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SERIES REVIEW: Monstrous Books 1-2 by Lily Mayne
Monstrous: Soul Eater – Lily Mayne
Twenty years ago, monsters rose on earth and began a new age of civilization.
One where humans live in military-controlled, cramped and dirty cities along the coasts, and the majority of the United States is known as the Wastes. A lawless, desolate and dangerous place, teeming with monsters that have claimed the land for their own.
Including Wyn the Soul Eater.
He appears every three years, making his way across the country and slaughtering humans randomly, sucking them dry until they’re nothing but husks.
I’ve only been in the military for six months, but now I’m part of a unit tasked with trying to stop and capture him. And when I’m the only soldier out of hundreds that the Soul Eater leaves alive, I realise that… something about me has intrigued him.
But what is it? What could a twenty-three year old guy from the south, with no one and nothing in the world, have possibly done to capture the attention of a death monster with horns, blackened fingertips and a face hidden in the dark depths of his hood?
Soul Eater is the debut novel of Lily Mayne. It is the first in a planned post-apocalyptic fantasy series featuring monsters and human men falling in love. This m/m love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains scenes of violence, but don’t worry—they get their happy ending.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: All Over You
Artist: Live
Album: Throwing Copper
Monstrous: Edin – Lily Mayne
I was just a boy when the monsters rose on earth, forcing humans to flee to the coastlines and live in cramped, dirty, military-controlled cities. I enlisted as soon as I could to escape.
Now, I’ve been in the military for twelve years and have the scars—and missing body parts—to prove it. As a hardened soldier who’s spent his fair share of time out in the Wastes—the dangerous place where monsters roam free—I didn’t think anything could surprise me anymore.
But then circumstance forced me together with a big, annoying purple monster who’s arrogant and bossy and pushes all my buttons in the worst—and best—ways. I need his help, and I hate needing anyone’s help. But the more time I spend with him, the more I realise that maybe there’s more from him that I need. And that he might need things from me too.
But I’m still a soldier. I still have responsibilities. It doesn’t matter how I feel about Edin, because we can’t be together. It’s too dangerous.
That doesn’t stop me wanting him, though.
Edin is Book Two of the Monstrous series, a post-apocalyptic m/m fantasy series that focuses on monsters and human men falling in love. It is best to read the series in order. Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains graphic depictions of torture and violence, and mentions PTSD.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Be There
Artist: Seafret
Album: Tell Me It’s Real
Monstrous is a series that piqued my interest because I saw some eye-catching monster/human fanarts. The next thing I knew, I was swept away into the wastelands of post-apocalyptic America, where an interdimensional tear allowed monsters to come to Earth. Humans’ only sanctuary was to live on the coastlines. The army controls everything.
The series opens with Soul Eater, told from the POV of new military recruit Danny Sullihan, a soldier woefully ill-suited to the job. This Southern boy is too innocent and laid-back.
For some reason, the recently captured and much-dreaded serial killer, known as the Soul Eater kept asking to talk to him. Then one day, the Soul Eater busted out of his cage and let loose all the other monsters the military kept in captivity. Danny chooses to go with him rather than risk the wastelands alone.
Majority of the plot is Danny and Wyn the Soul Eater traveling the wastelands and avoiding the army while Danny learns why Wyn is killing people. He also discovers the person behind the dark hood might be a grumpy bastard, but a grumpy bastard who always makes sure to find him his favorite food, a.k.a. peanut butter, whenever they go scavenging.
The chemistry between Wyn and Danny went from simmering to nuclear, and I loved them so much! I especially loved how Wyn is so ferociously protective of his sweet human, especially that innately pure part of Danny who wouldn’t even pull a gun on another monster.
There is so much more than romance here. There’s an endless adventure and eye-opening exploration, an utterly endearing friendship between Wyn and his best friend, the purple giant, Edin, and gut-wrenching scenes that were almost too much to bear. It made me infinitely glad, Danny has the Soul Eater in his corner. All in all, this is monster romance done to perfection!
The second book, Edin, is told from the POV of Hunter, a 12-year military veteran with a prosthetic leg and a spec ops of some sort. He and his best friend, Charlie, came across the ruins of the base destroyed by the freed monsters. Then Charlie was captured by a new group of monsters. Edin found Hunter in a bind and after helping him, agreed to assist in rescuing Charlie.
