Intoxicated Literature Podcast
A podcast with books, alcohol, and lots of laughter. Daniella and Evelyne are sisters who have always shared book recommendations with each other. Join us while we drink and discuss books in the paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and epic fantasy genres!
Intoxicated Literature Podcast
Taken to Voraxia
In which Daniella and Evelyne discuss Fated Mates, consent, tails, and when is too much bodily fluid too much?
Speaker 1:
This is Intoxicated Literature.
Daniella Drake:
Hello! And welcome to Intoxicated Literature. I am Daniella Drake.
Evelyne Crowe:
And I'm Evelyne Crowe.
Daniella Drake:
And tonight we are talking about Taken to Voraxia by Elizabeth Stephens.
Evelyne Crowe:
Okay, this is where I get to talk about my story about Elizabeth Stephens.
Daniella Drake:
Ooh, I can't wait.
Evelyne Crowe:
I have one story about Elizabeth Stephens, it's adorable. So, I went to Steamy Lit in Anaheim and she was there. And so here's the thing you need to know about me. When someone tells me that, and when I mean someone, I mean everyone on fucking BookTok and BookTube and Bookstagram or whatever, says, "Read this big blue alien series by this person because it's amazing!" I instantaneously go, "Nope. I am not going to do that, because everyone said so." It's just a me problem. It doesn't mean that series is bad.
Daniella Drake:
It's not just a you problem, that's a me problem as well.
Evelyne Crowe:
I just instantaneously, every particle of my being just says, "No, I'm not going to do that." It's why I haven't read Fourth Wing. I just instantaneously say that's a popular thing, and I'm not going to do it.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, I do the same thing.
Evelyne Crowe:
I'm a very contrary person. So instead, I read Taken to Voraxia by Elizabeth Stephens, which is the other blue alien series. So, I met Elizabeth Stephens at Steamy Lit, and I walked up to her table, and at the time it was just me, and it was her and her mother, who was about the same height as me. She was this tiny little woman.
Daniella Drake:
Oh, cute!
Evelyne Crowe:
She was so cute. And I told Elizabeth, I'm like, "I just wanted to let you know that when everyone was saying, 'Read this other blue alien series', I read yours instead." And her mom looked at me and said, "You're about my size. I'm going to give you a shirt." And she went and she found a T-shirt, and she came around the table and she said, "Now, don't you go tell anybody that I did this."
Daniella Drake:
Oh, that's so cute!
Evelyne Crowe:
And she gave me a T-shirt, and she gave me a hug.
Daniella Drake:
Oh, I love it!
Evelyne Crowe:
She was so cute. And she was just so-
Daniella Drake:
That's so sweet.
Evelyne Crowe:
She was just so excited that I read this series instead of the other series.
Daniella Drake:
That's so sweet. Oh, I love that.
Evelyne Crowe:
So supportive of her daughter, and it was just there, it was so amazing.
Daniella Drake:
That's so cute.
Evelyne Crowe:
Both of them were so sweet. I just love them so much.
Daniella Drake:
Oh, I love that.
Evelyne Crowe:
I know. Oh my God. I love them both so much. I actually really like the series, so we are going to have differing opinions of this book this time.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, I think I've realized that maybe alien romance is not for me.
Evelyne Crowe:
I'm not saying that alien romance is for me. I don't think I've read... I'm not going to go out and buy a bunch. Sci-fi isn't my thing.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah-
Evelyne Crowe:
In general.
Daniella Drake:
... it's not my thing either, yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
There's a lot of alien tropes that aren't my thing that we'll discuss later, but there are lots in this series that I liked that aren't found in a lot of alien romances that I do like.
Daniella Drake:
That makes sense, yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
So, we'll get to that.
Daniella Drake:
Before we get into it, spoilers.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yes.
Daniella Drake:
We are going to spoil this book.
Evelyne Crowe:
All of the book. All of it.
Daniella Drake:
All of it, everything.
Evelyne Crowe:
Every thing.
