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Midnight Hunters #1
The Midnight Hunt
What do you do when you wake up to a whole new life…with dangerous urges you can’t control?Medic Drake McKennan has never been good at following protocol, so she doesn't think twice about rendering emergency care when a teenager’s life is at stake—even if the young girl is in the throes of Were fever and any sane human should know better. It isn't the bright shining pain of the bite or even the wrenching agonies of the fever that convinces Drake everything in her life has changed. It's the way she feels about the blonde with the wolf-gold eyes who awakens a dark hunger she can’t control…and doesn’t want to. Sylvan, the Alpha of the Adirondack Timberwolf Pack, is the one female Drake can't have. And the only one she craves. A Midnight Hunters novel
325 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
July 12, 2016
What can I say?
Well there really is a lot of throbbing lady bits....and lots of lady fluids being splashed around.
But it's only lady bits. I mean it's the "L" in LGBT. So no man bits.
And honestly, it's really rather good. I mean the sex is....well I guess innovative is as good a word as any...but if that's all there was to the book it would get old quickly. But the story, the little there is of it is exceptional. So I can hardly believe I'm doing this, but 4 Steamy Stars....or nipple clamps....or something....
February 3, 2017
Other than being a world where nearly every woman is a lesbian, this is a VERY different series by Radclyffe. As a matter of fact, when I began the series, I didn’t even know that L.L. Raand is a pseudonym for her! If you thought she wrote details about surgery because she’s a retired surgeon, after reading the elaborate detailed world in this book you’ll swear she’s also a werewolf!
“The Midnight Hunt” describes a violent world of preternaturals, primarily werewolves and vampires in this first book. As a group, the humans, and each group of non-humans have particular moral codes, and individuals have their own personal ambitions and loyalties. And lust. Lots of lust. Lots and lots and LOTS of lust! Even by Radclyffe’s standards, these characters are in a constant state of arousal. When they’re not “tangling”, they’re thinking about it…or talking about it…or taking care of themselves. One of the biggest mysteries about this book is how ANYONE can get ANYTHING done when they spend virtually every waking moment planning, engaging in or recovering from sex frenzies (yes, that’s what she calls them….frenzies!). Did I mention this book is for 18+ only?
Another hallmark of Radclyffe books is that it’s ok to have lots of casual sex…until you meet “the ONE”. In “Midnight Hunt” we’re introduced to lots of women, and while the storyline primarily focuses on Drake and Sylvan, many of the future pairings are introduced in this first book.
With all the different humans, werewolves and vampires, there’s lots going on simultaneously. The narrative jumps quickly between people and events; it’s not like one chapter is for this, and another chapter is for that. You’ll have to pay close attention, but it’s worth it. I use frequent bookmarks and notes to be able to return later to favorite passages or events.
On Audible, the narrator uses a unique staccato delivery, yet often switches quickly to a quiet, smooth empathic tone. She provides a terrific separation of voices, which is absolutely critical with so many characters playing key roles.
I recently realized I’d never rated this series on Goodreads, and it’d been awhile since I’d listened to it, so I thought I’d re-listen to each book instead of just assigning ratings from memory. This is probably the third, perhaps fourth, time I’ve listened to “The Midnight Hunt”, so I’m not surprised that I rate it 5*. If you like paranormal lesfic, I highly recommend you give this a listen!
“The Midnight Hunt” describes a violent world of preternaturals, primarily werewolves and vampires in this first book. As a group, the humans, and each group of non-humans have particular moral codes, and individuals have their own personal ambitions and loyalties. And lust. Lots of lust. Lots and lots and LOTS of lust! Even by Radclyffe’s standards, these characters are in a constant state of arousal. When they’re not “tangling”, they’re thinking about it…or talking about it…or taking care of themselves. One of the biggest mysteries about this book is how ANYONE can get ANYTHING done when they spend virtually every waking moment planning, engaging in or recovering from sex frenzies (yes, that’s what she calls them….frenzies!). Did I mention this book is for 18+ only?
Another hallmark of Radclyffe books is that it’s ok to have lots of casual sex…until you meet “the ONE”. In “Midnight Hunt” we’re introduced to lots of women, and while the storyline primarily focuses on Drake and Sylvan, many of the future pairings are introduced in this first book.
With all the different humans, werewolves and vampires, there’s lots going on simultaneously. The narrative jumps quickly between people and events; it’s not like one chapter is for this, and another chapter is for that. You’ll have to pay close attention, but it’s worth it. I use frequent bookmarks and notes to be able to return later to favorite passages or events.
On Audible, the narrator uses a unique staccato delivery, yet often switches quickly to a quiet, smooth empathic tone. She provides a terrific separation of voices, which is absolutely critical with so many characters playing key roles.
I recently realized I’d never rated this series on Goodreads, and it’d been awhile since I’d listened to it, so I thought I’d re-listen to each book instead of just assigning ratings from memory. This is probably the third, perhaps fourth, time I’ve listened to “The Midnight Hunt”, so I’m not surprised that I rate it 5*. If you like paranormal lesfic, I highly recommend you give this a listen!
March 15, 2012
Lesbian urban fantasy, concentrated on werewolves and a little on vampires. It's okay, but is essentially a smut-fest with little character or plot development. If it really needed to concentrate so much on sex and mating and male-like genitalia, it really should've been 200 pages longer to actually have a STORY. The POV shifts are jarring, as well. It shifts from one point of view to another randomly. Also, even though I'm a lesbian myself, the "almost everyone is lesbian" thing irritated me.
January 11, 2017
Well that was . . . odd.
Interesting to see a shifter critter that 'allows' females to have power and stuff. A lot of them go in the 'women are bitches' direction. To a certain extent. I've attempted to steer clear of those types of books, so I only really have one example of that - Dead in the Water - in which the women are expected to fuck on demand. And while sex is important in this story (super super important), people still have 'power' to say yes or no.
