Month: May 2020

Review: The Alpha’s Warlock (Mismatched Mates #1) by Eliot Grayson

A fast paced read with a snarky as hell main character.

4.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 172 pages. Published March 20th 2020 by Smoking Teacup Books

Blurb:

Cursed, mated, and in for the fight of their lives…

Warlock Nate Hawthorne just wants a cup of coffee. Is that too much to ask? Apparently. Because instead of precious caffeine, all he gets is cursed by a pack of werewolves who want to use him for his magic. Now the only way to fix the damage is a mate bond to a grumpy and oh-so-sexy alpha in the rival pack, who happens to hate him. This is so not how he wanted to start his day.

Ian Armitage never intended to take Nate as his mate. The Hawthorne family can’t be trusted. Ian knows that better than anyone. The fact that he’s lusted after the way-too-gorgeous man for years? Totally irrelevant. Ian’s just doing what is necessary to protect his pack. This whole mating arrangement has nothing to do with love and never will. That’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

Nate and Ian will have to work together if they have any hope of staving off the pack’s enemies and averting disaster. That’s assuming they can stop arguing (and keep their hands off each other) long enough to save the day…

The Alpha’s Warlock is an explicit M/M paranormal romance featuring a snarky warlock, a brooding alpha werewolf, knotting, enchanted socks (long story), and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Likes:

  • Snark and sarcasm in spades.
  • Nate and Ian.
  • Charlie and Doran.
  • Quick, easy read.
  • Just the right amount of angst.
  • Hooked me and kept me interested.
  • The plot.
  • Hot smut.
  • The action and fight scenes.

Dislikes:

  • Not much about the Armitage pack.
  • Not much world building.
  • Nate and Ian’s relationship changed in a heartbeat.
  • Ending was abrupt and left me with a lot of questions.
  • The blurb for the next book has me uncertain.

Nate is the type of guy I love to read about – sarcastic, sassy, and lacking a brain/mouth filter. His first person point of view made the story come alive.

I put this book on my e-reader about a week before I got around to it, and didn’t bother rereading the blurb before diving in. That changed my reading experience a bit, because I was surprised when Nate and Ian ended up mated. They didn’t get along at all at the beginning. Or at least that’s what Nate thought. It caused more than a little angst on Nate’s part, because he genuinely thought Ian hated him.

But that’s one of the great things about romances – they always have a happy ending. There’s safety in the knowledge that, no matter how rocky a relationship starts off, it’ll always end well. Nate didn’t believe he’d get a happy ending, but there were enough hints about Ian’s true feelings that the reader was able to see what Nate couldn’t.

The interactions between Nate and Ian were a big part of why I enjoyed this book so much. It took them a long time to get to a place where they could be open and honest with each other, and once they did their relationship turned a corner. It was a fast turnaround, but it worked. Not to mention, the smut was hot.

This book was a fun, fast read that hooked me right from the start. The pace never slowed down – there was always something going on, always something pushing the story forward, and I stayed up much later than I should have to finish reading. The action and fight scenes were well written, and Charlie and Doran were so much fun. I hope they get a book of their own.

There weren’t many side characters, which was strange for a book mostly set on wolf pack territory. Especially since Ian was the pack second. The Armitage pack was basically nonexistent except for the leader, Matthew. There wasn’t much world building in general, and while I didn’t have too many questions while reading the book – a product of the fast paced plot – I’m aware of it looking back.

I was a little surprised at the abrupt ending, because a lot of things weren’t resolved, but I guess that’s what the next book is for. Unfortunately, the sneak peek for the next book made me a little hesitant. I thought Nate had a bad life, but Arik definitely had it worse. I’m okay with angst and traumatic pasts, but expecting to be raped because it had happened before is a little too intense for me. I’ll give the next book a shot when it comes out, and hope that Arik gets to spend most of it healing.

Review: Poisonwood (Poisonwood & Lyric #1) by Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes

This was a quick, easy read with low angst and a happy ending.

