A different and unique story filled with adventure, distractions, suspense, and romance. A sci-fi romance that is not easy to put down...even for a food break! Great story and can't wait to read more from this author. I recommend.

Apologies, but I could not get into this book at all. I have read and enjoyed the author's books in the past, but this didn't do it for me. Thank you for allowing me to try it.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Dawn – ☆☆
Sadly, this book wasn't for me. I really liked the idea that this book was different in its concept to alien romance but that's where it ended. I found the book really slow paced. I enjoy books that grab me from the start and this didn't do that. There were far too many words that I couldn't pronounce, which killed the flow of the book. I had to sound out a lot of the words to try figure them out.

A lot of people will love this story, I sadly didn't. 🙁


Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
As a huge fan of St. John’s Clans of Kalquor and Clan Beginnings series, I jumped at the chance to get my greedy little paws on an advanced review copy of Not of This World. The opportunity to dive into a new alien world created by St. John? Pfft! That was a no brainer. While I typically devour a Kalquor book in a day, I took my time reading the first book in the new Warriors of Risnar series, reading it a few chapters a day over the course of a week. As Risnar is a new world, I wanted to digest the world building that takes place as the series is set up. I wanted to learn about the Risnarish and the Monsudans, the two alien races that inhabit the planet Jeannie found herself on. I needed to know how the two alien races related to humans. Basically, I had to take my time to digest the differences between the Kalquorians (where my knowledge base was), the Risnarish, and the Monsudans, and how each group interacts with and views Humans.

The story is told from both Jeannie’s point of view and Kren’s. I enjoyed the dual points of view because it gave me a chance to see how both of the main characters felt about what was going on, which was especially important in the beginning when Kren and Arga discover and capture Jeannie. Because the Risnarish and Monsudans do not get along, the men were concerned that Jeannie was a creation of Monsudans, sent to harm them and their people. Jeannie was fortunate that Risnarish males are protective of their females and she drew that same instinct out in Kren. I loved the scene in the station when Kren, his men, and Jeannie first attempt to communicate. Nex’s excitement, the protective instinct of all of the men, and their wonderment at her laughter, her possession of a name, and the other traits that showed signs of sentience made for an entertaining and amusing first-contact scene. Not surprisingly, St. John includes the requisite xenophobe, who calls for Jeannie’s destruction immediately, not wanting to give a possible Monsudan creation time to wreak havoc on them and not caring that she might not be one. Be sure to pay attention to his reaction towards the end of the book when Kren’s people discover what the Monsudans have been doing to humans as it is the most telling.

I found the gender division among the Risnarish people fascinating. Although this isn’t the first sci-fi romance I’ve read in which the society is matriarchal, it’s not as slanted as others. By that I mean that while their head of state is female, the other members of the ruling council are an equal number of males and females. The women do not look down upon the men – something I tend to see in sci-fi matriarchal societies – rather, they see the men as equals who have strengths different than their own, and because of that, their sexes lead divided lives, coming together primarily for breeding purposes and for the men to fulfil their body’s need for sexual release. Except for perhaps the warriors, there appear to be no male-only or female-only jobs and the fields that are dominated by one sex or the other are that way because the career calls more to one sex than the other. Though I had to agree with Jeannie, the idea of living in the women’s temple left a lot to be desired because I think all that quiet serenity would have driven me nuts.

While there are references to religion, the religious fanaticism that drives human behavior in the Kalquor series is not present – at least not in this first installment. I got the impression that the Earth of this series is more similar to our Earth – inhabited by people with varying degrees of faith, but it isn’t the driving force of the government as seen in the Kalquor books.

I think the biggest difference that fans of the Kalquor series will notice is that Not of This World is not nearly as erotic. Don’t get me wrong, it has its steamy moments and there is a bit of a power exchange in the bedroom, but it doesn’t compare to the heat or level of BDSM that occurs in the Kalquor books. Personally, this wasn’t an issue for me because it wasn’t appropriate to the storyline in this installment as it is focused more on building the foundation for the series. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the level of heat rise in future installments.

Suffice it to say, there are HUGE differences between the series, so fans of the Kalquor series shouldn’t expect a retelling of those stories because just what is revealed in Not of This World suggests that while a war may be coming, the humans may have a very powerful ally – if they allow it. While St. John may know, only time and more books will tell. Fortunately for me, the second book in the series, Worlds Apart, is scheduled for release in May, so I won’t have to wait too long before I can return to Risnar.

