What do you think?
Rate this book
The Telepathic Clans #1
The Succubus Gift
Warning: The characters in this book are sex-positive feminists.
The history of the Clans, called the Sidhe by the Irish, stretches back to antiquity. The Goddess blesses Her people with 25 Telepathic Gifts. In addition to Telepathy, the Gifts include command over Air and Fire, Telekinesis and Teleportation. In over 2,500 years, She has never bestowed more than 15 Gifts on a single person.
Brenna Morgan was orphaned at eight when her parents were killed in a plane crash. Through one foster home after another, she carried the ornate, carved wooden box her mother had left with her, keeping it always a secret. Then one night she stumbles over a man who claims her as family.
Brenna’s life isn’t the same after she discovers her unusual and mysterious heritage. In addition to being a telepath, Brenna learns she has the Succubus Gift.
That’s just the beginning of her problems. Someone is stalking her. Then there’s the tall, dangerous woman who shadows her and hints a Goddess has linked them. And what is she going to do with a handsome, charismatic, womanizing man she knows she should avoid?
Some days a girl just wants to pull the covers over her head and stay in bed -- with a willing young man of course.
Urban Fantasy with a dash of romance. The Succubus Gift is a completely different take on the succubus myth. Beautiful women and hot men in a world with a hidden telepathic subculture.
The history of the Clans, called the Sidhe by the Irish, stretches back to antiquity. The Goddess blesses Her people with 25 Telepathic Gifts. In addition to Telepathy, the Gifts include command over Air and Fire, Telekinesis and Teleportation. In over 2,500 years, She has never bestowed more than 15 Gifts on a single person.
Brenna Morgan was orphaned at eight when her parents were killed in a plane crash. Through one foster home after another, she carried the ornate, carved wooden box her mother had left with her, keeping it always a secret. Then one night she stumbles over a man who claims her as family.
Brenna’s life isn’t the same after she discovers her unusual and mysterious heritage. In addition to being a telepath, Brenna learns she has the Succubus Gift.
That’s just the beginning of her problems. Someone is stalking her. Then there’s the tall, dangerous woman who shadows her and hints a Goddess has linked them. And what is she going to do with a handsome, charismatic, womanizing man she knows she should avoid?
Some days a girl just wants to pull the covers over her head and stay in bed -- with a willing young man of course.
Urban Fantasy with a dash of romance. The Succubus Gift is a completely different take on the succubus myth. Beautiful women and hot men in a world with a hidden telepathic subculture.
262 pages, ebook
First published April 22, 2012
673 people are currently reading
795 people want to read
About the author
B.R. Kingsolver
42 books951 followersI made silver and turquoise jewelry for almost a decade, ended up in nursing school, then took a master’s in business. Along the way I worked in construction, as a newspaper editor, a teacher, and somehow found a career working with computers.
As to my other interests, I love the outdoors, especially the Rocky Mountains. I’ve skied since high school, with one broken leg and one torn ACL to show for it. I’ve hiked and camped all my life. I love to travel, though I haven’t done enough of it. I’ve seen a lot of Russia and Mexico, not enough of England. Amsterdam is amazing, and the Romanian Alps are breathtaking. Lake Tahoe is a favorite, and someday I’d like to see Banff.
For special deals and news about new books, sign up for my newsletter.
http://brkingsolver.us1.list-manage.c...
As to my other interests, I love the outdoors, especially the Rocky Mountains. I’ve skied since high school, with one broken leg and one torn ACL to show for it. I’ve hiked and camped all my life. I love to travel, though I haven’t done enough of it. I’ve seen a lot of Russia and Mexico, not enough of England. Amsterdam is amazing, and the Romanian Alps are breathtaking. Lake Tahoe is a favorite, and someday I’d like to see Banff.
For special deals and news about new books, sign up for my newsletter.
http://brkingsolver.us1.list-manage.c...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
January 14, 2013
The Succubus Gift is the first book in The Telepathic Clans series by B.R. Kingsolver. When approached by the author I was very excited to read this book; it sounded like something I'd really enjoy. It sounded like a really different spin on the paranormal. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and that's saying something.
The story follows members of the Clan as they find a family member they thought to be dead and learn about her abilities. I really enjoyed the emphasis on family and loyalty. This is a family you DO NOT want to cross. They're lovely people, of course, but hurt them or one of theirs and you'll wish you were never born. I loved every one of them! I think she could tell the story from any one of their points of view and it would be fantastic. They're all so interesting and well developed; definitely not cookie cutter characters.
Brenna is such a kick ass character, I really loved her! She is strong, determined, funny, sexy and honest, a dangerous combination, for sure! I think every woman secretly wishes she could be more like Brenna is. She doesn't shy away from putting herself in danger to protect others. I really loved the dynamics of the friendship between her and Rebecca, her protector. It was very interesting & I hope we learn more about it in the next book.
This book had it all; lots of action, romance, suspense and humor. Loaded with intrigue and drama, it was a very fast read! I was on pins and needles for the whole book, almost, waiting to see what would happen next. I really love Kingslover's writing style and I cannot wait for book #2!
The story follows members of the Clan as they find a family member they thought to be dead and learn about her abilities. I really enjoyed the emphasis on family and loyalty. This is a family you DO NOT want to cross. They're lovely people, of course, but hurt them or one of theirs and you'll wish you were never born. I loved every one of them! I think she could tell the story from any one of their points of view and it would be fantastic. They're all so interesting and well developed; definitely not cookie cutter characters.
Brenna is such a kick ass character, I really loved her! She is strong, determined, funny, sexy and honest, a dangerous combination, for sure! I think every woman secretly wishes she could be more like Brenna is. She doesn't shy away from putting herself in danger to protect others. I really loved the dynamics of the friendship between her and Rebecca, her protector. It was very interesting & I hope we learn more about it in the next book.
This book had it all; lots of action, romance, suspense and humor. Loaded with intrigue and drama, it was a very fast read! I was on pins and needles for the whole book, almost, waiting to see what would happen next. I really love Kingslover's writing style and I cannot wait for book #2!
May 4, 2012
The Succubus Gift is B.R. Kingsolver's debut novel and a great read. I'd recommend it to anyone that's looking for an unconventional romance and love story. The main character, Brenna Morgan, is a strong, highly developed, and intriguing leading female. All the other minor characters are just as interesting, particularly Rebecca (my favorite).
The romantic relationship between Brenna and Collin is unique. I can't think of another book that has a relationship quite like this.
This is a fresh take on telepathics and unlike any other Succubus story I have ever read. If you read this book, you won't regret it. The only problem you'll find is figuring out how to patiently wait for the second in this trilogy.
The romantic relationship between Brenna and Collin is unique. I can't think of another book that has a relationship quite like this.
This is a fresh take on telepathics and unlike any other Succubus story I have ever read. If you read this book, you won't regret it. The only problem you'll find is figuring out how to patiently wait for the second in this trilogy.
May 15, 2012
Brenna is a compelling character. I loved her intelligence, witty charm, and the journey she is on. B.R. Kingsolver has a very in depth, vivid and extraordinary imagination. I was hooked immediately, wanting to learn more, and find out more about the telepath and succubus Brenna. A chance meeting with another telepath and relative changes her life forever, leading her into a new world where she is able to learn about her gifts and explore what it means to be a succubus. Not only is this story about self discovery, B.R. Kingsolver has created an alternate world that co-exists along with society. It is extremely intriguing and a read you won't want to put down. This book is one of my absolute favorites and I look forward to more books to come!
August 16, 2014
3.5/5.0
This story is well-written with a plot that proceeds at a fast clip.
Full review in April 2013 issue of InD'tale Magazine.
This story is well-written with a plot that proceeds at a fast clip.
Full review in April 2013 issue of InD'tale Magazine.
August 9, 2013
The Succubus Gift is a great book for the beginning of this series. It’s a very entertaining read with many memorable characters. B.R Kingsolver does a wonderful job creating this world hidden within the modern world. From the moment when Brenna saves her cousin to meeting Collin for the very first time to learning how powerful she could truly be. It is one great twist after another. Also, I really enjoyed how the complex relationships between characters were demonstrated. For instance the relationship between Brenna and Rebecca is a complex and deep relationship that this book only skims over. I would be remiss in my review if I also didn’t bring in the extremely hot Collin and his relationship with Brenna. Though through descriptions I can totally understand why all woman fall at his feet. After reading the first in the series I have to read the rest of the books. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to before I had this tour date but take my word that I will be finishing this series soon.
