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The Stolen Luck
How far will a good man go to save his home and loved ones?
Lord James Dupree must recover his family's stolen Luck, the elven talisman that has protected the Dupree lands for generations. Without the talisman, the Dupree vineyards are failing and creditors are closing in. The Luck is his only hope of saving his home and his family from poverty and ruin.
Despite his abhorrence of slavery, James wins an elven slave in a game of cards. The slave, Loren, provides the only chance to enter the Lands Between and recover the stolen Luck. Despite James's assurances and best intentions, Loren does not trust his new master and James finds it all too easy to slip into the role of slave master when Loren defies him.
As the two work together through hardship and danger, James finds himself falling in love with Loren. And when a hidden enemy moves against them, he must choose between his responsibility to his family and his own soul.
Word Count: ~78,000
Lord James Dupree must recover his family's stolen Luck, the elven talisman that has protected the Dupree lands for generations. Without the talisman, the Dupree vineyards are failing and creditors are closing in. The Luck is his only hope of saving his home and his family from poverty and ruin.
Despite his abhorrence of slavery, James wins an elven slave in a game of cards. The slave, Loren, provides the only chance to enter the Lands Between and recover the stolen Luck. Despite James's assurances and best intentions, Loren does not trust his new master and James finds it all too easy to slip into the role of slave master when Loren defies him.
As the two work together through hardship and danger, James finds himself falling in love with Loren. And when a hidden enemy moves against them, he must choose between his responsibility to his family and his own soul.
Word Count: ~78,000
Audible Audio
First published May 6, 2013
3 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Shawna Reppert
25 books61 followersFrom earliest childhood, Shawna Reppert has had a passion for stories-- for reading them and for writing them. She obtained a BA in English with a Writing Option from Penn State University and has participated in numerous writing workshops and seminars given by the likes of Charles de Lint, David Farland and Elizabeth Lyon. Two of her stories have won honorable mentions from Writers of the Future. Previous short stories sold to 10 Flash Quarterly and to Everyday Fiction can be read for free at their websites. Several 'indie' short stories are available for sale at Amazon, and her story 'The Beast Within' will appear in the second Gears and Levers anthology, edited by Phyllis Irene Radford. Her first novel is due out as a Carina Press e-book in the summer of 2013.
In college, Shawna volunteered at a raptor rehabilitation center, which became valuable background for her short story The Sword and the Kestrel. Shawna has always had an affinity for wolves, and used to keep a wolf-dog hybrid as a pet. Her current four-footed children are a Lipizzan stallion and an orange-and-black cat named Samhain. She enjoys Irish social dancing and is an ardent supporter of live Irish music. Shawna also likes to play with the Society for Creative Anachronism and can sometimes be found in medieval garb on a caparisoned horse, throwing javelins into innocent hay bales that never did anything to her.
A Pennsylvania native, she currently lives in the beautiful wine county of Oregon.
In college, Shawna volunteered at a raptor rehabilitation center, which became valuable background for her short story The Sword and the Kestrel. Shawna has always had an affinity for wolves, and used to keep a wolf-dog hybrid as a pet. Her current four-footed children are a Lipizzan stallion and an orange-and-black cat named Samhain. She enjoys Irish social dancing and is an ardent supporter of live Irish music. Shawna also likes to play with the Society for Creative Anachronism and can sometimes be found in medieval garb on a caparisoned horse, throwing javelins into innocent hay bales that never did anything to her.
A Pennsylvania native, she currently lives in the beautiful wine county of Oregon.
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May 7, 2013
Do not mistake this for a BDSM romance. When the story said slavery, it meant actual slavery. Despite the dark premise, the story was actually not that dark. The couple, however, were fuckwits.
I spent the first 2/3 of the story vexed with Loren. Once Loren stopped vexing me, I thought it was over but then James picked up where Loren left off.The story was told in an irregularly alternating 3rd person POV between James and Loren. I thought I could get some relief by reading from the POV from a character who wasn’t vexing me at the moment. Unfortunately, while one was vexing the other was unimpressive and didn’t compensate with any exemplary character quality.
+ Loren, the love interest
Loren was a fuckwit because for someone who constantly protested his enslavement to James he sure didn’t try hard to get out of it. I understood his hesitance and fear of failure, but it was quickly if not immediately obvious that James made empty threats, that he was conflicted about being a slave owner and disrespecting his ancestors and principles for owning an elf slave, the race who granted his family their Luck. Loren had plenty of opportunities to leave, especially when he was at James’ family manor surrounded by good people who would have helped Loren if he simply asked, no exaggeration whatsoever.
At that point, it ceased to be protesting and rightful challenging of slavery. It became whining and unproductive. I detest whiny characters. FFS, Loren. The funny thing is that he could have simply asked James for a contract where once James willfully set Loren free then Loren would help James recover the Luck. A contract would have resolved the damn slavery issue once and for all! All James needed was a fucking promise set in paper! There would have been no issue of Loren reneging on the promise because he was an elf and elves, unlike humans, take their promises seriously.
Aside from the whining issue, I hated how Loren kept antagonizing James and being easily offended. There are these things called words and Loren should have used them. Loren should have directly communicated his reasons for his feelings instead of throwing bitchfits that baffled James. For example, I’m pretty sure if Loren said point blank that James’ friend was a sexual offender James would have believed him. Pretty sure as the grass is green.
Also, what kind of a slave antagonizes their new slave owner upon their first conversation? A stupid one that’s what. Of course, when James reacted non-violently and instead considered Loren’s physical and emotional injuries it should have instantly clued Loren in that James was a softie... and easily escapable. Not to mention that Loren had the ability to read mind, emotions specifically, which I suspected would have been useful in determining truthfulness.
In sum, Loren was whiny and bitchy and a shade of stupid. He did grow as a character towards the end, but not as much I would have liked.
+ James, the protagonist
I would have liked James to show more resolve and less guilt. He suffered too much internal conflict; I think the story overdid it trying to humanize James for his offense as a slave owner. Dude didn’t need to be humanized. Desperate times call for desperate measures so I totally got what he was going through. His loved ones were on the line. Anyway, I also blamed James for not thinking of making a contract with Loren and setting Loren free. It would have cut back one issue James had to deal with.
For the first 2/3 of the story, James was unimpressive in spite of his card sharp and sword skills. If the guy exercised his brain cells and came up with a strategy, then the bad guys wouldn’t have made such big trouble for Loren and him and almost got the two killed on so many occasions that it was getting idiotic on James’ side. And then there was the last 1/3 of the story.
Instead of growing a character in the last 1/3 of the story, he regressed, much to my annoyance. A couple chapters ago in the middle of the story, Loren revealed how he became a slave, and then James said that Thorne, Loren’s cousin, could have been responsible for it to which Loren refused to believe because elves are always good guys. (Yeah, I sniggered.) So what happened when James finally meet the suspicious Thorne? He allowed himself to be seduced and turned against Loren, the guy who previously, a few chapters ago, saved his life. *facepalm* Admittedly, James did wake up to the truth before things became irreparably wrecked, but he should haven’t been hoodwinked by Thorne in the first place.
So beside Loren, the stupid was also strong in James.
+ the plot
The good news was that there was no instant love and that sexual consent was a priority in the romance due to the slavery premise. There was also a HEA and smut as an ending. The bad news was that the story, as a romance, was not that very romantic. The couple were constantly challenging each other and challenging feelings for each other. Their bickering suppressed any sexual tension the story tried to manufacture.
In Conclusion
I rate The Stolen Luck 2-stars for it was okay. It was a nice romance, it was just not very romantic. The couple’s lack of smart stood in the way. The silver lining side was I did like how same sex relationship in the fantasy was a complete non-issue.
I spent the first 2/3 of the story vexed with Loren. Once Loren stopped vexing me, I thought it was over but then James picked up where Loren left off.The story was told in an irregularly alternating 3rd person POV between James and Loren. I thought I could get some relief by reading from the POV from a character who wasn’t vexing me at the moment. Unfortunately, while one was vexing the other was unimpressive and didn’t compensate with any exemplary character quality.
+ Loren, the love interest
Loren was a fuckwit because for someone who constantly protested his enslavement to James he sure didn’t try hard to get out of it. I understood his hesitance and fear of failure, but it was quickly if not immediately obvious that James made empty threats, that he was conflicted about being a slave owner and disrespecting his ancestors and principles for owning an elf slave, the race who granted his family their Luck. Loren had plenty of opportunities to leave, especially when he was at James’ family manor surrounded by good people who would have helped Loren if he simply asked, no exaggeration whatsoever.
At that point, it ceased to be protesting and rightful challenging of slavery. It became whining and unproductive. I detest whiny characters. FFS, Loren. The funny thing is that he could have simply asked James for a contract where once James willfully set Loren free then Loren would help James recover the Luck. A contract would have resolved the damn slavery issue once and for all! All James needed was a fucking promise set in paper! There would have been no issue of Loren reneging on the promise because he was an elf and elves, unlike humans, take their promises seriously.
Aside from the whining issue, I hated how Loren kept antagonizing James and being easily offended. There are these things called words and Loren should have used them. Loren should have directly communicated his reasons for his feelings instead of throwing bitchfits that baffled James. For example, I’m pretty sure if Loren said point blank that James’ friend was a sexual offender James would have believed him. Pretty sure as the grass is green.
Also, what kind of a slave antagonizes their new slave owner upon their first conversation? A stupid one that’s what. Of course, when James reacted non-violently and instead considered Loren’s physical and emotional injuries it should have instantly clued Loren in that James was a softie... and easily escapable. Not to mention that Loren had the ability to read mind, emotions specifically, which I suspected would have been useful in determining truthfulness.
In sum, Loren was whiny and bitchy and a shade of stupid. He did grow as a character towards the end, but not as much I would have liked.
+ James, the protagonist
I would have liked James to show more resolve and less guilt. He suffered too much internal conflict; I think the story overdid it trying to humanize James for his offense as a slave owner. Dude didn’t need to be humanized. Desperate times call for desperate measures so I totally got what he was going through. His loved ones were on the line. Anyway, I also blamed James for not thinking of making a contract with Loren and setting Loren free. It would have cut back one issue James had to deal with.
For the first 2/3 of the story, James was unimpressive in spite of his card sharp and sword skills. If the guy exercised his brain cells and came up with a strategy, then the bad guys wouldn’t have made such big trouble for Loren and him and almost got the two killed on so many occasions that it was getting idiotic on James’ side. And then there was the last 1/3 of the story.
Instead of growing a character in the last 1/3 of the story, he regressed, much to my annoyance. A couple chapters ago in the middle of the story, Loren revealed how he became a slave, and then James said that Thorne, Loren’s cousin, could have been responsible for it to which Loren refused to believe because elves are always good guys. (Yeah, I sniggered.) So what happened when James finally meet the suspicious Thorne? He allowed himself to be seduced and turned against Loren, the guy who previously, a few chapters ago, saved his life. *facepalm* Admittedly, James did wake up to the truth before things became irreparably wrecked, but he should haven’t been hoodwinked by Thorne in the first place.
So beside Loren, the stupid was also strong in James.
+ the plot
The good news was that there was no instant love and that sexual consent was a priority in the romance due to the slavery premise. There was also a HEA and smut as an ending. The bad news was that the story, as a romance, was not that very romantic. The couple were constantly challenging each other and challenging feelings for each other. Their bickering suppressed any sexual tension the story tried to manufacture.
In Conclusion
I rate The Stolen Luck 2-stars for it was okay. It was a nice romance, it was just not very romantic. The couple’s lack of smart stood in the way. The silver lining side was I did like how same sex relationship in the fantasy was a complete non-issue.
April 19, 2013
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was a bit apprehensive before I started this book. I saw the master/slave relationship between James and Loren I was afraid of how this might turn out. I am so glad that my fears turned out to be groundless.
James is truly a good, and honorable man. His people had outlawed slavery, and do not condone it at all, but without his family's luck the vineyards his family, and those his family supports, are suffering. The vines are failing, people are growing ill, and the creditors are closing in. If he loses his estate he will not be the only one to suffer, and he takes his responsibility to his family, and those who depend on his family, seriously. He feels that his only chance to keep everyone safe is to keep Loren enslaved until he helps him retrieve his family's Luck. James isn't always kind, but never once does he take real advantage of Loren's position, and when he begins to feel an attraction to Loren he makes sure not to force his feelings on Loren. James is very aware that there can be no true consent while Loren is his slave. I appreciated that very much, and it made me respect James all that much more. He is a slaveholder, but he is guilt ridden, and ashamed. He tries, as best he can, to treat Loren as an equal, or at least not as an inferior. I did become a bit frustrated with James towards the end, but I think the unfamiliar circumstances, and the pressures he was under can explain some of what he did, and in the end I was very pleased with his character.
