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Archive for the ‘Paranormal’ Category

Fate Drops In by K.C. Grim

Posted in Authors: G-I, C, Paranormal, Romance, tagged , on May 31, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

fatedropsinTitle: Fate Drops In
Author: K.C. Grim
Length: 7,063 words
Publisher: JMS Books
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating: C

Blurb:
Werewolves and vampires have always been sworn enemies. They have fought battles and raged wars to keep their kinds apart for centuries, but that all changes one night when a young wolf named Connor accidently drops into a room full of unexpected vampires.

A young wolf living on his own in the city would be easy prey for a group of angry vampires. They are older and stronger than the werewolf, but Connor isn’t ready to give up without a fight. Can he face them alone, or will he find an ally in the most unusual place?

Davis has lived hundreds of years in the shadow of darkness, but what good is eternity if you spend it alone? With nothing left to live for, the older vampire is losing his desire for life when Connor comes crashing into his world. Is the handsome, scrappy werewolf worth saving if it costs Davis his immortal soul? Or will saving this young wolf end up saving them both?

Review:
I’m always keen to read a story with vampires and this one begins well. Connor is a werewolf who left his pack when they were going to arrange a mate for him. He’s travelling alone through deserted streets after spending the evening at a bar when he accidentally falls through a door into the cellar filled with vampires. He’s rescued by Davis and the pair have an immediate attraction, but it isn’t easy for a werewolf and vamp to be together.

I liked the first part of this story. It was atmospheric with a good amount of foreshadowed creepiness in Connor’s trip through the city, followed by a very tense moment between Connor and the vampires. I also liked the way that Connor and Davis get together in a very frenetic and exciting sex scene, full of forbidden desires as both know that they should be enemies, not lovers.

After that point things stopped working so well. The plot changed as Davis pushes for Connor to be reconciled with his pack and then Connor returns home to face his past. This wasn’t a bad change in pace, but it did cram in an awful lot of things into a short page space. We are hurriedly introduced to a large number of characters as well as Connor’s parents and the ending seems too easily done after the build up. I felt a little bamboozled by all these new characters and the word length meant that they were all mere snapshots, rather than fleshed out, even Connor’s parents.

So in the end, whilst I enjoyed the meeting of the characters and the start of their relationship, the rest of the story felt rushed and a little flat. This was the first story I’ve read by this author and I wouldn’t mind reading another one.

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Flying with Dragons by Sean Michael

Posted in Authors: M-O, B, Fantasy, Paranormal, tagged , on May 28, 2013 | 1 Comment »

dragonTitle: Flying with Dragons
Author: Sean Michael
Length: 10,800 words (44 pdf pages)
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m fantasy paranormal
Rating: B

Blurb:

Having annoyed the council, Grunk is assigned the job of Director of Human/Dragon Relations. Unfortunately for Grunk, he hates the city, he’d rather be in his dragon form than his human one, and he already hates the job even though it’s only his first day.

Then he meets his assistant, Kyfan, and he’s instantly smitten. When he finds out that Kyfan has never really flown and rarely spends any time in his dragon form, Grunk is shocked and insists on changing that, immediately. After all, flying with the lovely Kyfan’s way better than sitting behind his desk in his office.

It turns out that Kyfan is a lovely little dragon and once they’ve flown together, Grunk knows that they share a bond and he prepares to make his claim. The fact that it’s going to annoy the council is only a bonus.

Review:

It seems to be the month of the dragon, but I thoroughly enjoyed this short story, even though I think there was so much more that could have been added. It’s set in an alternative reality where dragons presence among humans is “normal”.  The biggest joy in this story however was Grunk. He’s just kind of surly, hates that he has to do this new job for the council and it’s his little internal dialogue like being hopeful when he sees Kyfan sitting in the office that maybe they’ve found someone else for the job and he can get out of it. Or his shock and incomprehension of the fact that Kyfan hasn’t shifted in decades and has never really flown, because Grunk can’t fathom that kind of life for a dragon and he’s determined to right it immediately.

