THE SHIKARI - Press Release
Unlike her brilliant xeno-zoologist father, Mikaela can’t keep an alien creature alive. During her futile attempts, an alien rat bite triggers superhuman mutations, changing her into who knows what, and it might be killing her. Desperate to keep her late father’s ship running, she accepts a lucrative contract to tag and bag a dragon-like creature. She teams up with her childhood crush, Kiros, and his merry band of mercenaries.
​
En route to the faraway Cetus constellation, while fending off attractive Kiros, downright erotic dreams of a yellow-eyed man named Tieren torment her. When Kiros steals her prize and lures her into danger, she must rely on the real and gorgeous Tieren to stop Kiros. The xeno fauna injuring Kiros and Tieren forces her to choose who to save, her lying friend or her new flame who's stolen her heart across parsecs.
Title: The Shikari
Heat Level: 4/5
Genre/subgenre: SciFi Romance
Target audience (age group, reader type): Adult
Word count or page count: 76534/298
Release date: Jun-23
Publisher: Sevannah Storm
Series info: The Space Hunter Chronicles #1
Short blurb: An alien rat bite triggers superhuman mutations in creature-hunter Mick & could be killing her. Worse, her hunt for dragon-like species goes awry, forcing her to choose between saving her lying ex-crush or a griffon shifter who stole her heart across parsecs.
​
One-line hooks or taglines:
She signed up to hunt a dragon. She didn’t expect to fall for a fantasy.
Two men. One contract. A mutation that might kill her.
Across the stars, her heart belongs to a man she’s never met—until he saves her.
Two men fight for her—one in the flesh, one in her fantasies—and she’s caught between fire and temptation.
Buy link: https://books2read.com/u/49d28k
Excerpts:
Darkness crossed Tieren’s face and settled into a glower.
“If you endanger yourself, female, I will need to—”
“Do what?” She grimaced, massaging her throat. “I can protect myself, Your Majesty.”
“To find one’s mate is rare. I must follow and protect.”
He folded his arms across his bare chest.
And damn, if her gaze didn’t snag on those bulging pecs.
“You’re the winner, and I’m not a sore loser. Name your prize.” She squared her shoulders and waited.
“Anything?” His voice was hoarse, and he blamed her tempting lips pulsing lust through him.
When she nodded, he rasped, “I claim a kiss.”
Her eyes widened, then flicked to his lips. “A kiss you can have for free.”
Her mouth parted, and her breathing shuddered.
She lowered her gaze again but whispered, “Damn, he’s hot, gorgeous, and all kinds of hard and soft.”
Amid gray smoke or clouds, a face appeared. Mick squeaked and jerked back. The man met her gaze as he emerged to stand naked before her. He was magnificent, and as dreams go, she couldn’t have designed a more perfect example of sheer masculinity.
A shadow fell across her. She rolled over, pulled the weapon from the holster, and aimed.
A naked man leaned over her with obsidian skin, amber eyes, and a hawklike nose her fingers remembered tracing.
Her breath caught. It couldn’t be. It was impossible. She raised a trembling hand to his jaw to test the illusion. “Tieren?”
His ability to breathe abandoned him, and any thoughts of an impending attack, saving his brother, or killing her people, scattered. He swooped in, capturing her soft mouth, shuddering at the sweet nectar and the strange yet addictive flavor of her. A kiss had never meant more to him.
​
Reader reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars Space Hunter
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2023
I want more. No, I need more of Mick and Tieren. We all need more Shikari adventures, and we need to know about the mutation. Great story, great plot. Oh, can I say how much I love the way Sevannah Storm puts couples together. There is none of this dislike for each other for 70% of the book and only gives us 30% of romance. No, she brings them together and allows them to work through their issues together and enjoy each other’s company without all the drama.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on February 26, 2024
this was a great start to the Space Hunter Chronicles series, it had a great overall feel to the scifi genre. The characters were what I was expecting and enjoyed how strong they worked with this universe. Sevannah Storm has a great writing style and it left me wanting to read more in this series.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on August 19, 2024
The most interesting thing about this book is how the mutation develops in Mikaela and the strange abilities she gets from it. Second is the developing relationship she has with the black skinned alien that only appears in her dreams. I didn't really care about Kiros and his gang, but I would have liked more of the mutation and the alien. I assume we will see more of this if there is a book 2. I liked some aspects of the book more than others.
Discussion or book club questions:
Mikaela’s mutation changes her physically and emotionally. How do you think this transformation affects her sense of self and her relationships?
The yellow-eyed man, Tieren, appears in Mikaela’s dreams before she meets him. How does the dream/real connection influence your reading of their relationship?
Kiros and Tieren represent two very different kinds of men. Which one did you find more compelling, and why? Did your feelings toward either shift over time?
Betrayal is a key theme, especially with Kiros stealing Mikaela’s prize and luring her into danger. How did this betrayal affect your trust in his character?
What role does the alien fauna and the dangerous environment play in amplifying the tension between the characters?
Mikaela must choose between saving Kiros or Tieren. What do you think this choice symbolizes about loyalty, survival, and love?
How do you interpret Mikaela’s struggle to keep her father’s ship running while battling her mutations? Is this a metaphor for holding onto the past while facing an uncertain future?
The story blends science fiction with romance and suspense. Which element did you find most dominant, and how did the balance affect your engagement with the story?
Did Mikaela’s mutation change your perspective on what it means to be human or “normal”? How does the story challenge or reinforce those ideas?
The ending leaves readers with emotional and moral questions. What do you think Mikaela’s future holds, both personally and in the wider galaxy?
If you woke up with superhuman mutations tomorrow, what would be the first (and sexiest) thing you’d do?
Dream lover or real deal: which would you rather—someone who haunts your dreams or someone who steals your spaceship?
Kiros is a charming rogue, Tieren is a mysterious fantasy—who would you swipe right on in a cosmic dating app?
If you could design your own alien tattoo, what would it look like and what power would it grant?
Mikaela’s dreams are downright erotic. What’s your favorite kind of “dream date” scenario—starscapes, moonlit beaches, or zero-g dance floors?
Would you trust an alien mercenary, a dreamy yellow-eyed stranger, or a lovable AI to help you through a crisis? Why?
If you had to choose one song as the soundtrack for Mikaela and Tieren’s first “real” encounter, what would it be?
Who had the better chemistry: Mikaela & Kiros’s fiery clashes or Mikaela & Tieren’s slow-burning connection?
What’s your go-to “space survival” snack? (And yes, it has to be shareable in zero gravity.)
Mikaela’s mutation is both a curse and a gift—what’s something unexpected in your life that you’d call a “mutation” or blessing in disguise?
​
Hashtags:
#scifiromance #soulmates #hefallsfirst #alienromance #bookstagram #romancebooks #romancebookaddict #amreading #romancenovel #romancebookstagram #readmoreromance #romanceblogger #romancereader #romancereadersofbookstagram #romancetbr #romancebooksofig #amreadingromance #romancelandia #romancenoveladdict #romancenovels #romancenoveljunkie #booktok
​
Relevant tropes or keywords:
Soulmates
Long-distance romance
Shifter
Alpha hero
Betrayal
Kick-a$$ warrior woman (mutated)