“Viciously compelling!” – Anna Zaires, NY Times bestselling author Thumb brushing her lips like a kiss, he promised, “In time, you will learn you need not fear me.” Setting her free, Sovereign’s enigmatic expression grew dark. “You will love me. It is inevitable.” Under my touch, her body sings. None but I possessing the secrets that draw out Sigil’s every last sigh. My bride, my cornered prey. … out Sigil’s every last sigh. My bride, my cornered prey.
To possess her, I have hunted my cherished queen across the galaxy, my armada crushing any haven she might seek, driving her into desperation. All so I might stand before her and tell Sigil how deeply she is loved.
There is nowhere else for her to flee, and no soul that can keep her from me.
I hate that I must chain her, I hate that she is afraid. But I know how dangerous the only female of my species can be.
more
I suppose we’re both monsters; Black hair hung in his eyes as he turned her chin to taste her mouth. “At least I didn’t try to eat her, lost lamb.
Oh, my Star and moon this was bloody good.
Like seriously I really couldn’t get enough of this darkly sadistic depraved tale.
I’m not even sure how to start describing this madhouse of mayhem.
So this places us in a fictional fantasy landscape set in space, so its a sci-fi Yes?
Well, it sort of is but its also so much more sci-fi / Erotica / Horror / dystopian; We have a bit of everything all mashed up together to create this fantastical adventure that I honestly have nothing to compare it to.
everything that shouldn’t have worked did; this author has the exceptional ability to create whole masterpieces when it comes to her world building skills.
This is something she absolutely excels at.
What she’s is also a master at is giving me a story that I didn’t even know I wanted never mind needed.
I am having quite a time lately with dark fiction that I am actually struggling to accept emotionally which as a result is reflecting in my final book ratings.
I am not even sure what the correct combination for myself even is so to expect anyone else to get it is a bloody long stretch, but Addison Cain seems to have punched my ticket because she gets the formula correct for me every single time.
Definite auto-buy author.
This is dark dubious material skirting the edge constantly in regards to its content.
dub-con bordering at times on non-con and I seriously devoured every depraved scenario we were given here.
Oh, Sigil.” Sovereign slid his lips over her ear. “It had to happen this way. Can you not already feel me working inside you, undoing the damage? Does it not satisfy to be mounted by your own kind? Every time we mate, you’ll know completion. You’ll chemically recognize your place until you are healed of the poison they inflicted on you to punish me.
Sigil/Quinn is a complete psychopath with very few redeeming qualities of these anomalies was her compulsion to save neglected children and provide them with an alternative (probably an understandable result of her own horrific childhood)
And her love of Que her unemotional alien companion and saviour.
Her devotion and internal gratitude to this particular individual is very apparent.
While playing the role of master and slave on the space station Pax Sigil is discovered by the very species that she has been evading for years.
With Sovereign and the brothers ready to reclaim Sigil as imperial Consort to the Irdesi empire they are willing to do whatever it takes to claim and dominate this elusive escapee.
Sigil is right back at ya and the trials and agonies she is willing to endure to evade sovereigns attentions was truly astounding.
Sovereign I’m still not sure of but I do think he generally cares in his own unique fashion and even when he does what is necessary his words still reflect his hope and blind devotion that Sigil will return his affections some day.
We left Sigil (Irdesi Empire #1) on a shocking cliffhanger that had me screaming NO!!!
Will be starting the next instalment immediately after that one; how could I not.
Before I go just a small observation Sigil, in my opinion, is one of the most crazy-ass female characters I have ever encountered.
I mean geez this girl has actually eaten people.
Quinn envisioned plucking out one of his unimaginable eyes and crushing it to jelly—or maybe eating it, swallowing down a piece of him while he watched. The fantasy blossomed, made her smile, and she slipped further into manic bloodlust.
What am I saying she was completely the bomb and I adored her crazy lab-engineered butt.
You so rock girlie.
I am really looking forward to my next Sigil fix.
This won’t be one for everyone, but this one was definitely my particular brand of bad.
As an added bonus Sigil (Irdesi Empire #1) is also available through KU.
For clarification, this review is for the re-released book.
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
http://www.beckiebookworm.com
Wow what a read, Addison Cain is quickly becoming the find of the year for me, outstanding books, I loved Branded Captive and can’t wait for book 2,
I loved the Alpha series but this one has it all, Sci/Fi, Erotica, Fantasy, and a bit of horror thrown in to keep the heart pounding and the juices running. Addison has something for me that a lot of authors seem to miss when writing other world books, The World building and not just page after page of mumbo Jumbo but detailed worlds and characters that flow easily into the story, the imagination of this author is second to none for me, I was hooked from the first chapter and didn’t let go till the last. I have book 2 to go and get now. Sigil is a dark, get down and fantastically dirty ride of a book, and has so many twists and turns in the book it will definitely keep you reading. That ending though ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, good job book 2 is available.
