Review: Blurring the Lines by SA Payne

Genre: Supernatural, futuristic, mystery
Elements: vampire-like and succubus-like humans, BDSM

Rating:

• Characters - 4 - A great mix of characters from all sorts of backgrounds in this world.
• Setting - 4 - The story's setting is a fascinating idea of a genetic mutation gone horribly wrong. This world is the far-future aftermath, where those descended from those who survived are just being allowed to interact with those who managed to avoid the mutation.
• Plot - 5 - Very well woven, and utterly fascinating. A great mix of light sci-fi and mystery and romance that will keep you reading to the end.
• Genre Elements - 5 - The I/S that Payne has invented are a fascinating culture, and I would love to read more about them. They feel real and not fantastical at all, and make me want to know more. Some of the elements do seem a little ridiculous until they are explained, though.
• Voice - 5 - Perfect. Though she switches constantly between the two main characters, never once do you mistake one for the other when they are the one telling the tale.
• Romance Elements - 4 - The two get together a little too easily for my tastes, though their separate pasts do make things difficult for quite some time even after they admit their feelings. I definitely think the romance works well for this story.
• Overall - 4.5 - This really is a fascinating story with a few odd choices and a few grammar and spelling flaws, but the story is so interesting that it is very easy to overlook them. Well worth reading.

Basic story -
Mick used to be a cop, but then was kicked off the force due to a false accusation. He ends up becoming the bodyguard of the son of one of the richest men in town. Toshi doesn't like having people around. He's a recovering addict and half I/S, a new breed of humans that are carefully watched by the government. Mick's definitely going to have his hands full.

My thoughts -
I'm going to say this right off the bat: I have an inner grammar nazi. I discovered it reading Harry Potter fanfiction. If an author made too many mistakes or made too many questionable choices, I gave myself permission to page back and find something else to read. It happened quite often with fanfiction. It happens less often with original fic, but that has it too. But with original fic, I do try to give more leeway. It's harder to create a whole world on your own than to write in someone else's world, as I am well aware. So when I started reading this and saw some of the issues Payne has in her writing (than instead of then most particularly comes to mind), I thought that this might be one of those stories I just couldn't finish. But her story is fascinating enough that it kept me reading. And I'm very glad I did.

This world and her characters are incredibly complex and rich, and I found myself drawn in by the idea of a genetic race created from a mutation that killed so much of the world. It wasn't something we saw, but rather saw the effect of in Toshi, who is neither because he is both. His story is heartbreaking, but in the long run ultimately triumphant, and the people he slowly surrounds himself with are just who he needs to make his world a better place. Through having them in his life, he becomes more confident, and can take the steps he knows needs to be taken.

Mick is interesting as well. He's a little mixed up, though he definitely doesn't show it at first. It's Toshi who helps him to open up, despite the fact that he has friends and family all around him. Together the two really do make a perfect team. Not so much brains and brawn, for they each have their own version of both, but a subtle mix of all sorts of things that each brings to the table that can help the other face the world and everything it has put them through. Together, they make an excellent team because they can help each other. This is a real relationship, unlike most romances, where things are so obviously imbalanced to one side or another. Very enjoyable to read.

I loved reading this story, and slowly learning about the I/S mutation and how it came to be. I also loved that both sides of Toshi's family are incredibly strong and powerful. Once he lets go of some of his fear and most of his insecurity, he really comes into his own, and you can see that he will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in years to come. Especially with Mick at his side.

Read it for the romance. Read it for the supernatural elements. Read it for the mystery. But definitely find yourself a copy of this and read it. It's free on Payne's blog. Definitely worth your time.

Warnings -
Drug use, non and dubious consensual sexual acts, mention of rape and torture, and murder.

Overall Recommendation -
Definitely one to read. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy anime-like settings and incubus/vampire type tales.

Link to the story - Blurring the Lines (Personal Blog)
Author Link - SA Payne (on Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -

• Undesirable by Velvet Mace (LJ) 
• Club Trinity by Minxie (AO3) (read my review here) 
• Soulless by T Baggins (on Goodreads) (read my review here) 
• The Fall of the Dragon King by MomsDarkSecret (Fiction Press) (read my review here)
• The Quartz Key by Lianne Burwell (Online link)  (read my review here) 

Slowing down

So next month (Saturday, that is) is November, and each year I do NaNoWriMo, so I will be a bit distracted, which means little time to do my review posts. I will try to manage at least once a week, but there may be occasions where I don't manage at all. I will try to shoot for Mondays to give myself a chance to get them done.

