Review: That Alien Feeling by Alessandra Hazard

Banished by his parents to the third planet in the Sol system, Prince Harht’ngh’chaali of the Second Grand Clan is completely fascinated by its inhabitants. Assuming the human name “Harry,” he tries to pass for a human to survive, but being human is so much harder than Harry expected. Humans are so confusing.

Adam Crawford isn’t looking for love. Financially secure and good-looking, he’s in a good place in his life. He doesn’t mean to fall in love with the quirky guy working at the coffee shop near his office. 

Harry is ridiculous—and ridiculously endearing. He wears ugly shirts and flowers in his hair, and he has a kind word for everyone. Adam falls hard and fast.

Little does he know that Harry isn’t what he seems and anything between them is impossible.

Star-crossed love between a human man and an alien prince from a world half a galaxy away.

Title: That Alien Feeling
Author/s: Alessandra Hazard
Publication Date: June 2017
ASIN: B071W6VWKT
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Maria's Rating: ★★★★★

Believe it or not I very nearly gave up on this book! I thought the beginning was adorable, but I already read a preview of that in Hazard's previous book (Just a Bit Wicked) so I guess you could say I wasn't as captivated by it as other readers were. What really stuck out to me, though, was Adam's immediate feelings of possessiveness and want towards Harry. I know some people will probably consider that vaguely disconcerting, but lord, I swear I love that kind of stuff. Harry, meanwhile, had an immediate connection with Adam which I found very sweet. Chemistry couldn’t have hit me harder in the face. I was won over almost instantaneously.

In any case, it got complicated real fast when Harry kept sending mixed signals to Adam despite explicitly saying that they were just "friends". And as much as I liked Harry, I wanted to strangle him, too, because he was just so goddamn clueless. I felt even more aggravated because I knew I couldn’t be annoyed with him because he literally didn't know what kind of pain he was causing Adam. I was so grateful for his co-worker Samantha because that girl was literally me while I was reading.

On the other hand, I suffered from major secondhand embarrassment and awkwardness on Adam's behalf because the guy simply couldn't help himself – he was completely smitten with Harry and he just couldn't stay away. I think I got frustrated with their situation really quickly – the whole "we're just friends even if we literally can't keep our hands off each other every time you see us together" – because it was reminiscent of Hazard's third book from her Straight Guys series, "Just a Bit Unhealthy". If you've been following my reviews, you'll know that I hated that book so much I could cry. The two books contain nearly the exact same situation down to the fiancée. Although I guess Just a Bit Unhealthy was waaaayyy more unhealthy because Harry's equivalent there actually had a kid with his girlfriend. I won't expound on that other book here because I would rather not talk about a book I hate in my review for a book I really enjoyed, but you get the idea.

In any case, it was around 20% into the book when I felt like I wouldn’t be able to continue if That Alien Feeling would follow the same route as Just a Bit Unhealthy. I was thankful to Jake for being the voice of reason because god knew Adam needed one badly. Not that he would listen (because no, he totally didn't), but it’s good to have a representative of sorts within the story, y’know? Again, not that it helped a lot, because Adam was so fixated on Harry. I thought it was actually a good thing that Harry got dragged back home around this time in the book – honest to god I would have dropped it had it kept going the “just friends route”. I do wish they hadn’t done it on Adam’s birthday, though. GIVE THE GUY A BREAK. Adam didn’t deserve that shit. Although I guess that gave it more impact, which totally crushed Adam’s heart.

It’s usually hard for me to care about secondary characters, even more actually like them. But somehow Hazard managed to do that when she introduced Seyn and Ksar. I think a big part of the reason the book kept me engaged was the two of them and how Seyn made it very, very clear that he would want nothing else but to severe the bond between them. And that just told me THEY WOULD BE SO, SO PERFECT TOGETHER. I ALREADY LOVE THEM PLEASE GIVE ME THE NEXT BOOK.

All my fangirl squealing aside, from a purely technical perspective, this is where I really want to underscore how much I loved Hazard’s introduction of these secondary characters. She wrote it so well she managed to integrate them into the story without making it feel like she was hijacking Harry and Adam’s story to make way for Ksar and Seyn. The way she did it accomplished two things very neatly: First, she allowed us to see Harry and Adam’s relationship from the point of view of those who are surrounding them – namely, Ksar and Seyn. In writing there are times when some scenes just work best when they’re told from the perspective of ‘outsiders’, and I think Hazard managed to do that perfectly here. I think it worked so well because (1) Harry was totally confused by all his new feelings for Adam while Seyn's detachment from the situation gave him the ability to more rationally analyze the situation and determine just how special Adam was to Harry; and (2) Ksar was depicted as a cold, heartless bastard, so it was implied that his take on things should be given weight because he was kind of good at this feelings business, despite being emotionally stunted himself; it meant that since he was kicked into action to do something to get Harry and Adam together, something really had to be special between the two of them.

