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Merissa (12051 KP) created a post
Mar 15, 2021
Merissa (12051 KP) rated To Touch You (Mates #4) in Books
Dec 7, 2017
To Touch You (Mates #4) by Cardeno C.
To Touch You is the fourth book in the Mates series, and this time it is Yoram and Salvatore's story. Now, this one is a bit different because Yoram first meets Salvatore when he is only 7-years-old. He makes his claim clear to Ethan and Miguel, although he only sees Salvatore as his friend. The years pass and Yoram and Salvatore don't really have many interactions, apart from Salvatore pushing Yoram away. Salvatore is turned by Miguel, but doesn't have much to do with the vampires in Vegas where he lives, so he is mostly clueless when it comes to vampires and shifters - especially true mates.
Yoram has more responsibilities piled onto him than he bargained for, and this means that he is unable to help Salvatore like he has been. Salvatore make the trip to find out what is wrong, and through various interactions with Yoram's family, learns just what exactly Yoram has done for him, and what being a true mate means.
This was a brilliant story. Salvatore is not a very nice character to start with, but you are with him as he realises the error of his ways, and finds out what he has to do to make it right. Yoram is a (HOT) sweetie, and tries to do the right thing no matter what. There is a bit of an overlay between the Yoram/Salvatore story, and that of Samuel and Korban. You don't need to have read the Samuel/Korban story to understand this one, but you will be missing out on a great book if you don't!
There were no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed to disrupt my reading flow. I found the book to be exceptionally written, with plenty of character development, especially for Salvatore. I loved how their story was spread out over so many years, and loved seeing them both change. A fantastic addition to the Mates series, and highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Yoram has more responsibilities piled onto him than he bargained for, and this means that he is unable to help Salvatore like he has been. Salvatore make the trip to find out what is wrong, and through various interactions with Yoram's family, learns just what exactly Yoram has done for him, and what being a true mate means.
This was a brilliant story. Salvatore is not a very nice character to start with, but you are with him as he realises the error of his ways, and finds out what he has to do to make it right. Yoram is a (HOT) sweetie, and tries to do the right thing no matter what. There is a bit of an overlay between the Yoram/Salvatore story, and that of Samuel and Korban. You don't need to have read the Samuel/Korban story to understand this one, but you will be missing out on a great book if you don't!
There were no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed to disrupt my reading flow. I found the book to be exceptionally written, with plenty of character development, especially for Salvatore. I loved how their story was spread out over so many years, and loved seeing them both change. A fantastic addition to the Mates series, and highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Dragon Marked (Supernatural Prison, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<a href="http://www.inwonderlandbookblog.com/2016/04/dragon-marked-review.html"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on In Wonderland</a><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 1.5;">Coolest book about supernaturals ever?</span>
Erm… it could go both ways.
What I Liked:
~ Jessa has spunk and no filter. She has no problems giving people her two cents.
Dragon shifters are awesome, hands down.
~ The concept – a supernatural community just to guard a prison for supernatural criminals? Oh, and those prisons are being broken into and no one knows <em>how</em>? Plus, the main character is dragon marked (prophesized to raise some sort of dragon king of a thousand years ago) and the Quads (aka four brothers who turn heads everywhere they turn) are <em>supposed</em> to hunt and kill her? Grabby hands ensues. <del>Because I just adore potential best friends turned murderer type of stories.</del>
~ Possessiveness: I normally really hate possessiveness, but Jaymin Eve doesn’t <em>overplay</em> it. Possessiveness is a part of the culture for the supernaturals, but Jessa isn’t sheltered.
What I Didn’t Like:
~ Does anyone have a problem with an entire family ruling most of the American Supernatural council? I mean, there’s a scuffle or two that carries as the main plot of the first book, but for the most part, almost everyone is completely okay with the Quads taking over 4/5 of the council.
~ Every page or two (maybe a little more), there’s a bomb of information about the supernaturals. Some are repetitive with the usual tropes, but I <em>might</em> be okay with that. Just a little.
~ Eve has humor throughout the book, but um… too much information sometimes. It doesn’t clash too well with Jessa’s personality. No filter humor? Little kid guilty of peeking at the wrong time.
All in all,<em> Dragon Marked</em> does have potential. But while there might be one plot in just one book, the overall arc of the story is primarily set up with lots of information.
