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Ars Numina#1
The Leopard King
Proud. Imperious. Impassioned.
Until three years ago, those words applied to Dominic Asher, the leader of Ash Valley. His family has ruled the feline branch of the Animari for hundreds of years, guiding the pride through perilous times. Unspeakable loss drove him into seclusion, a feral beast nobody can tame. Now he’s wrecked, a leopard king in exile, and he wants nothing more than to die.
Fierce. Loyal. Determined.
Fortunately for Dom, those words still apply to Pru Bristow, his dead mate’s best friend. She’s had her heart broken too, but she never quits. With the conclave approaching, alliances with the Pine Ridge pack and Burnt Amber clans on the verge of collapse, she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to drag their leader back, before his second can start a war.
At best theirs seems like a desperate alliance, but when their mate bond turns hot and fierce, there’s no end to the questions and the doubts. Neither of them expects to fall in love. But sometimes people don’t know what they’re looking for until they find it.
Until three years ago, those words applied to Dominic Asher, the leader of Ash Valley. His family has ruled the feline branch of the Animari for hundreds of years, guiding the pride through perilous times. Unspeakable loss drove him into seclusion, a feral beast nobody can tame. Now he’s wrecked, a leopard king in exile, and he wants nothing more than to die.
Fierce. Loyal. Determined.
Fortunately for Dom, those words still apply to Pru Bristow, his dead mate’s best friend. She’s had her heart broken too, but she never quits. With the conclave approaching, alliances with the Pine Ridge pack and Burnt Amber clans on the verge of collapse, she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to drag their leader back, before his second can start a war.
At best theirs seems like a desperate alliance, but when their mate bond turns hot and fierce, there’s no end to the questions and the doubts. Neither of them expects to fall in love. But sometimes people don’t know what they’re looking for until they find it.
339 pages, ebook
First published September 28, 2016
About the author
Ann Aguirre
77books6,961followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre has been a clown, a clerk, a savior of stray kittens, and a voice actress, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in Mexico with her family. She writes all kinds of genre fiction, but she has an eternal soft spot for a happily ever after.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 367 reviews
September 17, 2021
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I think some people think that reviewers are just sitting and cackling while writing negative reviews but for me, it's honestly a pretty demoralizing experience because it means that something I really wanted to like didn't pan out, and that's never a good feeling.
THE LEOPARD KING starts off decently. I'm going to preface this review by saying that shape-shifter paranormals aren't my favorite, although there are some that I really like, but I'm not really an expert in the genre or the tropes. So, Dom, the pack leader, has isolated and gone off on a self-destructive bender after his wife's death. Pru, the friend of the wife, has been voluntold to retrieve him. When she finds him, he's a mess, and eventually she wrenches a cruel bargain from him that he'll return whenshecan shape-shift because she's what is called a "latent" meaning she has never gotten the ability to turn.
But, obviously, she soondoesget the ability. And Dom comes back--
As her mate.
So here's the thing. I'm never really a fan of the "dead ex" trope, especially when the ex was the love of the hero or heroine's life and they kind of feel like the consolation prize in the relationship. I've been in that position myself, where you are constantly being held up against this phantom of a person you'll never match up to, and it's a really bad feeling. Because of this, and because of the way the characters were written, they never really felt like they had chemistry, which made all the sex that happened between them feel stilted and awkward. I liked that there was consent, but in a weird way, there was so much talking and consent that it felt more like a playbook for a relationship than an actual relationship. Like, if you told a relationship therapist to sit down and write an instructional guide on how to have a healthy relationship, but make all the examples shape-shifters, it would come off a lot like this did.
The world-building was interesting but there was so much focus on bland sex that a lot of the more interesting facets of the world, like the various shifter clans and court intrigue and plotting, really slipped through the cracks and/or didn't get adequate page time. I've already bought the whole series and heard the other books get better so I ended up really skimming through this book to get to the end just so I would have a little bit of the backstory that I needed to continue. Otherwise, I would have DNF'd. I love this author and especially herSirantha Jaxseries, so this book was a huge disappointment.
1.5 to 2 stars
Shelved as 'dnf'
October 23, 2016DNF 48%
I can't believe this is the same human that created Sirantha Jax.
This is the second Ann Aguirre novel I have attempted since finishing the Grimspace series, and the second I have DNF'd becuase, terrible.
I don't understand, it really makes no sense. HOOOOOOOW?!
This one begins with Pru, a latent shifter, being sent into the mountains to bring back the pack's AWOL leader, Dominic. Now, Dom is AWOL since his mate, and Pru's best friend was murdered 3 years previous.
Pru is in the mountains with Dom for approximately 1.5 hours before he agrees to rejoin the pack only if she finally shifts and mates with him. She does, and he rejoins the pack because, reasons.
Meanwhile, the guy who has been looking after the pack in Dom's absence, Slay, who has been fucking Pru for years but wouldn't make it official because she couldn't shift, finally realises that Pru is the girl for him and is thus extremely upset with Dom and Pru's arrangement.
I pretty much gave up there.
I can't believe this is the same human that created Sirantha Jax.
This is the second Ann Aguirre novel I have attempted since finishing the Grimspace series, and the second I have DNF'd becuase, terrible.
I don't understand, it really makes no sense. HOOOOOOOW?!
This one begins with Pru, a latent shifter, being sent into the mountains to bring back the pack's AWOL leader, Dominic. Now, Dom is AWOL since his mate, and Pru's best friend was murdered 3 years previous.
Pru is in the mountains with Dom for approximately 1.5 hours before he agrees to rejoin the pack only if she finally shifts and mates with him. She does, and he rejoins the pack because, reasons.
Meanwhile, the guy who has been looking after the pack in Dom's absence, Slay, who has been fucking Pru for years but wouldn't make it official because she couldn't shift, finally realises that Pru is the girl for him and is thus extremely upset with Dom and Pru's arrangement.
I pretty much gave up there.
December 17, 2020
I had high hopes for this paranormal romance. Dom is the leopard king, but he's devastated over the loss of his mate and then ends up falling in love with his mate's best friend? Talk about angst! Unfortunately, the paranormal world-building was not there and this book ended up being more confusing than engaging.
When this book started, we're dropped into the middle of Pru trying to get Dom to return to their home. He had been there for two years devastated by the loss of his mate. I had no idea who either one of them were or what this paranormal world even looked like. I still don't. Dom returns pretty quickly and then all of these battles and conflicts occur, but they felt so weird and disjointed. A lot of the battle scenes happen off-page, so we're just told what happened and I don't even know what the point of all of them were. Who is the enemy? I still don't know! Everything that happened felt very fast and disconnected and I still have no idea what makes up this world, who everyone is, and what is even happening.
The romance was honestly the best thing in this book, but it definitely took a back seat to the confusing plot and underdeveloped world.
