Once Written in Gilded Blood (Cruel Fates #2)

Together, then, wife?

Available at Amazon.com

Once Written in Gilded Blood
K. M. Moronova
Cruel Fates, book two
ebook, 400 pages
Published August 18, 2026
ASIN 1464293627
ISBN 9781464293627
Netgalley eARC


Love is the sharpest weapon of all….

Born with gilded blood, Alira is a demigod knight forged for war - her rare gift makes her both priceless and disposable in the eyes of the gods she serves. When centuries of bloodshed threaten to consume the world, she is sent into a political marriage with Kalel Lornhelm, the infamous Blood Knight and demon commander of Devicit.

Devicit is a kingdom of beauty and terror, hidden behind a shimmering magical veil. As Alira is drawn into demon life, mistrust slowly gives way to desire, and Alira learns that Kalel has been bound to her fate far longer than she ever knew.

But beneath the city’s splendour lies a devastating secret. As gods rise, war reignites, and the systems that shaped them both demand blood once more, Alira and Kalel must confront the cost of peace….

I'm a fan of Moronova, especially her Dark Forces duology.

The first book in the Cruel Fates series, Once Upon a Demon's Heart, was a strong 4.5-stars from me. I enjoyed it so much that I hunted down the release date for book two, added it to wishlists and shelves, and even set an alarm when the Netgalley drop was announced.

What an unfathomable disappointment it turned out to be.

It's dull. The pacing is excruciatingly slow. The FMC is undoubtedly the most complacent protagonist I've encountered in a long while and her leading male (a demon; not a man!) is too busy wallowing in his self-pity to be bothered to right any wrongs.

Neither of them manages to keep the story engaging, and if it weren't for the gods forcing their hands, they would have been perfectly fine withering away in Mortem while time continued to matter to any and everyone else.

Time certainly felt slower while dragging myself to the end of this book.

It's a book two. And, a book two, should never be this damn slow in its pacing.

The first quarter of the story is Kalel lying and Alira sensing those lies. That's about a hundred pages of dull, going nowhere dialogue filled with brunch, backburner suspicion, and an arranged marriage that felt as dry as reality would expect it to be.

She sold herself into a marriage to end the war but, unwittingly, became a Trojan horse instead.

And it couldn't have felt more drawn out.

This is a lovers to enemies tale... and I was begging for the enemies stage for half the book. And even that was bleh when it arrived.

2 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover

Previously in the series:

2026/37

Smoke & Scar (Shattered Crown #1)

Oh, the voice was mad now.

Available at Amazon.com

Smoke and Scar
Gretchen Powell Fox
Shattered Crown, book one
ebook
Hardcover, 468 pages
Independently Published March 10, 2025
ISBN 9780988468931
ASIN B0FDJF3SCF


A Splintered Kingdom

An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.

A Haunted Warrior

Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate.

A Vengeful Knight

Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths.

An Unwinnable Challenge

With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.

This is the Arcane Crucible.

This one had a rough start for me. (And a rough middle and end as well) Taryn, I support you, lass, but you got to do better. Elyria, you can't glory in something then be offended by the label of it.
So our morally grey FMC is on a path of learning, by my standards, and I could easily see the two females becoming friends by the end. (I was wrong on all counts.)

Also, Elyria appears to be at the point where she's beyond done with everyone's bs. (And before the end, I would be as well.)

The Revenant. The solution to all their problems. The one that could finally put an end to the war between humans and faeries. Become the champion of Nyrundella and be all that and more.

Elyria just wants to drown herself in cider.

She is offended by the humans' lack of creativity in their slurs. As if her own bigotry is so refined.

Wtf am I reading, I asked more than once. Considered a DNF half a dozen times before making it even a third of the way through.

But things can only improve, right? Couldn't possibly get any worse. Right?

I could only choose to believe the cast would enlighten and save each other. But being flooded with a world of hate and disgust was not how I envisioned starting off 2026.

After about half way, the slurs and outright disrespect wane a bit but the story never truly improves.

Cedric is a rather pathetic character. Never really accomplishes anything other than suffering and inevitably sacrificing himself. Always apologizing. So accepting of the others' contempt for the humans. The way he sat there, testifying to the pain and suffering of his people, only for them, Ellyria included, to dismiss him with a "everybody suffers" response.

No one listens. Elyria certainly doesn't. She has had her mind made up from the beginning and the story only serves to justify her resolve and her predjudice.

And I am not a fan of those kind of stories.

I read books because they make me happy. They inspire. They open eyes by crafting new lenses. They pierce the heart and help shape the soul.

This book did not make me feel happy. Nor did it do any of those other things.

This book—this story—felt like a punishment.

But I'd be damned if my first read of 2026 would be a DNF.

So I pressed on. Ten percent here. Five percent there.

Until it was ultimately over. The long prophesied betrayal had occurred, and it was glorious, and the villain's secret identity was revealed to the reader, setting up a nice surprise in sequels to come.

I'll give credit where it's due: Zephyr was the best part of this book. By far.

2 out of 5 stars. When the fmc doesn't even want to be a part of the story, what hope does the reader have?

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

2026/01

A Court of Thorns & Roses (ACOTAR #1)

What do I care?

Available at Amazon.com

A Court of Thorns & Roses
Sarah J. Maas
ACOTAR, book one
Paperback, 419 pages
Published June 2, 2020
ISBN 9781635575569

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

I don’t know how I’ve never heard of this series but I managed to be convinced to read book two, A Court of Mist and Fury, and I can’t very well in good conscience skip over book one so, without even reading the blurb, here we are.

Smh. I should have just skipped to book two.