It’s typical Sean Michael in that you have the strong dominant type male, with the smaller nervous virginal bottom, but that is part of why I enjoy this particular author, so if that’s what you are in the mood for it’s a good choice. So while I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between the two, watching Kyfan who was “old” for someone to have found their heart-mate realize that despite being odd for a dragon, someone loved him, there was so much more that could have been fleshed out.

Why was Grunk in trouble with the council? Was it just his surly attitude? What about Kyfan’s background and his current conflict with his supervisor who has been jealous of Kyfan. There was also the process of telling the council about their bonding and what that means. So I was definitely left wanting more of this world, or more of Grunk more or less grudgingly following the rules so they’ll stop bothering him. However despite that, I still enjoyed this a great deal and found myself smiling several times through-out, so if you like dragons, this is another good selection this week

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When Darkness Falls by KC Grim

Posted in Authors: G-I, D+, Paranormal, Romance, tagged , on May 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

whendarknessfallsTitle: When Darkness Falls
Author: KC Grim
Length: 7,467 words
Publisher: JMS
Genre: m/m Paranormal Romance
Rating: D+

Blurb: Shadow Chasers are dark and mysterious creatures of the night, among the oldest supernatural beings walking the earth. Their strength and ability to manipulate the darkness makes them powerful, but everyone has a weakness.

Jet is no exception. He’s always used his good looks and sex appeal to his own advantage. Never being the settling down type of guy, Jet is content with loving both men and women and then leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake.

After jilting one too many lovers, Jet suddenly finds himself banished to the farthest reaches of the world, the Arctic Circle. Can a creature who has existed for centuries locked in darkness survive in the land of the midnight sun?

Review: You know, unfortunately this story started off on a bad foot for me. One of my pet peeves is when the blurb gives more information about the story than the story itself. I finished the story feeling like I’d just been caught in a small worldwide, with the pace moving incredibly fast with little to no transition between scenes and knowing hardly anything about the characters but a few superficial facts. Then I read the blurb again, and much more of the story fell into place for me. But, that’s not a good thing. The story should be able to stand by itself.

The basis of the story is a love triangle between Jet, a shadow chaser (a supernatural being whose power comes from the darkness), his best friend and jilted lover Roderick (who is a vampire), and the human who rescues and nurses Jet back to health after Roderick and his whole team turn against him and try to kill him. Holton (the human) is perhaps the most perplexing because we know very little about him, only that he’s nursing a broken heart. Really, that’s pretty much the whole story — what, with proper explanation, character building and deeper plotting — would have been a novella or a novel condensed into 20 pages by rushing the scenes (at breakneck speed), jumping large pieces of plot and not really exploring the characters at all but for a few sentences about them.

I’m afraid that I just can’t recommend this story at all. I’ve never read anything by this author before, but I hope that their other stories slow down a little and allow the story time to unfold. To be completely frank, this story seemed much like a storyboard. The five or six major scenes of a larger story written down and then bunched together. I was so confused while I was reading it with the story jumping around all over the place and not giving us many clues about what was going on. And while, at the end, I finally understood what happened in the story, it missed so much that should have been there: getting to know the characters, understanding their motivations.

So, no I’ll have to say that you should skip this one. I’ll definitely give the author another go though, and hopefully I’ll have a better experience with their other stories.

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Die for You by A. Sangrey Black

Posted in Authors: A-C, B-, Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance, tagged , on May 20, 2013 | 1 Comment »

die for youTitle: Die for You
Author: Sangrey A. Black
Length: 11,000 words (35 pdf pages)
Publisher: MLR Press
Genre: m/m paranormal
Rating: B-

Blurb:

In a dangerous paranormal world, a police detective finds it takes a near un-death experience to express his feelings for his vampire partner.

