When I First Saw Red

Soldiers and Mercenaries, Book 2

By: Kasia Bacon

Narrated by: Cornell Collins

Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Red: Lázhien’s human. A common Imperial soldier. And my soulmate. How could fate get it so wrong? The demon in me craves this bond with every shred of his being. He pushes me to accept it. This time I won’t yield to his demands.

Lázhien: Red’s a lust demon, a whore and a stuck-up snob. The most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. Pain in the arse. And he hates my guts. I’d be an idiot to pursue him. Yet something about him compels me to make him mine.

When I First Saw Red is a complete and stand-alone short novel with an HEA ending, featuring a couple of reluctant fated soulmates - a demon and a human - trying and failing to defy destiny.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Kasia Bacon (P)2021 Kasia Bacon

Steamy paranormal romance

I absolutely loved this sweet opposites attract paranormal romance

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I adore this series and its so well written.

Definitely recommend

What a treat this book is.

I’ve never been a fan of fantasy genre. And then Kasia Bacon showed up, pointed her finger at me and said ‘Let me introduce you to the Order Universe' (this is all in my head, of course).
Side note, still not a fan of fantasy books per se, but now a lifetime follower of Kasia Bacon’s writing style and her and her only (so far) fantasy stories.
But I digress :-)
So. When I First Saw Red. Book Two in Soldiers and Mercenaries series. There is no need to read the first book to fully enjoy the second, although you will miss another marvellous story if you don’t.
We have here two fated soulmates - Láhzien and Ókkanô. The first is mere human (a soldier) and the latter is a Tii-Matâshi (non human of an Elder race whose body is inhabited by a lust demon). A strong soldier with a big heart and soft touch and a stuck-up, sassy courtesan.
They have nothing in common. There is, however, this invisible thread between them, which they cannot ignore, no matter how hard they try.
Ókkanô - Red - is portrayed as beautiful and desirable, with a talent of an artist and yet, he is full of fears and insecurities. His longing for something elusive is what makes him so vulnerable under all his snark and sarcasm.
Láhzien on the other hand, depicted as strong and burly military man, with softer side, even he himself is not aware of.
I loved it how their acquaintance evolved, how they tried to deny their attraction and feelings from the beginning, only to let the persistence of the demon push them toward each other.
I find this story (with a very widely used trope of opposites attract and fated soulmates) to be one with the most original setting so far and it is written superbly. The lust demon idea - simply brilliant.
Kasia Bacon is my queen of fantasy books. Unique storytelling, world building fine-tuned to perfection (well constructed and explained). Characters captivating and complex. I savor each book like a glass of fine wine.
And also, let's not forget about Cornell Collins, since this is audiobook after all.
I have listened to numerous stories read by Cornell Collins. The voice, the storytelling - I have yet to listen to anything by this man and not enjoy it.
What a choice, Ms. Bacon, what a perfect choice. I’m at awe. From sulky and sarcastic Red to gruff Lázhien, Cornell Collins brought these two characters to life in the most exquisite way.
This story goes on my ‘Comfort read and listen’ shelf, because it will be read and listened to numerous times in the future.
Thank you both.

So hot!

I love Kasia Bacon’s books so much! The characters felt so real and the development of their relationship was so good! Their interactions made me laugh a lot. Especially in the beginning when they first met. I loved the world and how rich the culture is along with the different species. Lazhien and Red are definitely too cute together even if it took them a little bit to truly trust one another. The narrator did a fantastic job with the different characters and I loved their voices so much.

Unique pairing!

What happens when an incubus finds its mate in a drill master? What happens if the incubus fights it? What about if the soldier proves the incubus’ preconceived notions wrong?

All of these questions were wonderfully answered through a magical, steamy, sprinkled with humor story. It’s low angst & the pace was just right. An unlikely pairing but the fits well together.

This is my first Kasia Bacon book & I enjoyed the new-to-me lore.
Cornell Collins is also a new-to-me narrator and his performance was on point.

Excellent

I was looking forward to listening to this story. I read it when it came out, and I loved it. In fact, I read it three times in a row..that's how much I liked it. I loved the characters and the love story. The order Universe created by Kasia Bacon is fascinating, and so are her characters. So I jumped at the chance to listen to this story as soon as I had the chance, and I must admit it did not disappoint at all. In fact, I did more or less the same that I did with the written version, I listened to it three times on a row… Cornell Collins’ performance of this story brings the characters to life, providing them with nuances which make them richer and deeper. It specially surprised me his interpretation of Lazhien, whom I had imagined somehow different, maybe softer, but I like Cornell’s version better: rougher and sweeter at the same time.
A great narration to match a great story
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Okkano and Lahzien

The idea of a half-elf and half-incubus intrigued me. Okkano carries around wounds, prejudices, and a low sense of self worth from his past. Lahzien's struggles with guilt have him accepting Okkano's rejection. I loved that Ranelle does her duty as the interfering best friend and drags these two together.

