A Chip in His Shoulder (Falling Sky, #1)

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A Chip in His Shoulder (Falling Sky #1)

by L.A. Witt (Goodreads Author)

3.55 of 5 stars 3.55 · rating details · 365 ratings · 90 reviews

“Contract killer” is a fitting job for a vampire, and it suits Liam just fine. Cast down from the wealth and status of the Sky for taking a human lover, Liam lurks in the poor and pollution-choked Gutter, killing to survive. Between his natural strengths and his Cybernetix mods, no mark has ever escaped him.

Liam’s ex-lover Daniel is the heir to Cybernetix—and its greatest...more

ebook, 78 pages

Published November 7th 2011 by Riptide Publishing

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Nov 22, 2011 Vio rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: loved-it, action, highly-recommended, really-really-good

The gutter is a dirty miserable place and the hell hole where Liam the Vampire has been forced to live any which way he can, for the last five years. After been thrown out of the Sky where only the very rich and privileged live. Liam accepts a contract to kill Daniel his ex lover who he believes betrayed him. From here on in everything that could possible go wrong, does. Liam and Daniel are forced to work together in order to survive. I loved the interaction between Liam and Daniel it was great...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Gwenith rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 Star Plus~Fantastic Read!

Liam~

Daniel!

4 Stars~ okay, maybe a tad more....

★Daniel and Liam, I love both of their personas alpha/alpha yum.

★The book was a fast pace action packed read. I love that!

★Endearing plot and sweet mission (it's revealed while reading not in blurb)

★Great descriptive writing~The Gutter AKA Futuristic Ghetto ...hummm, I really really loved that!

★This was a Fantastic Read!

Honestly, this book is only a 4 star plus a tad more~book, cuz, I wanted more of the vampire story...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Keri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternate-reality, ememies-to-lovers, m-m-books, vamps, futuristic, dark-and-gritty, first-loves, survival-theme

A-MAZING! Honestly, for such a short read, I was totally immersed in L.A. Witt’s dark, futuristic world where the poor and middle class live like rats in the “Gutter” and the rich live like kings in the “Sky”. I am a huge fan of this genre and A Chip On His Shoulder was imaginative and totally satisfied my appetite.

Liam is a genetically modified vampire with a hunger for blood...specifically Daniel’s, his human ex-lover who outed him 5 years ago, bringing their secret relationship out into the p...more A-MAZING! Honestly, for such a short read, I was totally immersed in L.A. Witt’s dark, futuristic world where the poor and middle class live like rats in the “Gutter” and the rich live like kings in the “Sky”. I am a huge fan of this genre and A Chip On His Shoulder was imaginative and totally satisfied my appetite.

Liam is a genetically modified vampire with a hunger for blood...specifically Daniel’s, his human ex-lover who outed him 5 years ago, bringing their secret relationship out into the public eye. It was their forbidden love affair that caused Liam’s family to cast him out of the Sky and down into the Gutter where he has been fighting to survive ever since.

The Gutter is Hell on earth. Imagine a place where the pollution is so thick, you cannot see the sun; a dark, dank place where only the barest trace of light can filter through. The Gutter is a place where people, both human and vampire work like slaves in factories to churn out genetic enhancements for the people in the Sky. Either that or whore themselves out for money. For Liam, it’s a life of cold-blooded killing.

When a contract comes in to take Daniel out, he takes it...

"I shook my head and forced back the nostalgia and fondness that tried to tell me I’d regret killing him. No, that wasn’t going to happen. Five years ago, Daniel had set fire to my life and stood back to watch it burn. The only thing I regretted was waiting this long to come to this door with a gun." **goosebumps**

I was prepared to hate Daniel...but of course, I am a sucker for second chances and from the moment Liam enters Daniel’s apartment, gun drawn, I was completely captivated by the tense dialogue between these men as they uncover their tragic past and a plot that has them forging a tentative truce and on the run for their lives.