4 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 113 pages. Published March 12th 2020

Blurb:

A starving incubus.

A bear alone.

Jasper Jones is Lyric’s most pitiful incubus. He can’t feed and doesn’t want to if it means hurting people. When a witch gives him a chance at breaking the cycle of hunger, he rushes half cocked into the woods in search of a cure.

Caleb moved into Poisonwood Forest to escape the crowded city of Lyric, but it’s lonely by himself. He doesn’t expect to find his mate when he trips over an unconscious young man in the middle of the woods, but there he is, perfect—except for a peculiar fondness for processed cookies.

Their only problem is that Jasper’s sick, and when he doesn’t get better, his one shot at survival is in the hands of a bear shifter who’ll do anything to save him. 

Likes:

  • Hooked me right from the start.
  • Interesting premise.
  • Jasper’s feelings were understandable.
  • Good smut.
  • Quick, easy read.
  • Low angst.
  • A feel good ending.

Dislikes:

  • Caleb felt a little underdeveloped.
  • Not much world building.
  • Not much info given on incubi.
  • Felt like the men had to be spoon fed the romance.

This was a fun novella. The blurb caught my attention and Jasper’s feelings towards feeding off people hooked me right away. It felt very modern and self-aware for Jasper to be worried about his food. More people are paying attention to where their food comes from and how it’s produced. So if humans can worry about their food, why can’t an incubus?

Does Jasper take it to the extreme? Yes. Do I think he could have done research on how to be an ethical incubus? Maybe. I don’t really know. There’s not a ton of world building. Which is one of the downsides of a novella. There’s isn’t room to expand on things that could have cleared up some of my questions. And I do have questions.

Jasper feels like he has no choice but to be the kind of incubus his father and siblings are. It made me wonder why he didn’t simply do some research to see if an incubus can have a normal relationship. It’s clearly stated that the supernatural community exists.

I have questions about Caleb too.  He felt a little underdeveloped as a character. I don’t feel like I know much about him, even simple things like whether or not he has a job or how he has a cabin in a public forest. Still, I liked him. He was a good match for Jasper, and they made a cute couple. The smut was hot and I enjoyed watching their relationship deepen.

My biggest complaint is that the men needed to be spoon fed the romance. If it wasn’t for multiple sisterly interventions, the relationship wouldn’t have survived. Poppy almost felt like a puppet mater controlling things from the shadows. And while it was ultimately Jasper and Caleb who decided to become a couple, I would have liked them to have a bit more autonomy.

Overall, this was a quick, easy read with low angst and a happy ending. It piqued my interest in the authors, and I’ll definitely take a look at some of their other books and series, of which there are several.

Check out some of my rave reviews for Sam Burns’s Rowan Harbor series. Blackbird in the Reeds (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #1), Wolf and the Holly (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #2), Fox and Birch (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #3), Hawk in the Rowan (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4), Succubus and the City (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4.5), Stag and the Ash (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #5), Adder and Willow (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #6), Eagle in the Hawthorn (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #7)

Review: Seeker’s Portrait (Elements of Dragonis #2) by Hannah Walker

DNF 63%.I lost confidence that the author had thought through the story. It’s a shame because the base idea was good.

2 out of 5 stars

DNF 63%

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 481 pages. Published December 15th 2016

Blurb:

Prince Elijan has spent his life protected by castle walls, prevented from fully experiencing the world outside. He longs to see the empire he will one day rule, but his only view is from the safety of the windows in his suite. He yearns to find out what life has to offer. When he’s given the chance to work with the dragons, and a desire to learn their language flares to life, he is finally granted some freedom.

Aldren’s life has always been about the dragons. As a Rider, he is dedicated to the protection of the kingdom. He’s always been willing to step up when he is called upon, but his latest orders come directly from the king, and for once, Aldren isn’t sure he the right man for the job.

Protecting the king’s only son is not something to be taken lightly, and when Aldren meets Elijan, the instant attraction he has for the man complicates matters even more. Still, he’s never refused a job before and he isn’t about to start now.

