Tag: Contemporary

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 4

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 4 by Kousuke Oono
Series Name: The Way of the House Husband
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1767-5
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

On what begins as just another shopping trip, Tatsu has a run-in with a thief – of the feline persuasion! When the gangster-turned-homemaker gives chase, yakuza are quickly drawn into the fray, and chaos erupts in the streets of the shopping district. Even everyday errands can turn treacherous when you’re the Immortal Dragon!

Personal & Info

I wasn’t really feeling this one. I’m not sure if that speaks for the quality or my mood. It still got a smile out of me, though.

Characters

Tatsu and Miku are the primary characters for each volume.

Masa is a regular, but his parts are rather small.

Various other housewives make appearances at least once per volume.

Story & Thoughts

Masa wants so much to be like Tatsu, but he always fails spectacularly. It’s nice how supportive Tatsu is. The chapters with Masa are some of my favorites.

The chapters with Miku in them are always great. I like her interactions with Tatsu. She seems to find his eccentric qualities endearing. They also have great chemistry together, but not in a romantic way, since this series isn’t focused on that. The volleyball chapter is one of my favorites in this volume.

The white powder jokes are getting a little tired. Any food item that looks like a white powder of some sort is always referred to as white powder, by Tatsu, with the story intention of it sounding like drugs. I find it hard to believe the people he spends time with haven’t realized that yet. And how the heck is Miku supposed to know which white powder to buy for him if he refers to so many things as white powder?

I find it hard to believe a “Japanophile” can’t tell the difference between a type of dagger and a katana. I’m pretty sure the knife Tatsu uses is called a tanto. Also, who grills with charcoal INDOORS? That seems like an extremely stupid thing to do, for obvious reasons. Can’t the guy grill on his balcony instead?

There is no mention of the possible overarching plot I saw introduced in volume three. Maybe it’s nothing, or maybe it’ll just take longer to have any further implementation.

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 3

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 3 by Kousuke Oono
Series Name: The Way of the House Husband
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1346-2
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

The Immortal Dragon, once the fiercest member of the yakuza, is now a married man devoted to supporting his loving wife – as a househusband! But when the gangster-turned-homemaker needs to make some quick cash to buy her a present, he turns to the only skills he knows – and gets his first part-time job! The cozy yakuza comedy continues!

Personal & Info

This is a three and a half, and while some might think that’s low, it’s actually decent. Based on the system I use, it’s a good score. I use this score for things that are above average, but not outstandingly good.

This volume is funny enough to make me giggle, but the particular slice of life stories in the volume are not as great as the ones in the first volume. The fact it makes me giggle gets it that half score. If it were to excite me as much as, say, that one chapter in volume one where Tatsu criticizes the Roomba and the cat gets into shenanigans making a mess of everything, then it would earn that four.

Characters

Tatsu and Miku are the primary characters for each volume.

Masa appears to be a regular. He’s a “sworn brother” to Tatsu from his days as a yakuza.

Various other housewives make appearances at least once per volume.

Story & Thoughts

There appears to be a running theme of retired yakuza showing up with various generic jobs. They all take everything super seriously. Like the guy from volume two who has a crepe truck. It’s pretty great. We see two more in this book.

It looks like a possible overarching plot is being introduced. In a couple different chapters, there are people talking about something going on with the yakuza. Tatsu is not relevant to it as of yet, but it’s in his periphery.

Tatsu seems like a great husband. He tries hard to take care of all Miku’s needs, even if he doesn’t quite know how to handle it effectively sometimes. Falling for TV ads certainly is not helpful. It’s pretty amazing how he can do something in practically two seconds that neither Miku, nor Masa, seem to be able to. I think Miku would live in filth without him, and probably not eat nearly as well.

Masa seems to be taking some lessons to heart. His skills are more that of a beginner, so he needs more practice. He always wants to “guugle” things, which can be helpful, but this is often brought up at inconvenient times.

There are bonus chapters in every volume. Each one, so far, has at least one starring Gin, their family cat. I think those are the best ones.

