In 'Stowaway' by Heather Relken, readers are taken on an intergalactic journey where Cinn, a human female, finds herself kidnapped and sold in a faraway universe. The story delves into themes of alien species, complex relationships, and the struggle for survival in a world filled with unknown languages and cultures. The plot unfolds slowly, with vivid descriptions of alien landscapes and detailed world-building that immerses readers in a unique and imaginative universe. Despite facing language barriers and daily challenges, Cinn navigates through her new reality, forming bonds with a diverse group of characters while grappling with her own identity and the mysteries surrounding her past.

Characters:

Characters are complex with individual traits and motivations, enhancing the emotional resonance of the narrative.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is engaging with a focus on rich world-building and character emotions, enhancing the reading experience.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative features a female protagonist fleeing from slavery who becomes part of an alien family while navigating complex relationships and her past.

Setting:

Set in a detailed sci-fi universe, the story explores a variety of alien cultures and the protagonist's adaptation to them.

Pacing:

The pacing can be slow, particularly in the beginning, which may frustrate readers looking for action.

Notes:

The book features truly alien aliens, including a 7ft tall teal creature with tentacles used for eyes.

The main character (MC) escapes from a slave auction and ends up on a spaceship.

There is a strong focus on world building and the unique alien cultures and languages.

The book discusses themes of love, family, and belonging with a backdrop of abandonment and trauma.

It includes a reverse harem setup with three male-presenting aliens and a human female MC.

One of the male characters is a trans man, addressing gender norms interestingly.

Readers note that the narrative is slow and sometimes feels drawn-out, with excessive world-building details.

The author provides trigger warnings before sensitive scenes, allowing readers to skip those sections.

The relationships develop slowly, with sweet moments interspersed throughout the journey.

The story emphasizes communication barriers and the protagonist's struggle to fit in with the alien family.

There is a blend of sci-fi elements with romance, targeting readers who enjoy both genres.

Despite mixed reviews about pacing, many readers appreciate the creativity and detail put into the story.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

There are high triggering content warnings present in the book, including scenes of potential sexual assault, human trafficking, and the exploration of abusive relationships.

Has Romance?

The book contains a medium level of romance, characterized by slow-burn development and the building of intimate relationships.

implied steam level

From The Publisher:

♥ A long, farm-life multi-partner scifi romance ♥

396 pages / 67 chapters / 194,000 words total

(The price reflects the size of this one-this is a BIG book! She's THICC! If you're looking for a story you can lose yourself in for days, this is the one!!)

Synopsis:

Memories all stripped away, a nameless woman is sold at auction. Her buyer might be an angel, but he's no holy symbol-and he's clearly got bad intentions.

When the angels are evil and the demons won't help, what then?

Then you run like hell, you hide, and do whatever it takes to stay alive. Even pick a fight with an alien twice your size.

*~*~*

Dae, Ilsuk, and Xuakai have been living together for a long time, finding love and companionship among one another and their young daughter, Minsie.

The sudden appearance of a fugitive in their storage bay isn't what they anticipated on this particular market run, and she may have been the first to draw blood...but Ilsuk has smelled this type of fear before and knows what sorts of things cause it.

The men will do whatever it takes to keep their daughter safe, but when little Minsie decides to make friends with the beast below deck, they have to reevaluate how they see the feral woman.

She may turn out to be exactly what they all needed.

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TRIGGER WARNINGS

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What the beta readers have to say:

"I'm in love. Relken developed the relationships between the characters in such sweet and wonderful ways as time passes in the story and I'm absolutely in love. The scenes we get with Kai are so achingly sweet!!! The author gives us such wonderful moments with the characters as their feeling develop." - Trena

"I'm in love with Stowaway and OMG how awesome is it that Relken created a language for each race?! I love it! I like the pace of the plot, I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next! I'm so invested in the story from the very early chapters!! The three men were very distinguishable; but Ilsuk is my favorite ❤" - Giulia

"I really enjoyed this story, and am really glad I gave it a go, as it was a bit out of my normal genre! But I feel that it expanded my horizons in ways that I did not expect. I also loved the world building. Well done!" - Sofia

"I really love the main female character. Even though she has lost her memories, she shows she has common sense. That does lack in a lot of books that I have read. She is logical but also very empathetic. The ending was truly beautiful and a perfect way to wrap up the story. I was truly sad that the book was ending but happy Cinn and the family were finally at peace together." - Tyara

Ratings (2)

Loved It (2)

Reader Stats (7):

Read It (2)
Want To Read (5)

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Stowaway

Heather Relken

Book 0.5 in the series:The Aethercurrent Chronicles: The Baron's Hand Saga