Karzin by Elin Eyn [Review]

Karzin (Conquered World #7) by Elin Wyn
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 13, 2021

Conquered World
1. Vrehx
2. Axtin
3. Tu'ver
4. Sakev
5. Daxion
6. Rouhr
7. Karzin - Paperback | Kindle
8. Rokul
9. Sylor
10. Iq'her
11. Takar
11.5. Vrehx's Quest
12. Zarik
13. Sk'lar
14. Jalok
15. Tyehn
16. Cazak
17. Navat
18. Sa'lok

Elin Wyn
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

The Xathi may be defeated. But the battle to rebuild is just beginning.

For geologist Annie Parker, all she can hope for is helping her shattered family heal while she works in her quiet laboratory.

Until a mysterious seismic eruption shakes her entire world all over again.

Teamed up with a surly Valorni, Annie just wants to get the job done. Investigate the incident and get back to her lab.

Ignore the intriguing flashes of the man inside his bitter shell, ignore the sparks he sends through her at every touch.

The war for Ankou was never his.

And Strike Team Two Leader Karzin needs to go home.

His team may be fine helping the humans rebuild their cities, but he has other plans. He'll find a way back to the Home Worlds, or kill himself trying.

When General Rouhr orders him to help the tiny human female in her research, only long-standing discipline takes him to her side.

But once he's there, it'll take more than the attacks of this strange new enemy to drag him away from her.

And when even their memories are under siege, Karzin and Annie may find they have something worth fighting for after all.

Thoughts on Karzin: I don't dislike these books by any means (and I'm planning on reading many more in this series, so this is more an observation than a complaint), but I feel like the turnaround from "I don't care about this planet or these people and want nothing to do with them" to "Hey hey hey, you're my boo!" is really fast. Karzin goes from being obsessed about finding a way home and berating those who don't seem as committed to his cause to being utterly beguiled by a sassy geologist within the space of a few pages. Obviously, I'm going with it, but it was something that seemed a wee bit jarring while reading.

That said, I'm a big fan of alien dudes finding their one person in all the world and suddenly going all marshmallow-y about it. So, you know, there's that.

Speaking of marshmallow-y...Karzin caught the feels for Annie and it rocks his world. He's been so obsessed with his project to find his way back to their part of the universe that seeing what the human survivors on the planet have to deal with as they struggle to put their way of life back together shocks him. More than that, their struggle gets him to start helping with the clean-up and relief efforts. His help might be small in the overall scheme of things, but he makes a difference to the people he helps.

As for Annie, she's...well, she's getting along. Money is tight, food is tight, her family is struggling, and she's doing her best to keep things together. Being paired with a grumpy alien on a geologic mission isn't ideal at first, but everything works out in the end.

Memory loss, BIG things happening, survival, and unexpected kisses. Enjoyable!