I also really liked Loren. He is a strong character, angry, and untrusting, but not to the point where holds James responsible for all that humans had done to him. I liked that Loren was willing to watch, and listen to James, and to form an understanding of James based on how James treats both him, and others, and not one based on personal prejudice. I liked his compassion, and his ability to forgive. When circumstances change, the way he treats James speaks highly of his character.
The secondary characters are interesting, and well drawn. I liked the variety, and complexity of people, and James' family was especially nice. I even liked his daughter. The politics both of the human, and Elvin world are interesting, and it made for some compelling plot points. I liked that neither race was purely good or evil, and both humans and elves were fallible. The world is well developed, but without any sort of awkward information dumps. I was able to get a real sense of place, and society, and it added so much to the story. Overall a really well done fantasy story. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a story about respect, honor, and the difficult choices people face.
I was a bit apprehensive before I started this book. I saw the master/slave relationship between James and Loren I was afraid of how this might turn out. I am so glad that my fears turned out to be groundless.
James is truly a good, and honorable man. His people had outlawed slavery, and do not condone it at all, but without his family's luck the vineyards his family, and those his family supports, are suffering. The vines are failing, people are growing ill, and the creditors are closing in. If he loses his estate he will not be the only one to suffer, and he takes his responsibility to his family, and those who depend on his family, seriously. He feels that his only chance to keep everyone safe is to keep Loren enslaved until he helps him retrieve his family's Luck. James isn't always kind, but never once does he take real advantage of Loren's position, and when he begins to feel an attraction to Loren he makes sure not to force his feelings on Loren. James is very aware that there can be no true consent while Loren is his slave. I appreciated that very much, and it made me respect James all that much more. He is a slaveholder, but he is guilt ridden, and ashamed. He tries, as best he can, to treat Loren as an equal, or at least not as an inferior. I did become a bit frustrated with James towards the end, but I think the unfamiliar circumstances, and the pressures he was under can explain some of what he did, and in the end I was very pleased with his character.
I also really liked Loren. He is a strong character, angry, and untrusting, but not to the point where holds James responsible for all that humans had done to him. I liked that Loren was willing to watch, and listen to James, and to form an understanding of James based on how James treats both him, and others, and not one based on personal prejudice. I liked his compassion, and his ability to forgive. When circumstances change, the way he treats James speaks highly of his character.
The secondary characters are interesting, and well drawn. I liked the variety, and complexity of people, and James' family was especially nice. I even liked his daughter. The politics both of the human, and Elvin world are interesting, and it made for some compelling plot points. I liked that neither race was purely good or evil, and both humans and elves were fallible. The world is well developed, but without any sort of awkward information dumps. I was able to get a real sense of place, and society, and it added so much to the story. Overall a really well done fantasy story. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a story about respect, honor, and the difficult choices people face.
May 27, 2013
**3.5 stars**
I went back and forth between 3 stars and 4 stars for this book. Overall, I really liked it. It was a nice fantasy for my tastes and I think the author showed some impressive talent here.
What is interesting about this book is that though it is not a fast-paced, action filled adventure, it truly kept a firm hold on me these past couple of days. It has a certain beauty that appealed to me. One reason is that the writer is very descriptive. I loved that I got a vivid picture of each scene. She includes details like scents and tastes and sounds- Shawna Reppert sure can paint a picture! Another aspect of the book that I liked was the insight into each character. I felt like I understood both James and Loren's point of view perfectly. I really got a glimpse inside their heads.
What I didn't love was the lack of communication between Loren and James. So much could have gotten accomplished between them if they just said what was on their minds. I also thought that Loren was a bit inconsistent as a character. He really wanted to escape, supposedly, yet never made even the slightest attempt. The author does a good job of trying to show the reasons for his actions but I still felt like it didn't quite work.
I almost bumped this book down a star for the ending. After all of that buildup, it just wraps up so neatly, like a pretty package. It didn't fit with the hard-fought victories that came before it. It was just like, "tra-la-la, let's forget everything else and be merry!" I would have preferred a bittersweet ending over this one, actually.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I went back and forth between 3 stars and 4 stars for this book. Overall, I really liked it. It was a nice fantasy for my tastes and I think the author showed some impressive talent here.
What is interesting about this book is that though it is not a fast-paced, action filled adventure, it truly kept a firm hold on me these past couple of days. It has a certain beauty that appealed to me. One reason is that the writer is very descriptive. I loved that I got a vivid picture of each scene. She includes details like scents and tastes and sounds- Shawna Reppert sure can paint a picture! Another aspect of the book that I liked was the insight into each character. I felt like I understood both James and Loren's point of view perfectly. I really got a glimpse inside their heads.
What I didn't love was the lack of communication between Loren and James. So much could have gotten accomplished between them if they just said what was on their minds. I also thought that Loren was a bit inconsistent as a character. He really wanted to escape, supposedly, yet never made even the slightest attempt. The author does a good job of trying to show the reasons for his actions but I still felt like it didn't quite work.
I almost bumped this book down a star for the ending. After all of that buildup, it just wraps up so neatly, like a pretty package. It didn't fit with the hard-fought victories that came before it. It was just like, "tra-la-la, let's forget everything else and be merry!" I would have preferred a bittersweet ending over this one, actually.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
January 29, 2017
I was hesitating between 3 and 4 stars... Although it could have easily been a 5-star read or even my absolute-favourites-shelf read...
Again, like with The Kitchen Boy I'm of two minds about The Stolen Luck.
Have you ever had the feeling that the book was too long and, at the same time, not long enough? Or better, that it described too many things, too many details but, on the other hand, it lacked in showing more of the characters or emotions growing between them? Well, that's how I felt while reading The Stolen Luck... :(
The blurb and the beginning were so promising! My favourite Master/slave dynamics between James and Loren. Elves!!! Well, one elf for almost 75% of the book, but still en elf! (Did I mention that I'm a sucker for elves?? Especially enslaved ones??)
So, everything went well up to the moment when James and Loren got attacked in the wood by Alain's henchmen... And that's only at about 20% into the story :(
Then it all felt artificially prolonged, strained somehow. The long healing process of the elf, their stay in Greenbrea. It felt too long and not really contributing to James/Loren relations.
The Dupree Manor's part was maybe the best described and really showed the budding affection and building up of trust between the MCs. It was so nice to see the "human" side of the elf. His natural goodness and growing appreciation towards mortals.
The road to the elven world again felt awkward to me. A bit too long, again.
I just mean that, in comparison to all this travelling and the summer spent at James's household, it suddenly felt very rushed at the end.
I didn't get two things. First, James's motives for not removing Loren's collar. The elf had promised not to abandon his master and to help him in regaining the Luck. It should be enough, even more so since James despised slavery so much, and from the very beginning planned to set Loren free after accomplishing his mission. Besides, the situation in the Dupree Manor was extremely awkward! James treated Loren more as his guest than his slave. Supposedly! But then again, did he want to remind Loren all the time of his status? Besides, after James's mother's reaction to holding Loren a slave, and knowing that someone could recognise the collar as the symbol of slavery (like Robert did), shouldn't James have got rid of it earlier? And I know it was probably supposed to be symbolic - that the collar had to come off at the moment of ultimate danger. That taking it off meant that Loren saved James because he really wanted to, but it still bugs me!
Secondly, the sudden "affair" between James and Thorne. Because, really?! If it was the author's means to uncover Thorne's true nature, then I don't buy it! After the rushed ending, when James's time in the elvenland was reduced to mentioning that "days, weeks passed in this idyllic routine" , it was really as if James didn't care for Loren as strongly as he always thought, told himself he did...
To sum up, I really liked some bits and pieces. Like when James and Loren where buying Devil, or when we saw Violet and her shenanigans, or the Traveler's folk cameos... And I really liked the MCs and the secondary characters: James's mother, Robert and Maggie and Jocko. I just didn't get enough of the emotions, the feels. And I think I did get too much of empty descriptions, I'm afraid.
I hate comparing books because each and every one of them should be judged on their own and the authors are as varied as it gets... But... Having read books very similar in setting and atmosphere, like Cethe or Counterpoint, I just can't give The Stolen Luck more than 3.5 stars, rounded up.
If you like fantasy, dangerous quests, M/s dynamics and elves (!!!), I think you might like it though :)
Again, like with The Kitchen Boy I'm of two minds about The Stolen Luck.
Have you ever had the feeling that the book was too long and, at the same time, not long enough? Or better, that it described too many things, too many details but, on the other hand, it lacked in showing more of the characters or emotions growing between them? Well, that's how I felt while reading The Stolen Luck... :(
The blurb and the beginning were so promising! My favourite Master/slave dynamics between James and Loren. Elves!!! Well, one elf for almost 75% of the book, but still en elf! (Did I mention that I'm a sucker for elves?? Especially enslaved ones??)
So, everything went well up to the moment when James and Loren got attacked in the wood by Alain's henchmen... And that's only at about 20% into the story :(
Then it all felt artificially prolonged, strained somehow. The long healing process of the elf, their stay in Greenbrea. It felt too long and not really contributing to James/Loren relations.
The Dupree Manor's part was maybe the best described and really showed the budding affection and building up of trust between the MCs. It was so nice to see the "human" side of the elf. His natural goodness and growing appreciation towards mortals.
The road to the elven world again felt awkward to me. A bit too long, again.
I just mean that, in comparison to all this travelling and the summer spent at James's household, it suddenly felt very rushed at the end.
I didn't get two things. First, James's motives for not removing Loren's collar. The elf had promised not to abandon his master and to help him in regaining the Luck. It should be enough, even more so since James despised slavery so much, and from the very beginning planned to set Loren free after accomplishing his mission. Besides, the situation in the Dupree Manor was extremely awkward! James treated Loren more as his guest than his slave. Supposedly! But then again, did he want to remind Loren all the time of his status? Besides, after James's mother's reaction to holding Loren a slave, and knowing that someone could recognise the collar as the symbol of slavery (like Robert did), shouldn't James have got rid of it earlier? And I know it was probably supposed to be symbolic - that the collar had to come off at the moment of ultimate danger. That taking it off meant that Loren saved James because he really wanted to, but it still bugs me!
Secondly, the sudden "affair" between James and Thorne. Because, really?! If it was the author's means to uncover Thorne's true nature, then I don't buy it! After the rushed ending, when James's time in the elvenland was reduced to mentioning that "days, weeks passed in this idyllic routine" , it was really as if James didn't care for Loren as strongly as he always thought, told himself he did...
To sum up, I really liked some bits and pieces. Like when James and Loren where buying Devil, or when we saw Violet and her shenanigans, or the Traveler's folk cameos... And I really liked the MCs and the secondary characters: James's mother, Robert and Maggie and Jocko. I just didn't get enough of the emotions, the feels. And I think I did get too much of empty descriptions, I'm afraid.
I hate comparing books because each and every one of them should be judged on their own and the authors are as varied as it gets... But... Having read books very similar in setting and atmosphere, like Cethe or Counterpoint, I just can't give The Stolen Luck more than 3.5 stars, rounded up.
If you like fantasy, dangerous quests, M/s dynamics and elves (!!!), I think you might like it though :)
August 27, 2016
A long overdue review doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book, just like the fact that the story's gone a bit fuzzy in my mind doesn't mean that it's unmemorable – just that I suddenly started having an actual life. Beyond books. Crazy, I know... where will I end up?
Shawna Reppert's writing is incredibly atmospheric. Now that I've started reading GoT (Game of Thrones, in case there's anyone out there who didn't know yet), which I hadn't at the time I was reading this, I can draw a parallel between her writing and George R.R. Martin's, as far as descriptions are concerned. Sounds, smells, images and actions literally came to life before my eyes every time I opened the book, making getting emotionally involved in the story that much easier – as if there'd been any need to do that.
Since The Stolen Luck is heavily character-centred, James' and Loren's personalities are fully developed. They're deeply different, with a different history and different ways of thinking, but neither of them is developed better than the other or painted in a more favourable light, and it's easy to see why they would fall in love with each other – and why the reader would fall in love with them. I could say they're honourable, kind, stubborn, good-hearted, fallible... but half of the joy of reading this book lies in getting to know them.
The secondary characters are just as likeable, from James' family to the servants in his house, and although they're not as well developed as the main characters, they add flavour and colour to the story.
The plot is pretty much classic fantasy fare. A magical artefact, the eponymous Luck, was stolen from the Duprees and supposedly brought back to the Lands Between. James wants it back... but he'll need an elven guide to accompany him, and there is no possible way to get an elf to willingly help a human, so James is forced to take advantage of the existence of one of the institutions he hates the most – slavery.