When this book started, we're dropped into the middle of Pru trying to get Dom to return to their home. He had been there for two years devastated by the loss of his mate. I had no idea who either one of them were or what this paranormal world even looked like. I still don't. Dom returns pretty quickly and then all of these battles and conflicts occur, but they felt so weird and disjointed. A lot of the battle scenes happen off-page, so we're just told what happened and I don't even know what the point of all of them were. Who is the enemy? I still don't know! Everything that happened felt very fast and disconnected and I still have no idea what makes up this world, who everyone is, and what is even happening.
The romance was honestly the best thing in this book, but it definitely took a back seat to the confusing plot and underdeveloped world.
June 8, 2022
4, maybe 4.5 stars. I’m having a hard time deciding on my rating! I’m rounding this up because I feel like this book is severely underrated on goodreads. Which, imo, is a travesty when so many worse books have such high ratings.
I’ll be the first to say that I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did. I’m not at all a fan of a widower who is still grieving his first love in my romance books. The heroine always ends up as second best, and the romance always feels hollow. This book was different though - it had balance. While the hero and heroine had both known each other since they were very young, neither of them had any interest in the other beyond being friends. The hero fell in love with and was mated to the heroine’s best friend (this seemed icky to me at first, but it ended up working well). The heroine was in love with OM for her entire life, he also claimed to love her, but he didn’t choose her as a mate because of her inability to shift. When the H&h got together they were both still in love with others, but their connection grew and they chose to be with each other instead of focusing on the past.
I especially loved that they didn’t compare each other to their past partners. TBH, there may have been some small comparisons, but they were very mild and nothing that was off-putting. I did not feel that either of them was second best to their first loves.
Overall, I think this is a tough trope to do right, but this book succeeded where so many others have failed. The author is obviously VERY talented. I really loved the writing style & pacing of this book.
I should mention that the reason this for sure didn’t get a 5 star rating from me is because some (not enough to really irritate me) of the storyline was hard to follow. There were SO many characters introduced, and it was sometimes difficult to figure out who was who when they were all in the same scene. I do think I learned most of their names by the end though.
Safety was good for me; but I’ll still call this SWE because they knew each other since they were kids and both had other partners. There is also a fair bit of angst surrounding their relationship in general. Hero is still grieving his first mate when he and the heroine become mates, which causes some OW drama just from guilt in both MCs. She was with OM who refused to mate with her for 10 years, and he causes some drama when she mates the hero. No scenes with OM/OW, no cheating.
I’ll be the first to say that I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did. I’m not at all a fan of a widower who is still grieving his first love in my romance books. The heroine always ends up as second best, and the romance always feels hollow. This book was different though - it had balance. While the hero and heroine had both known each other since they were very young, neither of them had any interest in the other beyond being friends. The hero fell in love with and was mated to the heroine’s best friend (this seemed icky to me at first, but it ended up working well). The heroine was in love with OM for her entire life, he also claimed to love her, but he didn’t choose her as a mate because of her inability to shift. When the H&h got together they were both still in love with others, but their connection grew and they chose to be with each other instead of focusing on the past.
I especially loved that they didn’t compare each other to their past partners. TBH, there may have been some small comparisons, but they were very mild and nothing that was off-putting. I did not feel that either of them was second best to their first loves.
Overall, I think this is a tough trope to do right, but this book succeeded where so many others have failed. The author is obviously VERY talented. I really loved the writing style & pacing of this book.
I should mention that the reason this for sure didn’t get a 5 star rating from me is because some (not enough to really irritate me) of the storyline was hard to follow. There were SO many characters introduced, and it was sometimes difficult to figure out who was who when they were all in the same scene. I do think I learned most of their names by the end though.
Safety was good for me; but I’ll still call this SWE because they knew each other since they were kids and both had other partners. There is also a fair bit of angst surrounding their relationship in general. Hero is still grieving his first mate when he and the heroine become mates, which causes some OW drama just from guilt in both MCs. She was with OM who refused to mate with her for 10 years, and he causes some drama when she mates the hero. No scenes with OM/OW, no cheating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2023
4.5 stars
I've enjoyed each of this author's books I've tried so far and friends gave high ratings to this one so it seemed like a good choice to try. I've been feeling pretty blah in my reading and this book swept me right into all the emotions and action and left me feeling pretty darn happy with this couple at the end. Pru (h) has been tasked with bringing the leader of her pack, Dom (H), back from the isolation he's gone into after his mate died 3 years ago. A very important leadership meeting was happening with the various supernatural groups and they needed Dom to be present. Pru, the shifter she'd been in love with but who rejected her because she couldn't shift, Dom, and his first mate were all childhood friends. Dom doesn't want to leave his isolation, but Pru doesn't give up and not only does she bring him back, they agree to work on being mates themselves. The story follows Pru and Dom adjusting to being mates, Dom adjusting to being back, a lot of political turmoil, and action. Written in third person, dual POV. A sense of ow drama due to some guilt over the dead wife, some om drama from Pru's former lover, and neither h or H are virgins.
I loved how Pru and Dom made an effort to communicate and, as a friend's review mentioned, choose each other. Pru had quite a bit of internal hurts over being chosen because she was a latent shifter and often blended into the background. As Dom's mate though, she's suddenly another leader and watching her embrace that role as best she could, prove how strong she was, and just be amazing was awesome. Even when Dom didn't want her putting herself at risk or didn't love her choices, he was so proud of her and wanted to be a good mate. Dom also had internal struggles because he'd been so distant and lost for years and so much happens, it tests his feelings as leader. But Pru's there to support and build him up. They're not perfect as a couple and it takes time with some blips along the way, esp since there's quite a bit of chaos that ends up happening around them. Their relationship development was really enjoyable for me and boy did their physical chemistry also light up the pages.
I did feel bad for Pru's ex, even though he brought it on himself. I also sometimes got a bit lost in what was happening and the overall world. I had a better understanding of these things and all the players by the end of the book though. I always loved Pru, but there were moments when I side-eyed Dom and wanted to sit him down before Pru could and talk some sense into him.
The side characters include a very full cast from friends and family to allies to enemies to who knows where they fall. There were some genuinely wonderful scenes with friends and family and even some with the allies. It seems like most of the characters in the rest of the series are introduced in this first book, but not all. There is violence, death, and grief throughout the book as well.
I would definitely recommend this book and I was all teary-eyed at the end with a beautifully romantic scene. There was no extended epilogue since this first book is clearly setting characters, the world, and events up for the series.