Of course, I can’t give proper praise to this book without mentioning how yummy the SEXUAL TENSION is. Their first kiss was so filled with anger and emotion and lust it was unreal! I wanted a bit more for the one sex scene in the book...thought maybe it should be darker, more explosive to keep with the pace of the novel...but in no way did that ruin it for me.

My only real complaint...IT WAS TOO SHORT! I wanted a full length novel out of this one...something I could really sink my teeth into. I am hoping that this is just the beginning of a series of books set in this world because they will be an auto-buy for me for sure.

I recommend this book to everyone...even if you haven’t previously been a fan of futuristic novels. It is the perfect mix of action/tension/love with surprisingly witty dialogue that will have you panting for more!!
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Jan 15, 2013 Vivian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gaymance

3.5

One of the things that made this a good read was the world that was built in this book. The introduction of mods (not that it's exactly original) in an M/M novel, the futuristic money hoarding companies which produce those mods, and the Gutter was thrilling to read. And what's even more intriguing is the presence of Vampires. I wish that was more elaborated on. It felt like there wasn't enough background given on that, so it felt kind of out of place and a bit weird. But it's such an interest...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Kazza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cyberpunk

L A Witt never ceases to amaze me. This time it's Cyberpunk (think dystopian meets high tech) and it's well done. It's not long, around 70-80 pages, but it packs a bit into those pages.

Lots of reviews. My two cents worth.

Liam, part vampire, part machine - he's full of mods to improve him, help him heal quicker, be a more efficient assassin - is sent to kill his ex lover and heir to a Cyber empire, Daniel. Daddy is none to happy his son knows too much about his dodgy empire and doesn't approve....more

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Dec 02, 2011 Lasha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: darkdivasreviews, paranormal, sci-fi-fantasy

L.A. Witt takes a unique twist on the vampire genre by pairing it with a sci-fi theme. Hired assassin Liam is a vampire, who once lived in the elite Sky, now disinherited from his rich vampire family for having a human lover, he resides in the Gutter, killing to survive. His next mark? His ex-lover Daniel, the one he’d lost everything for. However, this job isn’t all what it seems and soon Daniel and Liam have to work together to survive.

Now normally, I am not a big fan of sci-fi novels, but A C...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Jacqueline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Action
Chemistry
HFN
Minor cliff hanger

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Feb 11, 2012 Bookwatcher ~Mary MooCow~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt-gay, sci-fi, vampires

How far can someone modify his/her body to improve his/her abilities?

How far, can someone push himself, adding mechanic changes, to enhance vision, hearing.. to be... less human?

That's the theme of this sci-fi, but it's not an usual android/robot theme, because in this case, it's a vampire that want desperately to be more strong, than he already is.

Meet Liam the only narrator of the story. He is not human, obvious, because he is a vampire. The story start with him, getting close to his target....more

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Feb 04, 2012 ♆ BookAddict ~ La Crimson Femme rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-romance-reviews, m-m, vampire, cyperpunk

Love and hate are so close at times; it's hard to tell in the heat of passion.

Liam was betrayed by Daniel and has the opportunity to confront him after five long years. Liam's been given a contract to assassinate Daniel by Daniel's father. With pleasure, Liam greets Daniel with a loaded gun in both his hand and pants. Not all is what it seems. Daniel still loves Liam and his world has come crashing down around him before he had a chance for his plans to come together. Old wounds are opened as L...more

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Dec 02, 2011 L-D rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, sci-fi, vampires, assassin-hitman-mercenary, novella, pnr, romance

This was a novella length book. I wish it were longer because I was just getting interested in this sci-fi world when the book was over.

Liam is a vampire and a contract killer. He is hired by his ex-lover, Daniel's, father to kill Daniel and he accepts the contract. In fact, he probably would have done it for free because 5 years ago Daniel betrayed him.

