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Bayou Zoo #1
Caged in Myth
The Bayou Zoo, where magic is real, the beasts are deadly, and a bad day at work can literally mean the end of the world. Octavian Julius McKellter— “Jay” to everyone who doesn’t want a punch in the face— struggles with keeping the secrets of his supernatural community and his own secret...he's gay. Throw in a dose of danger, deceit, and Louisiana heat, and you'll find yourself CAGED IN MYTH.
109 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2012
165 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 4, 2016
First off, WHY IS THIS NOT LABELED AS A SERIAL? (Even worse, it's labeled 'book one,' which I consider purposeful misdirection on the author's part.) This ends before it really begins, with a very abrupt To Be Continued. I literally cursed when I reached it, because I had been enjoying it. But now I just consider it a waste of an hour and half. Hey Fairfield, wish you hadn't wasted my time with publishing part of a freakin' story!
I'm so annoyed I can't even bring myself to lay out what I like and don't like. It's all eclipsed by my anger at getting shafted by ANOTHER unlabeled serial and ANOTHER unexpected cliffhanger...no, not a cliffhanger. A cliffhanger suggests that something has been left hanging. But this is more of a sheer drop off. The story is literally just getting started and it ends. Nothing even pretends to wrap up. Literally nothing. It's basically just the first 8 chapters of a, say, 30 chapter book. Like someone ripped the pages out and handed them to me loose.
Even though I liked the writing (though it was sloppy) and the characters and was invested in the story, one-star for not being a complete....anything. And being as it's been out almost 4 years and there isn't a 2nd, I doubt it ever will be.
I'm so annoyed I can't even bring myself to lay out what I like and don't like. It's all eclipsed by my anger at getting shafted by ANOTHER unlabeled serial and ANOTHER unexpected cliffhanger...no, not a cliffhanger. A cliffhanger suggests that something has been left hanging. But this is more of a sheer drop off. The story is literally just getting started and it ends. Nothing even pretends to wrap up. Literally nothing. It's basically just the first 8 chapters of a, say, 30 chapter book. Like someone ripped the pages out and handed them to me loose.
Even though I liked the writing (though it was sloppy) and the characters and was invested in the story, one-star for not being a complete....anything. And being as it's been out almost 4 years and there isn't a 2nd, I doubt it ever will be.
March 6, 2013
Genre: ya paranormal lgbt
Rating: def ***** of 5 stars
State: hocked
SHIT... SHIT...SHIT...SHIT....SHIT...ETC...
OH GODS....
b>A
M
A
Z
I
N
G.
In summary:
Octavian Julius McKellter, nickname "Jay" is a 17 year old zoo keeper in the supernatural zoo. This zoo contains many magical animals and not just normal animals like we know them. Jay is hiding his true personality. He is hiding who he is from everyone and his friends. He is GAY.
He is keeping his cell phone all the time with him just to get a call from Him. Or he wishes to. Colin. Colin is also a zoo keeper. He is 20 year. A sexy handsome supernatural creature, animal or non human *Berserker* his saliva has the ability to heal wounds. Getting outside to fetch his cell, he sees Colin. With a co-worker Grace, her legs wrapped around him, and they were about to Fu*k each other.
"I couldn’t breathe, air turned to fire in my lungs and I wanted to hate him. I wanted to hate him but all I could do was hate myself for being this way. Grace moaned and I clenched my fist so hard the keys to my jeep dug into my palm."
Colin sees him, he whispers something in her ears and she goes inside.
Before I could complete my sidestep, Colin’s hands came down on either side of me, resting against the hood of the jeep and caging me in. “Shi-it,” I choked.
“Easy, McKellter.” My name rolled off his tongue and it sounded like the sweetest endearment instead of the joke everyone else made it. His eyes flashed, another peek at that eerie—no, sexy—glow.
His friend comes out, and Colin is gone, leaving Jay very confused about what happened between them. The next meeting was in area 5 the most dangerous area. One of the animals escapes.
But instead Jay falls a prey for these eight-pack abs, and they endanger him. instead of baying attention to the surroundings he is staring at Colin.
Standing here with an erection trying its best to peak out of the top of my pants, Colin’s thumb a quarter inch away from brushing the tip, I had to admit it. He was a man. Strong and tall and masculine in a way most men strove to be their entire lives but never quite managed. And I wanted him so bad I didn’t even hear the attack coming.
Something that felt like a semi-truck smacked into the back of me, shooting me forward, face first onto the dirt path. I must have blacked out for a minute because when I came to, my head was pounding, my lungs filled with fire instead of the oxygen that should’ve been there and my back was covered in a strange aching numbness.
He tells Colin to go for the hunt because it is what Colin wanted all along because of his nature. But Colin answers:
“Nah, man. I think I’ll stay here. Plus, someone’s gonna have to get you home and outa these clothes.” He wagged his perfectly arched eyebrows. “Don’t want anyone else getting the honor.”
C'mon is there anything cuter than this?!!!
And while injecting him with the anti-venom,
Colin’s lips moved, pressed against my ear where I could feel the words but not hear them over the screaming, my screaming. I panted, trying to shove all the pain into a compartment inside where it couldn’t reach me.
And then the beautiful promise “I’ve got you. You’re gonna be fine, man. It’s gonna be fine. I’ve got you.”
And Colin says this amazing statement “I don’t like seeing you hurt.”
It leaved me BREATHLESS
When they are alone in the trailer. Jay came to conclusion he no longer wanting to deny the truth, who he is, and what he want to do with Colin, the fact he wants to kiss him badly...it is their first kiss. No, the first kiss for Jay with a man, with Colin.
Colin slid a hand to the back of my neck, the movement gentle yet firm. Long, work-hardened fingers threaded through the slightly shaggy hair at the back of my neck before he applied the perfect amount of pressure, bringing my lips to meet his in a kiss that was more demanding, more forceful, and more arousing than any kiss I’d had the pleasure of experiencing before this moment.
But the poor, his first kiss was interrupted and turned from happy even into sad event, When his friends caught him pressed against Colin. One of his friends Alex, calls him Fag, and treats him in a bad way, and stars to ignore him.
That's so sad.
finally a meeting is held. Colin is not there, grace disappears. Something wrong. There is someone trying to loosen all these dangerous animals. And a vision comes to his mind.
My own heart stopped, my breath lodged in my throat upon the sight of a ruggedly handsome face twisted with pain and lifeless amber eyes staring at the ceiling. Colin.
That was it ends...
Really?!!!!
I need to know, to ...to...please dear authors?!!!
Is he going to find him?
To save him?
This work is amazingly done by the authors. *clapping hands*
Rating is *****
Of
*****
Or maybe more likely 10/10
My ideas are:
One, the idea about the supernatural magical animals, and non humans is well painted, fascinating, the authors build a very beautiful coherent paranormal fantasy world.
Two, both characters, the hero, narrator, Jay and Colin are both loveable.
especially Colin..why?!!!!
Because Jay says that Colin is perfect...
And Colin is PERFECT...
The authors did create a great and perfect character.
I can't find anything that contradicts with the authors' words. So Believe that. Colin is perfect.
Colin: hard, cheeky, handsome guy "black hair, amber eyes," with a bit of shyness. No kidding, he blushed :)
And jay, good, all what he did during book 1 is totally affirmative; I couldn't find any negative deed.
Three, there is no ending for the excitement I've felt, great adventure, big paranormal world crammed all in small book. I never felt bored for one moment. I finished the book in one sit.
Forth, my fav scenes are;* the attack of the monster. Amazing...it was like I was watching a movie...
* After being poisoned and when he was given the cure. So true, and the authors had beautiful way of handling things.
* When we were introduced to Colin while he is flirting with grace. I felt my heart is ripped out of my chest.
* The first kiss scene. Manly and romantic, made me dreamy...
This book is a master peace. In this book, I liked, I loved, I smiled, my heart flied, I enjoyed, and it was totally worth staying awake through the night. This is one of the books that I felt very attached and connected to the narrator, and the main hero.
It is recommended def for Ya lgbt fans.
Don't miss it...
Buy it...
Read it...
And enjoy Caged in Myth
Rating: def ***** of 5 stars
State: hocked
SHIT... SHIT...SHIT...SHIT....SHIT...ETC...
OH GODS....
b>A
M
A
Z
I
N
G.
In summary:
Octavian Julius McKellter, nickname "Jay" is a 17 year old zoo keeper in the supernatural zoo. This zoo contains many magical animals and not just normal animals like we know them. Jay is hiding his true personality. He is hiding who he is from everyone and his friends. He is GAY.