Good grief the amount of sex and sexual tension running through this book. People were constantly on edge, with super hard engorged clits. Those would be the werewolves. The vampires? Feed off of sex (and blood) themselves so . . . they are also super focused on sex.
Three main 'zones' of POV. Werewolf story line (which included Sylvan (wolf) & Drake (the human medic); Vampire story line (which included Becca (human) and Jody (Vampire); and 'rogue' story line (which focused mostly on 'Rex'.
There was an actual story here, though it's kind of thinish. And it made a certain amount of sense. But . . . I found the Becca/Jody story line to be an intrusion that I mostly didn't need. The things that they brought to the story could have been 'brought' by someone else. (I don't actually recall that they brought anything really, since there was something of a parallel investigation going on - wolves investigating, vampires investigating). To a large extent, Jody and Becca seemed to be there to add another couple who were extremely incapable of allowing themselves to admit that they 'wanted' the other (mostly on Becca's side). *shrugs*
Not sure I'll read the next book in the series. Maybe. Perhaps.
Re: Narrator - narrator was good for this type of story in that she had a kind of angry, intense, on the edge of erupting kind of vibe going on, which fit the story.
Rating: . . . how the heck do I rate this book? um . . . 3 . . . . something. 3.45?
January 11 2017
Interesting to see a shifter critter that 'allows' females to have power and stuff. A lot of them go in the 'women are bitches' direction. To a certain extent. I've attempted to steer clear of those types of books, so I only really have one example of that - Dead in the Water - in which the women are expected to fuck on demand. And while sex is important in this story (super super important), people still have 'power' to say yes or no.
Good grief the amount of sex and sexual tension running through this book. People were constantly on edge, with super hard engorged clits. Those would be the werewolves. The vampires? Feed off of sex (and blood) themselves so . . . they are also super focused on sex.
Three main 'zones' of POV. Werewolf story line (which included Sylvan (wolf) & Drake (the human medic); Vampire story line (which included Becca (human) and Jody (Vampire); and 'rogue' story line (which focused mostly on 'Rex'.
There was an actual story here, though it's kind of thinish. And it made a certain amount of sense. But . . . I found the Becca/Jody story line to be an intrusion that I mostly didn't need. The things that they brought to the story could have been 'brought' by someone else. (I don't actually recall that they brought anything really, since there was something of a parallel investigation going on - wolves investigating, vampires investigating). To a large extent, Jody and Becca seemed to be there to add another couple who were extremely incapable of allowing themselves to admit that they 'wanted' the other (mostly on Becca's side). *shrugs*
Not sure I'll read the next book in the series. Maybe. Perhaps.
Re: Narrator - narrator was good for this type of story in that she had a kind of angry, intense, on the edge of erupting kind of vibe going on, which fit the story.
Rating: . . . how the heck do I rate this book? um . . . 3 . . . . something. 3.45?
January 11 2017
April 5, 2019
Okay so reading some of the reviews I almost feel like readers aren't understanding the story that Raand is trying to tell about the Weres. I ask that future readers pay close attention when she explains how they are connected, why they're such sexual beings, the mating call, and why that call is so strong. I think it's brilliantly written. She tells you exactly what to expect and gives it all. There are a few different story lines in this first installment. You have the Weres and Vampires as a whole, Sylvan and Drake, Jody and Becca, Lara, Niki, and Sophia. It will be interesting to see where she goes with the characters. I am also curious to see how the Praetern Coalition will go about fighting for the rights of the different praetern species. I hope they win lol.
February 21, 2019
"Read this," a former friend said. "It has hermaphrodite werewolf lesbian sex in it."
It was cheap and I've been on a paranormal romance binge lately so I went "why not" and bought it. Weird sex is fun to read, lesbians are great, and I love good werewolves. What could go wrong?
Literally all of the characters in this book could be so horny they can't even walk straight half the time, for starters.
Let me explain: the concept is, supernatural critters have finally revealed themselves to humanity and they're struggling to gain legal rights so humans can't hunt them and stuff. It opens with the Alpha of the biggest pack in the USA talking to a politician about getting a bill through committee. Okay, that's cool. I haven't seen that explored yet and I'm down for it.
Except that we never come back to that bill except as a brief mention at the end of the book, and we never talk to that politician again. Instead, the focus becomes a medical mystery? Also cool, except. ... God, let me lay it out because despite being a sex-focused book it has a lot going on.
Our heroine is Drake, a medic working at a big hospital. She meets the other heroine, Sylvan, the Alpha, when three werewolf teenagers are brought into the ER. There is instant sizzling attraction. Cool, I'm down with it, even if the sizzling attraction is silly.
Werewolves in this book are all essentially telepathically (kind of) connected, and the Alpha is the strongest wolf in the pack. Whenever she loses control - gets angry, aroused, whatever - every wolf around her loses control.
This is an issue because she's unmated and refuses to get one... and THIS is a problem because if these werewolves don't have sex on a regular basis - with a partner, masturbation isn't an option because screw you - they basically go insane and turn into killer beasts.
YEP here we go. Let me restate that: if these werewolves don't have sex with a partner on a regular basis, they turn into killing machines.
Should've titled the book Sex Wolves.
So. Drake gets bitten, and the medical mystery is where this disease came from - because she got bitten by a random teenage human. But she got bitten and she's turned into a werewolf.
A werewolf who refuses to have sex. Except she has the hots for the alpha. You see where this is going.
Except wait! Here's a wrench or five: if she has sex with the alpha, they'll mate for life and then they'll die if their partner dies. And Drake can't do that to Sylvan, she's a mutant and they don't know if she'll turn rabid or die young or whatever.
But here's the real wrench: Niki. Sylvan's second in command and highest ranking bodyguard.
