There is no Quinn without Que. Her only family murdered, the males of her species governing the prison designed to contain her, Sigil mourns. Que had been her world, but it is Sovereign who enters her body day and night. No man has loved a woman more, and no woman has hated a man with such passion.She cannot help it. Designed to be the perfect slave soldier, programmed to exterminate her own … programmed to exterminate her own kind, Sigil wants nothing more than to butcher those who would save her.
Sovereign’s many Brothers lavish her with attention, taking turns practicing seduction to woo the only female who might propagate their species. No matter twisting limbs or thrusting bodies, no matter opulent gifts and distraction, Sigil sees what they seek to hide.
There is a dangerous secret Sovereign and his Brothers cannot conceal forever, though they are willing to risk the empire, their lives, and even her sanity trying. Is that not the definition of love?
Publisher’s Note: The second installment in Addison Cain’s provocative and raw Irdesi Empire series is a dark tale with explicit sexual themes and complete power exchange. Some scenes are written to be disturbing. If such material offends you, please do not purchase.
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This gets a full house in regards to my rating just because as per usual whether I actually liked where the story was heading or not there was no way on heaven or earth anyone would have been able to prise me away from this disturbing table of events.
I don’t want to actually go into to much detail here mainly because this just needs to be experienced in all its unapologetic entirety.
To actually comprehend the whys and whatevers of all involved here you need to intermesh yourself fully into the landscape and mindsets of all involved.
We are dealing with an almost hive mindset with a morally reprehensible outlook on all its society.
So basically the alliance and sigil are actually the bad guys and though you never can really condone their actions I could at least get to a point in my head where I could see how they had arrived at this current crossroads in the Alliances overall objective.
It is really all about protecting and acquiring precious sigil she is really the key to everything that has occurred and will occur despite her abhorrence for this fact.
In Sovereign, we delve more into the emotional side of Sigil but don’t expect her to suddenly blossom into all that is good and kind Our precious girl is still the psychotic sociopathic killer from the previous book as the brothers discover time and time again.
This story was so interesting and despite certain directions that I would have prefered otherwise, I was transfixed throughout; Addison Cain is definitely an author I can’t get enough of.
Her dark mind delves into crevises others fear to tread appaling and enthralling me equally.
So this was left in my opinion slightly open-ended for future story development which was great as I felt I got closure while still eagerly anticipating the next shocking chapter.
As such I am happy to wait even though I really do want it right now; just because I am so bloody impatient for my next fix.
I am going to leave you with my favourite quote from the whole book just to entice.
“Stop?” Sovereign’s grip tightened his voice razor blades. “It is always stop, isn’t it? I give you gentleness, you fight. I build you an empire, you hate me for it! I could take you here, on these very dead right now. I could make you, and you couldn’t stop me—just like you couldn’t stop me on Pax. I could push into your body anytime I wanted.” He bit at her mouth, lapped her lips before he shoved the startled woman away. “There is no STOP! There is only wait. Wait while you fuck my Brother. Wait while you mourn a being who never loved you. And I will wait, Sigil. You would be surprised how far my patience will extend. But there is never, ever going to be a stop. I don’t even think the grave could keep me from you
I borrowed Sovereign (Irdesi Empire, #2) with my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
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This one left me a little broken
I was truly at a loss for words as I read the closing scene
I feel a great sense of loss and emptiness while at the same time I was left with just a small trickle of hope
Sigil has suffered so much loss and betrayal..
Each time she is close to her happy ever after – or in her position -an acceptance of her reality – her beliefs are once again distorted leaving her heart shattered and her soul crying out for redemption – trapped in an endless cycle of loss and pain
Yet still – she radiates – she hopes and she loves –
Tired and out of options she has no choice but to leave her most important treasure in the hands of the brothers – leaving with them her one chance for hope and
This is an emotional read – friends become enemies – painful truths are revealed – futures are questioned- and monsters are created
“A singular creature created for the Empire, capable of wreaking chaos & vengeance…sometimes via cannibalism”
This story dives right into the aftermath years spent caring for Sigil after she spectacularly loses control after the death of her beloved Que, the one and only male who had taken her in, nourished her, and given her everything that she really ever needed, companionship, safety, comfort, security, & sex. A forced sleep spanning decades leaves her mind still just as broken, relentlessly grieving for a loss so great, she may never recover. She is now firmly in Sovereign’s grasp, and with a firmly united campaign, Sovereign and his Brothers treat her with reverence & patience (mostly), and she begins to finally show signs of emerging out of her emotionally traumatized shell…until an event occurs which rocks her right back into uncontrollable loss and she takes back control the only way she knows how.