He is keeping his cell phone all the time with him just to get a call from Him. Or he wishes to. Colin. Colin is also a zoo keeper. He is 20 year. A sexy handsome supernatural creature, animal or non human *Berserker* his saliva has the ability to heal wounds. Getting outside to fetch his cell, he sees Colin. With a co-worker Grace, her legs wrapped around him, and they were about to Fu*k each other.
"I couldn’t breathe, air turned to fire in my lungs and I wanted to hate him. I wanted to hate him but all I could do was hate myself for being this way. Grace moaned and I clenched my fist so hard the keys to my jeep dug into my palm."
Colin sees him, he whispers something in her ears and she goes inside.
Before I could complete my sidestep, Colin’s hands came down on either side of me, resting against the hood of the jeep and caging me in. “Shi-it,” I choked.
“Easy, McKellter.” My name rolled off his tongue and it sounded like the sweetest endearment instead of the joke everyone else made it. His eyes flashed, another peek at that eerie—no, sexy—glow.
His friend comes out, and Colin is gone, leaving Jay very confused about what happened between them. The next meeting was in area 5 the most dangerous area. One of the animals escapes.
But instead Jay falls a prey for these eight-pack abs, and they endanger him. instead of baying attention to the surroundings he is staring at Colin.
Standing here with an erection trying its best to peak out of the top of my pants, Colin’s thumb a quarter inch away from brushing the tip, I had to admit it. He was a man. Strong and tall and masculine in a way most men strove to be their entire lives but never quite managed. And I wanted him so bad I didn’t even hear the attack coming.
Something that felt like a semi-truck smacked into the back of me, shooting me forward, face first onto the dirt path. I must have blacked out for a minute because when I came to, my head was pounding, my lungs filled with fire instead of the oxygen that should’ve been there and my back was covered in a strange aching numbness.
He tells Colin to go for the hunt because it is what Colin wanted all along because of his nature. But Colin answers:
“Nah, man. I think I’ll stay here. Plus, someone’s gonna have to get you home and outa these clothes.” He wagged his perfectly arched eyebrows. “Don’t want anyone else getting the honor.”
C'mon is there anything cuter than this?!!!
And while injecting him with the anti-venom,
Colin’s lips moved, pressed against my ear where I could feel the words but not hear them over the screaming, my screaming. I panted, trying to shove all the pain into a compartment inside where it couldn’t reach me.
And then the beautiful promise “I’ve got you. You’re gonna be fine, man. It’s gonna be fine. I’ve got you.”
And Colin says this amazing statement “I don’t like seeing you hurt.”
It leaved me BREATHLESS
When they are alone in the trailer. Jay came to conclusion he no longer wanting to deny the truth, who he is, and what he want to do with Colin, the fact he wants to kiss him badly...it is their first kiss. No, the first kiss for Jay with a man, with Colin.
Colin slid a hand to the back of my neck, the movement gentle yet firm. Long, work-hardened fingers threaded through the slightly shaggy hair at the back of my neck before he applied the perfect amount of pressure, bringing my lips to meet his in a kiss that was more demanding, more forceful, and more arousing than any kiss I’d had the pleasure of experiencing before this moment.
But the poor, his first kiss was interrupted and turned from happy even into sad event, When his friends caught him pressed against Colin. One of his friends Alex, calls him Fag, and treats him in a bad way, and stars to ignore him.
That's so sad.
finally a meeting is held. Colin is not there, grace disappears. Something wrong. There is someone trying to loosen all these dangerous animals. And a vision comes to his mind.
My own heart stopped, my breath lodged in my throat upon the sight of a ruggedly handsome face twisted with pain and lifeless amber eyes staring at the ceiling. Colin.
That was it ends...
Really?!!!!
I need to know, to ...to...please dear authors?!!!
Is he going to find him?
To save him?
This work is amazingly done by the authors. *clapping hands*
Rating is *****
Of
*****
Or maybe more likely 10/10
My ideas are:
One, the idea about the supernatural magical animals, and non humans is well painted, fascinating, the authors build a very beautiful coherent paranormal fantasy world.
Two, both characters, the hero, narrator, Jay and Colin are both loveable.
especially Colin..why?!!!!
Because Jay says that Colin is perfect...
And Colin is PERFECT...
The authors did create a great and perfect character.
I can't find anything that contradicts with the authors' words. So Believe that. Colin is perfect.
Colin: hard, cheeky, handsome guy "black hair, amber eyes," with a bit of shyness. No kidding, he blushed :)
And jay, good, all what he did during book 1 is totally affirmative; I couldn't find any negative deed.
Three, there is no ending for the excitement I've felt, great adventure, big paranormal world crammed all in small book. I never felt bored for one moment. I finished the book in one sit.
Forth, my fav scenes are;* the attack of the monster. Amazing...it was like I was watching a movie...
* After being poisoned and when he was given the cure. So true, and the authors had beautiful way of handling things.
* When we were introduced to Colin while he is flirting with grace. I felt my heart is ripped out of my chest.
* The first kiss scene. Manly and romantic, made me dreamy...
This book is a master peace. In this book, I liked, I loved, I smiled, my heart flied, I enjoyed, and it was totally worth staying awake through the night. This is one of the books that I felt very attached and connected to the narrator, and the main hero.
It is recommended def for Ya lgbt fans.
Don't miss it...
Buy it...
Read it...
And enjoy Caged in Myth
January 10, 2015
Available only in e-book format: .mobi (my version was epub, but I can't seem to find it online)
Narrative: First person POV
Main character ages: 17+
Contains: Violence, injury, sex between a heterosexual pair, swearing
I received this novel as a free read to review as part of the Authors Requesting Reviews program in the Making Connections YA Edition group in Goodreads.
First and foremost, I’m very sorry, but I have to disagree with the majority of the reviewers and say that I did not like Caged in Myth. I am also very sorry to the author who had sounded quite nice in her email when I first received the book, but since I promised an honest review, I must give my honest opinion. So my disclaimer: please note these are just my opinions. I don’t speak for anyone else. I nitpick and rage, sometimes for good reason, sometimes for minor things that simply grate my nerves. If I come off mean just blame my evil little soul.
I read this novel more than two years ago, and one may be wondering why I'm coming back to review it now. Back then I had received this ebook in return for an honest review through ARR. I completed the book, and at that moment all I could think about was becoming a potato:
Please let me... unread this... now...
Yeah... I figured I was being a little over dramatic, so I decided I needed to cool down before I could properly write a review. Cooling down took me about two years and a month or so (although that's mostly because I just forgot about it due to life commitments and all that fun stuff), and now that I'm looking back, this is how I feel after browsing through it again to see if I had a change of heart.
Nope, can't help it. Answer's still no.
But anyways, let's move on to the story now shall we.
SUMMARY:
At the start of the novel we meet our main characters:
BOOTS
Boots
Boots. They’re wearing boots! Boots that make gravel crunch as their boots hit the ground.
LEGS
Legs
Legs. Long legs. Don’t forget they’re looooong. Legs. Because boots come with legs and at the end of these legs are feet wearing boots.
SWEAT
Sweat
Sweat. Sweat is everything. Sweat is love. Sweat is life. Trailing down your long legs and pooling in your boots. There is so much sweat it replaces plain water. Mmmm... sweat. Even the humans in the novel drink the stuff. You know you want some ‘o dat.
Its. Its. Its. It’s its gosh darn it!
Oh yeah and there’s Pornstar, The Long-legged “Khaki Maffia” (not a typo) Sidekicks, Slutty Girl #69, other people... ummm who else.... supernatural animals, ehh just read the blurb about the book.
And then…
Mmmm... sexy.
Oh yeah....
Mmmhmm...
And before I forget to mention, this is our narrator:
JAY
Jay
Jay’s very horny. And that's Pornstar's sweat right there. Mmmm... sweat. Pornstar sweats so hotly and smexily that Jay can't help but fall in love with him. Look at those eyes. Aren't they so filled with love and devoted adoration?
Eventually things get figured out.
Oh dear me eeeeebilness on the horizon!
Where are those bloody eagles when you-
TO BE CONTINUED... no not really. JOKE!