So yes, Loren is a slave, technically, but he is in no way James' slave – he doesn't want to be, and James doesn't want him to be. Their relationship is very complicated from this point of view, yet at the same time incredibly simple: James needs Loren to help him and he knows the only way he'll do it is if forced, but he doesn't want him to be in any way subordinated to him; Loren wants to be free, and he wants to help James – he wants to run away, and for some weird reason sometimes he feels as if he almost wanted to stay.
Watching them slowly become aware of their feelings for the other, not rushing straight into promises of eternal love but making their way through hatred and disgust, grudging respect, friendship, lust and deep affection, is torturous, heartwarming and incredibly refreshing.
The last third of the book is tense, adventurous and suspenseful, seemingly leading up to an explosive climax, but the resolution is exactly what let me down (a little bit), in its rushed, almost simplistic, told-rather-than-shown resolution, yet it couldn't make me like the novel any less.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
Originally reviewed for The Blog of Sid Love, which is now dead.
Shawna Reppert's writing is incredibly atmospheric. Now that I've started reading GoT (Game of Thrones, in case there's anyone out there who didn't know yet), which I hadn't at the time I was reading this, I can draw a parallel between her writing and George R.R. Martin's, as far as descriptions are concerned. Sounds, smells, images and actions literally came to life before my eyes every time I opened the book, making getting emotionally involved in the story that much easier – as if there'd been any need to do that.
Since The Stolen Luck is heavily character-centred, James' and Loren's personalities are fully developed. They're deeply different, with a different history and different ways of thinking, but neither of them is developed better than the other or painted in a more favourable light, and it's easy to see why they would fall in love with each other – and why the reader would fall in love with them. I could say they're honourable, kind, stubborn, good-hearted, fallible... but half of the joy of reading this book lies in getting to know them.
The secondary characters are just as likeable, from James' family to the servants in his house, and although they're not as well developed as the main characters, they add flavour and colour to the story.
The plot is pretty much classic fantasy fare. A magical artefact, the eponymous Luck, was stolen from the Duprees and supposedly brought back to the Lands Between. James wants it back... but he'll need an elven guide to accompany him, and there is no possible way to get an elf to willingly help a human, so James is forced to take advantage of the existence of one of the institutions he hates the most – slavery.
So yes, Loren is a slave, technically, but he is in no way James' slave – he doesn't want to be, and James doesn't want him to be. Their relationship is very complicated from this point of view, yet at the same time incredibly simple: James needs Loren to help him and he knows the only way he'll do it is if forced, but he doesn't want him to be in any way subordinated to him; Loren wants to be free, and he wants to help James – he wants to run away, and for some weird reason sometimes he feels as if he almost wanted to stay.
Watching them slowly become aware of their feelings for the other, not rushing straight into promises of eternal love but making their way through hatred and disgust, grudging respect, friendship, lust and deep affection, is torturous, heartwarming and incredibly refreshing.
The last third of the book is tense, adventurous and suspenseful, seemingly leading up to an explosive climax, but the resolution is exactly what let me down (a little bit), in its rushed, almost simplistic, told-rather-than-shown resolution, yet it couldn't make me like the novel any less.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
Originally reviewed for The Blog of Sid Love, which is now dead.
October 23, 2013
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy for review!
THE RECAP:
James Dupree is desperate. His family and his estate all depend on his ability to find his family's stolen Luck -- a token of friendship given by elves decades before that grants his land bountiful harvests and his household and crops and animals freedom from sickness. Since the Dupree luck was stolen on the night his father was murdered, things have gone downhill... the estate is in debt, and the next year's harvest might well be the last for Dupree Manor.
So he gambles and wins an Elven slave, even though he abhors slavery, in order to gain the elf's aide in crossing into the elvish lands in pursuit of a long missing thief and regain his lost Luck.
As they travel, and gain and break and gain and break each other's trust, James and the elf Loren move forward along the path of retrieving this luck, and building something far greater than anything the Luck could offer... but will it last?
THE REVIEW:
Wow, what a ride! I've never really been into the romance story scene, but when I requested this from Netgalley, I didn't really get a romance vibe or I missed it somehow. But the fantasy elements and the sexy elf really helped make the story hehe.
I think the fighting got to be a bit too much, but I still enjoyed the growing love story between James and Loren, and their battle to push through their roles and their obligations and their histories to find something real.
I'd recommend the book as a fun read.
THE RECAP:
James Dupree is desperate. His family and his estate all depend on his ability to find his family's stolen Luck -- a token of friendship given by elves decades before that grants his land bountiful harvests and his household and crops and animals freedom from sickness. Since the Dupree luck was stolen on the night his father was murdered, things have gone downhill... the estate is in debt, and the next year's harvest might well be the last for Dupree Manor.
So he gambles and wins an Elven slave, even though he abhors slavery, in order to gain the elf's aide in crossing into the elvish lands in pursuit of a long missing thief and regain his lost Luck.
As they travel, and gain and break and gain and break each other's trust, James and the elf Loren move forward along the path of retrieving this luck, and building something far greater than anything the Luck could offer... but will it last?
THE REVIEW:
Wow, what a ride! I've never really been into the romance story scene, but when I requested this from Netgalley, I didn't really get a romance vibe or I missed it somehow. But the fantasy elements and the sexy elf really helped make the story hehe.
I think the fighting got to be a bit too much, but I still enjoyed the growing love story between James and Loren, and their battle to push through their roles and their obligations and their histories to find something real.
I'd recommend the book as a fun read.
gave-up
May 23, 2014post-afterness note: I DNF'ed. I'd like it if you read my review anyways, but it is quite long, and I did DNF, so I suppose I understand if you don't want to. Still.
**
Ahem. Below is a probably-spoiler-riddenrant comment-as-I-go. If it offends you, I'm not sorry, and you can pretend I was drunk if it makes you feel better (because headcanon's always the best canon, right?)
You have been warned. More or less.
*
The beginning is to obviously exposition-y. Sure, it cut to the chase, but it was jarring and actually a bit unpleasant to read, like "why bother pretend it's story developmental stuff when it's actually just exposition? You might as well have just presented it in a prologue, or forward, and not tried to disguise it poorly as narration."
The POV's weird, all swing-y and stuff. Makes it seem like characters know stuff they shouldn't be able to know.
Eh. I don't know, It would be good, and then it would be stupid and farcically forced and shit. It's like right as they seemed like they were developing personalities, the author lapsed back into featureless archetypal characterization. That was really annoying. That stupid Maggie person was so bland and cliche that it just served to underscore the lapses into bland stupidity this story had. (I'm [slightly] sorry; I probably shouldn't find these thing so personally offensive, but alas, it seems I do).
ASDKJFKLASDJFKLASDJFLJFKLS THAT STUPID FUCK-TARD USELESS CONVERSATION BETWEEN MAGGIE AND JAMES. WE FUCKING GET IT. JAMES AIN'T A CRUEL SLAVEOWNER DUDE. HE'S GOT COMPASSION AND WHATEVER. NO NEED TO BELABOR THE POINT. NO NEED TO BEAT THE DEAD HORSE DEADER. IT'S DEAD, DEADER, DEADEST. ALL YOU'RE DOING IS SPEEDING UP THE BREAKING APART TO HELP SPEED UP DECAY, but then, it'd be useful for fertilizer, huh?
Seriously, though, what the hell am I doing trying to write a review on so little sleep and so much coffee? I should know better by now. I really should. JFC
Blah, blah, blah, Maggie's a fucking Mary Sue, they have more pointless filler convos, blah, blah, blah, more bullshit, Maggie can enact miracles for James because she's a Mary Sue (jfc is she an author self-insert or something? Poor James, manipulated to her script. I don't even fucking know anymore. Like wtf am I saying? But no, like dude, she's not going to be Gandalf. She's not a Gandalf figure; don't try to make her be. Now she's like Angela from Inheritance Trilo- Cycle. She's not as quirky as you think she is/as she was in your head, she's not as oooooh mysteeerioooouuus and inscrutable as you want to make her. It just makes her boring, bland, and a waste of pages.)
Oh, god. Blah, blah, blah, distrust the mortal, mortal is untrustworthy, why is mortal doing nice stuff mortal must be untrustworthy (but also does nice stuff), laudanum (drruuuuuuuugs).
Ewww I want this to go away. This boring, trite, cliche, featureless interplay. Go back to the thing where it actually seemed like they had personalities and were interacting all realistic-like and shit. LOREN WHY ARE YOU BEING A BLANKETLY DISTRUSTFUL ASSHOLE? AUTHOR, WHY DID YOU ERASE THE NUANCES THAT MADE HIS REACTIONS MAKE SENSE? AUTHOR, WHY DID YOU LOSE SIGHT OF NUANCES AND GO WITH SINGLE-DRIVER PERSONALITIES? GAAAH THIS IS LIKE MULAN 2 ALL OVER AGAIN (no. we don't ever talk about that. aahh-ah-ah, shut up. No. We don't ever talk about that.)
OH GOD JAMES IS DRAWING LOREN WAT JUST ASDJFKLASJDFKASDLJFKLWJEARSZXASQWEIUARZXSQWE UIARDVXASQWEHUADASJKIQAWSDVXSDQWEIOHZADFBS MAKLXS`XASQWERZSYADUgashuxsuiadgwsv bcvnmkljAQ NXDG
^accurate representation of just no like dude you're driving James into Mary Sue territory STAAAAAAHHHP
Dear lord, what is this, a horribly un-sub-tle Chekhov's gun? So, what, he's going to end up giving the vineyard away to let his...I dunno, daughter/mother manage and go off with Loren to elfie-land and live all happy and shit and draw and sketch to his heart's content because that's his actual heart's desire? I'm at 54/196. Let's bet against myself/each other I don't even know who this "us" in the let's is.
DEAR GOD THERE'S MORE MAGGIE. lol almost typed maggot.
Who the fuck is Kate?
I don't even know whose POV it is right now anymore.
STOP SAYING MAGGIE. JUST STOP IT. STOP MENTIONING HER. STOP BRINGING HER UP. SHE'S ONLY DRAGGING YOU DOWN.
This is stupid, unrealistic, and boring. They were so much more lucid and self-aware before, and now they're acting like typical thick-headed fantasy idiots. I'd much rather they agreed to disagree, lucidly, instead of this bullshit "please swear to me" "okay I will" wow look it's a show of trust and Trust happened.
There was a glimpse of that lucidity, and then it went away and was boring and trite and stupid, more so because there was a glimpse of what might have been.
STOP TRYING TO MAKE MAGGIE HAPPEN. IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
On a more lucid note, I think what bothers me most about all the James-related bullshit is no one is assuming he's an asshole. Sure, I guess the characters of the 'verse might, but it all comes off like the author thinks the readers are going to assume he's an asshole and thus feels the need to prove, by proxy, how much of a not-asshole he is by aggressively lampshading his nonexistent assholeness.
Uhh...isn't that part of your premise? That he's not an asshole? That sure, he wagered for a slave, but he's got his reasons, and he's not treating Loren with excessive idiocy.
This has nothing to do with this story (or rather, only tangentially maybe has something to do with this story-ish):
Loren I don't understand at all. His narration has all of the expected slavery induced turmoil, but none of the tension. It's the expected lines, or along the lines of the expected lines, but I don't understand why he would have those thoughts. It doesn't seem like he should. I'd have liked to see some sort of fear, which would give all the doubt some root. Otherwise, it all just seems like he's humoring the institution, which is just patently bizarre.
It also doesn't make sense to me why he doesn't even entertain the hope that maybe James is actually telling the truth about his intentions. There's none of that. There's not even him suppressing the hope. There's him humoring the idea that James thinks he's going to do that, but even that would be incorrect because there's still some sort of personality behind such thought process.
It's like there are thoughts, but no processes. There was a brief glimpse of process, but then the process got lost and now there are just thoughts, which means the personality went away. gdi.
Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with everybody. They all vilify James. Why is the author trying to alienate the reader from Loren? Even James' own damn mother is all "Oh, my god, those wounds weren't caused by my son, were they?" I'm with James in his shock and hurt. Like what the fuck, man, mom. What have I done to make you think that I'm a complete asshole? The author tries badly to lampshade it, but it just underscores how stupid and baseless it is. There is no reason at all for that to happen. Okay, yes, slavery is bad, but it sounds somewhat institutionalized and at least, possibly normalized and I lost track of where I was trying to go with this specific thread. It actually feels like the author's afraid of being accused of being a slavery supporter and so is going out of xyr way to make it very clear through proxy characters that Slavery Is Bad. ...thank you, we get it. But it's your fucking 'verse; embrace your 'verse. Stop trying to alienate it. STOP ALIENATING YOUR OWN UNIVERSE, GODDAMNIT
Look at this, I'm all fake-sober now. (I say fake because I was fake-drunk before. If you were pretending I was drunk, then I'm sorry. You have to stop now. Now if you're offended then you'll just have to be offended, and I'm still not sorry).