Quinn is a hell of a woman she is so feisty kickass, doesn’t take no crap from anyone, she is still a woman who does not want to give up control. This was an absolute cracker of a read for me as I truly love strong, confident, comfortable in their own skin heroines who all though they submit, still have that fighting spirit that sets them apart from the usual doormats. Which seems to be more and more of late. I want to see a heroine nail a man to the wall by his balls instead of falling madly in love just once. this came close
Highly recommended read
We have a kick ass heroin which I absolutely loved for me that is now a key element to reading ,so many books were the leading lady is a doormat. One of my all time favorite films is The Fifth Element and I felt like the lead female was based around that character its not a criticism in any way, just a brilliant character well thought out. well done Addison Cain on another fantastic read.Sigil
So. Very. Awesome! I absolutely loved this one. It’s a great story with a kick-ass, just a wee bit psychotic heroine and some hot sexy times. The story does continue on in a second book so be prepared.
I read the first version ages ago, and I loved it. But the updated version is so much better. It’s more consistent, you get a bit more background information and it’s a little less macabre. Not much as we are still dealing with Sigil.
We meet Sigil, a very traumatized psychotic genetic modified human “slave”. She occupy the trash infested Pax, which she uses as her playground. The slave collar gives her access to travel almost everywhere on Pax. And her owner Que a huge alien axirlan, a species know for being emotionless, saved her and humanized her when she was a child. Now he lets her do as she pleases. But spends time away the station. Together they are hiding Sigil from the human empire, conquered by her likewise genetic modified “brothers” or sheep as she likes to call them. They are led by Sovereign , the strongest of them all and he will do anything to get Sigil back, as she is the only female and she was designed to entice him. Unfortunately she was also trained to kill him, and when in proximity to Sovereign or her brothers, she loosed control a try to kill them and anything else nearby. So when one of the brothers show up on Pax it can only go wrong, especially when Sovereign discover Sigil whereabouts.
It was really fantastic read, dark and very hot (hard not be when it’s filled with hot guys). It deals with cannibalism, so if that not your thing, don’t read it.
Sci-Fi Dark Reverse Harem – Definitely Out of this World!!
Quinn has been programmed to kill a certain individual; Sovereign. The effort to stay away has her losing control across the galaxy and decimating those around her with psionic power. Now she stays with Que an Axirlan who displays no emotion – a perfect foil for her struggles with emotion and losing control.
When Sovereign discovers where she is; he and his men come to reveal she has another purpose and submitting to him with both pain and aggression will cure her compulsion. Quinn has not survived this long just to give up her freedom. Let the games begin.
Dystopian, erotic and fascinating world where we struggle and relate with Quinn / Sigil as she tries to come to grips to her new reality. Can’t wait for more of this chronicle.
Sigil was awesome. This is a Sci-fi, horror erotica story. That may seem odd, but trust me when I say it works. Sigil is tough and she is a bad ass that will eat you if you piss her off. I love the way Addison builds these imaginary worlds, and makes you feel a part of them. This book has some of the hottest sex scenes and it is a must read. Can’t wait for the rest of the series.
This review is for the extended version of Sigil by Addison Cain.
Holy s#it. I could not put this book down.
Quinn & Que are carving out an existence for themselves in a remote part of the galaxy on a s#ithole station filled with the scum of the universe and ruled by a cruel, evil mistress.
Though life is hard, violent, and unstable… Quinn is even more so. This lady is BadAss. Her lover, Que, the only thing keeping her sane. Then the Empire arrives and s#it hits the fan in a monumental way.
I devoured every single word Cain put to each page. I craved the darkness she created, even more than what she offered, but I feel it was just enough to satisfy.
Her world building brought the station to life. Her character development was on point. From the evil lizard mistress to the questionable humanness of the Sovereign and his Brothers (what are they really?)… I am intrigued.
I will not spoil this book, but to say that I was captivated, furious, devastated, and emotionally abused is an understatement…. I loved it.
Highly recommended as a dark scifi thriller.
No HEA in this book (muhahaha). Ends in a bit of a cliffhanger if you want to hear their story continued, which I definately do.
NonCon & graphic violence
The long awaited expanded version of Addison Cain’s Sigil is live!
I’ve been following Sigil and the Irdesi Empire since its infancy on Literotica. I can’t say enough about this magnificent and skillfully written story. Addison takes us into a dark world where secrets reign and violence is a heartbeat away, all in the name of one lost woman who doesn’t want to be found.