Daniella Drake:
So, if you haven't read it, go read it and come back.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yep.
Daniella Drake:
Also, there will be swearing.
Evelyne Crowe:
Swearing and adult content.
Daniella Drake:
And adult content.
Evelyne Crowe:
If you're not over 18 or 18, just go away.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah. Cease and desist. Vacate the premises.
Evelyne Crowe:
No minors.
Daniella Drake:
Yes. Minors, not miners.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yes. Oh my God, we're so [inaudible 00:03:55]. Okay!
Daniella Drake:
Okay, okay, so what are we drinking tonight?
Evelyne Crowe:
We are drinking... What are we drinking? We're drinking-
Daniella Drake:
We're drinking Spice Between the Sheets.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah, we are!
Daniella Drake:
With the spiced rum, because they talk about spice a lot when she first experiences the food.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yes.
Daniella Drake:
So, that's how we ended up there. It's quite good, actually. I definitely had to add some honey though, because it was so, so tart. Did you have that experience, where you had the first drink and you're like...
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah, it definitely needs to be a little sweeter.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah! But yeah, good times.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah, it's very good.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah. I have to be honest, this was not my favorite book, and it's not at all the fault of the author. I thought that the writing was really good, I actually really liked the characters quite a bit. I struggled with a lot of the tropes, actually.
Evelyne Crowe:
And I think that that just comes down to it being an alien romance. And a lot of it comes from omegaverse as well. And I am not a big fan of omegaverse as well. Part of that comes from, we didn't have a lot of access to computers back when fan fiction was really coming out-
Daniella Drake:
That is true.
Evelyne Crowe:
... into being a thing. So we kind missed the whole fan fiction thing.
Daniella Drake:
That's true, yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
And that's fine. I love fan fiction. If you read fan fiction-
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, nothing wrong with it at all.
Evelyne Crowe:
... go for it.
Daniella Drake:
Absolutely.
Evelyne Crowe:
But I missed that bandwagon. That is not the thing that I have experienced, or have done, or learned about, or whatever. I just missed it. So, omegaverse is not my thing. I know a little bit about it. Some of it I've learned about on TikTok, in weird ways, and maybe I'll tell a story or two about that later. But it's not my thing, generally.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, that's fair. Yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
So, one of those things is fated mates. I do tend have a problem with fated mates.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, that's not really my favorite. It's never really been my favorite. I just don't...
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah, and a lot of omegaverse deals with a fated mate kind of idea, and you won't see me searching out a fated mate romance.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, that's basically what it is. And it's never enough for me to be like, "Oh, I don't want to read that now." But it's just not something that I search out. That's exactly the way to put it.
Evelyne Crowe:
It's so weird too, because you know as a romance reader going into a romance that the couple is going to get together. It's so funny, you know that. You know going in that there's going to be a happily ever after, it's going to be between these two characters, you know that! So, a fated mate shouldn't be so off-putting.
Daniella Drake:
I know.
Evelyne Crowe:
But at the same time, I would like to have the characters have more autonomy. I would like-
Daniella Drake:
More agency.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah. I would like them to be able to say no, if they want to.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, I think that's what I struggle with, too. And I think partly it's our contrary nature.
Evelyne Crowe:
Mm-hmm.
Daniella Drake:
Where it's just like, "I want to have the option to say no, and if I feel like I can't, it doesn't sit well with me."
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah, exactly. And I also would like to say that while I haven't read the blue alien series, I have read almost everything else by Ruby Dixon, and I actually do enjoy everything she's written, so it's just I'm fucking contrary as. All right, moving on.
Daniella Drake:
Yes.
Evelyne Crowe:
But yeah, the fated mate thing?
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, it's not my favorite.
Evelyne Crowe:
And it's in a lot. And it's not just aliens, it's in a lot of monster romances. Period.