This brings me to Hazard’s second storytelling success: by making Seyn and Ksar fit into Harry and Adam’s story, she managed to set up the stage for the next installment of this series. We got more insights of who Ksar was and what he did, the politics behind the bonding ritual they have going on in their planet, and just how complicated exactly his bond with Seyn was. I thought it was brilliantly written; it left me curious to know more about their planet and how Ksar and Seyn’s story would play out, since Ksar basically set himself up as bait in order to ensure that Harry would be able to stay with Adam on earth.

I think my only complaint about this book is that I would have preferred a longer epilogue to conclude the story. Considering Harry and Adam spent a year apart, I felt that they should have spent more time cuddling upon being reunited, especially given how much Harry loves the physical intimacy between him and Adam. Although this makes me wonder if Ksar and Seyn’s book will actually feature them heavily, especially since Ksar left right after saying that he would bring back his brother to their planet. Maybe Harry and Adam would eventually move to Calluvia? I think that would be interesting.

Overall, I loved this one despite my initial misgivings. I can’t wait for Ksar and Seyn’s story; I have so much hope for the two of them! Also, let it be said that the cover of this book is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE. I just love it.

Five solid stars.

Review: The Alpha King (Kingdom of Askara #1) by Victoria Sue

The Kingdom of Askara has been torn apart by conflict for centuries, where humans exist as subservient beings to their werewolf masters. Legend says it will only be able to heal itself when an Alpha King and a pure omega are mated and crowned together, but a pure omega hasn’t been born in over a thousand years.

Luca is an Alpha-heir eagerly awaiting the choosing ceremony on his twenty-fifth birthday and the gifts granted by whichever omega he mates. His small pack is destitute due to the decisions of its ruling council, but being only an Alpha-heir, he has no authority to challenge them. Not until now—this moment he has waited a long time for.

Kit grew up as a street-rat, an unlicensed human who would never be more than a slave for whichever master owns him. Then one day he came across a young Alpha-heir, attacked and dying of poison, and found out their fates were suddenly entwined.

Luca needs to take over his pack and save his people. He cannot afford to be distracted. But when he meets Kit, he develops abilities indicating he is not just a pack Alpha, but the King his world has needed for a thousand years.

Is Kit really the cause of Luca’s newfound power, the true mate he needs? How is it possible when the young man isn’t even a werewolf, and as merely a human, a mating is not only forbidden, but for Kit, a sentence of death?

Title: The Alpha King (Kingdom of Askara #1)
Author/s: Victoria Sue
Publication Date: January 2017
ASIN: B01N351BQS
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Maria's Rating: ★★★★

I've never read a standalone Victoria Sue novel prior to this, but I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised! All I've ever read of her are her co-authored books with Shannon West, but I can definitely say Victoria Sue can deliver a kickass story on her own.

I thought the idea of alpha kings was an interesting twist, quite different from the per territory alpha that I often see in other shapeshifter books. I think what I like the most about it is how the pure omega and the alpha king are supposed to rule as partners - something that definitely elevates the status of the omega in this particular universe. In other books, omegas usually have some power that can trigger the alpha's, but the leadership is almost always left to the alpha, with the omega sidelined as soon as they are mated. I wouldn't say I've been frustrated with that kind of take on things because it's just so common, but now that Victoria Sue created a new norm, I think I prefer this much better.

I liked both main characters, which is quite rare for me; usually I would prefer one over the other. I found Luca to be an inherently good alpha and mate and brother. I liked how his newfound power never made him forget the values he had before becoming the alpha king. Considering he was practically blindsided and became the alpha king out of the blue, I thought he managed to get his shit together pretty quickly and adequately. Sometimes I would get the urge to smack him upside the head for his bad calls and ridiculous lack of talent at communicating with his new mate, but I think everyone can agree that the universe just dumped the responsibility for the entire territory on him as the new alpha king, so we can all cut him some slack. He was a good alpha and he had the best interest of the marginalized population at heart, and I think that was what counted the most.