May 19, 2012
I loved this book! I don't think I will be able to look at people the same way any more. What if a person I am talking to is a telepath? What if somebody can really read your mind. (?!?!) I am not sure who I loved more - Brenna or Rebecca. They are so different. Can't wait to read more in this series. :O)
May 25, 2012
Let me just start by saying WOW, because this book completely blew my expectations out of the water and then some. The initial synopsis plot struck me as interesting, but it didn’t prepare me for the utterly heart stopping onslaught of sex, violence and paranormal abilities out the wazoo.
In an age where book covers are raved about because they feature a pretty girl in a dress that’s been air brushed to oblivion, I love that The Succubus Gift’s cover has a more traditional art look and feel to it, with slight enhancements. It features a gorgeously rendered Brenna and features some of the abilities that the reader will be exposed to.
When we first meet Brenna she’s worked hard to make a career for herself after being orphaned as a young girl. She’s lived with being a telepath for most of her life, but never knowing the true nature of her abilities. That is until one fateful day after inadvertently saving another telepath he takes her to meet others like them, and so begins Brenna’s journey of self discovery.
I loved how dynamic Brenna’s character is. She’s smart, witty and takes things in stride, but there’s also the less perfect side where she’s a bit self depreciating, reserved and sometimes has serious anger management issues. It all combines together though to make a character that’s so interesting to watch as she grows from an innocent Catholic girl to a more confident and insanely powerful woman.
A main point of the story was that Brenna needed to learn how to control a lot of powers, and Kingsolver found a good balance between natural excellence and learning from tutors that made the story more believable and allowed the readers to experience the powers with Brenna instead of the character instantly being able to use all these powers and going out into the world to fight super villains.
One power in particular, her Succubus Gift (which is in reference to as you guessed it, a Succubus which are known for seducing and having intercourse with men) a rare power that eventually takes the main stage in the story. It provides some of the most hilarious moments as she learns what it means to truly be a Succubus and it also brings the reader to fan-yourself kind of steamy bedroom scenes.
Now with all the different powers on top of telepathy such as pyrokinesis, electrokinesis etc., there’s so much going on in The Succubus Gift. Kingsolver has to explain A LOT of things like the powers, the people, back history, and she manages to do it perfectly without getting the reader hopelessly lost. A few of the powers also have very unique names for them and it can get confusing at times, but Kingsolver added an index at the end that was extremely helpful.
I absolutely loved the cast of secondary characters, maybe a bit more than I do Brenna. There’s such a perfect combination of mafia like grandfather, regal motherly aunt, kick ass best friend and completely adorable, hot, but deadly in a fight - love interest and even other Succubi. Kingsolver crafted these characters with such vivid personalities, they ended up taking on distinct voices and life stories that I craved to know more about.
The villains of the story are kept shrouded in the shadows for the most part, and to me that was perfectly fine. They provided the stressor for Brenna to learn and grow, but frankly they were more terrifying when you couldn’t put a face to them while people were being hunted down. A word of warning, these villains are SO twisted. Kingsolver has them do really graphically violent things that some people may not have the disposition to handle. However, the way that Kingsolver states these events is in a very blunt fashion, she doesn’t dance around them with fancy words, they’re difficult things to write about and I'm glad she didn’t take them lightly and that there’s retribution to be had in the end.
Kingsolver’s way of writing is energetic and keeps up a great tempo. When I was reading this it was easy to see when it picked up for action scenes and slowed down for sensual moments. Especially since Kingsolver is a debut author, this was an incredible piece of work.
Eventually, in the end we find out what’s going on and it blows the doors wide open for an exciting sequel, but it doesn’t end on a complete cliffhanger. We’re left in a very comfortable place, where as a reader you want to know more but it isn’t going to make you angry that it just ENDED RIGHT THERE.
This is a great unique addition to the paranormal/urban fantasy genre and I’d definitely recommend this to fans of the genre! It had everything I could ask for, love, sex, violence, witty banter, supernatural abilities. I am so excited to see what Kingsolver does next!
In an age where book covers are raved about because they feature a pretty girl in a dress that’s been air brushed to oblivion, I love that The Succubus Gift’s cover has a more traditional art look and feel to it, with slight enhancements. It features a gorgeously rendered Brenna and features some of the abilities that the reader will be exposed to.
When we first meet Brenna she’s worked hard to make a career for herself after being orphaned as a young girl. She’s lived with being a telepath for most of her life, but never knowing the true nature of her abilities. That is until one fateful day after inadvertently saving another telepath he takes her to meet others like them, and so begins Brenna’s journey of self discovery.
I loved how dynamic Brenna’s character is. She’s smart, witty and takes things in stride, but there’s also the less perfect side where she’s a bit self depreciating, reserved and sometimes has serious anger management issues. It all combines together though to make a character that’s so interesting to watch as she grows from an innocent Catholic girl to a more confident and insanely powerful woman.
A main point of the story was that Brenna needed to learn how to control a lot of powers, and Kingsolver found a good balance between natural excellence and learning from tutors that made the story more believable and allowed the readers to experience the powers with Brenna instead of the character instantly being able to use all these powers and going out into the world to fight super villains.
One power in particular, her Succubus Gift (which is in reference to as you guessed it, a Succubus which are known for seducing and having intercourse with men) a rare power that eventually takes the main stage in the story. It provides some of the most hilarious moments as she learns what it means to truly be a Succubus and it also brings the reader to fan-yourself kind of steamy bedroom scenes.
Now with all the different powers on top of telepathy such as pyrokinesis, electrokinesis etc., there’s so much going on in The Succubus Gift. Kingsolver has to explain A LOT of things like the powers, the people, back history, and she manages to do it perfectly without getting the reader hopelessly lost. A few of the powers also have very unique names for them and it can get confusing at times, but Kingsolver added an index at the end that was extremely helpful.
I absolutely loved the cast of secondary characters, maybe a bit more than I do Brenna. There’s such a perfect combination of mafia like grandfather, regal motherly aunt, kick ass best friend and completely adorable, hot, but deadly in a fight - love interest and even other Succubi. Kingsolver crafted these characters with such vivid personalities, they ended up taking on distinct voices and life stories that I craved to know more about.
The villains of the story are kept shrouded in the shadows for the most part, and to me that was perfectly fine. They provided the stressor for Brenna to learn and grow, but frankly they were more terrifying when you couldn’t put a face to them while people were being hunted down. A word of warning, these villains are SO twisted. Kingsolver has them do really graphically violent things that some people may not have the disposition to handle. However, the way that Kingsolver states these events is in a very blunt fashion, she doesn’t dance around them with fancy words, they’re difficult things to write about and I'm glad she didn’t take them lightly and that there’s retribution to be had in the end.
Kingsolver’s way of writing is energetic and keeps up a great tempo. When I was reading this it was easy to see when it picked up for action scenes and slowed down for sensual moments. Especially since Kingsolver is a debut author, this was an incredible piece of work.
Eventually, in the end we find out what’s going on and it blows the doors wide open for an exciting sequel, but it doesn’t end on a complete cliffhanger. We’re left in a very comfortable place, where as a reader you want to know more but it isn’t going to make you angry that it just ENDED RIGHT THERE.
This is a great unique addition to the paranormal/urban fantasy genre and I’d definitely recommend this to fans of the genre! It had everything I could ask for, love, sex, violence, witty banter, supernatural abilities. I am so excited to see what Kingsolver does next!
April 19, 2013
I received a free copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
The synopsis of this story intrigued me. I was definitely a bit hesitant to read a book about the succubus, since it immediately made me think that there would be a lot of sex scenes. However, the main character discovering her lost family, and the promise of Irish mythology were too much for me to resist. In the end, I'm very glad that I couldn't.
Brenna was an awesome heroine, and I actually really liked her. She was strong, but she wasn't reckless. She was also really mature and intelligent, because she didn't deny overly long all of the new things she was learning about herself, and I knew from then on, she was going to be awesome to read about, and obviously, I was right. I loved seeing mostly everything happen through her eyes, and I ended the book thinking that she was definitely one of the bravest people I'd seen in a novel in a while.