Audiobook: The narrator does a marvelous job.

Fantasy for every type of fantasy reader

As always Bacon does a wonderful job of immediately putting you in the story. I loved the two MCs and they are wonderful together. Plus there's a secondary character I'm really hoping we get more from. Absolutely wonderful. Bacon also is fantastic at making inclusivity a natural part of the story flow which I always appreciate. I love how snarky her characters are while also being sweethearts underneath the sarcasm.

I was so excited to find out that Bacon had gotten this narrator. He always does a wonderful job and his voice for both the MCs was spot on! I noticed a lot more details while listening to his narration and it made me love the characters and the story that much more!

♡Imperial Soldier & a Lust Demon♡

"When two souls are meant to connect: location, timing and circumstances are all irrelevant. They suddenly become a magnet for one another and despite their efforts to fight it, the universe somehow manipulates it all in their favor, and in that moment, when they finally give in, a new love is born". ♡Anonymous♡
Lazhien and Red's love story is magical. This book is such a treasure. I listened to the audiobook three times in a row. I adored Red, he stole my heart with his sassy wit and hidden insecurities. Lazhien is a beautiful character all around, he's strong and sturdy and that shows in so many aspects of his personality. Not only is he a tough imperial soldier but his steadiness and strength really supported Red. He was solid and such a rock throughout the story. I loved how Lazhien surprised Red quite a bit throughout the story, just in simple ways like their first encounter; Red expected him to act as a brute and instead he was kind, considerate and caring.
My absolute favorite part of this story is when Lazhien gets up to leave the bed and Red pretends to be asleep but his mouth gets the best of him. It was heartbreaking to listen to Red's internal battle when he was second guessing Lazhien intentions, but Lazhien just showed unconditional patience and love. This story gave me so many sweet heart melting moments. ♡♡♡

Red and Lazhien

First off, Cornell Collins is easy on the ears and really brought this story to life.
This story sucks you into a different world right from the main characters first meeting.
I felt the character development was great and spot on for bringing the interesting supporting cast of characters to life.
Half Elf, Half incubus!! the MC's are sweet and steamy and fated to be together. they are Great!!!
well worth the credit and your time to listen. I was gifted this book for an honest review. Nice writing Kasis Bacon.

Steamy and sweet

This is a wonderful book that packs a punch of both steam and sweetness and interesting and detailed world building. I loved both the MCs, both seperate and together, they proved complex and genuinely likeable. The supporting cast was also interesting and likeable.

Cornell Collins is the perfect narrator for this book, both MCs were spot on in his voice.

I also liked the language of the book, it’s descriptive, both to the point and flourishing at the same time, and very easy on the ears. This book is high heat, low angst, and interesting plot and I’ll be sure to check out more of this author’s work in the furure.

Fated Mates

"When I First Saw Red" is the second book in the Soldiers and Mercenaries series, which can be read or listened to well without knowledge of the first volume.
Despite the shortness of the audiobook, the author has done a good job of setting up the world. After a few explanations, the listener is thrown directly into the action.

The cheeky Red has met his soul mate in a human of all people and then he is also a soldier. Lázhien seems rather grumpy at first, but he knows immediately that he has met someone special when he catches sight of Red.
In this book, Red and Lázhien are two completely opposite characters who couldn't be more different. But I loved them both.
The initial animosity changes, and you can tell that they have sizzling chemistry. It was interesting how the relationship between the demon and the human developed.
I rarely listen to fantasy, so I wasn't sure what to expect. However, the author did a good job and I enjoyed both the story and the characters.

Cornell Collins was new to me, but he did a good job as well. It took me a bit to get into it, but then I liked him and I enjoyed how he brought the story to life.

Great Story & Narration🎧 Fascinating & Original!