On the other hand, Kit proved himself just as strong and stubborn despite being a human omega. I loved the prologue which showed how the two of them met; I found it overall bittersweet how Kit made the choice to allow himself to be caught in order to make sure that Luca would survive. At first glance it's easy to say that that was obviously the best choice to make, but I think it should be remembered that Kit was running away from all the abuse and the beatings at that time - which means he sacrificed what would have been a better, easier life for the sake of ensuring Luca's safety. It can be argued, of course, that if you look at it from a long term perspective, Kit benefits more if Luca survives and becomes the alpha king. But it's not exactly easy to see benefits in the long run when you're fighting to stay alive today. So I adored it and I think that gave more depth to their relationship.

I think my biggest complaint about this book is that it has too much of everything. It has true matings, mpreg, antagonistic mother, human alliance against wolves, secondary characters who are star-crossed lovers, evil twin, and alpha king coronation all in one go. I felt that the story could have been told much better had they split it into multiple arcs: (1) alpha king and pure omega mating; (2) breeder conflict and mpreg; and (3) evil twin and the journey for the coronation of the alpha king. Some things happened too fast when they could have been dragged out for much longer. For example, the whole alpha king and pure omega mating. I think this arc could have made for a single book and would have established the romance between Luca and Kit much better. It could have also been a way to better present a clearer view of Askara and the territories that make it up.

The second arc could have been about the problem of having an heir, which would have set up the perfect stage for Luca's hostile mother and the greedy omega breeder that they found. Personally, I feel that Luca and Kit should have had more time to spend together just by themselves. Maybe it's just me, but having a baby thrown into the mix makes me think that the incentive of staying together gets a bit more complicated in such situation...

The third and the last arc could have been about the evil twin and the coronation (?) of Luca. This arc definitely could have been told in a book all by itself, since there were a lot of things that happened in this particular part of the story. I think the human alliance should have had more time dedicated to them too, since it also served as the introduction to other couples like Darrin and Sascha and even Asher and Sam. I just feel like this was a missed opportunity. There could have been so much more - and in multiple books, too!

Overall, I think this is a very good read. The characters were believable and they had a charm to them that had me rooting for their happy ever after. Victoria Sue writes well, and I think she has a clear picture of where she wants her story to go. I think with a good editor to look things over and make suggestions on the overall pacing and length of the story/arc per book, her next novels can still be so much better. I'll definitely be watching out for those. In the meantime, I'm giving a solid four stars to this one.

Review: Altered Heart (Mated Heart and Soul #1) by Kate Steele

As a werewolf and an enforcer for the Committee for Supernatural Behavioral Enforcement, Mick Matranga has seen his share of lowlifes, but Kevin Sutter, pack alpha, is one of the lowest. He has forcibly turned and taken prisoner a young human. Mick has been assigned to affect a rescue and bring Sutter to justice.

Dispatching the bad guy turns out to be the easy part of his assignment. Sutter's prisoner, Rio Hardin, turns out to be a smart-mouthed, sassy brat with the face of an angel who takes Mick's heart by storm. He's also a runaway turned hustler who has suffered numerous abuses in the course of his tumultuous life.

Bound by his code of honor and determined that Rio be protected at all costs, Mick makes it his personal duty to see to it that no one hurts Rio again. If that includes ignoring the instinctual knowledge that Rio is his mate and Rio's own desire to be with him, so be it.

There's only one flaw in his plan. Rio is about to go through his first shift, a very painful process which can only be made tolerable by applying a certain amount of distraction--sexual distraction. Mick has two choices. He can leave Rio in the hands of his very capable brother or he can give in to the mutual heat and need between them and indoctrinate his young charge into the ways of the werewolf.

Title: Altered Heart (Mated Heart and Soul #1)
Author/s: Kate Steele
Publication Date: January 2009
ISBN/ISBN13: 1596328576/9781596328570
Buy it from Loose ID

Maria's Rating: ★★★

Pretty standard and straightforward shapeshifter story. I think the writing is more than good and I liked both characters. Felt pretty bad for Rio (what a horrible stepmother!) although I'm still kind of unsure how I feel about him not saying anything to his dad and simply running away. I thought it was interesting how Mick wanted to be hands-off despite the attraction between the two of them right off the bat, but I think it provided a nice twist that made me want them to get together even more. The world building is adequate, and I like the explanation about the sex distracting from the pain of shifting for the first time. A bit similar to other shifter stories, of course, but unique enough to be able to stand on its own. I also like how there wasn't too much emphasis on how they're mates, but instead on how they are genuinely attracted to each other and want to be together.

I think my only criticism is that the thing with the stepmother was practically brushed off; I thought it deserved a whole lot more time because ugh, that was just sick. Additionally, there were some formatting issues and typos that I thought should have been addressed during the editing process.

