Taming Chaos

Darkstar Mercenaries Series, Book 1

By: Anna Carven

Narrated by: J.F. Harding

Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Torin Mardak came to Zarhab Groht to hunt. Some idiot's been selling Callidum weapons on the black market, and he's been tasked with finding the traitor.  

The illegal trading station isn't exactly Torin's favorite place in the Nine Galaxies. It's dirty, chaotic, and full of thieves and murderers, but as an elite Kordolian First Division warrior, he's the most dangerous thing on this floating cesspit, and he won't let anything stand in his way.  

But when he encounters a group of humans who really, really shouldn't be here, his priorities might just have to change, because one of them is about to get betrayed in the worst possible way....  

And she just so happens to be exactly his type.  

Contains mature themes.

©2018 Anna Carven (P)2019 Tantor

***This is NOT book 1***

This book comes AFTER the Dark Planet Warriors series!

You can read it alone, but it often refers to events that happened in the past/other books. It’d probably make more sense if the other books were read first.

Otherwise, the story was ok. A bit unrealistic in how they’re totally in love after only knowing each other for one day, but that’s frequent in this genre. Detailed battles, complex politics in the background. Sometimes their emotions are written in a bit of a cliche tone, but it’s ok. Narration is fine.

Another great romance!

I really have enjoyed listening to the books Anna Carven has written! This new series, which is a spin-off of the earlier series, was very well written with great characters. The heroine is an Earth alien culture specialist who accompanies some soldiers to a dangerous space station to try to obtain plasma weapons for Earth’s military. The hero is a Cordolian warrior who is now a mercenary for General Arcadian (the prime character in the first book of the last series). He sees the humans and is intrigued by the woman in their midst. When the arms sellers double cross the humans and demand she be handed over as part of the deal, the military agrees and against her will she’s taken. The hero tries to intervene and when he’s unsuccessful he latches onto the ship she’s in to rescue her. The narration was well done.

Cordolians

This is another one of the Cordolians. He of course has a healthy respect for the General. I am glad this story has continued with a new series. Thought the story had ended but those guys with cool suits are still around. I will enjoy reading about the new characters and hopefully their connection to the old ones.

Spin off of Dark Planet Warriors series.

Spin off from the Dark Planet Warriors series. I recommend starting with that series first as it gives you a better understanding of the world that has been built in this series. A fast romance could have used a little bit more build up. I read the first series and the books were both a hit and a miss. I bought these on sale and this one is a decent alien fated couples romance, but not a stay up all night binge read. Narrator is good.

Brings you back to the universe - barely

It is a nice fun book - not as deep as her previous series. Not as much story as skating on the dark and dangerous motif of the past series. Still fun for a cold afternoon read. I will probably give the next book a try when Im bored. Not a must buy now need as before.

Insanely intense action, fantastic story

Darkstar Mercenaries series sets off with a fiery BANG in Taming Chaos. Set in deep space, this new series builds on the Dark Planet Warrior series. One first division Kordolian warrior-now-turned-mercenary finds his mate in the last place he would have ever imagined. This story is intense with action, showcasing the brutal feral fierceness of the Kordolians, as well as their deep love and intense mate bond. Our heroine is strong, super smart, and generously curvy. I was on the edge of my seat through the whole book, and totally fell in love with these strong characters. The Audible version is great if you want to enrich your reading pleasure. The emotions leap off the page and each character has their own unfaltering voice.

Excellent book, Excellent Narrator

I love Anna Carven books.
It is an Alien-Human love story but especially this one makes you think that everybody needs an Alien like this in their lives :-)
J. F. Harding's narration made it even better <3

good story line

She was disappointing , for such a intelligent woman, she was incredibly stupid. One moment she very observant. Then she asks the stupidest questions......

Meh. Too attached to previous narrator

This new Dark Star series is built off the Dark Planet Warrior series. Narrator T McLaren, from the previous series, set the bar high for this universe of alpha aliens with voices just oozing masculinity. The new narrator, Harding, isn’t terrible ... he’s just bland compared to McLaren. I think I would have liked the story much better with a darker, gravelly voice befitting a large, dangerous, fanged silver warrior. The narration was too tame for me to feel any chemistry or passion.
By now, this whole series feels too familiar, with not enough to truly separate each female and male mc.
Even getting this book at a discount, I’ll be returning it.

I tried, but couldn't

This book looked to be very interesting when I purchased it. But I just couldn't get into it. I enjoy scifi stories, but this one just didn't do it for me.

I did enjoy the narrators voice.

Caricaturally protective

What a boring BORING book. Characters with no depth. 6 hours an alien dude killing, killing and more killing to prove his "love" for a human female who is "just his type". At some point I hope the story would go somewhere... anywhere ? But no. It just went on. Killing and killing. Yawn. Could it be any more caricatural of a princess in distress and love at first sight or almost of a deadly and difficult alien warrior in "the universe". The Universe ?!? That's a pretty big place. Makes me wonder if the author did ANY sort of research on human speculation regarding the size of the universe. That was a big bummer and that fact that these Kordolians have a very human-like anatomy. Pff. So unoriginal !
Oh! ANd JF Harding is TERRIBLE at female voices.

Armoured Amore

Fantastic narration makes this adventure romance possible to get through. A tale of an XX and a macho male trans-humanoid from a race transfixed by acquiring rare possessions: animal, vegetable or mineral.

Dashing deadly daliance.

ENTERTAINING

Decent story and narration

I like Anna Carven’s tales, without necessarily being totally enthralled, and this one was a good listen. Unlike another reviewer, I was not bored at all - romance, adventure and space pirates enough to keep it bowling along and the narrator did a decent job.

Enjoyable

Really nice book, love the narrator he’s great. Good book. J. F Harding performed it well

Really enjoyed this book

Really enjoyed this book the reader was ok good story I would recommend it.