I enjoyed this book immensely, it is my first written by Kasia Bacon and she has an impressive writing style and way with words, she created a fascinating and imaginative story, a story that grabs your attention immediately and holds it captive for the entire book. There is great world building and character development. This story is a story of soulmates, one a paranormal being, a lust demon, a succubus, the other a human, a soldier, neither one was looking for the other but turns out fate had other plans for them. Ōkkanȏ “Red” Kyatto is the succubus and whore by trade, Lázhien is the soldier who is looking for a good time. He locked eyes with Red and knows he needs to spend the spend time with him, but Red is sought after and but Lázhien finds away to buy himself time with him. And what a time it is, but both get more than they bargained for, it turns out he is Red’s fated mate. Red is not looking for a mate, and it pisses his inner demon off that he wants to break that bond. This did not please Lázhien, but things have a way of working out with help from unlikely sources. There is some brilliant dialogue in this cleverly plotted story that has the perfect balance of drama, angst, humor, heartfelt and emotional moments, and some steamy romance. Kasia Bacon, thank you for this wonderfully original and entertaining story.

🎧📚🎧 And for the terrific narration, Cornell Collins did a fabulous job bringing the characters and their story to life, giving each their own voice and personality, making it easy to follow along and tell who is who. His portrayal of the characters was spot on, he had a complete understanding of each character he portrayed, sounding believable in every role he played and just as I pictured the character to sound. He set the perfect tone for the story, captured the character’s emotions and projected them into his performance. He is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for the great listen.

🌟 Witty & Hilarious 🌟

WIFSR is short and taut but imparts lots of magic and whimsy and fantasy. Ms Bacon wrote affecting and mature protagonists with a deft hand, smarts, imagination and hands down sexiness. WIFSR rewards the attentive listener as the world and atmosphere created here is subtly conveyed in ‘blink and you might miss it’ detail. Wit and humour keep the internal monologuing entertaining 😊. Shifting gears, the Epilogue speaks to the character growth of one of the main protagonists, ending the story in a supremely satisfying way.

🎧 Cornell Collins narrated with nuanced gravitas. The story needed lightness for the humour and very likeable cast of characters, but, without triteness to effectively communicate the weightier themes of abandonment, rejection, bereavement, insecurity, the fear of failing, healing, companionship and Okkano’s ‘self-worth’ arc. Mr Collins had material here that was worthy of his talent. With WIFSR he also had the rare opportunity to showcase his comedic timing. This novella is such a pleasure!

Surprisingly sweet

Cornell Collins narrates this so well. Each of the voices are distinctive so there's no mixing up pov's whilst listening. I also enjoy the inflections put on some of the sentences. It makes for a great listen.
Story wise, there's a lot of heat and they deny their bond to begin with but once they get together? The sweetness!
Oh and the epilogue was utterly adorable and made me laugh and smile throughout.
loved it

A lovely story and great narration!

Well-developed characters and thorough world building! The chemistry between the characters was palpable making their encounters super hot and emotional. I loved the story ❤️

Great fantasy novel

Set in an amazingly well-realized world which I adore.
Narration really brings it to life.
Definite addition to my re-listen list.

Amazing narration of an unusual story

This one is definitely a hit for all the fantasy lovers. I must admit it's not my usual genre I listen to, so I found it a bit hard to follow the story line, especially in the beginning with the fantasy aspects of the characters. But maybe that's also because English isn't my first language.

The book is extremely hot. Some scenes are very unique and intense.

The narrator did a FANTASTIC job! Amazing voice and intonation! Awesome choice for the characters. Well done 👌👏

Hot and steamy

First time read of this author and this narrator. Feel Good HEA, and some scorching sex scenes. Very realistic accents.

Talk about reluctant mates!

I adored both characters. Ōkkanȏ is so disgruntled and reticent when he finds out the lust demon he shares a body with has found his soulmate in a human, and a soldier at that. Lázhien might be the most attractive man he has ever seen, but that doesn’t mean he wants to be his mate, he will fight this with everything he has! He acts aloof and prickly, but the more we read, the more it’s clear that’s just a front to prevent rejection.
Lázhien is a gruff, often grumpy drill sergeant, but the moment he lays eyes on Ōkkanȏ he knows he has found someone special. And he does a lot to get to what he wants.
The universe Kasia Bacon has created is a delight to read and never ceases to surprise and amaze me. This story is no exception and Cornell Collins did a good job with transporting us in its midst.

Fated mates

This is a very interesting and engaging story. Cornell Collins was a new narrator to me, and I think he did a wonderful job with the voices. As I was not familiar with this world I had trouble with the vocabulary, in the first chapters there are a lot of new terms and it threw me off a little while listening. The ebook version has a glossary that helps a lot.

Lázhien and Red's romance was very unique, together they were both sweet and passionate. I wish there were more scenes with them interacting before they decided to accept their bond, I felt we lacked more time with them together. Still, it's a lovely and different story about soul mates.