Island of Icarus by Christine Danse

Island of Icarus by Christine Danse
Stars: 3.5/5

Overall
Our story opens in clutter as Jonathan sorts through the things in his office that he hasn't gotten around to putting away, even a year after being in his position at the university. With it, Danse shows the reader the life Jonathan is living, disorganized mentally as he struggles to overcome the shadows of his past while dealing with his new limitations, mainly that of a mangled arm that has a clockwork replacement. Although this is a first person perspective, we are not overwhelmed with angst or emotion, as our narrator is stoically Victorian British and a scientist, which is a refreshing difference from the emotional rides that some stories focus on.

Instead, Island of Icarus is a study of man, of determination, and of creating one's own fate. Although initiated through someone else's will, Jonathan's growth through the novel gives him a spine to make his own decisions and the confidence to follow through.

Strengths
Steampunk. Danse did a very nice job of creating a lightly steampunk atmosphere without short-changing the reader. She included steampunk elements (clockwork, mechanics, Victorian era), without making it a true steampunk piece of writing (aka, heavy with mechanics/steam engineering). True enthusiasts of this genre may feel it doesn't fit the style, but it's present enough to pass.

Characters. We have our classic Victorian educated man, Jonathan, who has suffered injury and heart break and has been marooned on an island with Marcus, a dashing American who is ambitious, crafty and a genius. Even though he is a genius, he's not socially inept, and yet he has isolated himself on this island. Of course the reader knows it's about more than wanting time to work on his project.

Writing. It was enjoyable, and led me to discover that "wow" is not a modern term (I initially thought it was an anachronism within the novel), but dates back to the 1500s. The novel seemed fairly well researched, both of the time period and the mechanics of clockwork gears and flight.

Weaknesses
Beach Sex. There are at least two places you don't want to be naked and rolling around. The beach and in hay. Thankfully the sex didn't involve penetration, but sex on the beach is just a bad idea generally. But I guess when it's all very instantaneous, you don't want your lover to run off because he's changed his mind.

Title. Icarus is the son of a craftsman who, along with his father, used wax and feather wings to escape the island they were imprisoned on. Ignoring his father's warning, Icarus flies too close to the sun, melting the wax and falling to his death. Perhaps it should have been titled Island of Daedalus, since Marcus is the craftsman. There is also some issues that Marcus doesn't really want to leave the island as Daedalus and Icarus did, although he does show some reckless behaviors like that of a young boy (Icarus) which requires Jon to rescue him. I like the basic concept of the novel being called Island of Icarus since there are wings involved, but I'm not sure it's appropriate.

While I enjoyed the story overall, I was never enthralled with the characters or the plot, never motivated to keep reading to see what happened next. If you're looking for something mellow to read, this would be a good choice. If you're in the mood for something a bit more adventurous or emotional, I wouldn't start here.

Anthology: Flipped Fables

Flipped Fables edited by SA Clements
Stars: 3/5

Overall:
Anthologies are always tricky because you can get such a mix of authors writing such a mix of stories, but I think in this case, it paid off. Not every story is a shining star, but none of them are folding in on themselves either, plus they cover a range of tastes so there should be one story sure to satisfy everyone.

The Man Who Cried Werewolf by Kiernan Kelly
A cute, if not completely predictable tale. Since this story is probably one of the most familiar among an American audience, I'm glad it started the series as it held the fewest surprises. It's a straight forward piece that plays out like you'd expect. Who's up for a romp in the hay?

A Sheepherder in Fabulous Clothing by Rob Rosen
If you like fabulous, you'll like this one. It's not completely to my taste, but it does give a good consideration of what makes a man, men who love men who dress as women, and forming your own identity. I feel like I should be more familiar with the tale this is based on, but nothing comes to mind. Still, it stands alone without requiring prior knowledge, except for maybe about drag queens.

Shifter 2.0 by Winnie Jerome
Rather than be a retelling of the Mouse and the Lion, this story just goes with the vague gist of a lion and a mouse in the same story. Daniel doesn't fit the old-school style of shifter that his families believes he should be, but he doesn't fit alot of stereotypes about shifters. He's a vegetarian lion who rips mattresses, clogs the drain with his hair, and requires odorless soaps. Good thing he's met Alex, owner of one mouse and chef at a vegetarian restaurant. He doesn't seem to mind Daniel's quirks, as long as Daniel won't mind his...

Bad Hair Day by Clare London
Rapunzel gets a gender swap and an attitude in this take of "Let Down Your Long Hair." The Prince is persistent through to the end, even if he starts of as a tender whippersnapper and ends up a hero (or, well, you tell me). The end is rather cheesy, but these are fairy tales, so I suppose it's forgiven...this time! ^Insert witch cackle here.

Wild Fox Chase by Misa Izanaki
This particular story is based on a Chinese tale and I like the concept and most the writing. The sex was kinda awkward though, and the dialogue during the sex worse. But other than that a perfectly enjoyable story, and our kitsune (but of course), is playful and keen and has an inner dialogue that fits the fox.

Sweet Persuasion by Angelia Sparrow
In which Zeph and Apollo, two gods of old (Greek, I think, but I'm always confusing them), challenge each other to see who can get a shepherd to remove his clothes first using their gifts. It doesn't really matter who the winner is, as they decided to pursue the boy that evening, which the both have off. For having a threesome, it's an incredibly sweet tale with some hot hillside sex.