Okay, I don't know, maybe there's a valid backstory behind this, but we have none of this information. It's just the author being a douchebag to James for not real reason, over and over and fucking over again. And I swear if Maggie comes back I will cut a bitch.
Wait what the fuck they were together for a month? Oh dear god I'm slightly glad I skimmed through it but also, what the fuck happened?
The author is weird. The author is doing that thing authors do, where they try to give characters depth by having a past sadness, like a lost/dead lover. THAT JUST MAKES THINGS WEIRD/AWKWARD, ESPECIALLY IF YOU SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON IT. Like in Harry Potter. So much time was spent on Cho (the fuck kind of name is "Cho Chang"? A white one, that's what) that Ginny was just weird. Ginny might have been just weird to begin with anyways. Oh, god, that's what this author does. That awkward little flash of attraction, but then it's overshadowed by this other great one. In this case, there was the weird "I haven't slept with a dude since before I got married" before the author launched into this whole thing and waxed poetic about Lyssa, lost Lyssa, love of his life Lyssa, and oh, god, there's Mary-Sue art porn again.
Hey, look. Painting. Not only is it of my dead lover (also love of my life, mind you. that's important for you to know, and have hammered into your head, too), I did the painting. And now I want to draw you.
It sucks because it feels like a gimmick. He's already got magical gambling abilities; why he gotta be a prodigious artist, too? Not that people can't have more than one useless skill. It's just...when you take a main character and erase what little personality you did briefly grant him, giving him more useless skills doesn't make him more likeable; it just makes him more of a Mary Sue.
Also, apparently, it's impolite to ask people if they're elves. This says weird things about the universe, as much as the weirdly universal default James-is-an-asshole attitude people have says about the author.
Violet...is boring. Personality-less. She's just a bland, archetypal Kid character. Which makes this line all the more painful:
"In Violet’s questions, insightful and intelligent, and in her keen mind and in her
interest in others he saw the woman she would become. So very like her mother."
^and then of course James needs to do some more pining. Because in author's mind, pining equals personality expression.
The worst part of Violet is she actually had her bit of time to show a bit of personality, and nothing happened. I knew it wasn't going to happen so I braced myself, but I was also cautiously hopeful in case it did happen. It didn't. Nothing happened. Her actions were rote and prescribed and not indicative of any insightfulness or intelligence.
Awkward pining, and then oh, yeah, I'm trying to somehow contrive a romance between James and Loren, so let's turn back to Loren.
"James felt a sudden, fierce protectiveness toward the elf. Though James had never killed in cold blood, if murdering Alain now could undo any of Loren’s suffering, he’d see the merchant bleeding out his life in a back alley before week’s end."
^Why? The author gave a bullshit reason, but it's a bandaid on the bigger issue. It's a throwaway reason. Why? I'm starting to half-believe that James is an asshole because you kept trying to convince us he isn't, but by exclusion (you think I'm kidding. I don't even know if I'm kidding when I say that).
Why.
I get it; Romance (intentional cap, btw) needs to happen.
But then...
This:
Why. Why does he deserve that. That oblique jab. He's not an asshole. What, just because he doesn't drop everything and simply set you free and trust you'll help, and if you should so decide you won't, should give you enough money to get you back to your home and send you off with his blessings? I mean, he's laid it all out. You're a fucking idiot if you can't see the logic in what he laid out. Hate the situation, not the guy. He's got as little reason to trust you as you do him.
(James' POV)
"Loren, if you only knew it, you have your revenge."
^belaboring an unnecessary point. There is absolutely no reason for Loren to be entitled to revenge against you. Also, the phrasing is just bad. Beyond that, okay, the author's trying to say James is in love with Loren. Uhh...when did that happen? Was it in the part I skimmed because it was too painful to sit through? No, it couldn't have been. James was still pining after his long lost dead love of his life just a few pages ago.
^Bad writing. Just...bad writing.
OH, GOD I'M NOT EVEN HALF-WAY THROUGH.
...wow
"let me show you garden. look. these flowers were my wife's favorite."
AUTHOR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING. STOP IT. SERIOUSLY THIS IS NOT HOW YOU CREATE ROMANCE BETWEEN CHARACTERS.
The weirdest part is James doesn't actually even seem to be mourning his dead wife. I mean, sure, it was sad and stuff, but he's like okay with it. He's moved passed the stages of grief, it seems. So why does he keep mentioning her, then? In fact, now that I think of it, there doesn't seem to be much emotion attached to his dead wife.Part of it probably most of it is on the author. The diction isn't quite right. The narration is intelligible, which actually is a greater accomplishment than it might sound, especially in the M/M industry (I've seen Kain; srsly), but there's a certain poetry about the prose that's lacking. It makes a valiant attempt, but it doesn't quite get there. And everything is exacerbated by all of the little issues from before. They just keep building up and snowballing on each other until everything that happens becomes weird and incongruous. The worst part is for the most part, they're little things, jarring things, some of them, but bunches and bunches of little things, neglected details, unnecessarily belabored issues, that all build up and build up.
quote:
"...You will be joining us for lunch?”
Loren nodded. At least the elf wasn’t shunning him. He’d have every right to.
^Why does he have a right to? Elf-boy's status is yet unconfirmed. This is on the author for doing this to her character(s)/James. James hasn't made it clear what exactly his status is. Is he a slave or isn't he? Is he more a hostage against himself: in captivity, but to be treated well? We don't know what that is, so we're going with the assumption that the last state we're informed of holds: he's a slave. Sure, James may not treat him as a slave, but he still holds the status of "slave."
All those throwaway self-flagellatory comments by James does is create unnecessary contrived emotional porn. I don't care (anymore). Get the fuck on with the plot.
This part had me very close to physicall head-desk'ing (I slammed the desk with my hands instead):
“Would a fresh pair of eyes help?”
James glanced up at him, distracted. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I can do sums.”
“I’m sure you can,” James said mildly. “Probably better than I. But you don’t
have to. I feel guilty enough for holding you against your will to regain the Luck. I
won’t exploit you any further.”
JASDKLFJ;WQRHASDFKHSDKHSADsdfjkfhdkASDXFSAKFGH JBNKLS;FHLASWEFDHXSDAQWEIRUHDVMKSLWERUIOGD VSKALWERUTIDFVSMKAweiouhfgbdnkfjkadsljfaksdlhfwEI;hjd fkbvnkclasjhdfijak YOU GODDAMN STUPID FUCKTARDS. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH EVERYONE. WHERE DID THE PERSONALITY GO? WHY THE FUCK IS JAMES BEATING HIMSELF UP OVER THIS, BUT ALL AND ONLY ALONG ONE NOTE? WHERE WAS THE REALISTIC SORT OF AMBIGUITY OF IT ALL FROM BEFORE THAT MADE IT REALISTIC AND INTERESTING? WHY IS IT THESE FUCKING IDIOTS ONLY HAVE A SINGLE DIRECTIVE?
What else even would have made this better if LOREN HAD BEEN PURPOSEFULLY MANIPULATING JAMES TO MAKE HIM REACT LIKE A STUPID FUCKTARD IDIOT. Instead, Loren's a stupid bland pointless idiot who does stuff for no discernible reason except Author Said So and James is a stupid thick idiot Because Author Said So.
75/196 I don't know if I can stand going through the whole thing. There's just so much lost potential that there's no way to recover. Anything emotional that happens is unbelievable now and frankly, kind of painful because it all feels contrived.
Bringing in Robert was a mistake. It could have been not a mistake, if things had been set, but it was a mistake because Loren's status has not been set. I get what the author's trying to do with the whole "shaking things up" impetus, but the main problem with that is NOTHING HAS BEEN SET TO BE SHAKEN UP. It's all tenuous and wobbly already, and adding in the stupid Robert thing just creates bullshit and rape-love aspects to the "budding romance."
Oh, wow, what the fuck. I thought Robert was going to be something different but no, he's another "let's vilify James" character.
Again, fucking why?
It dumbs down the complexity level of the story, painfully so. The worst part was I felt like there was some sort of characterization before. It's like having to go from Photoshop CS5.1 Extended to PSE10. It's just painful and really shitty and probably for stupid reasons.
"The slave collar imprisoned James, as well as Loren."
^More accurate would have been "The slave collar ironically imprisoned James, instead of Loren."
There has to be some sort of white guilt parallel here. It's like--
WEHUSDNJKMWEJQLIRUTGDFSNJQWJEHRGUDVNSQWE HURGJCVNKAWERHSDVFNJKLERGH DKSMLFGAEDNJKLJH
Fuck this shit. I'm out. The worst part is how much god damn potential this fucking story had, and all of it squandered, trampled, wasted. If it were just shitty, then I'd ditch it, no problem. But it's not just shitty. It's idiotic and moronic, but I feel like it could have been not.
GODDAMN IT ALL.
DNF ~44%
87p
FINAL VERDICT: So Much Lost Potential...
**
Ahem. Below is a probably-spoiler-ridden
You have been warned. More or less.
*
The beginning is to obviously exposition-y. Sure, it cut to the chase, but it was jarring and actually a bit unpleasant to read, like "why bother pretend it's story developmental stuff when it's actually just exposition? You might as well have just presented it in a prologue, or forward, and not tried to disguise it poorly as narration."
The POV's weird, all swing-y and stuff. Makes it seem like characters know stuff they shouldn't be able to know.
Eh. I don't know, It would be good, and then it would be stupid and farcically forced and shit. It's like right as they seemed like they were developing personalities, the author lapsed back into featureless archetypal characterization. That was really annoying. That stupid Maggie person was so bland and cliche that it just served to underscore the lapses into bland stupidity this story had. (I'm [slightly] sorry; I probably shouldn't find these thing so personally offensive, but alas, it seems I do).
ASDKJFKLASDJFKLASDJFLJFKLS THAT STUPID FUCK-TARD USELESS CONVERSATION BETWEEN MAGGIE AND JAMES. WE FUCKING GET IT. JAMES AIN'T A CRUEL SLAVEOWNER DUDE. HE'S GOT COMPASSION AND WHATEVER. NO NEED TO BELABOR THE POINT. NO NEED TO BEAT THE DEAD HORSE DEADER. IT'S DEAD, DEADER, DEADEST. ALL YOU'RE DOING IS SPEEDING UP THE BREAKING APART TO HELP SPEED UP DECAY, but then, it'd be useful for fertilizer, huh?
Seriously, though, what the hell am I doing trying to write a review on so little sleep and so much coffee? I should know better by now. I really should. JFC
Blah, blah, blah, Maggie's a fucking Mary Sue, they have more pointless filler convos, blah, blah, blah, more bullshit, Maggie can enact miracles for James because she's a Mary Sue (jfc is she an author self-insert or something? Poor James, manipulated to her script. I don't even fucking know anymore. Like wtf am I saying? But no, like dude, she's not going to be Gandalf. She's not a Gandalf figure; don't try to make her be. Now she's like Angela from Inheritance Trilo- Cycle. She's not as quirky as you think she is/as she was in your head, she's not as oooooh mysteeerioooouuus and inscrutable as you want to make her. It just makes her boring, bland, and a waste of pages.)
Oh, god. Blah, blah, blah, distrust the mortal, mortal is untrustworthy, why is mortal doing nice stuff mortal must be untrustworthy (but also does nice stuff), laudanum (drruuuuuuuugs).
Ewww I want this to go away. This boring, trite, cliche, featureless interplay. Go back to the thing where it actually seemed like they had personalities and were interacting all realistic-like and shit. LOREN WHY ARE YOU BEING A BLANKETLY DISTRUSTFUL ASSHOLE? AUTHOR, WHY DID YOU ERASE THE NUANCES THAT MADE HIS REACTIONS MAKE SENSE? AUTHOR, WHY DID YOU LOSE SIGHT OF NUANCES AND GO WITH SINGLE-DRIVER PERSONALITIES? GAAAH THIS IS LIKE MULAN 2 ALL OVER AGAIN (no. we don't ever talk about that. aahh-ah-ah, shut up. No. We don't ever talk about that.)
