Category: M/M Supernatural Fiction

An Alisa Releases Day Review: Warlock in Training (Studies in Demonology #1) by T.J. Nichols

 

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

warlock-in-training-by-tj-nicholsAngus Donohue doesn’t want to be a warlock. He believes draining demons for magic is evil, but it’s a dangerous opinion to have—his father is a powerful and well-connected warlock, and Angus is expected to follow the family tradition.

 

His only way out is to fail the demon summoning class. Failure means expulsion from the Warlock College. Despite Angus’s best efforts to fumble the summoning, it works. Although not the way anyone expects.

 

Angus’s demon, Saka, is a powerful mage with his own need for a warlock.

 

Saka wants to use Angus in a ritual to rebalance the magic that is being stripped from Demonside by warlocks. If Angus survives his demon’s desires and the perils of Demonside, he’ll have to face the Warlock College and their demands.

 

Angus must choose: obey the College and forget about Demonside or trust Saka and try to fix the damage before it’s too late. Whatever he does, he is in the middle of a war he isn’t qualified to fight.

 

This is wonderful and thought out story.  Angus has been struggling with himself since his father placed him in Warlock College and has been trying to figure out how to get out without just quitting like he wants to.  When Saka takes him back to Demonside most of his beliefs and research about the use of demons in his world are confirmed.

 

Both Angus’s and Saka’s worlds were well developed and I wasn’t questioning the actions of the characters throughout the story as can often happen with little things seem to be missing.  While the “relationship” between Angus and Saka is not the main focus of the story it is important for this story for the future in this series.  They both have a deep connection to the other, but are unable to actually voice this to others or really themselves.

 

We see the views of both Angus and Saka in this story.  Angus is trying to figure out how to help Saka while also not being a rogue on his side; unfortunately he has more confrontation than he planned on.  I couldn’t help, but feel his desperation and how hopeless his situation felt at many points throughout the story.  Saka has never fully agreed with what many on his side deem the proper solution for bring the worlds back into balance, but as long as he is able he will work to do what he thinks is the best solution.  This is a great start to this series and I look forward to more of these stories.

 

Cover art by Catt Ford is wonderful and shows both of the worlds Angus is trying to live in.

 

Sales Links: DSP Publications | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 226 pages

Published: February 14, 2017 by DSP Publications

ISBN-13: 9781635332674

Edition Language: English

Series: Studies in Demonology #1

A PaulB Review: Wolf Whistle (Werewolves of Manhattan #7) by A.C. Katt

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

wolf-whistle-2I always eagerly await the next book in the Werewolves of Manhattan series.  And with this seventh edition, I am not disappointed.

The board members of Garou Industries are celebrating the mating and wedding of Etienne Daurensbourg and Julio Reyes in suburban Chicago.  As a wedding present to Julio, Etienne has found Julio’s childhood friend Richard Kerrigan who is living in Chicago.  The two have not seen each other in over ten years, when Julio was placed in foster care after the death of his parents.  Richard’s family was not able to take Julio in because of state regulations and was not given any further information on him.  Richard jumps at the chance to reunite with his friend.

Richard has been living in Chicago for the past few years to take care of his sick mother.  While going through this, he is fired from his job as an engineer after blowing the whistle on shoddy parts in military vehicles.  The company effectively blackballs him from any other engineering company in Chicagoland.  Richard is unable to move after paying for his mother’s medical and funeral expenses.  Working at a local bar, a local Serbian mobster takes an interest in him.  Knowing that sooner or later, the mobster will make his move on him resulting in unwanted sexual encounters or worse, he takes the offer of a job at Garou, which Etienne has helped arrange.  He is to be mentored by Julien Bellaire, who happens to be Richard’s mate.  Arrangements are made so that Richard can leave with Julio and the board of Garou the next morning.

As usual, the mating of a board member does not go off as planned.  The Serbian mobster will not let Richard go that easily.  He tracks him down to New York in order to get him back.  There is also the fact that Richard must be told that he is Julien’s mate and that the board members of Garou are all wolf shifters.  Julien hopes that through Julio’s friendship and Colin’s book that the transition is not as traumatic as the others have been.  Now all Julien has to do is ensure that Richard is alive by the time they travel to Oregon for the mating ceremony.

As the characters in the book point out, the mates and matings all seem to follow a pattern.  But the author makes each one unique and then starts to change the script on the reader.  As with the previous two novels, we are introduced to the next potential mate at the end of the book.  This mate seems to shatter the mold completely.  I liked the introduction of Don Ferone’s gay stepson.  He wants his stepfather to change his ways but is isolated from most of the family business because of his thoughts.  I am pretty sure he will be a go between for the two powerful forces in New York.  Please hurry with book eight, Ms. Katt.

