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The Complex

To the Teeth

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The Complex Book Series.
A Lone Planet. One Complex.
Unlimited Chaos.


Serena can’t think of anything worse than being stuck inside a dome for two years while she helps her mother run her restaurant and take care of her eleven young siblings.

Yet, as a kitsune, she has to take every opportunity to get ahead in life, including the 100,000 S-Co payment she’ll get at the end of this boring stint at the Complex.

Then he shows up. A shtrigu—a vampire that feasts on life force—at her restaurant of all places.

Serena knows he can’t be up to any good. And when her little brother Ken disappears, she chases down the shtrigu to get him back. What she uncovers is an even bigger conspiracy between the Humans and the Metas. And it’ll come together in a clash of teeth and fur.

If she doesn’t fall into the arms of the shtrigu first.

Unknown Binding

Published June 27, 2017

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48 people want to read

About the author

Erin Hayes

102 books526 followers
Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books.

She works as an advertising copywriter by day, and she's a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author by night. She has lived in New Zealand, Hawaii, Texas, Alabama, and now San Francisco with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.

You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Lola.
2,013 reviews276 followers
July 20, 2017
I received a free copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.

This was a great read! I really like Erin Hayes's writing style and this was another great book by this author. This was the first book I read in the Complex series, but all the books can be read as standalone as I understand it. They just all take place in the same place, namely the Complex. I was easily able to follow this story without no trouble at all. There is a bit of information about the complex and the war, but mostly how it affects the main character. To The Teeth follows kitsune Serena. One night her little brother Ken disappears and she'll do everything to get him back.

This story is about 100 pages long, but I like how it didn't feel rushed and tells a complete story. I am really impressed how well this author can write short stories as well as longer ones. The pacing is well done and it all nicely gets wrapped and has a great epilogue at the end. Although I wouldn't have minded a few extra scenes between Serena and Kaleb as I liked the two of them together. Their romance did develop a bit quickly, but I didn't mind that as much as I really felt their connection. They are great together and I liked their banter.

The concept for this was quite fun, I liked the idea of a dome where humans and meta's (basically all kinds of supernatural creatures) have to live together in hopes of finding a way for them to live together. People who live in the complex get paid at the end, which is why a Serena her mom joined. While Serena's story only gives us a small piece of the Complex, I liked what we got and it made me curious about the other complex books. The book does give a nice feel of more going on, the history of this world and a bit about the complex. It also touches upon some topics like how the meta's and humans will learn to live together and go along, there's a bit of prejudice and some heard feelings on both sides. It has some sad scenes with horrible things that happen which suggest that these two species might never go along and the species are too different, but also some very encouraging scenes which make me believe there might be a peaceful future for these two species.

It was a quick read that kept my attention the whole time. I liked the story and the characters and it was a fun read. The plot was solid and I liked seeing how things played out and learning more about the complex, humans and meta's along the way. There is a nice twist later on in the book. And it has a satisfying ending with a hopeful note and a great epilogue.

It was fun to see so many different paranormal creatures in one place and seeing how they live together, although the focus is on the ones close to the main character. I did think the shtrigu's powers were a bit creepy, but Kaleb seemed like a great character even with his creepy power. Serena was a great main character, she was loyal and fierce. And while she would be rather anywhere but in the complex, she does find her place and she cares a lot about her family.