OH GOD JAMES IS DRAWING LOREN WAT JUST ASDJFKLASJDFKASDLJFKLWJEARSZXASQWEIUARZXSQWE UIARDVXASQWEHUADASJKIQAWSDVXSDQWEIOHZADFBS MAKLXS`XASQWERZSYADUgashuxsuiadgwsv bcvnmkljAQ NXDG
^accurate representation of just no like dude you're driving James into Mary Sue territory STAAAAAAHHHP
Dear lord, what is this, a horribly un-sub-tle Chekhov's gun? So, what, he's going to end up giving the vineyard away to let his...I dunno, daughter/mother manage and go off with Loren to elfie-land and live all happy and shit and draw and sketch to his heart's content because that's his actual heart's desire? I'm at 54/196. Let's bet against myself/each other I don't even know who this "us" in the let's is.
DEAR GOD THERE'S MORE MAGGIE. lol almost typed maggot.
Who the fuck is Kate?
I don't even know whose POV it is right now anymore.
STOP SAYING MAGGIE. JUST STOP IT. STOP MENTIONING HER. STOP BRINGING HER UP. SHE'S ONLY DRAGGING YOU DOWN.
This is stupid, unrealistic, and boring. They were so much more lucid and self-aware before, and now they're acting like typical thick-headed fantasy idiots. I'd much rather they agreed to disagree, lucidly, instead of this bullshit "please swear to me" "okay I will" wow look it's a show of trust and Trust happened.
There was a glimpse of that lucidity, and then it went away and was boring and trite and stupid, more so because there was a glimpse of what might have been.
STOP TRYING TO MAKE MAGGIE HAPPEN. IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
On a more lucid note, I think what bothers me most about all the James-related bullshit is no one is assuming he's an asshole. Sure, I guess the characters of the 'verse might, but it all comes off like the author thinks the readers are going to assume he's an asshole and thus feels the need to prove, by proxy, how much of a not-asshole he is by aggressively lampshading his nonexistent assholeness.
Uhh...isn't that part of your premise? That he's not an asshole? That sure, he wagered for a slave, but he's got his reasons, and he's not treating Loren with excessive idiocy.
This has nothing to do with this story (or rather, only tangentially maybe has something to do with this story-ish):
Loren I don't understand at all. His narration has all of the expected slavery induced turmoil, but none of the tension. It's the expected lines, or along the lines of the expected lines, but I don't understand why he would have those thoughts. It doesn't seem like he should. I'd have liked to see some sort of fear, which would give all the doubt some root. Otherwise, it all just seems like he's humoring the institution, which is just patently bizarre.
It also doesn't make sense to me why he doesn't even entertain the hope that maybe James is actually telling the truth about his intentions. There's none of that. There's not even him suppressing the hope. There's him humoring the idea that James thinks he's going to do that, but even that would be incorrect because there's still some sort of personality behind such thought process.
It's like there are thoughts, but no processes. There was a brief glimpse of process, but then the process got lost and now there are just thoughts, which means the personality went away. gdi.
Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with everybody. They all vilify James. Why is the author trying to alienate the reader from Loren? Even James' own damn mother is all "Oh, my god, those wounds weren't caused by my son, were they?" I'm with James in his shock and hurt. Like what the fuck, man, mom. What have I done to make you think that I'm a complete asshole? The author tries badly to lampshade it, but it just underscores how stupid and baseless it is. There is no reason at all for that to happen. Okay, yes, slavery is bad, but it sounds somewhat institutionalized and at least, possibly normalized and I lost track of where I was trying to go with this specific thread. It actually feels like the author's afraid of being accused of being a slavery supporter and so is going out of xyr way to make it very clear through proxy characters that Slavery Is Bad. ...thank you, we get it. But it's your fucking 'verse; embrace your 'verse. Stop trying to alienate it. STOP ALIENATING YOUR OWN UNIVERSE, GODDAMNIT
Look at this, I'm all fake-sober now. (I say fake because I was fake-drunk before. If you were pretending I was drunk, then I'm sorry. You have to stop now. Now if you're offended then you'll just have to be offended, and I'm still not sorry).
Okay, I don't know, maybe there's a valid backstory behind this, but we have none of this information. It's just the author being a douchebag to James for not real reason, over and over and fucking over again. And I swear if Maggie comes back I will cut a bitch.
Wait what the fuck they were together for a month? Oh dear god I'm slightly glad I skimmed through it but also, what the fuck happened?
The author is weird. The author is doing that thing authors do, where they try to give characters depth by having a past sadness, like a lost/dead lover. THAT JUST MAKES THINGS WEIRD/AWKWARD, ESPECIALLY IF YOU SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON IT. Like in Harry Potter. So much time was spent on Cho (the fuck kind of name is "Cho Chang"? A white one, that's what) that Ginny was just weird. Ginny might have been just weird to begin with anyways. Oh, god, that's what this author does. That awkward little flash of attraction, but then it's overshadowed by this other great one. In this case, there was the weird "I haven't slept with a dude since before I got married" before the author launched into this whole thing and waxed poetic about Lyssa, lost Lyssa, love of his life Lyssa, and oh, god, there's Mary-Sue art porn again.
Hey, look. Painting. Not only is it of my dead lover (also love of my life, mind you. that's important for you to know, and have hammered into your head, too), I did the painting. And now I want to draw you.
It sucks because it feels like a gimmick. He's already got magical gambling abilities; why he gotta be a prodigious artist, too? Not that people can't have more than one useless skill. It's just...when you take a main character and erase what little personality you did briefly grant him, giving him more useless skills doesn't make him more likeable; it just makes him more of a Mary Sue.
Also, apparently, it's impolite to ask people if they're elves. This says weird things about the universe, as much as the weirdly universal default James-is-an-asshole attitude people have says about the author.
Violet...is boring. Personality-less. She's just a bland, archetypal Kid character. Which makes this line all the more painful:
"In Violet’s questions, insightful and intelligent, and in her keen mind and in her
interest in others he saw the woman she would become. So very like her mother."
^and then of course James needs to do some more pining. Because in author's mind, pining equals personality expression.
The worst part of Violet is she actually had her bit of time to show a bit of personality, and nothing happened. I knew it wasn't going to happen so I braced myself, but I was also cautiously hopeful in case it did happen. It didn't. Nothing happened. Her actions were rote and prescribed and not indicative of any insightfulness or intelligence.
Awkward pining, and then oh, yeah, I'm trying to somehow contrive a romance between James and Loren, so let's turn back to Loren.
"James felt a sudden, fierce protectiveness toward the elf. Though James had never killed in cold blood, if murdering Alain now could undo any of Loren’s suffering, he’d see the merchant bleeding out his life in a back alley before week’s end."
^Why? The author gave a bullshit reason, but it's a bandaid on the bigger issue. It's a throwaway reason. Why? I'm starting to half-believe that James is an asshole because you kept trying to convince us he isn't, but by exclusion (you think I'm kidding. I don't even know if I'm kidding when I say that).
Why.
I get it; Romance (intentional cap, btw) needs to happen.
But then...
This:
“Thank you for your discretion with Violet,” James said when they were alone.
Loren inclined his head in acknowledgement. “Your daughter is a sweet child. She
shouldn’t be disillusioned so young.”
James winced. “I suppose I deserve that.”
Why. Why does he deserve that. That oblique jab. He's not an asshole. What, just because he doesn't drop everything and simply set you free and trust you'll help, and if you should so decide you won't, should give you enough money to get you back to your home and send you off with his blessings? I mean, he's laid it all out. You're a fucking idiot if you can't see the logic in what he laid out. Hate the situation, not the guy. He's got as little reason to trust you as you do him.
(James' POV)
"Loren, if you only knew it, you have your revenge."
^belaboring an unnecessary point. There is absolutely no reason for Loren to be entitled to revenge against you. Also, the phrasing is just bad. Beyond that, okay, the author's trying to say James is in love with Loren. Uhh...when did that happen? Was it in the part I skimmed because it was too painful to sit through? No, it couldn't have been. James was still pining after his long lost dead love of his life just a few pages ago.
^Bad writing. Just...bad writing.
OH, GOD I'M NOT EVEN HALF-WAY THROUGH.
...wow
"let me show you garden. look. these flowers were my wife's favorite."
AUTHOR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING. STOP IT. SERIOUSLY THIS IS NOT HOW YOU CREATE ROMANCE BETWEEN CHARACTERS.
The weirdest part is James doesn't actually even seem to be mourning his dead wife. I mean, sure, it was sad and stuff, but he's like okay with it. He's moved passed the stages of grief, it seems. So why does he keep mentioning her, then? In fact, now that I think of it, there doesn't seem to be much emotion attached to his dead wife.
quote:
"...You will be joining us for lunch?”
Loren nodded. At least the elf wasn’t shunning him. He’d have every right to.
^Why does he have a right to? Elf-boy's status is yet unconfirmed. This is on the author for doing this to her character(s)/James. James hasn't made it clear what exactly his status is. Is he a slave or isn't he? Is he more a hostage against himself: in captivity, but to be treated well? We don't know what that is, so we're going with the assumption that the last state we're informed of holds: he's a slave. Sure, James may not treat him as a slave, but he still holds the status of "slave."
All those throwaway self-flagellatory comments by James does is create unnecessary contrived emotional porn. I don't care (anymore). Get the fuck on with the plot.
This part had me very close to physicall head-desk'ing (I slammed the desk with my hands instead):
“Would a fresh pair of eyes help?”
James glanced up at him, distracted. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I can do sums.”
“I’m sure you can,” James said mildly. “Probably better than I. But you don’t
have to. I feel guilty enough for holding you against your will to regain the Luck. I
won’t exploit you any further.”
JASDKLFJ;WQRHASDFKHSDKHSADsdfjkfhdkASDXFSAKFGH JBNKLS;FHLASWEFDHXSDAQWEIRUHDVMKSLWERUIOGD VSKALWERUTIDFVSMKAweiouhfgbdnkfjkadsljfaksdlhfwEI;hjd fkbvnkclasjhdfijak YOU GODDAMN STUPID FUCKTARDS. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH EVERYONE. WHERE DID THE PERSONALITY GO? WHY THE FUCK IS JAMES BEATING HIMSELF UP OVER THIS, BUT ALL AND ONLY ALONG ONE NOTE? WHERE WAS THE REALISTIC SORT OF AMBIGUITY OF IT ALL FROM BEFORE THAT MADE IT REALISTIC AND INTERESTING? WHY IS IT THESE FUCKING IDIOTS ONLY HAVE A SINGLE DIRECTIVE?
What else even would have made this better if LOREN HAD BEEN PURPOSEFULLY MANIPULATING JAMES TO MAKE HIM REACT LIKE A STUPID FUCKTARD IDIOT. Instead, Loren's a stupid bland pointless idiot who does stuff for no discernible reason except Author Said So and James is a stupid thick idiot Because Author Said So.
75/196 I don't know if I can stand going through the whole thing. There's just so much lost potential that there's no way to recover. Anything emotional that happens is unbelievable now and frankly, kind of painful because it all feels contrived.
Bringing in Robert was a mistake. It could have been not a mistake, if things had been set, but it was a mistake because Loren's status has not been set. I get what the author's trying to do with the whole "shaking things up" impetus, but the main problem with that is NOTHING HAS BEEN SET TO BE SHAKEN UP. It's all tenuous and wobbly already, and adding in the stupid Robert thing just creates bullshit and rape-love aspects to the "budding romance."
Oh, wow, what the fuck. I thought Robert was going to be something different but no, he's another "let's vilify James" character.
Again, fucking why?
It dumbs down the complexity level of the story, painfully so. The worst part was I felt like there was some sort of characterization before. It's like having to go from Photoshop CS5.1 Extended to PSE10. It's just painful and really shitty and probably for stupid reasons.
"The slave collar imprisoned James, as well as Loren."
^More accurate would have been "The slave collar ironically imprisoned James, instead of Loren."
There has to be some sort of white guilt parallel here. It's like--
WEHUSDNJKMWEJQLIRUTGDFSNJQWJEHRGUDVNSQWE HURGJCVNKAWERHSDVFNJKLERGH DKSMLFGAEDNJKLJH
Fuck this shit. I'm out. The worst part is how much god damn potential this fucking story had, and all of it squandered, trampled, wasted. If it were just shitty, then I'd ditch it, no problem. But it's not just shitty. It's idiotic and moronic, but I feel like it could have been not.
GODDAMN IT ALL.
DNF ~44%
87p
FINAL VERDICT: So Much Lost Potential...