Not sure if I will read the sequel about Rio's dad, because in this book I thought Jed sounded just as young as Rio. I ship pretty questionable ships, but I just can't see that one; it strikes me as too odd. Nonetheless, I think it's very likely that I'll read other works by this author.

Review: Fire of Love by Aiden Bates

Josh is a highly successful sportscaster. He has the respect of the athletes he covers, the admiration of his peers, and a string of awards for sports journalism. None of those blessings would be possible if anyone knew the truth: Josh is also an omega, hiding his status with the use of pharmaceuticals. When his network assigns Josh and his partner to be “embedded” with a new pro football expansion team, the Salt Lake City Stars, he knows he’s doomed. There are plenty of alphas in professional sports, after all, and one of them is bound to figure out what he is if they’re in such close quarters.

Matt is one of the best wide receivers to ever play the game. He’s also an alpha. When he meets the hot reporter he’s only ever seen on television, it doesn’t take him long to figure out exactly what’s off about him. His dreams haven’t come true, though, just because Josh is an omega.

Both Josh and Matt have to hide their status from the eyes of the world. After all, professional sports isn’t known for its acceptance of alphas or omegas. When a figure from the past threatens to reveal Josh’s secret, will he be forced to bear the consequences of their passion alone?

Title: Fire of Love
Author/s: Aiden Bates
Publication Date: August 2016
ASIN: B01L7V1C8Y
Buy it from Amazon

Maria's Rating: ★★★

I picked up this one because I'm always cool with any story that explores alpha-beta-omega dynamics, even without taking place in shapeshifter world. I think the premise gave it a lot of potential, but it never quite reached that point where... it could have been really amazing. There were too many things that got thrown into the mix, and while it wasn't hard to follow, it got annoying really fast.

1. The complications of being an alpha and an omega. It's interesting but it doesn't say anywhere in the book why exactly omegas are looked down upon. It just is, and we're supposed to simply accept that. The same is true for alphas - why do people not like them again? I mean if they possess awesome athletic abilities I don't see why labor-intensive fields such as sports wouldn't want them. I mean, wouldn't that be an advantage to whatever team they sign up for?

2. MPREG. The condom broke the first time the main characters have sex and that's just. NOT COOL. I'm all for things being realistc but really, why are we bringing a kid into their fucked up mess? I'm not big on mpreg either, but even if I was - just because omegas can carry offsprings doesn't mean we actually have to make them, y'know?

3. The main characters annoyed me. Don't get me wrong, it's cool how Josh has big dreams, wants to keep his independence and remain unmated to an alpha. I think that's amazing and I support him 100%. But it's exactly for all these dreams and aspirations why he decides to just... accept things as they are. I get it; the circumstances have basically forced him into this position. Still, it didn't make it any less frustrating to read about him being unable to do anything when he's already being harrassed by Kysely. In fact, he knows that keeping mum about his omega status is not something that he can do for an indefinite period of time. Given the wealth that he has amassed and the connections he has already established during the course of his career, wouldn't it have made sense for him to have set up some safeguards for himself? Especially since he's also very aware that any slip would cost him his career. I just found it very contradictory.

On the other hand, Matt is just... I don't even know to be honest haha. It's obvious he cares for Josh but he ALWAYS says the wrong things. He did two things that were totally not forgivable in my book.

3.1 First, he asks Josh if he was really raped. UHM. Isn't that sort of thing included in our unwritten rules of "things not to say to fuck up your (potential) relationships"? In what universe is it okay to ask a rape victim if he or she was really raped? Unless maybe you're interrogating them for police records or whatever, and even that is frowned up, isn't it?

3.2 He breaks up with Josh the day after Josh gets attacked in his room. Matt says it's because he doesn't do casual but we don't get that explanation until it's too late. Hell, Josh doesn't get a good explanation until days later. MATT YOU DUMBASS WHAT DID YOU THINK YOUR MATE WILL THINK? Is this guy really ready for a relationship? Because if he's that stunted when it comes to communicating I don't think he has any business getting into a relationship with anyone, Josh or otherwise. He still has so much growing up to do.

Overall I didn't really buy the whole thing. Technically speaking the writing was more than acceptable, so I will most likely give this author another shot (I saw a couple of books I'm really interested in). But for this one in particular I just didn't feel the chemistry and romance between Matt and Josh. Sooo... three stars.