To summarize: another great read by author Erin Hayes. I quickly read through this book and it kept my attention the whole time. The Complex series seems a group of novels all set in the same universe and location, but can easily be read as standalone. I had no trouble at all following the story in this book and the necessary background information gets explained. I liked the set-up for this world and the idea of the complex. I liked seeing how the humans and meta's (supernatural creatures) lived together and how they struggled with that. It touches upon some topics like prejudice and being different. There are some horrible things that happen, but also some touching and encouraging scenes. I liked Serena as a main character and the romance was great too. While the romance develops quickly I did feel their connection and I liked reading about them. I did think Kaleb's species powers were a bit creepy though. All in all it was a great read and I am planning to check out some other complex books in the future.
Profile Image for Seraphia Bunny.
2,121 reviews34 followers
June 28, 2017
To the Teeth by Erin Hayes is a book that is a part of The Complex series. In this book we return to the Complex where humans and Metas are being made to live together as an experiment in the hopes that the two will be able to learn how to co-exist and live together. However, there are those who do not wish the experiment to be successful and will do anything to make sure that chaos erupts and that the government is forced to step in and take action or declare another war. Serena, a kitsune – fox shifter, is swept up into the dangers of the Complex when her little brother Ken is abducted in the middle of the night. She is suspicious of a shtrigu, a life-force vampire by the name of Kaleb, because he joked about eating one of her siblings while at her mother’s noodle restaurant. Serena quickly goes on the hunt to try and track down her brother Ken and hunt down Kaleb since she believes he’s the culprit. However, Kaleb ends up being the only one who will help her find her missing brother but will he also end up helping her find something she wasn’t expecting to find as well? Or will this endeavor to find and save her brother cost them both everything?
To the Teeth is a part of The Complex series that follows various characters who are different types of Metas and humans as they learn to try and coexist with the very creatures that some of them have fought against and others have been taught to fear and hate. Serena is a kitsune who has decided to partake in the experiment to earn some money so that she can go out on her own. She’s been the good daughter staying and helping her mother with her 11 siblings, who are more than a handful. Serena is a strong character but you can quickly tell that she’s jaded by what she knows and believes about certain Metas. But I really like that once she gets to know and see some things about Kaleb that she drops the biases that she feels towards him. It’s fun to read how she begins to grow concerning him.
There is nothing that I didn’t like about this story. It is so well written. There aren’t any errors or mistakes that detract or distract from the story and it flows so smoothly. You read the struggle that Serena has to find her brother and bring him home to their family. You read as she discovers the dark truth that there are humans who have formed a group to try and bring down the experiment because they fear and hate Metas and refuse to see that they too have feelings, families and those they care about. There are a couple surprises that come in this story that I really liked as well.
This is the second book of The Complex series that I have read and I have to say that it is my absolute favorite. I love the main character’s species. I have such a love for kitsunes with their multi-tails and ears that identify them. I love the dynamics of the characters and how they fight no matter what. Now! There is ONE sex scene in this story but it belongs. LOL! It adds to the story and isn’t a distraction or something the author just decides to plop in there for an added scene.
I received a copy of this book for review but trust me when I say that as soon as I’m able I am purchasing a copy of this book so that I can read it again and again and again. It had me wanting to know what happened next not just with the search for her brother Ken but concerning her connection with Kaleb as well. If you’ve read any of The Complex series books…grab this one as well. If you haven’t but are a fan of Erin Hayes’ work…grab this book. You will not be disappointed.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I loved it and honestly…I want more. All I have to say is this…job well done to the author. Two thumbs up.
Profile Image for Lyn Mckenzie.
876 reviews16 followers
August 1, 2017
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book

I am a big fan of this author's work so I was really glad to be reading this book! It is totally not what I expected and I adored it! This is the first book I have read from the Complex series but the whole idea really interests me and I would love to know more and read more offers series that brings some amazing authors together with this series.

I adored reading this book and you are hooked from the first page, its a powerful book that Sucks you in and even when you have finished this book you want more… more of these characters to find out what happens to them after this book and more of the different people that live there with their lives and stories. The storyline is really captivating and the way that this author has written the story pulls you into their world with all of vivid details and descriptions! This author really does just get better and better!!!

I really enjoyed the variance of the type of supernatural beings that are in this book, I always enjoy characters that are outside the box of what seems popular and the two main characters ter definitely fit this bill, they definitely keep your attention with their personalities, their cultures and what is important to them, they definitely bring a thrilling sense of Danger throughout the book too, I loved reading about them that much that I could start the book again and read it through!! I love strong characters and although they are completely opposite creatures they have the same strength and protectiveness running through them, I really love how they interact with each other, its Magical to read!!

This book must be read by all readers, its just amazing!!! You will get hooked from the moment you start and it is well worth the 5* rating!!!
Profile Image for Elissa.
Author 39 books109 followers
June 29, 2017
So it would seem the basic intent of The Complex is to put Metas (whom I would loosely define as "all the different kinds of paranormals you can imagine") and Humans into a sort of test tube to see if they can just get along. See, humans are all lumped together as one species without differentiating among colors or religions. And Metas seem to be similarly lumped but since this is written from the standpoint of a particular kind of Meta, a kitsune (fox shifter on steroids?), then SHE is extremely aware of the differences in HER culture (much like one might imagine the humans would continue to be although I do see increased evidence of "color blindness" among some of the younger generations). But there are always going to be haters--she has more money, he has green skin, so they must be BAD and we.should.do.something.about.them. Kidnapping children seems to be the solution being employed and SciFi becomes Mystery as our heroine, Serena, sets off to find her missing brother. For a short work, an awful lot of careful detail has been crafted showing an immense imagination at work to create an enormously entertaining story.
Profile Image for Mandy (MP Book Reviews).
5,005 reviews45 followers
June 27, 2017
Serena is a kitsune is stuck inside the Complex dome for two years helping her mother with her restaurant and raising her 11 younger siblings. As much as she would rather be anywhere else she is enjoying her time with the family and looking forward to her 100,000 S-Co payment at the end when she can go and do her own thing. Then a shtrigu appears (they feast on life force), so when her brother Ken is taken she knows exactly who to blame. In hunting the shrigu and her missing brother she ends up uncovering something much larger which puts her in danger.