In addition to Brenna, there were some great side characters. Her love interest Collin was a lot of support for her, but I never felt like we fully knew him, and I'm pretty sure that there's still a lot to learn about him. Callie was an interesting character to read about as well, what with all that she knew about everything going on, as well as Brenna's parents. However, my favorite secondary characters by far had to be Rebecca and Seamus. I loved Rebecca's friendship, and how encouraging and loyal she was to Brenna. Seamus was a favorite for me because he could be so nurturing, but when it came right down to it, he was all about protecting his people. I loved how well all of these characters were written, and the author definitely did a good job at developing them all.
The actual plot of this book was really well-done. It started out with Brenna learning about her family and powers, and I loved that part of it. It was pretty fun and interesting to watch her get acquainted with people, and learn how to use all of her Gifts. But then she finds out that she has the rarest Gift, and that creates a pretty big conflict for her, morally speaking, and I could definitely relate. I love how it took a while for her to accept her gift, because she didn't just change her ways of thinking overnight, and that was pretty realistic. However, after she discovers all of this, a mystery starts to develop, and it gets pretty interesting and tense from then on.
Overall, I really liked this book. I read it quite fast, because it had a great plot. I loved a lot of the characters in this story, but Brenna was definitely my favorite, what with her intelligence and strength. The only downfall of this book, in my opinion, was how quickly the romance developed. I liked Collin a lot, but I can't truly say that I saw where the romance came from. With that said, though, it was a really great story, especially since a part of me thought it'd be quite a bit different. With great world-building, original mythology, and wonderful characters, the author made a succubus story that I really liked, and a series that I could potentially love.
The synopsis of this story intrigued me. I was definitely a bit hesitant to read a book about the succubus, since it immediately made me think that there would be a lot of sex scenes. However, the main character discovering her lost family, and the promise of Irish mythology were too much for me to resist. In the end, I'm very glad that I couldn't.
Brenna was an awesome heroine, and I actually really liked her. She was strong, but she wasn't reckless. She was also really mature and intelligent, because she didn't deny overly long all of the new things she was learning about herself, and I knew from then on, she was going to be awesome to read about, and obviously, I was right. I loved seeing mostly everything happen through her eyes, and I ended the book thinking that she was definitely one of the bravest people I'd seen in a novel in a while.
In addition to Brenna, there were some great side characters. Her love interest Collin was a lot of support for her, but I never felt like we fully knew him, and I'm pretty sure that there's still a lot to learn about him. Callie was an interesting character to read about as well, what with all that she knew about everything going on, as well as Brenna's parents. However, my favorite secondary characters by far had to be Rebecca and Seamus. I loved Rebecca's friendship, and how encouraging and loyal she was to Brenna. Seamus was a favorite for me because he could be so nurturing, but when it came right down to it, he was all about protecting his people. I loved how well all of these characters were written, and the author definitely did a good job at developing them all.
The actual plot of this book was really well-done. It started out with Brenna learning about her family and powers, and I loved that part of it. It was pretty fun and interesting to watch her get acquainted with people, and learn how to use all of her Gifts. But then she finds out that she has the rarest Gift, and that creates a pretty big conflict for her, morally speaking, and I could definitely relate. I love how it took a while for her to accept her gift, because she didn't just change her ways of thinking overnight, and that was pretty realistic. However, after she discovers all of this, a mystery starts to develop, and it gets pretty interesting and tense from then on.
Overall, I really liked this book. I read it quite fast, because it had a great plot. I loved a lot of the characters in this story, but Brenna was definitely my favorite, what with her intelligence and strength. The only downfall of this book, in my opinion, was how quickly the romance developed. I liked Collin a lot, but I can't truly say that I saw where the romance came from. With that said, though, it was a really great story, especially since a part of me thought it'd be quite a bit different. With great world-building, original mythology, and wonderful characters, the author made a succubus story that I really liked, and a series that I could potentially love.
February 25, 2017
That was a fun ride. There was a heavier hand on the romance than I tend to prefer, and it was difficult to follow at times--the dialogue wasn't always clearly marked, and there are too many characters in this book for that to be easy to sort out. I'm still unclear on who said what in a few places. But the world was interesting, and believably secret from the "norms." I'm excited that I have the second book in an omnibus, and will be diving right in!
June 21, 2012
So I just finished The Succubus Gift. I wasn't too sure about this one in the beginning. The story just seemed really rushed
in the beginning. But the story's pace seemed to even out and I really got into it.
Things I loved about this book:
Kingsolver did an amazing job at creating this world. I love the detail they put not only into the characters, but into the
clans and the abilities as well. The author didn't just wave away how the telepathy and the different abilities worked.
There is even a little addition at the end of the novel that names the talents and what they are supposed to do.
While I still had some unanswered questions at the end of the book, I think they were mainly unanswered because this is the
first book in the series. Hopefully in the following books the questions I had and the loose ends will be resolved. But the
questions weren't so hugely nagging that they took away from my enjoyment of the story itself. They felt like more teasers
for the next novel, and I can't wait to get my hands on it!
I also loved the strong female characters. While the majority of them were dazzlingly beautiful, they were far from perfect
inside. While they had issues with their flaws they didn't use them as an excuse to be wishy-washy and whiny. Also, while I
have my suspicions about love triangles in the future books, Brenna is a succubus after all, I liked the way the writer
handled Brenna's love life and the people involved in it.
Things I didn't love about this book:
As I said before the initial pacing at the start of the novel kind of annoyed me. I guess I've gotten used to more of a back
story at the beginning of the novel. But by the end I had a pretty good idea of where Brenna was coming from, as well as
some of the other characters. There were a few I would have liked to have learned more about, but again, I am blaming on not
finding out all their information on the fact that it possibly will be revealed in the next book.
Honestly I should say things I didn't like, not didn't love, since by the end of the book I really was enthralled and my
biggest peeve was that I didn't have the second book on hand to read. (And no it's not a cliffie!!! OMG! I was shocked too
Yes it is set up for the next novel but not a cliffie.)
If you're looking for a new author or series to pick up for the summer, I definitely recommend this one. I just found out
the next book in the series, Succubus Unleashed, is being released REALLY SOON!!! YAY!!!
August 27, 2012
This truly unique book has several things to offer:
1. A smart, attractive and kick-a** protagonist with a lot to figure out.
Brenna has battled her way from foster homes to the top of her class. Her dissertation on psychic activity is gaining attention, and she is teaching this year at John Hopkins.
When people start telling her they are long lost family and that she has some kind of gift she doesn't want to believe them. But she has to, and once she does, she hits the ground running and takin' names.
2. Refreshing attitudes towards gender roles and sexuality.
In a way this book is a little thought experiment--what if a woman didn't commit to one man and instead played the field? And instead of thought of as a 'slut' maybe she could actually be accepted into society?
As Brenna learns more about her heritage, she comes to terms with the urges she was born with. Succubus earn respect by her community rather than being cast down.
Hey, I love some healthy escapism, and why the hell not? Guys get away with having multiple partners, so it's about time an author went there and said, "Ladies can, too." Sure makes a great story...
3. A complex and organized magical system.
Basically anything you can think of as "magic" or "psychic ability" has been classified into a Talent. There are 25 Talents telepaths can have. All of this are in a handy-dandy index, and are explained through the story.
Using a gift usually requires some training or things can get dangerous. I thought this was very well done, and before going into battle, Brenna gets plenty of preparation.
4. A hella-fast second half full of action.
While the first half of the book deals mostly with Brenna's inner conflicts, things move quickly into action.
Because there are so many things to understand about the world of telepaths, I appreciated the change to orient myself in the first half.
Once it starts rolling though, it doesn't stop.
5. Did I mention sexy?
If you prefer things to 'fade to black' then this is not the book for you. There is a lot of sex, and not all of it is with an emotional connection.
There are some really wild scenes. It's not the sex per se it's more the situation...
You'll have to check this out to know more!
*Copy received for free in exchange for a review*
If you like this review, please check out my blog
July 23, 2015
I would have rated it higher, but I had to force myself to make it past the 15% mark. Once the story progressed passed the insipid love story and childish behavior of the main character, it was interesting if predictable.
The basic premise is there are thousands of Telepaths around the world that are segregated into various Clans and "wilders" (Ronin for all intents and purposes). Some of these clans are friendly, or at least non-aggressive with normal folk, some are predatory. All have huge business deals and live high on the hog. The telepaths can have any number of skills from pyrokinesis to teleporting to everything in between.