I'll probably keep to that schedule after November, as  I've already covered more than half the stories in this genre I read that I currently remember, so this way, I'll be able to make it last a little longer before I run out of stories to review and have to wait until I actually finish a book to write a new one.

Also, since I seem to be having so much trouble with the 10 AM posts, I'm going to change it to 10 PM, just to give myself time to do them when I get home if I need to.

Review: Out There in the Night by Laura Baumbach

Genre: Supernatural
Elements: werewolves, bonding

Rating:

• Characters - 4 - The characters themselves are fascinating, though they are a bit archetypical, particularly the Native characters.
• Setting - 4 - Much of the detail of the were culture and the Alaskan medical outpost are great, but some of the details of the Native community doesn't quite ring true for this area.
• Plot - 4 - The story is a good one, with the idea of were creatures claiming their mates, and just the danger of trying to survive in this wilderness during the winter.
• Genre Elements - 3 - I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. There were flaws in the idea of the Native culture that really pulled me out of the story, and there wasn't quite enough explanation of the difference between the Native and Were cultures, or if the two are the same.
• Voice - 4 - The characters are generally easy to tell apart, but a few are difficult to tell from each other.
• Romance Elements - 4 - The Romance definitely works for me, though the two major romances are a little too similar for my tastes.
• Overall - 3.5 - Enjoyable, if not perfect. A few flaws I really would have liked to see fixed, but I wouldn't mind seeing more in a similar tone.

Basic story -
Connor Jacey lives in Alaska, but he never suspected what might be in the wilds of his current home until he meets something he never believed existed.

My thoughts -
The first original Were story I've read in this genre. I really wanted to like it more than I did. I think if if the Were had not been Native (or at least not just Native), it might have worked better for me. I do not know if the Author has any Native roots, but she treated these Alaskan natives as though they were just Native American, but as far as I'm aware, they're pretty distinctly different from the tribes within the lower 48 states, just as the Hawaiian people are. It just feels as though her terminology is off, and I would have liked a bit more research done there.

I loved the idea of a tribe of Werewolves in Alaska that had been integrated into (or created from) a Native group there. I would have loved to learn more about how that happened, and what really triggers the change; anything more along those lines.

I also really enjoyed the mating idea, but then I love bonding stories, so this called to me very strongly on that front. I never had a problem with that aspect, though I don't think Connor questioned the idea quite enough for realism's sake. The other love story, of Connor's ex and another Native Were, seemed a bit tacked on and more about getting the ex out of the way than anything else, which was too bad, because I think that could have been cute, too, if it had been approached in a different way.

Overall, I did enjoy this story. There are definitely great aspects to it. I just felt it lacked in certain things. The plot worked very well, but some of the background aspects didn't quite live up to the idea I think the author was trying to convey.

Warnings -
Severe injury, and dubious consent.

Overall Recommendation -
A good read for Werewolf lovers. If you're reading it for the Native culture, I'd probably give it a pass.

Link to the story - Out There in the Night (on Goodreads)
Author Link - Laura Baumbach (on Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -

• Fireflies by Ally Blue (on Goodreads) (read my review here)
• The Dream of a Thousand Nights by Shira Anthony (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• The Fall of the Dragon King by MomsDarkSecret (Fiction Press) (read my review here)
• The Mist Behind and the Light Before by Cathalin (AO3)
• From Afar by Ava March (on Goodreads) (read my review here) 

Review: Seducing Stephen by Bonnie Dee & Summer Devon

Genre: Historical
Elements: cross-generational romance

Rating:

• Characters - 5 - All the characters in this are distinct, regardless of whether they are main or secondary characters, and the only change in character happens when the character has cause to change. You can actually see the characters evolve over the books.
• Setting - 5 - These two know their period very well. All the details are extremely realistic and correct for the period they have chosen. It's like you could step right into that world and see it as it was then.
• Plot - 5 - Excellently presented. You feel for both characters. Stephen's hope that he's finally found someone, and Peter's worry about what will happen if he gives in to what he wants. Neither's reason feels unrealistic or overdramatic.
• Genre Elements - 5 - As I said above, the setting of their world is perfect, but so too are the attitudes of the day about those with "unnatural" proclivities. And I like that he has a pair of friends who know, but still hold their ground against this relationship, worried not because of what he wants, but that he might hurt the boy, or seduce him into something he doesn't want.
• Voice - 5 - Stephen and Peter both are completely distinct, and each truly feels the age they are presented as. Never once does Peter feel younger than he is, except when he gets truly hopeful, and even then, don't we all feel a little younger then?
• Romance Elements - 5 - Perfect. Their love story is entirely believable, and makes you root for them. And the ending is completely satisfactory.
• Overall - 5 - If you only read one Regency romance in this genre, this is the one to read.