When you’re a cop in Undertown, where things that go bump in the night live, fight, and devour one another in their constant battle to exist in a human world that reviles them, falling in love should be the last thing on your mind. But for human Detective Gage Roberts, a near death experience and a heroic rescue by his vampire partner Jensen Holm brings repressed feelings exploding to the surface. Will Gage put his macho defenses on the line and take a chance on the love of his immortal hero?

Review:

This short was set in an interesting world, where the paranormal are the everyday and special police forces enforce the law. Gage is one of those cops who has been partnered with a vampire and are now facing a major battle that is pretty much unwinable. Gage is badly injured and nearly dies, but his partner saves him by sucking out the poison and both of them nearly die, or die more. The experience makes Gage determined to tell his partner how he feels about him.

I enjoyed the banter between the two partners, Gage calling him Bunnicula. Jensen is a religious man who hates swearing, and Gage is kind of a manly man who hates talking about feelings. When Jensen takes him back to his house to recover, he tries to put off Gage’s advances, believing it’s due to the blood sharing, however Gage soon puts his mind to ease by revealing he’s been lusting after him since they met.

I wouldn’t have minded a bit more information about how Gage came to work for that particular police force as he mentioned being dumped there. You do get a bit more information about Jensen as Gage explains his background, but despite being Gage’s point of view. There’s also a bit of a revelation that Jensen is submissive when it gets to the sex. The only thing that kind of irked me was Gage’s constant reference to chick flicks and chick lit as something too girly for him, but it wasn’t a major annoyance.

If you’re looking for a vampire story set in a different world, it’s an enjoyable quick read but I think there was a lot more of the world that had potential to be fleshed out.

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Miami Moon: Vampire’s Lair Book 1 by Geoffrey Knight

Posted in Authors: J-L, B, Erotica, Horror, Paranormal, Series, tagged , on May 8, 2013 | 3 Comments »

Miami Moon (1)Title: Miami Moon: Vampire’s Lair Book 1
Author: Geoffrey Knight
Length: 13,000 words (60 pdf pages)
Publisher: Wilde City Press
Genre: m/m erotica paranormal horror
Rating: B

Blurb:

Some of us are gatherers. Some are hunters. Some are healers.

Jason Cain ran away to Miami not only to escape his past, but to escape his future as well. He left behind a pretty girlfriend, a college education, and a promising career in the shadow of his father, a prominent Chicago surgeon. He also left behind a haunting tragedy, something that stopped him from becoming the man he was destined to be. But all that is about to change.

Under the Miami moon, Jason Cain is about to be chosen to fulfill his destiny—to become a healer.

Drawn into a forbidden world, plucked from the streets of Miami and taken to a mansion filled with danger and debauchery in the middle of a Florida bayou, Jason is about to experience male love, lust and longing like he has never known before. Here, the Vampire Xavier—the muscular, dominant master of his own lair—will give Jason the redemption and healing that he so desperately craves. The price—his mortality.

Review:

This book is the first in a series, and is part of a special line at Wilde City which given it’s endorsed by a popular adult entertainer, I’m presuming will be smuttier and less “romantic” than some stories out there. It definitely fits the bill, as this first book, a set-up for Jason’s story falls into the erotica/horror side of the genre.

As noted, this is the set-up, with Jason seeming to have “run away” from home, from a domineering father who had set Jason’s path in life, a girl friend who seems more impressed in being with a future doctor, and some kind of traumatic event that happened in an alley, which seemed to trigger his flight. While searching for a job, he’s sent to a mysterious door, and is tempted inside by a man who seems to know about his past. The next thing he knows, he is drugged and taken to a mansion where a variety of men are engaged in random sex acts, and he’s about to meet Xavier, the naked owner who has a pet alligator. (It was a nice touch.)

It seems that Jason never really considered himself gay, given the girlfriend and all, but before long he’s naked and Xavier is telling him he’s a vampire. Right. Jason doesn’t believe that until Xavier reveals himself and sends Jason running into the swamp, where he is promptly attacked by gators (silly northern boys who forget about such things). He rescued by Xavier who heals him and he accepts becoming a vampire, and hot dungeon public sex occurs on an alter.

