Clan, Honor, and Empire by Tracy St. John

Clan, Honor, and Empire by Tracy St. John

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


St. John’s Clan Beginnings series just keeps getting better and better. I actually like the fact that the author is jumping around in the telling of the different clans’ beginnings and how they came to be before they met their Matara. In the case of Clan, Honor, and Empire, we find out how the first Kalquorian clan we ever met was formed. Yes, this is the story of Clan Rajhir – the men who became the first to take an Earther as their Matara after discovering that they were genetically compatible. Let me tell you folks, this was a treat to read for me.

Perhaps because this is the third book in the series, the author seems even more comfortable in crafting the tales of Clan Rajhir’s forming and by breaking it down into the two sections it actually felt like being treated to two full-length novels in one. In book one we find out how Dramok Rajhir finds his eventual Imdiko when his much aggrieved Dramok father forces him to take on the responsibility of his position sooner rather than later. I found Rajhir’s job interview quite humorous and rather telling of Rajhir’s shortcoming – often underestimating the situation and those around him. This is why his reaction to Flencik was so enjoyable for me because despite his best intentions to live up his youth, Rajhir soon found himself ready to start his clan years ahead of schedule. The man does know how to recognize a good thing when he sees it. The action and espionage that is infused within book one keeps the story moving and makes the rise in Rajhir’s protective nature for his Imdiko-to-be understandable.

I enjoyed the heck out of book one and watching that part of Clan Rajhir form, but book two was my favorite part of Clan, Honor, and Empire because seeing how Breft became the Nobek of Clan Rajhir was absolutely delightful. Honestly, the scene in which Breft is clanned had me snickering at Rajhir and his reaction. Even better was Flencik putting his foot down and reminding Rajhir that being an Imdiko did not mean Flencik was weak and the man would fight for what he wanted. While there was plenty of outside action and intrigue threatening the men, it was the watching the relationship between the three develop that I enjoyed the most as there was a lot of conflict between Rajhir and Breft that had to be worked through as well as Breft learning how to be the Nobek he was meant to be yet hadn’t quite become due to his youth. Both parts had plenty of man-on-man and man-on-man-on-man action to keep me well satisfied – oh the benefits of youth. I loved Clan, Honor, and Empire and am ecstatic that Clan and Crown has just been released – now I just have to find the time to read it.

I reviewed my personal copy of this book.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the #WhipIt: Clan, Honor, and Empire blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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To Clan and Conquer by Tracy St. John

To Clan and Conquer by Tracy St. John

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As a huge fan of St. John’s Clans of Kalquor series, I remember being quite excited when To Clan and Conquer was first released. I wasn’t really into M/M romances at the time, but the clans that Kalquorians formed was an intriguing concept and I was interested in their backstories. It’s quite possible that To Clan and Conquer was one of my early forays into M/M romances and when I reread this book, I enjoyed it even more as I have since become a huge fan of man-on-man action, especially aggressive man-on-man-on-man action – something the Kalquorians excel at.

If you've read Alien Conquest, then you’ve met the clan that is formed in this book. But at the beginning of To Clan and Conquer, none of the men are together. In fact, Nobek Lidon is involved with but not clanned to another Dramok. Theirs is a tenuous relationship because despite being together for well over a decade, Lidon repeatedly declines Piras’s invitation to clan. Although Lidon acknowledges that part of his hesitancy is due to the nature of their physical intimacies, there is more to it than that and it isn’t until the young Dramok Tranis shows an interest in both him and Imdiko Degorsk that Lidon finally realizes why he doesn’t want to clan with Piras – Piras cannot stand Degorsk and Lidon wants the man as his Imdiko. I find it oddly amusing that considering their lengthy life span, that both Degorsk and Lidon consider the age difference between them and Tranis to be a significant hurdle. Fortunately Tranis has no issue with the age difference nor does he have a problem with taking advantage of a situation and shows both men how good being dominated can be – and they return the favor perfectly. The men also learn just how petty a Dramok can be when Piras breaks protocol and leave the men behind to “protect” the planet to prevent them from joining the battle. But Piras’s shortsightedness proves to be the settlers’ saving grace as the three men work together to thwart the threat. And yet this is not the only action the author treats fans to and we get a front-row seat to the battle that leads to the men changing the course of their careers that eventually leads them to their Matara, Cassidy, in Alien Conquest.