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 2

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 2 by Kousuke Oono
Series Name: The Way of the House Husband
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1044-7
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

The legendary yakuza “the Immortal Dragon” has washed his hands of the gangster life for something far more dangerous – becoming a househusband! Cleaning, laundry, grocery, shopping, cooking… These days he’s doing everything he can to succeed as man of the house, if it doesn’t kill him first! The cozy yakuza comedy continues!

Personal & Info

I’m learning Japanese with a phone app, and only recently started on it. I have designated days where I MUST work on blog related things, even if it’s just reading without actually posting anything. The day I read this, I was addicted to my Japanese app and had to make myself stop. Thankfully, this book is funny enough that I was giggling after the first couple pages. That made it so much easier to tear myself away from my phone for a while to get stuff done.

Characters

Tatsu and his wife Miku are the primary characters for each volume, but mostly Tatsu.

Masa will probably be making constant appearances. He doesn’t seem to do much aside from be amazed by Tatsu.

Tatsu spends his free time with a group of housewives. They will probably be frequent characters as a group. None of them have any names as of yet.

Story & Thoughts

I don’t think this one is quite as funny as the first volume. The book is still slice of life stories, but I don’t think they hit quite the same. They still make me giggle a little, so it earns a three and a half instead of just a three.

Tatsu is teaching Masa some househusband skills, which he doesn’t seem entirely interested in. That leads to some funny moments as Tatsu gets intense about subjects and Masa is just like, whatever bro. I think he appreciates the usefulness of the skills, but not necessarily the doing them himself part.

This volume shows how unreasonable some of Tatsu’s criteria for making simple choices is. He blows things out of proportion due to his background, because he wants everything to be safe to an unreasonable extent. I’m not sure how Miku puts up with it.

The in-laws come for a visit. The ones from Miku’s side of the family. I find it surprising they approve of Tatsu. Most parents would probably be appalled if their daughter brought home a gang member, retired or not.

I love how well Tatsu gets along with the other housewives. Obviously, they think he’s a little strange, but they seem fond of him. The parts where he does activities with them are some of the best parts of this volume, in my opinion.

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1 by Kousuke Oono
Series Name: The Way of the House Husband
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life, Contemporary
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0940-3
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

He was the fiercest member of the yakuza, a man who left countless underworld legends in his wake. They called him “the Immortal Dragon.” But one day he walked away from it all to travel another path – the path of the househusband! The curtain rises on this cozy yakuza comedy!

Personal & Info

My husband loves yakuza themed stuff with humor mixed in, so our copies of this series belong to him. He highly recommends the series, and the announcement of it caught my interest, too. Reading this makes me want to see how the anime turned out.

I was going to give this a three and a half, but it made me laugh, so I’m bumping it to a four. I also took a short break halfway through, so it’s fair to make up for any discrepancy there may have been.

Characters

Tatsu is the main character, also known as “the Immortal Dragon.”

Miku is Tatsu’s wife. She’s a designer of some sort, and also a geek, which I think is amazing.

Masa appears to be someone Tatsu knows from his days as a yakuza.

Gin is the family cat, and one of the best characters in my opinion.

Story & Thoughts

When I hear something is a comedy, I’m generally not sure what to think about it until I read it myself, especially with manga. As with anything, there are different types of comedy, and different ways to make stories funny. This series seems to have its own formula that works well.

Each chapter is a slice of life story. There is a simple event, encounter, or task to be done. Some of them are funny throughout, while others save the punch line until the end of the chapter. Sometimes there is more added to the punch line on the page after the chapter end, where there is a single picture drawn.

I think the main point of the comedy is how unexpectedly considerate Tatsu is, and how seriously he handles everything. He has a lot of eccentricities. When was the last time you saw someone criticize a Roomba for not being able to clean crevices?

The art style contributes, too. There are times when it looks like a run of the mill highly detailed manga, and then there are others where it looks dark and ominous. I’m curious how Tatsu’s tattoo is drawn, because it looks different than everything else.

I will definitely be continuing the series. I have questions, like how did Tatsu and Miku end up together? Because they seem like very different people. They are funny together though. I love how Miku is a geek and Tatsu tries to understand what she likes, while also trying not to let her spend their money frivolously.