My problems with the book (spoilers):
1) The main character has a PhD at the age of 22. She's not described as being genius that graduated high school early or achieves her undergrad degree in record time. There just aren't enough hours in a day for a 18 year old high school graduate to complete a bachelors and PhD in 4 years.
2) She supposed to be smart, but she think she's fat despite having a 24 inch waist. She's a scholastic savant but can't work out that she has an exaggerated hourglass figure? Huh?
3) We don't need a blow by blow for every date the girl has. We don't need to know what they ate or what they did. It's irrelevant. The first 15% of the book has entire dates written out. It's boring and superfluous. Simply saying they had a great night and the guy was a complete gentleman would have sufficed.
4) It's obvious the author has a rather low opinion of men. She's not quite a Tumblr Radical Feminazi, but she seems to think of men as little more than a prop for comfort or hate. Very little in between.
5) What really ticked me off is how it's stated several times how no Telepath has more than 15 Gifts, but then the protagonist is all 25. Oh, and she inherits millions of dollars. And her grandfather is a Clan Leader. Kingsolver does exactly what SHOULDN'T be done: She makes the main character damn near all powerful. The character should have to rely on other characters, but that's hard to do when you can seduce everyone, calm them, shield yourself, throw lightening, fire, and cold, can teleport, break other people shields, take over their minds, shatter buildings, heal, etc, etc.
She's just too powerful and it takes away from the suspense of the climax.
The basic premise is there are thousands of Telepaths around the world that are segregated into various Clans and "wilders" (Ronin for all intents and purposes). Some of these clans are friendly, or at least non-aggressive with normal folk, some are predatory. All have huge business deals and live high on the hog. The telepaths can have any number of skills from pyrokinesis to teleporting to everything in between.
My problems with the book (spoilers):
1) The main character has a PhD at the age of 22. She's not described as being genius that graduated high school early or achieves her undergrad degree in record time. There just aren't enough hours in a day for a 18 year old high school graduate to complete a bachelors and PhD in 4 years.
2) She supposed to be smart, but she think she's fat despite having a 24 inch waist. She's a scholastic savant but can't work out that she has an exaggerated hourglass figure? Huh?
3) We don't need a blow by blow for every date the girl has. We don't need to know what they ate or what they did. It's irrelevant. The first 15% of the book has entire dates written out. It's boring and superfluous. Simply saying they had a great night and the guy was a complete gentleman would have sufficed.
4) It's obvious the author has a rather low opinion of men. She's not quite a Tumblr Radical Feminazi, but she seems to think of men as little more than a prop for comfort or hate. Very little in between.
5) What really ticked me off is how it's stated several times how no Telepath has more than 15 Gifts, but then the protagonist is all 25. Oh, and she inherits millions of dollars. And her grandfather is a Clan Leader. Kingsolver does exactly what SHOULDN'T be done: She makes the main character damn near all powerful. The character should have to rely on other characters, but that's hard to do when you can seduce everyone, calm them, shield yourself, throw lightening, fire, and cold, can teleport, break other people shields, take over their minds, shatter buildings, heal, etc, etc.
She's just too powerful and it takes away from the suspense of the climax.
November 10, 2012
Ok, so let me start by saying I’ve never read anything quite like this book. I’m saying this as a compliment because different is better to me. Sometimes stories about a particular type of character get repetitive so it was a breath of fresh air to see something different. I am particularly fond of how very detailed the author has made the rules and gifts and how they work. Some “gifts” are part of a “Talent” or are a “Talent” in themselves. So, we’ve got magic here lol
I will not lie and say that even though some parts are very funny, this is a more dark story. Bad people do seriously bad things. To the point that I sometimes got chills while reading. Each character has a story to tell and trust me, some are the types you wish you didn’t know, but it makes them who they are. I really like that I never felt like the story was slow, even when there were things being explained or back stories being told. This is what makes a great story for me.
Brenna is mostly the main character. He life is literally uprooted from the first few sentences. I enjoyed learning about her family and how the Clans works. I really enjoy Collin as I will firmly stay planted on his team LOL not that there are plenty of hotties to go around in this story. A Clan is a seriously large family without everyone being blood related. Rebecca is probably my favorite character though. Her and maybe Kallan and Jared. Seamus is The Lord of the Manor without being king, so I really enjoyed his interactions. And I also really enjoyed that they have no judgement with Decisions that need to be made. That’s a good family to be in LoL
I will say that this is definitely an adult story, not just for the romance side, but for some things that occur. I will however contradict that statement by saying its such and interesting story I want everyone to try it out. It’s so unusual to have almost no taboos in a culture that it makes me want to rethink some of my choices hahahaha I will definitely be continuing this series as I really like so many things about it! A really good 4 PAWS from me!! Now go read it!
I will not lie and say that even though some parts are very funny, this is a more dark story. Bad people do seriously bad things. To the point that I sometimes got chills while reading. Each character has a story to tell and trust me, some are the types you wish you didn’t know, but it makes them who they are. I really like that I never felt like the story was slow, even when there were things being explained or back stories being told. This is what makes a great story for me.
Brenna is mostly the main character. He life is literally uprooted from the first few sentences. I enjoyed learning about her family and how the Clans works. I really enjoy Collin as I will firmly stay planted on his team LOL not that there are plenty of hotties to go around in this story. A Clan is a seriously large family without everyone being blood related. Rebecca is probably my favorite character though. Her and maybe Kallan and Jared. Seamus is The Lord of the Manor without being king, so I really enjoyed his interactions. And I also really enjoyed that they have no judgement with Decisions that need to be made. That’s a good family to be in LoL
I will say that this is definitely an adult story, not just for the romance side, but for some things that occur. I will however contradict that statement by saying its such and interesting story I want everyone to try it out. It’s so unusual to have almost no taboos in a culture that it makes me want to rethink some of my choices hahahaha I will definitely be continuing this series as I really like so many things about it! A really good 4 PAWS from me!! Now go read it!
August 5, 2014
Sometimes our past dictates how we plan our future.
Brenna has grown up in foster homes, learning to adjust to each new set of parents’ rules. She perfected the go-along-to-get-along attitude. Her internal drive to succeed carried her through college and her dissertation. She’s careful, methodical and knows exactly what she wants and how to achieve her goals—because planning is everything.
Until life throws her a curve ball and changes all the rules. Her psychic ability leads her to discover another person like her. He introduces her to more people like them and her world view changes. She doesn’t accept the changes at face value. She learns what she can about these people and what they’re capable of.
When her life is threatened, she must choose who to trust. When the people she cares about are threatened, she must embrace all of her abilities and decide if she can live with the consequences.
I enjoyed The Succubus Gift. Brenna’s character had intelligence and (for the most part) common sense. She thought about her actions and made informed decisions. Yes, her heart ruled as often as her head, but the balance was appreciated.
A couple of things kept the book from being a solid five for me. The amount of internal dialogue made the narration slow at times and bogged down the pace. This book has a lot of action, don’t get me wrong. I just wanted a more consistent pull.
Also, the reason given for Brenna not feeling others made no sense in the face of her feeling Collin’s character. It made more sense that she’d have felt someone, even one person, in all the years between entering the foster care system as a child and discovering her roots as an adult.
I look forward to reading BR Kingsolver’s next book in the Telepathic Clans Saga.
*Author Ecopy provided for honest review
Brenna has grown up in foster homes, learning to adjust to each new set of parents’ rules. She perfected the go-along-to-get-along attitude. Her internal drive to succeed carried her through college and her dissertation. She’s careful, methodical and knows exactly what she wants and how to achieve her goals—because planning is everything.
Until life throws her a curve ball and changes all the rules. Her psychic ability leads her to discover another person like her. He introduces her to more people like them and her world view changes. She doesn’t accept the changes at face value. She learns what she can about these people and what they’re capable of.
When her life is threatened, she must choose who to trust. When the people she cares about are threatened, she must embrace all of her abilities and decide if she can live with the consequences.
I enjoyed The Succubus Gift. Brenna’s character had intelligence and (for the most part) common sense. She thought about her actions and made informed decisions. Yes, her heart ruled as often as her head, but the balance was appreciated.
A couple of things kept the book from being a solid five for me. The amount of internal dialogue made the narration slow at times and bogged down the pace. This book has a lot of action, don’t get me wrong. I just wanted a more consistent pull.