The first chapter was sad. And the main character is a bigot. Not off to the best start.

But Tamlin made me smile (once, and never again) and Lucien’s hostility was intriguing enough so on I continued as the two Fae worked on eradicating Feyre’s prejudices.

The plot - Feyre is a young woman of nineteen tasked with providing for herself, her father, and her two older sisters. Her mother is long deceased and any riches the family once possessed have dwindled to a tiny cottage. This doesn’t shy the woman from looking down on everyone though. Resentful and oh so judgmental.

On a hunt to sustain the family, Feyre crosses paths with what appears to be a wolf targeting the same deer in the woods. Wolf kills deer. Feyre kills wolf. Feyre skins wolf. Feyre leaves wolf’s corpse to rot in the winter woods.

But that wolf was a Fae. And that Fae had friends.

And so, Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Court, invokes the rights to a life for a life as dictated by the treaty between their two peoples and collects Feyre to join him in Prythian as not his prisoner or slave, but as his guest.

There you have it. Beauty and the Beast. At the most diabolical level.

Spoilers and a profane rant below.

Beauty and the Beast meets... Saw? Because wtf else did I just read??

She's his pet.

About halfway through this book, I had a question that was nagging to be answered because apparently I’m developing a habit of questioning the role of the love interest… Am I suppose to like Tamlin? I knew he wasn't endgame thanks to Booktok and what little I'd pieced together about book two, but was I suppose to even like him? Despise him? Was I suppose to despise everyone? Because aside from Lucien, that was the path I was on.

And then Rhysand shows up and what a breath of fresh air... Yes, you beautiful, dark creature! Avenge me for the pain they’ve put me through! Torture them all!

If only I had skipped the first seventy percent of this book... Feyre is awful. Tamrin… fucking hell. The entire plot is based on a lie and a curse. Fuck him. Fuck his whole court.

Pages 290 through half of 415 was all I needed. Didn't even finish the last bit because Rhysand was gone and to hell if I was going to suffer through Tammy again.

The bond between us went taut.

Are we really not going to talk about that? ^^

Am I going to still give it a go with book two? A grumbled yes.

Why? Because Rhysand is the devil and I hope to see all these characters, aside from Lucien, burning in hell.

And because I’ve already purchased it.

“Well, good-bye for now,” he said, rolling his neck as if we hadn’t been talking about anything important at all. He bowed at the waist, those wings vanishing entirely, and had begun to fade into the nearest shadow when he went rigid.

His eyes locked on mine, wide and wild, and his nostrils flared. Shock—pure shock flashed across his features at whatever he saw on my face, and he stumbled back a step. Actually stumbled.”

2 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

2025/08

Hunted by the Sky (Wrath of Ambar #1)

Available at Amazon

Hunted by the Sky
Tanaz Bhathena
Wrath of Ambar, book one
Kindle Edition, 384 pages
Audiobook, 13+ hours
Published June 23rd 2020 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ASIN B082GRKKXX


Gul has spent her life running. She has a star-shaped birthmark on her arm, and in the kingdom of Ambar, girls with such birthmarks have been disappearing for years. Gul’s mark is what caused her parents’ murder at the hand of King Lohar’s ruthless soldiers and forced her into hiding to protect her own life. So when a group of rebel women called the Sisters of the Golden Lotus rescue her, take her in, and train her in warrior magic, Gul wants only one thing: revenge.

Cavas lives in the tenements, and he’s just about ready to sign his life over to the king’s army. His father is terminally ill, and Cavas will do anything to save him. But sparks fly when he meets a mysterious girl—Gul—in the capital’s bazaar, and as the chemistry between them undeniably grows, he becomes entangled in a mission of vengeance—and discovers a magic he never expected to find.

Dangerous circumstances have brought Gul and Cavas together at the king’s domain in Ambar Fort... a world with secrets deadlier than their own.

It should be obvious now... my earnest attempt to support the YA book genre.

This story is about Gul, a girl branded by fate with a birthmark foretold to bring the demise of a king. She will rise from an outcast to an assassin. From a slave to a servant. From a free woman to one promised in marriage to a prince. This journey will take her ever closer to fulfilling her fate.

And possibly, bore you.

Despite this epic sounding evolution, I didn't love this book. Even in reflecting on the many changes Gul was brought through, I was rather bored with the journey and even Cavas didn't manage to thrill me. There's magic. There's gods. Er, goddesses. Aspects I adore. But, unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me but I could see it holding more appeal for those closer to the tween/early teen age range.

2 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | audiobook | hardcover | paperback

Darrok (Kaldar Warriors #2)

"I would chase you to the ends of the universe
if it meant that you would accept my claim."

Available at Amazon.com

Darrok
Kaldar Warriors, book two
T.J. Yelden
Kindle Edition, 261 pages
Published December 15th 2016

Samantha always had a hard time letting people in. The only person who truly mastered that was just kidnapped by the same aliens that have been parading around Earth promoting their undying respect and protection to the female population. Right. Because it’s every girl’s dream to be whisked away to some far off planet with a bunch of aliens. One small decision leads to big changes and Samantha is about to find out how far she will go. Both to save her planet and her growing feelings for a certain green-eyed alien.

Darrok knew he had his work cut out for him. Six months searching for Samantha and keeping an eye on the growing problems near their borders. Along with finding and claiming his mate, he also has to make a decision that could give his race valuable information regarding their enemies. The catch? It would mean putting Samantha directly in harm’s way. It goes against everything that the Kaldar warrior stands for, but there is no other option. They must find out who is aiding their enemies and Darrok must ensure the cost is not his mate’s life.

