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San Andreas Shifters #1
The Sumage Solution
Everything you wanted from a sexy gay werewolf but were afraid to read.
Max fails at magic, relationships, and life. So he works as a sumage, cleaning up other mages’ messes. The job sucks and he’s in no mood to cope with redneck biker werewolves. Unfortunately, there’s something irresistible about the sexy muscled Beta visiting his office for processing.
Bryan is gay but he’s not out. There’s a good chance Max might be reason enough to leave the closet, if he can only get the man to go on a date.
Everyone knows werewolves hate mages, but Bryan is determined to prove everyone wrong, even the mage in question.
NYT bestseller Gail Carriger, writing as G. L. Carriger, presents an offbeat gay romance in which a sexy werewolf with a white knight complex meets a bad boy mage with an attitude problem. Sparks (and other things) fly.
The San Andreas Shifter books stand alone and do not have to be read in any particular order.
Delicate Sensibilities?
This story contains M/M sexitimes and horrible puns. If you get offended easily, then you probably will. The San Andreas Shifter stories include blue language, dirty deeds, and outright admiration for the San Francisco Bay Area. Not for the faint of heart/mouth/tongue…
Max fails at magic, relationships, and life. So he works as a sumage, cleaning up other mages’ messes. The job sucks and he’s in no mood to cope with redneck biker werewolves. Unfortunately, there’s something irresistible about the sexy muscled Beta visiting his office for processing.
Bryan is gay but he’s not out. There’s a good chance Max might be reason enough to leave the closet, if he can only get the man to go on a date.
Everyone knows werewolves hate mages, but Bryan is determined to prove everyone wrong, even the mage in question.
NYT bestseller Gail Carriger, writing as G. L. Carriger, presents an offbeat gay romance in which a sexy werewolf with a white knight complex meets a bad boy mage with an attitude problem. Sparks (and other things) fly.
The San Andreas Shifter books stand alone and do not have to be read in any particular order.
Delicate Sensibilities?
This story contains M/M sexitimes and horrible puns. If you get offended easily, then you probably will. The San Andreas Shifter stories include blue language, dirty deeds, and outright admiration for the San Francisco Bay Area. Not for the faint of heart/mouth/tongue…
317 pages, ebook
First published July 18, 2017
320 people are currently reading
4327 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 680 reviews
August 23, 2017
I am *THIS* fucking close to giving this book a 5-star rating!!! Like *THIS* close, BUT there were some issues with the worldbuilding, that still has me scratching my head, and that makes me leave it at 4 stars for now, but seriously I'm gonna say it:
This is almost Klune-like-humour (in TLSH), ALMOST. And that, for me, is a HUGE plus (not Tronald Dump 'juge' but monumentous huge!)
We have sass and snark galore, as well as inappropriate magical creatures (Kitsune), without it being a copy of the aforementioned book.
This book was thoughtful as well as brilliantly written (there were a few spelling errors e.g. then/than, but not enough to annoy me.) I LOVED Bryan (just not his nickname Biff) and I have SOOOOO many quotes that I wanna splash all over this review, but I'll rein it in:
"... So, I looked after him when we were kids. ’Cause he’s not a big guy. He’s tall and lean, like you. Pretty like you. Gay like you. I figured that’s why I was born so big, to compensate. Maybe why I’m gay too, so I’d understand.”
“You think your whole existence is built to balance your brother?”
“That’s what Beta means.”
Bryan was goddamn WONDERFUL, and Carriger stayed true to the character throughout, making his silent ways WORK. #MANCRUSHALERT
Max was a wee bit harder to love, but not by much. He definitely had the angst DOWN pat, but with his childhood it is no wonder. ALSO his snark and banter was ON POINT for me (again see inappropriate Klune humour.) He was definitely the reluctant hero, but the story was well 'plotted-out', so the angst part never bothered me.
'Max was bad at most things. He was bad at being the son his father wanted. He was bad at being the mage his family needed. He was bad at being gay: too self-conscious to be promiscuous, too much self-doubt to offer himself on the altar of love. ... He was bad at so many things, but what he sucked at the most, apparently, was being happy.'
The worldbuilding was the 'problem' for me. Not that it was lacking or that it was a 'typical' story, because it was not. But I admit that I googled more than one word for their meaning and I'm still not quite clear on what quintessence, Plugs, Pinchers, Siphons, Sluices and sumages MEAN as well as their differences in terms of how they 'work'.
Also the Super Saturation has me a wee bit confused, since I sort of thought "the Sphere" was like the sun, but then people were flying around IN the Sphere and yeah...
*Edit see comments for my rambling ideas of what the Sphere could be, if interested.
I don't know if it has any meaning for the story, but it still feels like an important part as well as
BUT if you as a reader consider not reading this because of my ignorance, I seriously urge you to reconsider for:
the humour
the LOVE
the SMEX
the family
the friends
If in doubt: read the sample, that's what made me get on my computer, like a whirlwind, buying this and Marine Biology; devouring both in a day.
When the next one is announced, I will push the pre-order button so hard and so fast that even Max can't come up with a timely, snarky come-back!
This is almost Klune-like-humour (in TLSH), ALMOST. And that, for me, is a HUGE plus (not Tronald Dump 'juge' but monumentous huge!)
We have sass and snark galore, as well as inappropriate magical creatures (Kitsune), without it being a copy of the aforementioned book.
This book was thoughtful as well as brilliantly written (there were a few spelling errors e.g. then/than, but not enough to annoy me.) I LOVED Bryan (just not his nickname Biff) and I have SOOOOO many quotes that I wanna splash all over this review, but I'll rein it in:
"... So, I looked after him when we were kids. ’Cause he’s not a big guy. He’s tall and lean, like you. Pretty like you. Gay like you. I figured that’s why I was born so big, to compensate. Maybe why I’m gay too, so I’d understand.”
“You think your whole existence is built to balance your brother?”
“That’s what Beta means.”
Bryan was goddamn WONDERFUL, and Carriger stayed true to the character throughout, making his silent ways WORK. #MANCRUSHALERT
Max was a wee bit harder to love, but not by much. He definitely had the angst DOWN pat, but with his childhood it is no wonder. ALSO his snark and banter was ON POINT for me (again see inappropriate Klune humour.) He was definitely the reluctant hero, but the story was well 'plotted-out', so the angst part never bothered me.
'Max was bad at most things. He was bad at being the son his father wanted. He was bad at being the mage his family needed. He was bad at being gay: too self-conscious to be promiscuous, too much self-doubt to offer himself on the altar of love. ... He was bad at so many things, but what he sucked at the most, apparently, was being happy.'
The worldbuilding was the 'problem' for me. Not that it was lacking or that it was a 'typical' story, because it was not. But I admit that I googled more than one word for their meaning and I'm still not quite clear on what quintessence, Plugs, Pinchers, Siphons, Sluices and sumages MEAN as well as their differences in terms of how they 'work'.
Also the Super Saturation has me a wee bit confused, since I sort of thought "the Sphere" was like the sun, but then people were flying around IN the Sphere and yeah...
*Edit see comments for my rambling ideas of what the Sphere could be, if interested.
I don't know if it has any meaning for the story, but it still feels like an important part as well as
BUT if you as a reader consider not reading this because of my ignorance, I seriously urge you to reconsider for:
the humour
the LOVE
the SMEX
the family
the friends
If in doubt: read the sample, that's what made me get on my computer, like a whirlwind, buying this and Marine Biology; devouring both in a day.
When the next one is announced, I will push the pre-order button so hard and so fast that even Max can't come up with a timely, snarky come-back!