Daniella Drake:
Actually, I feel like there are a lot, I would say even fae, you see it a lot just in general in fantasy. It's just a very common trope, and a lot of people really like it. And that's fine. If you like it, you like it, that's totally fine. It's just not something that I gravitate towards.
Evelyne Crowe:
It feels like it takes consent out of the-
Daniella Drake:
I think that's what I struggle with. And I think that that's partly... I did have some issues with this book, and honestly, with the caveat that this was a purely personal thing, I don't think that a lot of people would react this way, I think that it really is just a me problem. Because the writing was really good, I thought the characters were really interesting. There were a lot of aspects about this book that I really, really liked. I went in completely blind. I didn't read the description, I didn't know anything about it. I downloaded the book and started reading.
Evelyne Crowe:
I did kind of just throw this at Daniella and be like, "Here, read this book!" So, part of that is my fault.
Daniella Drake:
I just did not know what I was getting into. And this book opens with subjugation of women, which was almost immediately corrected, and in a really great way. It's not an issue for very long, but it was very off-putting for me in the very, very, very, very beginning. And it kind of set the tone for the rest of the book, unfortunately. And I'm not opposed to that, necessarily. I think mostly I was just taken off-guard. I just didn't understand what I was getting into.
Evelyne Crowe:
And that's kind of on me. I didn't warn you. I was like, "Here, read this book, it's great!"
Daniella Drake:
I also didn't read the description. I literally just started reading and I was like, "What is happening?" And I don't want anyone to think that I didn't enjoy it. I read the entire book, and I'm not going to finish a book if there wasn't something in it that wasn't enjoyable for me, it's just not going to happen.
Evelyne Crowe:
This book delves into some serious fucking topics. You got xenophobia, you've got equality, you've got protecting the vulnerable, you got equality, you've got treatment of women, you've got all sorts of shit happening in this book. And at the same time, it's a romance, so you've got that whole dynamic happening. So, there's a lot! There's a lot happening. And so if you tell someone, "Hey, read this alien romance!" Sorry.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah, I may have tricked her a little bit.
Daniella Drake:
There were a lot of things that I really appreciated. I think that it was really interesting, the way that miscommunication was handled, and it actually felt way more realistic than most miscommunication is handled in pretty much every other book series. It felt much more realistic because they're coming from completely different cultures, there's a translation circuit that she's using, there's so many things. And you're reading, you're going, I could see exactly how he would get the wrong idea here, or exactly how she would get the wrong idea here. How this miscommunication could have happened is so clear to me. And so that aspect of it I really appreciated, because honestly, the miscommunication trope is one of my least favorite, because it makes me insane. I'm like, if you just use your words, none of this would've even needed to happen.
Evelyne Crowe:
I hate the miscommunication trope, it drives me insane. But this one, because they literally don't speak the same language in the beginning of the book.
Daniella Drake:
She's trying to explain to him what friends are. And he's like, "I don't know what you're talking about. Are you talking about family?" And she's like, "No, not family." And he's like, "I don't understand what you mean." And he's getting frustrated, and she's getting frustrated, because it literally doesn't translate, and it's so realistic. And so that aspect of it for me was so, so good. I really appreciated that so much. I loved that he was growly, like the "do not touch her" kind of trope, that works for me. I love that so much.
Evelyne Crowe:
I also kind of wish I had a tail.
Daniella Drake:
Oh my gosh. I wanted to bring up tails as erogenous zones, because that was fascinating. And I'm intrigued.
Evelyne Crowe:
Because I've seen horns before as an erogenous zone, but tails?
Daniella Drake:
Not tails. I have never encountered that.
Evelyne Crowe:
I'm like, okay, I want a tail now. That seems amazing.
Daniella Drake:
Right? I agree. I thought that was very cool.
Evelyne Crowe:
It seems wonderful, and I want one.
Daniella Drake:
And the world building was fascinating. I was really interested in this kind of confederation of planets and how they became kind of their own, for lack of a better word, kingdom, and all the politics of it, and how these different races and species kind of came together, and all of that. I thought that was so interesting.