The plot and premise are quite good. I felt it a little bizarre that Liam was a vampire, because it didn't seem to quite fit in a sci-fi type t...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Bev rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Bev by: Kris (Kindleromance)

Shelves: bloodsucking-vamps, futuristic, m-m-sci-fi

Enjoyed this one, short but well written. 4 stars

Cybernetix....good name for a cyber chip company, and you'll have to forgive me if I keep thinking of the Sirius Cybernetics Corp....Hitchhikers Guide..love that book.

Liam Lansing is a vampire

and is down on his luck. He's scaled the heights and lived in the 'Sky', the upper echelons of this world for the very rich; unfortunately, when his vampire family discovered that his lover was human, he was cast out and now makes his living (!!) as a cont...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Grammy 1 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Aleks Voinov and L.A. Witt authored a short sexy story recently called Quid Quo Pro for the new Market series, which I reviewed for the Guild. When we were asked to review a new release from L.A. Witt written solo, we gladly accepted the submission. Suffice to say it was for the second book in the Falling Sky series called Something New Under The Sun. When asked, Riptide graciously sent us Chip on His Shoulder Book #1 of this series, which we are reviewing today. Thank you, Riptide and thank you...more Aleks Voinov and L.A. Witt authored a short sexy story recently called Quid Quo Pro for the new Market series, which I reviewed for the Guild. When we were asked to review a new release from L.A. Witt written solo, we gladly accepted the submission. Suffice to say it was for the second book in the Falling Sky series called Something New Under The Sun. When asked, Riptide graciously sent us Chip on His Shoulder Book #1 of this series, which we are reviewing today. Thank you, Riptide and thank you L.A. Witt.

This story is the POV of contract killer and vampire Liam Lansing. Liam lost his family and status when he was caught with his human lover Daniel Harding. After five years of living in the hellish Gutter, making his own way at any job to keep him fed, he now works as a hired gunman. He has been paid 10 million dollars for this hit by Richard Harding, CEO of Cybernetics . With the enhancements of Cybernetix mods (modifications), he is faster, stronger and with nanobots in his blood can heal even faster than an un-modified vampire.

Ms. Witt describes this place called The Gutter, so vividly I feel the need to hold my breathe as the smells described are so utterly real. Liam walks through the sewage, air pollution, of such great magnitude it makes my eyes and nose burn just as he suffers. We learn The Gutter is one form of their civilization where the poor work in factories, supporting the rich who live up above called The Sky. This is where the air is pure and you can see sunlight.

We travel with Liam, as we follow him thru hallways, tunnels and by-ways stealthy making his way up to Sky and the penthouse to his mark. He has been given the pass code to open the door and as he arrives at the apartment he sees the name on the door card D Harding. He stands there for a moment remembering, “five years ago Daniel had set fire to his life and watched it burn…One minute he wanted to kill him and the next he just wanted him” Entering, he finds Daniel, the son and heir to Cybernetix; his ex human lover and his mark.

I realize the blurb for this book gives away more than I will. Ms. Witt has opened this wonderful world and story to us, I was hooked at the first few pages. Chip On His Shoulder has everything for sci-fi lovers; enhancements at your finger tips to make you anything you want to be, but what is the price? The company Cybernetix is Daniels father’s company. Daniel has never believed in mods. He wants to remain human. He feels his father is unscrupulous always coming up with something people will buy what ever the price. He works hard with a group storing information useful to bring his father and company down.

There are humans who have ‘modified’ to vampire to become immortal, now they are paying these companies millions of dollars to come up with a mod to have them not be sensitive to UV rays. So what happens if these companies have the cure for this? but don’t want to unveil it …. so they have to come up with another need so people will continue paying. Greed makes them always want plenty of money coming in for some sort of research. So now Daniel and Liam are at a crossroads. Daniels father has betrayed them both.

This story was a quick read at only 78 pages. I cannot say enough for what happens and how we get to Book #2 called Something New Under the Sun. I just know that it is my next stop as I need to see what transpires next.

Review by Gloria Lakritz

Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild

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Apr 26, 2013 Loves To Dive rated it 4 of 5 stars

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times” Charles Dickens.