----------------------
ACTUAL REVIEW
PRESENTATION (★)
Version: Epub
So I'm basing my impressions of the formatting and appeal on the ebook I was sent. I initially was going to give it two stars out of five, but I changed my mind after going through the book again. First of all, the table of contents is before the cover (oh the cover, I'll get to that later), which doesn't usually happen in my experience? Secondly, each chapter is called chapter. Let me explain. For example, CHAPTER ONE is called Chapter 1. CHAPTER TWO is called Chapter 2 and onwards. Why? I frankly don't know, but this theme of repetition continues on throughout the rest of the novel. Maybe it's some sort of complicated metaphor that I'm not picking up on. If so, apologies for my feeble brain, but I think this really is just a case of lazy formatting. My third niggle may just be personal preference, but I did not see the need for "Scenes". Each chapter is divided into "Scenes". These "Scenes" are basically transitions from one set piece to another. Since I don't think I'm reading a play I really don't see a need for "Scenes" especially within a short book where a few pages or less make up one "Scene". Besides, each scene isn't even labelled aside from a couple of asterisks indicating a break. Actually, not that I'm talking about it, maybe this is a little petty.
And alas... the cover. Please tell me that is not a smoky blue uterus. Even ignoring the mystical fallopian tubes and ovaries, the rest of the cover is pixelated, grainy and looks like it was done in Paint.
CHARACTERS (★)
The narrator is gay and horny. His two best friends are straight and horny. Love interest AKA Pornstar is bisexual and horny. The slutty girl is slutty and horny, and the message here seems to be that slutty girls are bad and let's not forget to mention slutty... and horny.... and slutty. Oh and there are other people like Rababableblubidyblah and side characters of "I frankly don't give a poo".
Jay is the narrator. As I mentioned before, he is horny. He is reeeeeally horny. He is especially horny for his co-worker, Mr. Pornstar (AKA Colin). Jay is sooo horny that he falls in sweet, glorious lurrrrve with him. Wait what? For most of the novel, Jay talks about how hot and sexy Pornstar is. Jay practically spends his days drooling for Pornstar, and when Pornstar starts to show an interest in him, Jay falls in love. Instalove at its... finest? Nothing like horniness to reveal your true deep inner feelings for another person. I'm usually fine with some cases of instalove as long as it's written well, but in this case? Yeah... not for me....
As for everyone else? To think that I gave The Fox's Mask a hard time for having flat characters. What made it worse was the seventeen year old characters often do not even sound or act seventeen. If I hadn't been told their ages I would have guessed that Jay and his friends were a bunch of horny twelve year olds. For example, Jay and co. have matching ID cards calling themselves the "Khaki Maffia" that have no other use aside from just being there to... solidify their friendship? Sidekick friend #1 calls the IDs "freakin’ sweet" and sidekick friend #2 "came up with the name [him]self" like the uber coolio dudes they are. I understand that sometimes we do geeky things for fun, but.... matching ID cards with no other use (at least from what I read) other than to call myself a "Khaki Maffia" member? Anyways, the language these teens use at times often don't really sound natural. Heck, most of the dialogue doesn't sound very natural. I'm not a professional writer, so I can't quite pinpoint exactly what was wrong with the language, but imagining people speaking the lines that appear in the book just felt strange and clunky (like the rest of the writing). There is gratuitous swearing, but then one of Jay's sidekick friends calls his sister a "prude" on two separate occasions. I can't even remember the last time I heard that word used in casual dialogue. Lastly, the boys at seventeen get sooooooooooo excited over the thought that they can drink beer. 'Beer! Beer! Beer! Oh Em Gee we gonna get beer!' This was the feeling I was getting from their discussion about beer. I know the author may have been trying to write a younger, more contemporary teen voice, but really?
PLOT & SETTING (★★)
The novel begins as a sort of whodunnit with someone tampering with the cages and letting some creatures out to roam free. Then it drifts back and forth between how horny Jay is to introducing an evil organization then throwing-To Be Continued. Did you want to know the rest of that sentence? Tough luck mate. Wait a couple of years, and maybe I'll add to it-JOKE!
However, to be honest, I grew so distracted by the writing and characters that I could barely pay attention to the overall plot. It was sort of like seeing someone with just a ton of spinach stuck in their teeth. That person could very well have a half decent smile, but gosh darn it, did their teeth make out with a dozen spinach salads that refused to be digested?
Overall, I do have to give it an extra star for having a more unique setting. Interesting idea, horrible execution though.
WRITING (☠)
Above all of the little miffs and niggles that bothered me about the novel, what truly killed any enjoyment I may have experienced from the story was the writing. Normally I don't need to read an exquisitely written novel in order for me to enjoy the work as long as the story is good. I can even forgive the occasional purple prose, typos, and grammatical errors since I understand that not everyone is a perfect writer. Heck, I've probably made a multitude of mistakes in this review alone already. All I ask of a novel is to entertain me and try to keep errors to a minimum. Show some effort in the writing department since at the end of the day, this is a novel that you want others to pay for, and novels need a certain level of attention to the writing, especially published ones.
What made me rage while I was reading this book was the deluge of mistakes, clunky sentences and repetition littered through the first chapter and onwards. WHERE WAS THE EDITOR? Even a single proofread of the novel would have caught these blatant errors that completely detracted from the story and distracted me to the point where I was wondering when I had switched from being a reviewer to a first draft proofreader. This novel read like a lengthy gay Twilight fanfiction that someone decided to put into ebook format.
Mistakes range from "kindergarten", "Maffia" later spelled "Mafia", "Colin" later spelled "Collin", "Zander" sometimes written as "Xander" then back to "Zander", "it's" instead of "its", "Faun’s" instead of "Fauns", "sweat tea", and more.
Then there is what Furio's Goodreads review called an "embarrassing number of awkward repetitions":
This is all mentioned in the same chapter on the same page (at least for me) in succession: "long, lean legs", "first leg barring my way", "his outstretched legs", "moving his legs", and "still outstretched legs". And then there are the boots that are scattered throughout the novel: "old steel-toed, leather work boots", "manure caked rubber boots", "battered leather boots", "boots hitting the ground", "toe of his black boot", "booted feet", "heel of his boot", "my boot crunched", "one dainty, booted foot", "knee-high black rubber boots", "pull my boots off", "stow my boots", "lacing my work boots", "heavy boots clomping", "noise of our boots clomping", "booted feet shuffling", and "grass under my boots". If this novel was about boots I would be more understanding.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE (★)
I did not enjoy reading this novel and instead had to force myself through, although I do give it one star for exercising my proofreading skills.
CONCLUSION (★)
Overall, this novel needs a lot more work than what was put into it. Of course, a lot of work may have been already put into it, but in my opinion it needed more. Proofreading would be a good start. Some writing exercises may help sharpen descriptions. Of course, for all my moaning and groaning, I've never personally written a novel (although this review seems to be quickly becoming one), so good on the author for trying.
Narrative: First person POV
Main character ages: 17+
Contains: Violence, injury, sex between a heterosexual pair, swearing
I received this novel as a free read to review as part of the Authors Requesting Reviews program in the Making Connections YA Edition group in Goodreads.
First and foremost, I’m very sorry, but I have to disagree with the majority of the reviewers and say that I did not like Caged in Myth. I am also very sorry to the author who had sounded quite nice in her email when I first received the book, but since I promised an honest review, I must give my honest opinion. So my disclaimer: please note these are just my opinions. I don’t speak for anyone else. I nitpick and rage, sometimes for good reason, sometimes for minor things that simply grate my nerves. If I come off mean just blame my evil little soul.
I read this novel more than two years ago, and one may be wondering why I'm coming back to review it now. Back then I had received this ebook in return for an honest review through ARR. I completed the book, and at that moment all I could think about was becoming a potato:
Please let me... unread this... now...
Yeah... I figured I was being a little over dramatic, so I decided I needed to cool down before I could properly write a review. Cooling down took me about two years and a month or so (although that's mostly because I just forgot about it due to life commitments and all that fun stuff), and now that I'm looking back, this is how I feel after browsing through it again to see if I had a change of heart.
Nope, can't help it. Answer's still no.
But anyways, let's move on to the story now shall we.
SUMMARY:
At the start of the novel we meet our main characters:
BOOTS
Boots
Boots. They’re wearing boots! Boots that make gravel crunch as their boots hit the ground.
LEGS
Legs
Legs. Long legs. Don’t forget they’re looooong. Legs. Because boots come with legs and at the end of these legs are feet wearing boots.
SWEAT
Sweat
Sweat. Sweat is everything. Sweat is love. Sweat is life. Trailing down your long legs and pooling in your boots. There is so much sweat it replaces plain water. Mmmm... sweat. Even the humans in the novel drink the stuff. You know you want some ‘o dat.