Evelyne Crowe:
And Ms. Stephens does really good job building this. It's a whole thing. The world building is really outstanding.
Daniella Drake:
There's a lot going on.
Evelyne Crowe:
A lot. And that's outstanding-
Daniella Drake:
Absolutely.
Evelyne Crowe:
... how well she does with this.
Daniella Drake:
Absolutely agree, yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
Because it's a romance, but there's this whole... You are sucked into this whole world that she has created, and this universe. It's phenomenal. You are absolutely transported. It's amazing.
Daniella Drake:
Absolutely agree. And it was really interesting too, because she's got different planets, and she's talking about one of the people, Svera, ends up on... What it sounds like is kind of a desert place with one kind of oasis where they all live, which is really interesting and very different from where Miari ends up, which is more like a tropical kind of place, it seems like. So, having the different atmospheres and the different locations, that felt very cool too. And I'm sure that the different books are on different planets and different-
Evelyne Crowe:
Different planets, different cultures.
Daniella Drake:
... different cultures, all of that. So, I'm sure that that is super, super interesting. Her worldbuilding is very, very good.
Evelyne Crowe:
It's phenomenal.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, it really is.
Evelyne Crowe:
It's phenomenal.
Daniella Drake:
It really is. I struggled with this book because I think a lot of it... It's hard for me to articulate, because I'm not even sure I understand why I didn't resonate so much with this book. And part of it was consent issues, I think? And I know that the early parts of the subjugation of women and the breeding hunts, which were not consensual, obviously that is an issue that is rectified 100% by the end of the book, it's not... Actually, very quickly.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah.
Daniella Drake:
But-
Evelyne Crowe:
And even the general who instigated that is punished for it. It's not like he's a-
Daniella Drake:
He's exiled, he is done.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah.
Daniella Drake:
So, it shouldn't really be an issue, but it just took me out every time they talked about it. So I couldn't really get fully invested in the story.
Evelyne Crowe:
Fated mates actually comes into play, because at the same time that she's saying, "I will stay here with you, and be this thing for you"-
Daniella Drake:
She's literally making deals with him to save her friends or feed her friends. And so I'm like, it doesn't really feel like consent is given, because she's making a deal, and so it's kind of transactional.
Evelyne Crowe:
But at the same time, her body is saying, "Hey, fated mate."
Daniella Drake:
Right, right. But for me, that doesn't necessarily mean... Because it's still against her will. She still doesn't have a choice.
Evelyne Crowe:
I get it, I get it, I understand. I understand.
Daniella Drake:
So for me-
Evelyne Crowe:
Both her body is saying, "fated mate", and that's against your will. And both the bargain is saying this is against your will.
Daniella Drake:
So, I had a hard time wrapping my brain around that. And a lot of people won't have an issue with that, and that's totally fine, and people love it, that's totally fine. I am not trying to make anyone feel bad about that, at all. And I'm not saying that this wasn't a good book. It's just for me, personally, I had a very difficult time getting really fully immersed into it, because I would start to get into it and then something would happen with consent or, I don't know, whatever, and I would just immediately be pulled back out and be like, "Oh, I don't know!"
Evelyne Crowe:
I even remember that her first orgasm with him was so... They were in the shower?
Daniella Drake:
Yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
And it was so like, "Oh, I am so turned on right now." I'm like, "Why?"
Daniella Drake:
I know! Yeah, exactly. And listen, he sounds intriguing. He's big, he's blue, he's got ridges that change colors. That sounds cool. I'm down.
Evelyne Crowe:
It's like her tail wrapped around his leg, and all of a sudden she can't turn it off.
Daniella Drake:
Is done, yeah, yeah. And I don't know, I just-
Evelyne Crowe:
And that's one of the reasons why I have a problem with fated mates. It really is from zero to a thousand.
Daniella Drake:
Exactly. Yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
It's the insta-love, and I have a problem with that. And part of that is because I'm half convinced I'm demi, and I need an emotional connection before-
Daniella Drake:
I think that's what it is for me. I don't understand it, my brain literally can't [inaudible 00:17:12] it.
