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: 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: 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)

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)

Review: From Afar by Ava March

Genre: Historical, Supernatural
Elements: vampires, bonding

Rating:

• Characters - 4 - Raphael and Aleric are both excellently crafted, and distinct enough that they stand out from each other.
• Setting - 4 - March has an excellent grasp of this period, and all of her books are worth reading for this aspect alone, if that is a setting you like.
• Plot - 4 - The plot is pretty simplistic, even with the vampire elements, but quite enjoyable.
• Genre Elements - 5 - This is where the book shines, though I would have wanted a great deal more on these vampires. She's got hints at a much larger community here, and I would have loved to learn more about it, both in London and outside of it.
• Voice - 4 - The main characters' voices are very distinct from each other, though the other male vampires all bleed together. I think this is because they are meant to feel one single unit.
• Romance Elements - 4 - It's a good romance, though Aleric falls too quickly. Raphael at least is understandable.
• Overall - 4 - Very enjoyable, especially for the genres, though far too short. I would have liked a great deal more about the boys' lives--both apart, and then together. And I wanted even more about the vampire community as a whole.

Basic story -
Raphael has been watching Lord Aleric Vane for some time. Then one night, he must make a choice. Save his life, or lose him forever. And even in saving him, there is no guarantee he won't lose him still.

My thoughts -
This is a very enjoyable short read. Raphael, despite being the vampire, is a little more believable as a character than Aleric. I like Aleric's concept of what is going on and how he comes to terms with everything, though. He's so young, and so much a part of his age, that he takes a great deal at face value, and doesn't even question things except for how he fits into the world that he is seeing.

What I really enjoyed in this is the vampire society, though we only get a teasing glimpse. I have to admit, the thought of a household of men all enjoying each other's company is intriguing, though that is only a small bit of what drew me. I like that it's actually a very regimented society, given the dangers too many vampires in one area could cause. The queen vampire is interesting, too. It all makes me wonder what other areas are like.

I think I would have liked to see more buildup between the boys. Maybe the two of them hiding out from the vampires and Aleric slowly growing closer to Raphael. He comes to the right choice in the end, though, and with Raphael's guidance, I think the two of them will do just fine.

Warnings -
Vampires, blood and violence. Nothing too severe, especially if you like vampires. A small caution, though, for those who don't. The violence is over pretty quickly, so that can easily be skipped.

Overall Recommendation -
A good quick read from an author who excels at  historical gay romance. Worth reading if you like vampires.

Link to the story - From Afar (on Goodreads)
Author Link - Ava March (on Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -

• The Adorned by John Tristan (Goodreads) (read my review here)  
• The Dream of a Thousand Nights by Shira Anthony (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Blood and Roses by Aislinn Kerry (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Soulless by T Baggins (on Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Seducing Stephen by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon (Goodreads) (read my review here)

Review: Blood & Roses by Aislinn Kerry

Genre: Supernatural
Elements: Vampires, prostitution

Rating:

• Characters - 4 - The characters are well-chosen for the story Kerry tells, though they're a bit archetypal. I would have liked to have seen more interactions with other characters. However, for a short story of this type, they work quite well.
• Setting - 4 - Good, though a bit vague on the details. I did like the choice of locale, but I would have loved to hear more about the place and time the characters were in.
• Plot - 4 - A little confusing, but enjoyable in the end.
• Genre Elements - 4 - Good, but again, not enough detail. I would have liked some more specific detail about Maikel's needs as a vampire. Is he a generic vampire, or is there something unusual about his sort?
• Voice - 5 - Both characters are very distinct, and easy to tell apart.
• Romance Elements - 4 - The boys' feelings for each other develop well, but their pig-headedness at not being willing to admit to it makes me want to smack both their heads.
• Overall - 4 - A lovely little story that I enjoyed quite a bit. Mostly, I wanted more detail.

Basic story -
Unlike the others in the House Arjen works in, he has no interest in having a vampire for a client. Too bad that he's the only one Maikel's interested in.

My thoughts -
I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this story, but the characters quickly drew me in. Enough so that their stubbornness got annoying pretty quickly, but in the way that makes you want to keep reading to find out if they get past it.