In the Sky the air is fresh and clean, the people can walk around without fear for their lives, if a person can afford it they can get any kind of modification to their bodies they wish, cyber terrorist Daniel Harding lives in this world. The son of the owner of Cybernetix, he is under house arrest for fighting against what his father stands for.

In the Gutter, the air is filled with the toxins pushed down from the Sky, the peo...more “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times” Charles Dickens.

In the Sky the air is fresh and clean, the people can walk around without fear for their lives, if a person can afford it they can get any kind of modification to their bodies they wish, cyber terrorist Daniel Harding lives in this world. The son of the owner of Cybernetix, he is under house arrest for fighting against what his father stands for.

In the Gutter, the air is filled with the toxins pushed down from the Sky, the people are downtrodden and walk around with shoulders slumped and in fear, they work in the factories that make the chips and parts the people of the Sky buy, this is Liam’s world. A vampire cast out for daring to love a human; with the help of modifications he has become a feared assassin who has been hired to kill Daniel.

Two men who are on opposite sides of the fight, once lovers, both betrayed by the same man are thrown together by circumstances that will force them to trust each other and possibly find the love they once lost.

Author L.A. Witt paints a picture of a world gone mad, a world where the haves have it all and the have nots barely survive. In her world, money can buy any kind of modification to your body you want, modifications from nanobots to repair internal damage to modifications that can enhance ones senses. Vampires live amongst humans, pouring money into research in hopes of finding a mod that will allow them to go into the sun, while the cybernetics firms tell them the mods will come soon. On the opposite end of the spectrum The Gutter is a dark depressing world where the inhabitants have no hopes of improvement.

I was pulled into this short novella from the first page, and voraciously gobbled it up like a big bowl of chocolate, disappointed because I finished so soon but well and truly satisfied. Both Liam and Daniel were men with hidden pasts who, because of circumstances not of their own making, have had to change. Liam became someone to be feared, there isn’t much he can’t do except go out in daylight. Daniel is not as daring, he works with his mind and has made himself into a cyber-terrorist to be reckoned with; there is not a computer he can’t hack. The give and take between these two was perfect.

My only complaint with the story is that I would have liked a little more background on the world itself; I was a little confused trying to get a grasp on how the Sky and Gutter came to be and how the vampires were made. Action packed, dark and gritty, fun and sexy, this may be a short novella but there isn’t much lacking in content. This is the opening of what, I’m sure, is going to be one heck of a great series, well done Ms. Witt.

Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Dual Review Team(less)

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Apr 23, 2013 LiveYourLife BuyTheBook rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: carli, favorites, kapow, riptide

5 Star - KAPOW!!

“A Chip in His Shoulder” is flippin fabulous. Contract killer vampire hunts to kill his former lover who done him wrong in a sci-fi thriller that will have you turning pages as quickly as your E-reader allows. WOW, what a read!

This story is set in a divided dystopian and privileged world where those “with” live above ground in elite Sky and those “without” are cast below into the abysmal horrors of Gutter. Hired assassin Liam is contracted to kill Daniel, his ex-lover, by Daniel’...more

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Apr 11, 2013 ARe Cafe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vals-picks

How could I resist this story? It is written by a talented author and released by a hot new publisher (Riptide Publishing). It has gorgeous cover art by LC Chase, a clever and intriguing title, and it puts a fresh spin on the vampire myth, reworking it into a terrifyingly decadent and soulless futuristic society. A Chip in His Shoulder is boldly different from the usual science fiction dystopia with its focus on extreme class differences and the unique role of vampires in this glittering, high-t...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Lege rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angst, non-stop-action, great-mc, hot-sex, mm, optimistic, sci-fi, bad-ass

I love L.A. Witt writing. It's like I'm always in the mood for her. You know, I go through my TBR list, see few things that may come in consideration, and then I see L.A. Witt novel and immediately start reading.
Well, author is not the reason I picked this novel up.
As soon as I read blurb, I made a connection with one and only manga that interested me enough to stuck to it: Vassalord, Volume 1 by amazing Nanae Chrono.
So, we have two main characters in Vassalord. Both of them are vampires. One...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, cyber-punk, urban-fantasy, paranormal, futuristic

3 1/2 Hearts

Review written for MM Good Book Reviews

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/

Liam is a vampire that kills to survive and he even gets paid for it, when he is asked to kill his ex he jumps at the chance, but when he gets there and finds out that his death is also required he is not happy. Daniel has been looking into his father’s business and now his dad wants him dead, he has to work with the one he betrayed if he wants to get out alive and even then it’s not a sure thing.

