Naga Brides 1-3 by Naomi Lucas

 GREETINGS STACK WORMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Howdy, it's been over a month and I've read quite a lot actually. I even did a re-read of a favorite. However, I've been busy with more than just reading, my girlfriend and I are currently buying a house!! And it's stressful AF! But something that needs to be done. Our apartment is physically protesting us staying any longer. We have started packing at this point in time I might have half of my book collection packed. Not sure though. There are 12, 17-gallon totes filled with books and I still have more to go. 

I don't have a book buying problem, you do!! Okay, actually I do, I admit it. My girlfriend had to put me on a ban so that we could pay for the house and I'm crying every time I see a book I want to preorder and can't. She even made me pick between book subscription boxes. Which hurt, but I decided on Fairyloot because the other two had been somewhat disappointing for some time now. 

Anyway, let's get to the chase I have a lot to review, I just thought a quick update might interest some. Probably not. 

So, I'm doing things a little differently this time. I'm doing a series in one review since I read them in such quick succession. I will give a synopsis of each book and then my likes, dislikes, and future hopes. 

TW: 

- Graphic Sex

- Graphic Violence 

- Strong Language 

- Stockholm Syndrome trigger?

- Alien/Human relationship 

- Scaley porn? (is this a thing?)

SPOILERS AHEAD...DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FIRST BOOK: VIPER

A thousand years after having escaped Earth during an attempted genocide, humans finally return. Only to find things not has how they had left it. Earth is somewhat thriving in certain areas and the inhabitants of these areas are a hybrid of what seems to be snake and human. They call themselves nagas and they are in dire need of mates. Human mates that is. Vruksha falls head over tail when he catches a glimpse of Gemma. She is as red as he, meaning they must have been made for each other. The nagas end up making a deal; alien tech (to fight their new war) for the women. And we human dickheads say sure why the hell not. 

So, Gemma and Daisy are traded for said technology. Which turns out to be basically a pile of junk, that humans can't use anyway because they aren't Lurkers. Lurkers are the alien species that tried to annihilate humans and destroyed the Earth. 

Of course, Gemma and Vruksha don't get along very well in the beginning. For good reason, she's not a piece of meat to be sold away, as a broodmare to an alien species that may not even fit in the first place. Yes, fit as in, doesn't know if their cocks will fit human female sizes. 'Cause apparently their cocks are huge. This makes sense since these nagas are supposed to be rather intimidating in their size. I was thinking maybe around 7 or 8 feet probably more with their tails. 

And the bigger the tail the bigger the...well tail. Vruksha has to learn just how to interact with his woman and Gemma has to come to terms that her lover isn't human and he's never been around humans. Through will, hormones, and scent they end up together rather happily. 

Mostly what's going on is traveling, nesting, sex, and getting to know each other. There is a scene where Gemma is chased by kaiju boars, but I want you to read how that turns out. That is if you're not chicken to read about an alien-human sexual relationship. 

BOOK TWO: KING COBRA

Daisy is captured by Zaku, the King Cobra who bargained for them in the first place. Not really knowing this was a bad thing to do. However, he takes her to his nest anyway, which happens to be a house that I think Elon Musk owned. He gifts his queen every piece of jewel and affection as possible. Zaku from the very start loves his Daisy very much. His flower. His Queen! Daisy, isn't against being with Zaku, but she is very sure that they aren't a compatible species. She one day wants to have children, but she'll never have them if she and Zaku can never mate. 

After finding out how difficult mating will be (seeing as he's much bigger than Vruksha) he flees in emotional agony. He doesn't want to physically hurt his Queen, but in his flight Daisy beats it back to the compound to warn Shelby (whom did not get traded) that another naga, a more violent one, is coming for her. When she tries to escape with Shelby, they are caught but Daisy steals an aircraft, only to be shot down by her own kind. 