Hot and sexy, long enough to have well fleshed out story but not so long I couldn't finish it over t weekend

Having been thoroughly entertained by this authors Kalquor series I was very keen to read this the first in a new series by her. This alien romance was a little too alien initially with lots of words used that frankly made it hard going plus the Risnarians had very confusing names but it did get more enjoyable once the heroine Jeanie became an integral part of the story.
Essentially we have two very different types of beings who have evolved on the same planet, the Risnars who are colourful with very unusual skin properties and the insectlike Monsuda who have been abducting humans for experimentation. When Jeanie escapes her captors she's taken in by Risnar warrior Kren who is fascinated by her. Unfortunately his own people are not so sure that Jeanie isn't a danger to them and as the couple desperately try to convince the Elders that the very human Jeanie is no threat to them the Monsuda have plans to take Jeanie back !
Kren and his people are well frankly odd. Able to transform their skin texture and even grow extra appendages! Plus they segregate males from females as they just don't gel well together. Honestly just that was a lot to take in but the story gets even more fanciful as the Monsuda ( who honestly felt missing from this story) have built robots referred to as Drones and here's were the author alludes to little grey men abducting humans and it's almost a Roswell moment! I just think that there was too much in play here and a simpler approach might have worked better. Then I just couldn't understand why the Risnar people who were clearly technically advanced didn't have the capability of space transport particularly when we are told that their enemy have been using it for thousands of years. There's so much potential here but unfortunately for this reader it just introduced too much too quickly. I suppose I wanted a sci fi romance that wasn't quite as alien as this turned out to be.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

A big thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I couldn't't really get into the story. It has an interesting premise but I got bored. They have advance technology but no transport? I am sure there are a lot of people who would enjoy this book. I just wasn't one. I gave it a 3. It's very readable.

Out of one prison only to get into another and not just that but prove to the people that she isn't their sworn enemy.

Interesting premise

He was her savior, but she was his salvation.

Jeannie Gardner finds herself far away from home. She is trapped once again on an isolated planet filled with muscled warriors. She must convince this so called council that she was not born in a lab but rather a human from another race. If she can succeed she can go home, but if Jeannie fails....... she will die.

Risnar was born a warrior, fighting was always in his blood. His duty is to protect his village, but as he grows closer to the female... he is drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

But when the female is taken.....
Risnar has a choice to make, disobey his people or save the woman he loves.



I adore Tracy St. John and this book has definitely become a fast new favorite. A action packed, sexy romance with incredible steam. A must read for fantasy lovers like myself.

Not Of This World is a sci-fi romance with excellent world-building and an emotional punch as alien abductee Jeannie Gardner navigates life on a strange planet after escaping the clutches of her evil tormentors with the help of Kren, as Risnarish law enforcement agent.
Ms St John is a new to me author and I'm glad I've tried this book. It's filled with charm, humor and sensuality, as well as excellent world-building. I enjoyed the way Ms St John highlighted the differences between Jeannie and Kren as they got to know each other and were trying to find a way to communicate. The details of the alien world were superbly described and different enough to be exciting but not so different that they were incomprehensible. Even the strange words that were created for the world were easy to understand and well explained. The way Jeannie and Kren explored their differences were utterly cute and adorable. I might have giggled like a silly girl a time or two at how much fun some of it was.
As an alien, I was wondering how I'd like Kren but Ms St John made him different enough to be alien but similar enough to be relatable. I loved the differences in his physiology from humans, as well as the similarities. Kren is the head of the law enforcement agency in Risnar but he's also a very lonely man. He's felt different from his fellow Risnarish and his longs for a companion beyond the way the Risnarish have established and conduct their relationships with the females of their species. He feels a strong connection and attraction to Jeannie because she is so different from the Risnarish females and much more akin to the males of the species in her emotional make-up. I loved that Kren was gentle and kind to Jeannie, as well a protective and understanding. When he overstepped at times due to their cultural differences, he understood her signals and respected Jeannie's boundaries. Very subtly, Ms St John included the message of "no means no" into the narrative of the story. I felt for Kren as he struggled with his desire to be selfish and keep Jeannie with him, or to send her home to her own planet.
I had thought that Jeannie would be a lot more traumatized initially based on her experience with the Monsuda but it's probably a blessing she didn't remember much of it. With that, she was able to slowly and cautiously adjust to life with the Risnarish, to form bonds and friendships with a people who have welcomed her into their fold. Even as her memories return, Jeannie becomes a lot more resilient and adaptable based on her experiences. I admired her for her final act in safeguarding the people of Earth so they wouldn't suffer as she did.
There were moments in the story where both Kren and Jeannie struggled with doing the right thing and what it meant for each other and their own desires. Those moments were very emotionally written and I felt myself getting teary eyed as I was immersed into their situation. I love when an author can bring me to tears with their writing.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story from Ms St John and this will not be the last of her books that I will read. I'm going to check out her back list as well as look forward to the next Risnar book that's coming out later.

ARC received for review

DNF

I tried...I really did, but there was just too many "new" words. There was nothing familiar at all. I can't find anything that makes me want to know more about this alien world

I've been a fan of Tracy St John for years. She's been taunting us with glimpses of this book on her blog for well over a year now, evil woman. It was worth the wait! The tone of the book is different from some of her other works which is great because it feels distinct. The characters are engaging and I love the unique ideas she had for the central plot.

Can't wait for the rest of this new series! Fun read kept me entertained throughout!

Jeannie Gardner escapes from her captors’ clutches only to find herself trapped on a planet far from Earth. When she is discovered by a muscle-bound warrior, she must prove to him, and the Council of Elders, that she is not a creature set free from a lab, but a sentient being from another planet.When I started reading I couldn't put it down I read the book is one day.Tracy is magnifysent writer.I cannot wait to read more of her books.Keep up the great work.