Evelyne Crowe:
Again, I'm with you.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
But after that, it's a while before they have another romance thing.
Daniella Drake:
It is, yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
There's certain tropes in alien romance. You have, "We need humans because we need to breed." Only humans breed.
Daniella Drake:
And we know that human females breed like crazy.
Evelyne Crowe:
Like crazy! We need them. So, that's one of them. And then so the birth rate's gone down, and we need the humans, and humans are going to save us. It's very similar to the fae thing. It feels very white-
Daniella Drake:
It's not even that different from Dragon's Bride from Katee Robert, right? That idea.
Evelyne Crowe:
It's not. Or monster romances-
Daniella Drake:
It's really not that different.
Evelyne Crowe:
... where the humans come in and save it. It's very similar. But yeah.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah. Honestly, I just think that the conclusion for me is that this maybe is not my genre, which is fine. That's okay. This is why I read multiple things, because I want to know, and I've never read anything like this, so...
Evelyne Crowe:
I know. Honestly, I've never read anything like this either.
Daniella Drake:
I'm glad that I read it. It's not that I'm upset that I read it.
Evelyne Crowe:
I did enjoy the color changing-
Daniella Drake:
Yes, I did, too.
Evelyne Crowe:
... with the emotions. While, on the other hand, being absolutely horrified that everyone would know-
Daniella Drake:
I know, I had the same-
Evelyne Crowe:
... what emotions I was feeling at any time.
Daniella Drake:
Wait, you can't hide what you're feeling? I don't like that.
Evelyne Crowe:
I would hate that. I would absolutely abhor everything about that. No, thank you.
Daniella Drake:
I also get a little bit tired of seeing the trope of humans are weak and soft, and all aliens are sturdy and hard and so much stronger. That is a very common trope, I know.
Evelyne Crowe:
And it's not just in aliens, it's also in monster romance.
Daniella Drake:
Absolutely, 100%. And I think that I'm just like, "Oh, let's see something different!" And again, very personal. That's a personal reaction.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah.
Daniella Drake:
Also, I thought it was interesting too, in the beginning, she makes her friend wear a hologram that makes her look like herself, because she's going to escape with her other friend, but then she does everything she possibly can to save her friend from going with the aliens at the end. And it just seemed very contradictory, where she was going to sacrifice her friend in the beginning, but then not later.
Evelyne Crowe:
At the end, she was queen.
Daniella Drake:
I guess that's true.
Evelyne Crowe:
She had power at end.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, that's fair. That's a fair point.
Evelyne Crowe:
So, she had a little bit of oomph-
Daniella Drake:
A little bit of leverage, yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
... behind herself at the end.
Daniella Drake:
That's fair. That's fair, I guess.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah, she didn't have anything in the beginning.
Daniella Drake:
But also, what did she think was going to happen to her friend when she was discovered? I'm just like, "Yes, pretend to be me. You might be raped, but maybe not."
Evelyne Crowe:
They're doing the best they can of a-
Daniella Drake:
I guess.
Evelyne Crowe:
... shitty situation. It was shitty, and they were doing the best they could.
Daniella Drake:
I also wondered a lot about the human leaders, because they seem to be shady as fuck, and I was not-
Evelyne Crowe:
Oh, they are completely shady, and that's discussed in later books.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, I figured it must be revisited, because I was not a fan, just from the brief glimpse that I got.
Evelyne Crowe:
Oh no, they are-
Daniella Drake:
That sounds about right.
Evelyne Crowe:
... the worst. They are completely the worst, and we hate them.
Daniella Drake:
That sounds about right. So yeah, that checks out. But she did a very good job-
Evelyne Crowe:
100%.
Daniella Drake:
... of making that come across without even very much time. So, props, props there.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yep. Nope. Hate them. Do not like them. Shitty as fuck. Yep. No, they do what they can in the beginning-
Daniella Drake:
Sure, of course.