Niki is insane and if the author had realized how creepy she is, she would've been the villain of the book, instead of the evil guy who gets 5 pages of screentime.
Niki stalks Sylvan everywhere, tells her repeatedly to get a mate (but not Drake because Niki doesn't like her), forces Sylvan to literally sneak out of the Pack area to get some space (and oh yes, when Niki realizes she's missing she goes bananas chasing her) and - here we go - nearly kills two members of the Pack because they told her she couldn't go to the Alpha (because Sylvan told them no one could come in)
Sylvan spends most of this book calming Niki down and reassuring her that it's okay, she's safe, they're good.
Sylvan also spends most of the book pinning Niki down and threatening her because she won't listen to Sylvan's orders like she's supposed to.
I cannot get over Niki nearly murdering two of her Pack. We're told over and over that Pack is family, pack is safe. And here Niki would have killed them both if another werewolf hadn't talked her down from the edge.
Here's where the author needed to do something, but it is never brought up again. Sylvan forgives Niki for coming in despite her orders, and in the closing lines of that chapter Niki has an internal monologue where she's all "and that's why I would never disobey you my alpha" and uh. Uh.
Niki also tries to kill Drake, too, with Sylvan right there. Sylvan forgives her and Drake is somehow cool with it?
This is never brought up as a problem. Instead the plot is all "Drake needs sex, but won't mate with Sylvan and Sylvan won't either so they try to avoid each other despite broadcasting sex smells everywhere and making the pack insane with lust"
oh and then there's the vampire subplot, because there's a vampire detective investigating the Were disease and a journalist tagging along with her. They don't have sex despite desperately wanting it and despite the journalist watching the vampire have sex and feed from two strangers in a nightclub. I didn't like this subplot because it was mostly the journalist being attracted by the vampire, denying herself, and them not actually finding out anything relating to the disease. That plot was resolved by the werewolves and their super science lab, and by how they managed to hunt down the villain of the plot in 5 minutes.
There's a lot of sex in this book, and it features ladydicks - the werewolves have giant clits and their clits have tiny balls, so it's penetrative sex all the way down. There's even a scene where a vampire sucks blood from one werewolf's clit. It's all the weird sex I was promised and it's fine.
Except that it was hard to enjoy because of how much I came to despise the characters? Everything about Niki, the way most of the characters in this book were so horny they couldn't stand it, but they'd deny it because ~soap opera~ and it took friggin' forever for Sylvan and Drake to get together while the vampire/journalist never got together at all. There's literally more sex in the book between minor characters than the main ones.
So why the one star? Because it went from "this is fun" to "this is a trainwreck" to "I hate everyone except poor Drake" and exasperated me. All of that interesting worldbuilding was left by the wayside, the villain was just some random evil dude, and all we're left with is sex wolves. And even if I try to treat this as a book that has an excuse plot so you can get to the porn, there's so little porn that it's not worth the effort.
I hate this book.
It was cheap and I've been on a paranormal romance binge lately so I went "why not" and bought it. Weird sex is fun to read, lesbians are great, and I love good werewolves. What could go wrong?
Literally all of the characters in this book could be so horny they can't even walk straight half the time, for starters.
Let me explain: the concept is, supernatural critters have finally revealed themselves to humanity and they're struggling to gain legal rights so humans can't hunt them and stuff. It opens with the Alpha of the biggest pack in the USA talking to a politician about getting a bill through committee. Okay, that's cool. I haven't seen that explored yet and I'm down for it.
Except that we never come back to that bill except as a brief mention at the end of the book, and we never talk to that politician again. Instead, the focus becomes a medical mystery? Also cool, except. ... God, let me lay it out because despite being a sex-focused book it has a lot going on.
Our heroine is Drake, a medic working at a big hospital. She meets the other heroine, Sylvan, the Alpha, when three werewolf teenagers are brought into the ER. There is instant sizzling attraction. Cool, I'm down with it, even if the sizzling attraction is silly.
Werewolves in this book are all essentially telepathically (kind of) connected, and the Alpha is the strongest wolf in the pack. Whenever she loses control - gets angry, aroused, whatever - every wolf around her loses control.
This is an issue because she's unmated and refuses to get one... and THIS is a problem because if these werewolves don't have sex on a regular basis - with a partner, masturbation isn't an option because screw you - they basically go insane and turn into killer beasts.
YEP here we go. Let me restate that: if these werewolves don't have sex with a partner on a regular basis, they turn into killing machines.
Should've titled the book Sex Wolves.
So. Drake gets bitten, and the medical mystery is where this disease came from - because she got bitten by a random teenage human. But she got bitten and she's turned into a werewolf.
A werewolf who refuses to have sex. Except she has the hots for the alpha. You see where this is going.
Except wait! Here's a wrench or five: if she has sex with the alpha, they'll mate for life and then they'll die if their partner dies. And Drake can't do that to Sylvan, she's a mutant and they don't know if she'll turn rabid or die young or whatever.
But here's the real wrench: Niki. Sylvan's second in command and highest ranking bodyguard.
Niki is insane and if the author had realized how creepy she is, she would've been the villain of the book, instead of the evil guy who gets 5 pages of screentime.
Niki stalks Sylvan everywhere, tells her repeatedly to get a mate (but not Drake because Niki doesn't like her), forces Sylvan to literally sneak out of the Pack area to get some space (and oh yes, when Niki realizes she's missing she goes bananas chasing her) and - here we go - nearly kills two members of the Pack because they told her she couldn't go to the Alpha (because Sylvan told them no one could come in)
Sylvan spends most of this book calming Niki down and reassuring her that it's okay, she's safe, they're good.
Sylvan also spends most of the book pinning Niki down and threatening her because she won't listen to Sylvan's orders like she's supposed to.
I cannot get over Niki nearly murdering two of her Pack. We're told over and over that Pack is family, pack is safe. And here Niki would have killed them both if another werewolf hadn't talked her down from the edge.