***updated review for the newer updated/extended version***
It’s been a while since I read the ‘original’ version of this book, so the extra content and new editing wasn’t obvious to me. However that just goes to show how well the reworking has been done, you really could not see the ‘seems’. I felt the story flowed more smoothly on this read through, and it was easier to follow both the descriptions and action more easily. Whether this was as a result of reading the book for the second time or due to the updated content I couldn’t say. However it was fantastic to revisit this amazing story, even if it did break my heart all over again.
***original review****
I loved this book that much that upon finishing it I instantly bought book 2 and am now kicking my heels wondering when book 3 will be out.
It does contain rape (and in a contemporary romance this is usually a hard limit for me), but this is very much a sci-fi/dystopian /alien book and with two beings so totally at war with each other that it did fit into the story line.
You do spend most of the story not sure of many facts – I liked this because it very much puts you in the same place as Quinn/Sigil. She is fed lies, untruths and distorted facts and even when Sovereign does tell her something often it is a half truth or manipulated in a way to best serve himself.
This is a dark story with a lot of violence, death and murder. Despite the fact that much of this is committed by Sigil, there is something still very much likeable and endearing about her. The Quinn part of her is very much a redeeming quality.
This is a dark story with a lot of violence, death and murder. Despite the fact that much of this is committed by Sigil, there is something still very much likeable and endearing about her. The Quinn part of her is very much a redeeming quality.
I was gripped by the story, the writing is of a high standard, the prose flowed smoothly and was easy to follow. The book is written third person but mainly, though not exclusively, follows Quinn/Sigil. The characters are well written but what you see is not what you get, through this book, and more especially book 2 we discover that friends and enemies are not easy to distinguish.
This book intrigued me enough to buy book 2. It was book 2 that really drew me into the story. This book definitely contains a lot of character building and setting of background information but it also contains a lot of action and adventure too.
I can’t recommend this book enough – although it does end on a cliff hanger and you will need to read the rest of the books to complete the story.
Ok I’m afraid I am one of *those* people who did not manage to connect with this series. That said I have read half of book 2 (Sovereign) and I still can’t finish it.
Here’s why. And you might wonder why I’m giving it 3* when I can’t completely connect? Because I do think that the world building is very good – the world the Author has created here I can picture and see, I think there is great imagination used here and that takes it from a 2* to a 3* for me.
But as I said I just could not properly connect. I have seen some who think there is too much fighting, violence and unnecessary mutilation…. I don’t have any issues with this.
Yes it’s a book with scenes that are not for the feint of heart – so do be warned, the book is psychologically triggering in many areas – I def. read it with a higher pulse than normal in many section, it had me at the end of my chair some places – but I still felt too lost.
That said I am not normally a Sci-fi reader. I’m very new to the category, and you could argue that maybe Sigil was not the best choice to go for as an “introduction” hehee.
But it was recommended all over the place. It’s not a BAD book – it’s just not…I guess it’s just not up my ally just yet. In the future I will most likely re-read it and will then update the review after I re-read it, but for now it’s stuck on 3*.
As for my confusion – this has most likely a lot to do with what exactly Sigil is. Now when you read this book you can not imagine her as a human being, she might look human – but she is in fact a clone which a LOT of different alien DNA – she was made for a specific purpose.
As long as you keep that in mind and don’t put human morals ahead – you might be less lost and find some of her behaviour less …odd.
Yet another winner from Addison Cain. Set in a universe all its own, we meet an antiheroine that is somewhere in-between a dark, murderous monster and a lost little girl. You can’t help but get sucked in this twisty tale and want to learn more about the universe it is set in. Again her excellent writing is on full display as the characters are fully developed messes and the plot is not a vapid vehicle for sex scenes (which is a breath of fresh air compared to most erotic fiction). We learn by glimpses into the main character’s past but never get the full story, which is great as again, I hate bizarre backstory data dumps that always comes off as forced. It sets up for more questions as it answers and along with tantalizing sex scenes both leaving you wanting for more (which you get in the second book).
Only downsides I see is that if you aren’t into dark, dark themes, especially of a sexual nature, these books are not for you. Lots of killing, blood, gore and rape are going on in this book, so if you don’t like such, do not read this. Personally she writes so compellingly that to me it’s just deviantly delicious and adds to how perfectly screwed up these characters are – and you love them for it. You feel for them because of it. You want to heal them because of it.
Plus, once more you get a punch to the gut ending as Addison is the Empress of these, so don’t go looking for happy endings here. If you like the void of space-level black hearted stories, come here and then go buy the second book for more of the same!
Wow what a steamy read that will have you not wanting to put down this dark Sci-fi read. I’m not into this kind of read but this was a draw you in and loving this dark gritty read that will have you hooked from the first words tell the very end. This story is ruled by a cruel, evil mistress, so hang on because you will have a steamy read ahead of you.