This is a...more 3 1/2 Hearts

Review written for MM Good Book Reviews

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/

Liam is a vampire that kills to survive and he even gets paid for it, when he is asked to kill his ex he jumps at the chance, but when he gets there and finds out that his death is also required he is not happy. Daniel has been looking into his father’s business and now his dad wants him dead, he has to work with the one he betrayed if he wants to get out alive and even then it’s not a sure thing.

This is a great story-line and plot and it has some interesting world building that whets your appetite, the characters are great and the sex is really hot. Liam’s world was destroyed five years ago by his ex and all because his ex-boyfriend didn’t want him to get a mod, Liam ended up cast out and in the Gutter with no one to help him. Daniel didn’t want Liam to get more mods as he hates mods and what they do to people, but he never really meant for Liam to be cast out, now five years later his father wants him dead and his ex is the one who wants to pull the trigger.

I really thought the story-line and plot were great, so were the characters, but I just didn’t get the feeling that they were suited to each other and I just couldn’t get how they just forgave each other either, I mean it was as though two planks of wood were facing each other for all the emotion that they showed each other at first, I was expecting more angst and some sort of explanation that made sense and not just a spoiled brat who ruined someone’s life just because he couldn’t get his own way, and honestly, shooting someone just to check and then being amused by it showed Daniel in a Psychopathic light and he also wasn’t very remorseful for ruining Liam’s life either. Liam is completely justified in his wanting to kill Daniel and I really couldn’t understand why he took the crap off Daniel and then apologised (Door Mat) he’s supposed to be a cold blooded assassin (Door Mat).

Now the story was great, the action was really good and the sex is hot. There is a very good basis here for future books, but for me this one fell short because of the interaction between the two characters. So I will recommend this for the Action, the Vampire, the hot sex and seeing Daniel get cut into. Mwahahah. Er sorry slipped out. (less)

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Jan 12, 2013 Ayanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, favorites, future-rereads, evocative-or-edifying, non-pulpy, magnum-opus, be-still-my-heart

Okay, so I get the title now.
(view spoiler)

This book. What can I say? I was rather leery of it because of the title and the less than stellar blurb, but it's amazing. To paraphrase and play upon that line from The Princess Bride, there's action, fighting, revenge, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...

This book is beautif...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Kassa rated it 3 of 5 stars

A Chip in His Shoulder by LA Witt is a really good and often used idea in science fiction. There are a few fresh twists and a brief attempt at tension but overall the story is interesting and fun to read. Where the novella stumbles though is on the pacing and content. There is too much that is skipped over and summarized leaving a very rushed and choppy feel. The world building is decent for the length but sadly leaves out so much. I wish this had been a fully fleshed out novel with solid world...more A Chip in His Shoulder by LA Witt is a really good and often used idea in science fiction. There are a few fresh twists and a brief attempt at tension but overall the story is interesting and fun to read. Where the novella stumbles though is on the pacing and content. There is too much that is skipped over and summarized leaving a very rushed and choppy feel. The world building is decent for the length but sadly leaves out so much. I wish this had been a fully fleshed out novel with solid world building and complete characters; instead it reads like the first book of a series and not a satisfying stand-alone.

ACiHS has a very basic and familiar plot. It starts with vampire and assassin Liam heading to kill his mark and old lover Daniel. Daniel is the son of a very wealthy cybertronics scion as Liam once was. Liam was disowned and disinherited when his affair with human Daniel was revealed and since then he’s done whatever he had to do to survive. Despite their rocky past or because of it, when Liam shows up to kill Daniel they’re both in for a few surprised that just may change their minds about many things.