Evelyne Crowe:
... because they have no other choice.
Daniella Drake:
And they're all traumatized. Her mom dies in childbirth because they don't have the medical facilities to help her. It's very upsetting.
Evelyne Crowe:
I think what happened, everybody, is I gave her this book, and I told her it was a romance, and then it was like, here's some trauma.
Daniella Drake:
Kind of!
Evelyne Crowe:
But the thing is, is she reads these cozy books, and they're full of fucking trauma! And so she cannot get mad at me.
Daniella Drake:
But the trauma is past! And the cozy is about getting past the trauma! And I feel like this was just more trauma in it.
Evelyne Crowe:
Oh my God. But she gets past it. She gets her happily ever after!
Daniella Drake:
She does, which I'm very happy with. It ends very well. I just had-
Evelyne Crowe:
And they fixed it.
Daniella Drake:
I just had a hard time getting into it. Which, again, nothing against the author, nothing against the book specifically. I think it really was just going in blind, and not really understanding what I was getting, and being caught off guard multiple times.
Evelyne Crowe:
I never said it was a cozy book.
Daniella Drake:
You said it was a romance!
Evelyne Crowe:
It is a romance! It's fucking romance porn and there's a happily ever after!
Daniella Drake:
There is, you're right.
Evelyne Crowe:
I don't know what else you expect!
Daniella Drake:
You're absolutely right. I just had never read an alien romance before, so I had no idea what was going on.
Evelyne Crowe:
I don't know what else to tell you!
Daniella Drake:
I will say too, there was a whole scene where he covers her in his semen, and I was just not a fan.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah. See, this is also where we differ, because I did not have a problem with that scene-
Daniella Drake:
I was like, "Oh my God!"
Evelyne Crowe:
... whatsoever. And apparently-
Daniella Drake:
It would take so much time to get clean after that.
Evelyne Crowe:
You just get in the fucking shower, man, just get in the shower.
Daniella Drake:
I don't like it. I don't like it!
Evelyne Crowe:
See, at the same time, I'm like, you read Morning Glory Milking Farm!
Daniella Drake:
I know, I had an issue with it in that book, too. I was like, "He's just making a mess everywhere!" I know. I thought about that when I was reading this book, and I was like, "This is not that different."
Evelyne Crowe:
See, here's the thing. Here's the thing. I had a bigger problem with Morning Glory Milking Farm, because it was such a gratuitous amount in Morning Glory Milking Farm. It's so much, like a holy shit amount. This is like-
Daniella Drake:
This is also a lot. He has three balls! Three balls worth!
Evelyne Crowe:
Okay. It's not like... They're not measuring it in quarts.
Daniella Drake:
Nobody needs to! He's not selling it! He's just trying to make babies! I bet that if he measured his, it wouldn't be that different from a Minotaur.
Evelyne Crowe:
You're too fucking practical, man. Just enjoy the moment. Oh my God.
Daniella Drake:
Yes, yes, that is sometimes a problem. I recognize that.
Evelyne Crowe:
Just, look. Look. I am a fucking feminist, but sometimes it's kind of nice to think maybe, maybe-
Daniella Drake:
No.
Evelyne Crowe:
... I'm being fucking owned-
Daniella Drake:
No, I don't like that.
Evelyne Crowe:
... and marked.
Daniella Drake:
No. I am my own person.
Evelyne Crowe:
Marked-
Daniella Drake:
Listen.
Evelyne Crowe:
... by a fucking guy.
Daniella Drake:
I'm my own person. I will submit to you because I choose to.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yes, you are submitting because you choose to-
Daniella Drake:
But it's on... No, no, it is on my terms!
Evelyne Crowe:
... get marked by a fucking dude.
Daniella Drake:
There will be no marking!
Evelyne Crowe:
It's too messy, I don't like it!
Daniella Drake:
Exactly!
Evelyne Crowe:
But see, here's the thing. When it's all done, he gets up-
Daniella Drake:
That is true.