This is a very unconventional scifi romance novel. But one of the best I have ever read. Engaging, interesting, horrible yet still beautifully told. If you were to break down this book into parts, some of them shouldn’t work, like certain aspects of the heroine’s proclivities. That being said this story does work and is a fine example of how to write science fiction romance extremely well. I read the sequel and warn that you will find it impossible not to read the next installment. I hope there is a third or even more to come from this series. If you enjoy a smart romance look no further than Addison Cain.
Now, I need to start out by saying that if you aren’t into forced intercourse (rape is such an ugly word) you might want to give this book a second thought. But…this gal isn’t your ordinary human. She likes it rough…very rough…like choking and bloodshed rough. She’s genetically engineered, brainwashed by lies and conditioned by torture. So, keep an open mind if you decide to pick up this book and enjoy…I did. I’ll probably pick up the next in the series to see if they ever get along…wondering if Sovereign’s feelings are real will drive me nuts!
When we are first introduced to Quinn she is living under the radar as a dancer and pleasure slave on Pax. It is a place on the verge of anarchy, where debauchery is second nature to those that inhabit the station. Her companion is Que, an Axirlan male who has taken care of Quinn over the years and helped her control her violent, impulsive nature that she herself is trying to understand. When she is discovered by a herald of the Irdesi Empire, the Sovereign and his brothers come to claim her. Unbeknownst to Quinn, they have been looking for her for years, thinking she was dead. Sovereign wants her badly for she is destined to be his consort, her real name is Sigil. You feel for Quinn/Sigil’s suffering over the years and what she was ‘born’ to be. Except for Que, no one has her best interest and uses her for their own selfish desires. She is in a battle to control herself in the many scenarios that she is thrown in. Would highly recommend the sci-fi erotic horror world that Addison Cain has created.
This dark romance, reverse harem, sci-fi, dystopia is book one of the “IRDESI EMPIRE” series. If that didn’t get your attention, then let me not forget to mention it’s written by Addison Cain.
So many emotions with this one. It took me a bit to get a feel for the world these characters were a part of but once I felt on solid ground, it grabbed hold and didn’t let go until I finished. Truthfully, I’m not sure if there is a hero/heroine situation or if we have an antihero/anti-heroine.
We’re introduced to Quinn. Her history broke my heart giving me an understanding of the woman whose life we are allowed to become a part of. She’s hard as nails, vicious beyond belief, conflicted about her emotional reactions and yet in some instances, she’s naïve, loyal and compassionate.
And then we meet Sovereign and his brothers. I don’t believe they’re the blood related type of brothers, but a group of males who have reached that level of trust with each other. They’ve been hunting for Sigil, aka Quinn, for one hundred years trying to catch up with her.
I’m blown away by the storyline, especially since the premise is something brand new to me. Blending the characters with their flawed personalities only brings things to a higher level. Be prepared for a HUGE cliffhanger in book one. Here’s hoping my unanswered questions will be answered in book two. I can’t wait.
I was offered this book through Bookfunnel and was thrilled to be able to read this and give my review.
Sigil: A Reverse Harem Dark Romance (Irdesi Empire Book 1) Kindle Edition
by Addison Cain (Author)
No one does dark like Addison Cain. Twisted, dark love stories are her stock and trade. Sigil is one of the best examples of her unique and disturbing imagination.
For decades, she has been on the run from her past. Always hiding, always waiting until she loses control. But she is more than she appears and far more than she imagines.
She was created as an equal and a mate for the ruling class of warriors, like Sovereign, she is strong, dominant and dangerous.
Sovereign and his men have hunted for her, the only female who can sate their darkest desires and fill their souls. The last place they thought they would find her was an illegal space port, pretending to be a slave. They couldn’t help themselves, they had to rescue her, take her, make her their own.
Filled with action, violence and other twisted pieces, Sigil touched me in the parts that I’d prefer to not visit but draw me in.
I loved it.
4 stars out of 5.
https://www.amazon.com/Sigil-Reverse-Romance-Irdesi-Empire-ebook/dp/B01LZ0J815
Nice writing..moved along well, just get disappointed when it’s a series.
Sigil is one of the most take no crap main character’s that I have seen in a long time. At first I wasn’t too sure how I was going to feel about this one since I am not usually the sci-fi type reader, but it didn’t take very long for me at all to get sucked into the world Addison Cain has created here.
Full of aliens, genetically modified sexy super humans, and a kick butt heroine trying to run from her destiny. I devoured this story and could not wait to jump into the next book to see what was going to happen next.
Not really my cup of tea but I will read the rest of the series because I do like the author overall.