Basic story -
When Stephen stays with a friend at his family estate, he never expects to have another man climb into his bed. He most certainly doesn't expect what follows after that initial meeting.

My thoughts -
I went into this after having read so much Ava March that I was worried it wouldn't measure up, because I was so in love with her stuff. I definitely needn't have worried. This is a brilliant story. The characters are real and true to the story. They never give in to the need to just take what they need, but actually act as a real person would have in that situation.

The details of the time period are perfect. The Lords act like Lords would, even when they are decadent layabouts. There's a real sense of danger involved in being a man attracted to other men, and never once do the authors sell that premise short. And even those who do accept the proclivities worry that Peter is pushing Stephen in the wrong direction. They don't believe that Stephen is like Peter at all, and therefore want to protect him from it.

The journey the two main characters go on is entirely real and believable for its time. Peter, an older man, having lived through a number of affairs, tends not to believe they can last,  and Stephen, the younger man, feels certain that it will. Each needs to come to terms with certain truths about life as a gay man. When they do, the ending is truly satisfying, and will leave most readers quite happy, I think. Both have grown, and you can't help cheering when they find their happy ending.

I will definitely be looking at more by these two when I can.

Warnings -
Secrets and an age difference of at least fifteen years. In other words, pretty mild. Should be safe for most readers.

Overall Recommendation -
I always smile when I think of this story. Every detail just makes me love it, and I will definitely be reading it again. If you like Regency romances, or if you are uncertain you want to read one, but would like to try, definitely check this one out. It's well worth it.

Link to the story - Seducing Stephen (on Goodreads)
Author Link - Bonnie Dee & Summer Devon (on Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -

• Swordspoint by  Ellen Kirshner (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• The Adorned by John Tristan (Goodreads) (read my review here)  
• All in with the Duke by Ava March (on Goodreads)
• The Ennik Series by Kim Fielding (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Brendan and the Beast by Czarina Kodora (AO3) (read my review here)

Review: Blood & Ash by Kate Aaron

Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural
Elements: Fae, Vampires

Rating:

• Characters - 4 - The variety of characters is limited, and it has the distinct flaw that most slash has of having far too limited number of female characters. The two main are quite nice, though.
• Setting - 4 - An interesting world, though it could have done with a few more details of the physical world.
• Plot - 3 - A bit too scattered and simplistic for what the Author was attempting, I think. Not horrible, just not living up to its own potential.
• Genre Elements - 3 - Definitely not enough explanation here. And the modern world lining up with the fae world felt too abrupt. I would have liked more details on the relationships between the two worlds, though the explanation of how the Fae world came to be was very interesting.
• Voice - 4 - The two main characters are mostly distinct, but the others are a little harder to tell apart.
• Romance Elements - 3 - Too simple for my tastes. Not horrible, just too easy.
• Overall - 3.5 - A good story that need a bit of tweaking to be great in an interesting world that I would have liked to learn a lot more about.

Basic story -
Ash is prince of the Faery Realm. Azrael is his new guardian. But can he protect him against the war that is coming?

My thoughts -
This is an interesting idea, but it felt a bit forced and unfinished to me. I wanted to enjoy it more than I did, but I think a bit of editing and more complexity to the story would have  helped.

There are some interesting ideas in this story. I love the love the implication of a fae world right next to ours, though it was never completely explained. I would have liked more history on that, and more detail about how the two worlds have grown apart.I also would have liked more information on all the different types of beings, and their interrelations, though that was explained better. The Fae world seemed fascinating, and I would have liked to meet more Fae characters, too.

Ash is the sort of character I love, and Azrael seemed interesting, too. Even Ash's best friend. I just never got enough time to really enjoy them before things changed to a love story. I would much have preferred a good deal more time between attraction and falling in love. I also would have liked more time between Ash and his father and brother.