Great story with lots of twists and turns in this drama which has 2 key stories - the kidnapping and the romance between Serena and the shrigu. Both the stories were nicely woven together and fit well into The Complex based books. It was well written and it was easy to pick up on the thoughts, emotions and frustrations of the characters. Now I just want to know what happens between the two main characters going forward - do they have a HEA and what do they do next?
Profile Image for Lisa Eiff.
966 reviews27 followers
June 28, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this novella. I was unfamiliar with The Complex series when I discovered this publication, but after reading this story, I think I might be interested in exploring more issues in this set.

Basically, this story focuses on a kitsune and her immediate family, a shtrigu (vamp that consumes life-force instead of blood) that is suspected as the guilty party when her little brother is taken, and lots of other supe species are encountered during the search for the missing kit.

Note that there are some sexual encounters mentioned in this story, though I don't think I'd characterize them as necessarily 'explicit' in detail. I enjoyed learning about this planet and it's inhabitants, and I look forward to learning more about it.

I'd recommend this book for readers that are fans of fantasy with a few heated moments intertwined in with the process of investigating and searching for the young kit that was taken. I did receive an e-copy of this novella from the author, but after reading, I wanted to share my honest opinion about it here.
Profile Image for Teri.
3,918 reviews38 followers
June 27, 2017
The war is over and now the humans and meta's co-habitate in the Complex - a massive experiment. Serena moved to the Complex with her mother and 11 brothers and sisters. As Metas their mother chose to be a part of the big experiment and moved them to live there after the war. When meta children start to disappear there is concern but then it hits close to home. Never in all her life did Serena believe the direction her life took. With the skill that comes from this author we are thrust into the underworld of the Complex and more during the search. With plenty of twist and turns Serena finds she is truly happy for the assistance and more she receives from Kaleb. It's the more that has her concerned.

Great read and addition to the Complex Series all of which seem to be standalone's branching out to tell the story of the residents and goings on.
Profile Image for Patti.
1,502 reviews13 followers
August 8, 2017
If you haven't read any of the complex series yet, it's set in a complex specifically built for an experiment to bring peace between humans and metas ( think supernatural). This book is an excellent addition to the series! A not so powerful kitsune crosses paths with a strigo ( life force draining person) and together they try to solve the sudden rash of kidnappings that have occurred . The book wastes no time immersing you into the tale, and between the rampaging emotions of the characters and the fast pace of this story, you won't want to put down this book until you reach the conclusion. Looking forward to more in this series! This voluntary review is based against a Kindle Unlimited copy
Profile Image for Lindsay.
Author 0 books59 followers
June 24, 2017
From what I gather, each book from The Complex series is written by a different author, but they all take place within the same walled Complex. Within its borders are both humans and Metas, trying to get by in an experimental living situation. Metas can be anything from vampires to mermaids, or in this case, kitsune and shtriga. Obviously, there are some unique conflicts that arise from everyone living within such a confined space.