This is what I loved most about Edin. The big guy goes around the wastelands helping people he stumbles across. Just because. He’s an adorable teddy bear who loves taking care of people. The part where he helped Hunter with his prosthetic was such a tender moment.
Hunter might be a surly, sarcastic, anti-social bastard, but he’s loyal to a fault. Very determined to get Charlie back at all costs, he took Edin’s help for granted. But the longer they were together, he had a better appreciation of Edin’s kindness. I wasn’t too keen on him at first, but as his character grew, he endeared himself to me.
Edin and Hunter have different dynamics, but their chemistry is as sizzling as Wyn and Danny’s. There is a bit of a size difference power play here, but I’m glad Hunter is a big guy himself too. At first, Hunter struggled with his attraction to Edin, but after seeing Edin’s best friend and his human boyfriend, he shed all his qualms and took the leap. They went nuclear too!
The plot delves deeper into the Monstrous world, revealing more monster+human interactions, mostly the violent type, and a few romantic ones that surprise Hunter. The rescue mission was a thrilling, action-packed adventure and a long overdue comeuppance to those who hurt Danny, courtesy of Wyn. The ending was a lovely, cozy domestic affair, and I couldn’t be happier for our gentle purple giant and his Hunter!
P.S.
I wish like hell narrator Michael Lesley would be able to finish the entire series because his monster voices are delightfully spine-tingling! The books should be read in order and best consumed as audiobook.
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SOUL EATER: Kindle | Audiobook
EDIN: Kindle | AudiobookIf you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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BOOK TOUR: City of Vicious Night by Claire Winn
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REVIEW: Liar City by Allie Therin
Sugar & Vice: Liar City – Allie Therin
A murder has Seattle on edge, and it falls to a pacifist empath—and a notorious empath hunter—to find the killer before it’s too late
It’s the middle of the night when part-time police consultant and full-time empath Reece gets an anonymous call warning him that his detective sister needs his help. At an out-of-the-way Seattle marina, he discovers that three people have been butchered—including the author of the country’s strictest anti-empathy bill, which is just days from being passed into law.
Soon, Reece’s caller a shadowy government agent known as The Dead Man, who is rumored to deal exclusively in cases involving empathy. He immediately takes over the investigation, locking out both local PD and the FBI, but, strangely, keeps Reece by his side.
As the two track an ever-growing trail of violence and destruction across Seattle, Reece must navigate a scared and angry city, an irritating attraction to his mysterious agent companion, and a rising fear that perhaps empaths like him aren’t all flight and no fight after all…
If there’s one book from this year’s reading list that had me going from “ugh, I’m bored” to “I need more now please, please, please!”, Liar City is it.
This is the opener of Allie Therin’s urban fantasy series, Sugar & Vice. It’s set in Seattle, where a mutation occurred that turned some humans into empaths. They are known to be the ultimate pacifists, willing to let someone crack their skulls rather than defend themselves when attacked because they feel other people’s pain and emotions.
Or so they say because, according to some politicians, empaths are actually very dangerous. And here we have a gruesome illustration of exactly how dangerous they can get.
Reece Davis is an empath and police consultant who unwittingly entangled himself in a murder after a mysterious individual called The Dead Man gave him cryptic warnings. This enigmatic, legendary figure is feared even by his badass sister, Detective Briony “Jamey” St. James.
The opening chapters were a miserable slog. There were lots of things going on, a squadful of characters I don’t care about suddenly popping on scene, but the plot barely moved forward. I was barely hanging on, but the very intriguing premise kept me going with promises of excitement and amazing displays of superpowers.
Things picked up once Reece started hanging out with The Dead Man, Evan Grayson. The man is the opposite of Reece. He doesn’t feel anything, has no expressions, and has enhanced abilities that make him nearly invincible.
Why he is the way he is one of the story’s biggest mysteries. And there are several, from a serial killer to Jamey’s secret abilities, to sinister research organizations, and Reece’s evolving powers. He’s also one of the most effective hooks that kept me glued because I was dying to know his backstory. We’re fed tiny crumbs of info about him here and there, which drove me crazy!
The story is told from multiple POVs, except Evan’s. Of course. The man just had to be all mysterious and shit. Love him! Meanwhile, Reece is a ball of good intentions and a hot mess of fuck ups. Still, hard to hate a real life Care Bear.
There is no romance here. Heck, they don’t even touch. There’s just a faintest impression of friendship. But Evan and Reece have the most intense squee-tastic chemistry and the only couple that made me say, “I need them to fuck”.