The abduction seemed interesting, but far too easily accomplished. I'd have liked attempts before they managed to get Ash. Azrael seemed to do nothing but talk to Ash about how they couldn't be together. And his story about his human lover seemed to go nowhere. I would have liked some meaning there.

Overall? I just wanted more time taken to explore and explain this world before it became a love story, and more about the two main characters as well. 

Warnings -
Vampirism, implication of torture, but all very mild.

Overall Recommendation -
An intriguing world, but flawed. An acceptable adventure read, if you like Vampires and Fae. Not one of my favorites. I probably won't be reading the rest of the series.

Link to the story - Blood & Ash (on Goodreads)
Author Link - Kate Aaron (on Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -

• The Prince's Boy by Cecilia Tan (Publisher's site) (read my review here) 
• The Dream of a Thousand Nights by Shira Anthony (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Fireflies by Ally Blue (on Goodreads) (read my review here)
• From Afar by Ava March (on Goodreads) (read my review here)  
• The Fall of the Dragon King by MomsDarkSecret (Fiction Press) (read my review here)

So what is Slash, exactly?

So I was going to write this up myself, and include a lot of links and history, but the truth is, it has been written before, and by more clear and concise writers than I feel I am able to be. So instead, I'm going to do a mini-master post on places where you can learn more.

I apologize to everyone out there who has been confused by the title of my blog. I meant to do this far sooner, but I kept dithering on the post I'd written up because I knew it wasn't perfect. Then I ran across an article about Slash that was perfect, and realized what I needed to do, so here we are.

But for a simple definition, we will start with the Urban Dictionary version:

slash

1. Genre of fanfiction involving pairing two male or female characters together; characters are commonly shown with a slash in between.

For a pretty basic overview, Wikipedia's article on Slash Fiction gives a good amount of detail not only of how it is defined and used in the fanfiction world, but also a lot of the history of slash in fanfiction, and some of the sub-genres you might find.

A more indepth look at Slash can be found at FanLore, which covers a much more fan-specific view of the genre, as well as a deeper look at its history in fandom and some of the controversies surrounding it. There is also an article about the History of Slash Fandom at fanlore as well, if you want more information on how all this came about.

And then, for a beautiful comprehensive version of why people enjoy reading and writing slash and where it comes from, I highly recommend The Brat Queen's "What Is Slash?"

This list is of course, by no means comprehensive, but all of the above articles have links to other articles about slash and its effect on fandom. I highly recommend you check it all out.

Happy reading!

Review: Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

Genre: Fantasy
Elements: swordplay

Rating:

• Characters - 5 - Each character is highly unique and distinct from the others.
• Setting - 5 - The City is a very unique take on the classic European city, and each section of it is highly distinct, with its own feel and its own people. Very excellently crafted.
• Plot - 4 - The plot is actually highly intricate, though at first it was quite confusing to follow. By the end of the book it pulls you along, but it takes a while to comprehend what's happening.
• Genre Elements - 5 - The Historical aspects of this sort of fantasy come into play here. Swordfighting, a world before commonplace books, a world of Nobility but not Royalty...all excellent pieces of a whole that make this world feel real.
• Voice - 5 - You never mistake any of these characters for each other. Each has such a unique outlook on the world that even when point of view changes, it is always obvious after only a few words who is speaking.
• Romance Elements - 4 - As it is not the central point of the story, it's not fully delved into here, but it is a nice love story, and it is there. However, if you read purely for romance sake, you might feel a little let down here.
• Overall - 4.5 - An excellent story, and definitely worth buying and reading for anyone into male/male romance.

Basic story -
Riverside isn't a place to wander lightly. Unless you're the type who lives there. The story of a Swordsman, his lover, and a Plot.

My thoughts -
I really didn't know what to expect going into this one. I have a few paperback books in the male/male book genre, but aside from Mercedes Lackey, I'd never read any. All of my reading in this genre had been online or in eBook form. I couldn't help wonder what an actual published book might be like.

I was very pleasantly surprised. Kushner's world is real. It feels right, and the characters just fit. Richard St Veir is an enigma in a world that loves enigmas. Alec, his lover, is as well. It's probably one reason they fit so well together. I loved the casual bisexualness of this world, too. That so many have flings with both men and women, with no thought or worry about how it will affect their lives as far as others' opinions of them.