Here's where the author needed to do something, but it is never brought up again. Sylvan forgives Niki for coming in despite her orders, and in the closing lines of that chapter Niki has an internal monologue where she's all "and that's why I would never disobey you my alpha" and uh. Uh.
Niki also tries to kill Drake, too, with Sylvan right there. Sylvan forgives her and Drake is somehow cool with it?
This is never brought up as a problem. Instead the plot is all "Drake needs sex, but won't mate with Sylvan and Sylvan won't either so they try to avoid each other despite broadcasting sex smells everywhere and making the pack insane with lust"
oh and then there's the vampire subplot, because there's a vampire detective investigating the Were disease and a journalist tagging along with her. They don't have sex despite desperately wanting it and despite the journalist watching the vampire have sex and feed from two strangers in a nightclub. I didn't like this subplot because it was mostly the journalist being attracted by the vampire, denying herself, and them not actually finding out anything relating to the disease. That plot was resolved by the werewolves and their super science lab, and by how they managed to hunt down the villain of the plot in 5 minutes.
There's a lot of sex in this book, and it features ladydicks - the werewolves have giant clits and their clits have tiny balls, so it's penetrative sex all the way down. There's even a scene where a vampire sucks blood from one werewolf's clit. It's all the weird sex I was promised and it's fine.
Except that it was hard to enjoy because of how much I came to despise the characters? Everything about Niki, the way most of the characters in this book were so horny they couldn't stand it, but they'd deny it because ~soap opera~ and it took friggin' forever for Sylvan and Drake to get together while the vampire/journalist never got together at all. There's literally more sex in the book between minor characters than the main ones.
So why the one star? Because it went from "this is fun" to "this is a trainwreck" to "I hate everyone except poor Drake" and exasperated me. All of that interesting worldbuilding was left by the wayside, the villain was just some random evil dude, and all we're left with is sex wolves. And even if I try to treat this as a book that has an excuse plot so you can get to the porn, there's so little porn that it's not worth the effort.
I hate this book.
March 18, 2016
Too much sex is just boring!
Also sex is too strange , and too compulsive, characters are clumsy because of sex.
No romance, no humour, no courtship.
I did like the adventure in the rare moments when there was no sex. I found the story intriguing, but I don't know if I will go on with this series.
Also sex is too strange , and too compulsive, characters are clumsy because of sex.
No romance, no humour, no courtship.
I did like the adventure in the rare moments when there was no sex. I found the story intriguing, but I don't know if I will go on with this series.
May 15, 2020
I love me some werewolves and that's exactly what I got in this highly erotic story. However, I wasn't expecting another one of my loves I hold near and dear to my heart to dominate this story; Vampires. Oh, I fell in love with Jody the moment I learned she was a Vamp.
I felt like I was reading two different stories melded into one between Jody the Vamp and Becca the mortal investigative news reporter and Sylvan, her Pack, and newcomer who turns to Sylvan's mate, Drake. There was an undertone of eroticism throughout the entire story, and when the sex did happen... fireworks! Raand knows how to reveal a readers' dark fantasies through the words and actions of her characters. I read Shadowland a while back and discovered I had some dark fantasies, this story was no different. I appreciated that Raand honed in on her medical background showing off her vernacular toward all the scientific mumbo jumbo when it came to the physiology of the Weres. Raand did an amazing job with physical descriptions of each Were, their facial features, whether shifted or partially shifted, the smells, pheromones permeating, and right down to that strange (I say strange because it aroused me) sexy line of pelt that traveled downward below the pelvis that presented itself whenever the Were was in heat or angry. Every werewolf story I've read there has been one thing that has never changed and that's dominance. There is always an Alpha who needs a mate by their side. Some hate that whole possession thing, they see it as abuse. I love dominance in a story, if done correctly, because it creates a sense of security, and the girl in me loves feeling secure. This story is no different, however, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Alpha's mate was also dominate. Whereas a lot of other Were stories, it's usually a Dom/sub thing (not BDSM).
I couldn't put this story down and I'm ecstatic that there are more in the series. Raand is on my favourites list.
I felt like I was reading two different stories melded into one between Jody the Vamp and Becca the mortal investigative news reporter and Sylvan, her Pack, and newcomer who turns to Sylvan's mate, Drake. There was an undertone of eroticism throughout the entire story, and when the sex did happen... fireworks! Raand knows how to reveal a readers' dark fantasies through the words and actions of her characters. I read Shadowland a while back and discovered I had some dark fantasies, this story was no different. I appreciated that Raand honed in on her medical background showing off her vernacular toward all the scientific mumbo jumbo when it came to the physiology of the Weres. Raand did an amazing job with physical descriptions of each Were, their facial features, whether shifted or partially shifted, the smells, pheromones permeating, and right down to that strange (I say strange because it aroused me) sexy line of pelt that traveled downward below the pelvis that presented itself whenever the Were was in heat or angry. Every werewolf story I've read there has been one thing that has never changed and that's dominance. There is always an Alpha who needs a mate by their side. Some hate that whole possession thing, they see it as abuse. I love dominance in a story, if done correctly, because it creates a sense of security, and the girl in me loves feeling secure. This story is no different, however, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Alpha's mate was also dominate. Whereas a lot of other Were stories, it's usually a Dom/sub thing (not BDSM).
I couldn't put this story down and I'm ecstatic that there are more in the series. Raand is on my favourites list.
January 3, 2020
For my first fallback Friday read in 2020 I wanted to try me some L.L. Raand (you know, Radclyffe when she does her supernatural thing). I’m not a real fan of all the fangs-and-fur type sagas, but just for fun I went for the first of the 7-part Midnight Hunters series, named The Midnight Hunt (published in 2010).