Review: Of Gods and Monsters: Hades by Wulf Francú Godgluck

******WARNING*******
This is not a story about a hero, or some bad boy-badass-antihero.
This is a love story between two monstrous villains and one valiant kid, held together by their entwined heartstrings.
It won't be pretty.
It won't be pleasant.
There's no fluffy good feelings about it.
It will rip out your heart and never give it back.

Breno Hades el Oscuro took no bullshit from anyone. He ruled the crime world of the United States. When the King fell, what was left in the ashes was not the small boy that grew up without his father, not the same kid that chose a life of crime at seventeen, nor was it the King who had killed and clawed through a river of blood to stand at the top.

The King was dragged from his throne of bones into a deep dark pit, leaving only the raw flesh of a savage monster to crawl out of Hell.

One that knew love, but didn't want it again.

Kemono Orochi was destined to inherit the legacy of his father, known as The Dragon's Tongue. It was an inheritance he never wanted it, never desiring the power that came with the title of Dragon. Kemono ended it all by tearing off the Dragon's head, watching the serpent's remains be consumed in hellfire. Now tormented by the scars of his past inflicted by his father, he is struggling to come to terms with the Akuma he has become.

One that wants to devour everyone in his path to protect the only one that matters to him.

The only person that had ever made his icy heart beat.

His heart. His love. His beautiful pride.

Rex Hunter dreams of becoming a principal ballerino...all fierce, like a Phoenix. But this Phoenix has lost his wings and fallen prey, straight into the clutched claws and callus hands of two vicious beasts. Each bore the blackest of hearts, each desiring to keep him safe, cherished and loved unconditionally. Or was Rex just destined to be the goo that would stick two shattered souls together and prevent them from forever falling to pieces?

There will be blood, gore and nasty shit.

There will be watersports, crude, angry, sometimes sensual and other times just downright dirty and dysfunctional sex.

BUT...

There will always be LOVE...

Because even villains understand the tortured scars love leaves in its wake.

Series: Of Gods and Monsters Title: Hades
Author/s: Wulf Francú Godgluck
Publication Date: January 2016
ISBN13: 9781311871787
Buy it from Amazon

Maria's Rating: ★★★★★

My god I love this book so much. Which is surprising, because I was very skeptical proceeding to this after reading the first installment. But man, am I SO GLAD I gave this book a chance.

The first thing I noticed is the improvement in the writing and the storytelling. I was not a big fan of Colt and Beo's book, but even from the first page of Hades' story I could easily tell that I would be in for a very good ride. The writing is solid; Wulf has a unique way of stringing words together that makes the dark and the twisted and the ugly sound... beautiful. Romantic, even. The book has a language of its own, and despite my initial misgivings, I got used to it pretty fast and ended up considering it as one of the best things about the book.

This being said, I do need to point out that following the text can be confusing at times because of the foreign words thrown here and there (so glad I took Spanish 10). I wish the glossary of terms had been added in the beginning instead; that would have made reading much easier. I also saw other readers point out that they never knew about the glossary until they finished the book, so it was pretty useless. Maybe this can be a consideration in a re-edited version? Do they still do that sort of thing?

In any case, it was around 30 pages into the book that I realized I was gonna be in love with this installment. Bears and twinks are hot, but scary, ugly, temperamental bears with cute, feisty little twinks are just so much hotter. Just imagine how happy it made me to realize that I was gonna get 300 pages of that. Literally one of the happiest moments of my life. I was practically tearing up and nearly ditched the application I was supposed to write.

I love Hades. I've been rooting for him since I first met him in Colt's book. Nothing is pretty when it comes to this guy, but that's a big part of why he appeals to me so much. He has a filthy mouth and he has absolutely no illusions when it comes to his physical appearance. Hell, he'll be the first person to admit all the bad things about himself, the way he looks, the way he lives his life, etc. He admits he probably has image issues, which I thought was really funny (I'm sorry lol). And again, that's why I like him so much: Because in the same breath, despite all the tough guy talk, he easily admits that he would be more than happy to have someone to protect and nurture and cuddle with. AND DAMN IF THAT DIDN'T WIN ME OVER. I'm a big sucker for tough guys who are softies on the inside.

Honestly, I think Hades is actually much nicer than he gives himself credit for, including but not limited to the following reasons:

1. He takes the couch and tells (orders) Rex to sleep on the bed the night he returns home after getting out of prison. It's not really a big deal, until you remember that Hades just got out of prison after four damn years, where he was tortured and beaten every single day; asked to fight to amuse the guards; and made to sleep on some filthy, dank cell. I mean, sure, the life he leads must make him quite familiar with the ugly side of everything, but it's also worth remembering that he's pretty filthy fucking rich, so it's not hard to imagine that one of the things he must have missed was the comfort of an actual bed. And, y'know, he could have been a dick about it since he owned the place anyway, but that he insisted that Rex take the bed? Totally earned him lots of brownie points.

