This was a ok read.
I do love a good space opera but this was just not for me.
Although the characters are good I just felt the story was a bit slow with too much back history for the characters disrupting the story line.

Full review to come.
I deeply apologize, but life is a handful lately and I'm using all my free time to read, not review. I hope everybody understands.

An enjoyable, sexy read. I really felt for Captain Ales and his loneliness at being the last of his people. I'm glad he found a happy ending...though I feel like his dalliances with Ukko might jeopardize that. Maybe we'll find out in a sequel?

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

So I was like : "A Gay Star Wars? Hell Yeah". Well, of course I wasn't expecting something like Star Wars. But I was still expecting a good space opera with a strong world-building and a rebel main character! The thing is... there's actually a strong world-building in that novella, but nothing really rebel in Ales.

I found Siege Weapons really difficult and long to read despite its short format. We spend a long moment to follow Ales without knowing where are we going exactly and what is the point. And with Ales, there is a lot of risks, sex, and waiting. A lot of waiting, in fact. Even Ales doesn't seems to know what he's really waiting for.

I wasn't expecting any BDSM or abusive relationship in this novella. The final twist come from absolutely nowhere and the unexpected feeling wasn't really enjoyable, along with the sexualisation of Ales' black skin.

The deep character of Ales is well-constructed and can explain some part of this aspect but still. It felt "wrong" during the story.

So I don't know what I really think about Siege Weapons. I love seeing more space opera with lot of gay characters and gay society. But it didn't work for me with this novella, unfortunately...

A story about a lost smuggler in space, with plenty of smut moments, a little action and a lot of feelings. Ales was as broken as they come, not sure if I liked the stuff with Ukko. I liked the plot. I did like Turo. I liked the little dream/memory bits too. Favourite non smut bit would be Jally.

2.5 stars. There were parts that were really good but then a lot of parts that were wrong. I love hard core BDSM but this is not what Turo was doing. First there is a discussion, safe words and expectations. Starting off kicking Ales in the balls with his boot 15 times with no way for him to stop it and then turn around and kick and punch him is straight up abuse. And then I just got way lost. They are sitting at the bar talking about Jansen invading the Verge and Ales says, "this place is the only home I have and we have to fight for our freedom", I’m assuming he’s talking about the Verge as he has never heard of Jansen before. And then Turo starts talking about how Ales told him that he craves real domination. Where did that even come from? That conversation never happened, and that is something that should have been on page not off. This could have been a really good story but it just didn't work for me.

2,5 stars

I really thought it could be at least a 4 stars read for me. The idea was good, the blurb sounded promising and the first half of the book was not bad, but unfortunately the second part of it didn't fulfill my expectations and towards the end it felt rather like a story without a proper concept.

What was more important: a sudden sexual submissive part (without any logic in the plot) or a decent story-line? I am a bit angry about the direction the book took. Honestly, the plot had a lot of potential, the writing was not bad, but....it is why my disappointment is difficult to hide.

This is a very hard one to rate. The writing is solid, the world building and characterization decently done, and it is a quick and easy read. But the book has a very strong dichotomy: it is a moody sci fi merged with gay BDSM porn. Author Rey makes it work but just be aware that both aspects are fully described in detail. In a way, since it feels so niche, it does feel a bit like a Marty Stu. But a decently written one where the sci fi aspects are just as important as the sex.

Story: Ales is a courier, crossing the galaxy delivering goods that are more or less legal. Lonely and haunted by being the sole survivor of the destruction of his home planet years ago, he spends most of his days and nights in transit or hooking up with faceless men while dulling the emotional pain with hard drugs. When employed to take a shipment to a blockaded world, he knows he is flirting with serious danger this time: the contraband hidden in his cargo hold would, if found, seal his fate immediately. But then a one-night-stand on the planet turns into something far different: for he has finally found someone to master him completely and satisfy all that he has needed for so long. But his master wants much more from him than he may be ready to give.

First and foremost, this is not a romance. This is a story about an emotionally crippled person looking for the person who can give him what he needs. There are a lot of scenes of random hookups, threesomes, and BDSM. The book does not, however, feel like someone was trying to fit a story around the sex; rather, the sex is integrated into the story seamlessly so it makes a lot of sense. Nor do we have the usual hackneyed heroes or overidealized love interests. This is a cold hard exchange with no build up or sweetness. Ales as a hero uses sex as one does drugs and so the pain of a BDSM relationship is an escape or repentance - perhaps survivor guilt?

The book is an extremely fast read - really a novella rather than a full story. Finished in about an hour, it moves quickly but quite seamlessly as well. Even when we are given the main character's melancholia, the story doesn't drag. Yes, this could have been fleshed out more but for what it is, it is strangely satisfying. Admittedly, the hard core sexual descriptions weren't as interesting to me so I did skip a lot of them, making for an even faster read.

Because it is so short and does feel a bit like a Marty Stu, I think 3 stars is a fair rating. That does not reflect the writing, which is more of a 4 star. And for gay porn, BDSM style, I don't have a lot of experience but it felt authentic and organic. At no time did I feel the sci fi was an attempt to put window dressing on porn - both the sci fi and the porn aspects (really more than erotic - this is porn) were solid. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I've been trying to think of how to review this book I finished its on Friday night but wasn't sure what to say about its and i always like to be honest in my reviews There were bit I like about its has i love a good space opera and any thing sci-fi. there bits i really didn't like really didn't but i think that's more my taste in a book not the book its self. There a lot of sex in this book which they do warm you about but I've got to be honest and I didn't realise how much there would be. I think if you do like book like that you may like this book I like books with slow burning romances and and a lot of adventure.