Set in a futuristic world, potentially post-apocalyptic, with an urban feel with advanced electronics, high tech assassins, and vampires, this story really hits all the things I adore in a story. I mean I don’t think I could have tailor made a story more in tune with the very elements I devour in the science fiction/fantasy genre. Many of the elements and themes used are pretty universal, though it doesn’t detract from the story. For example the extreme poverty versus extreme wealth concept; the rich sons battling their greedy fathers for the good of common man; the assassin with a heart of gold just trying to help the poor; old lovers torn apart due to immaturity and youth finding a common cause to fight against. I could go on but suffice it to say the novella is chock full of common themes and familiar concepts.

Having said that I liked the plot anyway. It’s not original but it works for me because I happen to like those themes. Unfortunately the story is simply too rushed and really short changed any potential these themes have. There are too many of them thrown into too short of a story. None of these ideas are well fleshed out and constructed. The actual futuristic world isn’t explained very well; is it post-apocalyptic or merely futuristic? How did the world come to be this way and incorporate mods and vampires at once? There are so many unanswered questions and omitted details that it’s very frustrating. These ideas are simply introduced, stately plainly without much detailed explanation or development, and then the story and characters move onto the next theme. There is no depth to any of it or any of the characters unfortunately. There is so much action and time spent explaining the background of the couple and world that the depth and development of each element is sacrificed.

For example, rather than letting the world building create a solid background to the story, these details are largely told through Liam’s internal monologues. The story is told to the reader much more than it’s shown and in a genre that I love, this is especially disappointing. Likewise the plot is simply too full and rushed to be complete and satisfying. There are too many concepts and ideas thrown in without elaboration while the characters feel very thin at best. They have such potential and clearly a dramatic and tension filled past but none of that raw emotion and edgy turmoil comes through. It feels watered down and incomplete.

This feels like a great idea that just didn’t deliver in execution. It has all the elements that I like and honestly crave in an excellent book but it doesn’t offer the sense of satisfaction and completion to work. I can’t help but think what this book would have been like in another author’s hands and I get chills thinking how good it could have been. Overall it’s decent but it’s definitely lost potential and doesn’t really work as much as it should.
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Jan 17, 2013 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-immortals-reading-challenge, pnr-uf, dystopian-apocalyptic-futuristic

A futuristic world with corporate monsters in their ivory towers suppressing the working masses in the gutter below (literally), cyborg technology, and vampires living openly among the humans? Yum, sign me up! I have come to really enjoy these dark and dingy dystopian worlds that are created especially when there is 'run for your lives' intrigue and hot heroes tossed in to make it even better.

This story opens when a vampire mercenary contract killer, Liam, who lives now down in the Gutter with a...more A futuristic world with corporate monsters in their ivory towers suppressing the working masses in the gutter below (literally), cyborg technology, and vampires living openly among the humans? Yum, sign me up! I have come to really enjoy these dark and dingy dystopian worlds that are created especially when there is 'run for your lives' intrigue and hot heroes tossed in to make it even better.

This story opens when a vampire mercenary contract killer, Liam, who lives now down in the Gutter with all the slogging poor and starving working class humans, gets hired to take out a human in the Sky world of the wealthy above. The irony is that it is the hated ex-lover human who caused him to become ostracized, lose everything he once had, and to be forced to scrounge to survive in the desperate world below.

Not all is as it seems and when he confronts Daniel to kill him, Liam learns that he may have to ally with Daniel so they'll both survive and expose a huge plot.

The world building was good and chillingly realistic in some ways. The wealthy people live above all the pollution and poor living conditions on street level in the clean air being outfitted with cyborg-like modifications (mods) that the poor people down below manufacture. It reminds me of the plastic surgery craze we have these days. Those who hold the plans and patents for all this mod technology are the super wealthy.