And tootles to everyone who handles a no filter main character with the occasional weird humor better than me.
Erm… it could go both ways.
What I Liked:
~ Jessa has spunk and no filter. She has no problems giving people her two cents.
Dragon shifters are awesome, hands down.
~ The concept – a supernatural community just to guard a prison for supernatural criminals? Oh, and those prisons are being broken into and no one knows <em>how</em>? Plus, the main character is dragon marked (prophesized to raise some sort of dragon king of a thousand years ago) and the Quads (aka four brothers who turn heads everywhere they turn) are <em>supposed</em> to hunt and kill her? Grabby hands ensues. <del>Because I just adore potential best friends turned murderer type of stories.</del>
~ Possessiveness: I normally really hate possessiveness, but Jaymin Eve doesn’t <em>overplay</em> it. Possessiveness is a part of the culture for the supernaturals, but Jessa isn’t sheltered.
What I Didn’t Like:
~ Does anyone have a problem with an entire family ruling most of the American Supernatural council? I mean, there’s a scuffle or two that carries as the main plot of the first book, but for the most part, almost everyone is completely okay with the Quads taking over 4/5 of the council.
~ Every page or two (maybe a little more), there’s a bomb of information about the supernaturals. Some are repetitive with the usual tropes, but I <em>might</em> be okay with that. Just a little.
~ Eve has humor throughout the book, but um… too much information sometimes. It doesn’t clash too well with Jessa’s personality. No filter humor? Little kid guilty of peeking at the wrong time.
All in all,<em> Dragon Marked</em> does have potential. But while there might be one plot in just one book, the overall arc of the story is primarily set up with lots of information.
And tootles to everyone who handles a no filter main character with the occasional weird humor better than me.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Love, Death & Robots in TV
Jul 7, 2020
Unique And Visceral Experience
Love, Death, & Robots is an adult animated anthology tv series on Netflix. The series is produced by Joshua Donen, David Fincher, Jennifer Miller, and Tim Miller. Each of the 18 episodes released on the first season was animated by different crews from a range of countries. It's also a re-imagining of 1981 animated sci-fi film Heavy Metal. Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Topher Grace, Gary Cole, Samira Wiley, and Stefan Kapicic.
Produced by different casts and crews, and consisting of 18 stand-alone episodes, each under 20 minutes, the title of the series refers to the recurring themes of love, death, and robots in each episode. Full of terrifying creatures, wicked surprises and dark comedy, it's a collection of animated short stories spanning several genres like horror, comedy, fantasy, and science fiction. Captivating stories come to life with world-class animation in a plethora of tales unlike anything else.
This series was wicked awesome. Reminded me of some of the other animated anthologies I've seen such as The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight, except quite a bit more NSFW. This series also gave me a Twilight Zone vibe but bit darker. More blood and guts and highly sexual. Even though it's pretty graphic, I really liked a lot of the stories they told and the twists that most had in the end as well. Some are kind of hit or miss or just better than others but I think that there is definitely something for everyone despite the gore and nudity and language. I especially enjoyed the following episodes, 1. Sonnie's Edge, 8. Good Hunting, 10. Shape-Shifters, 13. Lucky 13, and 18. Secret War. The way they went about the story telling and world building in each episode was phenomenal. I really feel that some of these episodes deserve their own individual films or series to do them better justice. I mean some were just so good and less than 20 minutes felt like not enough or that they could have been even better. I give the entire series overall a 9/10.
Produced by different casts and crews, and consisting of 18 stand-alone episodes, each under 20 minutes, the title of the series refers to the recurring themes of love, death, and robots in each episode. Full of terrifying creatures, wicked surprises and dark comedy, it's a collection of animated short stories spanning several genres like horror, comedy, fantasy, and science fiction. Captivating stories come to life with world-class animation in a plethora of tales unlike anything else.
