While I often say that I read every romance sub-genre, this very much so sci-fi genre was a first for me. It took me a minute to get into the world, and I felt like the world building wasn’t as extensive as I needed it to be. But this book started with a bang (the sexy kind) and kept that intensity up the entire book. Honestly, it was a wild ride and I loved it.

I pitched this book to one of my reading Discord servers as "if Jessie Mihalik wrote erotic romance." I didn't mention that the FMC reminded me of Inara from Firefly, but that too!

Mara is the last Balti temptress, a wealthy woman from a destroyed and colonized planet and culture who's far more complex than anyone gives her credit for. She's been in a relationship for years with a man she trusts and relies on, but she comes to realize it's not love and that he's not the person she thought. When he leaves for a lengthy business trip, he forces a former soldier (and secret prince) in servitude to be her bodyguard and to provide her with sex.

The whole book is saturated with sex. It opens with something of a "prove how much you love me" public sex scene that Mara has to observe and then replicate the scene with Cal, the aforementioned bodyguard.

There are complicated politics throughout, with multiple levels of colonization and corporate greed, but it's Mara's efforts to reconnect with her Balti heritage that makes that plot so compelling. Some of the big reveals are obvious to the reader, but it's easy to understand why Mara wouldn't see the truth given the trauma bond she and Jerk Boyfriend had for years.

Dare also explores consent and sex, shame and freedom. This is a high heat book for sure and some of the dynamics aren't explicitly consensual. It's complicated, however, by the fact that the characters involved are genuinely attracted to each other and do want the sex. It's just the circumstances (sex bodyguard? Balti temptress who is expected to always be ready to engage?) that make things messy. Cal's culture is what I think of as Puritanical, driven by business interests and very repressed. He's not like that, of course. Mara's culture is all about pleasure in all forms. It was really interesting and the sex made me think.

In short, this is a very spicy sci-fi romance that will scratch that itch you have after you read Jessi Mihalik or watch Firefly. More spice, more romance, more direct acknowledgment of the impacts of colonialism.

Sexy sci fi! What a time. This was an absolute page-turner. I recommend to fans of Ice Planet Barbarians for sure!

A promising start to a series, and if it is going to be one, I would LOVE to read the next book.

The story began explosively, the opposite of a slow-burn romance. Although I had doubts about how the momentum and character emotions would sustain after such a start, I was pleasantly surprised. The gradual development of the characters' feelings for each other was enjoyable, even if it was predictable. It's the kind of comforting read that people tend to gravitate towards.

The plot revolves around Mara Leonar, who is the last survivor of her kind from the planet Balti. When her planet was taken over by the Dern ruling government, she was rescued at the age of six and raised by a Dern in a wealthy planet. Later, she begins a relationship with Liam Pent, whose family runs the Pent Corporation and has businesses everywhere. Liam hires a Balti to teach Mara to become a "Balti Temptress," a woman skilled in the art of pleasure. Although Mara tries to hold her own, there is a clear power imbalance in their relationship. When Liam takes Mara back to Balti to learn about her past, he introduces Calvy D'Aldiern, a forgotten and unwanted prince turned soldier, as her bodyguard. Calvy has an equally intriguing background as Mara, and I wish there were more of his perspective in the story.

This is merely an introductory setup to the characters and their relationships. There is sufficient plot development, but I would prefer more character descriptions and world-building if the series is going in a sci-fi direction. While I desired more world-building about Mara's planet and people, I acknowledged that a romance novel couldn't have too much of it without weighing down the story. I found it hard to comprehend the dichotomy between the Baltis and the Derns, particularly how easily Cal went against his teachings once he met Mara, but perhaps I was overthinking it.

However, one thing that put me off was the numerous references to Cal's over-styled hair, which reminded me of the 90s trend of slicking back hair. It wasn't attractive to me.

All in all, a good read.

Described as Anastasia meets The Bodyguard, Queen of Dust by H.E. Dare is a sexy science fiction romance that kept me hooked from the very first page to the last. A rather eye-opening voyeuristic scene sets the stage for Mara Leanor, a Balti Temptress, her partner, CEO Liam Pent, and Calvy D’Aldiern, an enemy soldier of the Dern Empire.

Mara was rescued as a child just before a poisonous bomb went off in the atmosphere of Balti, a beautiful, nature driven planet that is rendered uninhabitable for ten years following the bomb, which killed all the human inhabitants left there. With no memory of her life or how she escaped – other than what she was told at the time – Mara is raised as a Balti Temptress, meaning that she is taught how to enjoy pleasure at any age – from childlike pleasures like candy and play when younger, then from the sexual arts as an adult. It’s believed she is the last (and only) Balti Temptress still alive.