This sets up for Jason to be a type of vigilante, as he gets revenge for what happened to himself in the alley, and then reveals that he also has healing power like Xavier did. I’m assuming there will be a series of adventures with Jason having hot smutty sex, and saving random people while taking revenge on evil-doers. It’s gritty and dark with some blood and gore, and Xavier’s got more of the horror edge to him than the typical romantic vampire hero. So if that’s what you are looking for, it certainly fits the bill and I’ll be curious to see how Jason does as he gets his life (or non-life) together following his conversion.

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The Vampire’s Partner by Benjamin Cole

Posted in Authors: A-C, C+, Paranormal, Romance, tagged , on April 30, 2013 | 1 Comment »

The_Vampires_PartnerTitle: The Vampire’s Partner
Author: Benjamin Cole
Length: 9,000 words
Publisher: MLR Press
Genre: m/m paranormal romance
Grade: C+

Blurb:
Suddenly turned into a vampire, Tom struggles to understand the changes to his life and must control his new desire of bloodlust to avoid harming his partner, Jeremy.

Tom and Jeremy are young and in love. Their future is bright. Until Tom is changed into a vampire. Then all he has come to value in life along with his relationship with his partner is thrown into doubt. As he begins to lose the ties to his former human self, he explores new urges, trying to come to terms with life as a vampire. For Jeremy’s sake, Tom struggles to retain his human capacity for love in the face of a desire to hurt the person he loves most.

Review:
When his partner, Jeremy, goes away on a business trip, Tom visits a bar on his own, meeting a strange man. Three days later he wakes up in a motel room to find that he is now a vampire. At first Tom tries to hide this from Jeremy until he is forced to face up to what he is.

This paranormal begins well with a fairly clueless Tom accidentally becoming a vampire. The tone of the story is fairly light and I rather enjoyed seeing Tom bumble his way through working out what had happened to him and trying to work out how he was going to function now that he was a vampire. Tom spends most of the book this way, trying to see how the vampire thing works and making mistakes in this trial and error approach.

Another part which worked well was the romance between Tom and Jeremy. They are an established couple and the love between them shines off the page. The sex scene is well done, showing affection and teasing between them, and I liked that Tom spends quite a bit of time worrying about how Jeremy will react to his new situation and feeling morose that it might spell the end of their relationship.

The part which worked less well was in the way the story ended. There’s a crisis point where we are bombarded with information and then the story just ends. It was rather abrupt and I would have liked to see the two men work through the problems that they face rather than the story end with platitudes that everything will be fine, especially as it’s obvious that it won’t all be plain sailing. Perhaps there is a sequel planned.

Overall, then this story passed the time nicely but there wasn’t much to it. Tom is a decent character and I liked his strong feelings for Jeremy. However, the story wasn’t perfect and these flaws made it a C grade story rather than anything higher.

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Masks Off Too: The Other Side of Midnight by G.O. Noce

Posted in Authors: M-O, B-, Paranormal, Romance, tagged , on April 26, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

masksofftoo-othersideofmidnight185Title: Masks Off Too: The Other Side of Midnight
Author: G.O. Noce
Length: 11,100 words
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m paranormal romance
Grade: B-

Blurb:
Ashton Lanley, Viscount Thorncliff, had his entire life planned out: inherit his title, honor an arranged marriage, and produce an heir. Then, a chance encounter with a stranger at a scandalous masquerade introduces him to desires he never knew he harbored. But when he is at his most vulnerable, the mysterious man betrays him, leaving him with nothing but a burning need for revenge.

For two centuries, Gavin Wynters, vampire and thief extraordinaire, has not been able to erase the memory of the man he had once used and discarded. But fate has conspired to place him in Ash’s path again, and this time, he encounters more than the clueless human he left behind.

This story is also available in the Masks Off Too! anthology.