This series was wicked awesome. Reminded me of some of the other animated anthologies I've seen such as The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight, except quite a bit more NSFW. This series also gave me a Twilight Zone vibe but bit darker. More blood and guts and highly sexual. Even though it's pretty graphic, I really liked a lot of the stories they told and the twists that most had in the end as well. Some are kind of hit or miss or just better than others but I think that there is definitely something for everyone despite the gore and nudity and language. I especially enjoyed the following episodes, 1. Sonnie's Edge, 8. Good Hunting, 10. Shape-Shifters, 13. Lucky 13, and 18. Secret War. The way they went about the story telling and world building in each episode was phenomenal. I really feel that some of these episodes deserve their own individual films or series to do them better justice. I mean some were just so good and less than 20 minutes felt like not enough or that they could have been even better. I give the entire series overall a 9/10.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Deadly Curiosities in Books
Jan 6, 2021
DNF at 60%.
The cover grabbed me and the synopsis made me think this could be quite a fun read.It turned out it took a lot of reading. That’s not to say it was bad or anything, for me it was just okay; nothing special. I just prefer shorter books. And ones with less description. (I’m probably the only one who feels like that!)
And for them to have at least a bit of romance in them. By the half way point I’d given up on anything romantic happening. There wasn’t the slightest whiff of it at all. I like a bit of action in stories but I love it when it ends in some sexual tension between characters and there was nil. I’m a romance reader and I, wrongly, assumed that this would be like every other UF book I’ve read where there would be some romance mixed in the storyline.
Getting past the lack of romance, I liked the abilities of Cassidy and Teag. It was a refreshing change to read about something different. Not that I don’t love my shifters and vampires but every so often it’s nice to get a different take on things and seeing the history of items when you touch them and being able to piece together information on the internet and through books as a Weaver were definitely new to me.
I must confess that the lack of romance in the book put me off and I struggled to become interested in the storyline. I’m not the biggest fan of ghost stories and I’m no history buff so having to read all the back story of the Charleston really put me off.
Being honest, I have to say that this wasn’t my sort of book at all but if you like urban fantasy books with lots of description/back story with the occasional flashbacks and no romance, then this is likely perfect for you.
The cover grabbed me and the synopsis made me think this could be quite a fun read.It turned out it took a lot of reading. That’s not to say it was bad or anything, for me it was just okay; nothing special. I just prefer shorter books. And ones with less description. (I’m probably the only one who feels like that!)
And for them to have at least a bit of romance in them. By the half way point I’d given up on anything romantic happening. There wasn’t the slightest whiff of it at all. I like a bit of action in stories but I love it when it ends in some sexual tension between characters and there was nil. I’m a romance reader and I, wrongly, assumed that this would be like every other UF book I’ve read where there would be some romance mixed in the storyline.
Getting past the lack of romance, I liked the abilities of Cassidy and Teag. It was a refreshing change to read about something different. Not that I don’t love my shifters and vampires but every so often it’s nice to get a different take on things and seeing the history of items when you touch them and being able to piece together information on the internet and through books as a Weaver were definitely new to me.
I must confess that the lack of romance in the book put me off and I struggled to become interested in the storyline. I’m not the biggest fan of ghost stories and I’m no history buff so having to read all the back story of the Charleston really put me off.
Being honest, I have to say that this wasn’t my sort of book at all but if you like urban fantasy books with lots of description/back story with the occasional flashbacks and no romance, then this is likely perfect for you.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Rejected (Shadow Beast Shifters, #1) in Books
Jan 7, 2021
I grabbed this one from Kindle Unlimited after taking advantage of their 6 months at a reduced cost offer because, you know, have you seen that cover?!
So this starts with Mera and her best friend heading to school while discussing the fact that they can't wait to have their first shift into their wolves so they can leave their pack after the abuse Mera has received off them after her father tried to kill the alpha when she was younger. Mera runs from the pack before her shift, knowing that death is likely to be her outcome either way - either from the shift itself or from the pack - but she's tracked down before then and brought back. Before long she shifts and finds her mate amongst her pack, only to be rejected by him and the intense pain both she and her wolf are in has her calling out to the Shadow Beast - the god of shifters - and he comes and takes her away.
I don't quite know how I feel about this book. It's like one extreme to another for all the males in Mera's life. Torin; doesn't like her and taunts her continuously but doesn't want her harmed by his father. Jaxson; one of her old best friends - torments her/attacks her almost daily but also seems to have feelings for her. Shadow; can't seem to stand her but won't let anyone else have her or touch her. I was so confused and conflicted by it. I wasn't cheering for anyone in particular. I even briefly wondered if it was going to turn into some reverse harem kind of thing...but nope. Or at least not in this one.