Lover at Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood #11)

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Lover at Last by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Berkley/Penguin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-41880-7
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has found and identity as a brutal fighter in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another…

Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: It seems Qhuinn has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young. It’s hard for Blay to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. And Qhuinn needs to come to terms with some dark things before he can move forward….

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions, but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn learns the true meaning of courage, and two hearts meant to be together finally become one.

Personal & Info

As with Lover Mine, this is a volume I was looking forward to reading. Lover mine was a smidge disappointing though, definitely not as good as I thought it would be. I think Qhuinn’s book is done better. Both have long buildups over several volumes, but I just think this one is all around better in comparison.

I have to give props for putting an M-M story in the middle of an M-F erotic romance series. And not pulling any punches at that. No scenes have any censoring in comparison to the content we see in all the other volumes. I imagine this volume might make some angry if they are not expecting it, or have an extreme disinterest in M-M romance.

Regarding crossover parts with the BDB and Fallen Angels series, there is a mention in this volume. Back in a different book, when Assail makes his first appearance, the description of his home gives pause to wonder, but it is confirmed now. He lives in the house Vin DiPietro builds in volume one, Covet. He gets a mention in this book.

Characters

Qhuinn is essentially the main character for this volume.

Blay is important, because this is his and Qhuinn’s book, but he doesn’t get nearly as much screen time.

Layla gets a lot of attention, because of her arrangement with Qhuinn.

As minor characters for the volume, there are Tez and Assail. I don’t really care about the parts pertaining to Tez. I’m sure that will amount to something later, but in this book, all I care about is the romance. I don’t care about the Assail parts, either, at least not until the later parts. They seem irrelevant early on, and get more interesting toward the end.

Story & Thoughts

Upon finishing Lover Reborn, Qhuinn seems to have a strong resolve to make a move with Blay. That got me excited to read this volume. Fast forward to starting the book, and I find it surprising Qhuinn seems to have lost that motivation, and is instead rather unchanged from the previous book. This, I think, throws off the pacing.

I also think that Blay, as the love interest, has less screen time than the love interests usually get in the series. Things focus primarily on Qhuinn, and what goes on in his mind, and his life. He’s the one experiencing all the big changes, good and bad.

I both love and hate this volume, though. So many of the problems between Qhuinn and Blay could be easily resolved if they would just talk to each other honestly. Blay makes so many assumptions about Qhuinn’s life and doesn’t believe him when he tells the truth. And Blay chooses to live behind a lie of omission, which just makes things harder for Qhuinn, because he’s trying to respect something that doesn’t exist. So frustrating, but dang this is a good volume.

Aside from the primary couple of the book, I’m constantly drawn to the Layla x Xcor parts of the story. It’s like a variation of Romeo and Juliet, minus the suicide. I’m curious to see what happens. If they’ll ever be together, or if their relationship will end in tragedy. It’s already pretty tragic. They are unlucky to be drawn to each other.

Notable Issues

Why does Payne have to “recharge” but V doesn’t?

When Blay needs to feed, I swear his conversation with Qhuinn says he will do it alone, but when it actually happens Qhuinn goes with anyway. Did I misinterpret? Is this a mistake? Blay acts like he agreed to share all along, but that isn’t the context I see in that section.

Trigger Warnings

I’m just keeping a running list of trigger warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Calluna (Spell Library #4)

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Calluna by Jewels Arthur
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Angels, Contemporary, Elves, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086GFHRZJ
Rating: 3/5
Amazon

Description

Calluna doesn’t buy into all the love junk she sees all over town. She’d rather spend her time working at her pet store Beastie Besties, where she’s recently been curing a slew of cursed animals. She’s determined to find the culprit and put a stop to the curses. Her goals do not change when she suddenly finds herself with multiple fated mates, and dark secrets come to light.

Personal & Info

I’m going to be honest. I don’t remember some of the serious story parts. However, I do remember most of the romance, which I think is the most important part of each book in this series. It’s been about a year since I read this, and this was the last one I read. So if I read more and review them, it’ll be from here on out.

Characters

Calluna is the main character. She’s something called a changeling. I’m not completely clear on all the lore for that, but I think in this case it means she was swapped with another baby.