I thoroughly enjoyed my reread of To Clan and Conquer. I loved getting to see how Tranis built a relationship with each man and proved that his youth did not equal a lack of maturity. I liked that while Tranis had no intention of forming a clan, preferring to build his career and make a name for himself, he could recognize a good thing and wasn’t willing to let the opportunity to clan with Lidon and Degorsk pass him by. This book showed the lengths to which people in love will go to insure that their relationship is healthy for all involved. Getting to learn how Lidon’s injury occurred that led to his limp was an interesting piece of the puzzle of the man, as was his eventual decision to have the surgery he needed to improve his mobility so that he could provide the level of protection for his clanmates that his Nobek breeding required. To Clan and Conquer was an excellent addition to the Kalquor franchise and I only wish I had built in the time to reread Alien Conquest. Eventually I’ll do a Kalquor reread and read all of the books according to their timelines. Until then I look forward to reading the next book in the Clan Beginnings series.

I reviewed my personal copy of this book.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the #WhipIt: To Clan and Conquer blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Alien Caged by Tracy St. John

Alien Caged by Tracy St. John

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Alien Caged is one of the few Clans of Kalquor books I’ve only read once…until now. That actually has nothing to do with the book itself, but more that prior to reviewing for the blog my reading tended to go in cycles by genre and I didn’t hit another sci-fi erotica read-a-thon before being recruited to review. So it was with immense glee that I jumped at the chance to reread Alien Caged this month. Sci-fi erotica is my favorite genre and St. John’s Kalquorians are one of my favorite of the alien races. How can you go wrong with a race that forms a clan of three men who hold their woman so dear that she is practically worshipped by them? Add to that the Kalquorian men’s anatomical advantage over earth men and said woman is in for the pleasure of her life.

One of the things I have enjoyed about this series is that after the first few books where the author took the time to build the universe of Kalquorian-Earther conflict and did so with the obligatory young, attractive child-bearing women her heroines began to grow, if you will. In the case of Alien Caged Elisa is still the requisite virgin as dictated by Earth’s now-defunct government, but she’s a 48 year-old woman who has spent the past several years serving as a dietician on a military ship. The only woman on a ship full of men with nowhere to dock for “shore leave.” Knowing how crude men can be when they have no sexual outlet and the respect with which Kalquorians treat women, it is no surprise that she found herself responding to the gentle attentions of Zemos, Oret, and Miragin. While Elisa’s attraction to and fantasies regarding Clan Zemos have increased over the past three months, she finds herself torn between the clan she’s come to love and her fellow Earthers when she learns the fate of the Kalquorians. When Elisa is caught up in the Kalquorians’ escape attempt she learns first-hand how determined the warriors are when they set out to conquer – both their foes and their woman.

As almost all of this novel takes place on the Earther ship that Elisa works, the romancing and seduction occurs in less than favorable conditions. Prior to their escape, Clan Zemos is behind bars and their time interacting with Elisa is limited to the brief meal delivery that occurs twice a day. Yet it is apparent from the outset that they have made the most of this time and getting to know one another whenever a guard wasn’t present. While it may seem odd at first, the men actually ramp up their seduction of Elisa while in the midst of their taking over the Earther ship. Most of their efforts are undertaken by their Imdiko Miragin as he has no military training and was on the Kalquorian ship when it was captured only because he was conducting interviews for a book, thereby giving him the freedom to focus on Elisa rather than the fight. This does not mean that neither Zemos nor Oret take no part in convincing Elisa to join their clan, but that their time with her is shorter. But less time doesn’t mean less intense when the seduction gets physical. Even as the men wage war on Elisa, the author keeps the battle for control of the ship front and center. The combination of action, intrigue, romance, and off-the-charts hot ménage sex keeps me returning to the Clans of Kalquor series, and Alien Caged certainly delivers in all of these areas. I cannot wait to read Alien Indiscretions next as its release snuck by me earlier this year.

I reviewed my personal copy of this book.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Alien Caged (Clans of Kalquor #8) by Tracy St. John blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


View all my reviews