Now Balti is inhabited once more, Mara enlists the aid of Liam Pent, CEO of the Pent Corporation which has factories on the planet, in getting back there, his spaceship and technological capabilities enabling her to travel there in months versus the years it would take using traditional means. Their relationship is bound by sex and their mutual disdain for the Dern Empire. Mara hates the Dern because they are responsible for the bomb that destroyed Balti; Liam is tied to them through business ventures which include military contracts, but he looks scornfully down on the Dern’s Virtues – purity through patience, clarity through compliance, and deliverance through dedication.

Calvy D’Aldiern was born a Prince of the Dern Empire, but as a surprise birth, number eleven in a strictly regulated system of producing ten heirs per royal couple, he doesn’t have a role to play in the family dynamics. Instead, he’s a commoner under the law and he chose to become a soldier. When a troop under Cal’s supervision was caught with counterfeit weapons, Cal took the blame and went to prison, was demoted from Captain to Private, and upon his release, discovered that his military contract had been purchased by Liam Pent. It’s a power move for Liam, ‘owning’ a piece of the Dern royal family. Taking Cal on board his ship while on route to Balti, his intention is to have Cal serve as a bodyguard for Mara while she’s there, as he has other business to attend to and won’t be staying there with her. He has another job for Cal, too – to be her sexual release if she needs him, knowing of her appetite for sex and planning to indulge himself with other women himself while they are separated.

Reluctantly accepting Cal’s position as her bodyguard, Mara is frustrated that being back on Balti hasn’t brought any memories immediately back. Nothing looks familiar, the workers at the factories are indentured servants, and the Moonclan, returned Balti who believe that Queen Balticourt had lived and would someday return, are chasing a dream. With Cal at her side, Mara keeps exploring, and she and Cal begin to bond. But after months away, Liam’s imminent return could spell the end of her mission, and her burgeoning relationship with Cal. Will Mara find the answers she seeks before it’s too late?

While it may appear that this is a love triangle romance, there isn’t any love lost between Liam and Mara and they are both in their relationship for self-serving reasons. Sex in this story is really all about power. Liam uses sex to show his displeasure with Mara for some of her actions by engaging in sex acts with another woman in front of her (and an audience). He then uses his power over Cal to make him perform oral sex on Mara, what’s supposed to be a punishment turning Mara’s head inside out with how good Cal makes her feel, while simultaneously realizing the mistake she’s made by not sharing her pleasure with Liam as they have always done in the past. Then by informing Mara that if she wants sex while he’s gone, she’ll get it from Cal and Cal only (and she must always be the initiator), Liam continues to use sex to keep control over her. He also requires Cal to report regularly to Liam what Mara does, including any sex they have. It’s a twisted relationship, but one that had served Mara’s purposes too, until now. With Cal, Mara at first treats him as Liam intends, a sex attendant of sorts, but as Liam’s separation from them lengthens, her relationship with Cal changes and Mara forgets that she’s supposed to be thinking of Liam while having sex with Cal. Cal challenges her, confronts her, listens to her, and protects her. It’s a heady feeling to have someone see her as her own person and not just as Liam’s appendage.

Relationship complexities aside, the worldbuilding is interesting and well developed, from the stifling feel of the spaceship with the ever present dark void outside the viewing windows, to the planet of Balti with its dusty atmosphere, powerful ocean and its relics of the past being slowly swallowed by the present. The tension builds as the story progresses and revelations increase the danger to Mara and Cal, especially as Liam is set to return. The ending is exciting and very satisfying. If you enjoy space opera type romances with lots of sex, I’d definitely recommend Queen of Dust.

Described as Anastasia meets The Bodyguard, Queen of Dust by H.E. Dare is a sexy science fiction romance that kept me hooked from the very first page to the last. A rather eye-opening voyeuristic scene sets the stage for Mara Leanor, a Balti Temptress, her partner, CEO Liam Pent, and Calvy D’Aldiern, an enemy soldier of the Dern Empire.

Mara was rescued as a child just before a poisonous bomb went off in the atmosphere of Balti, a beautiful, nature driven planet that is rendered uninhabitable for ten years following the bomb, which killed all the human inhabitants left there. With no memory of her life or how she escaped - other than what she was told at the time - Mara is raised as a Balti Temptress, meaning that she is taught how to enjoy pleasure at any age – from childlike pleasures like candy and play when younger, then from the sexual arts as an adult. It’s believed she is the last (and only) Balti Temptress still alive.

Now Balti is inhabited once more, Mara enlists the aid of Liam Pent, CEO of the Pent Corporation which has factories on the planet, in getting back there, his spaceship and technological capabilities enabling her to travel there in months versus the years it would take using traditional means. Their relationship is bound by sex and their mutual disdain for the Dern Empire. Mara hates the Dern because they are responsible for the bomb that destroyed Balti; Liam is tied to them through business ventures which include military contracts, but he looks scornfully down on the Dern’s Virtues – purity through patience, clarity through compliance, and deliverance through dedication.