During Daisy's painful recovery, her and Zaku 'talk' out their differences and decide that they want to stay with each other. And Daisy does end up getting her wish, she gets pregnant with two naga babies. 

More history is unraveled about the Lurkers in this book and things start to become a little clearer about what happened and how the nagas came to be. 

BOOK THREE: BLUE CORAL

Vagan, an 'out of his mind' naga, has gone to stalk Shelby at base camp. He's rather upset that he didn't get a female as promised by Zaku and he wants Shelby. However, she was not traded because she is stated to be gestating already. Vagan knows a ploy when he hears one. Shelby is needed to figure out Lurker technology, and she is trying her best to figure it out, desperate to help humanity win against another alien species trying to wipe them out. 

However, down a trip of the rabbit hole, Shelby realizes that no one but the nagas can use the technology because of their partial Lurker biology and if the humans find this out, not only will Vagan be in danger, but so would the rest of the nagas. She decides this is not information that needs to be reported. Essentially, leaving humanity to their fate (after much deliberation and sex of course) and stays with Vagan. Despite, not having reproductive organs for them to have children, Vagan wants to keep his bright-eyed lover. Never wanting her to go through gestating. 

Female nagas were dying during childbirth and Vagan has some trauma watching his mother die after giving birth to him and his (deceased) siblings. This is a fate that he wishes to avoid at all cost, because what is he without his Shelby? 

LIKES:

- Snakes/Nagas

- Compelling writing 

- Characters. My favorite coupling is Zaku and Daisy. They are just so cute together. 

- Really liked how the history of the Lurkers was sprinkled out through the books and not just information dumped on the readers. There is a reason why we find out what we do, we're learning as the characters learn and that's good writing. Sure there were some grammatical errors but nothing too distracting. 

- The relationships. People will argue Stockholm syndrome, but I'm a lover of beauty and the beast stories so...shove it. These are more believable than most YA relationships that I've read. They have to figure each other out. Neither knows of the other and exploring happens. Testing. Getting to know each other. They don't just instalove IMHO. 

- DAISY IS A FUCKING BADASS

- Love Vagan's description- was really looking forward to finding more out about him

- Vagan is different, softer, with females because he was the only one raised by one. This makes sense. Vruksha wasn't ever really raised, his father was around for a short period of time, but dipped out to find his sisters. And Zaku was raised by his father. 

- All the nagas have similarities, but differing personalities. Vruksha is brusque and protective, Zaku is regal and awkwardly adorable, and Vagan is a bit cocksure and sensitive. 

- Not many books about nagas, because people are scared of snakes so I appreciate a good naga story

DISLIKES:

- There is a little too much emphasis on a woman's worth if they can't procreate. Especially in Shelby's case. She believes that Vagan won't want her because she can't have children, and while Vagan calls BS in the end, I got a bit fed up with Shelby coming back to it so much. I guess I can make sense of why she sees things this way because the humans are being wiped out so having females give birth is a necessity in her society, but I still got tired of it. That's my opinion others may not have it. 

- Some consent issues here and there 

- Did not like Collins at all. 

- The women do feel a bit two dimensional, but I'll forgive it because of Daisy. She is a BAMF and I love her. Zaku was right on the money picking her. Fight me, haters. 

- The inaccuracies of snake anatomy 

- Also, saying poisoned when it should be envenomated or envenomation. Yes, I'm a stickler about my snake shit. 'Kay

HOPES: 

- MOREMOREMOREMOREMORE

- I need a book about the boomslang and I want one with a BUSHMASTER. My favorite snake. 

- That Death Adder will be just as good (coming out in August so you have time to catch up and the books aren't that expensive) 

- Gemma gets her babies

- More about the divide between humans and Lurkers

- More about Lurkers themselves 

- Maybe more fan art? Eh, anyone with skill? Please?

- Explanation on why venom doesn't work on other nagas, except as a paralyzing agent 

- History of the female nagas/where they're at 

- Can we get a book about a female naga falling for a woman? PLEASE?!