Review:
I’ve read nearly all the stories in this series of shorts which combine vampires and masked balls. Some have worked better than others and my main complaint has been the length of the stories have often prohibited the development of characterisation. This story is the longest of the collection and that has given it an advantage over the other stories. This one takes two distinct time lines: The present day when Ash and Gavin meet up after 200 years; and 200 years in the past when the men first meet each other. Both timelines contain information about the changes that Ash especially undergoes as he is seduced and then abandoned by Gavin, and although the present day section involves some telling, it was interesting to see how Ash is different in the present whilst retaining some of his qualities seen in the sections set in the past. Ash seems to be the most developed out of the pair because Gavin is stuck in a rut. However, I enjoyed the push/pull of them meeting up again and hashing out old hurts before reconciling.

What worked less well was that both men are holding onto hurts that span centuries and that felt a little forced to me. 200 years is a long time to hold a grudge but I ended up going with it because of the constraints of the story. The history between Gavin and another vamp, Victor, was only touched on a little and didn’t really come to any satisfactory conclusion, although given the circumstances I could understand that.

Overall though, this was a decently written story which was strong on the romance and contained a particularly well written seduction scene. I also liked the way that the masked ball fitted with the vampire theme. I enjoyed the story and would recommend it as one of the better stories from this collection.

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Monster Town by Dakota Chase

Posted in Authors: A-C, B-, Paranormal, YA, tagged , on April 24, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

monsterTitle: Monster Town
Author: Dakota Chase
Length: 18,500 words (67 pdf pages)
Publisher: Prizm Books
Genre: m/m paranormal YA
Rating: B-

Blurb:

James Dire has a problem. He doesn’t breathe fire, suck blood, or sprout fur and a tail during full moons. He doesn’t eat babies, or trample cities, or carry screaming women off to his underwater lair. In short, he’s about as dangerous and exotic as a boxful of sand.
While this may not be an issue elsewhere, it is in Eden, James’ hometown. Here, everyone, from his parents and siblings, to his classmates, to the mayor, are fire-breathing, bloodsucking, fur-sprouting monsters, and James doesn’t fit in anywhere.
James always feels excluded and knows he’s always suspect because of his difference. He’s very shy, has few friends, and his only sense of purpose comes from his job as reporter for the school paper.
When a girl is kidnapped, James’s secret crush, gorgeous werewolf, Theo, pulls him into a hunt for clues to find her before it’s too late. What they discover is a plot that’s much more involved than a simple kidnapping, and may get them both killed.
In Monster Town, there’s nothing more dangerous than being ordinary.
Review:
I enjoyed this story where the author was allowed to let their imagination run wild, but in some ways maybe that was to the detriment of the core story of James and his crush. As noted in the blurb, James is a genetic mutation in his town, in his own family. Everyone is a monster of some type, and not just humanoid monsters but the kind of Saturday morning cartoons and Disney movies. James is rather used to being looked at suspiciously because he is normal, however when a local warlock’s daughter is kidnapped by a “normal”, James is the prime suspect, although he’s quickly able to come up with an alibi and the werewolf sheriff’s son, and James’ secret crush, decided they should try and find the girl since the adults don’t seem to be paying attention.
As I said, there was tons of imagination here, the descriptions of the town and how they keep it secret and the myriad of resident was done in great detail, and while it was fun to read, I rather wanted to get on to the story of the boys and the investigation. The “why” of the kidnapping was less importance than the two boys working together and perhaps some underlying flirtation. You only get James’ POV, but he wonders if there is more possible.
The story is an interesting take on the reversal of being different and thus an outsider, of course in this case the difference is something readers would consider normal. Finding acceptance after being one of the people to rescue the young girl and finding a friend were all nicely done, but I felt were overshadowed by the world building. However the story seems to set itself up for more with the boys decided to start their own investigation business and just the whiff of a budding romance. I did enjoy it and I can see this would be great for young teens who may related to feeling out of place and crushing on someone. It is in the Prizm young adult line, so I think it’s perfectly suited there and will be a good read for those who like over-the-top fun. Those looking for a more mature adult themed book may find it a bit too light. Just depends what you are in the mood for.