Also, the reason given for Brenna not feeling others made no sense in the face of her feeling Collin’s character. It made more sense that she’d have felt someone, even one person, in all the years between entering the foster care system as a child and discovering her roots as an adult.
I look forward to reading BR Kingsolver’s next book in the Telepathic Clans Saga.
*Author Ecopy provided for honest review
October 23, 2012
3,5
http://hazelthewitch.blogspot.cz/2012...
This was an easy and fun read. I hadn't read anything about succubi before, though I had been eyeing some books about them, so it was very refreshing to read this story. I'm a huge fan of vampires and witches, but sometimes you just need a break from them. :)
I liked the way the author showed the succubi (and all the Telepaths), with their history going far back before the rise of Christianity, with roots in Celtic mythology/tradition. The succubi in this book weren't seen as some evil demons preying on men or as whores. They were seen as sensual women who were strong and proud of what they were. Well, at least among the Telepath community.
Brenna, the main character, lost her parents when she was only eight, then she grew up in different foster families, some of them a bit fanatic. She felt abandoned and had a quite low self-esteem, yet she still managed to take care of herself and become a respected scientist. I liked to follow her path from the point in her life when she rediscovered the rest of her family and the Telepath community. Brenna was a real mess and had a hard time accepting all the changes, but most of all she had a hard time accepting who she really was.
On the background there was also the "war" between different Clans of Telepaths. It was entertaining and engrossing, but Brenna's story and her change from a girl into a woman was more interesting for me.
All the relationships there (not just the romantic ones) were built slowly and so they were believable.
All in all this was an entertaining urban fantasy/paranormal romance with a bit of mythology. I also appreciated descriptions of all the Gifts at the end of the book. :)
http://hazelthewitch.blogspot.cz/2012...
This was an easy and fun read. I hadn't read anything about succubi before, though I had been eyeing some books about them, so it was very refreshing to read this story. I'm a huge fan of vampires and witches, but sometimes you just need a break from them. :)
I liked the way the author showed the succubi (and all the Telepaths), with their history going far back before the rise of Christianity, with roots in Celtic mythology/tradition. The succubi in this book weren't seen as some evil demons preying on men or as whores. They were seen as sensual women who were strong and proud of what they were. Well, at least among the Telepath community.
Brenna, the main character, lost her parents when she was only eight, then she grew up in different foster families, some of them a bit fanatic. She felt abandoned and had a quite low self-esteem, yet she still managed to take care of herself and become a respected scientist. I liked to follow her path from the point in her life when she rediscovered the rest of her family and the Telepath community. Brenna was a real mess and had a hard time accepting all the changes, but most of all she had a hard time accepting who she really was.
On the background there was also the "war" between different Clans of Telepaths. It was entertaining and engrossing, but Brenna's story and her change from a girl into a woman was more interesting for me.
All the relationships there (not just the romantic ones) were built slowly and so they were believable.
All in all this was an entertaining urban fantasy/paranormal romance with a bit of mythology. I also appreciated descriptions of all the Gifts at the end of the book. :)
November 10, 2013
I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.
Firstly I would like to thank B.R. Kingsolver, author of The Succubus Gift, for giving me this opportunity of reading and reviewing this awesome book.
Here we meet Brenna who doesn’t know about her true identity and she is orphaned when she was just 8 years old. Moving from foster home to foster home she kept the one and only family belonging with her, a wooden box of her mother and later on she comes to know that she is no ordinary girl but a succubus with telepathic powers. Not only that, she is also stalked by some dangerous stranger and a mysterious woman claims to be her Guardian. Can her life get any more complicated? Of course it can, after all a handsome and sexy jerk enters her life and even if Brenna knows that she should avoid him will she be able to do that?
An engaging read that really changed my point of view regarding Succubus books. I used to think that these books only have the sexual scenes and no plot but I was so wrong, this book has so much more in it like great mystery, power-packed action, emotional turmoil, dangerous villain, ideal family connection and so much more. I really liked this book a lot. Concept wise it’s great and fresh and the plot is well planned out as well. Moreover the dialogues are not at all confusing and the awesome writing style of the author made this read an intriguing one.
The characterization is remarkable with developed characters. My personal favourite is Brenna's character because she is strong, confident and totally kick-ass heroine which I love. I would definitely recommend this book to all the Paranormal Lovers, go for it guys!!!
Firstly I would like to thank B.R. Kingsolver, author of The Succubus Gift, for giving me this opportunity of reading and reviewing this awesome book.
Here we meet Brenna who doesn’t know about her true identity and she is orphaned when she was just 8 years old. Moving from foster home to foster home she kept the one and only family belonging with her, a wooden box of her mother and later on she comes to know that she is no ordinary girl but a succubus with telepathic powers. Not only that, she is also stalked by some dangerous stranger and a mysterious woman claims to be her Guardian. Can her life get any more complicated? Of course it can, after all a handsome and sexy jerk enters her life and even if Brenna knows that she should avoid him will she be able to do that?
An engaging read that really changed my point of view regarding Succubus books. I used to think that these books only have the sexual scenes and no plot but I was so wrong, this book has so much more in it like great mystery, power-packed action, emotional turmoil, dangerous villain, ideal family connection and so much more. I really liked this book a lot. Concept wise it’s great and fresh and the plot is well planned out as well. Moreover the dialogues are not at all confusing and the awesome writing style of the author made this read an intriguing one.
The characterization is remarkable with developed characters. My personal favourite is Brenna's character because she is strong, confident and totally kick-ass heroine which I love. I would definitely recommend this book to all the Paranormal Lovers, go for it guys!!!
March 22, 2013
Brenna Morgan has had her up's and down's. Orphaned from an early age, she's been shuffled from home to home for as long as she can remember. Her solitary existence sets her apart from those she interacts with on a daily basis. Deep inside, she prefers things this way. Her unique powers make it difficult for her to get close to someone. She doesn't quite know how to control them, though she's done everything possible to do just that.
Her one treasured possession, an ornate carved wooden box given to her by her mother, is the one thing she'll never do without. No one knows of it's existence, as she's gone to great lengths to keep it hidden. Stumbling upon a man while out one night, Brenna soon learns that he's not only just a stranger she's met, but also family.
Startled by the change of events, Brenna is skeptical, at first, as to whether her new-found family is really that - family. Still, she has a chance of learn about her unique heritage, and she's not willing to pass up that opportunity. As secrets about her past come to light, she struggles to understand about who and what she is. Never-the-less, she's willing to learn as much as she can about her Succubus Gift in hopes of using her gifts to her advantage.
This was definitely a unique take on the succubus lore. It's refreshing to see a world lovingly crafted around a girl who struggles to accept who and what she is within the world she lives in. I think B. R. has set the stage for a very intriguing series. Brenna's world is dark and turbulent, where nothing is what it seems. A world she yearns to fit in no matter what comes her way. I look forward to what comes next in the series.
Her one treasured possession, an ornate carved wooden box given to her by her mother, is the one thing she'll never do without. No one knows of it's existence, as she's gone to great lengths to keep it hidden. Stumbling upon a man while out one night, Brenna soon learns that he's not only just a stranger she's met, but also family.
Startled by the change of events, Brenna is skeptical, at first, as to whether her new-found family is really that - family. Still, she has a chance of learn about her unique heritage, and she's not willing to pass up that opportunity. As secrets about her past come to light, she struggles to understand about who and what she is. Never-the-less, she's willing to learn as much as she can about her Succubus Gift in hopes of using her gifts to her advantage.
This was definitely a unique take on the succubus lore. It's refreshing to see a world lovingly crafted around a girl who struggles to accept who and what she is within the world she lives in. I think B. R. has set the stage for a very intriguing series. Brenna's world is dark and turbulent, where nothing is what it seems. A world she yearns to fit in no matter what comes her way. I look forward to what comes next in the series.
November 4, 2013
I have never wanted to read a book about a succubus before but I figured since it was free and all I had to do was send in a review, why not! I am glad I did!!! Brenna has no idea who she really is and has no family, or so she thought. The story starts off with a scene that draws you in right away. You get to be right beside Brenna as she learns who and what she is. As a woman, I must say it sounds like it would be great to be a Succubus but when Brenna finds out that is what she is and points out all the sad, down sides I had to rethink all the cool factors! You get wrapped up in Brenna’s abilities, how she learns to use them and how they will affect the outcome of the story. You also get action that feels really too, which is a big plus!!
