This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
About The Book
An alien warrior and a fierce shapeshifter who drive each other crazy must work together to save an entire planet from a terrifying evil.
First Claw Annora Rahl is tough, fierce, and loyal. She stands at her emperor’s side to protect the wolf shapeshifters of the planet Damar, and she isn’t afraid to use her claws. Stopping an evil king from a neighboring planet, who’s intent on enslaving all the planets in their system, is her top priority. She won’t fail her family, her people, or her emperor. Even if it means joining forces with an infuriating rival warrior…one who she isn’t sure if she wants to kill or kiss.
Captain Thadd Naveri is strong, unyielding, and dedicated. As captain of the guard for the overlord of the planet Zhalto, he lets nothing threaten his king or his people. He’s still recovering from his capture and torture by the enemy, but he readily accepts a top-secret mission into enemy territory. He’s less than pleased to share that mission with Annora—the one woman in the galaxy who fills him with scalding hot anger…and burning desire.
To save their allies on the planet Taln, Thadd and Annora must sneak into the enemy’s most feared science labs. As they fight side by side, they are forced to face their overwhelming attraction. But as the enemy closes in, it is a race against time to save not only Taln but themselves.
My Review
Captain of the Guard is the most recent release in the Galactic Kings and I absolutely had a blast with this one, maybe not quite as much as the previous two books, but it was still such a solid read from this author. I will say that if you are a fan of sci-fi romance, then this series is a MUST-read! I haven’t read much of her other sci-fi romance though so I can’t say how this compares to her other sci-fi series, but it’s definitely some of the best sci-fi romance I have read in a while. I really loved how atmospheric these books are described, I really feel so caught up in the world-building but what is amazing about these books is that it isn’t overwhelming. It’s so well balanced within the story. I really have enjoyed seeing the way the author has crafted this series and how different each heroine is from the previous one. This story though has been teased for the first two books and I really enjoyed seeing this angsty love fest happen. This is where we have the “first claw” Annora who is tough and strong and simply badass. Then we have Captain Thadd who is working on protecting their people and standing by his Overlord. When he and Annora are put together on a mission, sparks fly between them. But when they have to work together to bring down an enemy, they discover something worth holding onto.
She was Emperor Brodin Damar Sarkany’s right-hand, his First Claw. She was known for being tough and deadly. But she wanted this one day. A child. A family. A mate.
I will say that this book was everything I was looking for in a diverting sci-fi romance. It definitely will keep you on the edge of your seat and it’s a story that will deliver all the angsty fun. These two are HILARIOUS together. I mean the hero is a broody alpha male who is so stubborn in his masculinity at times. Then we have our heroine who is kick-ass but his stubbornness drives her crazy. The plot is so engaging and just packed with so much action and intrigue. I never knew where the story was going to head and I really adored that. Anna Hackett is an author that definitely knows how to keep me on my toes and in this book I fell so hard for this romance. Once they get past their stubbornness and pride to hate each other, we see how much they fall for each other. I also adored their devotion and loyalty to their people and most especially in their relationship. And we get a teaser for the upcoming book and man this heroine is going to break my heart but I need it NOW!!
Annora narrowed her gaze. “What did you call me?” “Thistla. It’s a wild plant that grows on Zhalto. There’s some outside my window in Citadel. It’s covered in beautiful, fragrant, white blooms, and thorns. Lots of thorns. I think the name suits you.” He strode up the ramp into the Talnian ship. She swallowed a growl. You can’t claw up your Zhalton ally.
Overall I found this story to be a thrilling, kick-ass romance that delivers the satisfying emotion, and edgy action and is out of this world type of a romance!
Title: Captain of the Guard
Author: Anna Hackett
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Length: 255 Pages
Book Links
Amazon| Barnes and Noble| Goodreads| LibraryThing| StoryGraph| Literal Club
Book Evaluation
Storytelling Quality: 4
Story Itself: 4.25
Character Development: 4
Writing Style: 4
World Building 4.5
Feels + The Romantic Heart 4
Pacing 4
Plot 4
Cover Art 4
Ending 4
Book Ratings
Overall Rating of the Book
Steam Level
Simmering—soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warm- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin’ up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
Series Order
Galactic Kings
Overlord-Pub 2021 #1 in the Series
Emperor-Pub 2022-#2 in the Series
Captain of the Guard-Pub 2022 #3 in the Series
About The Author
I’m a USA Today bestselling romance author who’s passionate about fast-paced, emotion-filled romantic suspense and science-fiction romance. I love writing about people overcoming unbeatable odds and achieving seemingly impossible goals. I like to believe it’s possible for all of us to do the same.
Stellar review! I’m so torn on that cover…. do I hate it or do I like it? LOL