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) 

Review: The Book of Myth by Qui

Genre: Fantasy
Elements: BDSM, threesomes, harem, naga, djinn, incubus, faeries, dragon, satyr, kitsune, demon

Rating:

• Characters - 3 - The characters here are cute, but really, they are only devices for the smut in each chapter, so they are molded by what the author needs to make that smut work. Cute, but not characters that stand on their own.
• Setting - 4 - Good for the type of story this is, but not overly detailed either.
• Plot - 3 - While not quite PWP, it definitely comes close.
• Genre Elements - 5 - This is where the story excels. Not only does the author have one fantasy creature to decide the details for, but practically one per chapter, and manages to give us insight into each beautifully. And on top of that, finds a way to twist that difference into smut each and every chapter.
• Voice - 3 - The voices get a bit muddy at times, but mostly because there's not a lot of thought past how to get to the smut.
• Romance Elements - 3 - There is an element of romance here between the two main characters, but it's minimal as they spend most of the story apart from one another.
• Overall - 3.5 - Cute and fun, especially for a free online read.

Basic story -

In a far away kingdom, there is a dangerous book that has drawn many to their doom. This is one such tale; of a young prince waiting for an ambassador to arrive, and finding a book to pass the time.

My thoughts -
A cute story with very little plot, and at least one chapter most smut-readers will find enjoyable, depending on their kink. Most of the well-known kinks are represented at one point. The characters are really secondary to the story, which is just about using the most kinks possible inherent in mythical creatures. It's fun and mostly light, and a fun way to pass a few hours.

The flow of the story is random so as to cover all the kinks it does, but each chapter works fairly well on its own, if you don't care for the larger story. Despite the randomness, there is an overall plot, if you read through the entire thing, and it is shockingly sweet for a smut piece like this one.

This one's definitely for anime/manga fans, as the ideas in it represent that sort of take on smut and romance. Also, several of the creatures involved are the Japanese or Oriental versions of these myths.

The best reason to read this aside from smut and variety is that it's free to read online. It's fairly well edited, though there are a few errors here and there, as there are on most Fiction Press or AO3 stories.

Overall, I enjoyed reading it, but I probably won't be looking for more from this author, as I tend to prefer more realistic worlds, even in my fantasy.

Warnings -
Dub-con, but only in the lightest of senses. Most of the smut is pretty consensual, really. A bit of bestiality, so stay away if that bothers you, but even that is minor.

Overall Recommendation -
Cute. Not for those who don't appreciate yaoi, as this is basically yaoi in text form, rather than as a manga. But fun to read for all the different creatures she writes about. 

Link to the story - Book of Myth (on Fiction Press)
Author Link - Qui (on Fiction Press)
If you liked this story, try -

• The Dream of a Thousand Nights by Shira Anthony (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• The Fairest in the Land by LuccaAce (FictionPress - unfinished story)  
• Cinder by Marie Sexton (Goodreads Page) (read my review here)
• Fireflies by Ally Blue (on Goodreads) (read my review here)
• The Mist Behind and the Light Before by Cathalin (AO3)