I honestly have no idea if I'm going to continue the series. It was the cover that pulled me into reading this one as it is...so maybe if the cover is as good...? I honestly don't know. I was expecting some romance and it was filled with an angry female and stupid alpha males, though there was a hot scene or two.
So this starts with Mera and her best friend heading to school while discussing the fact that they can't wait to have their first shift into their wolves so they can leave their pack after the abuse Mera has received off them after her father tried to kill the alpha when she was younger. Mera runs from the pack before her shift, knowing that death is likely to be her outcome either way - either from the shift itself or from the pack - but she's tracked down before then and brought back. Before long she shifts and finds her mate amongst her pack, only to be rejected by him and the intense pain both she and her wolf are in has her calling out to the Shadow Beast - the god of shifters - and he comes and takes her away.
I don't quite know how I feel about this book. It's like one extreme to another for all the males in Mera's life. Torin; doesn't like her and taunts her continuously but doesn't want her harmed by his father. Jaxson; one of her old best friends - torments her/attacks her almost daily but also seems to have feelings for her. Shadow; can't seem to stand her but won't let anyone else have her or touch her. I was so confused and conflicted by it. I wasn't cheering for anyone in particular. I even briefly wondered if it was going to turn into some reverse harem kind of thing...but nope. Or at least not in this one.
I honestly have no idea if I'm going to continue the series. It was the cover that pulled me into reading this one as it is...so maybe if the cover is as good...? I honestly don't know. I was expecting some romance and it was filled with an angry female and stupid alpha males, though there was a hot scene or two.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Jaguar King (The Wild Rites Saga #1) in Books
Apr 12, 2021
50 of 250
Kindle
The Jaguar King ( The Wild Rites saga book 1)
By Anne Mcilwraith
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Magic is real? Big deal. Bills still gotta be paid.
Especially when you’re heading into vet med. Emma Chase is nothing special – if anything, with a roomie who turns into a jaguar on a regular basis, she’s the sidekick, not the heroine. Her superpowers have more to do with acing her finals and overworking herself. Knowing her best friend’s secret makes it easier to justify her own inclination to keep people at a distance, but it doesn’t change her life.
Until others like him show up on her doorstep, convinced she’s the fated savior of their race, telling her she’s destined to command the magic of – well, Emma doesn’t quite catch that part, she’s too busy getting her ass the hell out of there.
What she does know? The Jaguar King is after her, his rivals want her dead, and she doesn’t have to believe in prophecy to believe they’ll stop at nothing to catch her.
Violence. Magic. Inappropriate humor. Step into a world of wonder and savagery in a gritty urban fantasy with an unlikely heroine, sizzling heroes, and complicated villains. The Jaguar King is a full-length read and the first in a series, and all the books have satisfying resolutions as well as a series-spanning story arc. Definitely no cliff-hangers – just bad-ass shifters with one goal: claim the prize. Claim the Caller of the Blood.
I so wanted to give this more than 2 stars! The main character is good she can kick ass and has sass but it’s all a bit over complicated. I found it rushed in places and hard to read in others. It’s not all bad though I’ve been dying for a spider shifter for so long and in this area I was not disappointed and I love the link that Emma has with Fern!
The fighting scenes were a bit all over the place too nothing seemed clear.
For me overall it showed promise just didn't deliver.
The Bringer of Wrath (The King & Alpha #2)
8.0
Rate It
Book
Shifter and Vampire True Mates story. Alek’s older brother, Justice—the Alpha Zenith—was...
MM Paranormal Romance Vampires Shifters
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Craved by an Alpha (Eternal Mates #5) in Books
Apr 11, 2023
We briefly met Cavanaugh in Kyter and Iolanthe's story and I was immediately intrigued by him - I guess I like the tortured hero! We find out in his story that because of Pride rules and traditions, he can't be with the woman/cat that he wants to be with. When he is challenged as Alpha, he is injured and makes decisions that maybe aren't as smart as he thinks they are at the time.
This leads him eventually to 'Underworld' where he spends his time quite happily counting down the days until he can claim his woman. Of course, the path to true love is never smooth... especially when it involves shifters who are stuck in century's old tradition and a stand-in Alpha who wants things his way only.