Which is ironic because a lot of books I read, I’d rather do without the sex scenes. The couples just don’t have the zing Evan and Reece have, and these two were as platonic as they come. And while I do enjoy the books, without the zing, the sex scenes feel obligatory.
Once the story hit its stride, it kept things moving fast. There’s still a lot going on but this time, I’m swept away by all the twists, turns and revelations. And once the action started, it became non-stop, edge-of-your-seat melee fights, chase scenes, and mental meltdowns. It’s a spectacle of chaos and mayhem, and I have never been so glad I stuck around to witness all of it!
And that’s not all. The ending was wonderful mix of frustrating and satisfying because we are fed bigger crumbs of Evan. That only made his mystique even more tantalizing. This will be the death of me!
Liar City went from almost DNF to one of the best books I’ve read this year. This is the kind of book I want to see as an anime. It certainly lived up to its promise of thrills, feels and big reveals!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Feel the Pain
Artist: Dinosaur Jr
Album: Without A Sound
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LIAR CITY
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NEW RELEASE: Equipose by Crea Reitan
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BLOG TOUR: Thorn of Chaos by Jeremiah Cain (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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COVER REVEAL: Mafia Target by Mila Finelli
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REVIEW: The Kite by N.R. Walker
The Kite – N.R. Walker
Ex-Australian Specialist Response Group, Tim “Harry” Harrigan, has been running covert ops for almost a decade. A lone wolf, he’s single-handedly taken down terrorists and national security threats, or so he thinks. He’s been in the game far too long, and when he sees a familiar threat, he knows his time is up.
Asher Garin is a dangerous man. A man without loyalty, a man without a nationality, without a country, or a home. He’s also a mercenary for hire to the highest bidder. His next job is a face he recognises, and after a tip-off, he learns he too is a marked man.
It’s a different game now, and Harry and Asher have a better chance at surviving if they stick together. But it’s not just the game or the rules that have changed. The stakes have too.
Because on their own, they had nothing to lose. Together, they do.
~
#EnemiesToLovers #GayAssassins #UsAgainstThem
Caution: on-page physical and gun violence. Reader discretion advised.
I am a sucker for assassin v. assassin turned assassin ♡ assassin romance, so I had to grab The Kite, N.R. Walker‘s standalone take on the trope.
The book hits the ground running with bad guys hot on the trail of ex-Australian Special Response hitman Tim Harrigan who was scoping out his target. Unexpectedly, the notorious but elusive hired killer Asher Garin comes in to assist, then persuades the recalcitrant Harry to go with him. Later, Asher points out the suspicious activities of Harry’s handler and how it is related to why he was hired to kill the Australian.
Most of the book is spent with the MCs on the run. Had they had different occupations, it would have been a picturesque tour across the Middle East. As such, the boys travel on roads best avoided, sometimes, no road at all. They make pitstops at the seediest motels or rooms procured by taciturn locals. All of which was orchestrated by Asher’s super mysterious and omniscient contact whom he refuses to name. Harry calls him Four, for lack of anything to call the voice on the phone.
One of the most fun parts of enemies to lovers is the intensity of hate warring with the intensity of lust, a.k.a hatefucks, a.k.a Harry’s dilemma. Because Asher was the provocateur, mercilessly flirting and pushing buttons. The air between them was charged with tempers and USTs until it went nuclear. The sizzling heat was balanced by the softer moments, like when the perpetually grumpy and reluctantly worried Harry cuddled the freezing Asher to keep him warm.
The suspense and the non-stop action kept the story fast-paced. While the writing wasn’t particularly detailed on the scenery, Harry and Asher’s adventure still had that cinematic quality, easily conjuring images of blistering deserts, mazelike alleys and majestic architectures that Asher oh so helpfully pointed out Harry should take time to appreciate. Add to that the edge-of-your seat fight scenes and high-stakes international scandal, and it’s a story made for Hollywood!
Couple of niggles, though. The author excels at writing the fluffiest, most squee-tastic stories out there. Here, it felt like the story couldn’t make up its mind between gritty and fluffy. A book could be both, of course, but this time, the blending didn’t feel seamless.
Also, Asher’s backstory wasn’t as fully explored as I wanted. All we know are barebones facts. He’s the best sharpshooter, has no country, was frequently moved around as a child, learned how to handle weapons early on, and he’s very protective of his friend, Four.