I enjoyed this book, despite Samantha's role, up until about seventy precent- when the Altu came into play. From there, it went downhill in a barrel. It's sad, considering how long I, and others, have waited to read Karac's sequel. TWO YEARS.

Allow me to just rant because, truly, it's my fury at this story that's driving me to even type out a review. I'll take it character by character. And yes, here be spoilers.

Darrok...

He did everything right. I was in his corner through every argument. Until the fool did the one thing that had kept Samantha from being open to him all along. He leaves her. After railing against her father for abandoning Sam at such a young, defenseless age, Darrok, too, walks away. And practically disappears from her life.

Granted, ..and this brings me to Samantha....

Sam had mommy/daddy issues brought on from a rough childhood which tainted her view on relationships. Despite the instant pull to Darrok as everything that feels like home, she erects a wall between them and insists on biding her time until she can regain her pathetic career-oriented existence back on Earth. Time after time, Darrok attempts to relate to her. To get to know her. To just be with her. And she not only shuts him down, she turns to other males to fill the void. I allow that it's easier to go to Taegin or Kinric because they're not looking for anything from her. There's no expectation from them so it feels safer to her to feed those bonds. But damn, woman....

And then there's Kinric.

He overstepped his place and he was never held accountable. Simple as that.

The Altu...

My problem with this branch of the story lies with, again, Samantha. And I don't think I truly understood the threat. The leader, sadist that he may be, wants to understand the human brain. (Without dissecting it! Kudos!) So he starts, mostly unbeknownst to Sam, rifling through her memories and her brainwaves and all that good stuff. Then she starts fighting him. For reasons beyond me. There was no great trauma she was looking to avoid. No hidden, long buried memory she was looking to escape. She was just being selfish in the 'these are my thoughts, my memories, they're what make me me' blah blah immature ranting gone wild. The guy didn't give a damn about her memories or her emotions. There was no judgment. No nothing. He just wanted to see the mechanics of how human minds work in a purely scientific study type examination. What. am. I. missing? Did Sam not have the ability to let him in. In that case, was she fighting in vain? The only destruction to her mind came when he was forced to push his way in. Had she just let him do it, she could have saved herself. Right???

And back to Darrok...

After attempt and attempt to woo his truemate, and having her turn to Kinric for answers and teammates for companionship, Darrok has very little to feel secure about. After failing to protect her from losing her mind, he has nothing. And yet, he did the one thing, the *one* thing, that was never an option. Sam's greatest fear, that which drove her to swear off relationships of almost any kind, was being abandoned. He knew it. And, with his weightless justifications, he did it anyway.

There's no happily ever after here for me. A warped biology sustains Darrok and Sam's relationship. Nothing more.

2 out of 5 stars.

Previously in the series:

Stranded (Warriors of Karal #1)

Available at Amazon.com

Stranded
Harmony Raines
Warriors of Karal, book one
ebook, 164 pages
Published November 6th 2015
ASIN B017PP5DBS

Daily lotteries take females from the dying Earth, to the planet of Karal. Their sole purpose has been to breed with the Karal to make their next generation.

Until now.

Seven lottery winners are chosen to compete, to go on the first deep space mission, to find a new planet for the humans to call home. Only one gets to go. The rest will be sent to the farming belt.

Bronwyn has always wanted a child, but she cannot bear the idea of sentencing a child to a life on the dying Earth. Instead, she uses her extra coin to help her brother and his family. But she can't help entering the lottery, in the hope she can fulfil her dream of having her own child one day on the planet Karal.

However, when she does win the lottery, she has another decision to make. Win the trials and become the first human female to go into deep space, or live safely on Karal.

She hopes if she discovers a new planet, she might be able to secure a place for her brother and his family there. That is the only reason she tries her best, it has nothing to do with not wanting to lose to Lucile, a pent from Earth. Or her attraction to the huge, well muscled Karalian who will be her companion on the mission.

Quin is the pilot of the first deep space mission, he would rather go alone than with a female. But he has no choice, he must fulfil his duties and breed before his prime ends. To make sure his son is strong and intelligent, he is willing to put his own preferences aside and take the winner of the trials.

But the more he sees of Bronwyn, the more he wants to put aside his best judgement. Even if it means putting the mission in at risk, because he knows she makes him feel things that might influence his actions.

And that could be bad news for them both, and the whole of the human race.

Contains strong sexual themes and is meant for adults only.

2 out of 5 stars.

Arak's Love (A World Beyond #2)

Available at Amazon.com

Arak's Love
Michelle Howard
A World Beyond, book two
Kindle Edition, 192 pages
Published July 14th 2015 by Michelle Howard
ASIN B00YO158SK

Half-Argoran shifter, Arak O’tir knew good people existed. He worked with some of them. But as a deadly Jutak warrior, his work often took him into the less savory elements of society. So much so, he shielded his heart from those he’d rescued. That was, until one particular mission leaves him longing for a specific female. Someone who made him tremble even if she wasn’t from his world.

Sylvia Forrester never expected her quest for a husband would lead her into danger. Nor could she have ever foreseen that her search would find her captured by aliens and added to a list of potential sex-slaves to be sold for a high profit. While her captors should have broken her, destroying any hope she’d had of a life happily-ever-after, Sylvia’s savior has her wondering if her earlier dreams could still come true.

But Arak and Sylvia soon discover love and passion has its own price.

Remember book one? Remember that moment when you expected love at first sight but what we actually got was an act of bribery that tainted the entire affair until our male lead was willing to leave his beloved to rot? Well, we're a hell of a lot closer to love at first sight here.