Evelyne Crowe:
... and he gets you a fucking wet washcloth. That's the point.
Daniella Drake:
That's fair. That is true.
Evelyne Crowe:
You don't have to move.
Daniella Drake:
But listen, he was purposely smearing it over her entire body. I don't like it.
Evelyne Crowe:
Good for him!
Daniella Drake:
I am on a journey of self-discovery here. I am learning a lot about myself, reading these books, because some things that I think I like, and I read these books and I'm like, "I guess I don't like that!" So, there we go.
Evelyne Crowe:
Oh my God. Oh my God. That's so funny, oh my God. Yeah, we are learning way too much about each other-
Daniella Drake:
That is true. That is true.
Evelyne Crowe:
... reading these books. Just pointing that out. Yes.
Daniella Drake:
It's funny.
Evelyne Crowe:
It's hilarious. Oh my God. I think it's really funny that that's stood out.
Daniella Drake:
I know. Even when I was reading it, I was like, "Really? That's the problem you have right now?" I recognized it even in the moment that it's weird.
Evelyne Crowe:
I enjoyed it. I read the whole series, so I know everything about all of the aliens, except for, I think it's Taken to Nobu? Which is the one with the pirates and the multiple men, which I'm actually really looking forward to. It's on my TBR.
Daniella Drake:
Oh, nice.
Evelyne Crowe:
I have a special edition from Steamy Lit.
Daniella Drake:
That'll be fun for you to read. You'll have to tell me all about it.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yes.
Daniella Drake:
I know.
Evelyne Crowe:
They're not all like this.
Daniella Drake:
I know.
Evelyne Crowe:
Some of them are really sweet.
Daniella Drake:
I'll put them on my TBR. It's just that I've got a lot of books already. I'm never going to get through them all.
Evelyne Crowe:
But yeah, I read the whole series. I enjoyed this one.
Daniella Drake:
Oh yeah, for sure.
Evelyne Crowe:
She did such a good job at the worldbuilding, and there's the whole language thing. It's so developed, and I really enjoyed that, I'm a fantasy reader. I'm not a huge-
Daniella Drake:
I am not a sci-fi fan-
Evelyne Crowe:
... sci-fi person.
Daniella Drake:
... generally, yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
So that is not... Yeah, that's not usually my bag, so...
Daniella Drake:
I did appreciate that. I would call this sci-fi light, only because she doesn't delve into super specific how the engine's working and all of that nonsense. Because that's part of the reason I tend not to read a lot of sci-fi, is it gets a little bit too technical for me. I appreciated that quite a bit.
Evelyne Crowe:
I was going to talk about something and I've completely forgotten, it was actually really good.
Daniella Drake:
Oh no. Oh, let's think for a minute. Were we talking about alien-
Evelyne Crowe:
How he taught her to use her tail and shit. She was human and alien, and she had never learned how to use any of her alien characteristics. And I was like, "That is interesting." I thought that was really key, actually, that she always kind of felt the need to hide that part of her. She never showed her tail, she never used it, she just always felt ashamed of it. And then she met Raku and he's like, "Fuck? Use your tail. Here's how you use it. This is what it's for."
Daniella Drake:
I did very much appreciate how, in the beginning, she feels very other, and that by the end she has accepted herself as she is, and is comfortable in her own skin. That part, really, I loved that so, so much. I thought that was really well done. It really resonated with me. That aspect of it, for sure, was really, really good. She really did a great job at the worldbuilding.
Evelyne Crowe:
Could you imagine, though, being on a bus and looking at a guy you found attractive, and then colors changing?
Daniella Drake:
No. No. Absolutely not. And that was one of the things that I appreciated too, is by the end of the book, she's able to do that, which she wasn't able to in the beginning. So, having that character development and growth and stuff, that was so good. And I love, too, that Miari, she's so smart. She's really creative, she's really intelligent, she's an inventor, she's building things from scraps, just like garbage. And I thought that was really cool, that she was so smart.