There was still so much to learn about Asher’s character. Even that dream place he referred to generated more questions at the ending. It was also hinted that Asher has been following Harry’s career for years. I thought it was a crush. Too bad that little nugget wasn’t taken further. I’m not sure if there is a sequel, but I’ll gladly read more about Asher anytime. And I’m dying for Four’s book too!
Harry’s backstory was known early on. However, his personality came across as flat in the beginning. As the story progressed, he was less scowly and more open. The man turned out to be a pretty protective of Asher. Harry was super bad ass with his super fast gunslinging skills. His specialty is close combat. He’s a grizzly bear alright, but definitely a care bear too!
The Kite is a romantic suspense that did brilliantly on both fronts. It takes us on a grand tour of Middle Eastern cities and their underbelly via a thrilling chase and high-stakes mission. It takes a breather when two assassins go from purely physical to utterly tender in a soul-deep connection forged by danger and hard-won trust. All in all, intense, swoony, and totally spectacular as a movie!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Villains of Circumstance
Artist: Queens of the Stone Age
Album: Villains
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THE KITE
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BOOK BLITZ: The Kite by N.R. Walker (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Exposed by H.L. Day
Exposed – H.L. Day
A survival gay romance
Sometimes salvation comes from the most unlikely hero.
When Tate Gillespie is marked for death for a crime he didn’t commit, his life crumbles. In a world where ‘justice’ is meted out by a relentless military force, he’s going to need more than a mythical guardian angel. His life down to seconds, he’s saved by the mysterious X, a knife-wielding man he’s never even met before. But who is X? Is he the man who threatens and kills without a second thought? Or the strangely gentle man who only seems to act that way around Tate?
X is a shadow. A wraith. A man who flits through the city virtually unseen. He’s got no time for people when knives are far more reliable. X does have one weakness though—the man he’s been keeping safe for years who doesn’t even know it. He’d burn the whole world to keep him alive. But what he won’t do is stake his claim. Tate’s not his and he needs to remember that, no matter how close they might become.
With the military in hot pursuit, they’re going to need to rely on X’s skills to keep them both alive. Tate’s feelings are growing with every hour they spend together, but X is a tough nut to crack. Can two people from very different backgrounds really find common ground? Or will one of the many perils they face throughout their long journey drive them apart?
It’s all about survival. Not love. Isn’t it?
Exposed is a 132k action/adventure story featuring two men who couldn’t be more opposite.
Exposed is a book where everything came together fabulously. Starting with the model on the cover who is spot-on as X. I was also thrilled to hear that not only was the narrator fantastic at bringing the characters to life, he delivered the story with an Australian accent. It’s such a rare treat!
When I first read the blurb, I was super intrigued by the shadowy figure lurking in the dark. My guts told me this is going to be so good. It turned out to be one heck of an adventure and a touching chronicle of one man’s unconditional love and devotion.
The book immediately pulled me into a dystopian world in what was supposedly the former Australian continent. The world-building is straightforward but detailed enough to set the vibe properly. The more affluent citizens lived in cities ruled by martial law. The rest lived in slums.
There are talks of other cities, some underground, others, probably nothing more than myths. There is one somewhere in the north, past the desert, said to be a utopia for all. Nobody could verify its existence because none came back to do so. Either they did find the place or more likely, they died trying.
Tate blissfully carries on with his life as a pharmaceutical employee in the city, unaware of the guardian shadow watching over him. One day, he was set up for a crime punishable by death. Just as he was about to be executed by the military police, he was saved by a mysterious knife-wielding man. The two quickly set off to find a haven and freedom, with the military hot on their heels.
X is an assassin from the slums. This is a man who loves his knives so much he doesn’t let anyone touch them and live. He’s very anti-social, very taciturn, very broody. He is a hard man living a hard life. His sole purpose was to protect Tate, whether or not the man knew of his existence. Ask him how long he has been stalking him. That is how long he has been hopelessly in love with Tate.
X!!! The name is perfect! I love him!!! X’s strength as a character was what carried me through the story. I’m happy the story is told in dual 1st person POVs because being inside X’s head was everything!
The man is soft for Tate and only for Tate. He was a badass through and through. He’s tough even to himself. He doesn’t believe he is worthy of being loved. Not even when Tate already said he liked him.
“It’s possible to want something but to not let yourself have it.”
