Invaded (Alienated, #2)

by Melissa Landers

[Angie]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

Invaded is a great sequel! It does have fewer adorable moments than Alienated, but it makes up for it in excitement and world-building! Cara is beginning her new life on L'eihr, while Aelyx continues to be a spokesperson on Earth. Now that Cara is the alien, it was interesting to see the kinds of discrimination she has to put up with. The L'eihr aren't as physically violent as humans, but they certainly have ways of making her feel unwelcome. Meanwhile, someone is trying to kill Aelyx and stop the alliance from happening. He wants to get off Earth as soon as possible, but Cara wants return once she learns the Colony is not all it's cracked up to be.

I absolutely loved learning more about L'eihr in Invaded! Cara spends most of the book on the blue and beige planet, so we get to see a lot of it. She's placed in the dorms with the other students and a pesky house pet who treats her pillow as a toilet. She even has to take PE in space! It's much harder than what's done in human high schools, and the teacher has no problem giving Cara extra "motivation" to run faster. It's not all lessons and physical fitness though. The entire culture is completely different, most notably in how they raise they children (Cara works in the nursery). It's all very interesting, and not info-dumpy at all.

There is a conspiracy in Invaded! Of course, there was already one in the first book, but there's more! Some of the L'eihr are not who they seem, and someone is really trying to sabotage Cara's dual citizenship. Not to mention strange things falling from the sky which are immediately covered up! The Colony also seems to be more of a fancy prison island than anything else, and Cara is trying to her best to get more human influence in its design, but the L'eihr are set in their "superior" ways. Or is there more than that? Hint, of course there is! I totally did not expect one of the twists, and cannot wait to see how it plays out in the next book!

I really liked Invaded. It goes really in depth into L'eihr history and culture, and there's such a major contrast between how humans live and how they live. That was definitely my favorite part, especially since the romance is not quite as front and center in this installment. Cara and Aelyx are separated by lightyears, so there's not going to be much kissing happening! But I have high hopes for their interstellar reunion. I just wish it wasn't so far away!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.