The plot is basic in some ways with it ultimately being about a greedy man protecting his source of wealth even if it means killing and destroying countless others to do so. But the plot is also about two estranged men getting a second chance if they can bridge their gap with forgiveness, trust and understanding (all while trying to stay one step ahead of aforementioned greedy guy).

There wasn't a lot of time for character development, but nonetheless I found myself liking both Liam and Daniel and their wry humor with each other.

This first book was more of an introduction and the first skirmish in the battle so to speak. I look forward to reading the next part in the series.

I recommend this one for those who enjoy a blend of futuristic dystopian with the paranormal romance.

Thank you to Riptide publishing for providing this copy for review purposes.(less)

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Jan 09, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: assassin, hardly-any-shmex, sci-fi, short, slow-build-up, vamp

It is hard to put my thoughts into words.

I will start with the what I had trouble with:

* I found the dialogue a bit stilted in the first scene (in the glass apartment). I cannot quite put my finger on what annoyed me but it just lacked emotion. I found myself thrown out of the story and asking myself, how would I react in this situation etc. It was like the two character told me but didnt show me any emotion.

* The ending I found a little abrupt. I do not know if this is a standalone or the fir...more

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Dec 16, 2011 Jenre rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: futuristic, fantasy, m-m, paranormal, romance

I'm a bit of a fan of LA Witt's writing and so I was pleased to see this new story at Riptide Publishing, mainly because it seemed to break away from her usual contemporary romance stories. It's a sci-fi/fantasy story which tells of vampire Liam who was cast out of his upper-class family when he was discovered to have a male human lover. He ended in the 'Gutter' where pollution, poverty and crime rule the streets and eventually made his living as a hit man with all the latest body modifications....more I'm a bit of a fan of LA Witt's writing and so I was pleased to see this new story at Riptide Publishing, mainly because it seemed to break away from her usual contemporary romance stories. It's a sci-fi/fantasy story which tells of vampire Liam who was cast out of his upper-class family when he was discovered to have a male human lover. He ended in the 'Gutter' where pollution, poverty and crime rule the streets and eventually made his living as a hit man with all the latest body modifications. As the story starts Liam is hired by the father of the man who was the cause of his destitution, Daniel. Liam is pleased to finally take his revenge by killing the man he used to love, but once in Daniel's apartment he discovers that not all is as it seems and the pair have to work together to escape the trap they have fallen into.

I had a rather mixed reaction to this story in the end. I really liked the breadth of imagination in the setting and the world building. The social hierarchy of those who live in the sky with those who live in the gutter; plus the use of body modifications and the way that causes tension between the characters were interesting and only one or two steps away from what could be a future reality. This made the story firmly grounded in the believable whilst also being in the realms of fantasy.

I also liked the fast paced escape plot. I was on the edge of my seat a number of times, wondering how the plan was going to work and whether the men would be able to escape from their predicament. The set up with the characters trapped in the apartment and their plans for escape made for an exciting and tense read. This was then combined with a clever use of the technology in Liam to make the story a little bit unusual. I read quickly through the book wanting to know what was going to happen.

Where the book didn't work for me was in the characters of Liam and Daniel. I'm afraid I didn't like either of them. Daniel was too smug and self satisfied at first, before changing and acting in a totally irrational manner, and then suddenly giving up all his antagonism towards Liam as they reunited. I liked Liam a little more, but still found him to be cold-hearted and his bitterness was unappealing. Like Daniel, his change of heart was a little too sudden for my liking. More than that though, they are both played for fools by Daniel's father and it was his unseen presence which grated on my nerves. I can only assume that this is going to be a series because the story ends with little or no resolution to their situation, other than escape and regroup. I felt a little cheated out of seeing Daniel's father brought down, and maybe I have to be patient and wait for further books.

