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Pindone Files #1-3
Cold Front
Dek tops. Ren bottoms. Neither gives an inch. Kinky, tough, troubled, caring. Cops and lovers, fighting crime and, sometimes, each other, in a vast cold land where the criminals read minds and the cops never know what they'll face next.
356 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2010
9 people are currently reading
403 people want to read
About the author
Ann Somerville
52 books279 followersAnn Somerville grew up in one of Australia’s prettiest small cities. In 1989, she left Australia with a BA and a burning ambition to see more of the world and its people, and to discover this ‘culture’ thing people kept telling her about. In 2006, she returned home to Southeast Queensland with two more degrees (this time in science and IT), an English husband and a staggering case of homesickness, vowing never to leave Australia again.
Her long, plot-driven fiction featuring gay and bisexual characters has been published by Samhain Publishing and elsewhere.
Her long, plot-driven fiction featuring gay and bisexual characters has been published by Samhain Publishing and elsewhere.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 20, 2023
Posted at Shelf Inflicted
Every once in a while I come across a book that makes me want to go back and re-evaluate some of my 5-star ratings. Cold Front is one of those books. I am already familiar with Ann Somerville’s work, having read the fast-paced and gripping Interstitial and its equally engaging sequel, Impedimenta. My only complaint about these two stories is their short length. Cold Front consists of two novellas, “One Brief Encounter” and “A House is Not a Home” followed by the full-length novel, “Cold Front”. This book satisfied my need for a meaty and lengthy story. It focuses on the relationship between the two main characters, Dek and Ren, but there is also an engrossing mystery, paranormal elements, erotic romance, a lot of conflict and drama, emotional intensity, and a well-drawn cast of secondary characters, some good and some downright evil. I loved these stories like I love a full moon, strawberry sundaes, and walking in the rain. This is definitely a keeper and I look forward to reading anything Ann Somerville writes.
One Brief Encounter
31-year-old Dekan hon Cerimwe den Tsikeni is a Defence Force Officer who is scheduled for police training and looking to spend a quiet night at a bar. The most gorgeous man he’s seen in 10 years just happens to be there. 28-year-old Rensire hon Parmin den Vizinken is also out for a quiet night and happens to be on the Force too. The two men are instantly drawn to each other, and though Dek’s military bearing and discipline demands he behave sensibly, Dek yields to his desires, boards the back of Ren’s two-wheeler and they head to a hotel.
Ren is a Level 2 empath. His ability to share others’ emotions and feelings causes him a great deal of stress at times, so in order to relieve his stress, he likes his sex a little rough and prefers to be controlled. Dek feels perfectly comfortable taking charge, and Ren willingly goes along with it. Their sex is scorching hot – lashings, restraints, and loving domination.
It’s just too bad that Dek and Ren are going back to work and won’t be seeing each other until Dek’s training session the following year. They agree to meet up at that time, but Dek is badly injured while he and his fellow officers are sent in to break up a prostitution ring. Oh, well. Fraternizing with other police officers is against the rules anyway. Still, Dek can’t quite get Ren out of his mind.
When Ren applies for a job in forensics at Ren’s station, both men explore that connection that started two years before, but are now faced with dealing with the stressful demands of their jobs and Dek’s painful past.
A House is Not a Home
Ren is now Dek’s partner at work and is well-liked by the majority of his co-workers. The two men are starting to develop strong feelings for each other, but there are still regulations and Dek’s grief over his dead wife to contend with. Ren patiently uses his empathic ability to lessen the intensity of Dek’s painful emotions while keeping his good feelings and memories intact. Dek’s acute suffering and Ren’s talent put to good use made this a very sweet and emotionally intense story.
Cold Front
Ren and Dek are now regular lovers. They work together to solve a series of gruesome murders of young girls. Their bodies are found mutilated and their bodies dumped in random locations. When an empath is found murdered, Ren believes the cases are connected, but they are ordered to focus on the girls’ murders. This is a very dark and satisfying murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns and lots of gritty forensic details. They are dealing with a deranged and sadistic killer who gets pleasure out of torturing his victims. It’s a tough case for the detectives, and time is running out when Ren goes missing. This is a heartbreaking, gut-wrenching story that left me a teary-eyed mess. Though it ends on a hopeful note, and Ren and Dek have a strong relationship, there are still lots of problems to be resolved.
Every once in a while I come across a book that makes me want to go back and re-evaluate some of my 5-star ratings. Cold Front is one of those books. I am already familiar with Ann Somerville’s work, having read the fast-paced and gripping Interstitial and its equally engaging sequel, Impedimenta. My only complaint about these two stories is their short length. Cold Front consists of two novellas, “One Brief Encounter” and “A House is Not a Home” followed by the full-length novel, “Cold Front”. This book satisfied my need for a meaty and lengthy story. It focuses on the relationship between the two main characters, Dek and Ren, but there is also an engrossing mystery, paranormal elements, erotic romance, a lot of conflict and drama, emotional intensity, and a well-drawn cast of secondary characters, some good and some downright evil. I loved these stories like I love a full moon, strawberry sundaes, and walking in the rain. This is definitely a keeper and I look forward to reading anything Ann Somerville writes.
One Brief Encounter
31-year-old Dekan hon Cerimwe den Tsikeni is a Defence Force Officer who is scheduled for police training and looking to spend a quiet night at a bar. The most gorgeous man he’s seen in 10 years just happens to be there. 28-year-old Rensire hon Parmin den Vizinken is also out for a quiet night and happens to be on the Force too. The two men are instantly drawn to each other, and though Dek’s military bearing and discipline demands he behave sensibly, Dek yields to his desires, boards the back of Ren’s two-wheeler and they head to a hotel.
Ren is a Level 2 empath. His ability to share others’ emotions and feelings causes him a great deal of stress at times, so in order to relieve his stress, he likes his sex a little rough and prefers to be controlled. Dek feels perfectly comfortable taking charge, and Ren willingly goes along with it. Their sex is scorching hot – lashings, restraints, and loving domination.
It’s just too bad that Dek and Ren are going back to work and won’t be seeing each other until Dek’s training session the following year. They agree to meet up at that time, but Dek is badly injured while he and his fellow officers are sent in to break up a prostitution ring. Oh, well. Fraternizing with other police officers is against the rules anyway. Still, Dek can’t quite get Ren out of his mind.
When Ren applies for a job in forensics at Ren’s station, both men explore that connection that started two years before, but are now faced with dealing with the stressful demands of their jobs and Dek’s painful past.
A House is Not a Home
Ren is now Dek’s partner at work and is well-liked by the majority of his co-workers. The two men are starting to develop strong feelings for each other, but there are still regulations and Dek’s grief over his dead wife to contend with. Ren patiently uses his empathic ability to lessen the intensity of Dek’s painful emotions while keeping his good feelings and memories intact. Dek’s acute suffering and Ren’s talent put to good use made this a very sweet and emotionally intense story.