I love the story idea and there is a lot of potential! Brenna is a great, strong leading lady that I can see having a very interesting future!! The other characters are great too, I like Collin and Rebecca (keeping my eye on Rebecca, she may have a girl crush). But I took away a star because I did not get emotionally invested in her life. I was not rooting for her to get close to her new family or to make friends. I didn’t really care to find out about her love life either…it was kind of just there. I mean she is a Succubus, her love life is should be messy or at least intense but I wasn’t. It has not turned me off from wanting to read more about Brenna because the action kept me turning the pages. The story is not just about a Succubus but to find out more you going to have to get your own copy!
I recommend this book to all my paranormal lovers, especially those who have never tried a Succubus!!
I love the story idea and there is a lot of potential! Brenna is a great, strong leading lady that I can see having a very interesting future!! The other characters are great too, I like Collin and Rebecca (keeping my eye on Rebecca, she may have a girl crush). But I took away a star because I did not get emotionally invested in her life. I was not rooting for her to get close to her new family or to make friends. I didn’t really care to find out about her love life either…it was kind of just there. I mean she is a Succubus, her love life is should be messy or at least intense but I wasn’t. It has not turned me off from wanting to read more about Brenna because the action kept me turning the pages. The story is not just about a Succubus but to find out more you going to have to get your own copy!
I recommend this book to all my paranormal lovers, especially those who have never tried a Succubus!!
May 15, 2012
While skipping around the web looking for something different to load to the Kindle, I saw the "Top Pick" review for this book on NightOwlReviews.com's PARANORMAL page and decided to check it out. As another reviewer quipped on the storyline, "Some days a girl just wants to pull the covers over her head and stay in bed -- with a willing young man of course." After reading just the few preview pages, I was hooked and had to continue...so much for my Saturday night! Once I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down. With a strong female protagonist and juicy storyline, it had my required three big Ls - Lust, Laughs and Literate. The characters are all great and the storyline really pulls the reader in. It has enough hooks to ensure you want to read the rest of the books in the series. Definitely not your run-of-the-mill paranormal storyline. With over 200 pages, it kept me involved right through to the end and wishing there was more. I think this author will be past self-publishing soon. A delightful first novel for an author I am definitely going to be following in the future.
November 10, 2013
This book was great; it captured my attention and held it. Brenna was a great character who loved others, and made them feel comforted. She had a streak of rage that was attributed to her strong feelings for the people she cared for. Brenna held a sense of abandonment after her parents dies in a car crash. She bounced around in foster homes and when she becomes an adult, she discovers there are others out there related to her. She's confused and bewildered but she takes time to learn what she can. Danger is around every corner. I am looking forward to reading more about her and the clan as she learns more about her Talents and hones in on those skills. This book was well written and left me wanting more. I am happy I had the privilege to read and review this book through Goodreads.
May 16, 2012
If GR allowed half stars, I'd actually give this 3.5 but it doesn't, so it has to be 3 since I can't quite say I *really* liked it.
I liked the world and paranormal setting Kingsolver created. I really liked the "unconventional" aspects of the romance. This felt more like a... paranormal coming of age story to me, but that's nothing wrong there. Some of the drama felt more like drama for drama's sake, with a bit more summarizing of events than I like, and Brenna made me want to gnash my teeth at points, but I got more into it about half way through. I really liked the cast of supporting characters, so ultimately I did like this story.
I liked the world and paranormal setting Kingsolver created. I really liked the "unconventional" aspects of the romance. This felt more like a... paranormal coming of age story to me, but that's nothing wrong there. Some of the drama felt more like drama for drama's sake, with a bit more summarizing of events than I like, and Brenna made me want to gnash my teeth at points, but I got more into it about half way through. I really liked the cast of supporting characters, so ultimately I did like this story.
May 6, 2013
Very very well done book. I loved the world and the take she took on the succubus, it had well done world building and great characterizations. The heroine was very fleshed out and i so totally loved her she was awesome and for those who want some sexy fun times u will definately find them. My only complaint was once in a while some stuff wasnt fully explained but that in part was because i didnt read the list of powers till after i finished. So i recommend reading it before starting the story. Overall it had a great plot, good flow, awesome world, great characters and loved loved the family dynamic with the clan. Definately recommend you to read!!!
June 5, 2019
The plot of this book is completely absurd. The protagonist lost her parents in a plane crash, and somehow her family never found out she was still alive. Flights have passenger manifests and even small plane crashes are investigated thoroughly - someone would have notified the investigation team that there was an orphaned child.
She's also constantly sulking about how she's hideous and no men like her, while other people say she's the most gorgeous person in the universe, including her grandfather checking out her naked bod: ewwwwwww. It's so ridiculous. Characters act like they've never interacted with other people before.
She's also constantly sulking about how she's hideous and no men like her, while other people say she's the most gorgeous person in the universe, including her grandfather checking out her naked bod: ewwwwwww. It's so ridiculous. Characters act like they've never interacted with other people before.
October 13, 2018
DNFed at 20%.
This book was very, very passive, with lots of telling, not showing, and a weird MC, who there was no purpose for 1/5 of the way into the book. There was just no emotion, as another reviewer said.
Brenna sucked as a main character, and her story was told in a very "eh" tone. It was off-putting, and I hated her. And the story, which was not "eh" but "my eyes are bleeding get me out of here!" Yeah. It was that bad. 1 star, and please do yourself the favor of giving this one a pass.
This book was very, very passive, with lots of telling, not showing, and a weird MC, who there was no purpose for 1/5 of the way into the book. There was just no emotion, as another reviewer said.
Brenna sucked as a main character, and her story was told in a very "eh" tone. It was off-putting, and I hated her. And the story, which was not "eh" but "my eyes are bleeding get me out of here!" Yeah. It was that bad. 1 star, and please do yourself the favor of giving this one a pass.
March 19, 2013
My thoughts:
Fantastic story. Interesting, captivating plot and wonderful characters. A spin I haven't seen with the psychic set. The infrastructure of the clan was clever and original. The shared "gifts" was intriguing. It was fascinating to watch Brenna's transformation, although I thought it took long enough for her to decide what she wanted from Collin.
I truly enjoyed this first installment of the Telepathic Clans Saga and cannot wait to read the next two books.
Fantastic story. Interesting, captivating plot and wonderful characters. A spin I haven't seen with the psychic set. The infrastructure of the clan was clever and original. The shared "gifts" was intriguing. It was fascinating to watch Brenna's transformation, although I thought it took long enough for her to decide what she wanted from Collin.
I truly enjoyed this first installment of the Telepathic Clans Saga and cannot wait to read the next two books.
October 15, 2013
This was a great introduction into Kingsolver's world of the Telepathic Clans. Such a rich, complex, fun and sexy world he's created here. Brenna is very likeable. This book has lots of glamour, sexiness and excitement.
November 15, 2016
loved it
March 7, 2017
Four stars
These books are a fun read, well written, quick and satisfying. The bonkage is there, of course (duh, succubus), but not overwhelming. I like them.
These books are a fun read, well written, quick and satisfying. The bonkage is there, of course (duh, succubus), but not overwhelming. I like them.
Read
January 18, 2023GuyBad series opener
Would not finish. ------- Rating: -------- minus 5
She wrote Rosie O'Grady's Paranormal Bar and Grill and also writes this? It seems that once you decide to write a sex romp with a supernatural setting, world building is no longer essential. In her defense, there is an audience for this but the rating suggests that writing still matters.
The characters are actually part of another universe which is a very exciting and better written urban fantasy series. Weirdly enough, my first reaction was that this must have been written for US romance readers. The other books in that universe take place in Europe and there those characters do come alive. 🤔
The action in those other books was continent spanning, logical and entertaining. This book showcases how she views the target market and it is not flattering. She may be correct but it is still unflattering. We all have mixed tastes for different seasons, moods and everyone deserves a guilty pleasure but I also think that we all deserve thoughtful writing. 🙂
I once saw a Transformer movie and enjoyed it (I would not recommend it) for ninety minutes. I am certainly not the one to judge the taste of anyone else. 😊
This is my first review rewrite session after discovering that Amazon finally removed my last lurker. Yay! For almost a year Amazon would not "Allow" me to remove Dr Susan Hamilton and she refused five requests that she unfriend me. I suspect that there was some traffic on my reviews and my mentions of the situation caused them to respond to unwanted attention.