October 30, 2016
**Grammar**
James is a lord on an undercover mission,searching for his family treasure that was stolen. The Luck was a gift from the elven lord, as a friendship reward. Each human lord received a Luck, but James'was stolen.During one of his investigation he finds a man named Alain that has an elf as slave. The elf is the only chance to get in The Land Between. The poor elf, beautiful, real name Loren, was abused by his master for 7 years and his body used also to pay the men that sometimes won his master at gambling. I really dont like rape themes and slavery in general but i continued read hoping would get better after James' won the slave. James is a man in his 30, that fooled around with men and women before he got married. He really loved his wife and from her got a daughter that now is 6 years old. One day his father gets killed, while James is out and the Luck is stolen,losing that magic makes the vines dying and his wife get ill, and she dies. James is desperate and also if he wants to free the elf, he cant, bcs he needs him to get the Luck back. James never uses Loren, as Alain did, he is gentle and cares for him, but sometimes uses a command to make Loren follow him or do something, and all the time they go back to master and slave, also if they were becoming friends. Alain that actually I would have killed if had a chance to make him suffer in real life,doesnt give up on searching for Loren, his toy. James and Loren get attacked and the elf wounded with iron, they will kill the bandits and go in a village where weeks will pass and Loren will heal. During that time, James falls in love with the elf, but he knows nothing can happen, and Loren with his elf abilities understands what James' feels. One night they need to escape bcs Alain's men find them. More days pass till they arrive in The Dupree land. There Loren meets James' daughter and mother. He likes them and living with them he understands how is James for real. He starts to care from the man, but he still wants to leave and resents him for the slave' collar that he still didnt take off from him. One day James receives a letter where one of the man he needs to give money back, Edward, asks him to give in the future his daughter to him to marry, and now his pretty elf slave, that he had the pleasure to use before. James cant and never would give his daughter or Loren, never would want the elf to be used again, to dont have a choise. He decides to leave and go on with his mission, also if is winter. James' mother asks him to dont go bcs is dangerous and the same asks Loren, but the men gets angry and again commands Loren to follow him. He is doing this for a good cause, but Loren doesnt know and gets angry, bcs he thought they had become friends, and now James is umiliating him infront of his family.
They leave the house and Loren doesn talk to him for days. One night the weather is so bad they need shelter, and not far away lives one of James' friends.Is all good till James' friend tries to take off the wet cloack and the sharf from the elf. Loren doesnt like to get touched, and with his eyes asks James' to stop his friend. James doesnt understand why he is acting like this, and commands him to let the man help with his clothes. They fight again pratically, and just later James will find out that his "friend" had been at one of Alain's party, and also is he hadnt used the elf he had wanted to and knew what they had done to him, maybe also saw it.Loren intercepts a letter that the man is trying to send to Alain telling him where is little pretty toy is, and he lets James read it. That night they run away.
Is soo cold, and the mortal man, cant survive much more. Also if Loren hugs him to share his body's heat, the human is dying and he doesnt want James,Jamie how he calls him in his mind, to die, and at the same time James tells the elf to leave and live. Loren decides to use a spell to form a bond btw them, a so intimate gesture that is ussually done btw only lovers, family, or really close friends. He asks James' the key for the collar, bcs he needs all his power to save him. He is finally free he could run, but he stays here saving James, after the bond Loren understands that he has fallen in love with the mortal, but cant say to him anything bcs also if they have mutual feelings, they could never be together. After more days they finally arrive in the elf's country and there James understands that Loren is a prince and his father is the man that had given the Luck to the mortal's Lords, that in the end had betrayed him and exiled the elves in this land. Only the Dupree hadnt attacked the elf, but Varen's the king, answers that they didnt even help.
Loren passes a lot of time with his family,telling his father all that happened to him(he found out his mother died for the pain of having lost him),at the same time, James starts to pass a lot of time with Thorne, one of Loren's cousins. Loren is jealous, like James had been before when during the trip a Traveler had asked Loren to bed his daugher and the elf had declined, or when Loren had danced with other ppl, but Loren cant do anything, also if he would like James to be faithfull to him, they never talked about their feeling, the human doesnt know that Loren loves him too.
At start James refuses Thorne's advances, but each day he sees Loren less and the elf never helps him with the Luck. Weeks pass and one day Thorne asks James to pass some time with him, the man is so furious with Loren they fought again, and the only thing James wants is to forget. He sleeps with Thorne and i hated it, i couldnt belive he did that, but the pages that take us to this point make this have sense. I still consider it cheating bcs he loves Loren and idk how he can sleep with another, but at the same time he and Loren were never a couple or talked about their feeling, James doesnt know the elf loves him, and actually is also Loren faults he took this decision. The night James follows Thorne to his room, and they have sex again. The moring after Loren is waiting for James, and asks him where he was, James feels guilty but proudly answers he was with Thorne. I was sad for Loren to know that the man he loves slept with another. Loren doesnt reply so James asks him again for the Luck, Loren tells the man to belive him that he will get it back, but James has lost faith and forgetting the role they have now, he orders the elf to retrive it. Loren gets angry but he doesnt have the time to answer, bcs his father heard all and tells James that only he can give the Luck back to him( the guys who had stolen it was killed long time ago), not his son, and after tells him to leave.
James is desprate and runs away, searching confort in Thorne's arms. The same day while the two men are talking,James finds out that Thorne had helped Alain to kidnap his cousin the first time. James cant belive this, he wants to think that the elf handnt known what the man would have done to his cousin, but when Thorne answers that he knew, James feels dirty and schoked, he cant belive he let this scum touch him. He doesnt want Loren to suffer, also if he is angry at him, he still loves the elf. Thorne asks James to help him with his plan, get Loren back to Alain and in exchange he will give James the Luck.
James cant betray Loren also if he will never have the Luck again, so the day after when Loren is escorting him to the border and bandits attack them, Loren's cousin doesnt know that is all an act, that the night before he had said all to Loren and asked for help. The bandits gets killed by Ashe and Sil, also them Loren's cousins, and Thore is taken prisoner.
Loren askes James to walk with him, and they talk. Finally Loren tells James about his feelings and that he knew James loved him. The mortal tells him he bedded Thorne and Loren replies that he knew, than Loren gives him the Luck. They kiss and Loren asks him to pass the night with him, but James refuses bcs he cant make love to him, knowing he will never see the elf again. They say goodbye for the last time.
The last chapter, starts one year later, where we see James still thinking about Loren, and watchign the panting he made of the elf, his vines getting stronger, thanks also to the elven's vine that Loren had given him. A Traveller caravan enters his land, and Robert, a man working for James, asks his lord if he wants to go down. James is greeting the travellers when a familiar voice calls his name. Loren come back to stay with him, the elf kisses him, and asks him if he will let him stay and James has only an answer,and is "yes".
That night they wil make love, with Loren being the one on top, but James knows that they will have time to explore their bodies.
Loren knows that one day James will die, but he will not leave him till that day, bcs what he loves is not only his body.
Anyway that is sad, but we dont know if the bond they formed when Loren saved James, caused the man to age slowly or live longer, could be possible, also because before we read Loren thinking that this was never tried on mortal, so he doesnt know what will cause.
I can belive what i want than.
The writing was good, and the book interesting, and i loved Jamesd and Loren, but sometiems was too sad and painful to bear, thinking about all that happend to Loren, also if we dont read about the rapes or violences, is clear they happend, and we know Loren bedded a lot of men in his slavery.All the time they were becoming friends and after James used commands, and they went back to starngers, was tiring.
I admit that if James hadnt bedded Thorne i would have ignored the previous relationships with women,and given 4 stars to the book, but i cant after all i read. The book make me cry and most of the time wasnt for good emotions. A 3 than, i think deserved. I will try see other books from this author if the themes will be lighter.
James is a lord on an undercover mission,searching for his family treasure that was stolen. The Luck was a gift from the elven lord, as a friendship reward. Each human lord received a Luck, but James'was stolen.During one of his investigation he finds a man named Alain that has an elf as slave. The elf is the only chance to get in The Land Between. The poor elf, beautiful, real name Loren, was abused by his master for 7 years and his body used also to pay the men that sometimes won his master at gambling. I really dont like rape themes and slavery in general but i continued read hoping would get better after James' won the slave. James is a man in his 30, that fooled around with men and women before he got married. He really loved his wife and from her got a daughter that now is 6 years old. One day his father gets killed, while James is out and the Luck is stolen,losing that magic makes the vines dying and his wife get ill, and she dies. James is desperate and also if he wants to free the elf, he cant, bcs he needs him to get the Luck back. James never uses Loren, as Alain did, he is gentle and cares for him, but sometimes uses a command to make Loren follow him or do something, and all the time they go back to master and slave, also if they were becoming friends. Alain that actually I would have killed if had a chance to make him suffer in real life,doesnt give up on searching for Loren, his toy. James and Loren get attacked and the elf wounded with iron, they will kill the bandits and go in a village where weeks will pass and Loren will heal. During that time, James falls in love with the elf, but he knows nothing can happen, and Loren with his elf abilities understands what James' feels. One night they need to escape bcs Alain's men find them. More days pass till they arrive in The Dupree land. There Loren meets James' daughter and mother. He likes them and living with them he understands how is James for real. He starts to care from the man, but he still wants to leave and resents him for the slave' collar that he still didnt take off from him. One day James receives a letter where one of the man he needs to give money back, Edward, asks him to give in the future his daughter to him to marry, and now his pretty elf slave, that he had the pleasure to use before. James cant and never would give his daughter or Loren, never would want the elf to be used again, to dont have a choise. He decides to leave and go on with his mission, also if is winter. James' mother asks him to dont go bcs is dangerous and the same asks Loren, but the men gets angry and again commands Loren to follow him. He is doing this for a good cause, but Loren doesnt know and gets angry, bcs he thought they had become friends, and now James is umiliating him infront of his family.
They leave the house and Loren doesn talk to him for days. One night the weather is so bad they need shelter, and not far away lives one of James' friends.Is all good till James' friend tries to take off the wet cloack and the sharf from the elf. Loren doesnt like to get touched, and with his eyes asks James' to stop his friend. James doesnt understand why he is acting like this, and commands him to let the man help with his clothes. They fight again pratically, and just later James will find out that his "friend" had been at one of Alain's party, and also is he hadnt used the elf he had wanted to and knew what they had done to him, maybe also saw it.Loren intercepts a letter that the man is trying to send to Alain telling him where is little pretty toy is, and he lets James read it. That night they run away.
Is soo cold, and the mortal man, cant survive much more. Also if Loren hugs him to share his body's heat, the human is dying and he doesnt want James,Jamie how he calls him in his mind, to die, and at the same time James tells the elf to leave and live. Loren decides to use a spell to form a bond btw them, a so intimate gesture that is ussually done btw only lovers, family, or really close friends. He asks James' the key for the collar, bcs he needs all his power to save him. He is finally free he could run, but he stays here saving James, after the bond Loren understands that he has fallen in love with the mortal, but cant say to him anything bcs also if they have mutual feelings, they could never be together. After more days they finally arrive in the elf's country and there James understands that Loren is a prince and his father is the man that had given the Luck to the mortal's Lords, that in the end had betrayed him and exiled the elves in this land. Only the Dupree hadnt attacked the elf, but Varen's the king, answers that they didnt even help.
Loren passes a lot of time with his family,telling his father all that happened to him(he found out his mother died for the pain of having lost him),at the same time, James starts to pass a lot of time with Thorne, one of Loren's cousins. Loren is jealous, like James had been before when during the trip a Traveler had asked Loren to bed his daugher and the elf had declined, or when Loren had danced with other ppl, but Loren cant do anything, also if he would like James to be faithfull to him, they never talked about their feeling, the human doesnt know that Loren loves him too.
At start James refuses Thorne's advances, but each day he sees Loren less and the elf never helps him with the Luck. Weeks pass and one day Thorne asks James to pass some time with him, the man is so furious with Loren they fought again, and the only thing James wants is to forget. He sleeps with Thorne and i hated it, i couldnt belive he did that, but the pages that take us to this point make this have sense. I still consider it cheating bcs he loves Loren and idk how he can sleep with another, but at the same time he and Loren were never a couple or talked about their feeling, James doesnt know the elf loves him, and actually is also Loren faults he took this decision. The night James follows Thorne to his room, and they have sex again. The moring after Loren is waiting for James, and asks him where he was, James feels guilty but proudly answers he was with Thorne. I was sad for Loren to know that the man he loves slept with another. Loren doesnt reply so James asks him again for the Luck, Loren tells the man to belive him that he will get it back, but James has lost faith and forgetting the role they have now, he orders the elf to retrive it. Loren gets angry but he doesnt have the time to answer, bcs his father heard all and tells James that only he can give the Luck back to him( the guys who had stolen it was killed long time ago), not his son, and after tells him to leave.
