Review: Alienated and Invaded by Melissa Landers

Alienated by Melissa Landers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this. It was such an interesting take on alien encounters. Typically the aliens are hidden and don't want humans to know they are here and they are among us. In Alienated, humans are fully aware of the existence of the L'eihr race and planet and are trying to form and alliance with them. Much like any new culture, race, or diversity, there are groups that form that don't want the aliens around because they are different and could be dangerous. There are also welcoming groups of humans that are excited to meet the L'eihrs.

The story follows our two main characters Cara (human) and Aelyx (L'eihr) who are stuck together for a year for an exchange program. Cara is the valedictorian of her school and has won a much needed scholarship in exchange for hosting a L'eihr student on Earth. Aelyx and two other L'eihr students have been brought to Earth to assist in forming an alliance with the planet for unknown reasons. Aelyx is polite enough, but doesn't want to be on Earth anymore than HALO wants them there. HALO stands for Humans Against L'eihr Occupation and they do not want the alliance to go through. Aelyx and his friends have a plan to twart the alliance, but he soon realizes that Cara and humans aren't as bad as he thought. He does uncover a problem in the Earth's water supply, and he know's his people can fix it but not without the alliance. HALO continues to threaten Cara and Aelyx and things get ugly.

Will the alliance fall through? Will Cara get to continue the exchange program? You have to continue with Invaded to findout, but this one wrapped up nicely.

Madeleine Lambert did an awesome job with the audio book. She did a great job with the various voices for the different characters and made me laugh so many times.

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Invaded by Melissa Landers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this one as much as I loved the 1st one. Can't wait for the 3rd one on audio book, I believe it was released in September and I'm patiently awaiting my library to get it in. I hope Madeline Lambert is the narrator again, it won't be the same without her.

I listened to the audio book of this directly after listening to Alienated, and the story picks back up where the 1st book left off.  Cara and Aelyx need to clean up the mess they've created, we'll mostly Aelyx has created.  Cara, ever the debate champion, wins over The Way or the L'eihr head council, and convinces them that the Human/L'eihr Alliance should be given a chance.  She's trying to save the earth, her beloved, herself, and figure out why the L'eihrs need humans so badly.  The Way, lacking emotion, but seeing reason decides that Aelyx and Syrine (another L'eihr exchange student) need to fix the alliance as they are the ones who tried to break it in the first place, and Cara will continue the exchange program on L'eihr.   Syrine is angry and hates humans, but Aelyx is willing to do anything to fix the mess he made in order to save Cara and be with her in the end.  Aelyx embarks on a PR campaign to win the hearts and minds of the human race, but at every turn his and Syrine's lives are threatened.  HALO seems to be behind it all, but are they?

Cara willing to do what it takes to save the day, heads off to L'eihr to start her part of the exchange a bit early.  She has a hard time adjusting to her new planet and she isn't exactly welcomed by her "peers".  Strange things keep happening to Cara to make it seem like she is a troublemaker.  Something sinister is brewing on L'eihr and Cara is determined to figure it out with the help of Aelyx via her comm sphere and Aelyx's sister.

Cara returns after spending a few months on L'eihr, excited to be back and experience all of her favorite Earth stuff only to find that it no longer brings her joy.  The simple life on L'eihr might actually suit her better, something we can maybe take away in our own real lives.  She can't really eat the food she used to love any longer as it makes her ill and places she used to love to go with her friends are too loud and crowded, people have way too much stuff and she can't take it.  It is much like when Aelyx first arrived from L'eihr and he longed for home, Cara finds herself longing for the place she's called home for the last few months. 

After figuring out what's going on and who is behind both the attacks on Earth and L'eihr, Cara and Aelyx decide to head back to L'eihr and help get the colony started after the alliance is formalized.  Cara has been appointed to council to help with the new colony and Aelyx is just happy to have Cara back.  Their relationship suffered the turmoil of some serious long distance, but they pulled through in the end.  

The book ends with a bit of a cliff hanger, you know trouble is coming for them and they aren't going to get their happy ending just yet.  United, book 3 of the series, was just released in August, and I"m looking forward to finding out how Cara and Aelyx's story ends up.

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