"Grace had ambled over with some sweat tea while we worked on the roof during the early afternoon hours when the sun was at it’s most hellish."
Its. Its. Its. It’s its gosh darn it!
Oh yeah and there’s Pornstar, The Long-legged “Khaki Maffia” (not a typo) Sidekicks, Slutty Girl #69, other people... ummm who else.... supernatural animals, ehh just read the blurb about the book.
And then…
Mmmm... sexy.
Oh yeah....
Mmmhmm...
And before I forget to mention, this is our narrator:
JAY
Jay
Jay’s very horny. And that's Pornstar's sweat right there. Mmmm... sweat. Pornstar sweats so hotly and smexily that Jay can't help but fall in love with him. Look at those eyes. Aren't they so filled with love and devoted adoration?
Eventually things get figured out.
Oh dear me eeeeebilness on the horizon!
Where are those bloody eagles when you-
TO BE CONTINUED... no not really. JOKE!
----------------------
ACTUAL REVIEW
PRESENTATION (★)
Version: Epub
So I'm basing my impressions of the formatting and appeal on the ebook I was sent. I initially was going to give it two stars out of five, but I changed my mind after going through the book again. First of all, the table of contents is before the cover (oh the cover, I'll get to that later), which doesn't usually happen in my experience? Secondly, each chapter is called chapter. Let me explain. For example, CHAPTER ONE is called Chapter 1. CHAPTER TWO is called Chapter 2 and onwards. Why? I frankly don't know, but this theme of repetition continues on throughout the rest of the novel. Maybe it's some sort of complicated metaphor that I'm not picking up on. If so, apologies for my feeble brain, but I think this really is just a case of lazy formatting. My third niggle may just be personal preference, but I did not see the need for "Scenes". Each chapter is divided into "Scenes". These "Scenes" are basically transitions from one set piece to another. Since I don't think I'm reading a play I really don't see a need for "Scenes" especially within a short book where a few pages or less make up one "Scene". Besides, each scene isn't even labelled aside from a couple of asterisks indicating a break. Actually, not that I'm talking about it, maybe this is a little petty.
And alas... the cover. Please tell me that is not a smoky blue uterus. Even ignoring the mystical fallopian tubes and ovaries, the rest of the cover is pixelated, grainy and looks like it was done in Paint.
CHARACTERS (★)
The narrator is gay and horny. His two best friends are straight and horny. Love interest AKA Pornstar is bisexual and horny. The slutty girl is slutty and horny, and the message here seems to be that slutty girls are bad and let's not forget to mention slutty... and horny.... and slutty. Oh and there are other people like Rababableblubidyblah and side characters of "I frankly don't give a poo".
Jay is the narrator. As I mentioned before, he is horny. He is reeeeeally horny. He is especially horny for his co-worker, Mr. Pornstar (AKA Colin). Jay is sooo horny that he falls in sweet, glorious lurrrrve with him. Wait what? For most of the novel, Jay talks about how hot and sexy Pornstar is. Jay practically spends his days drooling for Pornstar, and when Pornstar starts to show an interest in him, Jay falls in love. Instalove at its... finest? Nothing like horniness to reveal your true deep inner feelings for another person. I'm usually fine with some cases of instalove as long as it's written well, but in this case? Yeah... not for me....
As for everyone else? To think that I gave The Fox's Mask a hard time for having flat characters. What made it worse was the seventeen year old characters often do not even sound or act seventeen. If I hadn't been told their ages I would have guessed that Jay and his friends were a bunch of horny twelve year olds. For example, Jay and co. have matching ID cards calling themselves the "Khaki Maffia" that have no other use aside from just being there to... solidify their friendship? Sidekick friend #1 calls the IDs "freakin’ sweet" and sidekick friend #2 "came up with the name [him]self" like the uber coolio dudes they are. I understand that sometimes we do geeky things for fun, but.... matching ID cards with no other use (at least from what I read) other than to call myself a "Khaki Maffia" member? Anyways, the language these teens use at times often don't really sound natural. Heck, most of the dialogue doesn't sound very natural. I'm not a professional writer, so I can't quite pinpoint exactly what was wrong with the language, but imagining people speaking the lines that appear in the book just felt strange and clunky (like the rest of the writing). There is gratuitous swearing, but then one of Jay's sidekick friends calls his sister a "prude" on two separate occasions. I can't even remember the last time I heard that word used in casual dialogue. Lastly, the boys at seventeen get sooooooooooo excited over the thought that they can drink beer. 'Beer! Beer! Beer! Oh Em Gee we gonna get beer!' This was the feeling I was getting from their discussion about beer. I know the author may have been trying to write a younger, more contemporary teen voice, but really?
PLOT & SETTING (★★)
The novel begins as a sort of whodunnit with someone tampering with the cages and letting some creatures out to roam free. Then it drifts back and forth between how horny Jay is to introducing an evil organization then throwing-To Be Continued. Did you want to know the rest of that sentence? Tough luck mate. Wait a couple of years, and maybe I'll add to it-JOKE!
However, to be honest, I grew so distracted by the writing and characters that I could barely pay attention to the overall plot. It was sort of like seeing someone with just a ton of spinach stuck in their teeth. That person could very well have a half decent smile, but gosh darn it, did their teeth make out with a dozen spinach salads that refused to be digested?
Overall, I do have to give it an extra star for having a more unique setting. Interesting idea, horrible execution though.
WRITING (☠)
Above all of the little miffs and niggles that bothered me about the novel, what truly killed any enjoyment I may have experienced from the story was the writing. Normally I don't need to read an exquisitely written novel in order for me to enjoy the work as long as the story is good. I can even forgive the occasional purple prose, typos, and grammatical errors since I understand that not everyone is a perfect writer. Heck, I've probably made a multitude of mistakes in this review alone already. All I ask of a novel is to entertain me and try to keep errors to a minimum. Show some effort in the writing department since at the end of the day, this is a novel that you want others to pay for, and novels need a certain level of attention to the writing, especially published ones.
What made me rage while I was reading this book was the deluge of mistakes, clunky sentences and repetition littered through the first chapter and onwards. WHERE WAS THE EDITOR? Even a single proofread of the novel would have caught these blatant errors that completely detracted from the story and distracted me to the point where I was wondering when I had switched from being a reviewer to a first draft proofreader. This novel read like a lengthy gay Twilight fanfiction that someone decided to put into ebook format.
Mistakes range from "kindergarten", "Maffia" later spelled "Mafia", "Colin" later spelled "Collin", "Zander" sometimes written as "Xander" then back to "Zander", "it's" instead of "its", "Faun’s" instead of "Fauns", "sweat tea", and more.
Then there is what Furio's Goodreads review called an "embarrassing number of awkward repetitions":
This is all mentioned in the same chapter on the same page (at least for me) in succession: "long, lean legs", "first leg barring my way", "his outstretched legs", "moving his legs", and "still outstretched legs". And then there are the boots that are scattered throughout the novel: "old steel-toed, leather work boots", "manure caked rubber boots", "battered leather boots", "boots hitting the ground", "toe of his black boot", "booted feet", "heel of his boot", "my boot crunched", "one dainty, booted foot", "knee-high black rubber boots", "pull my boots off", "stow my boots", "lacing my work boots", "heavy boots clomping", "noise of our boots clomping", "booted feet shuffling", and "grass under my boots". If this novel was about boots I would be more understanding.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE (★)
I did not enjoy reading this novel and instead had to force myself through, although I do give it one star for exercising my proofreading skills.
CONCLUSION (★)
Overall, this novel needs a lot more work than what was put into it. Of course, a lot of work may have been already put into it, but in my opinion it needed more. Proofreading would be a good start. Some writing exercises may help sharpen descriptions. Of course, for all my moaning and groaning, I've never personally written a novel (although this review seems to be quickly becoming one), so good on the author for trying.
March 2, 2013
This novella took me by surprise. It definitely grabs your attention from the first paragraph and keeps you eager to continue reading.
Let's get this out of the way. Jay is gay. Everyone keeps their clothes on, there is a kiss, and plenty of fantasies that you know without a doubt, Jay is burning hot for Colin. I can relate to the attraction of a bad boy, with killer abs and smoldering eyes. I get you, Jay... I get you...
For a short book, I really felt like I was getting to know a lot of these characters quite intimately. And they each were interesting for different reasons. But they all added something to this story that made it so interesting, and hinted at mysteries not yet explored.