Sigil is an ultimate force to be reckoned with. She functions on a somewhat higher, but paradoxically more primal plane than many around her, but this story and her interactions with the pivotal characters show her capable of so much more. And these same characters have very individual intents behind their devotion to her. The engrossing layers just keep getting deeper and deeper, especially after she arrives on Irdesi Prime. Looking forward to Book #3 with great anticipation!
Sigil, who was hiding under the alias Quinn while on the run, has woken up after a 47 year sleep and is grief stricken over the death of her master Que. During Sigil’s sleep, there were operations, gene therapy and augmentation to fix the damage done to her. Sigil has trouble adjusting to her new life as consort to Irdesian Emperor Sovereign and his brothers but will time heal all wounds and see Sigil finding happiness even in the face of upheaval?
Addison Cain delivers a dark, brutal and action-packed story full of twists and turns for a book that’s a page turner. I can’t wait to read Que, Book 3 of the Irdesi Empire series.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book
This is an expanded version of an exceptional tale. It’s an amazing story that held me entranced the entire time.
Holy riveting spaceballs part two…
I discovered this author last year and I am a slave to her words. I am held captive in the web she spins. I hope she finishes part three soon because I am dying here (figuratively not literally- although that might be debatable). Hands down one of the best series that I have ever read. I am truly in awe of this author and her world building skills. Everything she writes about is so out of this world and yet somehow this author makes it appear in your imagination as if it was something tangible that I would encounter on a daily basis. This author is sublime– for lack of a better word.
Sigil. My heart aches for this character. I cannot imagine having so much power and yet in the same breath have none. She is such a strong woman but also has her whole existence be manipulated to serve the brotherhood. She is a futuristic Eve. Sovereign. this guy… I have a love hate relationship with him. Is his feelings just because that was how he was programmed? Or does he truly care? Karhl and Tiburon were two important characters also. I haven’t decided what role they will play in the future. This book had well placed sex(hot sex) in a gripping story line. Read this book. Even if you say you don’t like Sci-fi do it any way. You can thank me later.
New review for extended edition
An amazing follow up to Sigil, full of political intrigue, lies, hidden truths and power plays
A dark, twisty and emotional filled sci-fi reverse harem story, though I hesitate to call it a romance as yet. Whilst there are many declarations of love made, the truth of that love is so very complicated and almost perverted.
I read the original version of Sigil (Irdesi Empire Book 1) as an arc and the moment I finished that I bought and read Sovereign. I have been avidly awaiting the next instalment and was excited to hear that both Sigil and Sovereign had been re-worked and updated with extra content. In anticipation of reading the third book I decided to read the newer versions of Book #1 and #2.
I adored the original version of Sovereign and was curious to see what I would feel after reading the extended edition. I knew this would be at times a difficult read, the story of Sigil, Sovereign and the Brotherhood is not an easy one. I expected to not want to put this story down, and I was not disappointed.
The story resumes with Quinn/Sigil awakening in a beautiful prison, though Sovereign and his Brother’s fail to see it as such. With Que gone, will Sigil submit and become Imperial Consort, or will she continue to fight for her freedom? When Sigil chooses to travel to Irdesi Prime she finds so much hidden behind lies and half truths. She longs to be free, to be left alone and in peace, but do Sovereign and his Brother’s love her enough to allow this?
As with the extended version of Sigil, I could not see any ‘seams’ where alterations had occurred or new material had been added. I did feel as though the plot flowed more smoothly, in my original review of Sovereign I stated that
There is quite a lot of action in this story and at times almost too much happens in a short time. I didn’t feel that on this reading. The extra material definitely wasn’t fluff (pah – as if that would ever existi in an Addison Cain novel) nor filler, it all served a purpose. I also felt as though I understood the political manouverings better this time. Whether this was as a result of the improvements or just due to knowing the overall story and being able to concentrate on different aspects I couldn’t say.
