Hunter of Demons by Jordan L. Hawk

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve been meaning to get in here and write a review for this book and with the release of the second one, time to really get off my brain and just do.

I enjoy Jordan’s writing. Hands down, she’s got a tight, descriptive style that pulls a reader in and places them in the middle of the story. She writes storylines where the characters are complex but approachable and she has a good sense of balance with regards to their personalities. They are living on the pages. Excellent pacing and fantastic tension.

What I loved about this book was the “possession” element. Gray is as much a character as the main couple and he does have a significant impact in the book. It’s a great developed third wheel in what should have been a book about a supernatural hunter/agent and the paranormal-ish man he’s run across.

So the second book just dropped and I went to get it before I came here. If that doesn’t tell you my priorities, I don’t know what does.

I can count on Jordan to tell me a good story. Actually I can count on her to tell me a damned fantastic story. Hunter of Demons is just the beginning of what looks to be a great series. Don’t lose out on reading it. Really, get this and I’ll go prod her about getting the sequel to Widdershins while you’re busy. Jordan L Hawk is addictive. Trust me on that one.

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Link to purchase on Smashword but it’s available on Amazon and the other sites.

Hunter of Demons: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/282332

Master of Ghouls: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/301792

Blood Red Butterfly by Josh Lanyon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have had the honour of reading this novella by Josh prior to its release and with the full disclaimer of professing my deep, abiding affection and worship for Josh’s writing, I wanted to jot down a few praises for this book.

Regardless of said affection, Blood Red Butterfly is a fantastic jump back into the world of Josh’s writing. Having been gone on a self-imposed semi-hiatus, Lanyon returns to us with an exciting, complicated tale of gay men struggling through cultural differences and with loving another man.

The suspense in this novella is tight and the reader is taken on a short, sweet ride through murder and intrigue, culminating with an action sequence most Hollywood films would envy.

Fantastic read. Good pacing. Great characters. Grab the book when it comes out and spend a day with Lanyon. You won’t regret it.

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Some things should stay buried.

Repressed scholar Percival Endicott Whyborne has two skills: reading dead languages and hiding in his office at the Ladysmith Museum. After the tragic death of the friend he secretly loved, he’s ruthlessly suppressed any desire for another man.

So when handsome ex-Pinkerton Griffin Flaherty approaches him to translate a mysterious book, Whyborne wants to finish the job and get rid of the detective as quickly as possible. Griffin left the Pinkertons following the death of his partner, hoping to start a new life. But the powerful cult which murdered Glenn has taken root in Widdershins, and only the spells in the book can stop them. Spells the intellectual Whyborne doesn’t believe are real.

As the investigation draws the two men closer, Griffin’s rakish charm threatens to shatter Whyborne’s iron control. When the cult resurrects an evil sorcerer who commands terrifying monsters, can Whyborne overcome his fear and learn to trust? Will Griffin let go of his past and risk falling in love? Or will Griffin’s secrets cost Whyborne both his heart and his life?

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I actually don’t have enough stars for this book or this author’s talent. If you’re going to buy one book this month… quarter…year… it would be this one. Seriously, fantastic writing, tight plot and great world building.

I can’t endorse this book enough. Well I could but I’ve got to sleep at some point.

Read the blurb, buy the book and then go head over to another Hawk book, Hainted, which I just started last night. Also a fricking incredible read.

Absolutely GORGEOUS writing. Author’s now on my autobuy list.

Pressure Head by J.L. Merrow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is possibly one of the best books I’ve read this year…and I consume books. Merrow’s balance of mystery, strained relationship and sexual tension is masterful. Tom is a fantastic main character and Phil serves as the perfect foil. Gary as the best friend served as a bit of levity to balance things out but my favourite secondary character was Tom’s friend, Police Inspector Dave. Where most writers tend to over burden the main character’s life with a glut of gay characters, Merrow provides a reasonable balance in providing a diverse, multi-oriented social life for Tom. Phil’s struggle with his attraction isn’t a gay-for-you but rather a reasonable caution as he angles through psychological obstacles.

Seriously, a fantastic read and a book I’d recommend highly. Can’t say enough praise for this book. Well done!

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Delsyn’s Blues by Lou Sylvre
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic follow up to Loving Luki Vasquez. I won’t go into spoiler territory but this book contains a lot more of the characters’ back story and it pretty much is a roller coaster ride of angst, pleasure, joy, anger and oh-my-fucking-god-what-the-hell-is-he-doing-to-me-now emotions.

A lot of this book is about the faith and trust that builds between Luki and Sonny. Yes, there is a crime/drama in this but it’s also about their relationship and the trials/tribulations both men have to go through in order to reach an understanding about the man they love.