Working and living side by side brings Elijan and Aldren together, forcing them both to admit to the emotions stirring inside them. It only takes one kiss and no matter the risk, the two of them refuse to ignore the chemistry between them.

When danger comes calling, and Elijan experiences strange visions that manifest in his drawings, Aldren worries. How does he protect the prince from an enemy he can’t see?

With friends, both man and dragon, by their side, the two must learn who seeks them out and what the information they’ve gained from Elijan’s drawings might mean, but at the same time, they must protect the dragons. Evil lurks around them, but so does salvation. Drawn into a dangerous destiny, Aldren and Elijan find that love and friendship really can conquer all.

Likes:

  • The relationship between Andren and Elijan.
  • The dragons.
  • The seeker plot.

Dislikes:

  • Insta-love.
  • Both Aldren and Elijan feel two dimensional.
  • Didn’t hook me.
  • No forward momentum.
  • Aldren’s resolve only lasted two days.
  • Too many pronouns.
  • Elijan doesn’t act like a prince.
  • Huge chunks of dialogue.
  • No drama, tension, or suspense with the romance.
  • Both Elijan and Aldren are *perfect*
  • The ‘seeker’ part of the plot started way too late.
  • Scenes with Frode came to feel like filler.
  • Elijan’s romance issues became just as annoying as Con’s in the previous book.
  • So many open, honest emotions in every conversation.
  • The alternating POV isn’t always followed.
  • All romantic tension wrapped up early.
  • Guards don’t have magic.

DNF 63%

This book didn’t hook me. I would read half a chapter, then put it down. If I’m invested in a book, I don’t want to stop reading. But I thought that, since the characters, plot, and romance were all fine, I’d be able to finish the book eventually.

And I tried. Even as I came across more things that turned me off, I kept going. Because I wanted to know how things turned out, not just with the romance but with questions left over from the previous book, like ‘Who sent Rillian the spell book and why?’

In the end, the number of things I disliked about the book were too many. It ended up feeling like each chapter had something new that didn’t make sense. I don’t know anything about what the author was thinking when she wrote this book, but it felt like she didn’t stop to ask herself, ‘Does this make sense in a larger context?’

Despite that, there were some things I liked about this book. First, Elijan is a virgin who’s never been kissed, and Aldren takes things slow. Everything they did together was designed to make it good for Elijan.  Second, the dragons. Grith was my favorite this time around, but Frode was super cute too. Third, the non-romantic plot about who sent the spell book and the whole ‘seeker’ thing was interesting.

As for my dislikes, it started with the way the book is structured. The first 34% is all about two things – Elijan and Aldren’s romance and Elijan hanging out with the dragons. Compared to the previous book that had action and mystery right from the start, the beginning of this book had no hook.

The reason why it took so long for the seeker part of the book to begin was because Rill and Con were away on their honeymoon. Nothing with the nonromantic plot advanced until they returned. Looking back on the first third of the book, a lot of it felt like filler. Especially the stuff with Frode. It was like ‘Look! A baby dragon! Focus on how cute he is and ignore the immobile plot.’

Then there was the insta-love. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but Aldren’s resolve not to get romantically involved with Elijan only lasted two days. Which meant that there was almost no tension, drama, or suspense. Once the romance began, it developed incredibly quickly, so that by the 48% mark, the only thing they had left to do was tell the king and queen.

The fact that Elijan and Aldren felt two dimensional didn’t help me get invested in their romance. Aldren is a strong, brave, loyal, dedicated dragon Rider. If he has family, hobbies, or plans for the future, we don’t get to see that. Though to be fair, we didn’t see that for Rill and Con in the previous book, which just goes to show that it’s easier to ignore some things when you’re hooked on the story.