2. He goes to a ballet boutique to get stuff for Rex. Hello? As if we'll easily forget that he scares people off with his appearance? I literally laughed out loud when it mentioned that he bumped against the damn door chime because of his height. And of course the entire experience turned out quite bad because of judgmental people, but it wasn't like he didn't expect that. And that's the thing: he knew what would happen but he still went anyway, because he wanted to give Rex something and make his boy happy. He even bought a tiara for the random little kid in the store. GUYS. He's practically screaming #boyfriend material. How can you not be onboard?

3. He treasures his family so much. From his mother we learn that he took his promise to his dad pretty seriously. He took care of his mother and sister when his dad passed away, going to school even though he wasn't interested in order to make sure that he would be able to look after his sister. Not only a thoughtful boyfriend but a damn amazing brother and son, too? Damn.

4. He cares about the members of his gang a lot. I get that it's supposed to be normal in their group, but what really made an impression on me is how these people also care about him very much. I think my favorite is actually Witch, because he blows shit up and that's hella fun. Also, let's not forget Wendigo, whose backstory we get a glimpse of in his conversation with Hades.

5. He buys Rex magnolias for no reason. Because pink for Rex's blush and white for his soul. GODDAMN IT. This guy's sweetness is gonna end me.

Rex. Rex is the son of Dean Hunter, the Old Devil Eyes and lemme tell you, it's perhaps because of this why the kid is not a fragile little flower despite his size. First of all,  he has a thing for bad guys who can probably break him in half without breaking a sweat. I really don't buy his thing for that Kemono guy, because I feel like he just got stuck with Kemono and had no other options so he "fell in love" with him, but whatever. I still like Rex because although he was pretty frightened of Hades at first (we can't blame him; even Hades admits he's scary), he was able to look past all the tough guy exterior and reach out to Hades. 

He's also  pretty assertive when he wants to. I particularly enjoyed him calling out Hades on the whole Beo fiasco because yes, Hades has to drop that Beo chapter of his life already. God, I can't stand it when people still think about people they shouldn't think about anymore. Although I guess I'm pretty biased because I'm okay with Hades and Beo, since Hades has already accepted the fact that Beo will be with Maxus while he welcomes a future with Rex instead.

Also, shoot, I guess at this point it's pretty obvious I'm a huuuge Hades fangirl because wow I've spent so much time talking about him already. Which I guess is the reason why I can't even start to give a fuck about Kemono. I'm sorry (not) but I really couldn't pay as much attention as I should have had whenever there would be chapters from Kemono's perspective. Liiike. Can we please not deal with all his emotional baggage. I mean, look dude. You had your chance but you blew it. I'm enjoying Hades' story just fine, thank you very much. Seriously, I get upset when Rex even brings up Kemono, because, y'know. That's in the past already; let's move forward and never look back. That kind of thing.

Right, before I forget, I just need to rave about my favorite part of the book, where Hades punishes Rex for doing stupid shit while they're traveling. Spanking and all that aftercare jazz makes me want to weep with  joy. For the punishment and the cuddles after. Also, mad props to Hades for being tough on Rex. Totally won me over. Wulf's writing really tugged at the feelings in that one.

If you've read the book you'll know it ends in a cliffhanger. Which is terrible for readers, so I'm really glad I read this just now, because damn, all the waiting would have killed me. At this point, I'm really, really worried about the sequel, because, like I said, I don't give a shit about Kemono. But the third book sounds like it will be about him. I mean, the title is Komainu, which is the lion-dog statues that you see when you go to Shinto shrines in Japan. AND THAT WORRIES ME. A LOT. Does it mean we get to see more of Kemono? Because, again, seriously, I can't even begin to give a fuck. I'm here for Hades. I swear, I'd be really, really upset if Hades gets sidelined UGH THAT WOULD BE TERRIBLE.

Also, what's that bullshit in the blurb from Hades' perspective that "he [Rex?] will choose another man"?? I DON'T NEED THAT NEGATIVITY IN MY LIFE. Also oh my god Rex you make me want to tear my hair out I hate it so much when a person can't make up their mind about who they're in love with just please fucking pick Hades.

Fingers crossed that the third book won't be menage because I hate that shit and I'm already super invested in Hades and Rex together.

But hey, all my pessimism aside, I'm giving five solid stars to this second installment. And yup, in case you missed it: I really totally love Hades and hopes he gets a spectacular happy ever after.