Calvy D’Aldiern was born a Prince of the Dern Empire, but as a surprise birth, number eleven in a strictly regulated system of producing ten heirs per royal couple, he doesn’t have a role to play in the family dynamics. Instead, he’s a commoner under the law and he chose to become a soldier. When a troop under Cal’s supervision was caught with counterfeit weapons, Cal took the blame and went to prison, was demoted from Captain to Private, and upon his release, discovered that his military contract had been purchased by Liam Pent. It’s a power move for Liam, ‘owning’ a piece of the Dern royal family. Taking Cal on board his ship while on route to Balti, his intention is to have Cal serve as a bodyguard for Mara while she’s there, as he has other business to attend to and won’t be staying there with her. He has another job for Cal, too – to be her sexual release if she needs him, knowing of her appetite for sex and planning to indulge himself with other women himself while they are separated.

Reluctantly accepting Cal’s position as her bodyguard, Mara is frustrated that being back on Balti hasn’t brought any memories immediately back. Nothing looks familiar, the workers at the factories are indentured servants, and the Moonclan, returned Balti who believe that Queen Balticourt had lived and would someday return, are chasing a dream. With Cal at her side, Mara keeps exploring, and she and Cal begin to bond. But after months away, Liam’s imminent return could spell the end of her mission, and her burgeoning relationship with Cal. Will Mara find the answers she seeks before it’s too late?

While it may appear that this is a love triangle romance, there isn’t any love lost between Liam and Mara and they are both in their relationship for self-serving reasons. Sex in this story is really all about power. Liam uses sex to show his displeasure with Mara for some of her actions by engaging in sex acts with another woman in front of her (and an audience). He then uses his power over Cal to make him perform oral sex on Mara, what’s supposed to be a punishment turning Mara’s head inside out with how good Cal makes her feel, while simultaneously realizing the mistake she’s made by not sharing her pleasure with Liam as they have always done in the past. Then by informing Mara that if she wants sex while he’s gone, she’ll get it from Cal and Cal only (and she must always be the initiator), Liam continues to use sex to keep control over her. He also requires Cal to report regularly to Liam what Mara does, including any sex they have. It’s a twisted relationship, but one that had served Mara’s purposes too, until now. With Cal, Mara at first treats him as Liam intends, a sex attendant of sorts, but as Liam’s separation from them lengthens, her relationship with Cal changes and Mara forgets that she’s supposed to be thinking of Liam while having sex with Cal. Cal challenges her, confronts her, listens to her, and protects her. It's a heady feeling to have someone see her as her own person and not just as Liam’s appendage.

Relationship complexities aside, the worldbuilding is interesting and well developed, from the stifling feel of the spaceship with the ever present dark void outside the viewing windows, to the planet of Balti with its dusty atmosphere, powerful ocean and its relics of the past being slowly swallowed by the present. The tension builds as the story progresses and revelations increase the danger to Mara and Cal, especially as Liam is set to return. The ending is exciting and very satisfying. If you enjoy space opera type romances with lots of sex, I’d definitely recommend Queen of Dust.

✔️Sci-fi
✔️Enemies to lovers
✔️Forbidden romance
✔️Steamy level 4
✔️He is hired to satisfy her
✔️Anastasia retelling

If you are looking for a book that has all of this then this is the book for you!

Mara is the last of her kind. She is a temptress from the planet Balti. She is going to travel back to her home planet to learn about the planet she left behind at the age of six.

Mara has a very controlling partner named Liam. He is away months at a time. He makes sure that Mara is well taking care of. He hires a bodyguard, Calvy, who takes care of her and she can use for pleasure. Calvy is actually a long forgotten prince who turned bodyguard. I loved reading the tension between Mara and Calvy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Updated review now that Harper Collins Union has received a contract.

Solid read, a perfect mix of sci-fi and romance. I always love an Anastasia esque storyline and this certainly doesn’t disappoint with the set up and follow through. The relationship and development between Mara and Cal isn’t sacrificed for plot and vice versa, which is so great in a story where there’s really so much going on. There’s an interesting plot developing, great world building and a swoony, sexy romance. Really what more can you ask for?

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

You had me at Anastasia meets The Bodyguard, but then add in Space Courtesan and power play shenanigans? FIVE STARS. GIVE ME MORE.

DNF The worldbuilding was spotty; I felt like I was being thrown into the middle of an existing series rather than the first book.

This was a great and relatively quick read. The tension and evolving relationship between Cal and Mara felt true, and was supported by their individual challenges. The sex was more graphic than I'd expected - I enjoyed it but my library is unlikely to purchase this because of that, although I'm sure many readers would happily gobble it up. The whole Anastasia crossed with The Bodyguard plot really works!

