Valan’s Bondmate by Mardi Maxwell

A Warrior with a Grudge…

At thirty-one Valan Erikson is a fierce and relentless warrior. He's never lost a battle but he's losing the war with the mating fever raging in his body. He's accepted that his death is imminent until he's told a compatible race of females has been found. When he discovers they're Wrothian he refuses to take one as a mate until the Council threatens to strip him of his warrior status and let him die in dishonor.

A Female Who Wants to Escape Her Fate…

Lia ad-San's Wrothian sire has arranged to trade her to, Gorm ad-Jai, a man she despises. Before she can escape she's abducted by a fierce warrior. Unaware that her sire caused the deaths of the Zarronian females, including Valan's mother and twin sister, she reveals her identity and demands to be freed.

A Complication They Didn't Expect…

Enraged to be bonded to the daughter of his most hated enemy, Valan treats Lia as a prisoner rather than a beloved bondmate. When the Zarronians learn her identity they demand she be punished for her sire's war crimes. Valan realizes too late that he's endangered his mate's life. The fever they share will keep them together but only love can make them want each other.

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆
Valan's Bondmate is the first in Ms. Maxwell's sci-fi romance series and it has the Zarronian Warriors off to a pretty good start. The author provides just the right amount of world building as she introduces us to Lia, Valan, and other characters important to the book. Lia's life is not a happy one, but then again none of the women we meet from Zhang in the beginning seem happy. On Lia's world women are viewed as merchandise and are owned by either their sire or their master. In Lia's case, her sire has agreed to sell her to the cruelest of the warriors, one who has promised a most painful death after much torture. This disturbed me quite a bit as I could not understand how a father could want for his child's death, but as the book progresses and we learn more about their society it becomes clear just how insignificant woman are to the Wrothians. As bad as her situation is you would understand if she were relieved when she was abducted, but this is not the case as Lia feels as though she's merely traded a sadist for a barbarian. Considering how Valan treats her in the beginning, she's not too far off the mark. But can she find happiness with a man who hates her because of where she was born? More importantly, should she want to?

I have to say that there were several times throughout the course of the book that I really didn't like Valan. I understood that he was unhappy with the Council's order to take a mate, but his choice (conscious or not) to direct his anger at Lia was not very honorable, especially from a warrior whose people value honor. I hate to say it, but I was glad that it hurt him emotionally to impose the Council's judgement on Lia. Although Valan seemed to be coming around at this point in the book, this incident was the wake-up call he needed and it put him in the position of having to prove himself to her. Considering his position in their society, I wasn't surprised by the way he ordered Lia about; however, I was surprised by just how amusing their mutual “law enacting” became as their relationship developed. The sex is hot and not just because of the mating heat. Even when their minds are fighting it, the physical attraction between Lia and Valan is obvious and intense. The second raid on Zhang proved to be far more exciting than I expected and I was very happy with how that turned out. I have to say that I was surprised more did not come out of the situation involving Valan's former kourtisan; I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and was mildly disappointed it never did. Valan's Bondmate was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next book in the series to see how the next generation of Zarronian warriors fare. Earth too based on the direction the series seems to be going.

I love the quirky and the unique. I believe in UFOs, ghosts, and that we have a moon station on the dark side of the moon. lol I have a wonderful son and DIL who have been kind enough (after much badgering and hinting around) to give me three lovely grandchildren. I'm a very young grandma ;-)

I've loved reading since I was a little girl although just about every book I ever read I rewrote in my mind. After a while I decided to just start writing my own books. My best friend dared me to send one in, so I did and to my surprise it was accepted.

I love books that make you laugh, cry, sit on the edge of your chair in fear that the couple won't work it out, and then finally cheer for them when they do. I'm a true believer in a happy ending and won't read a book or watch a movie that ends any other way.

I write every day but I always find time to spend with my family and friends as well as my hobbies (cooking, gardening, traveling, and ceramics).

My personal motto is “Regret is a wasted emotion.” Live well and happy reading.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Valan’s Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors #1) by Mardi Maxwell to read and review.