Review: The Dungeon Black Duology (Unearthed, Revived) by Kora Knight

Book 1: Unearthed

Love. The most powerful force in existence, but also the most ruthless. Cunning and deceptive. Man’s greatest Achilles heel. Leaving all who embrace it weak and vulnerable.

At least that’s how Dom-for-hire Max Kelley sees it, after the love of his life knocked him on his ass. A brutal blow that not only stole his breath, but decimated his ability to trust. Turning him cold and cynical. The TKO he never saw coming.

Love. A mistake Max won’t ever make again.

Meaning no more relationships—not exactly a hardship. Just the thought of dating makes him queasy, and one of the reasons he doms for a living. To sexually engage without the poison of intimacy. The other reason? To keep his demons sated. With whips and chains, and scandalous kink. A fiery mix that always hits the spot.

That is, until a bright-eyed beauty walks into his life and refuses to leave.

Sean Matthews. College senior and flirt extraordinaire. Max’s newest—and greenest—client sub. Man, is he delicious; able to push Max’s buttons, able to make him crave the things he knows he shouldn’t. Sound the alarm, this can only mean trouble. Unfortunately, deterring Sean proves virtually impossible, and now Max finds himself at a crossroads.

Man up and kick his favorite sub to the curb… or succumb to his own caged desires.

Book 2: Revived

Love unearthed his heart from the cold, hard ground.
Now comes the fight to revive it.

Love. Just when Max Kelley thought he’d eradicated it from his life for good it snuck back in, in the form of his beautiful new sub, Sean. Something that Max is far from happy about. In fact, he fights it tooth and nail. Having his world decimated was hell on earth, an experience he’d go to any lengths to avoid repeating. Problem is, while his head is determined to protect his heart, his heart can’t stop thinking about Sean. Sean, his perfect sub, his perfect match, his perfect everything. Which makes him that much more of a threat. Were Max to claim him and then lose him, the devastation would be far greater than even Kevin’s death. So, in order to ensure his heart and soul stay intact, he must once again eradicate love from his life. Eradicate Sean from his world. But Sean is a scrapper, just like Max, and refuses to give up without a fight. In their final showdown of fiery passion and wills, whose heart will come out in one piece?

Series: The Dungeon Black Duology  Title: Unearthed (Book 1), Revived (Book 2)
Author/s: Kora Knight
Publication Date: 2016
ASIN: B01M02MDLH
Buy it from Amazon

Maria's Rating: ★★★

I'm gonna write only one review for the duology because I honestly don't believe I can do this twice. So here goes:

Man, this was an exhausting read. There were multiple times when I contemplated just skimming the rest of the novel because IT JUST TOOK SO GODDAMN LONG TO GET ANYWHERE. This wasn't terrible per se, but I feel that this book would have benefited a lot by slashing at least 50% of the word count because most of it was just a rehash of what was already said in the first book. If it wasn't that, the same scene that we already read from Sean's perspective would be retold from Max's perspective, and then vice-versa. By page 100 I was so ready for the angst to end, but oops no, we get subjected to the torture maybe a dozen more times. God fucking damn it. Will this ever end??

Kora Knight's biggest strength is writing the sex. We all know that from her first series, Up-Ending Tad. I loved that one; I gave five solid stars to the first three books that I read and reviewed. In Max's and Sean's story, though, I feel that Knight's editors should have reined her in at some point and told her to stop. JUST STOP. I know, I know, people will argue that it's a BDSM book, so duh, sex should be expected. But there's only so much sex that you can include in a 500-page book, and there's only so much sex that readers can actually enjoy reading without hurling. It got old really, really fast, especially coming from the first book. I honestly don't know what they were thinking by not dividing the book into multiple parts.

I mean, based on pure arithmetic alone, we have the following: Up-Ending Tad was made up of 6 books and had an average of 97 pages each, which sold at $2.99 per book (I counted, sue me). Suppose they did the same for this duology and split it into several books with 100 pages each at $2.99 per book. The second book alone would have been five short books, which would have sold a total of $14.95. Granted, readers would have been bored out of our minds by the third book because of the repetitiveness, but I think that would have been much easier for us to follow and swallow (no pun intended) than a single 500-page book.