I loved the originality of this story. I wish there were more details on Level 5's mysterious and mythical creatures. There wasn't enough to satisfy me. That, to me, was one of the best parts of this story. The creatures kept in this Level were really cool and I wanted to know more about them.
The originality earned each one of those stars, though the writing was really good too, but THAT ENDING......!!!!
... Seriously??? It was like the novel was chopped at the best part. I understand why writers may choose to do that, but I love series where each book can essentially stand on its own. Not this one... But I see what you did there, Author!
I see it!
If you were trying to reel me in and get me invested... If you were trying to make me as hot for what happens next, as Jay is to get into Colin's pants.... If you were hoping for cliffhanger forgiveness and have me waiting on pins and needles for the next installment..... then I admit that you succeeded. I hope you are writing that second installment fast!!!!
*I received a eBook copy of this book for free to review from the author/publisher; this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.*
Let's get this out of the way. Jay is gay. Everyone keeps their clothes on, there is a kiss, and plenty of fantasies that you know without a doubt, Jay is burning hot for Colin. I can relate to the attraction of a bad boy, with killer abs and smoldering eyes. I get you, Jay... I get you...
For a short book, I really felt like I was getting to know a lot of these characters quite intimately. And they each were interesting for different reasons. But they all added something to this story that made it so interesting, and hinted at mysteries not yet explored.
I loved the originality of this story. I wish there were more details on Level 5's mysterious and mythical creatures. There wasn't enough to satisfy me. That, to me, was one of the best parts of this story. The creatures kept in this Level were really cool and I wanted to know more about them.
The originality earned each one of those stars, though the writing was really good too, but THAT ENDING......!!!!
... Seriously??? It was like the novel was chopped at the best part. I understand why writers may choose to do that, but I love series where each book can essentially stand on its own. Not this one... But I see what you did there, Author!
I see it!
If you were trying to reel me in and get me invested... If you were trying to make me as hot for what happens next, as Jay is to get into Colin's pants.... If you were hoping for cliffhanger forgiveness and have me waiting on pins and needles for the next installment..... then I admit that you succeeded. I hope you are writing that second installment fast!!!!
*I received a eBook copy of this book for free to review from the author/publisher; this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.*
March 2, 2013
I received a copy of Caged in Myth to read and review a few weeks ago. Let me start off by saying that I was hooked the second I picked up this book. It was a true page turner. The author did an excellent job world building and developing the characters in a very short time… speaking of short…. I finished this book in about 2 hours. It was only 60 pages long and cut off directly before the climax of the story. I tell you this not to discourage you from reading (because you definitely should anyway) but rather so you don’t attempt to download the story over and over again thinking something must be wrong… my file must have been corrupted! There is no way an author that is this good of a writer would have done something so unspeakable and unforgivable… well they did. I actually was pretty upset about it for a while. Not angry upset, but very disappointed. While the abrupt ending did not quite ruin the story for me, it got pretty darn close.
But I digress; I would certainly still recommend this story to readers. Again, you develop very close bonds with the characters and the author does an excellent job making you feel like every character is multidimensional without spending an excess amount of time on back-stories and other historical information. I would have loved a little more time spent on Jay and Colin… Colin especially, as he was the least developed character with the most allure for wanting to know more about him. Plus, the one kiss was just not enough. :)
My suggestion? Add about a hundred pages or two thickening the plot, developing the setting and stretching out the interactions between the characters and you could have an AWESOME book. As of right now, it’s good… but the ending really takes away from the novel instead of adding to it.
Oh and a huge THANK YOU to J.T. Fairfield for providing a copy to read and review. I already bought another novel of yours to read and I am loving that it is set in Yellow Springs, OH a mere few hours drive from my home and a favorite summer camping spot (especially for the Pawpaw festival).
But I digress; I would certainly still recommend this story to readers. Again, you develop very close bonds with the characters and the author does an excellent job making you feel like every character is multidimensional without spending an excess amount of time on back-stories and other historical information. I would have loved a little more time spent on Jay and Colin… Colin especially, as he was the least developed character with the most allure for wanting to know more about him. Plus, the one kiss was just not enough. :)
My suggestion? Add about a hundred pages or two thickening the plot, developing the setting and stretching out the interactions between the characters and you could have an AWESOME book. As of right now, it’s good… but the ending really takes away from the novel instead of adding to it.
Oh and a huge THANK YOU to J.T. Fairfield for providing a copy to read and review. I already bought another novel of yours to read and I am loving that it is set in Yellow Springs, OH a mere few hours drive from my home and a favorite summer camping spot (especially for the Pawpaw festival).
October 28, 2012
Review of “Caged in Myth (The Bayou Zoo)
By J. T Fairfield
Lists for $1.99 on Amazon.com
This is the story or an orphan boy, Octavian Julius McKellter, or Jay, to his fellow orphans and friends. His life is hard for he works in a zoo cleaning cages and feeding animals but this is no ordinary zoo. This zoo in fact has many secrets. He is a keeper of secrets too. Not only must he keep the animals in the zoo caged but he has kept himself caged for his 17 yrs. Jay is not normal for he has many powers and capabilities that other teenage boys do not possess. He also has a secret that he tries to hide from even himself. Jay has found the object of his desires and this time it is not a girl. He finds it hard to keep the abnormal zoo animals caged and his new disturbing desires. He wants to ignore the significance of the fearsome animals that escape from the hidden zoo and his own coming of age fearsome desires but in the end neither can be. He must acknowledge the escaped zoo occupants from zoo five and his own feelings.
I found this author drawing me into the realm of teenage worries and fears. I felt for Jay and his friends. The character development was sincere and intriguing. I loved the way the author surprised you with the paranormal animals and boys. Jay’s friends each had their own way of handling their fears and their objectivity. It was an endearing and worthwhile jaunt into another world of supernatural teenagers and into the fears of normal teenagers and their emerging sexualities. It was well worth the read and I wanted more. I want to read the next installment.
I am an author for Eternal Press and a reviewer for The Romance Reviews and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I highly recommend this author’s book and eagerly await the next release in this series.
I give “Caged in Myth” five stars. Great work.
Linda Hays-Gibbs
“Angel in My Heart, Devil in My Soul”
“My Angel, My Light as Darkness Falls”
www.lindahaysgibbs.blogspot.com
www.lindahaysgibbs.pbworks.com
www.eternalpress.biz
rosedru@aol.com
December 9, 2012
It is rare to find a book on the young adult market with a truly unique plot. Between all of the vampires and apocalypses, a book about a zoo housing mythological creatures narrated by a gay protagonist certainly stands out.
There were a lot of things I liked about this book, as well as some things I thought could have used a little work. Obviously the originality is something I appreciate. I love any book based in mythology, and this one certainly was. I would call this a paranormal story, but it’s a different kind of paranormal.
I also thought it was interesting that Fairfield made the protagonist, Jay, gay. Having an LGBT protagonist alone is unusual in young adult lit, but having one in a fantasy/paranormal novel is something I have only heard of in Malinda Lo’s books. Young adult literature could definitely use some more diversity, whether it be from race, sexuality, gender, or ability.
That being said, I wish there had been more interactions with Colin throughout the book, and not only ones involving sex or sexual tension. In addition, I would have liked to see some more interactions with the zookeepers and the creatures. We spend most of the story inside Jay’s head, and while there is certainly dialogue with other characters, I felt like there wasn’t enough to keep it moving all the way through, even though it was a short book.
Still, I am quite curious to find out more about PETMC, the organization that wants to free the creatures of Area Five, thereby exposing the magical world. I also hope to see Colin and Jay’s relationship progress further in the next books, as well as for the mystery of Grace, the hypersexual Kitsune, to be solved, as I felt she was another element of the story that I wasn’t completely satisfied with. In general, I feel “Caged in Myth” and the Bayou Zoo series has the potential to become very interesting, and look forward to the release of Book 2.
*NOTE: Though I received this book from the author, that in no way has affected my review of it.
There were a lot of things I liked about this book, as well as some things I thought could have used a little work. Obviously the originality is something I appreciate. I love any book based in mythology, and this one certainly was. I would call this a paranormal story, but it’s a different kind of paranormal.
I also thought it was interesting that Fairfield made the protagonist, Jay, gay. Having an LGBT protagonist alone is unusual in young adult lit, but having one in a fantasy/paranormal novel is something I have only heard of in Malinda Lo’s books. Young adult literature could definitely use some more diversity, whether it be from race, sexuality, gender, or ability.