I've enjoyed each of this author's books I've tried so far and friends gave high ratings to this one so it seemed like a good choice to try. I've been feeling pretty blah in my reading and this book swept me right into all the emotions and action and left me feeling pretty darn happy with this couple at the end. Pru (h) has been tasked with bringing the leader of her pack, Dom (H), back from the isolation he's gone into after his mate died 3 years ago. A very important leadership meeting was happening with the various supernatural groups and they needed Dom to be present. Pru, the shifter she'd been in love with but who rejected her because she couldn't shift, Dom, and his first mate were all childhood friends. Dom doesn't want to leave his isolation, but Pru doesn't give up and not only does she bring him back, they agree to work on being mates themselves. The story follows Pru and Dom adjusting to being mates, Dom adjusting to being back, a lot of political turmoil, and action. Written in third person, dual POV. A sense of ow drama due to some guilt over the dead wife, some om drama from Pru's former lover, and neither h or H are virgins.
I loved how Pru and Dom made an effort to communicate and, as a friend's review mentioned, choose each other. Pru had quite a bit of internal hurts over being chosen because she was a latent shifter and often blended into the background. As Dom's mate though, she's suddenly another leader and watching her embrace that role as best she could, prove how strong she was, and just be amazing was awesome. Even when Dom didn't want her putting herself at risk or didn't love her choices, he was so proud of her and wanted to be a good mate. Dom also had internal struggles because he'd been so distant and lost for years and so much happens, it tests his feelings as leader. But Pru's there to support and build him up. They're not perfect as a couple and it takes time with some blips along the way, esp since there's quite a bit of chaos that ends up happening around them. Their relationship development was really enjoyable for me and boy did their physical chemistry also light up the pages.
I did feel bad for Pru's ex, even though he brought it on himself. I also sometimes got a bit lost in what was happening and the overall world. I had a better understanding of these things and all the players by the end of the book though. I always loved Pru, but there were moments when I side-eyed Dom and wanted to sit him down before Pru could and talk some sense into him.
The side characters include a very full cast from friends and family to allies to enemies to who knows where they fall. There were some genuinely wonderful scenes with friends and family and even some with the allies. It seems like most of the characters in the rest of the series are introduced in this first book, but not all. There is violence, death, and grief throughout the book as well.
I would definitely recommend this book and I was all teary-eyed at the end with a beautifully romantic scene. There was no extended epilogue since this first book is clearly setting characters, the world, and events up for the series.
December 3, 2016
This is a great start to a new paranormal series. The action is pretty intense and I really liked the leads.
The heroine is everything I adore. She is fierce, flawed, and practical.
The hero is coming out of a very dark place but his love, respect, and like of the heroine endear him to me.
It is a sexy book with lots of action. Can't wait to read more in the series.
The heroine is everything I adore. She is fierce, flawed, and practical.
The hero is coming out of a very dark place but his love, respect, and like of the heroine endear him to me.
It is a sexy book with lots of action. Can't wait to read more in the series.
September 29, 2016
This was way out of my comfort zone but I gave it a shot because I loved Ann Aguirre's Enclave series. But I'm glad I read it! It had me hooked from the beginning to the end.
So this was out of my comfort zone bc it had a few things I absolutely despise. The H mourning the loss of his first mate/love/wife. He exiled himself for 3 years and was just a mess drinking day and night. To top it off the h was bestfriends with his ex. Then it had a stupid love triangle, or love square? The h also had an ex lover in there who was all heartbroken.
I think it helped that I knew what I was getting myself into before starting the book. The H doesn't compare his ex to the h and isn't spending the whole book crying about her. From the start I loved the relationship between the H/h. It would've been a million times better if they didn't have those exes though. He was pretty alpha and would get jealous if other men even looked at the h.
The h also has a lover in there so that actually did help balance things out. She's not a naive virgin either.
This was also a lot more adult and steamy than her Enclave series which I loved! I will definitely be looking forward to more books in this series.
So this was out of my comfort zone bc it had a few things I absolutely despise. The H mourning the loss of his first mate/love/wife. He exiled himself for 3 years and was just a mess drinking day and night. To top it off the h was bestfriends with his ex. Then it had a stupid love triangle, or love square? The h also had an ex lover in there who was all heartbroken.
I think it helped that I knew what I was getting myself into before starting the book. The H doesn't compare his ex to the h and isn't spending the whole book crying about her. From the start I loved the relationship between the H/h. It would've been a million times better if they didn't have those exes though. He was pretty alpha and would get jealous if other men even looked at the h.
The h also has a lover in there so that actually did help balance things out. She's not a naive virgin either.
This was also a lot more adult and steamy than her Enclave series which I loved! I will definitely be looking forward to more books in this series.
July 28, 2024
H is lost due to grief, so leaders risk the latent h's life to bring him home - after all she's expendable. Love their story, she is an amazing person. He is a weak mate to her at first, but her actions show him how fortunate he is to have her loyalty. Loved this world with shifters, elvish princes at war.
April 28, 2020
Interesting story.
Well written.
The Hero's previous mate was murdered and the heroine had been rejected for mating due to lack of ability to shift.
It is a realistic (allowing for the shifter storyline but within that world) look at being widowed, feelings of guilt but joy at finding someone new.
The heroine was in love with one of her perspective suitors particularly, he is devastated when she returns to their village mated to the Hero.
The reader sort of feels it serves him right as it felt like he was stringing her along but didn't feel she was good enough but we learn there was more to it than that so the author makes his situation, although of his own doing, sad for him.
The couple also really talked about things with each other which was refreshing.
Although they both have past relationship history they get together quite quickly then deal with residual feelings as the story progresses along with the enemy plot.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
There are brief references to their previous loves but not much detail.
Lots of potential for future books in series, lots of secondary characters and history of the village and other groups who are either at peace with this group or not.
HEA.
Well written.
The Hero's previous mate was murdered and the heroine had been rejected for mating due to lack of ability to shift.
It is a realistic (allowing for the shifter storyline but within that world) look at being widowed, feelings of guilt but joy at finding someone new.
The heroine was in love with one of her perspective suitors particularly, he is devastated when she returns to their village mated to the Hero.
The reader sort of feels it serves him right as it felt like he was stringing her along but didn't feel she was good enough but we learn there was more to it than that so the author makes his situation, although of his own doing, sad for him.
The couple also really talked about things with each other which was refreshing.
Although they both have past relationship history they get together quite quickly then deal with residual feelings as the story progresses along with the enemy plot.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
There are brief references to their previous loves but not much detail.
Lots of potential for future books in series, lots of secondary characters and history of the village and other groups who are either at peace with this group or not.
HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2016
The first book in Aguirre’s newest PNR series-Ars Numina- introduces us to a world of danger, intrigue, and an emotional second chance romance as a young woman risks it all to save her people from destruction. Fantastic world building and exceptional characterization left me engaged from page one. I can’t wait for book 2-The Demon Prince.