My heart went out to X during these moments. The man has a habit of talking himself into believing nobody’s going to love a killer like him. Mind you, he’s still very butch about it. The part that hit me the hardest was how X never, ever expects anything in return from Tate. He would have been okay with just escorting Tate to the underground city. Then, he would go off to the desert and die happy knowing the love of his life was safe.
Tate took some time winning me over. He’s chatty, naïve, and occasionally bratty. He was slightly annoying at some points. But to give Tate his due, he was smart enough to figure X out. Also, he accepted X for who he is, dark past and all. The part where I appreciated Tate the most was where he truly understood how much the knives meant to X.
The romance was both intense and gentle. The connection between X and Tate was a palpable, slow-burning energy, building heat until it went nuclear. It was a beautiful rendering of unrequited love getting requited.
The characters and the romance developed over the course of their adventure. I don’t really go for stories where a long journey is involved because the traveling part bores me. Here, I did feel a very slight drag.
However, the author skillfully kept the momentum going. I loved how she balanced the action scenes with the more emotional ones. I enjoyed how one moment we get crazy ninja moves and throat-slitting, then we get some downtime of X cleaning Tate’s wound with excruciating tenderness. And then it’s back to adrenaline-pumping chases and explosions. And a LOT of walking!
Exposed is my first H.L. Day and definitely won’t be the last. It’s a brilliantly executed dystopian action/adventure love story driven by compelling characters that leave their mark. Gritty, suspenseful, thrilling, and deeply moving, it is two men’s mad dash to freedom and a hard-fought journey towards a lifetime together.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: I’ll Fall With Your Knife
Artist: Peter Murphy
Album: Cascade
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EXPOSED
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SERIES REVIEW: Lords Of Discord Books 3 & 4 by Jocelynn Drake
Note: long post so you can skip to the end for the tl:dr version if you wamt
Lords of Discord is Jocelynn Drake‘s fabulous take on vampire lore with the most lovable brothers to ever be changed into creatures of the night.
The Varik brothers, Marcus, twins Rafe and Bel, and Winter became vampires to protect the world and their mother from herself. Julianna Varik was changed by their adopted father, Aidan, because she was ill. Madness overtook her right after that. She can only be calmed by music. Each Varik brother plays a musical instrument. They each have their own unique powers as well.
The author’s version of vampires is typical of what we know with the addition of special powers. However, she made them stand out by making them very human. The vampires here get tired. They get dark circles under their eyes. There’s not much focus on hypersensitive senses and barely any mention of enhanced physical abilities.
Normally, authors tend to give descriptions of physical perfection. super strength, super speed, super smells, etc. I don’t think Jocelynn Drake‘s style is necessarily bad, just different from how others do it. I think it’s why this aspect of the writing made an impression on me.
The series is set in a world where vampires lived secretly among humans. They are ruled by the council. So far Marcus, their serious eldest brother, had done what he could to keep the Variks out of vampire politics. However, trouble always had a way of finding them. The upside to all of these was that he found his mate in the sunshiny Ethan.
Rafe, the pleasure-loving provocateur, found himself on a hunt for a killer with the leader of the Arsenault clan, Philippe. The French vampire saw there’s more to Rafe than the hedonistic side he shows to the the world. Unfortunately, the rest of the vampire world, the council in particular, saw their union as more of the Variks gathering strength for a takeover
And we’re on to the youngest Variks.
Lords Of Discord: Waking Bel – Jocelynn Drake
Beltran Varik believes in science.
It holds all the answers he seeks.
Except for one.
How in the world did he end up falling in love with two werewolves?
Of course, there was no way science could account for the beauty, warmth, and mind-blowing sexiness of Wyatt and River.
The two shifters are outcasts from their own kind and must seek the protection of a vampire.
Bel might take them in out of a need to keep them safe, but his feelings for them grow into something so much deeper.
Unfortunately, Bel might have to choose between his wolves and his family as a fight brews with the local werewolf pack and the Variks face a darker threat from the Ministry.
Waking Bel is the third book in the Lords of Discord paranormal romance series. This book is an MMM and contains vampires, werewolves, nosy brothers, music, science!, Ozzie the raven, so many first times, hope, dirty talk, and a love that will never end.
Right off the bat, I had a good feeling about Bel’s book. He is my favorite Varik. I was over the moon when I heard he’s going to get not only one but two werewolf mates!
And OMG!!! This is the most perfectly choreographed threesome dynamics there is! I think the author outdid herself with how well Bel, Wyatt and River played off each other. Wyatt and River were already a couple and the way Bel just naturally fell into place in their relationship, there was never any doubt that Bel was theirs and they were Bel’s.