I didn't start out liking Sean. He wasn't bratty like I originally imagined he would be, and I guess that just kinda messed with the vibe I got from him from Scott's and Tad's book. He was written as more mature, which wasn't bad exactly so I guess it's just my preference, but I felt that more cheekiness and brattiness to his character would have worked well against Max. I did like Sean's persistence, though, and I was honestly baffled by how determined he was to get to Max. Maybe it's just the length of the prose, since I know the scenes take place every Tuesday each week, but it felt like he put so much effort into the whole thing despite being rejected each and every time. It's like... a druggie hooked on heroin and just can't fucking let go. Normally I'd call him stupid for being so eager to get his heart broken over and over again, but I guess at this point I'm just too exhausted after reading the duology back to back to really manage being pissed off.

As for Max, well I loved the heartbreak in the first few chapters of the series and I really liked how it showed us who he was before he was the scary roommate that Tad met in the previous series. I also loved how Knight went in-depth about Max's and Scott's relationship; how it started and how it eventually got to where they were when we first met them. I felt it was believable, and I really sympathized with both characters' struggles.

That being said, though, there's something about Max that disappointed me just a little. Maybe because he was introduced as the big bad Dom in Tad's and Scott's book, but I just felt like he didn't give that vibe when he and Sean finally met. It wasn't exactly extraordinary and so didn't quite meet my expectations (I wanted something explosive, okay). For one, I expected him to be... much more ruthless and distant and serious, but he was... actually pretty normal. Which, again, is not a bad thing, but I think my point is that he was originally introduced to us as this sexy, mysterious, ruthless Dom who became a big softie when it came to his sub - we were being set up for a super tough, no-nonsense guy. But when he was finally introduce I honestly felt that he fell short of my expectations. Dude's not supposed to be as human as the rest of us - at least in the beginning. That would have made the whole chase more intriguing, prolonged the struggle and made his inner conflict more believable and his surrender much sweeter. But nope, instead we got him totally affected by Sean from day 1, which removed all this mystery to him too damn early in the story. Which I just found to be really disappointing. You have issues, dude. Find a shrink.

On the other hand, I am honestly fascinated by Kai and Breck. I can't believe the people around them don't suspect shit, because I absolutely want to know more about them. Especially Kai, because his little scene with Sean told me that he's a very capable Dom and pretty fucking twisted himself. I love that shit. I have this theory that Breck stayed away from Kai because of his scholarship but now that he's graduated and I assume that complication is gone, what's gonna happen? So exciting. I hope their book gets published soon.

I also love Marcie and Jay and the running gag about the two of them wanting a photo of Tad and Scott in action. That never gets old, I swear to god. Marcie is like my very own self-insert in the book, and I feel a lot of readers can relate. Also, Ned is a dumbass and I like him despite his lack of exposure so far.

Tad and Scott are still very dear to me, but I have to say, I didn't particularly enjoy their presence in this book. Scott in small doses is okay, because it makes sense; after all, he is Max's best friend. But what I don't understand is why his and Tad's story had to be thrown into the mix, when the series should be all about Max and Sean. Tad and Scott already had their own series, so the spotlight should have been more focused on Max and Sean. Fine, all those scenes tied things together (e.g. what were Tad and Scott doing while Max and Sean were here etc). But it could have been handled better, could have been written in a way that did not distract from the main protagonists of this new series. Shit, if it's just pandering to the readers, I'm sure many of us would have been okay with being given a separate short book containing an epilogue of sorts about Tad and Scott and their relationship and whatever. Up-Ending Tad's second installment was a 73-page ebook (chapter?) that sells for $2.99 on Amazon. Goes to show fans would have bought a separate spin-off ebook, no matter how short.

Given how much pain I had to endure to get to the fucking ending of the goddamn angst in this book, I just feel like the ending was too abrupt and SO NOT WORTH IT. Like?? I needed to see more of Max and Sean cuddling?? Kissing?? Being ridiculously sweet and disgusting together?? I was impressed by Max's mini-breakdown towards the end and I actually really appreciated how it kicked him hard enough in the nuts to realize how much he loves Sean, but goddamn it, his Kevin story? Vague as fuck. I don't even know if Sean 100% understood what happened to that guy. Also, that drunk sex between Sean and Max a bit towards the ending was goddamn stupid. All those pretty words thrown around and then Max forgets practically everything in the morning after? I don't know who okay'd that shit.

Also really? Backpacking across Europe as our happy ever after? Max is too old for that shit, and I don't mean it physically. I mean it like an old man who's too jaded and too settled to literally take a hike no matter how cute his boyfriend is.

Overall this series is just frustrating. Which sucks because I was fascinated by Max in Tad and Scott's series, and I think he deserved better. Deep sigh. The attempt was there, but I don't believe it gave justice to the Max I met in Up-Ending Tad. Three stars.