I struggled to get into this book. Fans of spicy space novels will appreciate this book it just didn’t catch me. It starts spicy and goes hard but I just didn’t engage with the characters.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t the awesomeness that is Queen of Dust. The world building, the characters, the story. It all made for a quite unputdownable book. Usually when a romance novel starts out with sex before the halfway mark, I have to roll my eyes, as it shows a lack of sexual tension and zero chemistry between the main characters. NOT the case with this one. It’s uses sex to establish part of the world and character building without skimping on the tension and it ends up being the perfect mix. Hopefully there is more to come in this universe!

I'm not the biggest fan of fantasy or sci-fi, but add romance into it and I might try it. This one was quite the surprise. What drew me was the cover but I stayed because of the characters. It was a stunning and epic story I would recommend.

This was a fun read. It reminded me of a cross between on of Ruby Dixon's Corsair books and Avatar, but in like a hot way. I saw the ending coming from a mile away but it was exactly what I wanted it to be. I hope there is more to come for this world that H.E. Dare has built.

This book attracted me with the description "Anastasia meets the bodyguard". And that description was definitely true, which for me was a big plus of this book. I really liked the idea of the story. The story had a lot of promising elements such as the idea of the story, the characters and their backstory and the setting of the story. It also had a twist that I did not see coming. I do however that the implementation could have been better. If the book was a bit longer both the characters and their background story and the world could have been flushed out more. I am looking forward to reading the second book and hope the second book will improve on the downsides of this book.

(I read this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review)

I think this was such a promising start to a series, and if it is going to be one, I would read the next book.

The story follows that of Mara Leonar, who hails from the planet of Balti, and is really the last of her kind. When her planet was overtaken by the Dern (the ruling government/people), she was rescued as a 6 year old and raised by a Dern in a pretty affluent planet. When she was old enough, she started a relationship with Liam Pent, whose family head up Pent Corporation and who has businesses everywhere. Liam is the one who hired another Balti to teach Mara to become a Balti Temptress, a woman who’s “schooled in the art of pleasures.” Basically, she lives for pleasure and Mara and Liam have a semi relationship, but there is definitely a power imbalance even though Mara tries to hold her own. They’re on their way to Balti so that Mara can learn about the world she left behind, when Liam brings in Calvy D’Aldiern. Liam introduces them in a very *interesting* manner, and informs Mara that Calvy will be her bodyguard while she’s on Balti and she can use him for pleasure, as Liam will be dropping them off and then going on to do business for his own company. Calvy, who is the forgotten and unwanted prince turned soldier, has a background as interesting as Mara and I find him a really great character and wish we had more of his POV.

This is just really a basic background that sets up the story so you can meet all the major characters and see how their relationships develop. There’s enough plot building so you have a story, but I feel like there could be more descriptions of the characters, so I can picture them in my head, and more sci-fi building if this is where it’s going. I don’t picture the characters as aliens, so I wonder if this could’ve just been a dystopian setting. There’s romance, lies and secrets between the characters, and a backstory that involves politics and government. Mara is set up to be a strong character who’s going to bring about an insurrection and save her people, and I really like that girl power part of the story.

DNF at 26%. I was intrigued by the premise and early reviews I saw but ultimately this one didn’t work for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

First I just want to say thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for the ARC of this book for my honest review.

I am trying to broaden the types of romance novels I read and I don’t think sci-fi is for me. I wasn’t planning on finishing this book because I felt like everything I was reading just didn’t stick for me. However, I pushed through and didn’t hate it. The writing itself was well done and there were some very spicy moments with Mara and Cal that did not disappoint.
For those who are into sci-fi and romance, this book is totally for you!
I do like this author’s writing, so I do plan on checking out her contemporary romance in the future!

Mara Leanor is the last Balti temptress. She’s finally on her way to visit her home planet, only it’s nothing like it used to be. The enemy occupies their land and is paving over everything that makes unique. Mara hates them. Until she’s assigned a bodyguard, Calvy D’Aldiern. He’s meant to protect her, but he wants to get to know everything about her. Calvy should hate her, and focus on getting his life back, but that’s harder than expected.

They completely sold me when the synopsis compared this story as Anastasia meets The Bodyguard. I’m not a huge fan of Sci-Fi, but the cover is stunning, and I had to take a chance. This story had a lot of potential. Calvy and Mara are both characters that easily likable. It was fun learning more about their struggles and seeing their relationship grow. However, the world building was disappointing. Unfortunately, this story does not dive deep enough. Mara’s home planet is described throughout the story, but once she hits home; everything seems to fall flat including the character development. The details included should have hit on a deeper level. I think this story could have been longer to help with the pacing. It would have really tied everything together! Overall, I just wanted more from this story in the end.

Thank you to Net Galley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for the ARC!