Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Diplomatic marriages between two members of different planets certainly aren’t unheard of—but for Prince Mikos of Tygeria and Col. Ryan Donnelly of Earth, it might just be a fate worse than death. The union is meant to end a devastating war that has lasted for over a hundred and fifty years, but when the female bride intended for the fierce, sexy prince runs away, her handsome brother is substituted instead. Men are for mating as far as the Tygerian prince is concerned, but the colonel also happens to be Mikos’s sworn enemy, not to mention being completely irritating.
Ryan is horrified to learn that the Tygerians not only expect him to take the place of his sister, marry the Bloody Prince of Tygeria, and go to live with him on his mysterious planet, but they also expect him to undergo physical alteration to have the man’s baby! And nobody is taking hell no for an answer. Ryan’s being asked to turn his whole life upside down and the handsome Tygerian gets under his skin like nobody else. But with the fate of the universe at stake, how can he say no? Can the two enemies put aside their differences and focus on making love and not war—not to mention a baby? As a powerful love struggles to take root, can they learn to trust each other and stand together against the forces that are trying to tear them apart?
Mate of the Tyger Prince by Shannon West combined several of my favorite elements, that of cat shifters (tigers at that) and science fiction and pulled off a winner. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop. This marvelous page turner pulled me in starting with a galatic war that Earth arrogantly expected to win and was now losing at an unimaginable cost of lives and resources. A bargain has been struck to end the war, a marriage of alliance. But things of course do not go as planned. I loved Shannon West’s descriptions of those involved, the bargaining that takes place is done by an unexpected source, Mikos’ parent and an Earthling like Ryan.
One of the things I actually had to work through was West’s world building and culture for the planet of Tygeria. a very male/dominant order. So much so that the sexes live separately on different continents/islands by choice, taking their life partners of the same sex. And in the case of the male Tygerians, male humans have become a favored companion/partner. Their role is a prescribed one within the Tygerian society. They run the household, raise the children, a difficult, almost subservient role for a ex-soldier to take on. Which is exactly what Mikos’ parent also was, a wonderful element of this story. West makes this aspect of the story work as an important thread of the plot as well as a part of the interesting layers of Tygerian society. I can’t wait to see what future books hold.
Another starting twist? The age difference in the two beings. I won’t tell you which is which, I’ll let you discover that for yourself. The characterizations are wonderful and clearly drawn. Its easy to picture the Tygerians and understand their emotional makeup, as well as see how easily misunderstanding and mistrust could arise between a human and a Tygerian. Ryan is a heartbreaker, alone and so vulnerable, with the weight of two systems riding on his shoulders. Actually, there are quite a few characters to fall in love with here, both young (Mikos’ younger brothers for one) and old (his parent for another).
As I said, I flew through this book right to the end. Then I wanted another. Its supposed to be the first in a series. How I hope that’s true and another will follow soon. This is a world I could wallow in for books to come. Shannon West? Are you listening?
Cover art by Eden Connor did a great job with Ryan but oh how I wanted a glimpse of Mikos.
Sales Links: Amazon | Buy It Here
Book Details:
ebook
Expected publication: January 19th 2016 by Dark Hollows Press LLC
Edition LanguageEnglish
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 