June 6, 2020
3 Stars
Look. I absolutely adored the The 5th Gender, and this is a very good MM romance with very little fault to it. I think it will be liked by many people (and already has) because it’s got plenty of goodies. There’s different kinds of mages, shifters, and other creatures. There’s werewolf packs and a fated mates trope with lots of varied smexy, all of which was well put together.
However, and I mean this in the nicest way, the obstacles that present themselves as challenges for Max and Brian were just… too simple, or I guess to myself, these types of roadblocks I’ve seen done many times in my very long history of reading both supernatural/paranormal/urban fantasy MF and MM, sooooo the miscommunication, the no communication, the assumptions galore and self sacrifice when no sacrifice was ever needed, just did not titillate me as much as it might've done so in the past.
Points for snark and banter and a good audible narration by Kirt Graves, this was very reminiscent of Carriger’s MF steampunk series that I enjoyed eons ago, both having a good amount of fun and lightness with this having some dark undertones of abuse and homophobia.
Again, many have loved this and no doubt will continue to do so with this series and with obvious good reasons. Sadly, my world just wasn’t as rocked as I wanted it to be.
Look. I absolutely adored the The 5th Gender, and this is a very good MM romance with very little fault to it. I think it will be liked by many people (and already has) because it’s got plenty of goodies. There’s different kinds of mages, shifters, and other creatures. There’s werewolf packs and a fated mates trope with lots of varied smexy, all of which was well put together.
However, and I mean this in the nicest way, the obstacles that present themselves as challenges for Max and Brian were just… too simple, or I guess to myself, these types of roadblocks I’ve seen done many times in my very long history of reading both supernatural/paranormal/urban fantasy MF and MM, sooooo the miscommunication, the no communication, the assumptions galore and self sacrifice when no sacrifice was ever needed, just did not titillate me as much as it might've done so in the past.
Points for snark and banter and a good audible narration by Kirt Graves, this was very reminiscent of Carriger’s MF steampunk series that I enjoyed eons ago, both having a good amount of fun and lightness with this having some dark undertones of abuse and homophobia.
Again, many have loved this and no doubt will continue to do so with this series and with obvious good reasons. Sadly, my world just wasn’t as rocked as I wanted it to be.
August 6, 2017
So much better than I ever hoped it could be!
I have to admit that I was surprised by how well this turned out for me. I read the prequel, Marine Biology, and thought it was a cute little shifter-fluff story. It wasn't bad, a bit silly perhaps, but there wasn't really much to it. I thought I would be getting more of the same with this book.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
I was blown away by this story. I loved it so much! The banter between Max and Bryan was off the charts and I laughed out loud many, many times. This is my kind of humor; a mix of witty banter, clever one-liners with some juvenile shenanigans thrown in to sweeten the pot.
It sparkled on his tongue with tiny bubbles of carbonation. "Really, Max? Fizzy jizz?"
"I see werewolves do have a heightened sense of taste. It's a mage thing."
"The champagne of cocks?"
"See how I spoil you?"
I mean, how can you go wrong with a mage whose jizz is carbonated and a werewolf whose is spicy like hot sauce?
"I like it when you call me Bryan."
"Not Muscles?"
"I like it when you call me that too, Trouble." You can call me anything you like so long as you smile that way.
"What if I call you Habanero?" Max waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Only if I can use Sparkles."
"Ew, no."
"Seltzer?"
"Stop it." Was Max blushing? Super hard to tell.
"Carbonation Man?" Biff pressed his advantage.
Max sputtered coffee. "Here I cum to save the day?"
"Mighty jizz is on it's way?"
"With the power of fizzy dick!"
This wasn't all humor and shenanigans; there was quite a bit of depth here too. Max is a sumage, a dud, who never manifested his powers. He's been reduced to being no more than a dumping ground for "real" mages to off-load their excess magic when it builds up too much. Having grown up hearing how much of a disappointment he is from his abusive father, he's a bit bitter. Okay, that's a lie. He's way more bitter than just a bit. I may or may not have wanted to shake him a few times or at least sit him down in front of a mirror, a la Stuart Smalley until he could see how wonderful a person he is and how valuable he is to those who love him.
Bryan came along just in time, it seems.
Bryan, oh Bryan. *sigh* I love that big, stoic werewolf something fierce! He doesn't say much, but when he finally opens his mouth, the most gorgeous words flow out. I won't spoil it by quoting it here because some things you need to experience for yourself, but when he finally spoke up and told Max how he really feels, it was exquisite. It had me swooning like a proper Southern lady. I must have read that passage about ten or fifteen times, it was so beautiful.
What surprised me the most about this book was how smart the writing was. The story is told in such a way that you don't get how clever it really is until you're smacked in the face with a chapter title and a couple of paragraphs a little more than halfway through the book. I was just reading along, enjoying the humor when WHAM! and it was like a lightbulb going on over my head. It was so clever! Very tongue-in-cheek, if you will.
I loved all of the other characters as well. Every one of them had a distinct voice; there were no cookie-cutter or throw-away characters to be found. Even the villain had quite a bit of depth to them. The only thing I found a bit lacking was the world building when it came to the magic. It wasn't that the actual world building was lacking per se, but sometimes I felt like the author was referencing things from a previous book or series and I was supposed to already know what this stuff is and the history of it. But, seeing as how I've never read this author before, I got a bit lost in the telling of how it works.
This was a fun story packed with tons of feels. I really hope the author writes many more books for this series. If you like a good shifter story, this is the book for you. If you like witty banter and shenanigans, this is the book for you. If you like a story with depth and angst and romance, this is the book for you. Hell, if you like to read , this is the book for you. Cause, really, you can't go wrong with this story.
October 31, 2020
3 stars
This is a new to me author, and I am honestly struggling on how to rate it. I really enjoyed the main characters, Max and Bryan, and I also liked Bryan’s brother Alec and their wolf pack. The story had humor and some sweet moments. So what’s the problem? There was so much thrown at you regarding the magical world building, I was completely lost. I almost felt like I missed a book or the author assumed the reader knew about this world. Maybe because I am not a huge PNR reader, I don’t know, but I was certainly frustrated.
OK, rant over. I am hoping when I read book 2 things will be easier.
This is a new to me author, and I am honestly struggling on how to rate it. I really enjoyed the main characters, Max and Bryan, and I also liked Bryan’s brother Alec and their wolf pack. The story had humor and some sweet moments. So what’s the problem? There was so much thrown at you regarding the magical world building, I was completely lost. I almost felt like I missed a book or the author assumed the reader knew about this world. Maybe because I am not a huge PNR reader, I don’t know, but I was certainly frustrated.
OK, rant over. I am hoping when I read book 2 things will be easier.
June 16, 2025
A strange story with very strange magic and a multitude of very interesting characters that had me climbing the walls. I felt very well entertained, but it's also a rather convoluted book. If you want to understand how everything works right from the start, then you should probably steer clear of it. I'm a little unsure about the worldbuilding; in any case, it frustrated me immensely that I didn't understand how the magic works here and how everything fits together for most of the time.
Later on, you get a little historical background, but I still have so many questions in my head. I guess you only get a useful overall picture once you've read the whole series? Unfortunately, I'm not a very patient reader.
In any case, it's still well written, especially when it comes to the relationships between the characters, and even though the first twenty pages left me extremely skeptical, I was completely sucked into the story shortly thereafter and had to know how Bryan and Max would end up together.
The dialogues take some getting used to, and it wasn't immediately clear what makes Max tick, but you learn to appreciate and love him alongside Bryan, which was a unique experience for me. It's nice when there are characters who are a little different.
Book two sounds very interesting... let's see when I get around to reading it.
“Poor baby, am I making your nose twitch?”
But the man wouldn’t be baited. Of course he wouldn’t, he’s a Beta.
Instead, he seemed inclined to get some of his own back. “That’s not the smell that’s bothering me.”
“No?”
“No.”
Max didn’t want to, but his big mouth. “So, what is?”
“Your dick, leaking.”
“Holy shit, you can smell that?” 🤭
He couldn’t get over the jackpot he’d hit. A man who genuinely enjoyed rimming? A man who liked to take charge but didn’t mind a blindfold? A man whose heavy, eager cock was still there, swollen and angry with neglect. While the man himself waited, patient. 😳
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Minor spoilers probably ahead
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Content warnings: MC named Biff, short breakup, abusive family, homophobia, child abuse
Later on, you get a little historical background, but I still have so many questions in my head. I guess you only get a useful overall picture once you've read the whole series? Unfortunately, I'm not a very patient reader.
In any case, it's still well written, especially when it comes to the relationships between the characters, and even though the first twenty pages left me extremely skeptical, I was completely sucked into the story shortly thereafter and had to know how Bryan and Max would end up together.
The dialogues take some getting used to, and it wasn't immediately clear what makes Max tick, but you learn to appreciate and love him alongside Bryan, which was a unique experience for me. It's nice when there are characters who are a little different.
Book two sounds very interesting... let's see when I get around to reading it.
“Poor baby, am I making your nose twitch?”
But the man wouldn’t be baited. Of course he wouldn’t, he’s a Beta.
Instead, he seemed inclined to get some of his own back. “That’s not the smell that’s bothering me.”
“No?”
“No.”
Max didn’t want to, but his big mouth. “So, what is?”
“Your dick, leaking.”
“Holy shit, you can smell that?” 🤭
He couldn’t get over the jackpot he’d hit. A man who genuinely enjoyed rimming? A man who liked to take charge but didn’t mind a blindfold? A man whose heavy, eager cock was still there, swollen and angry with neglect. While the man himself waited, patient. 😳
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Minor spoilers probably ahead
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Content warnings: MC named Biff, short breakup, abusive family, homophobia, child abuse
November 29, 2017
4.25 Hearts
I find I'm having a bit of separation anxiety upon finishing this book. I keep thinking about it and that always counts for something with me.
What started as a seemingly run of the mill, opposites attract shifter romance turned into an obsession. I listened to the whole thing in one day. I know! Crazy, right?
Bryan, beta werewolf and Boston accented big un, is Cupcake book boyfriend material. If you know me, you know what tics my boxes and Bryan colored them in with permanent magic marker-gentle giant except when it counts, lover not a fighter, has that vulnerability thing happening... *sigh*
Dude is hot is all I'm saying.
Bryan's recently relocated with his newly formed pack of "misfits" to the Bay Area. As beta of the pack, he takes his caretaking responsibilities seriously, never wanting to disappoint or hurt anyone. He's closeted (briefly) and coming to grips with his sexuality. So virgin and bashful and blushing. #S.W.O.O.N. He gets volunteered to go to the local DURPS office to register the pack and meets Max. Max is a sumage and a little abrasive. He tends to use humor and sass to mask his feelings of inadequacy. Childhood was a nightmare, he's generally a loner and feels inferior in most all ways, and has some truly awful body image issues, so he's in need of some TLC in a bad way.
Sparks fly between them and the dating and sexytimes occur pretty quickly. The sex is ON FIYAH!!!!!! (to me). Thorough and messy. Rimming, marking, biting, big guy bottoming, manhandling, toys, hands free orgasm and a little bossiness. Cupcake might've danced a jig.
The Sumage Solution definitely meets criteria for the hurt/comfort trope and is rife with mis/non-communication. Almost immediately there is conflict which even though I thought was somewhat overblown and dramatic on Max's part, I understood why he would do what he did. However, the conflict at the end employed the dreaded martyr plot device. I really hate that one and I was ultimately dissatisfied with how it played out.
Despite my quibbles the romanciness of this first love story will stick with me for the foreseeable future. I do love a mates story and Carriger takes us along for the journey of them falling in love and getting their hard fought HEA.
The pack and other various sassy and endearing secondary characters rounded out this story. I do love a chosen family and this has all the hallmarks of adding countless "misfits" to an already adorable pack. This world that Carriger has created will make it impossible for me not to proceed with the series. Admittedly, there were times where I felt like I was missing something and wishing like crazy for a prologue or glossary of terms or something! But the cleverness of this interpretation of an urban fantasy with all sorts of shifters and paranormal beings won me over. The action plot takes a backseat to the romance, though.
As far as the narration, this is my first Kirt Graves and he's going to get listened to again. Each character got their own voice, though all the women were variations on Southern which was confusing for a book set in the Bay Area. Other than that his Boston accent for Bryan and Alec had me swooning all over the place. I ❤️ me a Boston accent. I forgot how much until I heard Bryan speak. Reminded me of that time I legit recorded the vendor hawking CHOWDAH HEYYYAH at Fenway. Good times.
Yeah, I did it.
Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, recommending this book! Smartly written,droolworthy likable characters, sexytimes, romancey first love romance with mates, entertaining plot and fantastic narration. What's not to like? If you like urban fantasy or romance this should be a win for you.
A review copy was provided.
I find I'm having a bit of separation anxiety upon finishing this book. I keep thinking about it and that always counts for something with me.
What started as a seemingly run of the mill, opposites attract shifter romance turned into an obsession. I listened to the whole thing in one day. I know! Crazy, right?
Bryan, beta werewolf and Boston accented big un, is Cupcake book boyfriend material. If you know me, you know what tics my boxes and Bryan colored them in with permanent magic marker-gentle giant except when it counts, lover not a fighter, has that vulnerability thing happening... *sigh*
Dude is hot is all I'm saying.
Bryan's recently relocated with his newly formed pack of "misfits" to the Bay Area. As beta of the pack, he takes his caretaking responsibilities seriously, never wanting to disappoint or hurt anyone. He's closeted (briefly) and coming to grips with his sexuality. So virgin and bashful and blushing. #S.W.O.O.N. He gets volunteered to go to the local DURPS office to register the pack and meets Max. Max is a sumage and a little abrasive. He tends to use humor and sass to mask his feelings of inadequacy. Childhood was a nightmare, he's generally a loner and feels inferior in most all ways, and has some truly awful body image issues, so he's in need of some TLC in a bad way.
Sparks fly between them and the dating and sexytimes occur pretty quickly. The sex is ON FIYAH!!!!!! (to me). Thorough and messy. Rimming, marking, biting, big guy bottoming, manhandling, toys, hands free orgasm and a little bossiness. Cupcake might've danced a jig.
The Sumage Solution definitely meets criteria for the hurt/comfort trope and is rife with mis/non-communication. Almost immediately there is conflict which even though I thought was somewhat overblown and dramatic on Max's part, I understood why he would do what he did. However, the conflict at the end employed the dreaded martyr plot device. I really hate that one and I was ultimately dissatisfied with how it played out.
Despite my quibbles the romanciness of this first love story will stick with me for the foreseeable future. I do love a mates story and Carriger takes us along for the journey of them falling in love and getting their hard fought HEA.
It was like the werewolf filled all his empty, broken, lonely parts with liquid fire. Scary and exhilarating.
Biff felt odd, floaty but tethered, anchored to Max. A shard of toffee, sharp and sweet, was being melted inside him into hot liquid caramel. The taste and smell of Max.
The pack and other various sassy and endearing secondary characters rounded out this story. I do love a chosen family and this has all the hallmarks of adding countless "misfits" to an already adorable pack. This world that Carriger has created will make it impossible for me not to proceed with the series. Admittedly, there were times where I felt like I was missing something and wishing like crazy for a prologue or glossary of terms or something! But the cleverness of this interpretation of an urban fantasy with all sorts of shifters and paranormal beings won me over. The action plot takes a backseat to the romance, though.
As far as the narration, this is my first Kirt Graves and he's going to get listened to again. Each character got their own voice, though all the women were variations on Southern which was confusing for a book set in the Bay Area. Other than that his Boston accent for Bryan and Alec had me swooning all over the place. I ❤️ me a Boston accent. I forgot how much until I heard Bryan speak. Reminded me of that time I legit recorded the vendor hawking CHOWDAH HEYYYAH at Fenway. Good times.
Yeah, I did it.
Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, recommending this book! Smartly written,
A review copy was provided.
December 20, 2020
i thought i was going to love this: it's gail carriger, it's m/m, it's steamy, and it's paranormal; and for the first fifth of the book i thought that i was right.
but then everything started to go downhill.
because i was so excited about this book and my hopes were dashed like waves on cliffs.
Things That Annoyed Me: (somewhat of a rant incoming)
- the worldbuilding and magic system. carriger kind of implies at it being the same universe as the parasol protectorate, with the similarities between sumages and preternaturals and the way werewolves transform, but then she'd throw us a curveball like the mages and we'd assume it isn't part of the same universe. but it turns out that it is. doing spin-offs is extremely risky, and only works in the most capable of hands (hello, jordan. l hawk!) if you do it badly, you just end up looking like you couldn't be arsed to create a whole new world, because you've already got a set-up that has basically everything you want - werewolves, sumages/preternaturals - you just need to graft a few extra things onto it under the pretense of making your universe more "complicated". (looking at you, cassandra clare!) this wasn't about enriching her existing 'verse, especially as it's under a pen-name (albeit a very obvious one that can barely be considered a pseudonym, but it still divorces this series from the parasol-verse), it was about the author wanting to write a sexy m/m shifter book and realising she's already created a world with werewolves in it so hey, why not recycle it! it just smacked of laziness to me.
- there wasn't much of a plot until past the halfway mark, the romance was way too insta-love, and the characters were too boring and middle-of-the-road to make up for it. the characters were like cardboard cut-outs. made of soggy cardboard that's been left outside in the rain for three weeks.
- all the conflicts seemed so manufactured and unneccessary, and didn't flow with the narrative at all. i can practically see the author's beat sheet: "sex, sex, declaration of love - oh, better stick a conflict in here, sex, sex..."
- the author was going for witty, flirty banter, but instead she just landed on cringe.
i might have liked this if i'd read it when it was released. but now i have read nearly 550 m/m books, and this is painfully, disappointingly average. i expected so much more, but to be fair, the parasol protectorate were the only of carriger's books i really liked. finishing school was a fun romp but in no way exceptional, and the custard protocol - which i was sure i was going to love, as it was in the same universe as my beloved protectorate - was also just average.
i hate to admit it, but i don't think i'll be reading any more of her books. it seems parasol protectorate was an outlier rather than the norm.
but then everything started to go downhill.
because i was so excited about this book and my hopes were dashed like waves on cliffs.
Things That Annoyed Me: (somewhat of a rant incoming)
- the worldbuilding and magic system. carriger kind of implies at it being the same universe as the parasol protectorate, with the similarities between sumages and preternaturals and the way werewolves transform, but then she'd throw us a curveball like the mages and we'd assume it isn't part of the same universe. but it turns out that it is. doing spin-offs is extremely risky, and only works in the most capable of hands (hello, jordan. l hawk!) if you do it badly, you just end up looking like you couldn't be arsed to create a whole new world, because you've already got a set-up that has basically everything you want - werewolves, sumages/preternaturals - you just need to graft a few extra things onto it under the pretense of making your universe more "complicated". (looking at you, cassandra clare!) this wasn't about enriching her existing 'verse, especially as it's under a pen-name (albeit a very obvious one that can barely be considered a pseudonym, but it still divorces this series from the parasol-verse), it was about the author wanting to write a sexy m/m shifter book and realising she's already created a world with werewolves in it so hey, why not recycle it! it just smacked of laziness to me.
- there wasn't much of a plot until past the halfway mark, the romance was way too insta-love, and the characters were too boring and middle-of-the-road to make up for it. the characters were like cardboard cut-outs. made of soggy cardboard that's been left outside in the rain for three weeks.
- all the conflicts seemed so manufactured and unneccessary, and didn't flow with the narrative at all. i can practically see the author's beat sheet: "sex, sex, declaration of love - oh, better stick a conflict in here, sex, sex..."
- the author was going for witty, flirty banter, but instead she just landed on cringe.
i might have liked this if i'd read it when it was released. but now i have read nearly 550 m/m books, and this is painfully, disappointingly average. i expected so much more, but to be fair, the parasol protectorate were the only of carriger's books i really liked. finishing school was a fun romp but in no way exceptional, and the custard protocol - which i was sure i was going to love, as it was in the same universe as my beloved protectorate - was also just average.
i hate to admit it, but i don't think i'll be reading any more of her books. it seems parasol protectorate was an outlier rather than the norm.
July 30, 2017
I usually love Gail Carriger's books so I really expected to enjoy this one but unfortunately it just isn't working for me. I hate to leave negative reviews but I had to force myself to get to 60% and I've been putting off reading any further for weeks now so there's no way I'm ever going to finish it.
The banter between the two main characters felt so over the top and where I'm sure it was meant to make me laugh it mainly had me rolling my eyes. There is a major case of Insta-love and the story so far has been pretty much one long sex scene after another. I love my smut books but this one has just been too much for me to take and when you find yourself skimming sex scenes trying (but failing) to find a plot it's time to walk away.
I don't really feel invested in either of the main characters and I'm just not interested enough in what is happening to force myself to read the rest. I can see from the reviews that most people are loving this book so I'm sure it's just a case of it not being a good fit but this is my honest opinion.
The banter between the two main characters felt so over the top and where I'm sure it was meant to make me laugh it mainly had me rolling my eyes. There is a major case of Insta-love and the story so far has been pretty much one long sex scene after another. I love my smut books but this one has just been too much for me to take and when you find yourself skimming sex scenes trying (but failing) to find a plot it's time to walk away.
I don't really feel invested in either of the main characters and I'm just not interested enough in what is happening to force myself to read the rest. I can see from the reviews that most people are loving this book so I'm sure it's just a case of it not being a good fit but this is my honest opinion.
July 23, 2017
This was absolutely snarktastic! I'll admit to being a bit confused through part of it but I didn't give a shit, I was entertained. The banter was awesome.
Highly recommended to my fellow banter whores!
Highly recommended to my fellow banter whores!
August 12, 2019
I had a tough time with this one. I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t hooked by the writing nor the convoluted unveiling of this universe which I still don’t get.
I found the banter to be a bit much, and much of it not that great.
Maybe it’s a “it’s me, not the book,” but I have an inkling that the book was partly to blame for this ho-hum rating.
I found the banter to be a bit much, and much of it not that great.
Maybe it’s a “it’s me, not the book,” but I have an inkling that the book was partly to blame for this ho-hum rating.
September 10, 2020
2.5 stars
I really liked the world building, even if it was confusing at first, and this unusual pack. The romance was pretty average, the MCs didn’t really jump out of the page enough to make it more than that and the only real obstacles and conflict were a little contrived,
The ‘plot’ was barely there and most of it I could already guess from the start.
I’m still rounding up because of the world building, the idea behind this series is really close to my ideal shifter series, but the execution doesn’t seem to be up to it. I may or may not read the following books, although from what I’ve seen in the reviews the plots don’t get any better and at least in one case the focus shifts heavily on the sex. Since I already felt like most of the sex scenes in this book didn’t add anything to the story or the romance, that’s not encouraging.
I really liked the world building, even if it was confusing at first, and this unusual pack. The romance was pretty average, the MCs didn’t really jump out of the page enough to make it more than that and the only real obstacles and conflict were a little contrived,
The ‘plot’ was barely there and most of it I could already guess from the start.
I’m still rounding up because of the world building, the idea behind this series is really close to my ideal shifter series, but the execution doesn’t seem to be up to it. I may or may not read the following books, although from what I’ve seen in the reviews the plots don’t get any better and at least in one case the focus shifts heavily on the sex. Since I already felt like most of the sex scenes in this book didn’t add anything to the story or the romance, that’s not encouraging.
September 8, 2020
This is the beginning to a very good shifter series. This first book drops us headfirst into a magic system and worldbuilding that is a bit complex. It does not infodump (which I approve) but as a consequence it took me about three chapters to feel secure enough in my understanding of the worldbuilding elements to focus more deeply on the characters. Once that happened, I was hooked.
Biff, or Bryan as he secretly prefers, is a Beta werewolf in a small pack. Betas are the wolves whose role and function is to soothe, and stabilize, their powerful Alphas. Betas are calm, solid, deliberate oil on troubled waters. A pack with a Beta runs better and is less likely to cause trouble. Which is why Bryan's Alpha sent him to register their pack with the local authorities. A building full of mages and shifters, kitsune and merfolk, bureaucrats and berserkers, is a bad place for a werewolf who isn't cool and collected. Luckily, Bryan is an excellent Beta.
Max is a sumage, a failed mage whose only ability is to act as a power sink. Max can take the full-on blast of magic from some pissed-off user and transform it harmlessly, other than a headache for him, and some odd physical manifestation that soon disappears. He's a man who stands back and observes the world, his snarky, sharp-tongued personality hiding a real concern for others. As a failure, when his family meant him to be a culmination of power, he has fellow-feeling for the misfits, quirky characters, queer folk and loners who gravitate to the Bay Area.
The last thing he wants is a pack of typical, homophobic, biker, werewolf grunts moving into his territory. The Bay Area was without an approved werewolf pack for a reason. But Biff, the Beta sent to his desk, doesn't seem to be homophobic. And as huge as the man is, he's even-tempered and reacts to sarcasm with humor. Against his will, Max begins to believe that, if his Alpha and the rest aren't raging assholes like most werewolves, it might not be a terrible thing, to allow this pack to stay.
This book is both a lot of fun- full of humor, sarcasm and snark, word play and eccentric characters- but also a fast-moving adventure with a good plot, fallible heroes, a slow burn romance, and wonderful, intriguing found family. By the time I reached the end, I'd already bought book two and had it cued up. Despite having the latest KJ Charles drop onto my Kindle. And that's high praise.
(ETA: I'm told that reading the prequel short Marine Biology first helps with the worldbuilding speed. I personally think its lightweight snippet of the Alpha and his mate means more read after this book, but it would get some of the worldbuilding in place.)
Biff, or Bryan as he secretly prefers, is a Beta werewolf in a small pack. Betas are the wolves whose role and function is to soothe, and stabilize, their powerful Alphas. Betas are calm, solid, deliberate oil on troubled waters. A pack with a Beta runs better and is less likely to cause trouble. Which is why Bryan's Alpha sent him to register their pack with the local authorities. A building full of mages and shifters, kitsune and merfolk, bureaucrats and berserkers, is a bad place for a werewolf who isn't cool and collected. Luckily, Bryan is an excellent Beta.
Max is a sumage, a failed mage whose only ability is to act as a power sink. Max can take the full-on blast of magic from some pissed-off user and transform it harmlessly, other than a headache for him, and some odd physical manifestation that soon disappears. He's a man who stands back and observes the world, his snarky, sharp-tongued personality hiding a real concern for others. As a failure, when his family meant him to be a culmination of power, he has fellow-feeling for the misfits, quirky characters, queer folk and loners who gravitate to the Bay Area.
The last thing he wants is a pack of typical, homophobic, biker, werewolf grunts moving into his territory. The Bay Area was without an approved werewolf pack for a reason. But Biff, the Beta sent to his desk, doesn't seem to be homophobic. And as huge as the man is, he's even-tempered and reacts to sarcasm with humor. Against his will, Max begins to believe that, if his Alpha and the rest aren't raging assholes like most werewolves, it might not be a terrible thing, to allow this pack to stay.
This book is both a lot of fun- full of humor, sarcasm and snark, word play and eccentric characters- but also a fast-moving adventure with a good plot, fallible heroes, a slow burn romance, and wonderful, intriguing found family. By the time I reached the end, I'd already bought book two and had it cued up. Despite having the latest KJ Charles drop onto my Kindle. And that's high praise.
(ETA: I'm told that reading the prequel short Marine Biology first helps with the worldbuilding speed. I personally think its lightweight snippet of the Alpha and his mate means more read after this book, but it would get some of the worldbuilding in place.)
July 2, 2022
Reread bc I need good books.
I hadn’t written a review before for this series, and won’t now either, only it’s an amazingly balanced shifter- omegaverse- non mpreg book - series which can read only in order, with great characters, smut and sweetness, good writing and interesting plot ☺️
I hadn’t written a review before for this series, and won’t now either, only it’s an amazingly balanced shifter- omegaverse- non mpreg book - series which can read only in order, with great characters, smut and sweetness, good writing and interesting plot ☺️
August 5, 2017
Dual POV from sumage Max and werewolf Bryan, this is a paranormal romance with a lot of humor, banter, and sex.
Even though this is marketed as a standalone I felt the world building really lacked focus and explanation. I felt dropped inside a paranormal world with little to no explanation of how or why things worked. There are a lot of different types of shifters, magicians and humans, and a thing called quintessence that magical folk can manipulate, but I have to be honest that after ten hours listening I'm still not really sure what it actually is.
I honestly expected to find a far more complex story, but instead got one quite a bit lighter in tone.
I'm not going to lie...this took a few hours to get into and if I hadn't been reviewing it I might have put it down. Kirt Graves kept me going on this one.
Graves is good at providing clear character voices for all of the characters (and there are A LOT), and I was able to easily follow along with who was speaking. The narration is steadily paced and without a lot of over the top emotional inflection or performance.
I really liked that Graves put some extra touches into the audio like the vibration of a cell phone or text alert, which made it feel a little more interactive without being intrusive about it.
It did take me a bit of time to get used to the different audio sound Graves uses to denote the internal dialogue of the characters. There is a lot of internal dialogue. A lot. Which on one hand was good considering Bryan is the strong and silent type so we get a lot of his character development through his internal musings, but on the other hand, was also a lot.
Speaking of character development...the story lacks quite a bit in this area, in my opinion. I kept waiting for more, but it never came, which was really disappointing.
If you're okay with more of a True Mates sexy times kind of story with a lot of humor rather than one that has more complex world building and character development you should definitely check this out.
Audio copy of The Sumage Solution (San Andreas Shifters #1) provided in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
December 9, 2017
Fun, cute, humorous, low-angst.
Here are some of my thoughts in no particular order:
• I would have liked more of a plot about the magic and supernatural world. We get some background about this world that is interesting, yes, but unlike The Parasol Protectorate series which is both plot-driven and character-driven, this book is mainly character-driven. However, there is something amusing and intriguing about seeing “just an ordinary life” of these supernatural creatures.
• Biff is such a sweetheart.
• I love Max’s sarcasm and sassiness. The way he interacts with people, especially people at his workplace, is hilarious.
• I love Biff’s pack. They’re all so supportive and amusing.
• Alex and Marvin. Aw.
• Romance is cheesy, but in a good way. Also, LGBTQ+ representation in abundance here (or at least more than most books).
• Really, it’s such a chill read. I have been reading this for months because I was simply enjoying taking my time reading it.
I genuinely enjoy this. It is fun and I find myself wanting to live in a world like this one. It’s simultaneously so similar and different from our world. I certainly look forward to the next books in the series. 4 stars
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scenes?
What age level would be appropriate?
----------
Just realized the guy on the cover is in the shape of a wolf. Errr duh. *facepalm* This whole time, I have been thinking it was just some random shape around him. LOL.
Anyway, super excited for this book. Can't wait for some cute bantering and laughs.
Here are some of my thoughts in no particular order:
• I would have liked more of a plot about the magic and supernatural world. We get some background about this world that is interesting, yes, but unlike The Parasol Protectorate series which is both plot-driven and character-driven, this book is mainly character-driven. However, there is something amusing and intriguing about seeing “just an ordinary life” of these supernatural creatures.
• Biff is such a sweetheart.
• I love Max’s sarcasm and sassiness. The way he interacts with people, especially people at his workplace, is hilarious.
• I love Biff’s pack. They’re all so supportive and amusing.
• Alex and Marvin. Aw.
• Romance is cheesy, but in a good way. Also, LGBTQ+ representation in abundance here (or at least more than most books).
• Really, it’s such a chill read. I have been reading this for months because I was simply enjoying taking my time reading it.
I genuinely enjoy this. It is fun and I find myself wanting to live in a world like this one. It’s simultaneously so similar and different from our world. I certainly look forward to the next books in the series. 4 stars
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scenes?
What age level would be appropriate?
----------
Just realized the guy on the cover is in the shape of a wolf. Errr duh. *facepalm* This whole time, I have been thinking it was just some random shape around him. LOL.
Anyway, super excited for this book. Can't wait for some cute bantering and laughs.
July 22, 2017
Set in San Francisco, this is a carry on from the novella Marine Biology which was written in 2010. When I read this first book, I was totally smitten. I loved the Parasol Protectorate series from this author and her clever banter between characters and smart female leads. Marine Biology was just as good, but there’s been no continuation of the series for these characters until now.
This new novel picks up pretty seamlessly from Marine Biology. And while it is not completely necessary to read this first book, it does give a little context. Max and Biff, yes Biff, have the most fantastic chemistry, although their romance is a little rocky. The world building is brilliant and detailed as was the magic system and cast of other supernatural beings.
Alongside the romance is a bit of a Scooby mystery that involves Max’s dead father, but central is the romance and the new werewolf pack. I enjoyed this so much, so much so I am ordering in paperback. And, I cannot wait for more. An excellent start to this urban fantasy series.
This new novel picks up pretty seamlessly from Marine Biology. And while it is not completely necessary to read this first book, it does give a little context. Max and Biff, yes Biff, have the most fantastic chemistry, although their romance is a little rocky. The world building is brilliant and detailed as was the magic system and cast of other supernatural beings.
Alongside the romance is a bit of a Scooby mystery that involves Max’s dead father, but central is the romance and the new werewolf pack. I enjoyed this so much, so much so I am ordering in paperback. And, I cannot wait for more. An excellent start to this urban fantasy series.
April 21, 2024
4 stars
Dichotomy between ridiculous snarky banter and big feels.
This is quite different in tone and themes to The 5th Gender by the same author, but had the same result. I laughed, and I cried. Or, at the very least I was teary-eyed at a few moments during this one - the 5th Gender made me ugly cry the first time I read it.
I can definitely see why someone might be put off by the banter, but I enjoyed it for what it was: a persona covering up a bed of insecurities. This was a buddy read and everyone else bounced off this pretty early, it does get more serious as it goes on but I do think if you're not enjoying the snark then this book probably won't be for you.
What got more on my nerves was the poor communication, the (admittedly predictable and heavily foreshadowed) , and Alex (the pack alpha) who drove me mad with his assholery and meddling...but did manage to redeem himself in the end. I also thank Marvin and Manifest Destiny for being The Voice of Reason, a trope I find I quite like actually.
There were way too many characters introduced at once, and I also felt like I'd been dropped in the deep end in terms of the worldbuilding. I understand not wanting to infodump but I was just confused. A glossary would've gone a long way.
All those negative points aside, both characters really endeared themselves to me, and I found this had a lot of really touching and emotional moments. I got completely drawn into the angst. I enjoyed their relationship and thought they made a really solid pair so I was more than willing to believe in their sort of fated bond. I probably will read on in the series, the next book seems intriguing.
Dichotomy between ridiculous snarky banter and big feels.
We, the weird and the sideways folk, have always walked the line of rejection. It’s what makes us visionaries. We who are pushed away, to the edge, can see beyond the borders of reality. We frighten the privileged with our possibilities.
This is quite different in tone and themes to The 5th Gender by the same author, but had the same result. I laughed, and I cried. Or, at the very least I was teary-eyed at a few moments during this one - the 5th Gender made me ugly cry the first time I read it.
I can definitely see why someone might be put off by the banter, but I enjoyed it for what it was: a persona covering up a bed of insecurities. This was a buddy read and everyone else bounced off this pretty early, it does get more serious as it goes on but I do think if you're not enjoying the snark then this book probably won't be for you.
What got more on my nerves was the poor communication, the (admittedly predictable and heavily foreshadowed) , and Alex (the pack alpha) who drove me mad with his assholery and meddling...but did manage to redeem himself in the end. I also thank Marvin and Manifest Destiny for being The Voice of Reason, a trope I find I quite like actually.
There were way too many characters introduced at once, and I also felt like I'd been dropped in the deep end in terms of the worldbuilding. I understand not wanting to infodump but I was just confused. A glossary would've gone a long way.
All those negative points aside, both characters really endeared themselves to me, and I found this had a lot of really touching and emotional moments. I got completely drawn into the angst. I enjoyed their relationship and thought they made a really solid pair so I was more than willing to believe in their sort of fated bond. I probably will read on in the series, the next book seems intriguing.
April 14, 2018
4 Stars
I think I should have read the prequel before picking this one to listen to because for a good portion of the beginning it was taking me too long to understand the vocab, the classifications, the magic.
That said, I still really like it...especially the parts about not living up to what others expect of you, of trying to forge your own path and in doing that so defensively that maybe you miss (or ignore) what you were meant to do or be. Not as in succumbing to fate, but to recognizing what you would be best at, or could provide for the world at large.
This is the first book I've read by GLC and the first audio I've listened to by Kirt Graves. I'll definitely add more from both to the TBR pile. (Although Kirt's attempt at what I'm assuming is supposed to be a Bostonian accent was a little weird. Not enough to turn me off, just odd.)
I think I should have read the prequel before picking this one to listen to because for a good portion of the beginning it was taking me too long to understand the vocab, the classifications, the magic.
That said, I still really like it...especially the parts about not living up to what others expect of you, of trying to forge your own path and in doing that so defensively that maybe you miss (or ignore) what you were meant to do or be. Not as in succumbing to fate, but to recognizing what you would be best at, or could provide for the world at large.
This is the first book I've read by GLC and the first audio I've listened to by Kirt Graves. I'll definitely add more from both to the TBR pile. (Although Kirt's attempt at what I'm assuming is supposed to be a Bostonian accent was a little weird. Not enough to turn me off, just odd.)
August 1, 2017
DNF at 20%.
I just couldn't take a minute more of the totally over-the-top, not funny in the least bit, actually cringe-worthy banter. Incessant chatting, full of sexual innuendos, never a serious moment - this book just made my head hurt.
I just couldn't take a minute more of the totally over-the-top, not funny in the least bit, actually cringe-worthy banter. Incessant chatting, full of sexual innuendos, never a serious moment - this book just made my head hurt.
Want to read
July 6, 2020Price drop to $0.99 at Amazon US, 7/5/20
July 22, 2017
4.5 stars rounded up.
Pff ... is this author skilled with the way to express complex things with beautiful words ? ... Oh yes !
Is she good with wit and characters' banter ? ... definitely .
Can she create a world that is both ours and different ?... spot on
Can she get messages across while telling you about some weird magic beings ? ... certainly
I WANT THE NEXT BOOK IN THIS SERIES ... LIKE RIGHT NOW.
Pff ... is this author skilled with the way to express complex things with beautiful words ? ... Oh yes !
Is she good with wit and characters' banter ? ... definitely .
Can she create a world that is both ours and different ?... spot on
Can she get messages across while telling you about some weird magic beings ? ... certainly
I WANT THE NEXT BOOK IN THIS SERIES ... LIKE RIGHT NOW.
Read
February 18, 2022DNF @50%
Major info dump in the first couple of chapters.
I can't connect with either MC.
Major info dump in the first couple of chapters.
I can't connect with either MC.
Want to read
July 5, 20207/5/20 Currently on sale for 99c via most US retailers: https://gailcarriger.com/books/sas/
*Sale ends Tuesday July 7
*Sale ends Tuesday July 7
July 30, 2017
Historia de amor en el marco de un mundo lleno de distintos tipos de shifters, magos y humanos. Cuando empecé la lectura esperaba encontrarme con una historia intensa y compleja, pero la realidad es que tiene un tono ligero y bastante humor. Me han gustado los personajes principales, y los secundarios, pero no me ha enamorado lo que cuentan. Lo he encontrado a tramos muy simple, y a tramos muy complicado, pero lo más molesto de todo es que hay muchísima información del mundo en el que viven que se da por entendido que el lector conoce, no sé si es el mismo mundo en que se desarrollan otras series de la autora. El pasarte casi el libro entero sin estar seguro de lo que lees y pensando que te falta información no favorece mucho la experiencia.
Está bien, pero nada más.
Está bien, pero nada más.
October 27, 2020
4.5 Stars!
July 18, 2017
Max has been, and always would have been, a disappointment to his family–his father, in particular. Being gay was one thing, but being gay and turning out to be failure at all things magic, well that was clearly so far over the line that he probably should be drowning in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. But Max can’t change the latter, and has desire to change the former, so he’s learned to accept that he will never live up to his father’s demanding–and at times, painful–expectations. Which really should be easier to do since the man has been dead for over a decade. Instead Max tries to bury himself in a menial job at DURPS (a kind of DMV for supernatural creatures), and try to rid himself of the voice in his head that sounds an awful lot like his (non-)dearly departed father.
Bryan, beta to his brother’s Alpha, has moved with their small pack from the East Coast to avoid their old pack and their rather old-fashioned views on homosexuality and self-determination (i.e. beating the “gay” away). But in order to settle in the area they need to be registered, so Bryan offers (is forced) to spend the day waiting in line and dying of boredom. For the the sake of the pack. He’s a giver like that. Really…that is kind what the whole beta thing is all about. That doesn’t make death-by-bureaucracy any more pleasant. Though after catching an eye-full of Max–the man assigned to review the pack’s case–he is a bit less put-upon, and a whole lot more smitten.
But no one knows that Bryan is gay…and everyone knows that Max has enough daddy-issues to fill a house. Which doesn’t sound all that insurmountable. Especially when Bryan wears a shirt so tight Max wants to lick it off him.
I am a huge fan of this author’s other works. Some worked for me better than others, but I have always found them to be well written with a unique voice and an astounding ability to draw me into the story with only a few pages. I was ridiculously excited when I heard this book was going to exist. Typically this author writes m/f stories but I have always felt, from some sup-plots and characters in those stories, that she would be more than capable of pulling off the switch over into gay romance genre. Characters come alive under her pen (or, more likely, keyboard), and you can really tell here that she wasn’t just recreating stereotypes, slapping a cover on it, and calling it finished. I have always felt she has treated her LGBT characters with respect and intention in her other works, and it is all the more obvious here.
I especially loved this part of the conversation between Bryan (aka Biff) and Manifest Destiny–a secondary character, who doesn’t actually feature heavily in this book, but who ended up being one of my favorites.
There is just something about that last sentence that really spoke to me. This character could have so easily been just a comedic side-character. Heaven knows I’ve read dozen of books where the Drag Queen is just that. But here…let’s just say I don’t often find characters like this written with such intention and understanding. And Mana wasn’t even in the book that often. The author could have so easily gone the easy route here, but that she didn’t means all the more to me.
And if that is how the author treats her secondary characters, you can be damn sure that her protagonists are wonderfully written. They have layers and flaws–some not so obvious on first or second inspection–and grow throughout the book in the way all good characters should. Max is snarky–but also is afraid to put himself out there in fear of rejection–and Bryan is strong–but that comes from carrying the weight of his need to care for those he loves. Reading this book was never a chore because each new chapter brought to light a new facet of their personalities. The give and take, the rise and fall, of their relationship was understandable and sympathetic. Though I will admit to wanting to shake Max a bit at the end there. Yet I never once thought either of them acted out of character–just maybe acting on the less stellar parts of that character.
If there is one flaw in this book, it is the world building. Sorta. See, I really love the world in this story. Especially as you get to know it more as the story progresses. It is interesting and sucked me in with each new revelation. However…this book comes at you fast and hard with terms and designations of the various beings and magic (referred to as quintessence in this world) users. If you are not paying close attention it can be a bit easy to get lost from time to time. It gets easier as the story progresses and the bones of the world become more obvious, but there were times when I was having to pause reading and try to remember just what a certain character or designation could do. It occasionally made the story a bit start-and-stop. I will say though that I believe this is one of those books that is far better on the second read, than on the first, because I came out the of the end of the book having a firmer grasp on this world. I’m curious to go back and see what I might have missed on this first read-through.
This story ended up being a real pleasure to read. There were a few things I think could have been tightened up a little, but to be honest? when all the cards are all down, I had fun reading it and that is enough for me. I am now truly curious to see where this series goes. There were some really great twists that happen at the end of this book, and be it another story from this couple’s povs, or maybe from other pack members, I have a feeling this is going to be a series you won’t want to miss.
4.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
Bryan, beta to his brother’s Alpha, has moved with their small pack from the East Coast to avoid their old pack and their rather old-fashioned views on homosexuality and self-determination (i.e. beating the “gay” away). But in order to settle in the area they need to be registered, so Bryan offers (is forced) to spend the day waiting in line and dying of boredom. For the the sake of the pack. He’s a giver like that. Really…that is kind what the whole beta thing is all about. That doesn’t make death-by-bureaucracy any more pleasant. Though after catching an eye-full of Max–the man assigned to review the pack’s case–he is a bit less put-upon, and a whole lot more smitten.
But no one knows that Bryan is gay…and everyone knows that Max has enough daddy-issues to fill a house. Which doesn’t sound all that insurmountable. Especially when Bryan wears a shirt so tight Max wants to lick it off him.
I am a huge fan of this author’s other works. Some worked for me better than others, but I have always found them to be well written with a unique voice and an astounding ability to draw me into the story with only a few pages. I was ridiculously excited when I heard this book was going to exist. Typically this author writes m/f stories but I have always felt, from some sup-plots and characters in those stories, that she would be more than capable of pulling off the switch over into gay romance genre. Characters come alive under her pen (or, more likely, keyboard), and you can really tell here that she wasn’t just recreating stereotypes, slapping a cover on it, and calling it finished. I have always felt she has treated her LGBT characters with respect and intention in her other works, and it is all the more obvious here.
I especially loved this part of the conversation between Bryan (aka Biff) and Manifest Destiny–a secondary character, who doesn’t actually feature heavily in this book, but who ended up being one of my favorites.
“Do you prefer to be thought of as female or male?”
“It has to be one or the other?”
Biff shrugged.
“The young ones have all sorts of pronouns these days. Nonbinary and flexible. One of those might work.”
Biff narrowed his eyes. “But you seem female. You smell female.”
Mana smiled, a full genuine smile. “Yes. Only with a cock. She is fine.”
“Okay.” If Mana didn’t mind, he’d stick with what his brain and nose told him.
Quiet descended and they puttered about the kitchen together in companionable silence. Mana seemed to be dampening her nature somehow, not so abrasive and commanding. Or perhaps that was coming from him, part of this numbness. Either way, Biff didn’t feel the need to get out of her way, avoid her direct notice. It gave him the ability to pry.
“Would you change, if you could?” Biff asked, curiosity breaking his lethargy.
“There is no answer to that. I self-heal, just like you. So, there is only acceptance and the courage in it. I suppose I should be transgender, under modern parlance. But I like drag queen. It suits me. I like the fabric roughness of drag, and the royalty of queen. It’s a nice change to have the luxury of choosing one’s own semantics, if not one’s own situation.”
There is just something about that last sentence that really spoke to me. This character could have so easily been just a comedic side-character. Heaven knows I’ve read dozen of books where the Drag Queen is just that. But here…let’s just say I don’t often find characters like this written with such intention and understanding. And Mana wasn’t even in the book that often. The author could have so easily gone the easy route here, but that she didn’t means all the more to me.
And if that is how the author treats her secondary characters, you can be damn sure that her protagonists are wonderfully written. They have layers and flaws–some not so obvious on first or second inspection–and grow throughout the book in the way all good characters should. Max is snarky–but also is afraid to put himself out there in fear of rejection–and Bryan is strong–but that comes from carrying the weight of his need to care for those he loves. Reading this book was never a chore because each new chapter brought to light a new facet of their personalities. The give and take, the rise and fall, of their relationship was understandable and sympathetic. Though I will admit to wanting to shake Max a bit at the end there. Yet I never once thought either of them acted out of character–just maybe acting on the less stellar parts of that character.
If there is one flaw in this book, it is the world building. Sorta. See, I really love the world in this story. Especially as you get to know it more as the story progresses. It is interesting and sucked me in with each new revelation. However…this book comes at you fast and hard with terms and designations of the various beings and magic (referred to as quintessence in this world) users. If you are not paying close attention it can be a bit easy to get lost from time to time. It gets easier as the story progresses and the bones of the world become more obvious, but there were times when I was having to pause reading and try to remember just what a certain character or designation could do. It occasionally made the story a bit start-and-stop. I will say though that I believe this is one of those books that is far better on the second read, than on the first, because I came out the of the end of the book having a firmer grasp on this world. I’m curious to go back and see what I might have missed on this first read-through.
This story ended up being a real pleasure to read. There were a few things I think could have been tightened up a little, but to be honest? when all the cards are all down, I had fun reading it and that is enough for me. I am now truly curious to see where this series goes. There were some really great twists that happen at the end of this book, and be it another story from this couple’s povs, or maybe from other pack members, I have a feeling this is going to be a series you won’t want to miss.
4.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
July 10, 2017
This was an incredibly enjoyable read. It is certainly more on the romance side than the paranormal, so the plot is really mostly focused on the character development, romance, and steamy scenes, rather than action or mystery or anything like that. There is a list subplot and plenty of foreshadowing, but I wouldn't be surprised if that part of the world slowly emerges over several novels as the rest of the Pack attaches up. I guess we'll see! I sure hope we do get more in this series!
So, I've read more romances lately because of this project I'm working on. Prior to the project I had disliked the few I'd read. I just didn't get it. There are still plenty that don't work for me, but I've learned that some have top notch writing (such as this one) and excellent character development (such as this one). This is definitely one I will recommend to others. It's a 4.5 star, really. The only thing that brings it down for me is that I never truly got a sense of what all the different mage types did. I saw that there is a prior story, so maybe it's explained better there. But as a book one (as it says on the cover), I'd have liked more explanation or even just a glossary.
That said, if you want to read a sweet, but if emotionally-jagged romance whose characters feel real (more real than of non-supernatural romance protagonists that I've read), this is a great bet for you.
Oh! Also, I loved the hints that this ties into Carriger's earlier series!
So, I've read more romances lately because of this project I'm working on. Prior to the project I had disliked the few I'd read. I just didn't get it. There are still plenty that don't work for me, but I've learned that some have top notch writing (such as this one) and excellent character development (such as this one). This is definitely one I will recommend to others. It's a 4.5 star, really. The only thing that brings it down for me is that I never truly got a sense of what all the different mage types did. I saw that there is a prior story, so maybe it's explained better there. But as a book one (as it says on the cover), I'd have liked more explanation or even just a glossary.
That said, if you want to read a sweet, but if emotionally-jagged romance whose characters feel real (more real than of non-supernatural romance protagonists that I've read), this is a great bet for you.
Oh! Also, I loved the hints that this ties into Carriger's earlier series!
January 15, 2022
Insta love took away all the feels 🙁
Read
August 25, 2023DNF @ 55%
August 28, 2024
This is M/M romance erotica and as such is a lot of fun! Sometimes I wanted more explanation for the fantasy world and also it was fine as it was — so I went both ways on that. Ha! It’s always hard with werewolves and whatnot — what are the rules in this particular universe?
At the heart of this story is a merman / werewolf romance. They move, with the wolfpack, to San Francisco to make the whole thing workable. Or at least that is the plan. Who knew there would be complications?
There is another short piece in this series, which shows how these two guys (creatures?) found each other and became bonded (Marine Biology, listed as #0.5).
Many plot points were completely predictable but I won’t stoop to spoilers. However, on the topic of spoilers, Carriger’s penchant for old school chapter summaries often were plot spoilers themselves. The author’s fetish for puns, lavishly featured in these chapter summaries, overrode the need to let readers discover the plot as it unfolds. I had to remember not to read the silly chapter spoilers.
The author claims to have enjoyed writing this tasty M/M tale, and her enthusiasm shows!
At the heart of this story is a merman / werewolf romance. They move, with the wolfpack, to San Francisco to make the whole thing workable. Or at least that is the plan. Who knew there would be complications?
There is another short piece in this series, which shows how these two guys (creatures?) found each other and became bonded (Marine Biology, listed as #0.5).
Many plot points were completely predictable but I won’t stoop to spoilers. However, on the topic of spoilers, Carriger’s penchant for old school chapter summaries often were plot spoilers themselves. The author’s fetish for puns, lavishly featured in these chapter summaries, overrode the need to let readers discover the plot as it unfolds. I had to remember not to read the silly chapter spoilers.
The author claims to have enjoyed writing this tasty M/M tale, and her enthusiasm shows!
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