But it’s Elijan’s character that really bothered me. Elijan is sweet, innocent, good natured, friendly, open, and wears his heart on his sleeve. Oh, and he’s also the crown prince. And if it seems weird for a crown prince to be completely guileless, you’re right. It is weird. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that Elijan never once acted like a prince. Hell, his every emotion was visible on his face. It felt as though the author didn’t stop to wonder if this was the way a prince would act.

That aside, my biggest problem with Elijan was how *perfect* he was. Everyone loved him. He fit in with the stable lads without even trying. Aldren fell for him right away. The dragons loved him.

He’s Frode’s Eithreadal. The dragons claimed him. He’s Aldren’s bond mate. He’s the seeker. He’s a mage with great powers. He’s the crown prince.

Elijan literally has no flaws. And you can’t root for someone who has no flaws, because they don’t struggle with anything. The only things Elijan struggles with are A.) getting people to treat him like an adult and B.) believing Aldren’s heartfelt confessions of love.

Which brings me to the dialogue, which can accurately be summed up as the ‘Why use one sentence when you could use five’ approach. The book could use some serious editing, both for length and content. Because it wasn’t just the long chunks of dialogue, it’s what was said. Everyone spoke openly and from the heart all the time. Not only was it unnatural, it significantly lowered the impact of what was being said. Add in the overuse of pronouns – “The fact he gave up all control to him, allowed him to do what he wanted, was an exquisite form of trust and one he received reverently.” – and the writing could be a little hard to read sometimes.   

The final straw that made me lose all confidence in the author was the whole ‘guards can’t protect Elijan from magic’ argument. Which is crazy. You’re trying to tell me that in a world with magic and mages, that not a single palace guard is capable of doing magic? This smacks of not thinking thing through. Of not asking ‘Does this make sense in a larger context?’

I have to admit, I’m incredibly disappointed with this book. It has all the ingredients of a great story, it just didn’t come out well. But if there’s one thing I’m grateful for, it’s that now I don’t have to read the next book in the series, which is a whopping 676 pages long.

You can find the review for the first book in the series, Booker’s Song, which I enjoyed, here.

Review: Booker’s Song (Elements of Dragonis #1) by Hannah Walker

A good introduction to the series.

4 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 248 pages. Published July 29th 2016 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Blurb:

Rillian Mascini is one of the most knowledgeable mages in the world. Spending his days and sometimes nights with his nose in a book has taught him magic and histories that few care to remember. He has a passion for dragons that pulls him to learn all he can about them, including their language. He is one of the last people left alive who can speak to the magnificent beasts.

Conwyn D’Aver is squad leader of the Dragon Riders. He will do whatever it takes to protect the dragons and people he has given his oath to serve. Nothing is more important, and when Neela, his personal dragon, is attacked, Conwyn is out for blood. He vows to find the threat and defeat it.

When an old spell book is found that gives a person the power to control all dragons, Conwyn will do anything he can to keep it from getting into the wrong hands, even if that means teaming up with the bookish Rillian to find a way to overcome the evil enemies who seek to gain the power.

Together with the dragons, the two men must find a way to protect everything they both love, but while doing so, they risk losing their own hearts to each other. As their enemies seek to destroy them, they learn that sometimes it takes love and trust to defeat the things we fear the most. 

Likes:

  • Dragons, magic, and the high fantasy setting.
  • Plot hooked me and kept me interested.
  • The smut.
  • Rill.
  • A quick, easy read.
  • Good introduction to the series.

Dislikes:

  • There was no world building outside of the dragons.
  • The way Rill and Con were written was a little too similar.
  • Con’s lack of personal insight was ridiculous.
  • The nicknames.

This book is a good introduction to a series. The way Rill comes into the dragon’s lives and needs to learn more about them also lets the reader discover how cool the dragons are. Rill is also in a perfect position to show off the dragon’s personalities, and I think the dragons are some of the best characters.

The story hooked me right from the start and kept my attention the whole way through. New things were constantly happening, adding dashes of drama, political intrigue, battles, and mystery to the story. Overall, the book was a fun, quick read.

