OnlineBookClub.org
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Victims of abuse never really get over it, they just learn to live with it. Aaliyah was one such victim. She had been abused physically and sexually by her father and uncle. A few months back, her best friend, Abby just disappeared. You could imagine the shock when she received a call from Abby, asking to meet up. She was stunned by what she discovered. It appears Abby was abducted by an alien prince, Nicolai. This was the Raiden custom of getting a wife or as they put it 'claiming a mate'. The Raiden male could not mate with their females as they produced weak offsprings therefore they mate with other species.
Abby came back to earth with Nicolai and Rafa, his commander. She returned with the intention of talking Aaliya into going back to Raiden with her. She had no reason to stay back anyway. As soon as Rafa saw Aaliya, he felt a connection with her and wanted to claim her. Aaliya was not taking all this well, so they had to sedate her and take her without her consent. Rafa had to claim her but would have to win her heart. Would he be able to win her over despite taking her without her consent? Why did her friend, Abby allow this?
Claimed by Rafa by Denna Holm is a fiction of the sci-fi/fantasy genre. It is a book of 305 pages. It is the second book of the "Raiden Warrior Series". It has themes of love, friendship, betrayal and abuse. It is a stand-alone novel as I had no issue understanding the plot.
I loved the author's ability to capture my attention and keep me engaged from start to finish. I could not drop the book. Her descriptive ability was top-notch as I envisioned every detail described. For instance "She frowned at the odd way their hair seemed to float around the back of their heads. Not hair, not really, she decided, but more like spiny feathers, only the very tips showing any type of softness. The two in front had mainly blue spines with deep purple tips. The one walking behind had dark orange with red tips, the color a little like Rafa’s beaded armor".
The characters were well developed. Aaliyah is my favorite character. Despite the abuse she had gone through, it didn't make her bitter. She was kind and loving, a strong woman indeed. I also liked Rafa, he was very understanding. At some point, he was willing to let her go. The characters were simply amazing. I appreciate that Denna had readers who had not read the previous book in mind. It was easy to follow the plot. The pace was neither fast nor slow, just right. The story never dragged. The plot was properly executed.
The book doesn't have page numbers and at some point, the font size decreased on page 49. This was not much of a distraction though and not enough reason to deduct a star. I rate Claimed by Rafa 4 out of 4 stars.
I only observed a typo so it was professionally edited. The book contains sex scenes and instances of profanities, making it unsuitable for young readers. It also contained some violent scenes therefore anyone sensitive to this, should take note. I recommend this book to lovers of sci-fi and romance. Those who may be disturbed by erotic scenes and abuse should steer clear.
******
Claimed by Rafa
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