Amsterdam is a place I've not read nor studied much about, so I was interesting to see it as a setting. I was a little let down that there wasn't more detail about it in the story. But really, in the greater scope of the story, it wasn't needed. It just would have been nice and would have added flavor to the world.

Arjen and Maikel feel like real, fully realized people with pasts, even those details we don't hear about. We don't hear much about how they got where they are. What is important to the story is why they both agree to the deal that they make. And it works. Never once do you question those details, or their reasons for them, even when they're lying to themselves.

I very much enjoyed this story, and I'll almost definitely read it again at some point. I'll have to look and see what else Kerry has done, because she's got a lovely hand for character.

Warnings -
Vampire blood need, a bit of violence, but nothing graphic.

Overall Recommendation -
Definitely worth a read if you like vampires.

Link to the story - Blood and Roses (on Goodreads)
Author Link - Aislinn Kerry (on Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -

• Soulless by T Baggins (on Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Undesirable by Velvet Mace (LJ) 
• From Afar by Ava March (on Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Club Trinity by Minxie (AO3) (read my review here) 
• The Adorned by John Tristan (Goodreads) (read my review here)

Review: Soulless by T Baggins

Genre: Regency, Supernatural
Elements: BDSM, Vampires, Reincarnation
Rating:

• Characters - 5 - There's a huge variety of characters in this story, some character types of which are rather startling, as I can't say I've seen them written in this way before, if I've seen them at all.
• Setting - 4 - The setting is pretty usual for a Regency story--a Lord and his people, the small town he is lord of, his manor. It's nicely detailed, but there isn't much that stands out until you get the details of the True Vampires and their secrets.
• Plot - 5 - Though it seems a simple, typical setup for a male romance regency story, it quickly becomes so much more. When Nicholas and Bancroft meet, everything changes. It's a great story with a lot of twists and turns that you might never predict.
• Genre Elements - 5 - Subtle at first, but lots of details that really make the story come to life.
• Voice - 5 - Both characters are very distinct, and each of the other characters as well. Never once are they in the least similar.
• Romance Elements - 4 - You can't help but root for Nicky and Ban through all the twists and turns of their romance. it's really quite sweet.
• Overall - 4.5 - One of my favorites, and highly recommended.

Basic story -
Nicholas Robinson, Lord of Grantley, is a man obsesses with science in a world that still relies more on spirituality. So when he meets Bancroft Ulwin, he's not sure how to deal with something he is sure should not exist.

My thoughts -
What starts as an incredibly typical set-up changes the moment the character of Ban meets Nicholas. Suddenly everything goes out the window. Between the vampire mythos, which is very unique and quite well-thought-out, and the reincarnation aspect (which works well when combined with vampire mythos), this story becomes something entirely new.

Nicholas is mostly quiet, and the people who surround him love him, but seem content to just let him suffer as he is, knowing they can't cure what ails him. The only ones who seem to challenge him at all before Ban's appearance are his failing grandmother and a young housemaid he's taken under his wing to teach the science he so loves.

Ban, on the other hand, lives large, and even though he's not exactly a great person, you can't help but fall for him. Especially since, underneath it all, he's not a bad person. Even if he is a vampire. His backstory helps the reader feel for him, and you can't help but hope that in the end, he will live happily ever after.

The story takes he and Nicholas on quite the journey, and you never truly know how it will end until it does. I won't spoil those who are about to read it, except to say that I loved this book, and I hope to god I find more like it. T Baggins has really created an amazing story.

Warnings -
BDSM, some dub- and non-con, and severe emotional and physical abuse. Particularly the latter. Most of it is glossed over, but there are a few particularly horrific scenes in the book, so just be aware that they are there.

Overall Recommendation -
If you like vampires and reincarnation, this one is a must-read. This one definitely goes on my top recommendations list.

Link to the story - Soulless (on Goodreads)
Author Link - T Baggins (on Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -

• Blood and Roses by Aislinn Kerry (Goodreads)
• Undesirable by Velvet Mace (on LJ)
• From Afar by Ava March (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Club Trinity by Minxie (AO3) (read my review here)
• Blood Bathory: Like the Night by Ari McKay (Goodreads)