Not that such ends up being a good thing.

When we left the Jutak warriors they were on the hunt for the missing Lindsey Ferra, the contracted wife of two senators willing to pay anything to find their bride. And well, they're still hunting.

When Arak, Kyele, Faruk, and team leader, Jaron, raid what is currently a sex slave prison, Arak stumbles upon two Earth woman, Sylvie and Joni, just as they begin a successful escape of their own. He gives them directions to his men and continues his pursuit of Lindsey, only to take a number of very painful wounds to his leg and torso in the process. By the time their paths cross again, in desperate need of extraction, it takes the last bit of Arak's strength to haul Sylvie out the window and into the aircraft above.

The very scary, smoke shifting Kyele follows behind with Joni. Now...  I love Kyele, but I was honestly just waiting for Joni's early demise.

Once safe at the Jutak facility, Arak and the women get treatment in the medical center. As Sylvie's scars gather the sole attention of all inside the room, Arak's inner feline goes rampant and Kyele and Jaron have to force him outside. After two purchases, and returns, Sylvie was punished by suffering lashes to her feet that left the flesh warped and mottled. The glass she'd trampled to get free hadn't helped either.

Despite being a captive in the slave market, Sylvie's body has no problem being aroused by Arak's focused attention, or his growls. And that's where this book fell flat for me. Sylvie was just way too easy. Yes, she's skittish but if pressed, you'll find her quite amiable to the idea of letting a man into her personal space. Granted, the argument could be made that that man was Arak, but c'mon, the guy's got fangs, claws, and a temper driven lunge working for him. I know these women of Earth are desperate for a man but have some damn survival setting in your sex-starved selves.

If you've read book one, you'll be happy to know that once you've survived  Arak and Sylvie's boring love story, there is a tie in at the end that answers many questions left unfulfilled in Torkel's Chosen. You'll even learn the identity of the traitor and find a glimpse into the next book in which Lindsey will finally be rescued. Not that I, personally, give a damn at this point. And, as I said, I loved you, Kyele, but I'm not willing to subject myself to your courtship of Joni. Fare thee well, A World Beyond.

2.5 out of 5 stars.


Previously in the series:

Willing Sacrifice (Sentinel Wars #8)

It was a cruel fucking joke that a woman who touched him so deeply 

could never be the one he needed to survive.

Available at Amazon.com

Willing Sacrifice
Shannon K Butcher
The Sentinel Wars, book eight
ebook, 384 pages
Published March 4th 2014 by Penguin Group (USA)
ISBN 9781101627839

They are the Sentinels. Three races descended from ancient guardians of mankind, each possessing unique abilities in their battle to protect humanity against their eternal foes: the Synestryn. Now a warrior weighs the price he will pay for love....

Theronai warrior Torr has never forgotten Grace, the human who stole his heart and nearly gave her life to save his. So when he is summoned to the aid of Brenya, the powerful woman who healed Grace, he is devastated to find that Grace’s cure has left her mind devoid of any memory of Torr or their love.

However, despite not knowing who he is, Grace is inexplicably drawn to the dark warrior. As they team up to stop the invasion that threatens the people Grace now considers family, her memories slowly start resurfacing. But sometimes the past is best forgotten—a lesson that Torr may learn too late.

Some things are best left forgotten - like this book.

I love the Sentinel Wars series and had crazy curiosity for how Torr's story would play out with Grace, the human woman who gave her health and very life to save his.

She's a woman too stupid selfless to live.

Grace holds absolutely no value for her own life. She's no fighter. She's a survivor simply because people just won't stop saving her. Her selflessness is both beautiful and admirable... and equally exhausting. The level of annoyance this woman achieved with me is chart worthy. I just wanted it to end. Whether she died or Torr became human and they disappeared together made little difference. I just needed the whole ordeal to get out of my head.

The last twenty percent is the best part of this book. Sadly, you'll have to survive the first eighty percent of Grace's pathetic existence to get to it.



Previously in the series:

Yes, Captain

Available at Amazon.com

Yes, Captain
Rebecca Royce
ebook, 34 pages
Published August 7th 2010 by Liquid Silver Books
ISBN 9781595786548

Lizbeth is having a rough time. After her captain and best-friend Acton is kidnapped from their ship, she is forced to serve under the disgusting hand of one of her least favorite people, Troy. But things have improved because she has located Acton. Now, she just needs to convince Troy to turn the ship around so they can go and get him. Living on earth with no idea that he is actually the captain of a major space vessel, Acton will have to rediscover his past quickly because the Instigator and all of it’s crew are under attack from an enemy that will do anything to protect what it values most above other things: the sanctity of earth. But as Acton and Lizbeth become reacquainted, they will need their new love to help them defeat the traitor who hunts them and wants only their deaths to satisfy his desires.

I gotta say, I loved the premise of this book. Stolen captain goes missing for five years while his crew and best friend search every known galaxy to find him. And finally, they do. Living on Earth, his memory of who he truly is long buried, Acton lives as an attorney with no belief at all in life beyond the stars. Until they come for him.

The reunion was a good one. Not too much time spared on 'I'm not who you think I am' and with one good whack on the head, and a little de ja vu, Acton remembers everything that was once important to him. Even his long buried love for his best friend.

And they spare no time at all finally becoming lovers.

Loved it. Loved it all.

But that's where things got, ...for lack of a better word, let's just say stupid.

As it turns out, Acton left his ship willingly in a barter to save their lives. He agreed to spend one hundred years upon Earth with his, and his crew's memories, all wiped of the event. With his return, their enemy demands he complete his side of the agreement. To which Lizbeth volunteers to take his place.