While I do think that the plot had a good mix of high fantasy and magic, and that all the pertinent information about the dragons was present, I wish there was more world building. I feel like the dragons were in a bubble of their own, without much outside context. I’m the kind of reader who likes to be immersed in a world, and I know almost nothing about the Calias Empire.

Rill was definitely my favorite character. With his love of books, it was easy to relate to him. Con wasn’t a bad character, but his denseness when it came to his feelings made me incredibly frustrated by the end. Especially because it was a little unbelievable. He’s not stupid, but his lack of personal insight was beyond belief.

That being said, the romance progressed nicely. The smut was good and the ending was sweet. It did feel like the way Rill and Con’s inner thoughts were written was a little too similar. Because neither of them talked to anyone else about the relationship, they had to have literal mental conversations with themselves about why getting together was a bad idea. It’s the only dull spot in what was otherwise a good romance.

My final nitpick is with the nicknames of Rill and Con. Both men have slightly longer names, and I wish they’d used them. It would have given the book an added high fantasy feel. After all, unusual names are part of the experience.

I’m excited to get to the next book in the series and hope it’s as good as this one.

You can find the second book in the series, Seeker’s Portrait, here.

Review: Dead of Knight (Guardians of Camelot #2) by Victoria Sue

A good book, but I’m still not fully hooked by the series.

3.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 248 pages. Published January 21st 2020.

Blurb:

A battle is coming…

…and the immortal knights aren’t ready.

Will an orphan be the key?

For fifteen hundred years Lucan has waged war with the greatest enemy the world has ever known

…and fought the ancient curse that means loving someone with all his heart and soul might be the reason they die.

Tom wasn’t supposed to be born… twice.

How, as a young child, had he even heard the monsters at all?

How, as an adult, is he caught up in a deadly battle to fight evil, but cannot get one stubborn man to even acknowledge he exists?

Time is running out, not just to unravel the secrets of Tom’s destiny, but for Tom to show Lucan that loving someone with all that they have doesn’t mean breaking their heart.

Or does it? 

Likes:

  • Lucan got over his stubbornness quickly.
  • The series plot moved forward.
  • The book was fast paced and interesting.
  • I liked the hints at what’s going to come next.

Dislikes:

  • The plot is a little too convoluted.
  • Tom and Lucan didn’t spent much time together.
  • Lucan’s past, and thus the reason he acts the way he does, was hinted at for too long before it was finally revealed.
  • I’m still not really invested in the series.
  • The characters get interesting and then the book ends.

I’ll be honest, I’m still not totally invested in this series. I like it fine, but it hasn’t captivated me, and I’m not really sure why. The characters are good, the plot is interesting, and I’m curious about what’s going to happen in the next book. But at the same time, I could walk away from the series without looking back.

I think part of it is because of the world building. Which is crazy, because I love world building. At least, I normally do. Most of the world building in this book/series deals with things that happened in the past. As they are now, the knights are men with swords who fight the same monsters night after night and keep one eye out for their tressors. The knights aren’t very interesting in modern day. It’s their tressors – Mel and Tom – who are unique, special, and learning about their hereto unknown abilities.

On that point, Tom is an interesting guy. Not just his past, but his present and future. Watching him discover who and what he is was as interesting as watching Mel do the same in the last book.

I was happy that Lucan got over his stubbornness about the age gap relatively quickly. I was worried that things between them would drag on and on. I do wish that Lucan’s past had been shown earlier. I hate when minor things are deliberately hinted at but held back to create tension. It didn’t work well in this case because the explanation for Lucan’s behavior towards Tom rested in his past. Without that knowledge, it was hard to connect with Lucan.

I was disappointed that Tom and Lucan didn’t spend much time together as lovers. There was so much else going on in the book that the actual romantic buildup was cut super short. I know they’ve known each other for two years, but they didn’t do anything romantic outside of the bedroom.

I blame some of that on how convoluted the series plot is. There are so many moving pieces, and every character played a different role, that there’s a lot going on. It’s getting a little hard to keep things straight. There were a few times when I wondered if I was misremembering things or the author had forgotten a key detail. It makes me worried about future books.