Eloise has had it tough. She was basically persecuted by the stand-in Alpha due to her association with Cavanaugh. She stays because her family are there and leaving is a scary option. However, when it becomes that staying is the scarier choice, she decides to leave and find the one person that she thinks left her without a backward glance and put things right.
Things definitely don't go smoothly for our couple but it does help them find each other again. Theirs is a more gentle love story than some that we've had. Cavanaugh is afraid to push Eloise too much due to the past trauma that he feels responsible for. Eloise feels, partly due to the stand-in Alpha and partly due to how she sees Cavanaugh's responsibilities as Alpha, that she is unable to go toe-to-toe with him as other main females do. It is nice to see flashes of her though as she "forgets her place" and lets rip with what she really feels and thinks.
I can definitely recommend this story both by itself and also as a wonderful addition to the fantastic Eternal Mates series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
July 26, 2016
This leads him eventually to 'Underworld' where he spends his time quite happily counting down the days until he can claim his woman. Of course, the path to true love is never smooth... especially when it involves shifters who are stuck in century's old tradition and a stand-in Alpha who wants things his way only.
Eloise has had it tough. She was basically persecuted by the stand-in Alpha due to her association with Cavanaugh. She stays because her family are there and leaving is a scary option. However, when it becomes that staying is the scarier choice, she decides to leave and find the one person that she thinks left her without a backward glance and put things right.
Things definitely don't go smoothly for our couple but it does help them find each other again. Theirs is a more gentle love story than some that we've had. Cavanaugh is afraid to push Eloise too much due to the past trauma that he feels responsible for. Eloise feels, partly due to the stand-in Alpha and partly due to how she sees Cavanaugh's responsibilities as Alpha, that she is unable to go toe-to-toe with him as other main females do. It is nice to see flashes of her though as she "forgets her place" and lets rip with what she really feels and thinks.
I can definitely recommend this story both by itself and also as a wonderful addition to the fantastic Eternal Mates series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
July 26, 2016
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Bound (The Academy #3) in Books
Jan 12, 2022
BOUND is the third book in The Academy series, and we return to Jamie with Wren still unconscious after whatever happened to him in book two. Events are moving forward at a fast pace but now she has to stand on her own two feet, instead of leaning on Wren.
Romance is definitely down the list in this book, apart from hints of the dratted triangle. Maybe I'm cold-hearted but I can't say I was disappointed by what he did at the end! I do feel this side of things was let down in this book though. There was no development with Wren - being as he was out of it for 90% of the book. I would have liked to see how their lives were entwined together. It wasn't for Wren to save the day but it didn't seem like a partnership either.
Now, if you wanted action instead of romance, this is for you. The action is non-stop. Jamie still doesn't know who to trust, and now the Elders are involved too. Their participation just sort of fizzled out though, so unless there are more books planned, you'll never know what went on there. The same for Wren, really. The big bad is revealed at the end, and it was no surprise, although it was to Jamie. But were they the ones to poison Wren? How did that happen? Who did it? These are the questions I am left with unanswered.
Although Jamie's storyline is concluded, it has also been left wide open for stories from others - including Jacob and Cass, Forrest and Chloe - to name just two.
On the whole, this was a slightly different take on Shifters and their history. I loved hearing about Jeanetta. If you like your books heavy on action and less on romance, this could be just the series for you.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Romance is definitely down the list in this book, apart from hints of the dratted triangle. Maybe I'm cold-hearted but I can't say I was disappointed by what he did at the end! I do feel this side of things was let down in this book though. There was no development with Wren - being as he was out of it for 90% of the book. I would have liked to see how their lives were entwined together. It wasn't for Wren to save the day but it didn't seem like a partnership either.
Now, if you wanted action instead of romance, this is for you. The action is non-stop. Jamie still doesn't know who to trust, and now the Elders are involved too. Their participation just sort of fizzled out though, so unless there are more books planned, you'll never know what went on there. The same for Wren, really. The big bad is revealed at the end, and it was no surprise, although it was to Jamie. But were they the ones to poison Wren? How did that happen? Who did it? These are the questions I am left with unanswered.
Although Jamie's storyline is concluded, it has also been left wide open for stories from others - including Jacob and Cass, Forrest and Chloe - to name just two.
On the whole, this was a slightly different take on Shifters and their history. I loved hearing about Jeanetta. If you like your books heavy on action and less on romance, this could be just the series for you.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!