is a human, a slave by the Zandians. She is good for nothing but servitude or breeding.
“Without saying it out loud, Jax and I both know we’ll apply as a team with our other cousin, Ronan. We’re family and we stick together.”
Tarren, Jax, and Ronan. Three Zandian cousins needing to choose a mate to help repopulate their planet. Will the mate they pick be their salvation or their penance?
“They trust me and care for me so much, and I can’t keep up my deception much longer, and it’s killing me.”
When Riya makes a desperate decision, hoping to spare her mates, how do Tarren, Jax, and Ronan take the news?
“I don’t care,” Tarren says, and stands up. “I want her anyway…”
(Jax) I get up, and stand beside him, as if we are readying ourselves for war. “I am with you.”
(Ronan) Finally he gets to his feet and comes toward us, extending both hands. We each take one and squeeze.
King Zander clears his throat. “Are you saying that the four of you want to continue on as a mated team?”
“Yes!” say all my Zandians at once.
True love conquers all! I loved Night of the Zandians (Zandian Brides #1). Riya, Tarren, Jax, and Ronan leapt from the page and into my imagination. Renee Rose and Rebel West are creative and intelligent Writers that capture the senses and transport the reader into their world.
I can’t wait to read more about the Zandians!
Enjoyed this read. I really feel for Riya…to have been abused for so long and to finally find love and acceptance only with the threat of losing it all hanging over your head…a very tough situation and I don’t think I would have acted differently had it been me. Love prevails….truly enjoy having all this drama with an HEA at the end.
THIS IS THE BEST ZANDIAN tale! HOT, HOT, HOT! Three alien men who share one human female. What could go wrong? LOL you will have to get this one and read to find out! The wonderful writing of authors Rose and West should take a bow, as this was the best of all the Zandian novels I have read. Don’t get me wrong, all the Renee Rose’s Zandian novels are wonderful romances, wildly entertaining, with humor, suspense and HOT, HOT scenes galore. TITLE is the best so far, but should I also admit that I have felt that way about each of the novels? However, TITLE really is the best because I was able to totally mind-meld with Riya. The authors described her so completely and then through her angst and how her mates spoke about her, I felt her, understood her pain and her willingness to sacrifice because she loved so completely and unconditionally. While I was given an ARC copy of TITLE to prepare this honest voluntary review, I have already purchase a preview copy, so I can place this book within my favorites collection, so I can read it again. This reader/reviewer is giving TITLE her STRONGEST, HIGHEST recommendation to purchase this romance! You will be so glad you did. Happy pages!
Now that the Zandians have reclaimed their planet, it’s time to rebuild and repopulate.
Riya gets claimed by three cousins, Tarrin, Ronan and Jax. They convince Riya to let them pierce her with their crystals so she will be seen as theirs and prove their claim on her. Riya has been a slave who worked on an agrifarm but she is smart and knows a lot about working the soil and growing crops that most don’t know. She can be a big help with renewing life on the planet along with her mates. One problem that she has, but can do nothing about, must be kept secret or she might lose her mates and even be banished from the planet.
Riya must keep her secret at all costs, so she does her best to be a contributing part of the renewal of the planet even though repopulating it might be an impossibility for her. I loved the way everyone is organized and the new life they all work towards improving the land and it’s people so they can thrive for the future generations.
Great addition to the story of the Zandians and I LOVED the ending!
Holy hotness! One former human slave, three Zandian warriors, and a world destroyed. Riveting in every way!
SPOILER ALERT: WHILE THIS IS A STANDALONE REVERSE HAREM BOOK, IT DOES DRAW ON THE HISTORY AND BACKSTORY OF THE ZANDIAN MASTERS AND ZANDIAN BRIDES SERIES BY RENEE ROSE. IT’S HELPFUL IF YOU READ THE PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THOSE SERIES FOR THE BACKSTORY ON MANY OF THESE CHARACTERS. OTHERWISE, THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS.