James is desprate and runs away, searching confort in Thorne's arms. The same day while the two men are talking,James finds out that Thorne had helped Alain to kidnap his cousin the first time. James cant belive this, he wants to think that the elf handnt known what the man would have done to his cousin, but when Thorne answers that he knew, James feels dirty and schoked, he cant belive he let this scum touch him. He doesnt want Loren to suffer, also if he is angry at him, he still loves the elf. Thorne asks James to help him with his plan, get Loren back to Alain and in exchange he will give James the Luck.
James cant betray Loren also if he will never have the Luck again, so the day after when Loren is escorting him to the border and bandits attack them, Loren's cousin doesnt know that is all an act, that the night before he had said all to Loren and asked for help. The bandits gets killed by Ashe and Sil, also them Loren's cousins, and Thore is taken prisoner.
Loren askes James to walk with him, and they talk. Finally Loren tells James about his feelings and that he knew James loved him. The mortal tells him he bedded Thorne and Loren replies that he knew, than Loren gives him the Luck. They kiss and Loren asks him to pass the night with him, but James refuses bcs he cant make love to him, knowing he will never see the elf again. They say goodbye for the last time.
The last chapter, starts one year later, where we see James still thinking about Loren, and watchign the panting he made of the elf, his vines getting stronger, thanks also to the elven's vine that Loren had given him. A Traveller caravan enters his land, and Robert, a man working for James, asks his lord if he wants to go down. James is greeting the travellers when a familiar voice calls his name. Loren come back to stay with him, the elf kisses him, and asks him if he will let him stay and James has only an answer,and is "yes".
That night they wil make love, with Loren being the one on top, but James knows that they will have time to explore their bodies.
Loren knows that one day James will die, but he will not leave him till that day, bcs what he loves is not only his body.
Anyway that is sad, but we dont know if the bond they formed when Loren saved James, caused the man to age slowly or live longer, could be possible, also because before we read Loren thinking that this was never tried on mortal, so he doesnt know what will cause.
I can belive what i want than.
The writing was good, and the book interesting, and i loved Jamesd and Loren, but sometiems was too sad and painful to bear, thinking about all that happend to Loren, also if we dont read about the rapes or violences, is clear they happend, and we know Loren bedded a lot of men in his slavery.All the time they were becoming friends and after James used commands, and they went back to starngers, was tiring.
I admit that if James hadnt bedded Thorne i would have ignored the previous relationships with women,and given 4 stars to the book, but i cant after all i read. The book make me cry and most of the time wasnt for good emotions. A 3 than, i think deserved. I will try see other books from this author if the themes will be lighter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2013
I really wanted to like this one - the beginning is pretty good and both characters had potential. But it really stalls midway and I didn't like the last 30% or so. Review to come.
July 23, 2019
CW for slavery and abuse. I was hesitant to give the whole four stars, but the book was too good for just three ;-)
I listened to it in a short time, the narrator did a great job, I was emotionally involved and wanted to know how it would work out. Also I was satisfied with the way consent was treated in this difficult situation with one of the heroes being a captive to the other. I have read another fantasy romance where the heroine was captive to the hero, and I hated that they had sexual interactions while she was not free. This never happens here, both heroes take the subject of captivity very seriously.
I did not wholly like the heroes, both annoyed me from time to time, especially James. Then I had some issue with the use of mortal and immortal. Immortal only seems to mean having a really long life expectancy, as elves are dying throughout the book. I was not as much into the traveling, but I know plenty of people whose catnip that is. For those who are into this for the sex: it takes a long time, and the first time is with the wrong guy! But the longing is nice.
I listened to it in a short time, the narrator did a great job, I was emotionally involved and wanted to know how it would work out. Also I was satisfied with the way consent was treated in this difficult situation with one of the heroes being a captive to the other. I have read another fantasy romance where the heroine was captive to the hero, and I hated that they had sexual interactions while she was not free. This never happens here, both heroes take the subject of captivity very seriously.
I did not wholly like the heroes, both annoyed me from time to time, especially James. Then I had some issue with the use of mortal and immortal. Immortal only seems to mean having a really long life expectancy, as elves are dying throughout the book. I was not as much into the traveling, but I know plenty of people whose catnip that is. For those who are into this for the sex: it takes a long time, and the first time is with the wrong guy! But the longing is nice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2021
It had its moments and I do love a good adventure and gay sexy times. But James was kind of awful a lot of the time and Loren forgave far too much.
May 7, 2022
In some ways this was only 4 stars but my enjoyment factor made it a strong 4.5, so rounding it up!
Honestly I was expecting more a BDSM novel. Lots of sex scenes. No. I got a rare slow burn romance instead that I really liked. So we have the lord, James, who won a rare elf slave in a game of chance. He is utterly against slavery but in desperation of saving his family and all those under his protection keeps the elf in slave status but overall does not treat his as one, to the best of his ability. He only demands one thing, for the elf to help him get their Luck back to save those he cares for. Understandable, but still so wrong.
Loren, the elven slave, is a mix of strong will in challenging James, yet also submissive due to fear and distrust. There is a lot of miscommunication between these two.
I liked the character building and how complex they were. A bit annoying at times but overall, great. I quickly devoured this book. Once I started, it was all I wanted to do on my free time.
Honestly I was expecting more a BDSM novel. Lots of sex scenes. No. I got a rare slow burn romance instead that I really liked. So we have the lord, James, who won a rare elf slave in a game of chance. He is utterly against slavery but in desperation of saving his family and all those under his protection keeps the elf in slave status but overall does not treat his as one, to the best of his ability. He only demands one thing, for the elf to help him get their Luck back to save those he cares for. Understandable, but still so wrong.
Loren, the elven slave, is a mix of strong will in challenging James, yet also submissive due to fear and distrust. There is a lot of miscommunication between these two.
I liked the character building and how complex they were. A bit annoying at times but overall, great. I quickly devoured this book. Once I started, it was all I wanted to do on my free time.
July 2, 2013
Blending adventure in the form of a quest and intrigue along with deep character driven plot sets this book apart from many lighter, and I go so far as to say, lesser works in the fantasy romance and historical paranormal romance categories. I was amazed by what happened along with the physical journey as well as, for lack of a better term, the spiritual journey between a human and the elf he sought to bend to his wishes even while promising himself and the elf that it was for a greater good.
James' family once had a special token of luck given them by the elves that the removal of which took any good from their family and their lands. His only hope to save it all is to recover the luck and he knows where it is. It was used so that a mortal could gain access to the elven lands of In Between. To retrieve it, he needs an elf to guide him so he uses his gambling skills and wins an elven slave from his master.
Loren has been used and abused by mortals for so long that he only feels hate and fear toward them. His new master, James, swears he only wants him to lead him into elven lands to find his family's luck and then he will free Loren. How could he possibly trust a man who may be an improvement on his last master, but in all essentials is still holding him as a slave?
The two make their way north moving from hostility to wary neutrality to even friendship as they share so much. James brings Loren home to his lands just ahead of those who would take Loren from him. Now that things have changed between them and he knows of Loren's sufferings and has learned to know and like Loren, he is wracked with guilt for the slave collar that he refuses to remove and with guilt for feeling the way he does for the elf. On Loren's side, he feels much differently toward James and even likes him, but he cannot forgive him with a slave collar around his neck.
I was caught up in the story from page one. The slavery issue in this story and what it did to those tainted by it was so masterfully handled that I acknowledge it as the strongest piece to me. Right behind it was my enthrallment with the characters of James and Loren. No easy fantasy romance for these two or merely an enemies to lovers romance. It was so much more. It was a trust and a friendship that led to a fierce love that had to be set aside because of the gulf between them.
Speaking of the romance, this book contains dark subject matter in that its about an abused slave, but it is not erotica. There is passion, but it is not acted upon for some time because it is not the focus until all the barriers have been hard fought and pushed aside. In my opinion, this way of writing in the romantic plot was the best way of doing it that would make sense with all the other stuff going on.
So in the end, I was so sated by this story that I can only recommend it heartily and without reservation to those who love m/m fantasy romance or even historical paranormal romance.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing the book for review purposes.
James' family once had a special token of luck given them by the elves that the removal of which took any good from their family and their lands. His only hope to save it all is to recover the luck and he knows where it is. It was used so that a mortal could gain access to the elven lands of In Between. To retrieve it, he needs an elf to guide him so he uses his gambling skills and wins an elven slave from his master.
Loren has been used and abused by mortals for so long that he only feels hate and fear toward them. His new master, James, swears he only wants him to lead him into elven lands to find his family's luck and then he will free Loren. How could he possibly trust a man who may be an improvement on his last master, but in all essentials is still holding him as a slave?
The two make their way north moving from hostility to wary neutrality to even friendship as they share so much. James brings Loren home to his lands just ahead of those who would take Loren from him. Now that things have changed between them and he knows of Loren's sufferings and has learned to know and like Loren, he is wracked with guilt for the slave collar that he refuses to remove and with guilt for feeling the way he does for the elf. On Loren's side, he feels much differently toward James and even likes him, but he cannot forgive him with a slave collar around his neck.
I was caught up in the story from page one. The slavery issue in this story and what it did to those tainted by it was so masterfully handled that I acknowledge it as the strongest piece to me. Right behind it was my enthrallment with the characters of James and Loren. No easy fantasy romance for these two or merely an enemies to lovers romance. It was so much more. It was a trust and a friendship that led to a fierce love that had to be set aside because of the gulf between them.
Speaking of the romance, this book contains dark subject matter in that its about an abused slave, but it is not erotica. There is passion, but it is not acted upon for some time because it is not the focus until all the barriers have been hard fought and pushed aside. In my opinion, this way of writing in the romantic plot was the best way of doing it that would make sense with all the other stuff going on.
So in the end, I was so sated by this story that I can only recommend it heartily and without reservation to those who love m/m fantasy romance or even historical paranormal romance.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing the book for review purposes.
June 28, 2013
James Dupree wins an elven slave, Loren, in a card game, it's a deliberate act as he needs the elf slave to guide him in his search through the Lands Between for his families stolen Luck. Without the return of the Luck his family faces ruin. Loren, the elf, doesn't trust James, or humans at all, too used to being abused he expects James to do the same.
James doesn't like keeping Loren a slave he is ashamed and full of guilt and as such treats Loren with as much respect as he can, and when he starts to realise he is attracted to Loren he knows he can't act on it as that would be reprehensible. I liked James; he was a decent, honourable man. Loren was a surprisingly strong character, kidnapped and forced into service as a pleasure slave; he is angry and doesn't trust James at all. Gradually as they travel the Lands Between looking for the Luck an understanding develops between them which sustain them when trouble strikes. Can they find the stolen Luck and return prosperity to the Dupree Lands, and then where does it leave master and slave?
The story is told in a slow descriptive way, this comes out well in the audiobook, the reader has time to absorb each scene, especially important if you are listening to an audio recording of a book you haven't read. The worlds are well developed and the conflict between the mortal and Elven world is simply explained allowing the reader to follow along quite easily.
The Stolen Luck by Shawna Reppert is well written, interesting, with captivating characters and wonderful world building, a perfect fantasy tale with a very satisfying ending.
For lovers of audiobooks The Stolen Luck is highly recommended. Charles Carr is an excellent reader; he uses different voices for the characters and reads the story with just the right tone and inflection, and at a perfect pace. In an audiobook I honestly feel the quality of the reader is far more important than the quality of the story and while the story is good and interesting, Charles Carr's narration is superb. The audiobook runs for just over 8 hours, and I rate it as one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to. Carina Press is consistent as one of the best producers of audiobooks. I loved this story, and would happily listen to it again; in fact I'm sure a sunny beach beckons very soon.
Josie's 4 sweet pea review appears at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
James doesn't like keeping Loren a slave he is ashamed and full of guilt and as such treats Loren with as much respect as he can, and when he starts to realise he is attracted to Loren he knows he can't act on it as that would be reprehensible. I liked James; he was a decent, honourable man. Loren was a surprisingly strong character, kidnapped and forced into service as a pleasure slave; he is angry and doesn't trust James at all. Gradually as they travel the Lands Between looking for the Luck an understanding develops between them which sustain them when trouble strikes. Can they find the stolen Luck and return prosperity to the Dupree Lands, and then where does it leave master and slave?
The story is told in a slow descriptive way, this comes out well in the audiobook, the reader has time to absorb each scene, especially important if you are listening to an audio recording of a book you haven't read. The worlds are well developed and the conflict between the mortal and Elven world is simply explained allowing the reader to follow along quite easily.
The Stolen Luck by Shawna Reppert is well written, interesting, with captivating characters and wonderful world building, a perfect fantasy tale with a very satisfying ending.