Hold up. Take a breath. Surely if they would spare a minute to think this through, they could come up with a reasonable alternative. But no they don't. Not beyond Acton setting up a second agreement to send them both back to Earth together. Sweet, but yeah, stupid.

So I was stumped when it came to rating this. Foundation good. Follow through bad. Urgh.

2 out of 5 stars.

Hostage to Pleasure (Psy-Changeling #5)

Available at Amazon.com

Hostage to Pleasure
Nalini Singh
Psy-Changeling, book five
Paperback, 330 pages
Published March 1st 2011 by Gollancz
First published September 1st 2008
ISBN 9780575100039

Separated from her son and forced to create a neural implant that will mean the effective enslavement of her psychically gifted race, Ashaya Aleine is the perfect Psy--cool, calm, emotionless...at least on the surface. Inside, she's fighting a desperate battle to save her son and escape the vicious cold of the PsyNet. Yet when escape comes, it leads not to safety, but to the lethal danger of a sniper's embrace.

DarkRiver sniper Dorian Christensen lost his sister to a Psy killer. Though he lacks the changeling ability to shift into animal form, his leopard lives within. And that leopard's rage at the brutal loss is a clawing darkness that hungers for vengeance. Falling for a Psy has never been on Dorian's agenda. But charged with protecting Ashaya and her son, he discovers that passion has a way of changing the rules.

I began this series by being seduced by Vasic's story which will be told in book thirteen. It's in this installment, however, that he makes his first appearance. As far as this story goes... well.. I was just over half way when I realized something. I don't like Dorian. I didn't like how he acted. I didn't like how he reacted. I didn't like his words, and I didn't care for his thoughts. Ahaya was no better, so yes, this is a bias rating.

2 out of 5 stars.

Previously in the series:

Aramus (Cyborgs: More Than Machines #4)

An end to the emptiness inside me that plagues me whenever I am alone.

Available at Amazon.com

Aramus
Eve Langlais
Cyborgs: More Than Machines, book four
ebook, 211 pages
Published September 23rd 2013 by self published
ISBN 9781927459423

Wiping out humanity is his number one objective—until he meets her.

Aramus has no patience or sympathy for the excuses humanity uses to hunt cyborgs down and eradicate them. He’s put up with too much at their hands to ever forgive and forget. But all that changes when he rescues a fragile human doctor who refuses to see him as a machine. She teaches him that perhaps not all emotions are a weakness and that love can make even a cynical cyborg like him stronger.

And for those who’d mock his change of view or threaten his female? Go ahead. His iron knuckles could use some exercise.

Oh, how the mighty fall. And for a human. Aramus? Tsk tsk.

Aramus, once called B351GI, was the perfect cyborg soldier. Until the solar flare disrupted his programming, and set him free. Free to follow orders as he saw fit. And when his commanding officers deemed his method defective and ordered his termination, well, he killed them. And has continued to do so to anyone else who ever thought to control him. His contempt for the humans responsible for his slavery has blossomed, and consumed him. Now, he's driven to see that all of humanity feels his wrath.

After the return of their last mission, Seth disappeared. He left them with a message that contained coordinates and urged them to proceed quickly, and expect a battle. No one knows he left with his wife, estranged though they were. Doubtful anyone even knows he has/had a wife. Aramus, being the most ruthless and blood hungry of the cyborgs, jumps at the chance for some action.

Upon reaching their destination, the team, led by Aramus, find a completely uninhabitable planet on the surface. Below, they find a medical facility where doctors and scientists alike have been kept prisoner, forced to run tests and experiments on creatures that can't be identified. On cyborgs, too. Among them, they find Rylie,... and a small band of misfits that aren't worth going on about.

This was probably the most disappointing of the series thus far. Although Aramus clung to the colder side of himself the longest, much to my satisfaction, Rylie was nothing special. And when push came to shove, Aramus found himself all too capable of abandoning her ass on a refuel center. After he had fucked her, literally dumped her ass on the floor, then ignored her for days. Oh yeah, quite the lovable guy this one is.

2 out of 5 stars.

Previously in this series:

Hard As A Rock

Available at Amazon.com

Hard As A Rock
Mina Carter
Paranormal Protection Agency, book one
ebook, 24 pages
Published September 11th 2011 by Blue Hedgehog Press
ISBN 9781466162747

Iliona's had a rough day, so the last thing she wants is a whiny ex on her doorstep throwing accusations about which of her co-workers she's screwing. When he starts throwing punches and one of her hunky gargoyle co-workers rushes to her rescue, Iliona is more interested in what exactly he's been doing on the ledge outside her bedroom window...and whether he's interested in more than watching.

Cal and Iliona aren't lovers. They're not even friends. Their only bond is the Paranormal Protection Agency where they both work.

When Cal comes to the rescue after her ex starts to get violent, she invites him into her home only to learn that his sudden appearance isn't by chance of luck. He's assigned himself as her guardian and has spent many a night lurking in his gargoyle form outside of her bedroom window.

He's seen her naked. And he wants her body.

And Ilona suffers no hesitation whatsoever at giving it to him.

So it's a story of sex. Sex with a gargoyle. And not a thing more.

2 out of 5 stars.

The Four Agreements

Available at Amazon.com

The Four Agreements
Miguel Ruiz
Hardcover, 168 pages
Published September 14th 2001 by Amber-Allen Publishing
First published 1997
ISBN 9781878424501

In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

Self-help, philosophy, or inspirational. Where this one falls within the shelves, I'm not entirely sure. Most classified it as a book focused on spirituality and I definitely have an argument with that one. I will say this with absolute certainty though: The introduction flew right over my head. So it took a re-read to settle my thoughts and thoroughly process the three page prologue. Sad. But true.

