Down to One

Galaxy Games Hostile Planet Alien Romance Series, Book 1

By: Alana Khan

Narrated by: Ramona Master, C.J. Grey

Length: 8 hrs

Publisher's summary

Stakes are high when alien gladiator Titan and abducted Earth girl Blaze are forced into The Game.

Forming a tenuous alliance to battle the hundred other alien combatants increases their odds of staying alive.

As they contend with constant camera surveillance and wage a life-or-death campaign to survive, the unlikely duo can't ignore their sizzling attraction.

Despite their deepening connection, it isn't safe to trust because in The Game it all comes Down. To. One.

Dare to join Blaze and Titan on their adventure as they dodge death and accept the profound attraction they feel for one another that may ultimately prove fatal for one or both of them.

Down to One contains mature content.

©2022 Alana Khan (P)2023 Podium Audio

Overall a decent Sci-Fi Romance

As others said, yes, a bit hunger game like. But ya gotta love Blaze. She's pretty confident but rather than just make her a sharpshooter from hell, the author gave her depth and nuance. I was impressed by that. Lots of sex, yes, sometimes a bit more than I'd like, but the world building was pretty decent and the story clipped along at a steady pace.. Glad I spent the credit.

Excellent Read!

I really liked the dynamic between the characters. There was a great mix of sass and romance. I’m very excited to read the next book in the series.

Hunger Games, alien style!

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙❤️💚💜
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌎
Character development: 😊😘😟😄
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

The heroine: Slayer (a.k.a. Blaze) - she is tiny, but mighty. She is only 5’2” and human, but she was a trained military sniper, and she grew up in foster care, so she knew how to fight. Though when she was stolen from her barracks by aliens, she was sold as a housemaid. Three years later, her owner finds out about her abilities and enters her in “The Game”.

The Hero: Titan (a.k.a. Zavick) - he has been a slave for over a decade. He is a gladiator and is good at it. He is the best gladiator for his owner. Though he gets caught by his master while he is servicing the masters’ mate. He didn’t want to do it, but how can a slave refuse an order from the mistress. He is punished by his master by whipping, then when he didn’t think he could take anymore, they decide not to kill him and to instead they drug him and put him in “The Game”, they can bet against him and win a bundle.

The Story: The game is similar to the hunger games, except it starts right away, with no build up or training. There are no rules, and 100 contestants but only one can win. The last one alive gets a million credits and whether they are slaves or criminals they get their freedom. Of course, the producers can change the rules at any time or add more contestants to the game. The contestants can become favorites of the viewers and get credits they can use to buy things like food or weapons.

Blaze and Titan become partners right away before the game begins, because all the other contestants have already formed alliances and groups. Blaze turns out to be an early fan favorite, though she is ranked last among the contestants left after the first few hours. Titan is a gladiator, so he is ranked near the top, but isn’t as much of a fan favorite. The two of them feel an instant attraction so they take advantage and hook up during their first opportunity (which is a bit strange in my opinion) since they know they are on camera.

The concept and much of the plot is certainly derivative of The Hunger Games but is sort of original for alien romance. Though gladiatorial fights are not, this game was a bit more fun than most. The two main characters did get intimate way too soon, but it was certainly steamy and I kind of liked the romance between these two.

This audiobook was told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Ramona Master and C.J. Grey. This is the first time I have listened to Ramona Master, and I enjoyed her voice, it was very clear, yet feminine and believable for Blaze. C.J. Grey is always fantastic. He has a deep and gravelly voice and is terrific at alien romance.