Lars is Calluna’s friend, whom works with her at her pet store, where they treat cursed animals.

Landyn, I think he’s a griffin, and he works at a night club or bar, if I remember correctly.

Rhett and Damian, they are themselves a couple. Rhett is a fennec fox shifter, and Damian is a meerkat shifter.

Elias, I believe he is an angel.

Story & Thoughts

As usual for this series, I like the characters. They are always well defined and full of personality.

There are more lore dumps in this volume for how the world works. Rules about magic, some species laws, stuff like that. It makes the series feel more fleshed out. I love that stuff.

The writing style is a little different than previous volumes. This one rotates through all of Calluna’s mates at least once to help flesh things out. It gives a better idea of how the mate bond feels to each of them, and what their lives are like behind the scenes. It works well with the lore dumps to make them feel more natural.

At this point, four books into the series, I think it’s safe to say you never really know what you’re getting into. Violet and Lupine seem tame, and Juniper and Calluna are very sexual. Be ready for either possibility when digging into this series.

This one is a step up from Lupine, but not as good as Violet or Juniper.

I’m a little confused why Vampires are out and about during the day with nothing to say they were using any sort of covering like Bert does, which is specifically mentioned in the first book. There are two instances in here where different vampires are visiting somewhere outside their home in what appeared to be daylight hours, but nothing is specified about window coverings or what they are wearing to protect them from the sun. It seems odd.

I’m sad they never the epilogue never says what the men get for their tattoos, only Calluna.

Lupine (Spell Library #3)

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Lupine by Hanleigh Bradley
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Angels, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Wolves
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN:  B086BKF1ZN
Rating: 2.5/5
Amazon

Description

Lupine, a wolf shifter, and an orphan herself, runs the Silver Springs Orphanage. She’s never felt like she truly belonged. Always overworked and stressed, she’s always busy taking care of the twenty unique children of the orphanage. None of them are human.

When the mafia comes to town and moves in across the street, will Lupine find a home and connection with the wolves?

Personal & Info

First of all, there is a disclaimer at the start of the book saying the author usually writes in British English, but is writing in US English for this particular series, and it asks readers to be patient with the occasional British slip. That’s all fine and good. I don’t mind that. However, with this knowledge, I became aware of how many slips there were. There were a lot. I think this book needed someone with US English as their first language to proof it. It would have been fine on its own, but as part of a series, it felt jarring.

I don’t have good notes for this one, so I’m not sure I’ll have much to say. I’ll do my best anyway.

Characters

Lupine, the main character, is a wolf shifter in charge of running the Silver Springs orphanage. I think she has one employee/helper, but I can’t remember their name. I don’t think they are important for the purposes of the review.

Wren, Rehan, Camden, and Kalen are all the love interests. They are wolf shifter mafia dudes who move in across the street.

Story & Thoughts

I like the story and the characters.

I don’t think this is good as Juniper or Violet. It doesn’t seem like there is much actually going on. The problems in the other books come across as more dire. This one is more slice of life with minor inconvenience.

The confrontation toward the end is resolved quickly. It’s obvious there is more to Lupine’s story, because the main issue isn’t even addressed in this book. It doesn’t occur here, which makes the story feel lacking. To try explaining it better, I feel like finishing this one only feels like reading half a book. I believe there’s another Lupine book in this series later on that deals with the part that isn’t addressed in this one.

I’m actually surprised about the love interests. When I hear mafia, I don’t think of guys like these. They seem more like yakuza than mafia. Is there a difference? I think there’s a difference.

I find it amusing all five of them piled into Lupine’s bed. I’m not sure how comfortable that would be, but I bet it’s cramped. It just goes to show how close wolves like to be to their mates.

Juniper (Spell Library #2)

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Juniper by Eva Delaney
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Fantasy, Ghosts, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Pirates, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086HG2WRC
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon

Description

Juniper is in hiding from some allies turned enemies for taking some things that weren’t hers. When she decides to use some dark magic for a night of fun with her three favorite toys, things go awry. The toys become dildo shifters! The three being: a shy vampire, an 18th century pirate, and Shakespeare himself.