I do hope book 2 divulges a little deeper into the history of this world, giving us insight into how the different species came into existence, how and if they co-exist with humans, and the basis of the war at hand.
I do hope book 2 divulges a little deeper into the history of this world, giving us insight into how the different species came into existence, how and if they co-exist with humans, and the basis of the war at hand.
April 11, 2017
This is a very subdued three stars, bordering on 2.5 stars
I expected way more from this book. Or maybe I was just expecting something a little different? The romance was probably the strongest part of it. The world building weirdly (for this author), was very lacking. I guess I expected more paranormal/Urban Fantasy but got something that felt like the PNR elements were an afterthought.
I thought the community/pack of the main characters felt very under-developed. You really don't get a sense of the community outside of a handful of characters who get introduced in dribs and drabs over the course of the book. Their society just didn't feel well populated. Outside of the characters who are obviously being set up as main characters in the sequels there weren't very many well developed supporting characters.
But the romance and the central romantic conflict were well done. I did think Pru, the heroine was a raging Mary Sue. But there was a level of charm in her that tempered it.
Not sure if I'll follow up with the sequel.
I expected way more from this book. Or maybe I was just expecting something a little different? The romance was probably the strongest part of it. The world building weirdly (for this author), was very lacking. I guess I expected more paranormal/Urban Fantasy but got something that felt like the PNR elements were an afterthought.
I thought the community/pack of the main characters felt very under-developed. You really don't get a sense of the community outside of a handful of characters who get introduced in dribs and drabs over the course of the book. Their society just didn't feel well populated. Outside of the characters who are obviously being set up as main characters in the sequels there weren't very many well developed supporting characters.
But the romance and the central romantic conflict were well done. I did think Pru, the heroine was a raging Mary Sue. But there was a level of charm in her that tempered it.
Not sure if I'll follow up with the sequel.
August 30, 2023
I'd normally avoid -like the plague- a book with this premise.Dom, the grief-stricken titular "leopard king" who abandoned his pack after his wife's murder, reluctantly mates Pru, his deceased wife's best friend who was involved with Dom's very much alive best friend and second-in-command.Still with me?!
It all sounds like a Jerry Springer (R.I.P) plot. But I wanted something different, something that challenged me. Plus, this was highly recommended on Reddit - which, to me, meant that it could either be great or terrible. I felt daring enough to find out. To my surprise, it mostly worked for me!
The improbable mating twist engaged me.Dom promised to resume his rightful place ahead of the supernatural clans' peace treaty negotiation - IF Pru shifted and returned as his mate. In his initial feral-like state, Dom was hurtful to Pru, who suffered greatly over her inability to shift. After Pru did the impossible, andas their relationship progressed, it was far sweeter, and respectful, and lighter than I anticipated. But in a good way!They were lifelong friends, and that provided an important basis for their romance. Pru was determined, smart and the perfect sunshine to Dom's grump. Yes, there was some drama, but it balanced with delicious possessive moments and deeper introspective scenes. The feelings never seemed one-sided.
With the exception of two long-running series, I rarely read paranormal anymore. As such, I'm not salivating to immediately continue the series. Even so,The Leopard Kingwas a well-written, engrossing work.
It all sounds like a Jerry Springer (R.I.P) plot. But I wanted something different, something that challenged me. Plus, this was highly recommended on Reddit - which, to me, meant that it could either be great or terrible. I felt daring enough to find out. To my surprise, it mostly worked for me!
The improbable mating twist engaged me.Dom promised to resume his rightful place ahead of the supernatural clans' peace treaty negotiation - IF Pru shifted and returned as his mate. In his initial feral-like state, Dom was hurtful to Pru, who suffered greatly over her inability to shift. After Pru did the impossible, andas their relationship progressed, it was far sweeter, and respectful, and lighter than I anticipated. But in a good way!They were lifelong friends, and that provided an important basis for their romance. Pru was determined, smart and the perfect sunshine to Dom's grump. Yes, there was some drama, but it balanced with delicious possessive moments and deeper introspective scenes. The feelings never seemed one-sided.
With the exception of two long-running series, I rarely read paranormal anymore. As such, I'm not salivating to immediately continue the series. Even so,The Leopard Kingwas a well-written, engrossing work.
May 3, 2020
What a great surprise this story turned out to be. The story opens with Pru, a latent cat shifter from the Ash Valley pack, sent to retrieve her best friend's widowed husband from grieving her best friend's death.
Isolated and wanting to die from grief the once king of the pack doesn't want help, nor to ever come home again.
But his inherent need to protect the helpless, in which the shy cat shifter who cannot shift is the very embodiment of, brings him back from the brink of drowning in alcohol.
Because - danger has followed her to him and it is just the beginning of old alliances about to be blown apart by the greed of one man who wants to rule the realms.
I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Pru who seemed a little damaged by her treatment as a latent shifter but her courage forged by that treatment eventually becomes her greatest asset. And The Leopard King's too.
Sexy read and interesting story telling even if it feels a bit predictable. I am super stoked to have a new pnr series to follow.
Isolated and wanting to die from grief the once king of the pack doesn't want help, nor to ever come home again.
But his inherent need to protect the helpless, in which the shy cat shifter who cannot shift is the very embodiment of, brings him back from the brink of drowning in alcohol.
Because - danger has followed her to him and it is just the beginning of old alliances about to be blown apart by the greed of one man who wants to rule the realms.
I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Pru who seemed a little damaged by her treatment as a latent shifter but her courage forged by that treatment eventually becomes her greatest asset. And The Leopard King's too.
Sexy read and interesting story telling even if it feels a bit predictable. I am super stoked to have a new pnr series to follow.
April 18, 2018
🎀 I decided I wanted to read this & theMacHalosdecided to follow me. Some of them at least ♥
And when I say some I mean it was me (though I wouldn't bet money or food on that),Moony&Lorii🎀
This is how you do it! Goddess this was GREAT!
Some context that is actually irrelevant and that nobody asked for:
I had this in my list for a while and at some point in January I got it in my head that I wanted to read it asap. I honestly didn't remember who the author was and I vaguely remembered what this was about. Typical for me. Again with all honesty I thought this was going to be bad. Then I realized who the author was and what else she has written. I haven't read anything else by her but I had heard good things about her other works. Even with all that I still thought this had a high probability of being bad.
Boy. BoY. BOI. Boy, was I WRONG. Cause GREATNESS!
Pru & Dom are amazing characters and their relationship is #RELATIONSHIPGOALS, all capitals.
There was no Alpha posturing. There was no petty drama.
There was communication. I repeat:There was communication.Actual communication. ➡ It was GLORIOUS!
There was development. There was logic and reason. There was honesty. There was "speaking my mind". There were flaws and weaknesses that just clicked and enhanced everything.
I rarely like couples, but I love them. Seriously #RELATIONSHIPGOALS. I can't stress this enough!
