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Book Review: Axel’s Pup, by Kim Dare

Axel’s Pup, by Kim Dare

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

As the landlord of The
Dragon’s Lair and leader of The Black Dragons Motorcycle Club, Axel
Carmichael has seen it all and done it all. He’s a respected and
experienced dom. Nothing shocks him any more, and nobody catches him off
guard.

When Bayden rides up to The Dragon’s Lair on a bike worth
more than most men earn in a year, and immediately demonstrates that he
has far more attitude than sense, it’s easy for Axel to write him off
as a silly little rich boy who’s about to get himself killed.

But, there’s more to Bayden than meets the eye. He’s no silly little boy, rich or otherwise, and werewolves aren’t easy to kill.

Part of the trick to reviewing anything is to recognize when something is good even if you didn’t necessarily enjoy it. This book was a bit of a slow read for me because it didn’t engage me like many others do. That is most likely due to the main subject, the dom/sub relationship. That, and BDSM in general, are not to my taste at all, so this was definitely a read that was far afield for me. We all have our different interests, though. I try to live by “Your kink is not my kink, but your kink is OK.”

This concern aside, Kim Dare has created a fascinating world with this book, one that I would love to see more of. This is a world where werewolves and humans live side by side, yet due to an event sometime in the past wolves have been relegated to second-class citizen status. Anti-pack laws mean that wolves are not allowed to congregate or have distinct last names. They are regarded by humans as dirty and lazy, and are an oppressed minority, subject to random stop and harassment (or worse) by police. In spite of this, wolves remain a proud and fiercely independent people.

The racial and economic parallels to our reality are inescapable, of course, but that is not the focus of the story. Instead, this setting provides an interesting context for a human dominant, wolf submissive relationship. The narrative point of view switches between the dom (Axel) and the sub (Bayden), providing a balanced viewpoint as the story proceeds.

This is very definitely a character-driven story; there is not much action here. The focus is on the developing relationship between Axel and Bayden. And therein lies the problem – we get a lot of background on Bayden (who I found a fascinating character), but I never felt (until very late in the book) that we understood what motivates Axel, and even after some details are revealed no connection is made between his history and his motivations.

If there is not much in the way of plot development, that void is certainly filled by many, many sex scenes. Mind you, I do love a good, well-written scene, but by the latter third of the book I was starting to skim them because things were getting a bit repetitious, or delving into specific bondage techniques I don’t really care about. I can’t vouch for the dom/sub mind-sets or mental spaces in which the characters reside. I would be curious to see the opinion of someone more familiar with the BDSM lifestyle.

I can’t say I’d pursue other BDSM-based books that Dare has written, but I’d be interested to read other topics from her. The writing is solid, even if the character development may need some work.

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Book Review: Soul Seekers by Jake C. Wallace

Soul Seekers by Jake C. Wallace

Nineteen-year-old
college student Levi Reed has spent his life with hollow emotions and a
darkness so deep that he’s convinced he’s losing his mind. He’d give
anything to feel something, anything, real.

When a mysterious
stranger appears, Levi is convinced the man is trying to kill him. When
he’s near, Levi experiences head-crushing pain and something
surprising—real emotions for the first time. Jeb Monroe is arrogant,
self-assured, closed-off, and handsome, but he isn’t the harbinger of
doom Levi assumed. Jeb’s mission: help Levi find his missing soul.

Levi
is pulled into the secret world of Seers and Keepers, those born with
the innate ability to manipulate souls and tasked with balancing the
negative energy they can produce. Levi learns he possesses a rare gift,
and he’s in danger. As Jeb and Levi grow closer, they discover a group
of zealots who want to harness Levi’s power to cleanse the world of
damaged souls. Everyone Levi cares for is threatened unless he agrees to
become their tool of death. But agreeing could spell the destruction of
humankind. With no one to trust and nothing as it appears, it’s up to
Levi to save them all.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

This is a really clever read, and I
enjoyed it. It provides an interesting viewpoint from someone who is in
the middle of a very complex situation and can’t see all of the moving
parts – all they can do is keep their head down and push through it. The
conceit of souls and Keepers and Seers is an intriguing one, and I
would read more of this series if there are any sequels.

So why
only 3.75 then? Two big things: the first and most glaring thing is that
the theory of manipulation of souls and the consequences thereof is WAY
to tangled and confusingly explained. I could never get a clear picture
of what the energy issue was between Levi and Jeb. I _think _I got a clearer picture at the end, but the avalanche of explanations tended to really muddle things by that point.

The other issue is that while I love Levi and Jeb together (HOTNESS!),
Jeb was a bit of a cipher for a huge portion of the story, which left
his motivations and “insta-love” for Levi puzzling. In the end I get
what the author is going for, but in the middle of the story is was just
awkward and confusing.

These quibbles aside, I did enjoy the book, and I will happily seek out other of Wallace’s books.

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Book Review: Wolves of Black Pine, by S.J. Himes

An ancient civilization long hidden from humanity is on the brink of chaos and war.

Peaceful
for thousands of years, the wolfkin clans are mysteriously losing
packmates, kidnapped and killed by unknown foes. Among the dead is Luca,
youngest grandson of the two most powerful wolves in the Northern
Clans, but he is forced into a half-life, hidden in the far northern
wilds of Canada and cut off from his kind. Those who raised him have no
idea the creature they harbor in their midst, and name him Ghost. He
begins to lose himself over the long years, and though he barely recalls
his true name, the one wolf he never forgets is Kane.

Heir to
the wolfkin clan Black Pine, Kane is charged with hunting down the
traitors who them to the humans. Years fly by, and more wolves are
dying. He refuses to give up, and he vows to never again fail another of
their kind, as he failed young Luca years before. His heart tells him
Luca lives, but his mind tells him that it’s foolish hope, his guilt
eating him alive.

