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: 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)

Review: Fireflies by Ally Blue

Genre: Fantasy
Elements: magic, faeries

Rating:

• Characters - 3 -The characters are overly archetypal, though there's a seed there of something that could be interesting, if more had been put into them.
• Setting - 4 - It's an interesting idea, though we don't get near enough details of either world for them to feel fully realized.
• Plot - 4 - The story is interesting enough, though Blue doesn't take it quite deep enough. I would have liked more details of Joseph's life before, and of Braeden's time watching him grow. I also would have loved to see more in the way of training before and between attacks.
• Genre Elements - 5 - The idea for this world is fabulous, and I would have loved a much longer look at both sides of this world and how they live alongside each other.
• Voice - 4 - The character voices are unique, but not particularly special.
• Romance Elements - 3 - Too fast. Especially for a character who has been watching Joseph since he was an infant. It would take time, regardless of everything else.
• Overall - 3.5 - Interesting story, but needed a lot of work to be a great story.

Basic story -
Joseph grew up in the South, but there always something a little odd about him. He finds out what the day he comes into his magic. The day he meets Braeden.

My thoughts -
The story here isn't bad, it just isn't great. The idea of a half-fae growing up in the modern human world seems fascinating to me, but it was almost completely ignored once Joseph met Braeden. I wanted to feel the conflict in him between his old world and new. I wanted him to hurt more for having to leave his friends and mother behind. I wanted to enjoy it more than I was able because it just never felt like enough. And worse, the faery world felt almost more a tool to propel the story than an actual world that exists next to ours. That, too, needed a lot of detail.

The romance borders on uncomfortable with how quickly they come together. Just a few extra sentences here would have helped. Something about the sexual nature of fae, or of how they saw a dividing line between children and adults, or...something. And Joseph, just getting used to the idea of magic, seemed to accept it all far too easily. Accepting comfort from Braeden, sure, but magic and love all in one blow? Too much too fast. I wanted more time getting used to the idea of each separately.

The ending felt wrong, too. I'm not sure how to explain why, but it just ended too quickly, and everything was just too pat in the end. I really did want to enjoy this story more than I did. It needed a lot of work to make it more enjoyable to me.

Warnings -
Mostly implications of violence and rape. Nothing that will make post readers uncomfortable for more than a moment or two.

Overall Recommendation -
If you can find it on sale, it's not horrible, but it's not worth the average price for an e-book.

Link to the story - Fireflies (on Goodreads)
Author Link - Ally Blue (on Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -

• Blood and Ash by Kate Aaron (Goodreads)
• The Fall of the Dragon King by MomsDarkSecret (Fiction Press) (read my review here)
• The Dream of a Thousand Nights by Shira Anthony (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• The Mist Behind and the Light Before by Cathalin (AO3)
• The Quartz Key by Lianne Burwell (Online link)