The spell only lasts until morning, so Juniper promises to show them a good time. But can she really stand to let them go? If she wants a real chance at a future with them, she must come out of hiding and confront her problems.

Personal & Info

Violet is good, so I am continuing the series. If you also read Violet, I do not recommend using that as an expectation for this book. Violet is cute and funny, and generally appropriate. This book goes in a completely different, erotic, direction.

Some of these have paperback copies available, but not all of them. I can only find Amazon links for them, so that’s all I’m listing.

I don’t have good notes for this one, so I’m not sure I’ll have much to say. I’ll do my best anyway.

Characters

Juniper, the main character, is a dark witch. She’s hiding from people in plain sight by not using dark magic, because apparently people can track that. She’s a thriving business woman in the sex toy industry. Her products are magically enhanced for all kinds of shenanigans.

Oscar, I believe he is the bookish vampire. He is my favorite in this volume. I resonate with him and want him for myself.

Sam is the pirate. I think he hogs most of Juniper’s attention.

Shakes is literally Shakespeare. I think they function under the logic he doesn’t LOOK like Shakespeare because he looks younger than the commonly seen pictures or something like that.

Alyssa, I think she is Juniper’s best friend, if I am remembering right.

Story & Thoughts

I actually think the first third of the book is difficult to read, because it seems like it’s trying too hard. By this I mean, throwing in as many sexual jokes and phrases as possible, to the point where they don’t make sense, or sound strange. Some of the humor is lost because of this. After the first third, the story finds its pace and gets better.

This book has more action in it than Violet. There are magic duels, for example. I think an entire street gets messed up because of one.

I can’t remember the finer details about the story events toward the end with the island and the other witches and warlocks or whatever you want to call them. What I do remember is the book is very erotic, like, maybe eighty percent erotic, and twenty percent actual deep story. I’m making up these numbers.

There are elaborate sex scenes scattered about. Three ways, guy on guy, almost anything you can think for them to do, they do. It’s not shy either, you might as well be reading a full blown erotica.

It’s incredibly obvious Juniper’s favorite guy is the pirate. They have the best chemistry of the three, and their personalities seem to compliment each other in a gravitational way.

Violet (Spell Library #1)

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Violet by Mia Harlan
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086HXCNHT
Rating: 4.5/5
Amazon

Description

Violet is a young chameleon shifter on the run. She’s spent the past year posing as her 80-year-old best friend in Silver Springs. No one can ever find out who she is or what she looks like or she might end up dead. Not even her three fated mates: a bear shifter, a vampire mage, and a troll cop. But that might be out of her control.

Personal & Info

I see a lot of ebook ads on social media. That’s where I found this one. The description was so out there and funny on its own that I added it to my wish list. I scroll through my wish list regularly for sales, and this one was free one day, so I grabbed it. I’m glad I did, too, because this book is glorious!

I am unable to find any hardcopies or listings on other major sites, so I’ve only listed the link to the Amazon kindle version.

It’s been a while since I read this, but I like to read this series every so often as a pallet cleanser when I need a break. At this point, I’ve read four of them (in the past two years), so I’d like to get reviews up for them so I won’t be missing any when I get around to reading more of them.

All of these books CAN be read as stand alone novels, but they do connect a little. The characters appear in other books, and the main connector is a novel that gets passed to each main character.

Characters

Violet, the main character, is a chameleon shifter. She impersonates her best friend to work at the library. Violet is in a bit of trouble, so nobody can know who she really is.

Violet, Violet’s best friend (yes there are two Violets), is a skunk shifter. Other Violet impersonates this Violet at work.

Liam is troll police officer. I don’t mean the jokester kind, he is a literal troll. He’s related to one of the old ladies that frequents the library.

Bert is Liam’s partner. He’s a vampire who chooses to work the day shift.

Cash is a wealthy vampire. His name is rather fitting when you think about it. I think he invented this world’s version of social media, if I remember right.

Nole is a bear shifter. He works at the library with Violet. I believe he has two brothers, but I probably won’t be mentioning them.

Story & Thoughts

This book has me laughing and giggling most of the way. The first half is hilarious

The story occurs within the span of only a few days. Day one, Violet is practically bombarded by men. I won’t say how, because that would spoil the comedy.