Highly recommend this book. Go get it. Why are you still reading this? Go. Shoosh. :::grins:::

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The Thirteenth Child by J.L. O’Faolain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an incredible book and one that made me pull out a beaten soapbox I own.

Let’s talk about the book first. Make no mistake, this is an urban fantasy and one written by a good storyteller. The main character’s voice was strong as were the secondary characters. There was action and the world building was tight. I’m going to recommend this book to anyone I think enjoys a good urban fantasy with a dash of spice to it.

Now for the soapbox. This isn’t a romance. This is one of many books slotted into the M/M genre that people expect to be a romance or erotica because the M/M category isn’t set up into different genres as it should be. Everything is packaged as M/M so a majority of readers EXPECT it to follow a certain formula. Boy meets boy. Boys fall in love. Something happens to strain boys’ relationship. Boys overcome obstacle and HEA.

The M/M genre is evolving into a larger arena than that and this book is a result of that evolution.

O’Faolain has written a SOLID and intriguing book based off of a banished sidhe. I want to see more. I was pissed the book ended not because I wanted a HEA but because there was no more to read.

Viva la evolution! And write, O’Faolain! Damn it. I want more of your world and your Cole (I’ve got a Cole too. It was a bit disconcerting but I overcame that quickly). You kicked ass with this novel. I’ve not enjoyed an urban fantasy in a long time. There have been a few exceptions by particular writers and you are now on that list of writers to watch and buy.

Well done.

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Spin Out by James Buchanan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

James Buchanan always delivers. ALWAYS. The writing is fresh and there is a reasonable conflict within the story. Buchanan works to portray the men in her story as guys, realistic (within the confines of the story, of course) but just normal guys who could possibly exist in the world Buchanan has created.

I like a wide range of story types but my best reading… my favourite reading comes from a storyteller who takes the time to flesh out characters and provide an in-depth plot with a true-to-life situational base to it. I enjoy the almost-reality of a good book and Buchanan provides that in spades.

“Deputy Joe #2” is a long-awaited sequel for me. Without breaking into spoilers, the writing here is concise and heart-rending at times. Just enough emotion in it to feel the pain someone might run into once life gets complicated but enough perspective so it isn’t a drowning pool of angst.

Both of the main characters are fully drawn, giving the reader an delightful insight into their lives. Kabe Varghese is a great foil for the more serious and intrinsically pious Joe Peterson. That piety is a personal moral system and doesn’t come off as restrictive, something I enjoy in this book. Joe balances the guidance in his life with the physical needs he has perfectly and there’s no apologies given for those choices. A refreshing take on a gay man’s outlook on his life. Not to say Joe doesn’t have quandrys, both personal and professional, but they are handled with a delicate hand and Buchanan wields a beautifully wrought pen.

Pick up the first book “Hard Fall” then head on over to “Spin Out”. And be glad you didn’t have to wait like I did.

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Loving Luki Vasquez by Lou Sylvre
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There was something about this book that DID it for me. It could have been the combination of the mostly hardened mercenary and the artistic but a bit prickly weaver or perhaps the lush descriptions of emotions and surroundings. Either way, this book hit all of the sweet spots and then some.

There are some tropes and pacing issues but those are easily brushed aside because the book is extremely well written. If anything, pacing hurried in places I wanted to linger which is more me than the book. Probably other people would have said, what’s with the stopping here and I’d be window shopping through the pages.

I’m odd that way.

I loved Sonny’s view of the world, especially when seen through his art. I honestly could have seen this book slowed down a bit and split into two because there were a lot of plot elements to be explored but it was very satisfying. Okay, so if there was a chapter or three of Sonny doing dyes while Luki watched and read something, I would have been good. The characters are distinct and well drawn with a bit of spice to give it a nice heat.

But there’s action and some smex, both of which are hot and heavy. Wonderfully written at a good clip with a lot of humour and steaminess. Excellent read!

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Come Unto These Yellow Sands by Josh Lanyon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lover of fine poetry and lousy choose-your-own-adventure novels, Professor Sebastian Swift was once the bad-boy darling of the literati. The only lines he does these days are Browning, Frost and Cummings. Even his relationship with the hot, handsome Wolfe Neck Police Chief Max Prescott is healthy.

When one of his most talented students comes to him bruised and begging for help, Swift hands over the keys to his Orson Island cabin—only to find out that the boy’s father is dead and the police are suspicious. In an instant, the stable life Swift has built for himself hangs on finding the boy and convincing him to give himself up before Max figures out Swift’s involvement in the case. Continue reading “Josh Lanyon: Come Unto These Yellow Sands” →