Winterheart Designs’ cover art is another winner.  The red headed Richard and brunette Julien are above a New York bridge skyline with a wolf howling against the backdrop of the moon above. 

Sales Links

MLR Press

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Book Details

EBook, 201 pages

Edition Language:  English

Published January 20, 2017 by MLR Press

ISBN:  978-1-944700-44-0

Series:  Werewolves of Manhattan

His Omega (Werewolves of Manhattan #1)

Remy’s Painter (Werewolves of Manhattan #2)

Scarred Mate (Werewolves of Manhattan #3)

Marking Kane (Werewolves of Manhattan #4)

Alexi’s Mouse (Werewolves of Manhattan #5)

Julio’s Wolf (Werewolves of Manhattan #6)

Wolf Whistle (Werewolves of Manhattan #7)

A Paul B Release Day Review: Wolfmanny by Julia Talbot

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

wolfmannyJack McMillian is about to get away to Mexico for a vacation when his boss summons him to his office.  When the boss, a lion shifter, asks Jack to do him a favor, you know it must be big.  He wants Jack to go to Colorado to take on the job of manny to five wolf shifter pups ranging from age fifteen to twin three year olds.  It appears the young fifteen year old she-wolf bit their previous nanny, an ostrich shifter.  The head of the household, the children’s uncle, is CEO of a major computer company and known as a good alpha.  Deciding Vail was an alternative to Mexico, Jack decides to take the job, at least temporarily.

Kenneth Marcon has been raising his sister’s children for the past couple of years.  The children’s father dropped them off shortly after his wife’s death, unable to cope with the five children, two of which were infant twins.  He has help running both his company and his household from Miles.  Miles has had a thing for Ken but never acted upon it as Ken was both his boss and his alpha.  Things start to change when the new manny arrives.  When Jack begins to take interest in Miles, Ken starts to assert his feelings not only for his assistant but for the new manny as well.  Just as the three are forming their bond, Ken is called away to London to complete a business deal for his software company.  While Ken skypes with his family, it’s not enough for Jack or Miles and they see that Ken is not dealing well with being away either.  Can the men convince Ken to balance his work and home life better as seven people need him also?

This was a slightly different take on a shifter story for me.  When Ken is introduced as an alpha, I thought that there would be a big pack under his control.  Instead it seems that the pack is actually his family and those he employs for his household and company.  There is talk about sentries patrolling but I was not sure if it was just his estate or pack lands they were patrolling.  The mink shifters were a unique twist to what one would think would make a good bodyguard for the children.  Each of the children had their own personalities.  Simone is just beginning to shift again and doesn’t understand why she is different than her friends.  Tommy yearns for a male role model.  Ginny is the tom boy who is beginning to get interested in more feminine things.  And twins Jim and Joe just changed from wolf pups to their human form so they are exploring the world in their other form.  Personally, I thought the last couple of chapters would have been better as the start of a sequel to this book.  And I’m sure it will be a jumping off point for any such book.  I am waiting for more adventures of this family.

I absolutely adore the cover by Christine Griffin.  It has three wolf paw prints within a heart on a wood surface.  This is perfect for the book.

Sales Links

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Book Details

ebook, 216 pages
Expected publication: February 6th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1635332877 (ISBN13: 9781635332872)
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Alisa Review: American Telepath (Dragons Schooled #2) by Emily Carrington

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

american-telepathJames is a water dragon who fell in love with a human. Rather than expose that human to a dangerous magical world, James abandons Henry.

 

Five years later, they meet again—and it’s like they were never separated. Except Henry refuses—beyond the occasional bang—to have anything to do with James.

 

When Henry is punished for upsetting a powerful magical creature, James follows him into imprisonment. Together they struggle, with impromptu sex and in spite of discoveries, to overcome the past.

 

I am not quite sure how to describe this story.  James and Henry dated in high school and James deeply hurt Henry when he left without a word.  James is surprised when he meets Henry again at Searchlight Academy, but they don’t start out again on a good foot.

 

We get to see both characters’ points of view which helps understand both of their struggles and feelings.  This story mainly focuses on how dangerous dragons and other magical creatures are, which seemed a bit strange to me as I didn’t get that feeling about them in the first book in the series.  I had a hard time connecting with James and Henry as they both kept trying to keep secrets or wall themselves off from the other and acting totally opposite of their thoughts, it just didn’t jive for me.  Some of their problems stem from their earlier relationship, but also from how they have been hurt by others however little and unacknowledged it was.  I did like how James finally learns to stand up for himself in order to keep Henry safe.

 

Cover art by Fiona Jayde is nice and shows the safe house and a visual of James.

 

Sales Links: Loose Id | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 75 pages

Published: December 21, 2016 by Loose Id

ISBN: 9781682522332

Edition Language: English

Series: Dragons Schooled #2