And unfortunately, I went from a numbing confusion to a deep depression with The Domestication of Humanity. Ouch!

If we compare the dream of human society with the description of hell that religions all around the world have promulgated, we find they are exactly the same. Religions say that hell is a place of punishment, a place of fear, pain, and suffering, a place where the fire burns you. Fire is generated by emotions that come from fear. Whenever we feel the emotions of anger, jealousy, envy, or hate, we experience a fire burning within us. We are living in a dream of hell.

The gist of this book is a simple one. We are living a dream. A dream constructed by others, shaped by those who love us, and agreed upon by ourselves. It is our hell. And knowing that I am personally molding the hell in which my son will grow, suffer, and war within simply by rewarding him in my efforts to teach right from wrong... it's not such a happy thought.

2 out of 5 stars.

Morgan's Fate: True Destiny #4

"You've traumatized my cheerios!"

Available at Amazon.com

Morgan's Fate
Dana Marie Bell
True Destiny, book four
ebook, 184 pages
Published August 13th 2013 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN 9781619216150

His Fate is finally in front of him...
And he’s never letting go.

Morgan and Magnus Grimm return from their search for Skuld, Norn of the Future, only to find that she’s been living under their noses this whole time. Now that Morgan finally has the woman of his dreams within reach, nothing—not amnesia, not Odin, not even his father’s death—will prevent him from claiming the Fate he’s wanted for centuries.

Skylar Kincade is lost among these crazy people who swear that they’re the old Norse gods. But…there’s something that strikes a chord deep within her. Something from which the hot, redheaded Morgan wants to protect her.

But when the memories burst free, there’s no softening the devastating blow. For overstepping her bounds and changing their fates to save their lives, her powers were stripped away, leaving her as just another Norn.

And it seems more punishment is coming down: one of Logan’s children is missing. Skye is determined to do her part to make it right—by journeying all the way to Valhalla to meet a fate from which Morgan may not be able to save her.

Morgan Grimm, once Modi, is the son of Thor. Or... was. Thor's dead now, and it's up to Morgan and his siblings (including his twin brother, Magnus - aka Magni) and allies to avenge him with Odin's demise.

Hello, and welcome to confusion. Thor is Fred. Odin is Oliver. Baldur is Kir, son of Odin/Oliver and brother of Thor/Fred. Loki is Logan, and God help you if it all that made sense because you're madder than Skye is convinced all those people are!

You're guaranteed to laugh while reading one of Bell's books. I have before, did here, and will again because she is one of my most loved authors. That said, this book was sickeningly sweet. Basically, Morgan gets his Fate. And it's like they've always been together. Absolutely no qualms. No hurdles. Nothing at all keeping the two apart. So yes, sickeningly sweet describes it well.

2 out of 5 stars.

Reveal Me: Unveiled #1

Reveal Me
Cari Quinn
Unveiled, book one
ebook, 51 pages
Published January 19th 2011 by Ellora's Cave
ISBN 9781419931277

Alana MacGregor craves excitement, but when her sometimes lover dumps her at a popular sex club, she wonders if she's outgrown her live-fast-and-recover-later lifestyle. The last thing she expects is to run into the nerdy guy she rebuffed in high school-or for him to rock her world in ways no other man ever has. Hot on the trail of a story, Carter Nicholas can't believe his luck at encountering the one woman he's never forgotten. He's come a long way from being a wall-hugging geek. Now he gets all A's between the sheets. But can he convince Alana he's her sure ticket to an unforgettable night-and maybe much more?

Alana doesn't immediately recognize the blast from the past Carter Nicholas when they reunite at Kink, a traveling sex club. And she doesn't want to admit it's him when she eventually does. She just wants to get screwed, find her best friend, and forget the night ever happened.

For Carter, Alana is his ultimate fantasy. The big what-if of his life. And while he's not giddy over fucking her in front of everyone in the whole club, he's not about to let the moment pass him by. Thankfully, somebody cries wolf and we're able to avoid that particular situation altogether.

So Alana is the whore and dear Carter's the nerd. If you like it hot and quick with a living happily for now ending, this one's for you.

2 out of 5 stars.

Cast in Sorrow: Chronicles of Elantra #9

She could see--with her eyes closed--the shape of nightmares.

Cast in Sorrow
Michelle Sagara
Chronicles of Elantra, book nine
Paperback, 480 pages
Published August 27th 2013 by Harlequin Luna
ISBN 9780373803569

THE END OF HER JOURNEY IS ONLY THE BEGINNING...

The Barrani would be happy to see her die. So Kaylin Neya is a bit surprised by her safe arrival in the West March. Especially when enemies new and old surround her and those she would call friends are equally dangerous...

And then the real trouble starts. Kaylin's assignment is to be a "harmoniste"-one who helps tell the truth behind a Barrani Recitation. But in a land where words are more effective than weapons, Kaylin's duties are deadly. With the wrong phrase she could tear a people further asunder. And with the right ones...well, then she might be able to heal a blight on a race.

If only she understood the story.

The first thing I do once I have the latest Chronicle of Elantra in hand is--not read the last page (It makes no difference anyway.)--but, ok, yes, I do read the last page, but only *after* I skim the entire contents for any and all mention of "Severn".

Because it is Severn that keep me coming back for more.

This installment opens up during the journey to the West March, quickly jumps into a walk through a nightmare, literally, and by the middle, Kaylin is within the green. I swear, there is no chance of sounding logical should one try to summarize these books to someone unfamiliar with the series. Or sane for that matter. Just read the one page where Kaylin sums up her journey through the nightmare. A serious 'What have you been smoking?" moment there.