So overall, whilst the plot was fast paced and well written, I didn't really connect with or like the characters. Don't let me put you off though as other readers may like the main characters a little more than I did.(less)

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Jan 04, 2013 Bookivore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, paranormal, science-fiction, vampires

After finishing this book, I hesitated between 4 and 3 and a half stars, as a rating. Don't get me wrong, it's not that it wasn't good. It's just that the story was too short : before I knew it, it was already the end.

Notwithstanding its briefness, the story was really good. The author managed to immerse me into this futuristic world, with its intricate plots and peculiarities. Some would say that this kind of speculative fiction has already been done, and they're right. But, what's different ab...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Veronica / V rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm not going to tell you what this book is all about it, as the blurb is quite clear.
What I'm going to say though....this story is FANTASTIC.
This Author managed in 78 pages to give you lots of action, terrific plot, right amount of sex scenes.
Just perfection.
The future sequel or sequels are a "must buy" for me, as I'm sure there are more to come.

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Mar 09, 2013 Annie the Destroyer *Leather Lust* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-l-a-witt, ebooks, first-book-in-series, genre-lgbt, lgbt, genre-science-fiction, man-love, read-in-2013, novellas, series-falling-sky

Liam is hired by his ex-lover’s father to take his son out. For a profit of $10 million, it seems like a pretty good deal. As a vampire, he has enhanced senses and abilities and with the addition of nanobots, Liam is virtually unstoppable. While Liam is set to take out Daniel, his ex-lover turns the tables on him and suddenly, both of them are in a load of trouble and require each other’s help to escape unscathed and alive.

As the first book in a two book series, L.A. Witt creates a vast new wor...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Stephanie M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: la-witt, 2011, riptide

Cyborg Assassin Vampires with self-healing nanobots! This was a cool futuristic story. I was riveted until the end. Please tell me there is going to be a sequel!! I want to see Richard Harding and his fellow cronies taken down by his son and the assassin he hired to kill him!

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Nov 22, 2011 Lady*M rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance, science-fiction, paranormal

2.5 stars

I hope this is the beginning of the series, because, as a standalone, the book just didn't work.

There is a history between the protagonists we are told about. There is a world of rich and modified (The Sky) and poor and marginalized (The Gutter) that we are told about. There is a conspiracy to keep the vampires in the dark and make poor even poorer that we are told about. More than half of the story is talking, talking, talking about the world and the protagonists, when the pages shoul...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Chad rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, ebook, m-m, vampires, science-fiction

Look at that! Just after I coined the term, I get to use it. A Chip in His Shoulder definitely fits my definition of a quadruple-s romance. Sadly, the scene is short and tastefully euphemistic, but thankfully there is more than sex to keep this novella interesting.

Witt has brought to life a dystopian world in which humans and vampires coexist in a highly stratified society ruled by cybernetics and the companies that produce them, where separation of the desperately poor and the stinking rich tak...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Kristie Sanchez rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good little book. Nice set up for the 2nd, which looks to be quite a bit longer. I love a great vampire story and this one is no different... well, except for the vast differences in what Liam is able to do because of his modifications. I love the sci-fi piece to this story as it adds to the fun of learning about a new kind of vampire, a different world, and a new journey. The only thing missing here is more back story to why the world is the way it is, where the vampires come from (Are they nor...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Monica Vidal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Surprisingly awesome! Ok, not suuuuch a surprise cause it was recommended by a dear friend of mine and she always has the best recs. But, I haven't had read any m/m mixed with supernatural stuff and I gotta say I liked it a lot.

The whole vampires and modes and future is pretty cool. And Liam and Daniel' story is also great. It starts with a little angst but then you keep going cause everything is gonna be ok. it has some pretty decent dialogues and it's really appealing.

I can't freaking wait f...more

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About L.A. Witt

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who, after three years in Okinawa, Japan, has recently relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two cats, and a three-headed clairvoyant parakeet named Fred. There is some speculation that this move was not actually because of her husband's military orders, but to help L. A. close in on her arch nemesis, erotica author Lauren Gallagher, who has al...more

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“Then why the fuck did you still shoot me?”
“Because I fucking well wanted to.” — 6 people liked it

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