Quick blurb: Calista’s a freelance space courier recovering from a disastrous marriage during which her ex tried to sell her as a slave. Sure, she’s emotionally damaged, but you should see the state of her ex! She’s also an expert pilot who can illegally reprogram and augment all manner of tech. She’s been ripping off the system and flying under the radar her entire life…. Until now.
From the Ashes combines two of my favorite genres – romance and science fiction. So I knew when I got it, I would probably like it. I was not disappointed. There is plenty of action for me (and, no, not just the sexual kind!!!) and a nice mix of romance and science fictional things.
I was hooked when her ex shows up and demands Calista’s cargo. Incidentally, her cargo is our hero, Asher (he was hatched!). His extras are particularly interesting. I liked the revelations – how her ex had sold her into her slavery and she destroyed his face in payment. I liked how Asher died and came back to life afterward. It goes with the title – From the Ashes – as he is a Phoenixae and death doesn’t manage to kill him permanently.
Another scene I really liked was when her ex caught her, was planning to give her to someone and she convinced him to kill her ex. Very nice.
Asher is very nice, too. He is disturbing when he first hatches as a baby and turns into a child, than a teenager, than a man. The part where he turned into a man was a relief. I didn’t want a child hero.
He escapes from his own captors and goes in search of her. Calista has a problem with that Asher is from a slave race and he has to please his owner. Well, I would be disturbed by that, too. Who wants a lover who pleases only because he is slave and has no choices? Who wants a slave at all? Not Calista – she disapproves of slavery. But he convinces her they can be together and it all works out.
I give this book 3 out 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I got the ARC for this book.
Story Treasury 
The cover reminds me of erotica/harlequin. Probably shouldn’t, but the muscled man and the flames…
It seems like an interesting premise 🙂 I don’t read a lot of adult sci-fi haha but my misconception is that sci-fi doesn’t often add an element of romance (or sex) often. It seems like it’d be nice for romance readers to have that choice within their preferred genre 😀
I don’t think it is odd – it is published by Harlequin’s ebook line. Carina Press, I think. I would say it has a romance plotline in a science fictional background.
There is plenty of science fiction that includes sex and romance, it just depends. A lot of older science fiction doesn’t have romance or sex, that’s true, though. Catherine Asaro’s Skolian series is one, Sharon Lee’s Liaden series is another, and there are others. Ann Aguirre’s Jax series, even the Vor series have romances and references to sex, Linnea Sinclair, Takeshi Kovacs series by Richard Morgan . . .
Hi there, Sonia — I wanted to thank you for your review of From The Ashes. I really appreciate you taking the time to let people know what you thought of the story!
And I just wanted to clarify for Jessica: From The Ashes is published by Red Sage Publishing, an independent small press that publishes erotic romance and is well known for their popular Secrets anthologies.
Cheers!
Maree
You are welcome! It was a good book.
Oh thanks for that – I guess I was confused as to who published it!