Whilst Kahrl has always been a favourite of mine, I found Tiburon to be a much more likeable character this time. Whilst he is clearly plotting and has his own agenda, I also felt he was the one who most put Sigil’s needs above his own. Sovereign is still difficult to like, lot alone love, and yet there were glimpses of a better man at times. Whilst all he does is supposedly due to his love of and for Sigil, he rarely seems to stop and consider how to make her happy.
As I’ve already said, this was a book I didn’t want to put down. I would recommend waiting to read it until you have several hours free where you know you won’t be disturbed. If I shared Sigil’s psionic ability several of my family would be suffering from the consequences of having interrupted me whilst I was reading this!
It is as dark as the warning given. The sex scenes are not gratuitous, and actually fairly tame in description compared to some. The book does contain scenes of dubious consent, there are also a few fairly gory episodes and some violence. As such it would be a book suitable for mature and adult readers. If you like dark stories, manipulative characters, sci-fi settings and captivating writing then I do recommend you try this amazing book.
I’m not quite as shook with book two, Sovereign, as I was with book one “Sigil,” although I will say, this one took me a bit of concentration to keep up with all the ins and outs of this world and it’s politics. So many pieces of the puzzle were laid out for me. So many shocking revelations made. What blew me away the most was the personalities of each of these characters. I’m still not quite sure if we have a hero/heroine or antihero/anti-heroine situation going on, but they are each compelling in their own right. The story line has pulled me in with such ferociousness there was no way for me NOT to be effected by it. I hope there isn’t a long wait for book three.
Sigil and Sovereign continue their game of cat and mouse in new locations and with new Brothers and new plot twists.
Wonderfully written with that dark undertone that we all love. I love and hate some of the new characters, but they are all interesting. I can’t decide if I like Karhl or Tiburon the best and I keep changing my mind about Arden.
I’m leaving my honest review of the Extended Edition that was sent to me.
At the end of Sigil (Book One in the Irdesi Empire Series), Quinn had lost what was dear to her and the place she had inhabited destroyed. Due to the loss of her companion Que she self-mutilates herself to the extent that she is put to sleep by Sovereign for 47 years. That is where Book Two picks up, Quinn awakening and trying desperately to get through the new world that is presented to her in the form of the Brotherhood. the Empire, and the mysterious Soshiia. Going forward she is called Sigil, the Imperial Consort, her former life as Quinn just a memory. She feels out of place, struggling to learn about the Empire, her history…all of which feeds into her hopelessness. Knowing that she can never go back to her former life as Quinn with Que by her side on Pax. Instead there is Sovereign, Arden, Karhl, the brothers, and Tiburon….her sole duty to to become pregnant….Can’t wait for Book #3 to continue Sigil’s journey in this dark, horrific sci-fi tale.
This has probably been my favorite Addison Cain book that I have read so far. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself full of so many emotions as I read through the book. I could not put it down.
I find myself mad for Sigil and mad AT Sigil. I was heartbroken (more than once) and really enjoyed watching the characters becoming more complex and have so many layers to their personalities that we did not get to see in Sigil.
The ending left me torn to pieces and I cannot wait for book three to come out!
Unexpected Turns
There is a time jump I didn’t expect and while I enjoyed this book it lost a star because Mrs Cain is leading me blind on to book 3, while I’ll happily follow I have no Idea where she’s taking this story.
The events Sovereing holds, had me chasing the words discovering plot twist and yet this ending brought more questions than answers my most concerning is, are the protagonists of this story ever really on sigil side? How many years will we loose this time? I need the next book is all i can say. Be ready to in for a long haul if you decide to jump into this adventure.
And I thought book one was good, please please bring us the third installment of this amazing series
More please
a lot of history and revealing with this second book. a lot of unpredictable plots, I absolutely love how the author weaved such intricate storylines! The first book had a lot of adrenaline going on but with the second one revealing more depth, it seems to be gearing itself up to the third installment. absolutely loved it, as usual haha
There is no Quinn without Que!!!! This is the second book of the Irdesi Empire and OMG. Quinn who is now known as Sigil has been captured, headed and is now owned in every way but her mind. Sovereign has Sigil now and has no plans of letting her get away again he is willing to do all he can to make her love him and his brother and give them the daughters that will save their kind, but Sigil is a psychopath!! I waited for this book to be released after reading the first book and well Addison did not disappoint with weaving a story that is completely fucked but so powerful that you can’t stop reading!!! At some points I did not know if I should feel bad for sigil or sovereign, I did not know who I really wanted to come out as the “winner” in the “game” that they played. This book was defiantly dark and at times brutally disturbing but I am in love. The third book can’t be released fast enough, I have a feeling I will be rereading this story several times while I wait.