The author says in a note at the end that in this first book in the series we meet most, if not all, of the future heroes & heroines. That means that there are no supporting characters here. They are actually co-stars and even though we see little of them, the fact that they are important and some of their character shows throughout. I really liked most of them.
Alas there were some things that got on my nerves:
There was no world building. NONE. We didn't even have some basic history of it, not until we reached Chapter 18, which was well off the halfway mark. And when I say basic, I mean starved, stripped down to the bone, only necessary to be alive but not living, having a teaspoon of water after being in teh desert for a year basic. This made things confusing and difficult and took away from the characters & the plot.
Another thing, although not annoying but definitely out of place, was some aspects of the writing. It was simple, flowing as easy as water and it drew you in but at points the author threw in "difficult" words. They didn't bode well with the rest of the writing.
And lets not forget my biggest fucking pet peeve: The abrupt, UNMARKED POV changes. God fucking dammit I absolutely hate it when POVs are not marked and hate it even moar when it is done while they change within the chapters.
This is one of those books that the plot arches through the series. It is not something special or flashy but it is not super dull either. It had it's action, it has it's secrets and the little clues spread throughout prompt you to form theories and to want to know more.
Will def go for the rest of them as soon as possible, beyond me being wired to do so. And for the record I am 98% sure of who the rest of the heroes & heroines are. I know I was right about Books #2 & #3. (ヅ)
And when I say some I mean it was me (though I wouldn't bet money or food on that),Moony&Lorii🎀
This is how you do it! Goddess this was GREAT!
Some context that is actually irrelevant and that nobody asked for:
I had this in my list for a while and at some point in January I got it in my head that I wanted to read it asap. I honestly didn't remember who the author was and I vaguely remembered what this was about. Typical for me. Again with all honesty I thought this was going to be bad. Then I realized who the author was and what else she has written. I haven't read anything else by her but I had heard good things about her other works. Even with all that I still thought this had a high probability of being bad.
Boy. BoY. BOI. Boy, was I WRONG. Cause GREATNESS!
Pru & Dom are amazing characters and their relationship is #RELATIONSHIPGOALS, all capitals.
There was no Alpha posturing. There was no petty drama.
There was communication. I repeat:There was communication.Actual communication. ➡ It was GLORIOUS!
There was development. There was logic and reason. There was honesty. There was "speaking my mind". There were flaws and weaknesses that just clicked and enhanced everything.
I rarely like couples, but I love them. Seriously #RELATIONSHIPGOALS. I can't stress this enough!
The author says in a note at the end that in this first book in the series we meet most, if not all, of the future heroes & heroines. That means that there are no supporting characters here. They are actually co-stars and even though we see little of them, the fact that they are important and some of their character shows throughout. I really liked most of them.
Alas there were some things that got on my nerves:
There was no world building. NONE. We didn't even have some basic history of it, not until we reached Chapter 18, which was well off the halfway mark. And when I say basic, I mean starved, stripped down to the bone, only necessary to be alive but not living, having a teaspoon of water after being in teh desert for a year basic. This made things confusing and difficult and took away from the characters & the plot.
Another thing, although not annoying but definitely out of place, was some aspects of the writing. It was simple, flowing as easy as water and it drew you in but at points the author threw in "difficult" words. They didn't bode well with the rest of the writing.
And lets not forget my biggest fucking pet peeve: The abrupt, UNMARKED POV changes. God fucking dammit I absolutely hate it when POVs are not marked and hate it even moar when it is done while they change within the chapters.
This is one of those books that the plot arches through the series. It is not something special or flashy but it is not super dull either. It had it's action, it has it's secrets and the little clues spread throughout prompt you to form theories and to want to know more.
Will def go for the rest of them as soon as possible, beyond me being wired to do so. And for the record I am 98% sure of who the rest of the heroes & heroines are. I know I was right about Books #2 & #3. (ヅ)
March 11, 2020
I was going back and forth between writing reviews for each individual book in this series, or just one for all of them and ultimately I decided on just writing one:) mostly, because I devoured all four books currently available in it in three days… yep, I just couldn’t stop… once I started, I needed to know what’s gonna happen next… which is a bit of a pain, because we are still two books away from finishing the series:) and now I am in withdrawal… the fifth one comes out in april, and the last one next year… or so I think:) each book in the series focuses on a different couple, but there is one bigger story arch happening throughout them all… some of them even overlap and we follow different people during the same time… it’s a paranormal / urban fantasy series, where we have an alternate version of our world but with shapeshifters and other paranormal creatures and whatnot:) the series is definitely on the darker side, fast paced with a lot of action… the romances are usually based on a pretty fast forming connection, mostly because a lot of things are happening at the same time, but it worked for me every time, so no complaints here;) for some reason this series gave me similar vibes to Burned lands by Bec McMaster, as in there's a heavy focus on action and other things happening with characters and not mainly the romance between them… there are a lot of emotional moments so prepare thyselves cause Ann Aguirre is not afraid to kill people… yeah… I learned that the hard way… I gave each story in this series so far 5 stars and even though I liked some of them a bit more and some a bit less, I enjoyed myself immensely while reading them all:) I will probably reread them before the last one comes out next year, and hopefully I will be able to read them slowly this time so that I can write a more coherent and detailed reviews for each individual story;) but nevertheless, I highly encourage you guys to give this series a try:)
XOXO
A
XOXO
A
May 2, 2020
Doesn’t it is say something about the series that I could only write the review of first book, after reading the next two. Yes! I was that invested.
Going in to a new fantasy world it usually takes time to fully immerse, but here I was hooked from the first page itself!
I absolutely adored this couple. Their relationship was so damn beautiful.
Dom was the perfect mate-Understanding, encouraging, loyal, loving and mature.
Same as Pru! She was so brave and fierce. I loved Dom’s possessiveness a little too much. They were one combustible couple.
I already knew Dom was mated and loved another woman beforehand and was very much concerned if it will affect my enjoyment but to my surprise and (bz of author’s talent) that wasn’t an issue at all! Thank god.
Pru’s ex also added a nice touch to the story.
I just wish Dom was a little more dominant alpha!
Loved the interesting secondary characters and couple of them has caught my interest.
Can’t complete the review without praising this author’s writing style. I adored her dialogues, raw/no nonsense writing, fantastic vocabulary and steamy love scenes.
Recommended and safe.
Going in to a new fantasy world it usually takes time to fully immerse, but here I was hooked from the first page itself!
I absolutely adored this couple. Their relationship was so damn beautiful.
Dom was the perfect mate-Understanding, encouraging, loyal, loving and mature.
Same as Pru! She was so brave and fierce. I loved Dom’s possessiveness a little too much. They were one combustible couple.