That being said, I wish there had been more interactions with Colin throughout the book, and not only ones involving sex or sexual tension. In addition, I would have liked to see some more interactions with the zookeepers and the creatures. We spend most of the story inside Jay’s head, and while there is certainly dialogue with other characters, I felt like there wasn’t enough to keep it moving all the way through, even though it was a short book.
Still, I am quite curious to find out more about PETMC, the organization that wants to free the creatures of Area Five, thereby exposing the magical world. I also hope to see Colin and Jay’s relationship progress further in the next books, as well as for the mystery of Grace, the hypersexual Kitsune, to be solved, as I felt she was another element of the story that I wasn’t completely satisfied with. In general, I feel “Caged in Myth” and the Bayou Zoo series has the potential to become very interesting, and look forward to the release of Book 2.
*NOTE: Though I received this book from the author, that in no way has affected my review of it.
November 8, 2012
I'm giving this 5 stars, but my heart calls it four and a half stars, because any book that has a cliffhanger ending automatically loses half a star! So be warned, this book is gonna piss you off when it abruptly ends! That being said, how annoyed I was at the ending is a sign of how much I loved the story.
Fairfield constructs a very interesting world where people of supernatural heritage live and work together taking care of mythical creatures. Of course when you put a bunch of teens together, sexual tension is sure to come up.
In this book that tension forms between Jay, the main character, and Colin, a slightly older, almost irresistible character. Jay's desire for Colin jumps off the page and makes you want him to be with Colin as much as he wants it. While this is a constant in the book, it never becomes an overwhelming focus. There is far more interesting action going on at the zoo.
I really liked the world of this book, it was immediately enthralling and believable. The mystery at the zoo was well balanced with the beginnings of Jay coming to term with his feelings for guys and Colin in particular. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy mystery with a love story.
Fairfield constructs a very interesting world where people of supernatural heritage live and work together taking care of mythical creatures. Of course when you put a bunch of teens together, sexual tension is sure to come up.
In this book that tension forms between Jay, the main character, and Colin, a slightly older, almost irresistible character. Jay's desire for Colin jumps off the page and makes you want him to be with Colin as much as he wants it. While this is a constant in the book, it never becomes an overwhelming focus. There is far more interesting action going on at the zoo.
I really liked the world of this book, it was immediately enthralling and believable. The mystery at the zoo was well balanced with the beginnings of Jay coming to term with his feelings for guys and Colin in particular. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy mystery with a love story.
November 16, 2012
Caged in Myth is a wicked, fun YA paranormal, full of sexy M/M adventure and memorable characters.
Octavian Julius (Jay for short) works in a zoo for paranormal creatures (gnomes, unicorns, and sirens are only a few of the beasts we encounter), and balances trying to stay alive with trying to get a handle on teenage hormones and his attraction to a fellow male zookeeper.
The world of this novella is unique and so much fun to discover as you read that I don't want to give you too many details. I'll just say that there are enough secrets and surprises to ensure you read this in one sitting, totally fascinated. (Okay, one hint: the concept of People for the Ethical Treatment of Magical Creatures make me snicker out loud.)
Jay is a believable hero with a clear voice that lends humour to the tale. His origin story and contempt for it (he was abandoned by his parents, in a woven basket -- a cliche that bugs the crap out of him) sets up a real vulnerability as he struggles to come to grips with his sexuality.
I really enjoyed spending time with Jay, and can't wait to read the next (Bayou Zoo) book, since this one ended with a cliffhanger and a palpable sense of danger.
Octavian Julius (Jay for short) works in a zoo for paranormal creatures (gnomes, unicorns, and sirens are only a few of the beasts we encounter), and balances trying to stay alive with trying to get a handle on teenage hormones and his attraction to a fellow male zookeeper.
The world of this novella is unique and so much fun to discover as you read that I don't want to give you too many details. I'll just say that there are enough secrets and surprises to ensure you read this in one sitting, totally fascinated. (Okay, one hint: the concept of People for the Ethical Treatment of Magical Creatures make me snicker out loud.)
Jay is a believable hero with a clear voice that lends humour to the tale. His origin story and contempt for it (he was abandoned by his parents, in a woven basket -- a cliche that bugs the crap out of him) sets up a real vulnerability as he struggles to come to grips with his sexuality.
I really enjoyed spending time with Jay, and can't wait to read the next (Bayou Zoo) book, since this one ended with a cliffhanger and a palpable sense of danger.
November 10, 2012
Review of Caged in Myth by J. T. Fairfield
Book One: Bayou Zoo Series
I am so happy this is a series! I loved this book, found it very special. Smoothly and excellently written, with wonderful deft characterisations, and a couple at least of budding romances. Sensual yet not overdrawn, vivid, with exciting and unexpected, very original, paranormal elements blending contemporary society into myth and legend (and vice versa).
It’s not easy being an orphan in any culture; being a Supernatural orphan in a human culture that is blind to the paranormal is difficult. For a seventeen-year-old just discovering his orientation, and faced with the need to either confront himself, or to continue to hide his feelings from his best friends, life is way harder. Especially when someone is causing dangerous Supernatural creatures to escape from Area Five of the Bayou Zoo, creatures whose existence among humans would cause catastrophe.
I doubt any reader can walk away from “Caged in Myth” without crying out, “Where’s the next one? How soon can I read it?” Certainly I didn’t, and I give this one 12 stars out of 5. Bring on the next one-please.
Book One: Bayou Zoo Series
I am so happy this is a series! I loved this book, found it very special. Smoothly and excellently written, with wonderful deft characterisations, and a couple at least of budding romances. Sensual yet not overdrawn, vivid, with exciting and unexpected, very original, paranormal elements blending contemporary society into myth and legend (and vice versa).
It’s not easy being an orphan in any culture; being a Supernatural orphan in a human culture that is blind to the paranormal is difficult. For a seventeen-year-old just discovering his orientation, and faced with the need to either confront himself, or to continue to hide his feelings from his best friends, life is way harder. Especially when someone is causing dangerous Supernatural creatures to escape from Area Five of the Bayou Zoo, creatures whose existence among humans would cause catastrophe.
I doubt any reader can walk away from “Caged in Myth” without crying out, “Where’s the next one? How soon can I read it?” Certainly I didn’t, and I give this one 12 stars out of 5. Bring on the next one-please.
May 31, 2013
Honestly I do not get the raving reviews.
The basic ideas and the general characterization are interesting and fairly original and the pacing makes sense, weaving gradually more and more tension into the plot.
Unfortunately writing, not exempt from typos and grammar mistakes, is painfully slow and stilted. Clunky sentences fail to convey the depth of feeling the author is aiming at making for a tiresome reading experience.
An embarassing number of awkward repetitions, some of which creating inconsistencies in characters' motives, actions and looks, delivers the final blow to the narration of an author who seems to lack some of the basic technical skills needed to tell a story.
The basic ideas and the general characterization are interesting and fairly original and the pacing makes sense, weaving gradually more and more tension into the plot.
Unfortunately writing, not exempt from typos and grammar mistakes, is painfully slow and stilted. Clunky sentences fail to convey the depth of feeling the author is aiming at making for a tiresome reading experience.
An embarassing number of awkward repetitions, some of which creating inconsistencies in characters' motives, actions and looks, delivers the final blow to the narration of an author who seems to lack some of the basic technical skills needed to tell a story.
November 11, 2013
More. I know there will be more. My only question is when. I must know. I'm hooked. Hooked on Jay and hooked on Colin. Please, please, please...
Oh, right...review. Hmmmm, the main character Jay is well developed, likable, and wonderfully confused by his attraction to Colin. The book is narrated from Jay's first person point of view, so it's easy to become intimately familiar with his personality; but the other characters are not as transparent because we know of them only what he does. Some people can pull of first person writing, some people can't. Fairfield most certainly can in my opinion judging solely by this work.
....More????
Oh, right...review. Hmmmm, the main character Jay is well developed, likable, and wonderfully confused by his attraction to Colin. The book is narrated from Jay's first person point of view, so it's easy to become intimately familiar with his personality; but the other characters are not as transparent because we know of them only what he does. Some people can pull of first person writing, some people can't. Fairfield most certainly can in my opinion judging solely by this work.
....More????
November 18, 2012
I found this book to have me hooked from the beginning. I recommend to everyone who wants to expand their mind to something they normally do not read. I would not normally read this genre at all but the whole story was easy to read and keep your mind locked on the adventures. The look into Jay's life will make you wanting more.
June 7, 2015
4,5 stars.
This was very good! I like the 1st person narrator's voice, the world building is done with some subtlety, as it is a quite short novel. And it was free on Amazon Germany.