The beginning is a little hard to follow, and it takes a while to work out who the players are that you want to be paying attention to. However, the story slowly emerges from the world, and becomes clear. Because she's taken so much time to give you an overview of the world, what follows is far more complex than you might otherwise be able to follow without that detail.

The short stories that follow the main are lovely as well. Especially the Death of the Duke, which will give most romance readers exactly the ending they crave.

Warnings -
Some less than pleasant things happen to Alec, but there is no graphic detail, and it's just a beating, not anything more, though there is implication it could be.

Overall Recommendation -
Overall, I very much enjoyed this story. I highly recommend it to Fantasy and History male/male readers.

Link to the story - Swordspoint (on Goodreads)
Author Link - Ellen Kushner (on Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -

• The Adorned by John Tristan (Goodreads) (read my review here)  
• The Ennik Series by Kim Fielding (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Seducing Stephen by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• The Prince's Boy by Cecilia Tan (Publisher's site) (read my review here)
• Dolls and Seesaws by Menswear (AO3 - unfinished story)

And I'm back

Sorry for the interruption, folks. It's been a crazy week, and I never managed to get back into the blog to get the next few posts queued.

On the plus side, I finished Swordspoint, the review of which is going up momentarily, and I've started on Blood Bathory, which I am very much enjoying. I've also almost finished an online story called Blurring the Lines which I'm highly enjoying, so lots more reviews will be coming.

And I'll try to get a few more reviews typed up so that this doesn't happen again.

Saturday revew delay

Due to a busy schedule this weekend, Saturday's review likely won't get posted until Sunday. I will get it queued for Sunday, or Monday morning at the latest.

And lots more reviews to come, everyone!

Review: Club Trinity by Minxie

Genre: Supernatural, crime
Elements: BDSM, vampires

Rating:

• Characters - 4 - Great takes on the usual crime and vampire archetypes.
• Setting - 5 - Excellently detailed. This feels like a place you could easily walk into and easily find your way around.
• Plot - 5 - A fantastic melding of Crime, BDSM, and Supernatural elements.
• Genre Elements - 5 - Not only does the crime feel interesting and realistic, but the BDSM elements are excellent, and she makes the Supernatural elements all her own.
• Voice - 4 - The characters are very distinct, despite some scenes meant to tease with identity. It all works very well with the overall flow of the story.
• Romance Elements - 4 - Highly inspiring. But then, I have a fondness for Vampires and their mates, whatever form they take.
• Overall - 4.5 - An excellent story, and well worth reading if you like any of the genre elements listed above.

Basic story -
Someone's haunting the BDSM club in town, and Detective Zane Jeffries needs to find out who's doing it, but what he doesn't expect is the twists and turns this case will take.

My thoughts -
I was already a fan of Minxie's Harry Potter fic before I read Club Trinity. Even if I had not known her work, reading this story would have told me that it is the work of a talented writer. I hope in the end she finds a way to get it published, because it deserves to be. I'd love to read more stories about these characters. I want to read so much more about these vampires and the Lilim she created as an unusual addition to the vampire mythos. Most of all, I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

This isn't a time period I tend to prefer, but in Supernatural and BDSM stories, but it is something I'm willing to read. Especially when written by good writers like Minxie. Both are more likely to be set in modern day. Crime is also something I don't just seek out. But Minxie's style makes this story more than worth it.

I'm particularly fond of her take on vampires in this story. I don't want to into too much detail for fear of spoiling others, but she adds some fantastic details that I don't believe I've ever seen before. And she makes them not only work, but they feel real, especially in the context of this story.

Despite the fact that this is truly an amazing story, it's completely free online. For now, at least. As I said, I really do hope it gets published. And if it is, I will be first in line to buy it. It is definitely worth owning.

Warnings -
BDSM, violence, character death, and scary crime scenes. If you're not overly sensitive to those things, you'll probably be fine, as they're not horribly graphic, but still elements to be wary of if you have issues with any of them.

Overall Recommendation -
Definitely a read if you like crime stories, BDSM, or vampires. A highly unique fusion of all three.

Link to the story - Club Trinity (on AO3)
Author Link - Minxie (on AO3)
If you liked this story, try -

• Undesirable by Velvet Mace (LJ) 
• Slavebreakers by Maculategiraffe (free online) (read my review here)
• Under Contract by Helen Saito  (Goodreads Page) (read my review here)
• Simon & Sir by MaineBoyXY (Nifty Archive)
• Above the Dungeon by SM Johnson (Goodreads Page)