For lovers of audiobooks The Stolen Luck is highly recommended. Charles Carr is an excellent reader; he uses different voices for the characters and reads the story with just the right tone and inflection, and at a perfect pace. In an audiobook I honestly feel the quality of the reader is far more important than the quality of the story and while the story is good and interesting, Charles Carr's narration is superb. The audiobook runs for just over 8 hours, and I rate it as one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to. Carina Press is consistent as one of the best producers of audiobooks. I loved this story, and would happily listen to it again; in fact I'm sure a sunny beach beckons very soon.
Josie's 4 sweet pea review appears at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
May 20, 2025
The premise really drew me in, but the execution didn't quite land for me. The idea of someone from a vehemently anti-slavery culture being desperate enough to restore his land's fortunes (literally, in the form of retrieving a magical artifact that embodies that fortune) that he wins a slave who can help him and then feels he can't free him despite his own moral compass, is an interesting place to start from. I also liked the idea of fortunes of various kinds being a physical, magical artifact.
I thought the pacing of a few beginning scenes was a bit off, but not enough to keep me from reading. Unfortunately, the story really dragged about a third to a half of the way through, and I nearly dropped the book; at this point, James and Loren have returned to James's home estate. Their angst became pretty repetitive and hard to take seriously. James is sad because he feels bad about owning a slave but he just can't justify the risk that Loren won't help him if he frees him because what about his poor family and farmers. Meanwhile, Loren is sad because James is sooo kind and treats him like a friend but supposedly has total power over him (while he is allowed to gallop off alone on a horse for hours, is fully treated as a guest at the estate, is surrounded by people who are staunchly against slavery and say they will help him, and even admits to himself that the only thing really keeping him there is that he gave his word that he would help James). I felt like the author wasn't comfortable with how to move from one character owning the other to a happy, consensual ending and so softened the heck out of it, but it made for odd reading, because it lacked much of the real horror of slavery and made the whole thing feel unconvincing. I kept wondering why James didn't just free Loren and get the whole thing over with.
The story picked up for a while after that, but then there is a part where Loren soulbonds with James after being freed (finally) to save his life, which came out of nowhere and doesn't have any real impact on the story afterward. The last section does have some plot and intrigue and beautiful fantasy imagery, which was nice, although admittedly my interest had flagged somewhat by then.
Stylistically, on top of the repetitive angst, there was some repetitive phrasing ('shivering convulsively' appears three times on three consecutive pages) and overuse of epithets (James and Loren constantly refer to each other as 'the mortal' and 'the elf' and the like, when there's no good reason not to use their names). I did enjoy the descriptions of the various locations and felt like the author did a good job of painting a lovely mental picture.
I thought the pacing of a few beginning scenes was a bit off, but not enough to keep me from reading. Unfortunately, the story really dragged about a third to a half of the way through, and I nearly dropped the book; at this point, James and Loren have returned to James's home estate. Their angst became pretty repetitive and hard to take seriously. James is sad because he feels bad about owning a slave but he just can't justify the risk that Loren won't help him if he frees him because what about his poor family and farmers. Meanwhile, Loren is sad because James is sooo kind and treats him like a friend but supposedly has total power over him (while he is allowed to gallop off alone on a horse for hours, is fully treated as a guest at the estate, is surrounded by people who are staunchly against slavery and say they will help him, and even admits to himself that the only thing really keeping him there is that he gave his word that he would help James). I felt like the author wasn't comfortable with how to move from one character owning the other to a happy, consensual ending and so softened the heck out of it, but it made for odd reading, because it lacked much of the real horror of slavery and made the whole thing feel unconvincing. I kept wondering why James didn't just free Loren and get the whole thing over with.
The story picked up for a while after that, but then there is a part where Loren soulbonds with James after being freed (finally) to save his life, which came out of nowhere and doesn't have any real impact on the story afterward. The last section does have some plot and intrigue and beautiful fantasy imagery, which was nice, although admittedly my interest had flagged somewhat by then.
Stylistically, on top of the repetitive angst, there was some repetitive phrasing ('shivering convulsively' appears three times on three consecutive pages) and overuse of epithets (James and Loren constantly refer to each other as 'the mortal' and 'the elf' and the like, when there's no good reason not to use their names). I did enjoy the descriptions of the various locations and felt like the author did a good job of painting a lovely mental picture.
December 23, 2022
Interesting premise, lots of potential, but the writing was clunky and, more importantly, the characters' behavior was just off.
James is supposed to have gambled to win the fae slave, Loren, as a last resort (see book description, I'm too lazy to recap) despite belonging to an anti-slavery culture, but the specific ways in which he falls into acting like the owner he is just don't feel credible, or they're so OTT as to cost him all sympathy. Shortly after winning Loren, he loses his temper and threatens Loren with castration -- which, a writer would have to do a lot of work to make a character come back from that, either for the reader or for the slave. I absolutely did not believe that Loren would come to trust James as quickly as he did, especially not when James repeatedly behaves abominably toward him.
I would have expected someone in James's shoes to slide into acting "like a slave owner" in tiny increments, you know? And I don't want to say that the pattern of behavior Reppert writes for him is impossible -- it just would have taken serious characterization chops.
And as for Loren, he's meant to have suffered years of abuse both sexual and straight-up violent. I dunno, what is "believable" when you're writing a person who belongs to a nonexistent species? But having read a bit about the experiences of people held in actual chattel slavery in the US, I thought Reppert waaaaaaaaaaaay underplayed the psychic damage, not to mention the ways enslaved people find to conceal their thoughts and feelings from their owners. Loren's character doesn't reflect any of that ... and again, fae, so what's realistic? -- but I was left with the feeling that Reppert was minimizing the effects of enslavement even while depicting the very worst conditions of it. Maybe I'm making too much of that, I don't know: this is a fantasy novel, etc. I guess it's that minimizing the damage done by slavery is a poison at the heart of the country I'm a citizen of, and it just doesn't sit right with me.
James is supposed to have gambled to win the fae slave, Loren, as a last resort (see book description, I'm too lazy to recap) despite belonging to an anti-slavery culture, but the specific ways in which he falls into acting like the owner he is just don't feel credible, or they're so OTT as to cost him all sympathy. Shortly after winning Loren, he loses his temper and threatens Loren with castration -- which, a writer would have to do a lot of work to make a character come back from that, either for the reader or for the slave. I absolutely did not believe that Loren would come to trust James as quickly as he did, especially not when James repeatedly behaves abominably toward him.
I would have expected someone in James's shoes to slide into acting "like a slave owner" in tiny increments, you know? And I don't want to say that the pattern of behavior Reppert writes for him is impossible -- it just would have taken serious characterization chops.
And as for Loren, he's meant to have suffered years of abuse both sexual and straight-up violent. I dunno, what is "believable" when you're writing a person who belongs to a nonexistent species? But having read a bit about the experiences of people held in actual chattel slavery in the US, I thought Reppert waaaaaaaaaaaay underplayed the psychic damage, not to mention the ways enslaved people find to conceal their thoughts and feelings from their owners. Loren's character doesn't reflect any of that ... and again, fae, so what's realistic? -- but I was left with the feeling that Reppert was minimizing the effects of enslavement even while depicting the very worst conditions of it. Maybe I'm making too much of that, I don't know: this is a fantasy novel, etc. I guess it's that minimizing the damage done by slavery is a poison at the heart of the country I'm a citizen of, and it just doesn't sit right with me.
May 12, 2020
The book is literally about a slave & a master - a "kind slave-master" who buys an elf and enslaves him. The two men fall in love along a journey to retrieve an item that was taken from the slave-master's family.
It's not poorly written, and the characters are interesting. The world building is adequate. It is good fantasy w/ a hint of romance.
But it's about a slave-master & a slave falling in love... Not BDSM, but actual slavery.
James constantly reminds the elf that he's a slave. It's so uncomfortable, to the point where I hate James, I think. He orders him to do all kinds of shit that makes Loren feel like a second class citizen, always angry and shouting, and acting like it's Loren's fault he's a slave. Idk. It's not outwardly offensive, but it is unsettling because of how Loren sympathizes with James and the reason why he enslaved the elf.
As an American, this story felt weird, but I finished it...
That's all I've got for you. If actual slaves falling in love with their masters is your kink, here ya go.
It's not poorly written, and the characters are interesting. The world building is adequate. It is good fantasy w/ a hint of romance.
But it's about a slave-master & a slave falling in love... Not BDSM, but actual slavery.
James constantly reminds the elf that he's a slave. It's so uncomfortable, to the point where I hate James, I think. He orders him to do all kinds of shit that makes Loren feel like a second class citizen, always angry and shouting, and acting like it's Loren's fault he's a slave. Idk. It's not outwardly offensive, but it is unsettling because of how Loren sympathizes with James and the reason why he enslaved the elf.
As an American, this story felt weird, but I finished it...
That's all I've got for you. If actual slaves falling in love with their masters is your kink, here ya go.
March 14, 2019
This was not an easy or light read, for there is very little in the way of comedy. There are moments of lightness & a relative peace, but there is always, at the very least, a slight sense of tension & a shoe waiting to drop. It is good that it is dual 3rd person POV, so that we can know what James and Loren are thinking. They are complex characters and it is a fairly complex story. James & Loren are the only people, with the exception of James' mother & daughter, who you feel you can trust throughout, (though James is quite moody & excels at sticking his foot in his mouth). They meet many enemies & others who might be on their side, but might be in league with their enemies.
It is a well-written story & a well-narrated audiobook, at least in my opinion. I'm glad to have listened to it & will likely listen to it again, somewhere down the line.
It is a well-written story & a well-narrated audiobook, at least in my opinion. I'm glad to have listened to it & will likely listen to it again, somewhere down the line.
May 4, 2019
This story is full of intrigue, despair, un-trust, trust, focuses on differing classes, and the potential for a love match between elfin folk and a mortal born. I enjoyed the story of Loren and James and though I will admit that it took forever for the love to be admitted, I understand the reasoning...the story by Shawna Reppert was well thought out and causes the reader to hunger for the hopefully inevitable HEA and the narration of Charles Carr adds fuel to the fire of hope and desire. Really enjoyed this tale...
August 5, 2019
I usually avoid romances that involve slavery since many excuse or even romanticize slavery. But I'm glad I took a chance on what turned out to be a surprisingly light, sweet romance. Both James and Loren are likable characters (though James is such a nice person that the premise of him buying a slave almost doesn't work as a concept) who gradually develop feelings for one another despite both being unwilling to start a relationship while Loren is enslaved. Unlike a lot of superficially similar stories, the story isn't overly dark in tone, and it often feels like a fantasy enemies-to-lovers story—until something intentionally brings the awful reality crashing back in on the characters and the reader. Despite a few mostly minor missteps dealing with the subject matter, there's a good balance of romance and angst, and the slow burn necessitated by Loren being unable to consent until he's free was very well paced.
January 19, 2020
Technically a DNF - but I didn't stop until 7/8ths of the way through. I truly enjoyed that much of the book - the universe was great, the characters were flawed but not too flawed...
Then the author broke one of the cardinal rules of romance novels, and now I am sick to my stomach and fighting back tears.
Just. No.
Then the author broke one of the cardinal rules of romance novels, and now I am sick to my stomach and fighting back tears.
Just. No.
December 10, 2017
More plot than romance. (My type of romance)
I liked the plot a whole lot more than the characters. Maybe closer to 2.5 stars than 3, but that was more due to the narration, not a new favourite narrator.
If more of this authors books turn up on Audible, I'll definitely try them out.
I liked the plot a whole lot more than the characters. Maybe closer to 2.5 stars than 3, but that was more due to the narration, not a new favourite narrator.
If more of this authors books turn up on Audible, I'll definitely try them out.
October 7, 2018
My favorite book of the year. Very well written, engaging characters, a wonderful fantasy with adventure, love and no graphic sex. I will buy every gay fantasy novel this author writes and I sure hope I don't have to wait very long for another one.
June 3, 2019
Every moment when James starts to become likeable, he acts like a gigantic arse again! And it's infuriating every time! ARRGGGG stupid stupid stupid!! And anytime Loren forgives him I get mad at him too! It just kind of takes over my enjoyment of anything else.
September 3, 2025
I enjoyed the evolution of James and Loren's relationship, and Loren was a really likeable character.
I would've rated this four stars rather than three if it hadn't been for James's unnecessary intimate encounters with Thorne.
I would've rated this four stars rather than three if it hadn't been for James's unnecessary intimate encounters with Thorne.
June 1, 2017
The audio version is pretty good.
June 3, 2017
This book was beautiful! Elves are so ethereal.
December 12, 2019
Well written and interesting. The hero was very flawed and knew it.
mm-ok-r
December 11, 2024Rokp
October 26, 2025
I think I had started to write a review of this book at some point in April. But I also remember thinking that I really disliked this book and am shocked I finished it.
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