Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5
This is an expanded edition of a short story being turned into a series. The relationship dynamic between the three lead characters is clear from the first scene, which is a phone call about a fatal car crash. The alternating of all three points of view throughout the story is vital to help piece together the different personalities, as well as softening the reader’s perception of what are three strong masculine characters. There are moments of insecurity and jealousy on Scott’s end, but it was Scott who decided they needed a third–someone nearby for Casey while he was on the road during hockey season, to be there for him with the horrors of his job as Sheriff. After adding Will, they have all been together three years. The author does a great job of capturing the tensions of the triad needing each other, but not being out–of not being able to touch each other in public, of everything happening behind locked doors, of living in fear of discovery. This relationship works really well because Scott is the glue that holds it all together–I knew it, but it was good to hear the guys say it too, that they know. These characters feel real. There is intimacy in everything they do, so while the sex is satisfying, it’s not the reason for the book; it’s well integrated into their relationship and the plot.
Due to them being closeted, there is a bubble they live in. Other characters are mentioned, but they don’t let anyone else into their lives. Casey’s family is cringeworthy. People can disagree on the politics of war, but they are very disrespectful towards Casey’s military service and job as a sherrif. Past hurts and pride are too much for Casey to overcome at one point, but that is as much a part of his character as anything else. Casey’s job takes center stage when it looks like the Slaters’ death wasn’t an accident. The Slaters were really Will’s only friends/family so with them dead, the ranch becomes the character that shows the most about who Will is as he struggles with his self worth, grief, and his place in the world. Even though he’s the oldest and in charge of the ranch, he rarely takes the lead in his personal life. Scott’s family is highlighted, but not focused on in this book. I like that the reader gets to see Scott’s POV when he is out of town in Canada, so that his profession isn’t given less weight as this plot mostly revolves around the ranch and Casey trying to solve the crime right before the election.
Even though I knew it was coming, parts of this are sad and disheartening. Kudos to the author for getting me so invested in these characters and their happiness, in what they wanted for themselves, that I forgot that sometimes when things don’t work out the way you want them to, things are actually better in the end. I liked all three characters enough to root for them as they make difficult choices. Life changes for each of them and they choose to grow together, using their relationship as a touchstone when all their careers are in transition. I would have rated this higher, but I wanted all the characters to feel as real as the triad. I wanted the epilogue to have been more nuanced rather than such a big slash. Still, those are small things since this is a book I can read enjoyably over and over.
The cover art is by Karrie Jax Cover Design (karriejax.com). I have to admit I didn’t love it at first as it’s a bit jarring, but that works well with the title and plot. The pictures show a lot about the book. Even the color choices are appropriate. It’s growing on me the more I look at it because the words also match each picture.
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Book Details:
This is the second book of the Zero Rising series, which gives more background about Jack. The first book in the Zero Rising series is named The Power of Zero, which is also the name of the series that was written first, but takes place after these novellas. While these are enjoyable on their own, and I think you could read them even out of order and suss all the important details, for best emotional impact I would recommend reading the The Power of Zero series first and then reading the Zero Rising series as the prequels they are meant to be. I look at this series as a thank you to fans. If you haven’t read anything else, you could still pick up these novellas to see if you like the writing style before you read the longer novels.
The main characters are a college student named Andrew, who is trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life, and a mysterious man named Caius, whom he keeps dreaming about after spending the night in a haunted house. I think the blurb tells you everything you need to know about this book, so if it sounds intriguing, go ahead and jump right in. I really hesitate to give any spoilers. Part of the fun of the book is it walks a fine line of many genres: horror, ghost story, historical romance, fairy tale, contemporary romance, paranormal, and urban fantasy. Is Caius the charming man of Andrew’s dreams, or an entirely different kind of nightmare?
The blurb says this is like Firefly meets Wagon Train and that is accurate. This is the best world-building I have read in a long time that wasn’t contained in a bubble: meaning the reader isn’t just given enough to advance the plot at that moment, and that not just one location was looked at in detail. Almost everywhere they went was looked at in enough detail, showing urban and rural areas, to get a sense of place except planet Main. The only thing shown about Main is the murder and betrayal games the elite play. As they are the bad guys in this scenario it may seem strange, but don’t we already know what they look like? They have a ruling Primary class that is white, homogeneous, and hereditary. Their economy is about to collaspe and they are running out of resources in the planet system they control.
What helps makes this successful for me is that Hunter is well established as a character, and the reader is immersed in his POV, before anything extraordinary happens. Hunter’s choices, based on who he is as a person, lead him to another realm after he follows a thief stealing his mother’s brooch. This is a typical portal story of moving between worlds, but it’s very well written. Thrown into action in the enemy territory of the Heneran lands, a tense truce is formed between Hunter and the thief Dax as they try to survive. Once they are near out of enemy territory, Hunter meets the Rebellion forces–a ragtag band of people living in a camp in the wilderness and gets thrown into politics against the Crown. As the setting shifts to the capital city of Andreya, he learns more about his new world and how to survive in it. His world crumbles as he starts to question everything he thought he knew, including about his own mother. I felt like I was getting pulled in and figuring things out more quickly than Hunter, which is a clever way of getting the reader invested.
This is a short novella starting six months after the previous story, The Castaway Prince. You could read this as a standalone with no issues, but it would be more enjoyable read in order. Prince Stephan of Seveihar is living in the southern kingdom of Segor with his lover and former servant, Warren. They’ve sold Stephan’s jewels to set up a Mercantile business. Revelling in the openness and acceptance of Stephan in Segor, they have not been discreet. The previous story made clear Stephan is a crossdresser. He identified as male. This book is a bit murkier in the gender bending. Stephan’s brother Robert has ascended the throne and declared war between Seveihar and their rival Esnia. He sees Stephan as a threat, even in exile.
In this series the first four are a unit with a shared plot, the fifth is a wedding, the sixth is a misstep adventure (in my opinion), and this one is more related to the spin-off, Ward Security. In fact, if you haven’t tried the spin-off series, this might make you want to as it highlights all the characters.
This is book two in a series and they would be best read in order as this starts the day after the last book ends and has an overarching plotline. The bump in their relationship has passed with Ethan deciding to stay instead of returning to Earth. Although Ethan and Ryder are now a couple, with Ethan’s insecurities, he convinces Ryder not to let people know he’s off the market, saying it would hurt his business. They are now working together, neighbors, and lovers. The inventory issues, theft, and prostitution issues have gotten even more involved than they thought. It will take Ryder’s connections and Ethan’s accounting skills to save them from a hostile takeover by the Eastern European mob back on Terra.
The story starts with Marcus going back to where he’s from to film a movie. He has the chance to visit the taekwondo academy where he spent five formative years, from age 10 to 15. Back then, his crush was the son of the owner, Taemin, who became an instructor, training to take over the family business. Meeting Taemin again and getting to know him as an adult and equal, shows Marcus everything he wants in a partner. Taemin takes a bit longer to realize what he is feeling, that it’s ok to feel this way, and that Marcus is someone he wants in his life as more than a friend.
This is the sixth book in the series. If you don’t read these in order, you will miss some inside couple things, references to their friends and background for Jude’s family. Still, this plot is not connected to the other books, so you could jump in with this one and follow the story, it will just have less emotional impact. There is enough recapping to get by for new people, and annoy those already following the series.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 