Only minus: the mean cliffhanger at the end.
This was very good! I like the 1st person narrator's voice, the world building is done with some subtlety, as it is a quite short novel. And it was free on Amazon Germany.
Only minus: the mean cliffhanger at the end.
May 9, 2013
Caged in Myth by J.T. Fairfield
(Book One: The Bayou Zoo Series)
Source: Purchase
Rating: 3/5 stars
Octavian Julius McKellter - Jay to his friends – is a zoo keeper, of sorts. Jay and his two best friends, Alex and Jace work for the Bayou Zoo and Aquarium and to most, the Bayou Zoo is a zoo like any other. But Jay and his friends know the truth: behind the mist and hidden from the general public’s sight is Area Five, the part of the Bayou Zoo that houses some of the world’s most deadly creatures including Sirens, Harpies, Gryphons, Unicorns, Kelpies, Fauns, Phoenix, and a Cerberus. Cool, right? Only if you don’t have to come into contact with them and be sure they are all well-fed and completely contained.
Here’s what I liked:
*The premise: Of course I love the zoo but a zoo full of supernatural creatures that can destroy the world is way cooler than your average run of the mill zoo! I very much like the originality of the premise.
*The plot: someone is out to “save” the caged supernatural creatures; that is, setting them free to run wild and wreak havoc on the world at large. This misguided and rather stupid sense of equality causes all kinds of problems and endangers the lives of Jay, his friends and, everyone else in the universe.
*The idea that supernaturals like Jay and his friends (Yes, they are special too!) are together as a collective group or clan for their entire lives. Like his friends, Jay has no idea who his parents are but he does know Jace and Alex have been with him every step of the way.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
*Some authors are very, very good at developing everything - plot, characters, setting, etc. - in a very short amount of time and pages. Caged is a very short read, only 100ish pages and for me, there was not nearly enough neither time nor length to develop much of anything. I really wanted just a little bit of everything.
*The repeated reminders of Jay’s sexual orientation. I do not care at all that Jay is gay and that he has the hots for Colin – what girl doesn’t like a little guy on guy action? However, in just 100ish pages, there are far too many mentions of Jay’s naughty bits and how said bits react at the mere sight of or nearness to Colin.
*The rather abrupt ending. I will be the first to admit I am not the biggest fan of a cliffhanger but after all the years and all the books, I have accepted the cliffhanger as a necessary part of writing. Caged doesn’t just end in a cliffhanger, it throws you head first off the side of Mount freakin’ Everest!! Boo
The Bottom Line: I am well and truly on the fence with how I feel about Caged in Myth. I wanted to like this read far more than I did but am also not entirely sure I am willing to give up on the series as a whole. I like the premise and the promise that is there and am hoping book two in the series will not only be a better read for me but also be the hook that keeps me coming back for more. Here’s to round two!
Because of the language and sexual situations, this book is recommended for a very mature YA and above only.
(Book One: The Bayou Zoo Series)
Source: Purchase
Rating: 3/5 stars
Octavian Julius McKellter - Jay to his friends – is a zoo keeper, of sorts. Jay and his two best friends, Alex and Jace work for the Bayou Zoo and Aquarium and to most, the Bayou Zoo is a zoo like any other. But Jay and his friends know the truth: behind the mist and hidden from the general public’s sight is Area Five, the part of the Bayou Zoo that houses some of the world’s most deadly creatures including Sirens, Harpies, Gryphons, Unicorns, Kelpies, Fauns, Phoenix, and a Cerberus. Cool, right? Only if you don’t have to come into contact with them and be sure they are all well-fed and completely contained.
Here’s what I liked:
*The premise: Of course I love the zoo but a zoo full of supernatural creatures that can destroy the world is way cooler than your average run of the mill zoo! I very much like the originality of the premise.
*The plot: someone is out to “save” the caged supernatural creatures; that is, setting them free to run wild and wreak havoc on the world at large. This misguided and rather stupid sense of equality causes all kinds of problems and endangers the lives of Jay, his friends and, everyone else in the universe.
*The idea that supernaturals like Jay and his friends (Yes, they are special too!) are together as a collective group or clan for their entire lives. Like his friends, Jay has no idea who his parents are but he does know Jace and Alex have been with him every step of the way.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
*Some authors are very, very good at developing everything - plot, characters, setting, etc. - in a very short amount of time and pages. Caged is a very short read, only 100ish pages and for me, there was not nearly enough neither time nor length to develop much of anything. I really wanted just a little bit of everything.
*The repeated reminders of Jay’s sexual orientation. I do not care at all that Jay is gay and that he has the hots for Colin – what girl doesn’t like a little guy on guy action? However, in just 100ish pages, there are far too many mentions of Jay’s naughty bits and how said bits react at the mere sight of or nearness to Colin.
*The rather abrupt ending. I will be the first to admit I am not the biggest fan of a cliffhanger but after all the years and all the books, I have accepted the cliffhanger as a necessary part of writing. Caged doesn’t just end in a cliffhanger, it throws you head first off the side of Mount freakin’ Everest!! Boo
The Bottom Line: I am well and truly on the fence with how I feel about Caged in Myth. I wanted to like this read far more than I did but am also not entirely sure I am willing to give up on the series as a whole. I like the premise and the promise that is there and am hoping book two in the series will not only be a better read for me but also be the hook that keeps me coming back for more. Here’s to round two!
Because of the language and sexual situations, this book is recommended for a very mature YA and above only.
January 16, 2013
I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the title of this novella, and it certainly lived up to its promise. From the first, what struck me most was the originality of the setting. A zoo with a difference, the Bayou is staffed entirely by supernaturals and provides shelter to far more than your average giraffes and elephants. It’s home to Area Five, the secret section of the zoo which houses those mythological creatures deemed too dangerous to roam free. If humans discovered the existence of these creatures, or if any were allowed to escape, it could spell disaster.
Abandoned as a baby by parents he’s never known, Jay has been brought up in an orphanage for supernatural children. Now, at seventeen, he’s sharing a trailer with his two closest friends, and working at the Bayou Zoo to earn a living while he finishes his education. But it isn’t just the magical community he has to keep hidden. Jay’s concealing a secret of his own. He’s gay, and is finding himself increasingly attracted to Colin, a sexy fellow zookeeper. Worse still, he has no idea how his friends and colleagues might react if he were ever to betray his feelings.
As if Jay doesn’t have enough on his mind, things take a darker turn when vandals target the zoo. A number of the habitats in Area Five are sabotaged, and some of the more deadly creatures released. It soon becomes clear that someone, probably an insider, is intent on exposing the supernaturals to the wider world, with little regard for human safety. Thrust into close proximity with Colin as they work together to unmask the culprits, Jay struggles to confront the truth about his sexuality while battling to stay alive.
Once I started reading this book, I found it almost impossible to put down. Sexual tension crackles between Jay and Colin from the outset, and when combined with a compelling mystery and the sense of foreboding that runs beneath the surface of every scene, the result is a real page turner. My only criticism, if you can call it one, is that the story ended far too soon! The last chapter finished on a cliffhanger that left me desperate to know what would happen next, and I can’t wait for the second installment in this series.
For anyone wanting a fast pace read that blends romance with plenty of action and suspense, I can highly recommend this book.
Written for Rainbow Book Reviews and the Boys on the Brink Blog
Abandoned as a baby by parents he’s never known, Jay has been brought up in an orphanage for supernatural children. Now, at seventeen, he’s sharing a trailer with his two closest friends, and working at the Bayou Zoo to earn a living while he finishes his education. But it isn’t just the magical community he has to keep hidden. Jay’s concealing a secret of his own. He’s gay, and is finding himself increasingly attracted to Colin, a sexy fellow zookeeper. Worse still, he has no idea how his friends and colleagues might react if he were ever to betray his feelings.
As if Jay doesn’t have enough on his mind, things take a darker turn when vandals target the zoo. A number of the habitats in Area Five are sabotaged, and some of the more deadly creatures released. It soon becomes clear that someone, probably an insider, is intent on exposing the supernaturals to the wider world, with little regard for human safety. Thrust into close proximity with Colin as they work together to unmask the culprits, Jay struggles to confront the truth about his sexuality while battling to stay alive.
Once I started reading this book, I found it almost impossible to put down. Sexual tension crackles between Jay and Colin from the outset, and when combined with a compelling mystery and the sense of foreboding that runs beneath the surface of every scene, the result is a real page turner. My only criticism, if you can call it one, is that the story ended far too soon! The last chapter finished on a cliffhanger that left me desperate to know what would happen next, and I can’t wait for the second installment in this series.