Evelyne Crowe:
And she gives him a solar system, and he gives her a lab. And she's like, "You gave me a fucking lab."
Daniella Drake:
And he's like, "This is nothing. You gave me a solar system."
Evelyne Crowe:
"This is just money."
Daniella Drake:
"That was so much better."
Evelyne Crowe:
"You built this with your fucking hands."
Daniella Drake:
He's like, "I didn't do this myself. You made the other thing." And she's like, [inaudible 00:30:04].
Evelyne Crowe:
"I don't know, man." Wow.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yeah. There were definite things that I really enjoyed about this.
Daniella Drake:
For sure, yeah. And honestly, the writing, it was really well written. I don't want anyone to come away from this thinking that I didn't enjoy or appreciate the writing of it, because I did. There was a lot to keep track of. There were a lot of alien planets that she had to name. Which, listen, naming stuff is hard.
Evelyne Crowe:
Naming stuff is fucking hard.
Daniella Drake:
It's so hard.
Evelyne Crowe:
And I will-
Daniella Drake:
And naming alien stuff? Very hard!
Evelyne Crowe:
Because that has to be not Earth-based.
Daniella Drake:
Right! Yeah!
Evelyne Crowe:
It can't come from Latin, it can't come from Romance languages. It can't come from an Indo-European thing.
Daniella Drake:
Exactly.
Evelyne Crowe:
And it has to be-
Daniella Drake:
Exactly.
Evelyne Crowe:
... not Earth-based.
Daniella Drake:
Although I did love that moment where... So, Raku was the only one that seems to really be able to control his emotions enough to not show the colors when he's feeling a lot of emotion. But he has that moment where he shows all of the color, it's like the entire rainbow over his entire body. And he is so embarrassed and so uncomfortable and hides behind her. And she whispers to him, "Don't worry, I'll protect you." And he thinks it's hilarious. That was such a cute moment.
Evelyne Crowe:
I know! I know.
Daniella Drake:
That was such a sweet moment.
Evelyne Crowe:
I know.
Daniella Drake:
And I really appreciated that small intimacy between them, that felt very real.
Evelyne Crowe:
Every interaction between them felt real.
Daniella Drake:
Felt real. I agree.
Evelyne Crowe:
So, I will say that. Every interaction between them felt genuine and real.
Daniella Drake:
I agree.
Evelyne Crowe:
There was nothing that felt fake-
Daniella Drake:
Fake, yeah.
Evelyne Crowe:
... or like this has to happen for plot.
Daniella Drake:
I agree.
Evelyne Crowe:
Everything felt genuine.
Daniella Drake:
I absolutely agree. And they did have a lot of miscommunications, but only because they are literally from different cultures. It wasn't anyone's fault or anything like that, it was just misunderstandings.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yep, agreed.
Daniella Drake:
And even that felt very real. It felt very realistic, which was part of the really good writing. What are we reading next?
Evelyne Crowe:
We are reading Leonor Solis, I believe.
Daniella Drake:
I believe you are correct.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yes. She is an indie author, and I think we are reading one of her earlier books. We are reading Leonor Soliz, Seeking Stars.
Daniella Drake:
Awesome.
Evelyne Crowe:
Yes. She is great. I love her. She's wonderful. I've read two of her books now. So, she's great. I love her. Wonderful.
Daniella Drake:
Awesome. All right.
Evelyne Crowe:
We'll have to see what you think, Miss "I'm in the industry" Daniella Drake.
Daniella Drake:
Yes, well, we'll see how much she actually talks about the entertainment industry and how correct it is.
Evelyne Crowe:
I will say it is about 5%.
Daniella Drake:
Yeah, that sounds about right. Okay, so I am Daniella Drake.
Evelyne Crowe:
And I'm Evelyne Crowe.
Daniella Drake:
And this has been Intoxicated Literature.
Speaker 1:
Thank you for joining us for this episode of Intoxicated Literature. Drink well, friends.