Fate and magic change the course of their
lives, and the two wolves long separated by the years find their paths
intertwining, though the reunion does not come without cost…

Rating: 4 out of 5

I really liked this book. I liked the setting, I liked the characters (even if there was a little much of The Ace trope going on), and the world-building was sound. All of the parts of a great book are there.

What’s not there is fitting all the pieces together as well as they could. The pacing is problematic, and it can make the book a bit of a slog at times. The best example that comes to mind is in a climactic action scene, we take a break for a page or two of exposition. There’s also a number of scenes repeated twice, from different character’s points of view. I think it comes down to narrative efficiency – tell the story as cleanly and efficiently as possible. I think with a little more editing this could go from a really good book to great book.

These quibbles aside, I enjoyed this book very much and I look forward to reading the sequel.

Oh, and fair warning for those reading for the hot man-on-man sexytime: it’s there, but only gets started 60% into the book. After that the times sexytime occurs starts to get a little ludicrous, but it doesn’t negatively impact the story.

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On Reading Pace

I’m working my way through
Wolves of Black Pine, and compared to previous books I’ve been reading lately, this one has become a bit of a slog. I’m at 85% after 6 days. I’m not necessarily complaining – I love the setting, I love the characters (even if there’s some serious manifestations of The Ace going on – fortunately, the character is entirely likeable). There is something in the writing that is slowing me down, or maybe just not engaging me as much as usual. I think the author has an issue with pacing, and there’s been a couple of times where the same scene plays out twice, described through a different character’s POV. I’m a little perplexed because I do like the book, – maybe it’s just a case of liking it through its flaws. This is going to be an interesting one to review when I finish it. If I ever finish it 🙂

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shutupnatte: DOGBOY? in full, published in RRUFFURR #2 earlier…

shutupnatte:

DOGBOY? in full, published in RRUFFURR #2 earlier this year. The issue is almost gone and won’t be reprinted, so grab a copy soon – so many fantastic artists contributed to this amazing issue. Also, check out RRUFFURR Online!

I haven’t been very active lately, but now that the semester is over and life in general is winding down some, I plan on finally beginning and finishing some projects. Here’s hoping, anyway.

Happy Holidays, everyone. And if I don’t update before then, have a Happy New Year too.

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me, sitting cross-legged in your fridge when you go for a drink in the middle of the night: gray morality can be an effective storytelling technique but it should not be considered a necessity in order to tell a good story because when handled wrong it carries the implication that atrocities are justifiable as long as they’re committed in the interest of fulfilling an ostensibly noble goal, and it is so often handled wrong

me, sitting cross-legged in your fridge when you go for a drink in the middle of the night: gray morality can be an effective storytelling technique but it should not be considered a necessity in order to tell a good story because when handled wrong it carries the implication that atrocities are justifiable as long as they’re committed in the interest of fulfilling an ostensibly noble goal, and it is so often handled wrong
you, staring in horror while holding a carton of orange juice: who are you and how did you get in my house
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Podcasts!

A couple of folks have asked what podcasts I listen to so I thought I would document them somewhere…

  • Ask Me Another – An enjoyable and sometimes silly quiz show, with extra geek cred courtesy of Jonathan Coulton
  • CBC’s Under the Influence – A look into the hows and whys of advertising. There’s a lot of great back stories presented here.
  • Kevin and Ursula Eat Cheap – Take two very smart and funny people, add terrible food and a lot of alcohol. Hilarity does indeed ensue.
  • My Dad Wrote a Porno – Exactly what it says it is. A son does a straight-faced reading of the (egregiously terrible) erotica his father has written, with commentary provided by his sometimes-bewildered friends. It’s notable that his father is in on the joke (and even does a Q&A at the end of Season 1!), which removes any concern of mean-spiritedness.
  • NPR’s Planet Money – A collection of pieces run on various shows, this always has a smart, accessible explanation of matters financial
  • NPR’s Politics Podcast – A bit more free-wheeling than the usual on-air discussion. If you’re a political wonk, you’ll enjoy this weekly podcast.
  • Pop Culture Happy Hour – My favorite! A discussion of all things pop culture by a group of hilarious writers and reporters. Bonus for NPR fans – occasional appearances by folks like Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro that show they’re interesting and engaging people. (Also: Glen Weldon is my Gay Nerd Hero!)
  • Pop Rocket – Comedian Guy Branum hosts this sister-in-spirit to Pop Culture Happy Hour. It’s a little looser, a little more profane, and a lot of fun.
  • Sampler – A meta-podcast? This shouldn’t work, but it succeeds spectacularly. An overview of all kinds of podcasts out there with clips and interviews with the creators. A great way to find podcasts you never would have heard otherwise. Brittany Luse is a fantastic host for this one.
  • Switched on Pop – The combination of pop culture know-how and a little music theory features in this podcast that deconstructs the music out there in a very engaging fashion. Their breakdown of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” and tracing it back to Pharrell, Michael Jackson, Gregorian chant, and Handel was amazing.
  • The Memory Palace – Short (<10 minute) episodes on obscure historical facts. Nate DiMeo’s writing and delivery make this podcast absolutely hypnotic.
  • The Nerdist – Chris Hardwick and company interview famous people. Interview podcasts usually don’t do it for me, but they have a way of getting their interviewees to open up and just chat comfortably, not the usual stilted same-old-same-old. Their interview(s) with Jon Favreau was quite revealing, and showed that Jon is a guy I would absolutely have a beer with.
  • Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! – Just listen to it if you haven’t before. You’ll laugh, a lot. Trust me.
  • WBEZ’s Curious City – Amazing investigations into what makes Chicago tick. This is exceptionally well-researched and presented.

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