I definitely enjoyed this second book in the series. I really like the characters from this series, but I think it’s the world building that really sets it apart. Just like in her other books, the author creates a world that draws the reader in, with descriptions that leaves the reader feeling as though they are part of the world. I was a little sad to see this one end, and look forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
The continuation of Sigil’s journey is not quite the welcome home everyone (but her) was expecting. Addison Cain doesn’t disappoint with the many layers she weaves in this story. I was never quite sure who to root for in this book. I’ve read this series numerous times. Which I can’t say for many books. I couldn’t put the book down. With all the twists I couldn’t wait to read how it all unfolded. If you liked the first book you won’t be disappointed with the 2nd book.
It’s always a good sign when I want to go back and reread a book and I have now read Sovereign a number of times. Each time, I seem to gain better insight into the characters and what is happening in this unique world that Addison Cain has created. Sovereign is more than a dark romance — it combines elements of romance, thriller, mystery and science fiction — all genres I love to read.
In this second installment, Sigil is finally in the hands of the Irdesi Empire and Sovereign, its leader. We are introduced to Sovereign and his “brothers” in greater detail, which sets up an empire that is highly complex and political in nature. As to be expected with such a wide-ranging and powerful empire, all is not as stable with Sovereign, his brothers or the Empire’s human “converts” as it may have appeared in the first book. Politics and power plays surround Sigil and Sigil (initially, unknowingly) is caught in the middle of it all. Add to this fact that Sigil is healing from her own past deeds and coming to terms with who she is and her place in the Empire, and you have a compelling read.
The story begins with Sigil being held in a beautiful structure in the middle of an ocean, with no way to escape. The location is designed to give Sigil time to heal, both physically and mentally, and the design of the structure, the items in it and its inhabitants are all there to serve this purpose. In an attempt to overcome her conditioning, which compels Sigil to want to kill him, Sovereign tries to show her how much he and his brothers value her, with varying degrees of success.
After a particularly violent incident between them, Sovereign deems his presence too much of a distraction to Sigil’s healing and leaves the ocean facility to go to the capital of the Irdesi Empire. This allows Sigil time to interact with some of the other brothers and realize that there is something about Sovereign she wants (or needs).
At this point, Sigil is brought to the capital and the book truly takes off. In the capital, Sigil discovers that the Empire, for all its power, is not as stable as it seems. Rebellion is brewing, not only amongst the Empire’s human converts, but the brothers also, and Sigil is caught in the middle of it all. Whether she likes it or not, she is seen as a powerful pawn amongst all the factions, but Sigil is nobody’s pawn, a fact she clearly establishes in this book. 🙂
I loved the world developed in this book, and I loved the complexity of the characters. Addison’s world building is incredible and she does not over explain what is happening in the book or the internal motivations of her characters. She reveals a lot through her prose, which at times can be direct and sparse. The way she writes allows the reader to use their imagination in ways that I appreciate and enjoy. No character is written as 100% good or bad. So, at times, I didn’t like what Sovereign and his “brothers” were doing, nor to be honest did I like some of Sigil’s actions. It is the hallmark of a good writer, however, when I can disagree with a character’s actions, but sill appreciate the motivations behind them. This book is not an insta-love book by any means, and I found myself rooting for different characters at different times. While I hope Sigil ultimately gets her happy ending, I am not looking forward to the end of Sigil’s adventures and can’t wait for book 3!
Sigil can’t catch a break, can she? She wakes up almost 50 years in the future and her beloved Que is dead. What will hold her together now? The two of them had worked out a way to keep her more destructive impulses under control. The Empire likes her more destructive impulses as long as they’re aimed in the right direction. A lot of this book (and series) makes you think about what is acceptable or decent behavior in certain situations–for example, does the end justify the means. Just like the first book, this is a dark, brutal world with a lot of sex and twisted people and twisted events. I really liked the differences between the brothers and the way they interact with Sigil. Truly an excellent story.