If that was the case, I want to give a big "Thank you" to all those hardy souls who waded through my sorry reviews, I sincerely am grateful. 😍
I am fine not being "Allowed" to see a commenter's name, occasionally miss seeing the perspective of other reviewers, am not too concerned with the gray out of "like" buttons. 🤔 Those all began after my brutal review of a "ridiculous salute to the January 6, 2021 hero", when suddenly my being a communist became a bad thing.🤗
For more Amazon, see my review of "The Spiral wars #1", a boom-boom spacey-space book or Powers of the Earth (a ridiculous salute to the January 6, 2021 hero) and the "My boy" and "I don't care what you think" comments of Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot).
To Claes Rees,Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty. Be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party. 😊
These US patriots (Tucker Carlson, Claes Rees Jr and US Republican Party, for example) seem incredibly thin skinned but publicly support Russian fascism without a pause. I imagine enough Russian gold does make one braver but why they are such snowflakes puzzles me. In any case.
SLAVA UKRAINI !!! ------TA---- SLAVA GEROYAM !!!
I gave this book a go despite the title and the lacklustre cover art. The first problem as usual with bad science fiction/fantasy, was the strange lack of world building in the opening book of a series. It was not helped hat the main character is a stick figure romance novel heroine. I put the book down twice to decide whether my first reading was wrong. It was not. 🙂
The female self-criticism of physical attributes which is perfect for describing preteens and teens in the "Demonic Cafe" series, when applied to adult women weakens every female character in the book. That is not a formal literary judgement but simply an unconscious emotional reaction. I found myself discounting the women as secondary to the story at best, to which I am not automatically prone.
The perspective that is normal for and worth remembering about pre-adults is neither flattering nor healthy in any adult character. How can I take a main character seriously, who allows a first date to stroke her face, then her hair during a meal. That is explained by the character's internal dialogue as being acceptable and flattering because her date has a very nice car. I do not think that I am the only reader with a negative reaction to the scene.
How can I identify with the male who thinks that because he did not secure sex after the date, his date suffers from mental health and/or emotional problems? Since she did not show appropriate appreciation of his attentions, he decides that the object of his interest (emphasis on object) is "messed up" regarding sex. This is a future protagonist.
A second female character consoled her disappointed male cousin agreeing that his date was damaged in some way. This assessment is of a woman that she had met less than 24 hours earlier and knew not at all. 🤔🤔
In the next page (I think), he tells his cousin that he is "falling for" the main character. The second woman considers that normal. I have trouble with what this book considers normal. I know that it would not seem a healthy progression for many readers.
I bailed at the 10% mark but I tried next one of this series. I still remembered the Rosie O'Grady's series. I hoped that despite this one seeming doomed to devolve to bad romance level (no disrespect to Lady Gaga), it might improve? Kingsolver is an uneven writer but she does have good moments. The Heartstriker, Junkyard Druid and Dresden universes are good alternative urban fantasy, if this one does not sarisfy.
The low end and even more mainstream fantasy books are often poorly written. Because of my disappointment, I watch science fiction and urban fantasy at the moment. The streaming services provide better writing and are more entertaining than lower end print.
I first began using YouTube close to three years ago, searching for science fiction and fantasy commentary. It was a slog, since I had no idea how to conduct a logical search. I finally found all sorts of special interest channels which was a treat. I only accidentally found the book channels. I had not realized that they existed.
It was love at first video.😍 These are solid reader communities whose members are thoughtfully exuberant, curious and excited by the totality of the bibliophile's world. I recommend a visit to several book channels for any reader and have included some below. These groups are a very different experience to that of Amazon.
As I explored a number of history and science channels, I saw sponsor spots for a variety of dedicated educational video sites. The yearly subscriptions are modestly priced and all these sites seem to host essayists, lectures, as well as documentaries. Wondrium, Magellan and the rest are all worth a look.
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Ship Happens, Stewart Hicks, The Little Platoon, Mia Mulder, Red Plateaus, Tom Nicholas, The Juice Media, Zoe Baker, Lindsay Ellis, Hailey in Bookland, Minimal List, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Elina Charatsidou.
As for Amazon, please consider this a potentially hostile site. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 Minimizing profile information, removing all lurkers and taking screenshots of the odd and the ugly are good steps. Please bear in mind that these US patriot, white nationalist and libertarian members have no compunction as regards attacking a reviewer for negative opinions (specifically of bad science fiction). In my case they included bizarre threats to an Australian friend and a flood of vicious (at least one boating channel, closed for a time to protect the young daughter) comment traffic on some of my listed favorite YouTube channels. These patriots? are not the people that I would have chosen as America's cultural ambassadors. Amazon employees actually used my message history to aid targeting my friend. That last surprised me, if not the rest. These are quite the fearlessly moral group. 🤔 Ominous music ends. 😊
Seriously protect yourself and may we all find Good Reading. 😊
Some of my favorite YouTube channels.
Double Down News, Dito KaLang, Ben and Emily, Tom Nicholas, The Juice Media, Tara Mooknee, Shoeonhead, Owen Jones, Munecat, Let's Talk Mythology, Cruising Alba, Viva La Dirt League, Cruising Crafts, Practical Engineering, With Olivia, Crecganford, Lady of the Library, Brandon F, Sarah Z, Books and Lala, A Day of Small Things, Jean's Thoughts, Mia Mulder, History with Cy, Chloe Stafler, Engineering with Rosie, Linguoer Mechanic, Politics Joe, Ancient History Documentaries, Karolina Zebrowska, Historical Fashion, Bernadette Banner, Philosophy Tube, Veritasium, Katie's Corner in Space, Eckharts Ladder, Stewart Hicks, Patrick is a Navajo, Second Thought, Alice Cappelle, Austin McConnell, Novara Media, What Vivi did next, Histocrat, Dan Davis History, Tibees, Joe Scott, Just a Think, Megaprojects, Lindsay Stirling, Storyworldling, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Abby Emmons, Malinda, Julie Nolke, Eleanor Morton, Made in History, Sabine Hossenfelder, Digital Engine, Spacedock, Squire, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Kathy's Flog in France, Narrowboat Pirate, Northern Narrowboaters, Jill Bearup, I'm Rosa, With Olivia, Lex Fridman, Prime of Midlife, Zoe Baker, Noah Samsen, The Templin Institute, Harbo Wholmes, Moira Dela Torre, GateWorld, Nerd Forge, Kelly loves Physics and History, Ask a Mortician, Crow Caller, MWG Studios, Books and Quills, Mythology Explained, Sarah Z, Vlad Vexler, Sarah Millican., Mia Mulder, Minimal List, Red Plateaus, AllShorts, No Justice MTG.
I wish you a pleasant morning, a refreshing afternoon, a wonderful evening, a splendid night and may we all continue learning.
Can those lacking Empathy, truly be considered Human?
Adolph Hitler 🙂
Would not finish. ------- Rating: -------- minus 5
She wrote Rosie O'Grady's Paranormal Bar and Grill and also writes this? It seems that once you decide to write a sex romp with a supernatural setting, world building is no longer essential. In her defense, there is an audience for this but the rating suggests that writing still matters.
The characters are actually part of another universe which is a very exciting and better written urban fantasy series. Weirdly enough, my first reaction was that this must have been written for US romance readers. The other books in that universe take place in Europe and there those characters do come alive. 🤔
The action in those other books was continent spanning, logical and entertaining. This book showcases how she views the target market and it is not flattering. She may be correct but it is still unflattering. We all have mixed tastes for different seasons, moods and everyone deserves a guilty pleasure but I also think that we all deserve thoughtful writing. 🙂
I once saw a Transformer movie and enjoyed it (I would not recommend it) for ninety minutes. I am certainly not the one to judge the taste of anyone else. 😊
This is my first review rewrite session after discovering that Amazon finally removed my last lurker. Yay! For almost a year Amazon would not "Allow" me to remove Dr Susan Hamilton and she refused five requests that she unfriend me. I suspect that there was some traffic on my reviews and my mentions of the situation caused them to respond to unwanted attention.
If that was the case, I want to give a big "Thank you" to all those hardy souls who waded through my sorry reviews, I sincerely am grateful. 😍
I am fine not being "Allowed" to see a commenter's name, occasionally miss seeing the perspective of other reviewers, am not too concerned with the gray out of "like" buttons. 🤔 Those all began after my brutal review of a "ridiculous salute to the January 6, 2021 hero", when suddenly my being a communist became a bad thing.🤗
For more Amazon, see my review of "The Spiral wars #1", a boom-boom spacey-space book or Powers of the Earth (a ridiculous salute to the January 6, 2021 hero) and the "My boy" and "I don't care what you think" comments of Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot).