My favorite is Cash. I like his sense of humor the most, and he seems like the sweetest, in my opinion. No details on how or why, because I don’t want to spoil anything.

The story is not purely comedy, though. It gets serious in the second half, but the events practically fly by, so it doesn’t feel like the book itself is serious.

Both Violets get a happy ending, which is great. It’s not really a surprise though, because as a romance, a happily ever after is standard. I am a little surprised at the ending old lady Violet gets, though. That part caught me off guard, but good for her.

The general setting of the story intrigues me, but I have to wonder what humans see if they can’t see all the paranormal stuff.

I’m tempted to give Violet a perfect score, because, as a comedy, the rating system is a little different. I laughed a lot, which is good, but I feel like there is something missing from the serious section. I love this book. It’s a great break from the more serious fantasy I often read.

Rapture (Fallen Angels #4)

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Rapture by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Fallen Angels
Genres: Angels, Contemporary, Demons, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Signet/Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-41479-3
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon Barnes & Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Mels Carmichael, reporter for the Caldwell Courier Journal, gets the shock of her life when a man stumbles in front of her car outside the local cemetery. After the accident, his amnesia is just the kind of mystery she likes to solve, but she soon discovers they’re in over their heads with his past. Over their heads with passion too. As shadows walk the line between reality and another realm, and her lover’s memory begins to come back, the two of them learn that nothing is truly dead and buried. Especially when you’re trapped in a no-holds-barred war between angels and demons. With a soul on the line, and Mels’s heart at risk, what in Heaven – or in Hell- will it take to save them both?

Personal & Info

This is the most recent volume in this series I’ve read. After this one, the reviews will be posted as I read them, so the content will be more fresh in my mind. I believe I finished this one in July, so it’s not that far back.

Reminder, I’m reading these in tandem with the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by publication date, because that is recommended. They will be shelved this way in the index.

I’m keeping an eye out for any cross-overs with the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and there are a variety of things in this one. They are mostly small nods toward people and events. These are the ones I noticed:
-The farmhouse massacre is mentioned.
-Beth is mentioned at her previous work place.
-There is a brief implication of the Band of Bastards walking down the street.

Characters

Jim Heron, as usual.

Matthias is the soul to save. This is not a spoiler, because the context is intended to be vague, but the story heavily hints at him, and you learn fast who it is.

Mels is the love interest.

Adrian, Jim’s only angel assistant. If you’re wondering where Eddie is, you shouldn’t be here. Go read Envy, or whatever other volume you’re at. Adrian has a lot of character growth over this book and the couple before it. I didn’t like him in volume one, but now I think he is potentially my favorite character in this series.

Devina, also as usual.

Story & Thoughts

My thoughts at the start: I am not fond of Matthias. I can’t bring myself to care. I don’t think I will like this volume.

This is the kind of book I have to read slowly, one or two chapters at a time. Initially, I don’t like Matthias, so my prediction is I won’t like the story. I go into this expecting disappointment, and planning to read through it just to be able to get to the next book.

In the end, I find myself pleasantly surprised. As the story goes on, I get more sucked into it, and I grow to like Matthias. I didn’t think I’d ever like his character.

Story-wise, I think Matthias has an unfair advantage. He can remember what it is like to be in Devina’s wall, so he knows what awaits him if he doesn’t change and make the right choices. I suppose it’s not completely unfair, though, because Devina, knows him well, and knows how to manipulate him.

For a brief time, I thought Matthias might join the war. They have bounced around the idea of recruiting before, and his actions made me think, maybe.

I can’t say I agree with Jim’s final decision of the volume. It’s reckless and risky, but it could very well get rid of his primary distraction to make the rest of the game easier. Only time will tell if this is a wise choice.

There are some significant reveals, especially toward the end. We learn more about the mysterious creator.

Both this book and Lover Reborn address the after life. If you read them by publication, they are next to each other, and both point out that everyone’s afterlife, or hell, looks different. You can draw your own conclusions on what that means. I find it interesting they have the same theme and similar timing.

Trigger Warnings

Sexual themes and violence are the main ones for this series. Maybe torture, too. I can’t remember if there are others.