I already knew Dom was mated and loved another woman beforehand and was very much concerned if it will affect my enjoyment but to my surprise and (bz of author’s talent) that wasn’t an issue at all! Thank god.
Pru’s ex also added a nice touch to the story.
I just wish Dom was a little more dominant alpha!
Loved the interesting secondary characters and couple of them has caught my interest.
Can’t complete the review without praising this author’s writing style. I adored her dialogues, raw/no nonsense writing, fantastic vocabulary and steamy love scenes.
Recommended and safe.
Read
September 30, 2016Review to come but... I liked Aguirre's new self pubbed paranormal romance series starter. I liked the leads and the fact that they both have a history together as friends and that the obstacles to their HEA include impending war for their people and past loves both living and dead. I liked that in moving the h on from her living past love involves some anguish for a future leading man and that Aguirre doesn't vilify him to smooth the path to the leads' HEA.
There is a fair amount of story to Leopard King, but a lot of smexy times - a minor nit for me that has me skimming the later love scenes.
It is also great that all the planned future leading men and a few of their heroines are giving teasing intros over the course of the story - which has me excited for more.
The Leopard King
The Demon Prince
The Wolf Lord
The Shadow Warrior
The War Priest
The Jaguar Knight
There is a fair amount of story to Leopard King, but a lot of smexy times - a minor nit for me that has me skimming the later love scenes.
It is also great that all the planned future leading men and a few of their heroines are giving teasing intros over the course of the story - which has me excited for more.
The Leopard King
The Demon Prince
The Wolf Lord
The Shadow Warrior
The War Priest
The Jaguar Knight
February 7, 2017
Une nouvelle série dont je lirais définitivement les tomes suivants, l'auteur en prévoit 6 au total, et on a croisé tous les héros dans ce tome (et forcément certains j'ai hâte de les lire xD)
Même si ce livre n'est pas parfait, il y a des choses qui auraient pu être mieux expliquée, je l'ai bien aimé. C'est surtout l'histoire entre Pru et Dominic que l'auteur maitrise très bien: ils ont du bagage tous les deux, leurs forces et leurs faiblesses, et ils avancent ensemble en affrontant leurs problèmes sans tourner autour.
Là où ça pêche un peu c'est le monde fantastique dans lequel on entre, on découvre un monde avec des humains, des animari, et des autres espèces pas trop bien définies... on a une vague présentation historique. Ça reste assez léger, peut-être que l'auteur ne souhaitait pas tout dire dans ce tome 1 pour éveiller notre curiosité et qu'on aura plus d'infos au fil des autres romans?
En tout cas vivement le tome 2 ^^
Même si ce livre n'est pas parfait, il y a des choses qui auraient pu être mieux expliquée, je l'ai bien aimé. C'est surtout l'histoire entre Pru et Dominic que l'auteur maitrise très bien: ils ont du bagage tous les deux, leurs forces et leurs faiblesses, et ils avancent ensemble en affrontant leurs problèmes sans tourner autour.
Là où ça pêche un peu c'est le monde fantastique dans lequel on entre, on découvre un monde avec des humains, des animari, et des autres espèces pas trop bien définies... on a une vague présentation historique. Ça reste assez léger, peut-être que l'auteur ne souhaitait pas tout dire dans ce tome 1 pour éveiller notre curiosité et qu'on aura plus d'infos au fil des autres romans?
En tout cas vivement le tome 2 ^^
June 9, 2024
Nice bit of mystery!
October 24, 2016
Holy WOW. This book was good. From the fantastic world building to the first tentative steps in the relationship Pru and Dom embark on to save their pride it blew me away. Then things got really crazy and it got EVEN BETTER.
Dom and Pru are so broken in their own ways. Pru hides her pain a lot better than Dom does, but it's there. Ultimately, she pushed through it and forced herself to keep forging forward, where Dom let his grief consume him. The fact they both have past relationships they have to work to resolve before they can face a future together was heartbreaking. The circumstances behind what drove them together could have shattered them, but somehow it made stronger.
Seriously, I'm just so smitten with these two as a couple.
Meanwhile, there's some serious tension going on between the different clans. Dodging assassination attempts and the threat of all out war, the various heads of state have to work out a way to band together before everything falls apart around them.
In short, we have a smokin' hot, terrifically sweet romance between two people with a lot of baggage who are determined to make things work. There's bloodshed and treachery. You never quite know who to trust among the allies. It's tense and exciting and I'M PRETTY SURE THE NEXT BOOKS ARE GOING TO KILL ME.
-Kelly @Reading the Paranormal
Dom and Pru are so broken in their own ways. Pru hides her pain a lot better than Dom does, but it's there. Ultimately, she pushed through it and forced herself to keep forging forward, where Dom let his grief consume him. The fact they both have past relationships they have to work to resolve before they can face a future together was heartbreaking. The circumstances behind what drove them together could have shattered them, but somehow it made stronger.
Seriously, I'm just so smitten with these two as a couple.
Meanwhile, there's some serious tension going on between the different clans. Dodging assassination attempts and the threat of all out war, the various heads of state have to work out a way to band together before everything falls apart around them.
In short, we have a smokin' hot, terrifically sweet romance between two people with a lot of baggage who are determined to make things work. There's bloodshed and treachery. You never quite know who to trust among the allies. It's tense and exciting and I'M PRETTY SURE THE NEXT BOOKS ARE GOING TO KILL ME.
-Kelly @Reading the Paranormal
March 23, 2021
2.5 stars
It is such a shame, I cannot give a better rating, because there were some things in here I really enjoyed! Consent - hell yeah! A different take on tropes in a genre that is full of chliches- double yeah! An alpha, that is not an alphahole, but vulnerable, strong and supportive of his wife? Forking Jackpot!
There als were two rather likeable and strong (or at least working on it) MCs.
Unfortunately the story as a whole would have needed a lot of work in my opinion. Ann Aguirre tried to stuff way too much into this short little book, She would have needed way less sex scenes in general for all the themes she’d tries to press in this book - fantasy world, politics, mystery, character development, working through grief and guilt, relationship drama, a lot of side characters.
It is a nice read, with awesome little twists you don’t get to see often especially in the cliche ridden PNR genre, but quality wise it could be a lot better in my opinion. And since none of the themes was developed well it just does not work as a whole for me. Combined with pacing issues and rather mediocre world building, this doesn’t pass the average mark.
It is such a shame, I cannot give a better rating, because there were some things in here I really enjoyed! Consent - hell yeah! A different take on tropes in a genre that is full of chliches- double yeah! An alpha, that is not an alphahole, but vulnerable, strong and supportive of his wife? Forking Jackpot!
There als were two rather likeable and strong (or at least working on it) MCs.