Sadly, all of the tension--romantic, sexual, or otherwise--failed to follow into this book from the last. As if it never happened at all. *whimper*

It's, quite honestly, the least exciting of the series thus far. 

Aside from nearly losing Teela. And the dragon. It is around these two, and the 'lost children' that Cast in Sorrow revolves. It is the West March, the green, and (thankfully) the departing of them that make up the book.

A book, I am both surprised and reluctant to admit, that I actually wanted, out of sheer boredom, to end.

• If Jade and Steffi had never died, she could live with Severn. She would probably be living with him. It hadn't been much of a life, compared to the one she'd built in Elantra with the Hawks-but she'd been happy then. It was just one thing. It was just so small. If she could arrive in time. She would save Severn, too. She would save him from the torture of guilt and the absolute knowledge that he was-that he could be-a coldblooded killer.

2 out of 5 stars.

Cast in Flame is due out in 2014.

Previously in this series:

Cast in Ruin (#7)

Cast in Chaos (#6)

Books 1-5 were read prior to the birth of Location 2571

Cast in Silence (#5), Cast in Fury (#4), Cast in Secret (#3), Cast in Courtlight (#2), Cast in Shadow (#1)

Grave New Day: Jess Vandermire #3

"I remember a brick wall. I remember you in leather." -John Brittain

Grave New Day
Lina Gardiner
Jess Vandermire, book three
ebook, 184 pages
Published June 15th 2010 by Imajinn Books (first published June 2010)
ISBN 9781933417561

Vampire and New York City Police Black Ops Captain Jess Vandermire is faced with the hardest decision of her life-become human again and regain her soul or remain a vampire forever and fight an ancient evil that is a threat to every human on the planet.

Ensnared in a plan that might go terribly wrong, she has little choice. As a human she can't fight the ancient enemy. Then a mysterious stranger shows up and offers to help, and she's not sure if he's really on her side. She discovers her entire existence has been leading up to the challenge ahead. A challenge that has insurmountable odds, and if she doesn't win, every human on the planet loses.

Aliens. Angels. Shifters. Demons. And now, Vampires. I'm definitely making the rounds.

Grave New Day opens up not too long after the end of the last book with Jess put in the position of planning Britt's funeral arrangements. Regent, her brother and personal savior, is by her side, as always, aiding her in the coping with her grief and trying to dissuade her from retiring from the police force and taking up a vigilante role against vampires.

At the funeral, Jess is approached by a man who calls himself Zeke and claims Britt's alive and will return to her soon. Which he does--very soon.

Britt doesn't remember much. Maybe his name. And Regent's phone number. Go figure. He does not, however, remember Jess. He's awoken in what he assumes is a monastery and is quickly taken by Zeke to rescue Jess from a vampire fight. From there, don't expect some grand reunion where everything clicks into place. It doesn't. Britt has a vague inkling that these people are familiar but that's all. Meanwhile, Jess may not know who the Britt lookalike is, but she's quite insistent on who he is not.

This book is screwy. I loved having Britt with memory loss. It actually made him a much better character. Having to fall in love with Jess all over again was wonderful, and even better., he had to realize vampires existed all over again as well. Sadly, it came and went too fast. He remembers a little more every time he speaks and them bam!, at midpoint Zeke returns right on cue and everything goes... well, screwy. Not only does Britt get his memory back but Jess is the *only* one who knows what has occurred in the first twelve chapters of the book. That's right, we're practically starting completely over. And I was SO tempted to shut it down right then and there. I didn't want to start over. Plus, I was rather exhausted by the overwhelming feelings and very little fact that built the story.

The only real, constant drama revolves around James, Jess' old partner whom she turned years ago. He, like her, managed to hold onto his humanity. Married a human woman. And adopted a vampire baby. Here, due to a ridiculous scheme by Italian vamps, James is battling the completion of his transition to a vampire. He captures his wife and child, locking them away, and forcing his wife to feed their daughter with her blood to keep her alive. In doing so, the baby turns her.

I gagged and choked my way from there out. Forced myself to finish. And that's not necessarily something I'm proud of. The worst part? It's to be continued! Hell no. Not for this woman.

2 out of 5 stars.

Previously in this series:

For Love of an Angel: Fallen Warriors #1

For Love of an Angel
Rosalie Lario
The Fallen Warriors, book one
ebook
Published May 8th 2011 by Rosalie Lario
ISBN 2940012464378
Amazon Free Read

In a world where angels rule over humans, twelve outcasts dare to defy expectation, warring with their angel brethren to prevent the extinction of humankind.

They are The Fallen.

Michael is one of twelve angels who have been outcast due to their determination to protect humankind. In order to preserve his immortality and strength, he must find a mate with angel blood. Eva Smyth has never believed the propaganda spouted by the Consortium—the elite system of guards put into place once angels took over reign of Earth—but she never expected to learn the angels plan to eradicate all of humankind, or that she herself is part angel. Joining Michael means living a life on the run, at war against the angels and hunted by the Consortium. Eva must decide whether to risk it all…for love of an angel.

So I find myself on an angel kick as the year ends. Hungry for some demons though, so hopefully I can grab up a good demonic tale once 2013 is here.

Eva lives in a time where the veil between the worlds has fallen and angels guard over mankind in a much more hands on, in your face manner than many believe they do in the here and now. They control people's very careers through personality exams and even impose a super strict curfew. What they haven't managed to control so far is their personal relationships, leaving Eva with an egotistical ass of an ex living right across the hall.

