![The Ugly Dukeling: Cosmic Fairy Tales by [McLynn, Bex]](https://images-fe.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51iZ8X1TC6L._SY346_.jpg)
Wow!! I loved this book and couldn't put it down. The setting, characters and new culture are all great. Ciss, the heroine, and Atrates, the hero, live in a world I have never seen before. As usual the author can build an entire new culture in one book but still have such a deep personal connection between H/h that you don't get lost in all the world building.
A little background. On this almost medieval planet the women naturally create lets call it a psychic energy that needs to be siphoned off through touch by males (platonic or otherwise) for both gender's health. In some kingdoms women are treated as equals but in others they are little more than chattel without rights or control over the transfers. Into this world come aliens who offer the kingdom which treats women as equals an opportunity to share their technology in exchange for allowing aliens to share their DNA. The offer is made so the children created are all from the ruling class and are born with both the alien paternal DNA as well as paternal and maternal kingdom DNA.
Atrates, our hero, was one of these children and has suffered at the hands of his father, the ruler, for being different and "ugly" because of his different coloring and abilities. He has suffered so much for being different but has gone on to earn his place among the hybrid solders that defend the kingdom as the ruler's second son. Often from battles with other kingdoms women and children who have been rescued are brought back to the kingdom for recovery or to be raised as our heroine, Ciss, has been. She too has had a hard life and has the difficulty of being one of the women who overproduce psychic energy which means she is never really at peace but hyper and edgy.
Ciss is the solicitor for Atrates brother, Trone, who is supposed to take over the kingdom once his father passes. With help from Trone and his boyfriend Sim, Ciss also helps to run one of the recovery houses for the abused women. Since the same gender couple can't sustain each other, she is also in a mutually beneficial and platonic transfer arrangement with Trone and Sim, who is the doctor for the recovery house.
At the beginning of the story Atrates is called back to his father's house where his father is dying and stumbles over Ciss and her black swan. He is assigned to help improve the security of the recover house which he is not happy about especially when he realizes that Ciss lives there too. He is attracted to Ciss but fights it because he has never been loved and accepted for himself. Ciss recognizes the hurt and damage in Atrates because she has also had to fight not fitting in their society. The dialogue and chemistry between the H and h is great and the secondary characters, including the swan, add a lot of the humor to the story.
This is just the background of the story, enjoy the read.
Product Description
He wanted to take without giving, and she accepted his offer.
No one ruffled Cisnetta Fowler’s feathers like Major Atrates Geswin, the infamous Ugly Dukeling. Her first glimpse of the handsome alien hybrid had her dismissing his crass moniker, until his abrasive attitude proved the gossip to be true. He was an arse, but an arse that she both needed and wanted. Thankfully, Cisnetta was one tough bird who never turned-tail and ran.
Major Atrates Geswin, second-in-line to the Andrake dukedom, found himself locked in a skirmish with an astounding woman. Cisnetta Fowler handled his insults as if he passed her fluffy ducklings. But rather than softening him, she inflamed his Otar-alien side, spurring him to seize, to demand, to want… All that stood between his victorious claiming of her was a vicious, pet swan with a neck-wringing fetish.
As far as Atrates was concerned, Cisnetta was his for the taking.
This story is a science fiction alien romance retelling of The Ugly Duckling. It is intended for mature readers.
Cosmic Fairy Tales
The Ugly Dukeling is part of the Cosmic Fairy Tales collection, a collaboration of authors retelling beloved tales with a science fiction romance twist. Each book is a standalone, containing its own Happily Ever After, and they can be read in any order. Be sure to explore the other titles in the collection:
The Hunchback by Regine Abel
The Lion and the Mouse by Emmy Chandler
The Frog Prince by Tracy Lauren
The Ugly Dukeling by Bex McLynn
Contaminated by Amanda Milo
Jackie and the Giant by Honey Phillips
Escaping Wonderland by Tiffany Roberts
Rampion by Susan Trombley
No one ruffled Cisnetta Fowler’s feathers like Major Atrates Geswin, the infamous Ugly Dukeling. Her first glimpse of the handsome alien hybrid had her dismissing his crass moniker, until his abrasive attitude proved the gossip to be true. He was an arse, but an arse that she both needed and wanted. Thankfully, Cisnetta was one tough bird who never turned-tail and ran.
Major Atrates Geswin, second-in-line to the Andrake dukedom, found himself locked in a skirmish with an astounding woman. Cisnetta Fowler handled his insults as if he passed her fluffy ducklings. But rather than softening him, she inflamed his Otar-alien side, spurring him to seize, to demand, to want… All that stood between his victorious claiming of her was a vicious, pet swan with a neck-wringing fetish.
As far as Atrates was concerned, Cisnetta was his for the taking.
This story is a science fiction alien romance retelling of The Ugly Duckling. It is intended for mature readers.
Cosmic Fairy Tales
The Ugly Dukeling is part of the Cosmic Fairy Tales collection, a collaboration of authors retelling beloved tales with a science fiction romance twist. Each book is a standalone, containing its own Happily Ever After, and they can be read in any order. Be sure to explore the other titles in the collection:
The Hunchback by Regine Abel
The Lion and the Mouse by Emmy Chandler
The Frog Prince by Tracy Lauren
The Ugly Dukeling by Bex McLynn
Contaminated by Amanda Milo
Jackie and the Giant by Honey Phillips
Escaping Wonderland by Tiffany Roberts
Rampion by Susan Trombley