An interesting concept for a series, and I am loving what Hayes did within the borders of this sci-fi world. She managed to create a combined sci-fi mystery romance that can easily be enjoyed by a wide range of fans.
Profile Image for Jessica Woods.
1,291 reviews24 followers
June 27, 2017
To the Teeth is a novella set in the fantasy world of the Complex book series where humans and metas are trying to co-exist. Serena is a sassy and tough kitsune, a fox shifter, that helps her mother take care of her eleven siblings after her father dies. When her little brother disappears, Serena goes looking for a big bad that her brother came in contact with at the family diner. But Kaleb, the big bad's not the bad guy and Serena falls fast and hard for Kaleb as they take on human extremists to save her brother. Full of action, the story just gets better as it goes until it unfolds into a nice and quick HEA. My voluntary review is based upon an ARC from the author.
Profile Image for Sophie Koufes.
1,994 reviews27 followers
June 27, 2017
Description: Complex Book Series
A Lone Planet
One Complex
Serena - Kitsune fox-shifter
Kaleb - Shtrigu - a vampire that feasts on life force
Science Fiction Romance Novella
A intriguing read about a whole new fantasy world with plenty of twists to keep you on your toes. Characters are complex & seasoned. A mysterious sci-fi romance fantasy novella that is a devourable read. I volunteerly reviewed an advanced reading copy of this novella.
Profile Image for Izzybear.
755 reviews
June 30, 2017
I loved this book. I haven't read any of the other books written in this world but Erin Hayes has succeeded in getting me to want go and read them. I couldn't put this book down. I loved Serena's feisty character. She wouldn't stop looking for her brother no matter what. Even when it seemed impossible and knowing that she might not make it back herself, she kept going. I loved Kaleb too.

***I received an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a honest review.***
Profile Image for Ola Adamska.
2,881 reviews27 followers
July 22, 2017
In this novella from The Complex we feateure kitsune (fox shifter) and shtrigu (kind of vampire that feeds from life force). Both of them comes originally from japanesee mythology and I was really blat to see this.
Serena and Kaleb cepreate a very unlikely Duo that has a lot of misunderstoods and trust issues. Will they manage to work it out in order to find Ken?
And what is going on with Serena's feelings?
Great read from Erin Hayes!
Profile Image for Terry Spears.
15 reviews2 followers
June 27, 2017
I started this novella early this afternoon and couldn't put it down!! In the complex there are different species that struggle to get along. Humans and meta. When kids start disappearing you have no clue as to who took them. The obvious choice stands firm in denial. This book takes you on an adventure from who done it to romance. What a wonderful read! I can't wait to read the rest of Complex!
718 reviews5 followers
July 6, 2017
I love this story. The Complex is a place full of humans and metas living in an experiment to see if they could all get along together. Serens, who is a meta, goes looking for her brother after he gets kidnapped. She joins up with a shtrigu in hopes of finding her brother. The story is action packed from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down. A great read for paranormal fans.
308 reviews13 followers
September 26, 2017
I received this book free from the author. I am voluntarily choosing to review it. Erin Hayes has given me a romantic suspense story with characters I love, Serena and Kaleb, along with an interesting story about humans and Metas trying to learn to live together. Erin Hayes' stories never fail to entertain me and keep me involved with her characters. I enjoyed this story.
Profile Image for Amanda  Lee.
1,258 reviews43 followers
June 27, 2017
Such an interesting world created! Humans and Metas are living in the Complex under a dome as an experiment to seems they're capable of living together.
I loved Serena and Kaleb, they were great together. The storyline was interesting and unique with a little romance and mystery.
Profile Image for Michelle Harris.
856 reviews77 followers
July 3, 2017
I love Erin's imagination! She tells these crazy stories that just work and leaves you wanting more of them. This world she has created is so amazing and the storyline is really enjoyable. Loved it all. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Profile Image for phoebess.
1,521 reviews98 followers
September 20, 2017
I so adore this series and this book was awesome and full of actions.
By the way, Humans First group is so frustrating! Every time they are mentioned, I feel like they are threatening my own—I would say children, but I don't have any—stash of candy.
Profile Image for Samantha.
334 reviews5 followers
June 27, 2017
What an interesting world!! Serena is one bad arse older sister and Kaleb sounds like my kind of kryptonite lol deadly hottie with a heart of gold. Great read!
Profile Image for Monique.
907 reviews1 follower
June 27, 2017
My first look at this series; it is an interesting and well put together concept. I enjoyed this novella.
Profile Image for Sandra.
85 reviews
June 28, 2017
Opposites Do Attract!
 
Interesting storyline. The characters were developed and complicated. It had a theme to it. We can get along when we need to. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Jaimie O'Dell.
231 reviews11 followers
June 26, 2017
Something different from Erin. In this story different species live in fear of what one can do to the other. When children go missing the last people they would have thought are found to be taking them and unlikely enemies team up.
Profile Image for Felicia Semmler .
371 reviews
June 28, 2017
Yes!!! This was such a good refreshing take on shifters. It's a quick read with lots to offer - mystery,paranormal,love, loss, happiness. I loved this quick addition to the complex series. Erin is a master with words and this is no exception.
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