Unfortunately the story as a whole would have needed a lot of work in my opinion. Ann Aguirre tried to stuff way too much into this short little book, She would have needed way less sex scenes in general for all the themes she’d tries to press in this book - fantasy world, politics, mystery, character development, working through grief and guilt, relationship drama, a lot of side characters.
It is a nice read, with awesome little twists you don’t get to see often especially in the cliche ridden PNR genre, but quality wise it could be a lot better in my opinion. And since none of the themes was developed well it just does not work as a whole for me. Combined with pacing issues and rather mediocre world building, this doesn’t pass the average mark.
October 23, 2016
tw: self-harm and suicidal thoughts
Wasn't expecting this to be such a tear-jerker. At first the story came across like an old skool romance in which the self-sacrificing heroine engages in all the emotional labor of the relationship, but fortunately the hero started down the get-over-yourself path pretty early. Fun worldbuilding and well-developed secondary characters made this a great read. Very much looking forward to the next in the series.
Wasn't expecting this to be such a tear-jerker. At first the story came across like an old skool romance in which the self-sacrificing heroine engages in all the emotional labor of the relationship, but fortunately the hero started down the get-over-yourself path pretty early. Fun worldbuilding and well-developed secondary characters made this a great read. Very much looking forward to the next in the series.
April 6, 2017
It's hard to do backstories without bogging down the story. Somehow Ann Aguirre aces this. The depth of the character development and their progressive arcs as a result make THE LEOPARD KING engrossing.
Add in some epic fights and some dirty romance...and now it's on my "rec to everyone" list.
Add in some epic fights and some dirty romance...and now it's on my "rec to everyone" list.
June 25, 2022
When Dom's mate is murdered, he retreats to the mountains to suffer and leaves his pack to be led by his second. Pru's best friend was Dom's mate and she's hurting because of her death too. But the pack needs Dom back before a very important treaty is signed so she goes up to the cabin where he's staying to persuade him to return.
This book has an H who is grieving his dead wife. Pru is also messed up because she is a latent (she cannot shift) so her true love won't marry her. Things happen and Dom and Pru decide to become mates.
Usually, this kind of story (dead wife) would be a turn-off but the author handled the subject matter well. The H/h both have insecurities and guilt over the mating and their internal dialogue does go there often. But the plot of full of action and intrigue and they were too busy to get caught up in their heads for very long. The writing is well done so that the subject is *just angsty enough* without being too bad. The H/h have great communication and they get things out in the open and act like adults. As time goes by and the H sees how amazing the h is, he can't help but love and admire her.
This is part 1 of a series and I'm not sure if I'll keep going. It will depend on whether my library has the books and if I'm in the right mood. There are a lot of great future H/h that were introduced in this book.
Safety
This book has an H who is grieving his dead wife. Pru is also messed up because she is a latent (she cannot shift) so her true love won't marry her. Things happen and Dom and Pru decide to become mates.
Usually, this kind of story (dead wife) would be a turn-off but the author handled the subject matter well. The H/h both have insecurities and guilt over the mating and their internal dialogue does go there often. But the plot of full of action and intrigue and they were too busy to get caught up in their heads for very long. The writing is well done so that the subject is *just angsty enough* without being too bad. The H/h have great communication and they get things out in the open and act like adults. As time goes by and the H sees how amazing the h is, he can't help but love and admire her.
This is part 1 of a series and I'm not sure if I'll keep going. It will depend on whether my library has the books and if I'm in the right mood. There are a lot of great future H/h that were introduced in this book.
Safety
August 26, 2024
I was so torn about 3 or 4 stars.
For me the romance was 4 stars but the world building was 2 or 3.
I can't say as I'm interested in reading the rest of the series, but I did really enjoy this one.
I guess I kept getting hung up on the different tribes. Who and/or what the F*ck at the Golgoth??? The Eldritch are Fae?? Anyways, I found myself constantly getting confused between the two.
But the core of the story is the building love story between Pru and Dom.
They grew up together with Dalena and Slay. Dom and Dalena were love at first sight and he has grieved for 3 years since she was murdered in a retreat from his people. Pru and Slay were also a couple and that was right up until Slay sends her to bring Dom, the alpha of their people, home for the next conclave of the peoples.
There was no attraction between Dom and Pru before this at all. They both loved Dalena and were devastated by her murder. But by the time they leave to return to their pack, they are mated for convenience?? It's not really clear and it isn't even clear to them yet at that point.
I should feel sorry for Slay, but he made his bed (er rather his mother made his bed... ha-ha).
Pru was a latent wolf who had never been able to shift and felt like she was never a true part of the pack because of that.
There's politics and death, and somehow Pru and Dom manage to create a great love together during this upheaval.
I liked that the MCs were equally empowered. Neither was gorgeous and neither was perfect.
Safety is good.
For me the romance was 4 stars but the world building was 2 or 3.
I can't say as I'm interested in reading the rest of the series, but I did really enjoy this one.
I guess I kept getting hung up on the different tribes. Who and/or what the F*ck at the Golgoth??? The Eldritch are Fae?? Anyways, I found myself constantly getting confused between the two.
But the core of the story is the building love story between Pru and Dom.
They grew up together with Dalena and Slay. Dom and Dalena were love at first sight and he has grieved for 3 years since she was murdered in a retreat from his people. Pru and Slay were also a couple and that was right up until Slay sends her to bring Dom, the alpha of their people, home for the next conclave of the peoples.
There was no attraction between Dom and Pru before this at all. They both loved Dalena and were devastated by her murder. But by the time they leave to return to their pack, they are mated for convenience?? It's not really clear and it isn't even clear to them yet at that point.
I should feel sorry for Slay, but he made his bed (er rather his mother made his bed... ha-ha).
Pru was a latent wolf who had never been able to shift and felt like she was never a true part of the pack because of that.
There's politics and death, and somehow Pru and Dom manage to create a great love together during this upheaval.
I liked that the MCs were equally empowered. Neither was gorgeous and neither was perfect.
Safety is good.
January 11, 2020
I'll be honest, I picked up this book because I was intrigued by the blurb on a later book in the series and wanted to start at the beginning. I've read from Ann Aguirre before and I Loved her Sirantha Jax books with a capital-L. I found this PNR to be...ok.
The set-up with different, which I'll give credit for. It involved the pairing of the mourning leopard ruler, Dom, and the best friend of his wife, who died three years earlier. Dom has removed himself from society to grieve alone all this time, and the pack sent Pru to collect him by any means necessary. The thing is, Pru is in love with someone else. But Slay won't commit to her because she can't shift.
Suffice it to say, Pru is successful, but comes back with Dom as her new mate. Which is cool because she basically saves his life with the mating. But there is the constant shadow of two other parties in their relationship. I literally spent the entire book waiting for Slay to be the villain to make it easier to discount him entirely.
