Scorpion (Memory of Scorpions, #1) in Riptide Publishing

Sep 24, 2011 Heather C rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, ebook, series, military, cloud, dubcon-rape, historical

I finished this book yesterday and I'm still torn on how I feel about it. I mean, I liked it but I also didn't like it. My biggest problem was all the impersonal fucking. Not because it was rough and gritty, I actually liked that, but because there was so much of it with so many different people. It seemed to pull me out of the story and away from Kendras.

I did really like the dark and dirty world that has been created here. The author does an excellent job with imagery and I had no trouble pict ...more

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May 09, 2011 CAS rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

One of the BEST stories I've read this year!
If you've never had the pleasure of experiencing the writing of Aleksandr Voinov and find yourself trying to decide which of his many works to start with...This is without a doubt a VERY SOLID CHOICE>>> Scorpion is a very vivid, expertly crafted, many faceted jewel in an overflowing treasure chest of priceless gems.

This is an incredible piece of work. Not one misstep, not one thing I can think of that ever felt anything other than perfect. I was comp ...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Mary rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Kudos to the author. I cannot remember a time where I’ve been lured into empathizing with a character who beat the MC half to death. But I did. So much so, that I found myself cheering their relationship on.

If you’re not into fantasy, don’t let that stop you from reading this book; the world-building is exquisite and doesn’t require a roadmap to follow.

This story snagged me from the first page. Highly recommended.

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Mar 03, 2012 Johanna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ebook, favorites, m-m, aleksandr-voinov

This book has a very intimate and unique tone to it. It was like a quilt I was able to wrap around myself. A quilt that smells like strength, loyalty, pride and perseverance - but also doubt and failure. A quilt that has such beautiful, detailed embroidery of love, loss and comradeship on it. A quilt I would love to share with someone who’d feel the same about it and who’d know exactly what I mean. Because the thing is that while I read Aleksandr Voinov’s writing, I already miss his sentences. W This book has a very intimate and unique tone to it. It was like a quilt I was able to wrap around myself. A quilt that smells like strength, loyalty, pride and perseverance - but also doubt and failure. A quilt that has such beautiful, detailed embroidery of love, loss and comradeship on it. A quilt I would love to share with someone who’d feel the same about it and who’d know exactly what I mean. Because the thing is that while I read Aleksandr Voinov’s writing, I already miss his sentences. With Scorpion it felt almost unbearable that someone can write so beautifully about war and warriors. The narration of the story is extremely sensuous and lovely.

And what a relief that this particular fantacy novel didn’t start by listing names and things about numerous families and their kin! I’ve always found it aversive to first read hundreds of (or at least dozens of) pages family history before little something starts to happen with the storyline. I also hugely enjoyed the tempo of the story. It correlated nicely with the healing process of Kendras’s injured leg. And it correlated with the facts that Kendras found the remaining Scorpions, found out that Adrastes was possibly alive and regained some feel of hope with those discoveries. The author wasn’t afraid to sometimes hold the pace and other times to leap into action. The rhythm of the story reminded me of the beat of a battle. And as for myself, I would have wanted to linger among all the fascinating characters for the longest time, but I didn’t seem to be able to put the book down after I started reading it!

I liked the fact that Adrastes’s spirit and his instructions to the young Scorpion were with Kendras throughout the story tying it all together in a very effective way, and never letting Kendras to give up. In fact I can’t stop wondering how someone’s presence can be written in a story in such a solid and overwhelming way - although that person is not physically around the main character until later in the book. Because long before we meet Adrastes with the ocean priests, we already know him and we already admire him. And we desperately long to be with him. And when these two men are finally together everything else vanishes. The chemistry between them is downright intoxicating and intense. I found myself blushing several times just because I felt like an intruder in the middle of the most special moments between to persons who simply belong to each other.

Scorpion has so many wonderful, skillfully written characters in it that it would be a shame if we didn’t hear more about these proud men in the future. I do admire the uncompromising and insightful way Aleksandr Voinov writes his characters. The men in this book were intriguing mixture of rough and sweet, brutal and tender. I loved to get a glimpse of Widow, Steel, the medic, Selvan… And now when I’ve read the very last page and the very last word I already crave for a new dose of Scorpions and Adrastes of Fetin.

Never stop writing, Aleksandr! ;) ...more

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May 14, 2011 Elin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Gritty, grimy, violent and sexy. Scorpion's protagonist, Kendras, battles injury, unwanted love and political chicanery in his efforts to find and rejoin his commander. ...more

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