Despite this, the plot moved along at a good pace. It kept my attention the whole way through. I was confused during chapter 7, but that was the point. I liked the hints at what’s to come in the next book. I wish there were short stories set between the books that fill out the romance and show the tressors using or exploring their newfound powers. It feels like the tressors become interesting, then the book ends.

I will definitely read the next books whenever it comes out. I want to see Kay and Gawain find their tressors as well.

Be sure to check out the review for the first book in the series, The Twelfth Knight.

Review: The Twelfth Knight (Guardians of Camelot #1) by Victoria Sue

A solidly by the numbers urban fantasy with interesting monsters and lots of world building.

3.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 1st edition. 232 pages. Published October 1st 2019

Blurb:

To battle an ancient evil, the greatest weapon each hero will have is each other.

Hundreds of years ago, facing defeat, the witch Morgana sent monsters into the future to vanquish a humanity King Arthur wouldn’t be able to save. The King might have won the battle, but now, centuries later, a few chosen men will have to fight the war.

Merlin always hated being named after some mythological wizard. His dad had been obsessed with the magic man of King Arthur’s Court before his untimely death – a loss that had sent Mel reeling in a downward spiral. He is ill-prepared, to say the least, for the outrageous claims of a proper English knight bent on overcoming evil.

Born a commoner, Lancelot was never supposed to be a knight in his own time, never mind now in a modern world he is so woefully untrained to protect. Thrown into a battle centuries in the making, this flawed hero, and a young man too-used to battling monsters of the present day, will have to come together in a last desperate fight to save humanity.

Can Mel and Lance defeat the greatest enemy the world has ever known? Or in the midst of fighting evil, will they discover the real threat has always been a shattered heart?

And what if the one fight they cannot ever hope to win is with themselves?

Likes:

  • Interesting premise.
  • Sets up nicely for more books.
  • Lots of world building.
  • Likeable characters.
  • Cool monsters.

Dislikes:

  • Writing can be clunky.
  • Soggy middle.
  • Too much talking and backstory, not enough action.
  • Wish the fight scenes were more detailed.
  • No big hook.
  • Most of the plot was by the numbers.

This book feels very self-published. I don’t mean that in a bad way, although it does have some of the negative hallmarks self-published books are known for – like clunky writing and fight scenes that could use more description. This book is just fine, a solid 3 ½ stars, but it doesn’t shine.

Overall, this book has a ‘by the numbers’ feel to it. Which is both good and bad.

It’s good because it hits all the correct notes. The romance unfolded predictably, with a gradual buildup tension between Lance and Mel. There’s enough time for the men to get together without it feeling rushed, and their sexual compatibility is obvious. Sure, Lance needed a big push to accept Mel as his Tresor, but that fits the pattern.

By the numbers is bad because it doesn’t offer anything new and exciting. Don’t get me wrong, the plot was interesting and unique. But I felt like I always knew what was coming next. So much so that I got a little bored. It wasn’t until 78% that something happened which I didn’t expect.

The reason I got a little bored could have been because of the soggy middle. The immediate threats were dealt with and the characters were waiting around for the next big thing to happen. This allowed for some world building, which I normally love. But this time, there was too much talking and backstory. I get that this book has a heavy burden to carry since it’s setting up the series. That’s still not enough reason to have long passages about each of the knights. Especially since I won’t remember those little details by the time the rest of the books come out. Put that kind of thing in a short story collection.

That being said, this book set up future books well. I’m looking forward to Lucan and Tom’s story, which is already out. All the knights are interesting characters, so I expect this to be a fun series. Especially if more cool monsters and magic appear. I loved the description of the monsters, they were so unique.

I’m hoping that the next book will hook me more than this one did. A lot of the world building is already out of the way and the main characters have been introduced. Fingers crossed.

Be sure to check out the review for the second book in the series, Dead of Knight.