For anyone wanting a fast pace read that blends romance with plenty of action and suspense, I can highly recommend this book.
Written for Rainbow Book Reviews and the Boys on the Brink Blog
March 5, 2013
How could you? Just when I was getting wrapped up into the drama, I saw the words “to be continued” but I just had to turn the page because I could not believe an author would do this to me but yes, she did. Jay was a zookeeper at the Bayou Zoo which is no ordinary zoo. It looks like a regular zoo to most people but for the zookeepers it also contains magical creatures. It is staffed by supernatural beings, with Jay being one such supernatural. I, myself, would love to catch a glimpse of these magical creatures as the thought of keeping such creatures behind closed doors, yet within close proximity with humans, is exhilarating and compelling. At the zoo, the magical creatures have to be confined securely for fear of what their rampage on the human population would do. Large-sized beasts, wings, talons, and captivating voices are just a few of the different beast’s characteristics that are locked behind the metal bars. For the Bayou Zoo and its supernatural keepers, they do their job 7 days a week tending to the animals the best of their abilities until someone starts to let the creatures out. Getting into Area 5, where the magical creatures is restricted so who could be behind such violence and why? Letting these creatures out among the humans is disastrous and catastrophic. Jay has other issues as well. Besides being a supernatural, he is dealing with his sexuality and he longs to have his true-self emerge. This struggle is something that Jay constantly battles and his attention is constantly diverted to. When can he be himself?
The author takes off immediately and lets you get to know the characters and the drama from the beginning of the book till the cliff-hanger which was totally enjoyable. I did not enjoy the cliff-hanger but I knew when I went into the book that it was not the full book but I thought at least I would get some closer. I loved the adventure part of the book and the characters. They were people you could get to know and not forced into the novel. Good book and I would now like to read the rest of it. LOL
The author takes off immediately and lets you get to know the characters and the drama from the beginning of the book till the cliff-hanger which was totally enjoyable. I did not enjoy the cliff-hanger but I knew when I went into the book that it was not the full book but I thought at least I would get some closer. I loved the adventure part of the book and the characters. They were people you could get to know and not forced into the novel. Good book and I would now like to read the rest of it. LOL
March 26, 2013
This is definitely the most unique and outstanding story that I’ve read in a long time. It was also very captivating. Fairfield takes a very touchy subject and makes it approachable. She also has the characters react realistically to these events and occurrences. Not only does she make the subject of gay relationships approachable and understandable to the reader, she superimposes it in a supernatural world, giving it an extra twist.
I love Fairfield’s descriptions. They’re very informative. Everything is made clear and imaginable. You can picture walking through this zoo and living the lives of the characters. The story is also very well written. Everything is laid out in a logical manner. The author describes and explains the things that need explaining in a manner that allows the story to continue moving forward, rather than stopping the storyline to fill in her readers.
The main character in this novel is very well developed. I enjoy the fact that you get to see his thoughts and actions, and how there is a discrepancy between them as there would be with a real individual. You get right into his head and get to know what he is feeling throughout. I also appreciate the fact that the supporting cast is developed to suit a specific purpose in the story, and the details pertaining to that are the ones provided, rather than bombarding the reader with many details that in no way pertain to the storyline.
Even though this was a novella, I was definitely hooked and the author told a very detailed and well rounded story. I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. And I’m not exaggerating. I’ve already tried to buy it...... Too bad it’s not out yet.
Please note that I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I love Fairfield’s descriptions. They’re very informative. Everything is made clear and imaginable. You can picture walking through this zoo and living the lives of the characters. The story is also very well written. Everything is laid out in a logical manner. The author describes and explains the things that need explaining in a manner that allows the story to continue moving forward, rather than stopping the storyline to fill in her readers.
The main character in this novel is very well developed. I enjoy the fact that you get to see his thoughts and actions, and how there is a discrepancy between them as there would be with a real individual. You get right into his head and get to know what he is feeling throughout. I also appreciate the fact that the supporting cast is developed to suit a specific purpose in the story, and the details pertaining to that are the ones provided, rather than bombarding the reader with many details that in no way pertain to the storyline.
Even though this was a novella, I was definitely hooked and the author told a very detailed and well rounded story. I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. And I’m not exaggerating. I’ve already tried to buy it...... Too bad it’s not out yet.
Please note that I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
March 12, 2013
My Review:
Jay is coming to terms with the fact that he is not like other guys. He doesn’t see himself settling down with a nice girl. Jay has a thing for the resident bad boy Colin. Throughout the book you journey with Jay and his discovery. You also get to read about some pretty amazing creatures.
The Good:
This was my first LGBT. I thought I would branch out a bit. I can gladly say, this was a good one to start with. It wasn’t too much of a shock to my reading system. It was also quite a fun read.
The Bad:
It was way, way to short. I was just starting to enjoy the book when it (very abruptly I might add) ended. It didn’t quite feel like a cliff hanger either. It just seemed like there could have been a lot more in the first instalment.
The Great:
Excellent story line – should there have been more to it I would not have been able to put it down. As it is I read it in about 3 hours without stop. I enjoyed reading about the different creatures. Some of which I have never read about before. I actually had to go look up Berserker.
Check out my blog for more reviews
http://whyicantstopreading.wordpress.com
Jay is coming to terms with the fact that he is not like other guys. He doesn’t see himself settling down with a nice girl. Jay has a thing for the resident bad boy Colin. Throughout the book you journey with Jay and his discovery. You also get to read about some pretty amazing creatures.
The Good:
This was my first LGBT. I thought I would branch out a bit. I can gladly say, this was a good one to start with. It wasn’t too much of a shock to my reading system. It was also quite a fun read.
The Bad:
It was way, way to short. I was just starting to enjoy the book when it (very abruptly I might add) ended. It didn’t quite feel like a cliff hanger either. It just seemed like there could have been a lot more in the first instalment.
The Great:
Excellent story line – should there have been more to it I would not have been able to put it down. As it is I read it in about 3 hours without stop. I enjoyed reading about the different creatures. Some of which I have never read about before. I actually had to go look up Berserker.
Check out my blog for more reviews
http://whyicantstopreading.wordpress.com
February 8, 2016
I actually really enjoyed this book. The only thing I didn't like was that it was so short (really? you're going to leave me with that ending? ugh!). That's the only reason it got a 4 from me. I enjoyed the world the author built within the zoo with all the supernatural characters and mythic animals. I will say though, it took me a couple of pages to get fully into the story but once I did it was smooth sailings from then on. I really liked the main character Jay and how he was struggling with coming to terms with his sexuality. Colin, his interest, could have been more fleshed out in my opinion. It sort of felt as if his sudden interest in Jay was just that, sudden. It was completely out of nowhere and came on fast. The scenes between the two were really cute though and I enjoyed Jay's inner dialogue. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and I hope that there is more to come soon.
Thanks to the author for sending me this to review.
Thanks to the author for sending me this to review.
June 18, 2025
This is exactly the kind of book I love to read. It's got an original, fun plot, interesting characters and hidden sexuality with the lead character pining after his friend. I liked this whole idea of a zoo that houses supernatural creatures. That's brilliant! The fact that Jay was supernatural himself, well, didn't do anything for me. I was more interested in this very unique world the author creates inside this zoo. There are portals and angry gnomes, and I won't say anymore lest I spoil it. ^_~
This would have been an easy 5 stars, I withheld one star for two reasons...
1. The ending. Come on, man, don't do that to us...lol
2. In the story, the writer does a lot of "telling" rather than showing in some parts. For instance, we would have easily concluded that Jay was gay, lol. We didn't need it spelled out for us.
But these issues are minor. Overall, this was a fun, well-written, fascinating book!
This would have been an easy 5 stars, I withheld one star for two reasons...
1. The ending. Come on, man, don't do that to us...lol
2. In the story, the writer does a lot of "telling" rather than showing in some parts. For instance, we would have easily concluded that Jay was gay, lol. We didn't need it spelled out for us.
But these issues are minor. Overall, this was a fun, well-written, fascinating book!
April 15, 2013
I liked this story, but it was over much too quickly; just getting exciting and it ends! Look forward to the next in the series.
May 30, 2013
Just under 3 stars
interesting premise but overly busy with the number and type of characters for such a short story. Cliff hanger ending.
interesting premise but overly busy with the number and type of characters for such a short story. Cliff hanger ending.
May 30, 2013
cliffhanger
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