The romance is set against the backdrop of a looming war among the various supernatural factions and the peace talks at play trying to avoid it. Aguirre does a good job setting up the cast of characters that will carry through the series, and while I liked it well enough, I never felt deeply connected to anyone.
It was easy reading and had some elements that made it different from most other PNR mainstays...no instalove or fated mates. These two had a foundation of friendship and built it to something more over time.
Will probably read more from this series, but I haven't one clicked book 2 just yet.
3.5 stars
The set-up with different, which I'll give credit for. It involved the pairing of the mourning leopard ruler, Dom, and the best friend of his wife, who died three years earlier. Dom has removed himself from society to grieve alone all this time, and the pack sent Pru to collect him by any means necessary. The thing is, Pru is in love with someone else. But Slay won't commit to her because she can't shift.
Suffice it to say, Pru is successful, but comes back with Dom as her new mate. Which is cool because she basically saves his life with the mating. But there is the constant shadow of two other parties in their relationship. I literally spent the entire book waiting for Slay to be the villain to make it easier to discount him entirely.
The romance is set against the backdrop of a looming war among the various supernatural factions and the peace talks at play trying to avoid it. Aguirre does a good job setting up the cast of characters that will carry through the series, and while I liked it well enough, I never felt deeply connected to anyone.
It was easy reading and had some elements that made it different from most other PNR mainstays...no instalove or fated mates. These two had a foundation of friendship and built it to something more over time.
Will probably read more from this series, but I haven't one clicked book 2 just yet.
3.5 stars
June 22, 2022
I'm not quite sure how to rate this. I've gone with 3 stars because I finished it and I was interested enough in the world building to keep going.
Having said that, a lot of what has been written by others about this book held true for me.
In a nutshell, after his wife is murdered Dom retreats to the mountains for 3 years completely devastated. Dead wife's best friend, Prue, is sent to retrieve him by her lover, who is Dom's best friend (who had rejected her as a mate but was still was having sex with her; and sent her to the mountains knowing she might die). Dom says he will go back when she shifts and becomes his mate - it's an impossible task as she is latent. Yes she does it and he has to uphold the deal. The whole seduction scene was, frankly, awkward (though it was probably intended to be)
So, she takes one for the team. There's guilt from both of them but they do it anyway. Her lover's heart is broken, though he was an asshole, it was kind of mean. There's lots and lots of woe and miscommunication, murder, war and a bit more heartbreak.
So if you don't like miscommunication, dead wife, love triangle tropes, this may not be for you.
However, I liked many of the other characters so I'm going on with the series. And it's included in my Audible subscription.
Bring on Alastair's story...
Having said that, a lot of what has been written by others about this book held true for me.
In a nutshell, after his wife is murdered Dom retreats to the mountains for 3 years completely devastated. Dead wife's best friend, Prue, is sent to retrieve him by her lover, who is Dom's best friend (who had rejected her as a mate but was still was having sex with her; and sent her to the mountains knowing she might die). Dom says he will go back when she shifts and becomes his mate - it's an impossible task as she is latent. Yes she does it and he has to uphold the deal. The whole seduction scene was, frankly, awkward (though it was probably intended to be)
So, she takes one for the team. There's guilt from both of them but they do it anyway. Her lover's heart is broken, though he was an asshole, it was kind of mean. There's lots and lots of woe and miscommunication, murder, war and a bit more heartbreak.
So if you don't like miscommunication, dead wife, love triangle tropes, this may not be for you.
However, I liked many of the other characters so I'm going on with the series. And it's included in my Audible subscription.
Bring on Alastair's story...
April 20, 2018
This book had great potential and had moments where it promised to be so much more. I felt at times that I was reading an abridged version – a Readers Digest Condensed Book, where all the main points are covered but you continually have the feeling that the important details are missing.
The world building was pretty much non-existent and where it was it came off as very forced. There was recital of a child's history lesson at about 60%. This to some extent explained the relationships of the five factions, but much was still confusing. The conflicts were frenzied, and instead of conveying a frenetic battle, came off as choppy and disjointed. Several times, I had to refer back for missing pieces that weren’t there in the first place.
The heroine was amazing on every occasion.
The nice thing about this couple was that they talked to each other. Friends with benefits that blossomed into love. The relationship was complex. It broke down for me, when
The world building was pretty much non-existent and where it was it came off as very forced. There was recital of a child's history lesson at about 60%. This to some extent explained the relationships of the five factions, but much was still confusing. The conflicts were frenzied, and instead of conveying a frenetic battle, came off as choppy and disjointed. Several times, I had to refer back for missing pieces that weren’t there in the first place.
The heroine was amazing on every occasion.
The nice thing about this couple was that they talked to each other. Friends with benefits that blossomed into love. The relationship was complex. It broke down for me, when
November 22, 2018
I'm rating this as a first book in a series and whether it does its job of introducing me to a new world and characters, making me wish to continue with the series. It passed.
I won't bother with nitpicks, though.
What I liked is that the relationship is between old friends. The hero had lost his wife who was heroine's best friend. I appreciate the fact that the said wife was a wonderful person judging by those rare glimpses into their past. Pru, the heroine, also had relationship with someone, but it didn't go anywhere. Still, even if the guy took his sweet time accepting the new situation between Pru and Dom, he wasn't bad either.
I admit I rushed through the sex scenes. Not skimming exactly, but close enough.
The two have just enough insecurities to suffer a bit, but they talk about them, so misunderstandings don't last very long.
I also appreciate the fact that Dom really needs time to adjust to everything after three years of self-imposed exile.
I like the whole set up for the world, different beings inhabiting it (the humans discovered their existence in 1800s), their politics and so on. As I said, I won't bother with nitpicks. I want to know more.
I won't bother with nitpicks, though.
What I liked is that the relationship is between old friends. The hero had lost his wife who was heroine's best friend. I appreciate the fact that the said wife was a wonderful person judging by those rare glimpses into their past. Pru, the heroine, also had relationship with someone, but it didn't go anywhere. Still, even if the guy took his sweet time accepting the new situation between Pru and Dom, he wasn't bad either.
I admit I rushed through the sex scenes. Not skimming exactly, but close enough.
The two have just enough insecurities to suffer a bit, but they talk about them, so misunderstandings don't last very long.
I also appreciate the fact that Dom really needs time to adjust to everything after three years of self-imposed exile.
I like the whole set up for the world, different beings inhabiting it (the humans discovered their existence in 1800s), their politics and so on. As I said, I won't bother with nitpicks. I want to know more.
February 12, 2020
Strong entry in the paranormal field. I liked the marriage of convenience start that this book had. There is good world building. It is set in some nebulous place. Maybe Earth but the paranormals are totally separate and humans play no role in the story at all. One love story set in an overarching intrigue and war plot.
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