To Claes Rees,Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty. Be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party. 😊
These US patriots (Tucker Carlson, Claes Rees Jr and US Republican Party, for example) seem incredibly thin skinned but publicly support Russian fascism without a pause. I imagine enough Russian gold does make one braver but why they are such snowflakes puzzles me. In any case.
SLAVA UKRAINI !!! ------TA---- SLAVA GEROYAM !!!
I gave this book a go despite the title and the lacklustre cover art. The first problem as usual with bad science fiction/fantasy, was the strange lack of world building in the opening book of a series. It was not helped hat the main character is a stick figure romance novel heroine. I put the book down twice to decide whether my first reading was wrong. It was not. 🙂
The female self-criticism of physical attributes which is perfect for describing preteens and teens in the "Demonic Cafe" series, when applied to adult women weakens every female character in the book. That is not a formal literary judgement but simply an unconscious emotional reaction. I found myself discounting the women as secondary to the story at best, to which I am not automatically prone.
The perspective that is normal for and worth remembering about pre-adults is neither flattering nor healthy in any adult character. How can I take a main character seriously, who allows a first date to stroke her face, then her hair during a meal. That is explained by the character's internal dialogue as being acceptable and flattering because her date has a very nice car. I do not think that I am the only reader with a negative reaction to the scene.
How can I identify with the male who thinks that because he did not secure sex after the date, his date suffers from mental health and/or emotional problems? Since she did not show appropriate appreciation of his attentions, he decides that the object of his interest (emphasis on object) is "messed up" regarding sex. This is a future protagonist.
A second female character consoled her disappointed male cousin agreeing that his date was damaged in some way. This assessment is of a woman that she had met less than 24 hours earlier and knew not at all. 🤔🤔
In the next page (I think), he tells his cousin that he is "falling for" the main character. The second woman considers that normal. I have trouble with what this book considers normal. I know that it would not seem a healthy progression for many readers.
I bailed at the 10% mark but I tried next one of this series. I still remembered the Rosie O'Grady's series. I hoped that despite this one seeming doomed to devolve to bad romance level (no disrespect to Lady Gaga), it might improve? Kingsolver is an uneven writer but she does have good moments. The Heartstriker, Junkyard Druid and Dresden universes are good alternative urban fantasy, if this one does not sarisfy.
The low end and even more mainstream fantasy books are often poorly written. Because of my disappointment, I watch science fiction and urban fantasy at the moment. The streaming services provide better writing and are more entertaining than lower end print.
I first began using YouTube close to three years ago, searching for science fiction and fantasy commentary. It was a slog, since I had no idea how to conduct a logical search. I finally found all sorts of special interest channels which was a treat. I only accidentally found the book channels. I had not realized that they existed.
It was love at first video.😍 These are solid reader communities whose members are thoughtfully exuberant, curious and excited by the totality of the bibliophile's world. I recommend a visit to several book channels for any reader and have included some below. These groups are a very different experience to that of Amazon.
As I explored a number of history and science channels, I saw sponsor spots for a variety of dedicated educational video sites. The yearly subscriptions are modestly priced and all these sites seem to host essayists, lectures, as well as documentaries. Wondrium, Magellan and the rest are all worth a look.
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Ship Happens, Stewart Hicks, The Little Platoon, Mia Mulder, Red Plateaus, Tom Nicholas, The Juice Media, Zoe Baker, Lindsay Ellis, Hailey in Bookland, Minimal List, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Elina Charatsidou.
As for Amazon, please consider this a potentially hostile site. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 Minimizing profile information, removing all lurkers and taking screenshots of the odd and the ugly are good steps. Please bear in mind that these US patriot, white nationalist and libertarian members have no compunction as regards attacking a reviewer for negative opinions (specifically of bad science fiction). In my case they included bizarre threats to an Australian friend and a flood of vicious (at least one boating channel, closed for a time to protect the young daughter) comment traffic on some of my listed favorite YouTube channels. These patriots? are not the people that I would have chosen as America's cultural ambassadors. Amazon employees actually used my message history to aid targeting my friend. That last surprised me, if not the rest. These are quite the fearlessly moral group. 🤔 Ominous music ends. 😊
Seriously protect yourself and may we all find Good Reading. 😊
Some of my favorite YouTube channels.
Double Down News, Dito KaLang, Ben and Emily, Tom Nicholas, The Juice Media, Tara Mooknee, Shoeonhead, Owen Jones, Munecat, Let's Talk Mythology, Cruising Alba, Viva La Dirt League, Cruising Crafts, Practical Engineering, With Olivia, Crecganford, Lady of the Library, Brandon F, Sarah Z, Books and Lala, A Day of Small Things, Jean's Thoughts, Mia Mulder, History with Cy, Chloe Stafler, Engineering with Rosie, Linguoer Mechanic, Politics Joe, Ancient History Documentaries, Karolina Zebrowska, Historical Fashion, Bernadette Banner, Philosophy Tube, Veritasium, Katie's Corner in Space, Eckharts Ladder, Stewart Hicks, Patrick is a Navajo, Second Thought, Alice Cappelle, Austin McConnell, Novara Media, What Vivi did next, Histocrat, Dan Davis History, Tibees, Joe Scott, Just a Think, Megaprojects, Lindsay Stirling, Storyworldling, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Abby Emmons, Malinda, Julie Nolke, Eleanor Morton, Made in History, Sabine Hossenfelder, Digital Engine, Spacedock, Squire, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Kathy's Flog in France, Narrowboat Pirate, Northern Narrowboaters, Jill Bearup, I'm Rosa, With Olivia, Lex Fridman, Prime of Midlife, Zoe Baker, Noah Samsen, The Templin Institute, Harbo Wholmes, Moira Dela Torre, GateWorld, Nerd Forge, Kelly loves Physics and History, Ask a Mortician, Crow Caller, MWG Studios, Books and Quills, Mythology Explained, Sarah Z, Vlad Vexler, Sarah Millican., Mia Mulder, Minimal List, Red Plateaus, AllShorts, No Justice MTG.
I wish you a pleasant morning, a refreshing afternoon, a wonderful evening, a splendid night and may we all continue learning.
Can those lacking Empathy, truly be considered Human?
Adolph Hitler 🙂
October 7, 2020
SO glad that this was the last of her series that I tried! If this had been the first, I never would have read her other series, that IMO are 5* and 4* series.
Needs an editor! Mainly because = She learns she has the succubus gift (as per the title), and learns about it from one person. Then a bit later on in the book, she again realises she has the succubus gift (she's not got short term memory issues or an idiot, given that she's 22 with a science doctorate) and learns a bit about it (same info as earlier) from someone else! -- This is really sloppy!
That and other annoyances that I can't as easily describe (unwell, reading a new to me book by a favourite author was supposed to make me feel better not have me going 'huh'). Not easily because feeling worse... (Edit: had a quick read of other 1* reviews -- I never read reviews first if I previously like an author-- and they sum up the other bits that I found annoying. I only forced myself to finish it, because of my positive feelings for her other series!)
So while I can NOT recommend this book, I will recommend the below series, by the same author:
Chameleon Assassin = 5* --- Rosie O'Grady = 4* and Gods & Demons = 4* -- I can not do the same for this book.
Needs an editor! Mainly because = She learns she has the succubus gift (as per the title), and learns about it from one person. Then a bit later on in the book, she again realises she has the succubus gift (she's not got short term memory issues or an idiot, given that she's 22 with a science doctorate) and learns a bit about it (same info as earlier) from someone else! -- This is really sloppy!
That and other annoyances that I can't as easily describe (unwell, reading a new to me book by a favourite author was supposed to make me feel better not have me going 'huh'). Not easily because feeling worse... (Edit: had a quick read of other 1* reviews -- I never read reviews first if I previously like an author-- and they sum up the other bits that I found annoying. I only forced myself to finish it, because of my positive feelings for her other series!)
So while I can NOT recommend this book, I will recommend the below series, by the same author:
Chameleon Assassin = 5* --- Rosie O'Grady = 4* and Gods & Demons = 4* -- I can not do the same for this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews