A Tale of Two Horns

Corent City Tales #1

by Hannah Walker

Being one of the rarest shifters that exist, Charlie tends to hide his unicorn from the world, choosing to surround himself with what he loves — books. Owning one of the best bookstores in the area, he dedicates his life to his passion, and to spending time with family and friends.

Knox Vaughn is a hero, a larger than life Siberian tiger shifter who has earned the respect of everyone in the paranormal world. Few know the real man, the one who fights for his family and friends and hides who he really is inside.

When a simple mistake thrusts Knox into Charlie's bookstore, he finds himself smitten with the young unicorn. Two lives couldn't be more different on the outside, but Knox has a secret, one he's never shared with anyone other than his family. One that proves he's not so different from Charlie after all.

Unable to ignore the chemistry between them, Charlie and Knox grow closer, but as they do, trouble descends on the small paranormal community, threatening to keep them apart. The two must come together, trusting in what they feel so they can overcome the threats to their union.

When secrets are revealed and truths admitted, bonds form that won't ever be broken. Still, when it comes to tigers and unicorns, it might not be enough to save them.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Romance, Magic, Paranormal Romance

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2017

Reviews

[Barbara➰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was sweet and VERY low angst. Not much really happens but it's a cute read. It just needed a bit more. Loved that it was a unicorn shifter though.

[Gabi]

Dnf @49%

I had to give this up. It wasn't all bad though.It was a bit predictable, and so sugary it melted into caramel. That would have been fine, sometimes I crave a simple storyline and coma-inducing sweetness, however the relationship progress was too fast, almost like they're mates? And maybe they are, I just didn't wait enough to find out.

The worldbuilding left something to be desired. Let's just leave it at that. The characters are well fleshed out. I'm most curious about Matt, who to me is a little flamboyant, and something bad happening with his magic.

There was one scene I really enjoyed. The two MCs went for a run in their shifted form and I liked that playful side of them.

[Bo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and I have no regrets. However, I did feel like it was missing aspects. I felt like the shifter aspect was not fleshed out. It seemed to have very little to do with the overall story. It was a slow burn story for sure, but sometimes inconsistent regarding that too. The MCS would take it slow, and then internal monologues of falling in love would take over. It was really sweet, sometimes too sweet. I wanted something to happen. Every single person in this story was SO nice, I needed a contrast. However, there is funny banter with families in this. Matt, who is the unicorn's best friend is funny and sweet. There is a paranormal military unit that goes on these missions, but we never really see what happened. I felt that was a definite missed opportunity. The action and excitement of a fight scene could've really taken this story to the next level. Also, I finally got some action at the end, but it was very anticlimactic. It's pretty much one scene, and then it's resolved too quickly. I would definitely keep reading this series, and I hope the world building is more fleshed out in the continuation of the series. I hope we get Matt's story next. Anybody who doesn't like sweet, and is looking for a gritty read wouldn't enjoy this story.

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this shifter tale with a difference. It had a lightness to it even though there was an element of threat which manifested itself towards the end of the story.

Charlie and Knox made a great pairing, the contrast between the power of a Siberian Tiger and the delicate unicorn with its sense of joy brought a cool dynamic.

There wasn't a huge amount of story outside of the romance, but there was some good world building and I loved the atmosphere of the little square where Charlie's bookshop was located.

I believe this is the first of a new series so I'm looking forward to finding out more about the setting and the threat from the feral shifters which caused the tensions later in the narrative.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so fluffy and filled with rainbows! That was what happened when you have a unicorn shifter in it. Despite that Knox was an alpha Siberian tiger shifter, i didn't feel that he was that alphaish. The first half of the book felt a bit draggy but the fluffness will make you go aww and all smiles. The second part of the book was with a bit more action which I enjoyed.

I feel that there are more back stories to the characters. So off to the second book i go!

[llv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 stars
A friend recommended that I read this book and since it was on the KU program, I quickly started reading it. Hannah Walker is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. I really loved this story of the tiger and unicorn shifter. Both MCs were wonderful. Knox was the type of alpha character that I just love. There’s no doubt that he is an alpha, but he is not obnoxious with it and very loving to his friends and family. I loved Charlie and his love for books. The way he loved the smell of the books as he walked into his bookstore. I really could relate.

The story itself was good. It was sweet without being too sappy. Loved Charlie’s nieces and nephews. Loved his friend Matt and all of Knox’s family. I cannot wait to read more in this series. I really want to know what is going on with Matt so I hope we get his story next. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a sweet shifter romance story.

[Kim Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

New to me author. This is a mm paranormal story that I enjoyed very much. Rare unicorn shifter Charlie and tiger shifter Knox are beautiful together. I’ll read more from this author and series.

[Tigress62 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I whole-heartedly agree with AlitaConejita's review! Looking at the glowing praise of other readers (more than 4 stars in overall rating!), I thought I was the odd one out, the only one who considers this book to be extremely boring and a complete waste of (scarce) reading time. I am delighted, therefore, to learn that somebody else feels the same way ...

I almost dumped the book halfway through, but powered on because I was still desperately hoping for something to happen to save the story. But when something finally DID happen, it was over in a flash (= after just a few pages) without the reader getting to know what exactly happened (question: how did they find him???). Besides, the book was PACKED to the brim with too much detail, whole chapters of unnecessary conversation, and heaps of info-dropping, while showing no development whatsoever in either character or their relationship. I also very much disliked the fact that the shifter background was a mere ornament with very little to no importance.

Besides, some things did not add up for me: Charlie is the rarest of shifters; he is hiding his beast and is unable to roam through the woods because of hunters potentially being after him; most people (= other paranormals) have never seen the like of him - but his whole family (his late parents, his sister, his brother in law, their children) are the same kind of shifter, which - at least for his brother in law - seems to be an open secret ... So please enlighten me: what's secret and rare about that???? Besides, why are the others (especially Lane) not faced with the need to run around in their beast form like Charlie does? And why are they not in danger???

Charlie is a successful shopowner, but gets treated like a rather careless and simple-minded adolescent child by almost everybody around him (a fact that Knox mentions towards the end!). But Charlie truly plays the part and DOES seem to need watching over!!!!! Knox, on the other hand, is a badass Siberian Tiger (as are his brothers and sister!), ex special forces, and he is supposed to be a clever guy, but to me he is a horny dumbass who does not do much apart from roaring and striking poses. A cute pussycat would have been nice, but this??? Nope, that was not it!!! On the sunny side: I noticed very few typos.

[AlitaConejita · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started of well, but it got boring about midway in. I won't go into details but there is something wrong when the same amount of page space is take to describe a sex scene than to describe putting on clothes after the sex scene. Pages and pages of unnecessary conversation. I got the point: Matt & Charlie are good friends ... The Vaughn siblings have a loving relationship and tease each other - I don't need so much dialogue to cement that. Added to that, the insta-love/lust between the MCs is particularly annoying when so much text is spent on dialogue of the pair talking about their love and so little text is dedicated to actually showing the development of the relationship. Don't say it, show it.

Overall, it just seemed like the author spent too much text on insignificant details (like putting pants on one leg at a time) and tool little text on the main development of the story and the interpersonal relationship of the character.

[Treessing · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am so incredibly appalled by this book. A Tale of Two Horns was a book I got off Amazon for free, so I'm not exactly surprised that I did NOT LIKE IT AT ALL. However, the amount of BAD it was is astounding! It took me three days to finish, not bad considering I've read worse for weeks. Unfortunately there was only ONE good thing about this book, and it only took place in two pages 50% through and it was this: When our two main characters were shifting into their animal forms to run together. Simply because there was no dialogue. I don't believe this author is particularly good at dialogue at all, since it's too cliche, the monologues are stretched beyond long and at times I skimmed paragraphs because some of the scenes felt extra.

A Tale of Two Horns, which I realized was written by a woman who enjoys writing MLM books from what I've seen, shouldn't really be allowed to. I prayed that she wouldn't write sex scenes, and it took a while to het to them so I was hopeful... but alas.. there were two of them. And they were just... atrocious.

Nonetheless I finished it. And I can't help but let you guys know I was shaking my head, sighing, yelling, shaking my hands and trying not to evaporate in front of my boyfriend while I tried to read this. It's written like a F/M military contemporary, only the author decided to switch the MC to a boy and make it gay. I can't believe it! All you have to do is switch the pronouns and it could honestly just be a self insert.

The characters were bland, the dynamics weren't good, and the whole entire plot happened in the first 15% of the book! And the rest? Random drama! Unnecessary events! So much happened but it felt incredibly ridiculous! The romance was incredibly insta love! They met one day, courted the next day and over just one week they decided they were in love and gooey all around each other! Unrealistic! Horrible! Their relationship had no base. It was all romcom, even more quickly fabricated than three hundred romcoms combined. It basically took every bad cliche, every bad scene from any romance book and just put it together and made it an entire plot!

It was just bad!

I don't recommend this book. I won't pick up another book by this author. By the Good Gods... No one should ever read this. And I realize this is harsh but not only is it harmful to gay men for woman to see scenes of sexual intimacies portrayed like that... but a romance too?

It's not good folks. Find something else to read.

AND PLEASE STOP SUPPORTING WOMEN WRITING MLM

[Becky Condit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m always excited when I find a new book to enjoy, especially when it is the first in a new series, and such is A Tale of Two Horns, by Hannah Walker. This is a paranormal story, set in Utah. There is a mixture of magical beings and shifters, and many characters are added in this first book. Corent City is inhabited by these beings and while their lives in some ways mirror those of non-magical beings (they live in cities, shop in stores, read books, etc.) their problems and solutions to them are unique. There are a variety of bad guys in the book, including hunters, who track unicorn shifters because their magic is special. There are also organized good guys, including a group of SEAL-like military shifters who are members of the Paranormal Assault Force.
Charlie is a very rare shifter, a unicorn. He and his sister own a bookstore and he is an avid reader, especially books written by a certain author. As the book begins he’s more than eager to get his hands on the next book in the series being written by Callum Davidson. He decides to have an event at his bookstore that will involve other readers in exciting ways, hoping this will allow him to finally meet his favorite author. Surprisingly, the author agrees to attend, and his real identity is a shocker. Charlie keeps his unicorn hidden because they are highly prized by the hunters.
Knox Vaughn is a hero in the paranormal world. He’s a Siberian tiger shifter and (I won’t spoil the story here) someone important to Charlie. A number of people are injured throughout the book, including Knox and Charlie. Note that there are normal tattoos as well as magical tattoos, and the magical ones come with consequences.
Healings, rescues, protection of families, and loving relationships abound in the book. It’s thrilling from page one to the end. And, knowing there will be more books set in this paranormal world I can’t recommend this first in the series enough.

[Achim · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a long, long time it's a charming small town guy meets guy tale just the paranormal version, sweet, idyllic and let's face it: stereotypic. Nothing much happens and the reader can enjoy quirky fanboy-ing, bantering siblings, gentlemanly courting, funny magical inventions and weird but supporting neighbors.

If you look a bit more closely that image shows some cracks because firstly it can't be a small town if there are only 3 of them in the US and which small town has 5 bookstores? Secondly not everything can be sunshine and rainbows when there are armed forces doing dangerous jobs protecting the paranormal society from ferals and hunters while there is some sort of magical border preventing humans from discovering those cities.

The glue the author selects to make those diverging pieces fit together is some light version of a certain 50's feeling where men fight for their people and protect what they love and woman care about their family and have to be protected regardless how tough they are and of course the government always acts in the best interest of its people although we never see how that world is governed.

In the last part we get a bit of adventure when a stupid decision leads to a nearly life-threatening situation, so it's not only sweet and funny but it's still somehow like watching certain Doris Day movies out of todays perspective – still fun and entertaining but in the end there is a lingering aftertaste which makes me uneasy.

[Mercedes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not going to lie, this was corny AF. Plus it had some typos but some OK Characters. I would skim my way thru the second book. That’s supposed to be a compliment btw.

[Denise White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ummmm

Ok I like this author... I like all her other series... But this one I was disappointed with this 1st book... It was boring no action and when it was it fell flat...why talk about this paranormal special forces thing but not show not 1 mission... Then I didn't understand how Charlie is so special because he's a unicorn but so is Lance and he is in PAF it was confusing and didn't make since... Why are the Vaughn brothers so special .. Nothing was exp!and in this book ..I'm not saying I won't read the other books but I'm in no hurry

[Chancey "Does not give out 5's like candy" Knowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating =
2.5 Stars rounded up top 3 Stars

Blurb = (Scale 1-5)
3

My Genre Scale = (Scale 1-5)
5

Odds if not your genre = (Scale 1-5)
3

Development of: = (Scale 1-5)
*World = 4
*Plot = 3
*Characters (scratch below the surface?) = 4.5

What stood out =
The cast box

Mood Type / Appeal to those looking for =
Very relationship centric with little action until after 90%.

Warnings =
None

Series Notes = 1st of 3

*Reading on? Not sure. I liked but had trouble staying engaged.

*Reading back to back? N/A

*Can be easily read without the previous? N/A

Rating Notes = (SubPlots & HEA)
Definitely a HEA. I expected a little more action with it having shifters and Knox"s family essentially being shifter law enforcement. I loved them together but basically nothing was going on in the story. Everything felt a little quick and a little too easy. It was rich in details, and I loved some aspects of the Unicorn.

**************

Below are my explanations or thoughts on reviewing!

***************

1.Obviously no one review can take into account all the various personal pet peeves of readers. But, I do try to take into account the common ones often bemoaned by other reviewers

2. If used in this review, the term Brain candy is not necessarily negative. It has its uses and at times it is my preference when I just want to pass some time; so it does not carry a negative connotation for me - unless I'm expecting the next great novel. (What falls under brain candy? The book is meant for pure entertainment to pass time. It may be formulaic, from an author published quickly like monthly, things escalate fast, and are often solved easily etc.. Publishing industries version of pop music. Beach type reads etc... ).

3. Blurb rating purpose:

Like many readers, I do not like to think I'm reading one kind of story; just to end up with another type. But...I also don't think a book should be docked stars for being as stated. If I don't like stories about "_________", and I choose to read one. I shouldn't give it 2 stars based JUST on my preferences. Unless... it wasn't clear in the blurb.

4. Other Factors that effect my perspective when reviewing:

Since 2009, I have exclusively read m/m. My 1st was in 2007. I am a Kindle diehard, and I never do audio for m/m. I read at least 100+ books a year - with an average length of 220± pages; but the total number of books is usually much higher. My Goodreads lifetime rating (at the start of 2020) was a 3.72 average for 1390 books. Which considering, you should be better at picking out books the more you read, I feel is a accurate average. I have over 700 reviews within the m/m genre here on Goodreads.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more of a 3.5 for me but bumped it up. I'll admit that shifter romances are definitely not my jam. Don't quite understand the whole shifting thing, when it's done, when it's not done. That said, I did enjoy this strange little book. I did find, though, that Charlie and Knox moved just a little too fast into the "you're my mate" mode but perhaps my limited knowledge of shifter-dom caused me to think in terms of human romance. I did really enjoy the multiple creatures - the vamps, faes, other shifters. I was also very confused by the way in which Knox and Charlie referred to their shifter selves - Knox, a Siberian tiger uses the term "my tiger" to refer to his shifter form and Charles, similarly, uses "my beast" to refer to his unicorn. Aren't they one and the same. A minor quibble but that threw me right out of the story every time I read it. I also didn't quite get the "box" thing with Knox but that could just be my ignorance at all things shifter. At any rate, lots of action with the PAF fighting ferals, the mysterious disease plaguing Matt, Charlie's best friend and the adorable unicorn babies. The romance between Charlie and Knox did slow down and I recognize that the characters do say that they moved quickly into considering each other as mates. Lovely smexy. Knox' brothers and sister are hysterical and enjoyed their banter. I enjoyed it enough to buy the second in the series. Do want to find out the deal with Matt....

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. A unicorn & tiger shifter, how cool is that?

The story is based in Utah, in a paranormal community hidden from the mortal world. The world building, the laws that govern it, and the amazing creatures we meet in this world are truly magical. The way this community comes together is just wow.

Charlie is a unicorn shifter and Knox is a siberian tiger shifter. They accidentally met outside of the bookstore Charlie owns with his sister and from there their relationship blossoms. Although they are mates, they take their time to get to know one another to make sure their mating is one they truly want. There is an amazing cast of quirky characters, meddling siblings, and people who genuinely care about each other.

One of the main parts of this story is the PAF, essentially, the para army...as an active duty Army spouse, I can say that the author definitely catches the fear, pride, and strength of someone who is the spouse of someone tasked to go on dangerous missions.

Love this book, can't wait to read more!

[Carolyn Elias · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world of Charlie and Knox, so sweet and so hot...

I, like Charlie, love to read and lose myself in another world and Hannah Walker is an incredible author who makes it easy. Charlie is a rare unicorn shifter who must always fear the hunters so he makes another world inside his bookshop where he can travel and explore everything he can’t in the real world. Although mild mannered he will defend his family and friends with all that he can.

Knox is a Siberian tiger shifter who belongs to the PAF and defends his family and all paranormals with everything he has but he has a secret, one that makes him more like Charlie. This is a wonderful world to explore and I love all the characters except for the bad guys of course. Come join us in an exciting new world that Hannah Walker has created, you won’t regret it!

[Pamela Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a unicorn shifter named Charlie and the river shifter that he falls in love with

I'm not gonna lie the cover didn't impress me much it was to cartoonist so I thought that this was gonna be that type off book . But when I started reading this lovely book I couldn't stop literally Charlie's character was so vivid and so relatible that I became completely drawn in . Such a beautiful story full of love and laughter . This book was one of the most romantic books that I have ever read I laughed so much reading this the romance had me like so darn jealous of a fictional character Lol

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet story

A Tale of Two Horns is the first book in a paranormal series by Hannah Walker. This book deals with Charlie and Knox, a unicorn and tiger. Charlie owns a bookstore with his sister Evie. His best friend Max is a wizard. Knox is an Alpha and former member of the PAF, think shifter special forces, who retires to raise his brothers and sister. A chance encounter sets the book in motion. The book has a little bit of everything from action to humour with lots of romance in between.

[Virginia Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful twist of shifter couple that you would always overlook. Charlie is all about supporting his family and friends. This story was a wonderful about two different shifters that come together with common love. The characters with all crazy attitudes will just draw you more into the story. PAF was a wonderful addition to the story and showing how all within the military support the families. Hope to see more books in this series. Would love to see if Matt gets his happy ending. This is a must-read book today by a wonderful author that draws you into her story

[Nicole Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to a new series!

What can I say other than this book is another fantastic read from Hannah Walker! The worlds that she creates in her books are amazing and Corent City is another great paranormal one!
I fell in love with Charlie and Knox from the beginning. They are adorable together.
The other characters in this book are also amazing! I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

[tammy rufo · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is not your typical shifter/magic story, and i love that! Charlie was such a sweet character, such a good friend and brother, i just adore him. Knox with his sexy alphaness and dimples really did it for me. He is the perfect alpha partner, strong, loving and supportive, without being too bossy. I've been a fan of Hannah Walkers for a while and would def recommend anything she wrote, even if it was a grocery list! lol

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much!

Loved this so much. Charlie and Knox were unbearably cute together. The plot was mostly simple without a whole lot of angst but it was very satisfying. There wasn't really a resolution to Alice and evie's issues and that was a bit annoying. The world building was interesting and the side characters were intriguing enough that I want to continue the series to see if any more of them get an hea.

[Kit (kit.reads.romance) · Rating 4 out of 5]

On reflection this was a 3.5 so I'm rounding my score up to 4/5!

There was a KOALA shifter. I love that in this universe you get shifters of any animal!

Overall this was a great light read and I enjoyed it. It wasn't groundbreaking but it was sweet and there was obvious chemistry between the two MCs. The set up of an author and a bookstore owner was also very cute.

I did want a little more from the book, but I'm going to read the next in the series because I really liked the world. The writing was easy to enjoy and kept me engaged so overall this was great for a day where I just wanted something easygoing.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Unicorns and Tigers!

Two of my favorite and the most majestic of beasts in my humble opinion. I absolutely loved these guys and the story that unfolded. I love that Knox is such an alpha but also so sweet and I love all his brothers! I am so hoping there will be another book!

[Megan]

DNF 20% I wasn’t getting pulled in, but it was fine and then Knox said “If you don’t tell me otherwise, I’m going to think your silence is giving me permission to kiss you.” And I was done. I’ve seen this in other books and it just creeps me out every time. No rating because I didn’t get far enough, imo.

[Geri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a mm shifter story and this one had unicorns....unicorns!! Really enjoyed the premise of the book, wasn't exactly a mystery as to who the author was. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Kygal622 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believe Them!

This book is wonderful, so when you read the reviews, believe them and buy this book. It was wonderful learning about this new world! Nobody builds characters and worlds better than this author! Can’t wait for the next book.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved

Like all of Hannah's books......I love Charlie & Knox and the amazing new world that Hannah created. An amazing read that transports me to a happy place while I'm reading. I look forward for more from Corent!!