Cold Front
Ren and Dek are now regular lovers. They work together to solve a series of gruesome murders of young girls. Their bodies are found mutilated and their bodies dumped in random locations. When an empath is found murdered, Ren believes the cases are connected, but they are ordered to focus on the girls’ murders. This is a very dark and satisfying murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns and lots of gritty forensic details. They are dealing with a deranged and sadistic killer who gets pleasure out of torturing his victims. It’s a tough case for the detectives, and time is running out when Ren goes missing. This is a heartbreaking, gut-wrenching story that left me a teary-eyed mess. Though it ends on a hopeful note, and Ren and Dek have a strong relationship, there are still lots of problems to be resolved.
February 7, 2024
Interesting piece of Sci-fi that I totally didn’t expect to like yet here I am. Excellent world building, creepy and dark investigation cases and 2 stubborn MCs . Very enjoyable.
March 7, 2012
Wonderful cops-seek-serial-killer m/m romance. This isn't just a great m/m romance, it's my favourite police proceedural novel of any kind, in the last ten years.
The characters are complex and seem completely real. The setting is vividly drawn; from the very opening passage I got the impression that the author is describing a real place, just one that's far away (like Norway!).
The book seemed so real that in the last 25% I was crying
What seemed unexpectedly poignant is that one of the aspects that was most foreign and fantasy-like to me was the depiction of a culture in which the birth rate is very low, and children are treasured. My country has terrible child abuse statistics. As a nation we do not treasure our children the way we should, and Somerville's world really brought that home to me.
Although Dek and Ren enjoy some mild power exchange, this is not a BDSM book. The D/s a very minor aspect of their complicated and often difficult relationship.
There are descriptions of horrendous physical violence and sexual torture: it seems weird to say that the torture is tastefully done, but it is. It's not torture like Forgotten, for example. I found The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo both offensive and boring because it used the tired old trope of sexual violence against women as its main selling point. I thought it was like a drawn-out episode of Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit. This book also has sexual violence against women as a plot point, but it does not feel exploitative and it is most definitely not written to be titillating.
Small niggle: for some reason the units of measurement dragged me out of the world every time they're mentioned. I had no problem with any of the terms dealing with religion, day to day life, food etc, but every time a midec or whatever came up I'd be trying to work out exactly what the equivalent was, and this effect became worse as I got further into the book.
Also, one unanswered question:
However this minor point would never stop this from being a 5-star book for me.
The characters are complex and seem completely real. The setting is vividly drawn; from the very opening passage I got the impression that the author is describing a real place, just one that's far away (like Norway!).
The book seemed so real that in the last 25% I was crying
What seemed unexpectedly poignant is that one of the aspects that was most foreign and fantasy-like to me was the depiction of a culture in which the birth rate is very low, and children are treasured. My country has terrible child abuse statistics. As a nation we do not treasure our children the way we should, and Somerville's world really brought that home to me.
Although Dek and Ren enjoy some mild power exchange, this is not a BDSM book. The D/s a very minor aspect of their complicated and often difficult relationship.
There are descriptions of horrendous physical violence and sexual torture: it seems weird to say that the torture is tastefully done, but it is. It's not torture like Forgotten, for example. I found The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo both offensive and boring because it used the tired old trope of sexual violence against women as its main selling point. I thought it was like a drawn-out episode of Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit. This book also has sexual violence against women as a plot point, but it does not feel exploitative and it is most definitely not written to be titillating.
Small niggle: for some reason the units of measurement dragged me out of the world every time they're mentioned. I had no problem with any of the terms dealing with religion, day to day life, food etc, but every time a midec or whatever came up I'd be trying to work out exactly what the equivalent was, and this effect became worse as I got further into the book.
Also, one unanswered question:
However this minor point would never stop this from being a 5-star book for me.
June 23, 2018
I'd expected a lot more from this book, due to the cover perhaps or the odd review? I can't remember that blurb being there when I got the book a few years ago, but it seems fitting and would've tempered my assumptions that this might be a wholesome novel set in a fleshed-out alternate universe that just so happens to feature two gay cops. Cue cardboard characters, pushing & pulling antics, and generic sex scenes instead. My mistake.
November 29, 2013
There were several things that attracted me to this book: Ms. Somerville's writing which I like a lot, the fact that the story was set in Periter world three thousand years after Kei's and Arman's story and that it was a mystery/thriller as well as romance. I wasn't disappointed. On the contrary. Ms. Somerville gave us an absorbing story about two fascinating men, one of whom may or may not be Kei's reincarnation, terrible villain, great supporting characters as well as police investigation and BDSM-lite done right. What I especially appreciate, as someone who is pretty much fed up with the books you can read during the afternoon rest, is that author is taking the time to tell the story and develop the characters. I think mystery and thriller fans will really like this book. I'm beginning the second book as soon I finish typing this and I hope Ms. Somerville will write more stories set in this world. I think that's sufficient recommendation.
Edited after second reading - November, 2013
The book passed the rereading test with flying colors and then some. The world-building, the characters, the relationship and the investigation have the same impact as they had the first time. From the beginning the voices of the protagonists are strong, distinct and decidedly male. I really, really enjoyed reading this again. Highly, highly recommended.
Edited after second reading - November, 2013
The book passed the rereading test with flying colors and then some. The world-building, the characters, the relationship and the investigation have the same impact as they had the first time. From the beginning the voices of the protagonists are strong, distinct and decidedly male. I really, really enjoyed reading this again. Highly, highly recommended.
April 20, 2014
Rating: 4.25
Pindone is a fantasy/futuristic/paranormal world populated by both normals and those gifted with talents. These talents can range from telekinesis, empathy, telepathy, and pyrokinesis with different levels of strengths/grades. All people with talents are marked by the government with tattoos visible to the public, and the strongest level talents are required to wear a tracking collar.
Dek is a cop (or "parg") in this futuristic world, in a city where the only thing colder than the weather are the brutal serial murders of young teenagers and women. And Ren, a talented forensic specialist, will be the catalyst for a collision course in both Dek's past and future. These two will partner up to solve a brutal crime that will unsettle the political landscape of Pindone for years to come.
Cold Front is a compilation of the following stories:
1) One Brief Encounter: Dek
2) One Brief Encounter: Ren
3) A House is Not a Home
4) Cold Front
One Brief Encounter is an introduction to how Dek and Ren meet. Nothing plotty at all, but a nice way to also introduce the world of Pindone. A House is Not a Home goes more into the budding relationship between these two (while getting to know our MCs even better) and Cold Front is a full-blown serial murder investigation. The story is told in first-person POV between Dek and Ren.
So let me just state how fan-freakin'-tastic the world building in this story is. It's a futuristic story in a fantasy world riddled with paranormal beings. Yet despite all this, none of the elements seem over-the-top and is crafted in a believable setting. The world of Pindone is not a pleasant one, so readers should be warn that Ann Somerville doesn't pull her punches when it comes to violence, gore, death, new types of human enterprises and manipulation. There are also political factions and discrimination among the populace between the normals and talents. And even among the talents as well. My only world-building complaint is the lack of explanation of certain things (e.g. Pindone's units of measurement), but it didn't affect the grand scheme of things.