Winter is technically the youngest but I’ve always thought of Bel as the baby of the family.. Probably because he seemed so fluffy and wholesome. Our sweet Bel is the mad scientist. His power is communicating with animals. He’s a mild-mannered guy whose life was wholly dedicated to his family and his experiments.
He’s also the most over-protective and the most dangerous. This is the man who invented a weapon that can reduce living creatures into a puddle of goo. It’s so deadly, he was banned by the council from ever making it again.
Wyatt and River are werewolves who were exiled from their pack for being gay. The shifters here are a bunch of homophobes who don’t approve of same-sex relationships because they don’t lead to procreation. This is probably my least favorite version of shifters.
Wyatt is more of the strong, silent type alpha and River is summer and sunshine. I loved these two! All the Varik mates are awesome in their own way but I think these two are the best thing to happened to the Variks in general. Not only did they give them shifter allies, their presence gave Bel’s story a lot of soul.
Unlike the vampires, werewolves are tactile and very affectionate and their warmth and care really resonated throughout the book. They also made the succeeding book more fun. So very apt title because Bel truly came alive with Wyatt and River.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Wake Me
Artist: Message To Bears
Album: Folding Leaves
Lords Of Discord: Embracing Winter – Jocelynn Drake
Winter Varik believes in only one thing—protecting his family.Even from himself.
For nearly 200 years, he’s kept a dangerous secret from his brothers.
But Winter might have found his salvation in the form of a sexy witch named Fox.
Too bad this same witch was named in a prophecy foretelling the destruction of the Variks.
In a race to uncover the truth behind the prophecy and take down a vampire determined to kill all the Variks, Winter may have to choose between finally having his heart’s desire and the family he loves.
Embracing Winteris the fourth book in the Lords of Discord paranormal romance series. This book contains vampires, werewolves, witches, nosy brothers, music, lots of rope, sass, hope, dirty talk, redemption, and a love that will never end. And did I mention rope? Lots of rope.
I was as eager for Winter’s book as Bel’s. The youngest Varik is the most mysterious. Even his brother’s don’t know what he can really do.
I didn’t quite have a grasp of his personality in the previous books so I was surprised to learn that Wee Varik is a grumpy, grumpy bastard. I guess being the family spy and assassin doesn’t really leave much room for good cheer. Especially not one burdened with a secret such as his. The only other person who knows about this is their father, Aidan. Let’s just say, Winter’s world is very noisy. All he ever wanted is some peace and quiet.
This is why Fox is a great foil for him. The witch is super sassy and assertive, the type who talks a lot when nervous. Winter was supposed to kill him because he was the witch who will destroy the Variks, according to a prophesy. One look at the redhead and Winter had the sudden urge to protect him. Turns out, Fox was the gift he never realized he could have.
I didn’t warm up to Fox immediately. I found him a bit pushy at first. But later on, when more of Winter’s centuries-long struggle was revealed, I was glad Fox held on until the vampire’s walls came down. And that’s when we really see Winter the man.
I do think their dynamics is somewhat similar to Marcus and Ethan’s. The story was also longer than it really is. A lot of it spent cooped up in Winter’s house. I understand it was a way of letting the relationship develop slowly while also taking place in a matter of days. But I couldn’t help feeling things could have been resolved faster. The pacing picked up when the rest of the Variks became more involved.
All the Variks and their friends rallying to put an end to the bad guys gave this book one heck of a conclusion!. If the series ended at this point, I would have been already satisfied. Happily, there’s more because Aidan gets some love too!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Silence
Artist: Before You Exit
Album: 001_love
The two youngest Variks certainly had the most delicious tales to tell. Bel’s awakening is a threesome surprise delivered in the most delightful way. Winter’s story might have gone about things a bit too slow at some parts, but Wee Varik living his dream in the arms of a witch and the thrilling mega-boss fight are definitely worth sticking around for.
Lords of Discord should be read in order because you meet one Varik, you’ll love ’em all. Start with how a feisty human charmed the big bad vampire with food and some Tori Amos in Claiming Marcus. Witness how the self-proclaimed purveyor of fleshy delights met his match in one angelic vampire in Saving Rafe.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Lords Of Discord. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
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Claiming Marcus | Saving Rafe | Waking Bel
Embracing Winter | Healing Aiden
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