• "I'm here, beloved, because you called to me."

Our dear angel is not so likeable when we first meet him. Has the I-know-all attitude that bastards seem to be bred with. No respect for personal space with this one either. Michael played a better alien than angel. (And don't go getting technical with me on that!) XD

Eva doesn't freak *too* much when she finds Michael standing in her living room in the middle of the night. That is, until she sees his wings. His black wings. Turns out, he's Fallen and he's got quite story to tell about that. But don't ask him any questions. You'll only get the "you're not ready to know" answer. Infuriating jerk.

Michael never won me over. He did pretty much everything wrong. The rest of the Fallen, not that we spent a whole lot of time with them, weren't so bad. Curiosity got me with Seth and Ethan had me intrigued with the 'my mate hates me' stuff. And being that Ethan's book is next, I'm planning on giving it a looksee. AFTER my next pick of course. EA, here we come.

2 out of 5 stars.

Neon Chaos: End of Days #2

Neon Chaos
Karen Erickson
End of Days, book two
ebook
Published (first published November 1st 2011)

A one-night stand turns into a partnership for survival…

Party girl Samantha Sanders is celebrating her thirtieth birthday in style—a road trip to Las Vegas for a long weekend with her girlfriends. Staying in the swankiest hotel on the strip, she’s naked and in bed with the sexiest guy she’s ever laid eyes on when the clock strikes twelve. Who knew the world would really end December 21, 2012? Those Mayans, they weren’t lyin’…

Russ Weaver is above all else a soldier. Looking for a little fun before spending Christmas with his crazy family, a weekend on leave in Vegas unexpectedly turns into his newest mission——protecting the sweet, scared woman he happens to be in bed with when the world as they know it is over.

Wandering throughout the virtually abandoned streets of Vegas, the fine city has turned into a war zone. Their only hope to get out alive is to stick together—and fight those who wish to cease their endeavors. Permanently.

Warning: It’s not all doom and gloom. A sexy man who’s a fierce protector, a sassy woman with fortitude of steel, these two stick together through it all. Watch the sparks fly—true love does endure. I promise.

Oh yeah. Insult my alcoholic beverage of choice. That'll get you laid.

Guys think it's charming to insult women's tropical drinks. And apparently, most women think it's cute. I don't. And I can't figure out why they do. Oh, sure, you're a big strong man for drinking *beer*.

Aliens aren't exactly how I expect the world to go, and if absolutely nothing happens on December 21st, I'm going to be pissed. That's how things go down here, and Samantha and Russ find themselves, inexplicably, the only people still roaming around now that most of Las Vegas is in mass destruction and strange aircrafts are stalking the skies.

This story plays shamelessly into the cliche of alien invasion and the whole plot of impregnating our females to save their dying superior race. It didn't help that Erickson's own characters had to constantly throw in how badly this sounded like an awful science fiction movie. And I do mean *constantly*.

I'm typically a fan of Erickson's and this certainly doesn't damper that, but... Damn, this was so not a great read. The teaser at the end, for Brighid's Cross (book three), however, was. Despite its poor reviews on Goodreads, I liked what I saw and plan to be reading it soon.

2 out of 5 stars.

Previously in this series:

Darkness Rising: The Supernaturals #1

Darkness Rising
Elle Chardou
Kindle Edition, 106 pages
Published June 21st 2012 by Midnight Engel Press
ASIN B008DXUZ0G


A Pureblood...
Julien Gasquet belongs to the notorious Lycan clan, the Gasquet Pack based in New Orleans. After a vicious argument, he storms out of the compound and decides to spend the night with his sister, Jolie, in Baton Rouge.

A Half-breed...
Martina Beauchamp is considered an abomination to the Lycans as she isn't a pureblood and doesn't have a pack to call her own. She meets Julien after a horrifying incident forces her to flee her home and her car breaks down in the parking lot next to his truck.

Destined...
The attraction Julien and Martina experience from the moment they meet isn't about lust or a one night stand. However, when the pack is involved in every decision a werewolf makes, is a happy ending at all possible?

WARNING: This is paranormal romance novella with sexy good times, smokin' hot werewolves, toned bodies and explicit language. Blood, gore and closed door sex scenes? Not this time.

Color me a bright neon CONFUSED. Lycans that hate shape shifters? Say what??

So yeah, I hear "shape shifters" and my mind instantly goes Wolf Shifter. As if there should be any other kind? But no, shifters here are just that. They can take any animal form.

Jules and Martina meet on a plain awful night. Jules is tired of professionally fighting for his stepfather and Martina nearly gets raped by her own stepfather. A testament to step parents this book is definitely not.

Anyway, Jules plays the hero, or as he calls it 'a proper southern gentlemen' and offers Martina a place to stay for the night at his sister's apartment which he is en route to.

Another detour- southern gentlemen are mythical creatures. Just FYI.

Things get, for lack of a better word, *whack* from there. We get a quick history lesson. Jules claims he'd rather go mateless than ever bond to a shifter or a vamp but goes completely one eighty when he proclaims he's been fighting her scent all night, she's the one, and he's claiming her right now.

Martina wasn't the only one caught off guard. Flabbergasted is more like it on my end. She's half shifter-half lycan. And as Jules' sister tells it, Jules can stop her aging (since there's Lycan blood in her) and complete her transformation. The latter of which he does immediately. Then there's a completely uncalled for argument and the two are at odds for the night. Sheesh. Drah-muh!

She runs away from him more than once and he never chases. He also tells her if she wants to go, he'd let her. Not a very possessive mate is he.

2 out of 5 stars.