Then there's the serial murder investigation. While the majority of Cold Front focuses on the investigation, it doesn't ignore the relationship aspect between Dek and Ren. It was a nice blend between the two aspect which kept the romantic in me satisfied. But I'll be honest here: the relationship here is about as smooth as a gravel road, so don't expect fluffy/sweet.
And to be honest, I haven't read a police procedural story this entertaining and exciting in a very long time (perhaps since The Administration).
While the book blurb makes Cold Front sound like an erotic BDSM compilation, let me just say that it really is NOT. This isn't the focus of Cold Front. The main characters are into the D/S and BDSM scene, but that's about it (there are a few well done sex scenes throughout the compilation, but sex isn't the focus here).
So if you are looking for a gritty, violent futuristic/fantasy/paranormal murder investigation story filled with LOTS of man pain, then give Cold Front a go. Plus, it's only $3.99 for over 150K words, which is half the price (and length) of most of the books that I read and enjoy less.
Pindone is a fantasy/futuristic/paranormal world populated by both normals and those gifted with talents. These talents can range from telekinesis, empathy, telepathy, and pyrokinesis with different levels of strengths/grades. All people with talents are marked by the government with tattoos visible to the public, and the strongest level talents are required to wear a tracking collar.
Dek is a cop (or "parg") in this futuristic world, in a city where the only thing colder than the weather are the brutal serial murders of young teenagers and women. And Ren, a talented forensic specialist, will be the catalyst for a collision course in both Dek's past and future. These two will partner up to solve a brutal crime that will unsettle the political landscape of Pindone for years to come.
Cold Front is a compilation of the following stories:
1) One Brief Encounter: Dek
2) One Brief Encounter: Ren
3) A House is Not a Home
4) Cold Front
One Brief Encounter is an introduction to how Dek and Ren meet. Nothing plotty at all, but a nice way to also introduce the world of Pindone. A House is Not a Home goes more into the budding relationship between these two (while getting to know our MCs even better) and Cold Front is a full-blown serial murder investigation. The story is told in first-person POV between Dek and Ren.
So let me just state how fan-freakin'-tastic the world building in this story is. It's a futuristic story in a fantasy world riddled with paranormal beings. Yet despite all this, none of the elements seem over-the-top and is crafted in a believable setting. The world of Pindone is not a pleasant one, so readers should be warn that Ann Somerville doesn't pull her punches when it comes to violence, gore, death, new types of human enterprises and manipulation. There are also political factions and discrimination among the populace between the normals and talents. And even among the talents as well. My only world-building complaint is the lack of explanation of certain things (e.g. Pindone's units of measurement), but it didn't affect the grand scheme of things.
Then there's the serial murder investigation. While the majority of Cold Front focuses on the investigation, it doesn't ignore the relationship aspect between Dek and Ren. It was a nice blend between the two aspect which kept the romantic in me satisfied. But I'll be honest here: the relationship here is about as smooth as a gravel road, so don't expect fluffy/sweet.
And to be honest, I haven't read a police procedural story this entertaining and exciting in a very long time (perhaps since The Administration).
While the book blurb makes Cold Front sound like an erotic BDSM compilation, let me just say that it really is NOT. This isn't the focus of Cold Front. The main characters are into the D/S and BDSM scene, but that's about it (there are a few well done sex scenes throughout the compilation, but sex isn't the focus here).
So if you are looking for a gritty, violent futuristic/fantasy/paranormal murder investigation story filled with LOTS of man pain, then give Cold Front a go. Plus, it's only $3.99 for over 150K words, which is half the price (and length) of most of the books that I read and enjoy less.
dnf
June 21, 2025DNF at 30%
The first volume of this series includes 2 short stories and a novel-length one, starting from the MCs’ first encounter.
It’s sci-fi or paranormal or kind of both…? I’m still not entirely sure and at the beginning it was pretty confusing, because nothing was explained and while that’s usually good in comparison to info-dumping, I found the use of new names for things that were for all intents and purposes the same as coffee, videos, ranks and such, kind of a lazy way to make it sound exotic and new. It also made me feel like I needed a dictionary to follow the story. The only real difference between the real world and the story’s one is in the names, the paranormal element, with part of the population having “talents” (paranormal abilities) and something about a general low fertility.
The two short stories covered just a couple of days of the MCs’ lives and revolved around their first meeting (first short, in which ) and their second one (second short, set ).
The longer story is set 18 months after the second one and has more of a plot to it, with an investigation that might’ve kept my interest, if it wasn’t for the reason why I decided to drop the book.
The writing wasn’t bad, aside from the confusing new-terms-dropping I mentioned above and the fact that I couldn’t tell in which character’s pov I was reading until the context gave it away, they just felt the same. I didn’t really feel the connection between the MCs, though, and the sex scenes felt mostly perfunctory, as did the D/s dynamic, which consisted of Ren telling Dek he likes pain and then a few spankings and some Sirs and boys thrown around. There wasn’t any spark or chemistry I could feel, but that could be just me.
I mean, the bones were there: there’s decent characters’ backstory (at least in Dek’s case, Ren’s might come later for all I know, some of it has been hinted at) and, while their relationship started as a casual sexual encounter in the first story, there has been some development and I’m sure there’s more to come. On paper, it might’ve worked for me. In reality, I was just going with it and seeing where it would take me, until I hit a wall.
As I said, Dek and Ren met in the first short, then met again So, I don’t know if they’ll ever get there and, frankly, at this point it doesn’t matter. That little reality check drove home exactly how much I don’t care about this couple.
Not rated since I read less than a third of it, but if I had to give it a rating, it would be 2.5 stars.
The first volume of this series includes 2 short stories and a novel-length one, starting from the MCs’ first encounter.
It’s sci-fi or paranormal or kind of both…? I’m still not entirely sure and at the beginning it was pretty confusing, because nothing was explained and while that’s usually good in comparison to info-dumping, I found the use of new names for things that were for all intents and purposes the same as coffee, videos, ranks and such, kind of a lazy way to make it sound exotic and new. It also made me feel like I needed a dictionary to follow the story. The only real difference between the real world and the story’s one is in the names, the paranormal element, with part of the population having “talents” (paranormal abilities) and something about a general low fertility.
The two short stories covered just a couple of days of the MCs’ lives and revolved around their first meeting (first short, in which ) and their second one (second short, set ).
The longer story is set 18 months after the second one and has more of a plot to it, with an investigation that might’ve kept my interest, if it wasn’t for the reason why I decided to drop the book.
The writing wasn’t bad, aside from the confusing new-terms-dropping I mentioned above and the fact that I couldn’t tell in which character’s pov I was reading until the context gave it away, they just felt the same. I didn’t really feel the connection between the MCs, though, and the sex scenes felt mostly perfunctory, as did the D/s dynamic, which consisted of Ren telling Dek he likes pain and then a few spankings and some Sirs and boys thrown around. There wasn’t any spark or chemistry I could feel, but that could be just me.
I mean, the bones were there: there’s decent characters’ backstory (at least in Dek’s case, Ren’s might come later for all I know, some of it has been hinted at) and, while their relationship started as a casual sexual encounter in the first story, there has been some development and I’m sure there’s more to come. On paper, it might’ve worked for me. In reality, I was just going with it and seeing where it would take me, until I hit a wall.
As I said, Dek and Ren met in the first short, then met again So, I don’t know if they’ll ever get there and, frankly, at this point it doesn’t matter. That little reality check drove home exactly how much I don’t care about this couple.
Not rated since I read less than a third of it, but if I had to give it a rating, it would be 2.5 stars.
February 10, 2020
I became an Ann Somerville fan through her Darshian series (4 books) but have only just got round to trying her Pindone series. The Pindone books are set in the same world as the Darshian books, albeit chronologically thousands of years apart. The paranormal elements (telekinetics, telepaths, empaths etc) still exist, but now in a futuristic sci-fi world setting. Now combine these elements with police procedurals & crime solving, a series of brutal and horrifying serial killings and it becomes a cannot-put-down read (at least for me).
Not since Julie Bozza’s The Definitive Albert J. Sterne have I been so mesmerized and terrified by the evil machinations and actions of the main antagonist/killer. Dek and Ren are two hyper-masculine MCs who happen to appreciate BDSM and who socialize with like-minded folks at special clubs. They also have to tread very carefully since their professional work culture will come down like a ton of bricks on any sexual fraternizing between law enforcement officers. Somerville carefully builds up their relationship from a casual-F to occasional friend-with-benefits to ‘whatever-it-is-complicated’ and I became quite invested in these two, particularly when the killer takes a greater personal interest in them.
This is not a cozy read, good characters/folk die or are killed or harmed A warning to more faint-hearted readers … there are some awfully graphic torture/rape/death scenes that you may wish to skip or skim over; I managed a couple of these but had to skip the two (albeit pivotal) scenes at the end which lay the groundwork for the emotional toll/ traumatic aftermath for both MCs. As an action-thriller, Cold Front proves an excellent pay-off read. The books also works as a BDSM romance, the sex is definitely sizzling and both Dek and Ren are marvelously fleshed-out characters. The two short stories enclosed with the main story ‘Cold Front’ i.e. ‘One Brief Encounter’ and ‘A House Is Not A Home’ further provides prequel and background information for Dek and Ren. For those who yearn for more Dek and Ren, Somerville provides a subsequent novel Unsettled Conditions.
Highly recommended read for those brave enough to take the plunge in this book’s wintry frozen city landscapes and sizzling hot BDSM scenes.
Not since Julie Bozza’s The Definitive Albert J. Sterne have I been so mesmerized and terrified by the evil machinations and actions of the main antagonist/killer. Dek and Ren are two hyper-masculine MCs who happen to appreciate BDSM and who socialize with like-minded folks at special clubs. They also have to tread very carefully since their professional work culture will come down like a ton of bricks on any sexual fraternizing between law enforcement officers. Somerville carefully builds up their relationship from a casual-F to occasional friend-with-benefits to ‘whatever-it-is-complicated’ and I became quite invested in these two, particularly when the killer takes a greater personal interest in them.
This is not a cozy read, good characters/folk die or are killed or harmed A warning to more faint-hearted readers … there are some awfully graphic torture/rape/death scenes that you may wish to skip or skim over; I managed a couple of these but had to skip the two (albeit pivotal) scenes at the end which lay the groundwork for the emotional toll/ traumatic aftermath for both MCs. As an action-thriller, Cold Front proves an excellent pay-off read. The books also works as a BDSM romance, the sex is definitely sizzling and both Dek and Ren are marvelously fleshed-out characters. The two short stories enclosed with the main story ‘Cold Front’ i.e. ‘One Brief Encounter’ and ‘A House Is Not A Home’ further provides prequel and background information for Dek and Ren. For those who yearn for more Dek and Ren, Somerville provides a subsequent novel Unsettled Conditions.
Highly recommended read for those brave enough to take the plunge in this book’s wintry frozen city landscapes and sizzling hot BDSM scenes.
January 3, 2013
Maybe 2.5 stars because I can appreciate the writing and because the world building is superb.
This book has a lot of potential and I can understand why reviewers whom I respect, and generally agree, would rate it so much higher.
Cold Front fails on several fronts (heh) for me.
1. Point of view. Unlike others, i generally like first person point of view. I can generally get more in touch with the characters that way. In this book, the POV failed in two ways. First, I wasn't always immediately sure who was talking. Both characters had a similar 'voice' so context clues had to inform me. It is distracting. Second, neither character is sufficiently self-aware to give me the necessary insights into them. Half the time, I don't think THEY knew why they were doing and saying things.
2. Characterization. I was especially bugged that Dekan seemed so confident and butch sometimes and like such a wishy-washy follower other times. I thought his lack of self realization about his emotions and his relationship with Ren was completely unbelievable. 18 months as both best friends and fuck buddies?! Ren came off as knowledgeable and a bit of a wizard in his field, yet he gets repeatedly caught out on science facts? He is supposed to be an empath but he is frequently bitchy and irrational. He doesn't have a handle on his OWN emotions. The secondary characters are weak clichés. Kraz... Jenune...
3. The mystery. I'll admit up front, I was fooled. I thought the mystery revolved around the psychologist and the Elite trying to breed empaths and that is what earned this book the additional half star. Once I got what was really going on, I was rather disappointed. Not that I was fooled, that's always great in a mystery, but that the real motive was so... small. Dek and Ren uncovering a shadowy government plot is cliche but at least the suffering had a point and the heroes get to save the day. Not just madness.
I skimmed... A lot. Mostly to find out what happened and any scenes with Dek and Ren. Disappointing.
This book has a lot of potential and I can understand why reviewers whom I respect, and generally agree, would rate it so much higher.
Cold Front fails on several fronts (heh) for me.
1. Point of view. Unlike others, i generally like first person point of view. I can generally get more in touch with the characters that way. In this book, the POV failed in two ways. First, I wasn't always immediately sure who was talking. Both characters had a similar 'voice' so context clues had to inform me. It is distracting. Second, neither character is sufficiently self-aware to give me the necessary insights into them. Half the time, I don't think THEY knew why they were doing and saying things.
2. Characterization. I was especially bugged that Dekan seemed so confident and butch sometimes and like such a wishy-washy follower other times. I thought his lack of self realization about his emotions and his relationship with Ren was completely unbelievable. 18 months as both best friends and fuck buddies?! Ren came off as knowledgeable and a bit of a wizard in his field, yet he gets repeatedly caught out on science facts? He is supposed to be an empath but he is frequently bitchy and irrational. He doesn't have a handle on his OWN emotions. The secondary characters are weak clichés. Kraz... Jenune...
3. The mystery. I'll admit up front, I was fooled. I thought the mystery revolved around the psychologist and the Elite trying to breed empaths and that is what earned this book the additional half star. Once I got what was really going on, I was rather disappointed. Not that I was fooled, that's always great in a mystery, but that the real motive was so... small. Dek and Ren uncovering a shadowy government plot is cliche but at least the suffering had a point and the heroes get to save the day. Not just madness.
I skimmed... A lot. Mostly to find out what happened and any scenes with Dek and Ren. Disappointing.
June 30, 2013
I've been procrastinating over the review for this book. It's one of those reads that really messes with my mind, and I needed some distance before I could write about it.
First off, Ann Somerville is an excellent, veteran writer of "bittersweet M/M with BDSM themes", so if you like stories like that, then this author is a must read - and Pindone Files is one of her best.
Pindone Files is set in the same fantasy world as the Darshan Tales, but several thousand years into the future. And that continuity of world-building, really does enrich the background setting of the books.
The Pindone Files series are supernatural, murder-mysteries where the MC's are police detectives trying to solve the crime. Technically, it's a different genre from the Darshan tales, except for the M/M, and "supernatural" parts. But there's a catch, and it's a spoiler so...
4 stars because I'm still not sure if that thing in the spoiler is why I like this so much, in which case, it's hard to rate it 5 as a stand alone story.
First off, Ann Somerville is an excellent, veteran writer of "bittersweet M/M with BDSM themes", so if you like stories like that, then this author is a must read - and Pindone Files is one of her best.
Pindone Files is set in the same fantasy world as the Darshan Tales, but several thousand years into the future. And that continuity of world-building, really does enrich the background setting of the books.
The Pindone Files series are supernatural, murder-mysteries where the MC's are police detectives trying to solve the crime. Technically, it's a different genre from the Darshan tales, except for the M/M, and "supernatural" parts. But there's a catch, and it's a spoiler so...
4 stars because I'm still not sure if that thing in the spoiler is why I like this so much, in which case, it's hard to rate it 5 as a stand alone story.
July 7, 2013
What an incredible read.
This story was intense. The world building superb. Ren and Dek are so finely drawn, their relationship so complex and ....beautiful...they are now hands down, one of my favourite couples. The story is long, and dark and if you're not in the right head space you're likely to find it slow going until around the 30% mark. The reward for persevering is a gripping thriller, at times devastatingly sad, that will have you so utterly invested in the characters they'll be hard to let go at the end.
Probably not a good idea to read this in between watching episodes of season 2 of The Killing.... I plan on getting out today, playing with my nephew and doing (and then reading) something fun and silly and life-affirming.
Highly, highly recommended.
This story was intense. The world building superb. Ren and Dek are so finely drawn, their relationship so complex and ....beautiful...they are now hands down, one of my favourite couples. The story is long, and dark and if you're not in the right head space you're likely to find it slow going until around the 30% mark. The reward for persevering is a gripping thriller, at times devastatingly sad, that will have you so utterly invested in the characters they'll be hard to let go at the end.
Probably not a good idea to read this in between watching episodes of season 2 of The Killing.... I plan on getting out today, playing with my nephew and doing (and then reading) something fun and silly and life-affirming.
Highly, highly recommended.
October 31, 2023
This is it. I gave it a try and now I am dnf-ing.
The book is too verbose to be enjoyable. It's cold on too many levels, not just the weather:glacial cold and glacial speed do come to mind. It's boring and depressing. There is a lot of dancing around the subject without actual action. Characters are so worn out, I am surprised they are functioning at all.
I am rating the 25% that I'veread suffered through so far. 1.5 star.
The book is too verbose to be enjoyable. It's cold on too many levels, not just the weather:glacial cold and glacial speed do come to mind. It's boring and depressing. There is a lot of dancing around the subject without actual action. Characters are so worn out, I am surprised they are functioning at all.
I am rating the 25% that I've
July 29, 2023
Beautiful, intense read. Surprisingly subtle sci-fi that ramps up progressively - and at its core, the complex, rich and deeply rewarding relationship and personal developments of Dek and Ren. And this is how kink should be written: not a mechanical description of extreme pain or gratuitous sex, rather an intense sensual trip, where power play and pain are important only for how they make the characters feel and connect.
I have a bit too much to say on the characters to want to even try, but one thing I love about the worldbuilding is that Somerville is quite adept at building a sense of a foreign culture, without being heavy handed. We get a conversational in depth description of a city, its crime levels, and the brutal weather - all things a cop would naturally chat about. No OOC internal monologues explaining TKs etc or their own culture - which is the water they swim in. I also loved the subtle vocab swaps - skimdeck for media, “a dozen pargees or more below freezing” etc - immediately comprehensible but giving a persistent flavour of another time in another place.
Definitely some trigger warnings for violence and gore.
I have a bit too much to say on the characters to want to even try, but one thing I love about the worldbuilding is that Somerville is quite adept at building a sense of a foreign culture, without being heavy handed. We get a conversational in depth description of a city, its crime levels, and the brutal weather - all things a cop would naturally chat about. No OOC internal monologues explaining TKs etc or their own culture - which is the water they swim in. I also loved the subtle vocab swaps - skimdeck for media, “a dozen pargees or more below freezing” etc - immediately comprehensible but giving a persistent flavour of another time in another place.
Definitely some trigger warnings for violence and gore.
September 12, 2010
I loved all the books by Ann Sommerville that I have read so far, but the story of Dec and Ren just may be the one that captured my heart the most. I do not think that I can do this book and its sequel Unsettled conditions justice in my review, but I am going to say how good it was anyway.
It is a futuristis science fiction/ mystery and it is a very powerful gay love story. I usually judge how well the characters were portrayed based on whether I had been thinking about them after I am done with the book, I could not forget about these two for couple of weeks afterwards and I still remember them as vividly as if I have read these books just yesterday (I read them couple months ago).
I am also always amazed at how much of social commentary this writer always manages to put in her books and these are no exception, because futuristic society it may be where our characters live, but one can notice so many parallels with our time.
It is a futuristis science fiction/ mystery and it is a very powerful gay love story. I usually judge how well the characters were portrayed based on whether I had been thinking about them after I am done with the book, I could not forget about these two for couple of weeks afterwards and I still remember them as vividly as if I have read these books just yesterday (I read them couple months ago).
I am also always amazed at how much of social commentary this writer always manages to put in her books and these are no exception, because futuristic society it may be where our characters live, but one can notice so many parallels with our time.
August 30, 2010
Despite my earlier complaints of lack of man love, I really enjoyed this book. I'm slowly becoming a fan of Ann Somerville. Cold Front goes a long ways to prove she can write a good thriller. I was sitting on the edge, reading at a good pace, waiting to find out who committed the crimes. Then I read for the time when the characters would get a clue. Well done for keeping the suspense on edge.
Very nicely, the author brings the couple back together. Dek learns what is important to him. Ren's world of humor and joy becomes tainted. And would you believe, I really liked Hadin even though he's a stick in the mud.
Very nicely, the author brings the couple back together. Dek learns what is important to him. Ren's world of humor and joy becomes tainted. And would you believe, I really liked Hadin even though he's a stick in the mud.
August 25, 2013
Somatesthesia 2.0 – harder, faster, better, stronger (sexy ladies extra longer – okay, sorry, quoting the Black Eyed Peas is really not the best way to go about this. Especially considering that this story deals with hot hunks, not sexy ladies.)
People have reviewed this - what the hell do I need to do that for? Yeah, I'm being a lazy bitch.
I'm just going to say that this was a compelling, large (in every sense) and very well crafted story, with a fuck-buddies romance setup and a super sick serial killer to keep you on your toes until the very end.
Ann Somerville's writing and I don't get along very well, but the story more than made up for it.
People have reviewed this - what the hell do I need to do that for? Yeah, I'm being a lazy bitch.
I'm just going to say that this was a compelling, large (in every sense) and very well crafted story, with a fuck-buddies romance setup and a super sick serial killer to keep you on your toes until the very end.
Ann Somerville's writing and I don't get along very well, but the story more than made up for it.
August 1, 2022
4.5 stars!
I loved how the author really created a world different from ours in terms of terminology and technology. I found the characters engaging and the story compelling. Our characters are flawed and troubled but you can see their integrity and goodness. I wasn’t sure how this would end well and was glad to know the next book is out as I expected a cliffhanger or something but this ended, not HEA but a tentative HFN with hope for more.
I had a hard time putting this book down!
I loved how the author really created a world different from ours in terms of terminology and technology. I found the characters engaging and the story compelling. Our characters are flawed and troubled but you can see their integrity and goodness. I wasn’t sure how this would end well and was glad to know the next book is out as I expected a cliffhanger or something but this ended, not HEA but a tentative HFN with hope for more.
I had a hard time putting this book down!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2017
I was in the mood for a good long engrossing book and Ann Somerville's Cold Front gave me everything I wanted. I wanted to get deep down into a world that I knew she could deliver and she did. I loved the characters, the situation, and the mystery was good and overall it made me really happy.
Wait a minute, that's why we read books. Have no doubt this woman can write and she's creative and she thinks far outside the box.
Wait a minute, that's why we read books. Have no doubt this woman can write and she's creative and she thinks far outside the box.
August 5, 2015
I read Ann Somerville's Darshian's Tales before I read Cold Front. I think it was a brilliant concept to write another series about the same planet and culture 3,000 years in the future.
It's a very different world now, a much nastier one as the planet has grown into the equivalent of our world, almost making it an Urban Fantasy but not quite because it's not set on Earth. I must admit I thought I'd downloaded a bad copy because the first 20 or so chapters are based on word building, repeating the start of the first chapter but taking the story in a different directions as it unfolds. I still gave this 5 stars but my only complaint was the 20-25 pages from chapter 1 were included in every chapter up until chapter 21. That's a lot of re-reading but I understand why she did this.
SO don't send a poor Smashwords staff member an e-mail saying you think you have a corrupted file. I have never encountered this to such a large extent before.
While the planet is no longer in the dark ages you discover that that time was actually their golden years, even though there was wars and civil unrest.
This was three stories in one that flowed together seamlessly, about two cops working together who slowly fall for one another. It is quite a brutal book too so if you're triggered by rape, hostage situations and murder then be forewarned as it's a graphic read but a damn fine one at that.
It was great to see that the very small handful of people on the planet still held their magical gifts. Although they're used in a very different was from how their ancestors used their's.
The writing is excellent as is the plot and sub plots, the main characters Dek and Ren are backed up by other solid major players in the book too that also has great minor sub plots that contribute to making it an all round experience which I found awesome.
You don't need to have read The 4 Epic novel's that make up The Darshian Tales but if you like the vibe of this world that Ann Somerville has created then definitely read them for a background on the planet, there is no storyline or information needed to read these first.
It's a very different world now, a much nastier one as the planet has grown into the equivalent of our world, almost making it an Urban Fantasy but not quite because it's not set on Earth. I must admit I thought I'd downloaded a bad copy because the first 20 or so chapters are based on word building, repeating the start of the first chapter but taking the story in a different directions as it unfolds. I still gave this 5 stars but my only complaint was the 20-25 pages from chapter 1 were included in every chapter up until chapter 21. That's a lot of re-reading but I understand why she did this.
SO don't send a poor Smashwords staff member an e-mail saying you think you have a corrupted file. I have never encountered this to such a large extent before.
While the planet is no longer in the dark ages you discover that that time was actually their golden years, even though there was wars and civil unrest.
This was three stories in one that flowed together seamlessly, about two cops working together who slowly fall for one another. It is quite a brutal book too so if you're triggered by rape, hostage situations and murder then be forewarned as it's a graphic read but a damn fine one at that.
It was great to see that the very small handful of people on the planet still held their magical gifts. Although they're used in a very different was from how their ancestors used their's.
The writing is excellent as is the plot and sub plots, the main characters Dek and Ren are backed up by other solid major players in the book too that also has great minor sub plots that contribute to making it an all round experience which I found awesome.
You don't need to have read The 4 Epic novel's that make up The Darshian Tales but if you like the vibe of this world that Ann Somerville has created then definitely read them for a background on the planet, there is no storyline or information needed to read these first.
December 16, 2011
3.5 stars overall
One Brief Encounter - 3 stars I enjoyed this novella as a light introduction to Dek and Ren and was interested enough to want to continue with their story, although I didn't find the sex all that steamy I did enjoy their interactions. I liked that Somerville didn't bother with a bunch of explanation and just threw you into the world and let you figure it out on your own. The only thing that bothered me is some of the wording felt forced and arbitrary. Why is there a different unit of measurement but they still tell time in hours? And maybe if I was British I wouldn't have noticed this, but since this was supposed to be some completely different world, the use of words like "bloody" "tosser" and "arse" kind of pulled me out of the story.
A House Is Not A Home - 3 stars This was a nice continuation, and follows Dek and Ren and they end up working together.
Cold Front Here is where it gets tricky. I feel like I need to give two entirely separate reviews for the first half of this books versus the second half. The first half is a solid 3 star, just like the novellas. I liked it, I like the guys. They obviously have a connection (I know this both because they say as much, but also because of their actions), however I just don't feel much of a connection, if you know what I mean. It fell a little flat for me, and the investigation started to drag on a bit (although this is consistent with Ren and Dek's growing frustration at how much trouble they were having solving this case). But then cue the big climactic turn of events , and damn does the shit fly. I was stressed, worried, I cried, I finally felt that connection I was waiting for, and maybe it's appropriate that I didn't feel it until the characters would acknowledge it. But I really wasn't sure where the book would go and how things would resolve. In the end it was perfect, because it wasn't perfect. I hope there is more about these two, I would definitely read it.
One Brief Encounter - 3 stars I enjoyed this novella as a light introduction to Dek and Ren and was interested enough to want to continue with their story, although I didn't find the sex all that steamy I did enjoy their interactions. I liked that Somerville didn't bother with a bunch of explanation and just threw you into the world and let you figure it out on your own. The only thing that bothered me is some of the wording felt forced and arbitrary. Why is there a different unit of measurement but they still tell time in hours? And maybe if I was British I wouldn't have noticed this, but since this was supposed to be some completely different world, the use of words like "bloody" "tosser" and "arse" kind of pulled me out of the story.
A House Is Not A Home - 3 stars This was a nice continuation, and follows Dek and Ren and they end up working together.
Cold Front Here is where it gets tricky. I feel like I need to give two entirely separate reviews for the first half of this books versus the second half. The first half is a solid 3 star, just like the novellas. I liked it, I like the guys. They obviously have a connection (I know this both because they say as much, but also because of their actions), however I just don't feel much of a connection, if you know what I mean. It fell a little flat for me, and the investigation started to drag on a bit (although this is consistent with Ren and Dek's growing frustration at how much trouble they were having solving this case). But then cue the big climactic turn of events , and damn does the shit fly. I was stressed, worried, I cried, I finally felt that connection I was waiting for, and maybe it's appropriate that I didn't feel it until the characters would acknowledge it. But I really wasn't sure where the book would go and how things would resolve. In the end it was perfect, because it wasn't perfect. I hope there is more about these two, I would definitely read it.
April 4, 2017
I read the first story and went from being intrigued to flat out bored in no time. While initially this seemed like it was going to be a complex tale set on some vaguely earth-like world, it quickly degenerated into generic D/s. Mostly, I don't enjoy these types of stories because the sex is rigid and lacking in imagination. "On your knees." "Yes sir!" Yawn. You would think having the story set on another world would let the author diverge from the standard issue sex scenes, but no, they read exactly like every other book. Apparently there is a manual that has made its way to every nook and cranny of the universe so that every single individual can make sure that their sex play exactly conforms to standards that are etched into the very fabric of existence.
Anyway, the writing was quite good, but the dynamic between the two guys wasn't enough to rise above the run of the mill sex scenes. I simply wasn't interested enough in them to bother to continue about their further adventures.
Anyway, the writing was quite good, but the dynamic between the two guys wasn't enough to rise above the run of the mill sex scenes. I simply wasn't interested enough in them to bother to continue about their further adventures.
September 18, 2014
4.5 ish....
Nerdastically clever m/m police procedural book set in a fantasy/paranormal world with similarities to Manna ' s TA.
Let me be clear...this is not TA. And if you were one of the folks that was bored reading 'Mind Fuck' because of the procedural stuff, this might not be for you. However, without giving much away, the murder investigation which is the main focus of the book is nothing short of awesome.
Also, just a side note. This book isn't a typical m/m bdsm romp. You kind of get that impression from the blurb. There are very FEW sex scenes in this book. The couple there are, are good. But the main characters romance isn't the main storyline. I actually feel like the main characters relationship wasn't expanded on enough. I hope book 2 helps this along.
Anyway...great police procedural read for m/m fans and non m/m fans alike.
Nerdastically clever m/m police procedural book set in a fantasy/paranormal world with similarities to Manna ' s TA.
Let me be clear...this is not TA. And if you were one of the folks that was bored reading 'Mind Fuck' because of the procedural stuff, this might not be for you. However, without giving much away, the murder investigation which is the main focus of the book is nothing short of awesome.
Also, just a side note. This book isn't a typical m/m bdsm romp. You kind of get that impression from the blurb. There are very FEW sex scenes in this book. The couple there are, are good. But the main characters romance isn't the main storyline. I actually feel like the main characters relationship wasn't expanded on enough. I hope book 2 helps this along.
Anyway...great police procedural read for m/m fans and non m/m fans alike.
November 21, 2011
4.5 pushing up because the thriller part was a true thriller.
"Dek tops. Ren bottoms." Those four little words alone caught my interest. I got a taste of their initial connection in a "Brief Encounter" and a better understanding of their deepening connection in "A House Is Not A Home". What I didn't know I would get was such a gut-wrenching, nail biting, intricate, intense thriller set in a unique world I couldn't look away from in "Cold Front". It made it all that much more because I already cared about these two so much. Absolutely terrific all around.
"Dek tops. Ren bottoms." Those four little words alone caught my interest. I got a taste of their initial connection in a "Brief Encounter" and a better understanding of their deepening connection in "A House Is Not A Home". What I didn't know I would get was such a gut-wrenching, nail biting, intricate, intense thriller set in a unique world I couldn't look away from in "Cold Front". It made it all that much more because I already cared about these two so much. Absolutely terrific all around.
January 23, 2014
"Cold Front" was a great story, even if I did work out the guilty party long before they did. Lol.
Glad only the first meetup was in present tense.
The dual first was fine, it didn't take me long to figure out whose head I was in and the switches were logical.
As usual the world building was vivid, the minor characters each held their own. One of the strongest aspects of the writing.
Glad only the first meetup was in present tense.
The dual first was fine, it didn't take me long to figure out whose head I was in and the switches were logical.
As usual the world building was vivid, the minor characters each held their own. One of the strongest aspects of the writing.
August 13, 2017
10 stars and as close to perfect as you can get. Loved both the books in this series. Writing is quiet, characters are wonderful and the story is incredible.
September 13, 2019
I just wish some things would have been handled differently. Also not a fan of non-monogamous couples.
I liked it enough for a 3 star rating, I guess.
I liked it enough for a 3 star rating, I guess.
maybe
January 21, 2024I can't find the compilation nor can I find part 3. I have part 1 and 4, Amazon sells parts 1 and 2. If anyone know where to get part 3, I would be very grateful. Thank you.
June 22, 2024
Once you get over the so many made up names, it is a very nice detective romance novel. Readable.
October 31, 2021
Read again for the 2021 Re-Reading Challenge. Initially, it had taken me a while to get into the story because of the intricate world-building. Would my thoughts be changed this time since I was familiar with the world?
Yes, they would. The book includes two pre-Cold Front novellas, the first being the story of how Dek and Ren met. Since I was now familiar with this world, I was able to focus on the stunningly witty banter between these two.
Even so, I read with some trepidation. I knew what was coming—and it is horrific. I was surprised to find I hadn't put it on my "disturbing" bookshelf, because it truly is. At least that mistake's been resolved.
It still warrants 5 stars because it's a well-written story with a gritty, surprising mystery and compelling characters set in a nicely detailed world.
----->Original review, April 2019: 5 stars<-----
Read for the Pushing Boundaries Challenge, having landed on the Spanking square. Again.
This is a terrific book! Probably one of my top picks for 2019. The characters are wonderfully well-drawn and complex, the world-building is excellent, and the writing is fabulous. Have I used enough "excellent" synonyms yet? I can use more!
Although the book had a bit of spanking (and the related BDSM), that's a very, very minor part of the story. It's used more as a character trait than anything, and sometimes played to humor.
The humor is needed because the crime Dek and Ren are investigating is horrendous. At the 17% mark (and that's counting the two previous novellas) I noted: "This is REALLY gruesome." So you get the sense of emergency in the story almost immediately.
The pacing is superb. When the horror ratchets into high gear, the story doesn't let go. Both characters suffer tremendously, but for different reasons. The writing really pulls you in, makes you feel all the pain and grief. It's almost unbearable, and yet, you continue on. Even once the crisis has passed, the author doesn't just stop and end the story. She continues with the fallout and how it affects our characters. It's realistic and important. And it makes us love them even more.
Cold Front, along with the accompanying novellas, One Brief Encounter and A House is not a Home are told from alternating first-person POVs of Dek and Ren. I'm not a fan of this style of storytelling because I nearly always have to do a mental restart when the POV changes. But it's a small price to pay for the excellence of this book.
You should read the two novellas first. Theoretically, they can stand alone, but the first one sets up the world in which the story takes place and the second delves more deeply into the characters' backgrounds, especially Dek's. A House is not a Home is very depressing, but it's essential to understand the characters' relationship. And there are plenty of scenes in Cold Front the refer back to the novellas.
There's so much more I could write about this book: All the twists and turns in the plot, all the misdirections the investigation goes through, how Dek and Ren don't even recognize what they mean to each other. It's all so good it's hard to wrap my head around everything I loved. So I guess, for the first time ever, I'll just have to publish my highlights (once I clean them up).
It's official. I am now a bona fide Ann Somerville fan. I Was An Alien Cat Toy was a great book (with a lousy title). The only reason it didn't get 5 stars was that the ending was just too sad. So I'll be reading more from this author. First up will likely be the Pindone Files sequel, then the AU, and then perhaps stories from the same world, only centuries earlier. Because this is a world that believes in reincarnation.
Yes, they would. The book includes two pre-Cold Front novellas, the first being the story of how Dek and Ren met. Since I was now familiar with this world, I was able to focus on the stunningly witty banter between these two.
Ren: “What would you have done if I’d said I was waiting for someone?”Ha! It made me love these two great characters even more.
Dek: “Offered them money to go away?”
Even so, I read with some trepidation. I knew what was coming—and it is horrific. I was surprised to find I hadn't put it on my "disturbing" bookshelf, because it truly is. At least that mistake's been resolved.
It still warrants 5 stars because it's a well-written story with a gritty, surprising mystery and compelling characters set in a nicely detailed world.
----->Original review, April 2019: 5 stars<-----
Read for the Pushing Boundaries Challenge, having landed on the Spanking square. Again.
This is a terrific book! Probably one of my top picks for 2019. The characters are wonderfully well-drawn and complex, the world-building is excellent, and the writing is fabulous. Have I used enough "excellent" synonyms yet? I can use more!
Although the book had a bit of spanking (and the related BDSM), that's a very, very minor part of the story. It's used more as a character trait than anything, and sometimes played to humor.
It was so much easier to deal with Ren when I had a riding crop in my hand,Dek and Ren are characters you can really adore. They're both confident, intelligent, and a bit bristly. Like them, their relationship is also complex. They fight, they snit, they have misunderstandings and jealousy. The jealousy is quite funny.
It was nearly time I could start running outdoors again—I didn’t do much of it over the winter, because I might be a masochist but I wasn’t stupid with it.
The humor is needed because the crime Dek and Ren are investigating is horrendous. At the 17% mark (and that's counting the two previous novellas) I noted: "This is REALLY gruesome." So you get the sense of emergency in the story almost immediately.
The pacing is superb. When the horror ratchets into high gear, the story doesn't let go. Both characters suffer tremendously, but for different reasons. The writing really pulls you in, makes you feel all the pain and grief. It's almost unbearable, and yet, you continue on. Even once the crisis has passed, the author doesn't just stop and end the story. She continues with the fallout and how it affects our characters. It's realistic and important. And it makes us love them even more.
Cold Front, along with the accompanying novellas, One Brief Encounter and A House is not a Home are told from alternating first-person POVs of Dek and Ren. I'm not a fan of this style of storytelling because I nearly always have to do a mental restart when the POV changes. But it's a small price to pay for the excellence of this book.
You should read the two novellas first. Theoretically, they can stand alone, but the first one sets up the world in which the story takes place and the second delves more deeply into the characters' backgrounds, especially Dek's. A House is not a Home is very depressing, but it's essential to understand the characters' relationship. And there are plenty of scenes in Cold Front the refer back to the novellas.
There's so much more I could write about this book: All the twists and turns in the plot, all the misdirections the investigation goes through, how Dek and Ren don't even recognize what they mean to each other. It's all so good it's hard to wrap my head around everything I loved. So I guess, for the first time ever, I'll just have to publish my highlights (once I clean them up).
It's official. I am now a bona fide Ann Somerville fan. I Was An Alien Cat Toy was a great book (with a lousy title). The only reason it didn't get 5 stars was that the ending was just too sad. So I'll be reading more from this author. First up will likely be the Pindone Files sequel, then the AU, and then perhaps stories from the same world, only centuries earlier. Because this is a world that believes in reincarnation.
...that’s the nice thing about reincarnation. You get a second chance. And a third.”(I could use a 2nd and 3rd chance!)
May 14, 2014
3.5
I'm on the fence about this one. Like all of Somerville's novels, the world-building here was exceptionally strong, especially her trademark tension between those with paranormal talent and those without. Also, the focus on the MC's lives as cops was totally successful. Since the main part of the collection is a procedural, most of our page time here is actually focused on life on the job, and it is amazing what a refreshing change in perspective that proves to be. Romances have a tendency to pass over the characters' working lives altogether and they usually downright vilify characters who feel strongly about putting their career first, especially when that involves staying in the closet. This book adds the wrinkle that the MCs' relationship is actually illegal due to fraternization rules, and it never trivializes the characters' absolute dedication to their jobs. The fact that Ren and Dek work together, and that they have to keep their relationship a secret, adds endless, fascinating complications to their relationship as officers and as lovers, as well as complicating and even threatening the cases they investigate. I really admired how Somerville handled this part of the story--it was original, believable, and added huge depth to the characters.
Where the story fell short for me was the case itself.
Bottom line: I am sadly without a bottom line for once. I really loved the characters, and I was fascinated by Somerville's depiction of the complex challenges of trying to work a job like this side by side with your lover. On the other hand, I was very dissatisfied with mystery plot, to the point of almost DNFing several times. I will probably read the sequel, but I haven't ordered it yet. It's a conundrum--also known as a fence.
I'm on the fence about this one. Like all of Somerville's novels, the world-building here was exceptionally strong, especially her trademark tension between those with paranormal talent and those without. Also, the focus on the MC's lives as cops was totally successful. Since the main part of the collection is a procedural, most of our page time here is actually focused on life on the job, and it is amazing what a refreshing change in perspective that proves to be. Romances have a tendency to pass over the characters' working lives altogether and they usually downright vilify characters who feel strongly about putting their career first, especially when that involves staying in the closet. This book adds the wrinkle that the MCs' relationship is actually illegal due to fraternization rules, and it never trivializes the characters' absolute dedication to their jobs. The fact that Ren and Dek work together, and that they have to keep their relationship a secret, adds endless, fascinating complications to their relationship as officers and as lovers, as well as complicating and even threatening the cases they investigate. I really admired how Somerville handled this part of the story--it was original, believable, and added huge depth to the characters.
Where the story fell short for me was the case itself.
Bottom line: I am sadly without a bottom line for once. I really loved the characters, and I was fascinated by Somerville's depiction of the complex challenges of trying to work a job like this side by side with your lover. On the other hand, I was very dissatisfied with mystery plot, to the point of almost DNFing several times. I will probably read the sequel, but I haven't ordered it yet. It's a conundrum--also known as a fence.
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