Jeez, I hope I never get bit because being a werewolf sure is no picnic. All these dying urges to mate (and not just with anyone you want), painful shifts, and if you dare to give a dominant wolf one wrong look they are at your throat. Literally. Everybody is horny as hell and in true Radclyffe… I mean Raand style the clits are rock hard and standing proud. There is a bucket load of aggressive sexual tension and uncomfortable arousal levels throughout the whole book and it makes for an intense read.
I found the living vampire character Jody Gates (we will see more of her in book 2) had more pull with me than the knife-sharp Alpha Sylvan who was snarling at the drop of a hat. Human doctor Drake clearly draws the short stick here when she gets promoted to shifter status. It is clear you will have to read on because part one ends rather abrupt and not all is resolved.
I’m sure most wolf fans already have read this series five times over, but in case you’ve missed it I would give it a go. I will read on for now because now I’m hooked and want to find out more about this universe.
f/f intense mating frenzy (biting is expected)
Themes: the Adirondack Timberlake Pack, Alpha, Prima, were fever, shifting is not for the weak, controlling your inner wolf, sudden ending.
3.4 Stars
Jeez, I hope I never get bit because being a werewolf sure is no picnic. All these dying urges to mate (and not just with anyone you want), painful shifts, and if you dare to give a dominant wolf one wrong look they are at your throat. Literally. Everybody is horny as hell and in true Radclyffe… I mean Raand style the clits are rock hard and standing proud. There is a bucket load of aggressive sexual tension and uncomfortable arousal levels throughout the whole book and it makes for an intense read.
I found the living vampire character Jody Gates (we will see more of her in book 2) had more pull with me than the knife-sharp Alpha Sylvan who was snarling at the drop of a hat. Human doctor Drake clearly draws the short stick here when she gets promoted to shifter status. It is clear you will have to read on because part one ends rather abrupt and not all is resolved.
I’m sure most wolf fans already have read this series five times over, but in case you’ve missed it I would give it a go. I will read on for now because now I’m hooked and want to find out more about this universe.
f/f intense mating frenzy (biting is expected)
Themes: the Adirondack Timberlake Pack, Alpha, Prima, were fever, shifting is not for the weak, controlling your inner wolf, sudden ending.
3.4 Stars
January 31, 2021
It was an ... experience.
If I could only say 3 words about this book, they would be: clitoris, frenzy and sex. Because they were on every other pages. But at least I learned a new word. I didn't know frenzy before.
Werewolf / shifter fiction with the mate thing is one of my faves, but just because someone has a mate that is perfect for them, I'm still cautious about the 'I love you's'. More than 20 percent of the book took place in one day, so the whole story couldn't be more than a week. Yet, I love you's were said. Girl, y'all don't even know each other!
Drake reminded me of Lauren from Lost Girl, and for some reason her face always turned into Lauren's in my head, probably because both of them are doctors, but I actually liked her, while I hated Lauren with a burning passion back in the days.
Can I talk about it? Who am I kidding? Of course I will lol
I started to watch Lost Girl in high school for the gay relationship (Bo and Lauren), but I ended up shipping the straight one. What a surprise. Everyone can agree with me that Dyson were a much better choice. He was nice and kind. On the other hand, Lauren was so annoying and horrible and I wanted her to die a horrible death many times. Luckily, we got Tamsin, but still.
But back to the book.
I'm interested in the plot and the world, so I'll continue for sure.
If I could only say 3 words about this book, they would be: clitoris, frenzy and sex. Because they were on every other pages. But at least I learned a new word. I didn't know frenzy before.
Werewolf / shifter fiction with the mate thing is one of my faves, but just because someone has a mate that is perfect for them, I'm still cautious about the 'I love you's'. More than 20 percent of the book took place in one day, so the whole story couldn't be more than a week. Yet, I love you's were said. Girl, y'all don't even know each other!
Drake reminded me of Lauren from Lost Girl, and for some reason her face always turned into Lauren's in my head, probably because both of them are doctors, but I actually liked her, while I hated Lauren with a burning passion back in the days.
Can I talk about it? Who am I kidding? Of course I will lol
I started to watch Lost Girl in high school for the gay relationship (Bo and Lauren), but I ended up shipping the straight one. What a surprise. Everyone can agree with me that Dyson were a much better choice. He was nice and kind. On the other hand, Lauren was so annoying and horrible and I wanted her to die a horrible death many times. Luckily, we got Tamsin, but still.
But back to the book.
I'm interested in the plot and the world, so I'll continue for sure.
March 20, 2021
I don't think this is my cup of tea.
There was a story. Yes.
The world building was kind of good. Yes.
But oh my - the amount of painful sex drive - in the end I had to laugh, because ist was just too much tension. I didn't envy the narrator her job, because to read out loud and to keep the tension, the lust in your voice, even though you are reading for the umtieth time that the characters are so horny it hurts, biting, scratching, growling...
Well, as I said, not my cup of tea. I don't think I'm going to read the series.
There was a story. Yes.
The world building was kind of good. Yes.
But oh my - the amount of painful sex drive - in the end I had to laugh, because ist was just too much tension. I didn't envy the narrator her job, because to read out loud and to keep the tension, the lust in your voice, even though you are reading for the umtieth time that the characters are so horny it hurts, biting, scratching, growling...
Well, as I said, not my cup of tea. I don't think I'm going to read the series.
August 28, 2017
Everyone's horny the book. But it was fun. I just wish these types of books had more substance, everything always relies on the magical mate bond that has no explanation, no emotional connection, just lust. Instant magical attachments outta nowhere doesn't do it for me.
But other than that the politics of the world are interesting same as the cultures of the various "preternatural" species. I'll pick up the sequel too.
But other than that the politics of the world are interesting same as the cultures of the various "preternatural" species. I'll pick up the sequel too.
August 22, 2020
Wicked book
Awesome, fantastic, exciting, awesome are just a few of the words I can think of. No lie it has everything you could possibly want in a book. Yes it's a fantasy but no less unrealistic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Now I'm off to read number two. Read it awesome book.
Awesome, fantastic, exciting, awesome are just a few of the words I can think of. No lie it has everything you could possibly want in a book. Yes it's a fantasy but no less unrealistic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Now I'm off to read number two. Read it awesome book.
April 8, 2020
One of my favorite series ever.
October 25, 2020
Drake and Sylvan... hot damn!! the chemistry was off the charts! And I loved loved the struggle and then them not being able to be away from each other anymore. So powerful. But i gotta be honest, I was so frustrated when a new chapter would begin and I saw Becca and Jody... like, I know they are part of the series and the plot but all I wanted to read about was Drakr and Sylvan so every time a chapter wasn’t focused on them, I wanted to pull my hair out lol so annoying... but anyways, I just skimmed through those parts 😅 can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next
September 13, 2020
3.5 Stars - Audible version - excellent narration - the constant urge to f*** gets to be a bit much
So this is my second listen of the this book. I remember listening the first time and really liking it while it also made me a bit uncomfortable. I feel the same way the second time but I think as the book progressed it made me roll my eyes a bit more. Once you get into the book, maybe about the 40% mark it really starts to get a bit ridiculous with the amount of (I am about to get super graphic. you have been warned.)
If you are in the mood for vampires and werewolves and a lot of barely controlled sex frenzy then dive on in. This is the book and the series for you!
So this is my second listen of the this book. I remember listening the first time and really liking it while it also made me a bit uncomfortable. I feel the same way the second time but I think as the book progressed it made me roll my eyes a bit more. Once you get into the book, maybe about the 40% mark it really starts to get a bit ridiculous with the amount of (I am about to get super graphic. you have been warned.)
If you are in the mood for vampires and werewolves and a lot of barely controlled sex frenzy then dive on in. This is the book and the series for you!
November 4, 2015
Okay so I know the sex is part of the wolf thing and all, but still, this is more erotica than it is romance. When two women bond or mate for life on an almost pure physical basis - it's just not romantic for me. It's biology. I like when women actually talk to each other before they fall in love.
But.. for what it is, it is a great book. I didn't really expect any different. It's not bad taste at all, and it's really hot. It's Radclyffe after all, you can't really go wrong with her.
But, I thought a lot about Meghan O'Brien's "Wild" while reading this, and I have to admit, even though O'Brien is known for erotica, her novel was a lot more heartwarming. More human.
But.. for what it is, it is a great book. I didn't really expect any different. It's not bad taste at all, and it's really hot. It's Radclyffe after all, you can't really go wrong with her.
But, I thought a lot about Meghan O'Brien's "Wild" while reading this, and I have to admit, even though O'Brien is known for erotica, her novel was a lot more heartwarming. More human.
October 7, 2022
This was okay. It wasn't as fun as I was hoping it would be, but I did enjoy some aspects of this paranormal world for the time that I spent in it, and there were some great relationships and romances in it. We're following a werewolf alpha, a vampire, a human doctor and a human reporter as they investigate the mystery of missing girls and a concerning illness from different angles.
One of the things I liked most about this was the world building around the werewolves' society. The pack was this giant family, centred around the alpha, and I loved how tactile and caring she was with all of them, and how her role as a leader was about protecting them, not just being protected. That sort of physical closeness that doesn't come with any kind of romantic or necessarily sexual attraction, but just speaks of how close they are and how loyal they are to her... I don't know, that part of werewolf society just really did it for me. But actually, the romance that I enjoyed more was between the vampire and the reporter. We're only in the beginning stages of that relationship, but I love the chemistry and the tension between them, that push and pull. Becca was my favourite character because she was so tenacious and determined to get what she needed for her story. Her reactions to how attracted she eventually became to Jodie were also so great.
Cons... this was an older book and it had some of the most egregious head hopping that I've ever read in a book, and I really really hated it. It was so distracting and constituted a big portion of why I didn't enjoy this as much as I could have. I say it all the time, so I won't harp on about it now. But I just really wish we could have confined the POVs to one person per scene. This is also just a matter of taste, but the erotica aspect of this didn't really work for me either. Some of the words used... eh. Also, for a large portion of the book, Sylvan and Drake are denying their attraction and their bond, and at a certain point it became annoying, especially since it seemed like Sylvan was almost willing to put her pack in danger rather than claim her mate. That kind of back and forth really didn't work for me. There was so much delayed gratification and heightened tension, it eventually stopped feeling exciting and just felt sort of... boring? That's just me, perhaps.
Listen to the audiobook as read by Maxine Michelle, and it was pretty good. Not a tonne of different voices, but it was still entertaining narration. I could maaaaaaybe see myself continuing with this series in the future, but it's a pretty big maybe.
One of the things I liked most about this was the world building around the werewolves' society. The pack was this giant family, centred around the alpha, and I loved how tactile and caring she was with all of them, and how her role as a leader was about protecting them, not just being protected. That sort of physical closeness that doesn't come with any kind of romantic or necessarily sexual attraction, but just speaks of how close they are and how loyal they are to her... I don't know, that part of werewolf society just really did it for me. But actually, the romance that I enjoyed more was between the vampire and the reporter. We're only in the beginning stages of that relationship, but I love the chemistry and the tension between them, that push and pull. Becca was my favourite character because she was so tenacious and determined to get what she needed for her story. Her reactions to how attracted she eventually became to Jodie were also so great.
Cons... this was an older book and it had some of the most egregious head hopping that I've ever read in a book, and I really really hated it. It was so distracting and constituted a big portion of why I didn't enjoy this as much as I could have. I say it all the time, so I won't harp on about it now. But I just really wish we could have confined the POVs to one person per scene. This is also just a matter of taste, but the erotica aspect of this didn't really work for me either. Some of the words used... eh. Also, for a large portion of the book, Sylvan and Drake are denying their attraction and their bond, and at a certain point it became annoying, especially since it seemed like Sylvan was almost willing to put her pack in danger rather than claim her mate. That kind of back and forth really didn't work for me. There was so much delayed gratification and heightened tension, it eventually stopped feeling exciting and just felt sort of... boring? That's just me, perhaps.
Listen to the audiobook as read by Maxine Michelle, and it was pretty good. Not a tonne of different voices, but it was still entertaining narration. I could maaaaaaybe see myself continuing with this series in the future, but it's a pretty big maybe.
September 6, 2014
This seems like it is written from the mind of a seriously disturbed individual. The dominance/submissive dichotomy is one thing but the sex scenes border on sexual assault in every single one there is violence. Not to mention the language used is entirely heteronormative. I had to keep going back to make sure I hadn't misread the "she's" for "he's". The anatomical changes don't make any sense in the real world and seem wholly driven by a desire to make the women seem like they have penises. The only way some of these scenarios would work is if they came out of their clitoris? I don't mind kinky or rough sex scenes but the book was entirely driven by abusive pornographic material that made my skin crawl.
Read
June 6, 2016Okay, I really don't like shifters (or vampires). I have failed to read several shifter books recently. I finished this one, though, which is an endorsement of Raand/Radcliffe's writing, and I'll def be getting more of her stuff (amazed this is the first of her I've read), but not shifters. Or indeed vampires.
That said, if you like shifters I imagine this would be cracktastic. Very hot, nice romance if you like 'mates' stuff, lots of werewolfy stuff, very convincingly done, vivd, wolf bits used well, lots of set-up for future books which I would think would be a joy if you liked shifters, which I may have mentioned I don't. Serious problems with POV shifting [pause, side eye], but otherwise well written.
That said, if you like shifters I imagine this would be cracktastic. Very hot, nice romance if you like 'mates' stuff, lots of werewolfy stuff, very convincingly done, vivd, wolf bits used well, lots of set-up for future books which I would think would be a joy if you liked shifters, which I may have mentioned I don't. Serious problems with POV shifting [pause, side eye], but otherwise well written.
September 20, 2010
I must have read this book, and portions of it 10 or 12 times now. It is ground-breaking among the flush of were/vampire books filling the shelves now. LL Raand's weres are wolves who can transform into human form, rather than the traditional people who turn into wolves. they behave like wolves. The sex is so hot, and the action so fast it will leave you panting. The author behind LL Raand's first title is Radclyffe, already an alpha among romance writers. But just when you think she can't get any better, she leads the pack once again. It's the first of a series, and I'm counting the days until Blood Hunt is released in 2011.
October 25, 2014
One word: Fanfic.
This book focuses way too much on sexual needs and describing them. The word "release" appears almost on every page. As a result, the story isn't well-developed and characters look like puppets of their desires without brains. Review by Naomi Clark sums it up pretty nicely (beware of spoilers).
People who liked everafter will probably like this too.
This book focuses way too much on sexual needs and describing them. The word "release" appears almost on every page. As a result, the story isn't well-developed and characters look like puppets of their desires without brains. Review by Naomi Clark sums it up pretty nicely (beware of spoilers).
People who liked everafter will probably like this too.
April 15, 2014
To much sex not enough story. I will not read the rest of this series. I am very very disappointed.
May 10, 2023
Thanks to Gloria, I just realized that the book that made me hate all books about Werewolves is written by non other than RADCLYFFE 💀💀.
no-never
May 10, 2023I'm writing this review for the fuck of it because Dee (GH) made me read chapter 31 and boy...this is a special book. Starting off strong, this is what hit my eyes:
Cute, right? I mean I've only seen the well-despised 'milking' verb used in the context of dicks so A for originality. Then everyone's coming right? Like within seconds. TELL ME WHY DEE SAID "not even men come that fast" 💀💀💀. She also informed me that these women go about their day shirtless. Imagine running - ouch. Moving on!
This reminds me of that tiktok filter where, if you smiled, it would go all creepy and red-eyed.
Shit is hilarious. Obviously no rating from me because I didn't read it in its entirety, but I did read enough. Bless poor Dee, she's gone through so much. (She sent me a screen recording of her deleting all Radclyffe books off her tbr) 🤭
Sylvan milked Drake’s clitoris between her fingers, making it jump and swell. Drake groaned and Sylvan rumbled with satisfaction.
Cute, right? I mean I've only seen the well-despised 'milking' verb used in the context of dicks so A for originality. Then everyone's coming right? Like within seconds. TELL ME WHY DEE SAID "not even men come that fast" 💀💀💀. She also informed me that these women go about their day shirtless. Imagine running - ouch. Moving on!
“Even if I’m completely healthy, I’m not the right mate for you.”
Sylvan snarled, her canines lengthening.
This reminds me of that tiktok filter where, if you smiled, it would go all creepy and red-eyed.
“So you’ll give me up to another?” Sylvan asked. “Have me breed with another fem—”
Drake’s wolf burst out so quickly she didn’t have time to reason or react. Her face shifted, her jaws elongated, and a thick line of dark pelt streamed down the center of her belly. Her claws raked Sylvan’s shoulders. In a voice guttural with possessive rage, she rasped, “Mine!”
Shit is hilarious. Obviously no rating from me because I didn't read it in its entirety, but I did read enough. Bless poor Dee, she's gone through so much. (She sent me a screen recording of her deleting all Radclyffe books off her tbr) 🤭
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
February 15, 2022
A decent urban fantasy that was about as weird as any urban fantasy.
I enjoy the genre but have issues with the ways characters are often sexualized and the general disregard for consent that seems to be a staple. I appreciated that it felt like the author tried to ensure as much consent as possible with the characters you follow. Were all of the scenarios perfect? Probably not, there was a lot of sex, I am leaving room for some scenarios to fall into a consent grey area. The villain still had some rapey thoughts.
What interests me with continuing on with the story, is the way supernatural physiology works. The author uses a combination of various lores and brings in her own lore that I am truly curious about. Some of the supernatural physiology is weird, and I felt like at times I didn't quite understand what was happening, but it was certainly interesting and made me want to find out more.
The overall story is pretty urban fantasy standard, but the characters seem relatively interesting. I am invested in a few ships and am interested to see how the characters grow and change over time.
This novel certainly follows many of the standard tropes for urban fantasy (supernaturals tied to sex, protective werewolves, species politics) but does update a few of the more problematic ones (over-sexualization, consent issues, toxically masculine werewolves). I would not recommend if you are looking for urban fantasy that keeps up with social movements, but if you are looking for a longer series with some interesting relationships this might be for you.
I enjoy the genre but have issues with the ways characters are often sexualized and the general disregard for consent that seems to be a staple. I appreciated that it felt like the author tried to ensure as much consent as possible with the characters you follow. Were all of the scenarios perfect? Probably not, there was a lot of sex, I am leaving room for some scenarios to fall into a consent grey area. The villain still had some rapey thoughts.
What interests me with continuing on with the story, is the way supernatural physiology works. The author uses a combination of various lores and brings in her own lore that I am truly curious about. Some of the supernatural physiology is weird, and I felt like at times I didn't quite understand what was happening, but it was certainly interesting and made me want to find out more.
The overall story is pretty urban fantasy standard, but the characters seem relatively interesting. I am invested in a few ships and am interested to see how the characters grow and change over time.
This novel certainly follows many of the standard tropes for urban fantasy (supernaturals tied to sex, protective werewolves, species politics) but does update a few of the more problematic ones (over-sexualization, consent issues, toxically masculine werewolves). I would not recommend if you are looking for urban fantasy that keeps up with social movements, but if you are looking for a longer series with some interesting relationships this might be for you.
June 1, 2023
I really wish I had reviewed this when I first listened to the audiobook. I honestly don't even know how long ago it was, or how many books ago it was at this point... D:
I do know that it was good overall. But also, too many POVs. I prefer one, but two is fine. Usually, lol.
It was annoying how long Sylvan ignored her need for Drake, especially after it started to become more and more dangerous for the pack altogether. Which was complete opposite of what her character is portrayed as.
And that was something that I really loved: the pack bond. Sylvan was there for them all. She was caring and gentle and would do anything for them. I love when relationships are portrayed in such a way; where they can be all the above and also touch, and not have it turn sexual.
Definitely shows as an older book. I might continue this series in the future...
(Trying to catch up on reviews. Sorry I couldn't've done this one more justice. Also, that might've been all I had to say...)
I do know that it was good overall. But also, too many POVs. I prefer one, but two is fine. Usually, lol.
It was annoying how long Sylvan ignored her need for Drake, especially after it started to become more and more dangerous for the pack altogether. Which was complete opposite of what her character is portrayed as.
And that was something that I really loved: the pack bond. Sylvan was there for them all. She was caring and gentle and would do anything for them. I love when relationships are portrayed in such a way; where they can be all the above and also touch, and not have it turn sexual.
Definitely shows as an older book. I might continue this series in the future...
(Trying to catch up on reviews. Sorry I couldn't've done this one more justice. Also, that might've been all I had to say...)
February 22, 2022
I don't fully understand what I just read. It was...a mess. But a mess I couldn't stop reading and am interested to know more of. The world is clearly well thought out and more time could have been spent exploring that then dealing with confusing sex scenes. If you don't focus too much on the science or physiology of the characters, you're definitely more likely to enjoy it.
March 11, 2011
This is Radclyffe writing as L L Raand and making her foray into the burgeoning Urban Fantasy/Lesfic subgenre. There are quite a few lesfic books out now with more slated to come out this year.
I enjoyed the book ... it was kind of like early Laurel K Hamilton, but knowing Radclyffe, it may go the way of the Anita Blake series and overdose on the hot and heavy (and frequent) sex. Unlike the latter books in the Blake series, Rad always has a pretty solid begining, middle and end and lots of action and plot points - all with lots of strong independant, kick-ass female protaganists. It's nice to have the urban fantasy focus as an alternative to the seemingly standard romance or mystery (which is really a romance with a murder thrown in as a distraction) as the world building tends to be a bit more complex. Compared with mainstream UF, it might not be as strong as alot of what is out there, but if you're looking for lesfic with a different bite, this would be a good read.
I enjoyed the book ... it was kind of like early Laurel K Hamilton, but knowing Radclyffe, it may go the way of the Anita Blake series and overdose on the hot and heavy (and frequent) sex. Unlike the latter books in the Blake series, Rad always has a pretty solid begining, middle and end and lots of action and plot points - all with lots of strong independant, kick-ass female protaganists. It's nice to have the urban fantasy focus as an alternative to the seemingly standard romance or mystery (which is really a romance with a murder thrown in as a distraction) as the world building tends to be a bit more complex. Compared with mainstream UF, it might not be as strong as alot of what is out there, but if you're looking for lesfic with a different bite, this would be a good read.
June 19, 2014
Why did I wait so long to read this?! It's been in my queue for quite awhile and knowing how much Radclyffe's writing gets under my skin, I can't believe it sat for so long. Oh well, now I have the rest of the series to enjoy. This book is an explosion for the senses. Even if you take out the exceptionally hot and steamy sex scenes, the rest of the story is just as gratifying. The author creates a world rich with exciting and dangerous characters that practically jump off the page. Radclyffe just writes emotion so well that it's hard not to feel involved; to feel Sylvan's rage, to smell Drake's excitement or to feel Becca's frustration with the annoyingly arrogant but sensuous Jody. Don't delay...read this one now.
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