Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities

Claimings, Book 2

By: Lyn Gala

Narrated by: John Solo

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Ondry and Liam have settled into a good life, but their trading is still tied up with humans, and humans are always messy. When political changes at the human base lead Ondry to attempt a difficult trade, the pair find themselves entangled in human affairs. Liam wants to help the people he left and the worlds being torn apart. He also wants to serve Ondry with not only the pleasures of the nest but also by bringing human profits.

Ondry has no hope of understanding human psychology in general, he only knows that he will hold onto his palteia with the last breath in his body, and he'd like to keep his status and his wealth too. Unfortunately, new humans bring new conflicts and he is not sure how to protect Liam. He does know one thing that humans seem to constantly forget - that the peaceful Rownt are predators and when their families are threatened, Rownt become deadly killers. Liam is his family, and Ondry will protect him with his last breath...assuming that he can recognize the dangers in time to do so.

Contains mature themes.

©2014 Lyn Gala (P)2019 Tantor

Cute story!

9/10 it’s a cute story! So far I’m liking this series. Now I know onto book three!

A Great Series continues

I have enjoyed this series first as an ebook and now in audio. I love how this series evolves across the books. In this one, we see Liam and Ondry interact more fully outside their relationship. The introduction of another human as a secondary character highlights how much Liam has grown. We see Liam confident in Ondry's love for him and how he is fitting in to his new life. Not everything goes smoothly, and there is some good tension/suspense in this book. Ondry remains steadfast and caring, and I love the protective streak we see in him. Ondry, and the whole Rownt culture, are very well-drawn.

John Solo's narration is fantastic. The pacing and flow of the narration was excellent and his performance enhanced those tense scenes! His voice for Ondry conveys his otherness while still being thoroughly engaging and relatable. And he conveys Liam's growing self-assurance while still being vulnerable.

I continue to be a fan of this series and look forward to next audio release!

AH THOSE HUMANS!

AH THOSE HUMANS! Getting aliens wrong every time!

This was good! And such a simple story – basically, just a walk between villages, if you strip everything else away. And yet it paints a much more complete picture of a whole lot of things, some of which I didn’t even realize were missing from the first book. But more than that, I’m panting for more. I’m forcing myself to write this before I allow myself to even <i>open</i> the third book so I don’t get all ahead of myself like I did with the first book.

There’s a lot about the budding relationship building in this book, but again, this is <b>not</b> a relationship like I’ve ever really … well, I can’t say “imagined”, because yes, I think I <i>have</i> imagined such a relationship before, maybe even dreamed of, but that was long ago. It’s certainly nothing I’ve ever <i>encountered</i> in the “real world”, let’s put it that way. Protection, security, commitment, bonding, companionship, true partnership, entrepreneurship (yeah, I know, right?), and yet it’s all kinda weird because one of them’s not human, which has all these really creative and clever differences compared with relationships between two humans.

And speaking of humans! Yep, they’re in here too, marching with their big feet and getting it all wrong. The end surprised me but I LOVED it. You could possibly stop after the first book and say, “Nice story”, but don’t! At the end of the second one, there’s <i>no way</i> you’re going to miss out on the next one. I can’t wait!

AUDIOBOOK VERSION: Again I have to say, as I did with the first book, really good narration! Audiobook versus “silent” book, which is better, is a debate that will endure to the end of mankind, with staunch supporters on both sides. But sometimes, and these books are an example, the narration really adds to the experience.

I'm quickly becoming obsessed

Ok, first, John Solo was perfectly cast for this series. His voice just has the right feel to it for both of these guys and he manages to put so much life into, especially Ondry's voice that I can see and hear the facial expressions that accompany them. He's really nailed this series so far and while I've enjoyed others he's done is the past, this is with out a doubt his best work so far.

Second, Lyn has created such an alien and unique world that I'm not only blown away by her creativity and world building but also by her ability to bring me into it. It's captivating and while this story is a little more stressful than the previous one it never lost the sweeter elements that I loved from the first.

Bring on the next book ASAP!

Loved! Until-

I enjoyed this up until the whole interaction with the female captain (whose name I can’t remember right now). The way Liam started becoming so very female dog-ish towards the female captain was so uncomfortably annoying. Ondry could be excused because of his alien race behavior but Liam was insufferable and illogical towards humans that WANTED and was doing good for the GREATER good of humanity(the lady captain). He acted like he just wasn’t human and didn’t care about humanity. His character arc really went from damaged, submissive warrior to damaged, humanity hating, female dog.

Great

I really enjoyed the book and enjoyed listening to John Solo’s narration of this book, I find his voice soothing.

Marvelous Series, Solo is Spectacular

This is one of the most creative (and lovely) stories of D/s I've ever read. The insight Lyn Gala has in explaining Liam's mindset is absolutely beyond compare and it's incredibly moving. A beautiful series and I'm so glad it is out in audio! Reliving them all, narrated by John Solo, is incredible :)

A strong performance for a beloved series

Let’s face it, many of the readers in the m/m genre just aren’t that good. But this one is. Since Claimings is my favorite series in all of m/m (yes, really), I was thrilled that the quality of this performance lets me enjoy these stories in a new format.

This book is an excellent second story for the series. The first book was much less complex, focusing on how Liam and Ondry’s relationship came to be and why it could work across such a huge cultural divide. This one tells a more involved story about how the relationship develops when a human officer inserts herself, and human politics, into their happy Rownt bubble. A smart, compelling next chapter in Liam and Ondry’s love story.

Not as good as the first book but still fun

Way more happened in the first book. This one kind of dragged on in a few places, but it was still a fun time. Also the set up it gave for the third book promises a really good book 3. The narrator is good too. And we get to learn more about the psychology of how the society and social standings work. Overall, the series makes for a good afternoon listen.

Loved it!!

was very weary of second book falling Short. As is the case with ALOT. But did not disappoint.