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Masks Off Too: Scented by Sam Schooler

Posted in Authors: S-U, C, Paranormal, Romance, tagged , on April 23, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

masksofftoo-scented185Title: Masks Off Too: Scented
Author: Sam Schooler
Length: 5,300 words
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m paranormal romance
Grade: C

Blurb:
Ben Halloway: human, detective, so done with this serial killer vampire shit. Felix Whit: vampire, criminal psychologist, way too attractive. Ben’s life is just fantastic.

This story is also available in the Masks Off Too! anthology.

Review:
This short paranormal romance which mixes vampires and a masked ball began well with a tightly written dramatic scene. Ben is a police officer who is investigating a series of brutal murders. He’s checking out a clue when he’s viciously attacked at the start of the story. Ben is bleeding out and in danger of dying but is rescued by a former lover and vampire, Felix. The opening is visceral and tense as we are plunged straight into the drama. This scene grabbed my attention straight away and I read on quickly, wanting to find out more about Ben and Felix.

It was unfortunate then that after that point my interest in the story began to wane. Ben and Felix are paired up in the murder investigation and there’s a decent sexual tension between them. There’s a scene where Felix ‘marks’ Ben as his own as a way to protect him which could have been sensual but I was just a bit confused as to what was happening. The story was too short to cover such a complex thing as a murder investigation, so the end seemed a little too sudden and convenient. I finished the story thinking ‘oh, was that it?’ and rather disappointed that the promising opening didn’t follow through.

So, overall this had a great opening but tailed off at the end. This may not be the best story I’ve ever read, but that opening showed an author with a lot of promise and I will certainly read more of her stories in future.

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Super Juicy by Julia Talbot & BA Tortuga

Posted in Authors: S-U, C, Erotica, Paranormal, Romance, tagged , , on April 19, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

masksofftoo-superjuicy185Title: Super Juicy
Author: Julia Talbot & BA Tortuga
Length: 7,800 words
Publisher: Torquere
Genre: m/m Paranormal Erotica/Romance
Rating: C

Blurb: It’s Halloween and vampire Stryker is on the prowl for a good, fun meal when he meets Buck, a waiter with a t-shirt that reads “Super Juicy”. Stry can’t wait to find out if there’s truth in advertising, but will the vibrant stud turn out to be too much for Stry to handle?

Review: I generally know what I’m getting into when I read a story by one or both of these authors and this fell in line with that. It’s heavy on sex with a paranormal twist and a happy, wrapped up ending.

Stryker is a vampire and he’s on the hunt in Vegas. It’s Halloween and he’s looking for a trick and a treat (har har) among the sexy boys out partying. When he stops at a burger joint and bar for a drink, he finds the yummiest man he’s ever seen waiting tables. And across the back of his shirt is written, “Super Juicy”. Of course, Stry wants to find out just how juicy that man is and finds it easy to charm him as he sits in the man’s section. After convincing “Juicy” (named Buck) to come out with him after his shift ends, the pair sizzle up the dance floor at a club on the strip until their unbearable chemistry is too much to show in public. But Stry isn’t the one in for a surprise when they get home and he goes to drink Buck’s blood.

I specifically listed this as Erotica/Romance, because in my opinion, a tacked on romantic ending doesn’t really make the rest of the story a romance. This is mostly erotica (and there’s nothing wrong with that). The bulk of the story takes place as the two meet and later go back to Stry’s hotel room. It’s definitely sexy. I figured that the story would be sex heavy and I was right, but I also feared that the sex would be ho-hum and the typical scene without much to interest me. I was a bit surprised to find that though the plot didn’t stray too far from the usual scenarios I did really feel the connection between the two, which made the sex enjoyable to read.

So, while this story wasn’t spectacular, it was still a pretty good read. And if you’re in the mood for some paranormal lovin’, then by all means, go ahead and read this story.

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