The lowest of the low, an Ocretian agrifarm slave, abused in every possible way, Riya’s been accused of murder and sentenced to death. Then the Zandians rescue her from the death pod. Even then, Riya knows she’ll never be safe. The barcode tattooed on her neck ensures that. At least she’s no longer a slave. But is she truly free? After the Finn are defeated and Zandia’s reclaimed, the jubilation is contagious. But isn’t there always a catch? There are so few Zandians left. The Finn assured that. With all the existing Zandian females mated and the Zandian males outnumbering the human females by the hundreds, King Zander makes it clear that homesteading is a priority. But this can only occur through matched mates, multiple males to a single female. Why? Increasing the population is THE priority. Genetic testing becomes a requirement for the matches. But cousins Tarren, Jax, and Ronan aren’t going to wait for that nonsense. Riya’s impressed Tarren in so many ways. Jax and Ronan feel a magnetic pull to Riya as well. All three decide Riya’s their mate. But does Riya get any choice? She’s more than attracted to the three purple, horned, and oh so hot Zandians. But her secrets run deep. While their charms are certainly not lost on her, Riya knows this can never work. Her instincts tell her this is the worst mistake of her life, but she can’t resist. As the four take on the daunting task of restoring their homestead, it’s Riya who shines. Her genius, from plants to medical brilliance, innovation, ability to create solutions from nothing, highlight her ingenuity. She make herself indispensable to her mates and the entire planet. But, in the depths of her soul, she knows the life she dearly loves is doomed. Zandians don’t tolerate lies. Deception is anathema to them. And Riya’s secrets are the ultimate betrayal of every Zandian on the planet. When Riya spills every hidden secret, it rips her apart and razes her world to the ground. She shatters Ronan, Jax, and Tarren in the process. They can’t forgive her deception. This is the ultimate betrayal! What will happen to Riya? Even with all the good she’s brought to Zandia, certain death appears inevitable. Is there any redemption to be found? Highly unlikely! Ultimately, will her deepest fear, death as the ultimate reckoning, finally come true?
To say I loved this book would be an vast understatement! Riya’s complexity and inner battles with herself make her one of the most troubled and unique heroines I’ve encountered. She couldn’t be more conflicted. She’s brilliant. But her troubled past, personal doubts, and fears cripple her. Tarren, Jax, and Ronan are the very essence of dominance. While they’re dominant in the extreme, they’re not idiots. They’re certainly not abusive in any way. The Zandian code of honor is sacred. Dominance DOESN’T mean forcing anything. The vast gulf between life experiences, hidden secrets, and trauma existing between these four don’t just create drama. These conflicts are the central theme of the book. Ms. Rose and Ms. West have woven the intricacy of these personalities into a tapestry of such depth that it shows their true talent. The story is absolutely brilliant and is another outstanding addition to the Zandian reading experience! I was on pins and needles from the very beginning. Predictable? Oh, no! These two authors have continued the Zandian series with a book that’s exceptional. Night of the Zandians deserves nothing less than five stars! Congratulations, Ms. Rose and Ms. West, on an exceptional book
A final note. Be an informed reader! This is an ADULT book. It contains explicit language and BDSM sexual scenes. If you don’t enjoy this genre, this may not be the book for you. There are book synopses and reviews available on Goodreads and Amazon. Use these resources. Don’t leave a negative review when you know you won’t enjoy the book. It’s not fair to the authors. They work extremely hard to provide a quality work product. If you know you’ll object to a book’s subject matter before you buy it, you’re doing yourself and the authors an extreme disservice.
Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!
This is the first book of the Zandians that I have read, and I was very impressed. Having found that this is related to other books did not make me feel that I was missing anything. The story does go into a bit of the past and explain things so that the story flowed very well. The premise of the story revolves around the Zandians taking back their planet and now needing to repopulate their people. The problem is that there are not enough Zandian women, so the human women that are aiding them are now on the way to being brides.
The problem with this is that not all of the women want mates. Riya is such a woman. She has been brutalized by per previous slave masters and doesn’t want to trade one form of servitude for another, but she has no choice. But, not only will she be a bride … but a bride to multiple males. Multiple tall dangerous males that are breed for war. But also, these are dominant males who use pleasure to as a form of punishment. They are all being given the chance of a new start, but Riya carries a secret that could destroy everything.
Tarrren and his cousins Jax and Ronan all agree that they want Riya, but they need to work for it and work to prove that they are males worthy of her. They know that she was a former slave, but they have no depth of understanding for what has been done to her … mostly because she hasn’t told them and they have not gotten her file. Her secrets could tear them apart and destroy any future that they could have for the Zandians do not like lies or deceit.
This was a very lovely story and the heat level between the characters is off the scales. There are dominant plays through the book, but I think it only enhanced the flavor of it. Riya made me cry at times. Her strength is astounding. And the way that the cousins show their love of her and their life was beautiful. They all had to overcome fear of the past and move past obstacles to reach for their future. There were quite a few times that I smiled while reading and cheered for the grouping. Beautiful! I would highly recommend this book.
eARC through L Woods PR