The Nature of Love by Anah Crow
This is one of my favorite stories among this group. I wasn't familiar with the tale it was based on (The Cat and Venus), but I'm not sure familiarity would help/hinder the story since it was changed rather thoroughly in very excellent ways. I never knew what to expect next and the author never disappointed. This actually has me interested in what more she wrote.

Court and Country by GS Wiley
A new take on Country Mouse and City Mouse, we have two boys who grew up together, one who stayed in the country, preferring farming and hard work, while one moved into the city and joined the court. Before they part ways, they share a kiss, but nothing else, and then many years go by. They meet up together when the Courtier comes to visit the country and their tale unravels from there. How can two lovers with so very different tastes survive? It's a cute story. You won't be surprised by the ending, but I don't think we're meant to be.

The Cock and the Jewel by Sean Michael
Michael is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. He brings such great characters to life and explores facets of life that I don't face while still making the characters accessible. Here we meet a tattoo artist who is too inked and pierced for his last boyfriend, who he is still trying to get over. So the question is, will the cock give up on the jewel, or will he find his true worth?

Braided by Sean Michael

Braided by Sean Michael
Stars: 3.5/5

Overall
If you want hot sex, and lots of it, then pick up this story! If you want deep plot, go else where. If you want character studies, you'll find it here. If you want deep, overwhelming emotions, this probably isn't the place. So am I saying this is worth it? Yes. As long as you go in knowing what you're going to get, you will be happy with what you get in the end. The writing was enjoyable enough that half way through (when I realized there wasn't really going to be much plot), I shrugged my shoulders and kept reading...and I love plot-driven stories.

Warning: Contains BDSM involving fisting, twincest, sounds/wands, threesome and more

Strengths
Twins. I know my weaknesses, and it's twins. While I would never go for it in real life, fantasy worlds are a fun place to play. Michael does an excellent job of playing up this particular interest and does great things with making the twins similar in just enough ways that it's interesting and yet making them so very different. Also in this category is tattoos and piercings. Michael plays with many ideas in this story, many of which touch upon my buttons.

Writing. Michael has a very strong and consistent writing style that rarely falters. Even when there are several chapters without any real plot, I didn't mind because it's just enjoyable to read his stuff. And I'm a huge fan of plot, so that's saying something.

Ending. It has a very nice ending, which I won't divulge.

Weaknesses
PWP. The story does have plot, but the rate of plot to pages is really low. Michael seems to focus more on character development and advancement, exploring the human psyche and pulling it apart as he unthreads his characters. However, he doesn't seem to do this through plot (at least in the Velvet Glove series), but through character interactions. I think this works, overall. His writing is strong, he writes good scenes, and he has interesting characters. However, despite thoroughly enjoying this novel, I kept waiting for something to happen. There are a few small events, but not much else aside from sex. I suppose in some ways this is a strength too.

Peter's Story. I felt like Peter's story never got developed. For all Peter's issues, I was surprised that Paul received most of the attention plot wise. Maybe Michael felt it would be too obvious to go for the "broken" twin, which I can respect, but I still wish we'd gotten more of his story. Maybe there is another story out there that I didn't see.

Every Good Thing by M. Jules Aiden

Every Good Thing by M. Jules Aedin
Stars: 3/5

Overall:
I started this story expecting a bit more slave-master dynamic, but by the third chapter or so, I realized this wasn't going to be. Although Arieh is sold to Enitan as a slave, Enitan plans on making him his pias, a position between highest ranking slave and wife, leaning toward obedient wife placement. The pias is expected to keep the master of the house's bed, but when Arieh is reluctant, Enitan doesn't push him.

It's a story of a boy overcoming fear and teachings to embrace his feelings for the man who bought him. There are some allusions to the negatives of drugs, the positives/negatives of faith (seems to favor multiple gods over one), and the construction of a family outside the normal "established" family idea.

What I liked
The story was well written and constructed, aside from what I mention below.

Nothing in this book really jumped out and grabbed me. It wasn't a "can't put this down" book, nor did it give me a look inside myself. I also felt there were some plots left undone at the end (the dancer's brother never gets resolution, does he?). It was enjoyable, and I may even re-read it, but it didn't amaze me.

Characters. I sympathized with the characters and I wanted happy endings for them, but I wasn't moved by their plights. I think if we'd spent more time with the two or three main characters I would have felt more for them, but my attention was distracted by the head-hopping. But I did like Arieh, even if he's a whiney kid for a chunk of time (it's understandable), and I feel sorry for Enitan who is being extremely patient.

What didn't work
Jumping perspectives. I'm very picky when it comes to this style, and while it wasn't done poorly here, I didn't feel like it was needed half the time. From a strictly logical view it works to show us everything that's happening. But it too often is used as a crutch to avoid having to write around these complications. I'm not sure if it was used as a crutch here (I didn't see a lame leg), but it also didn't fit naturally into the writing either.

I re-read the book after some time had passed, just to make sure I wasn't judging this harshly. I found I enjoyed it alot more when I skipped over all the chapters that weren't from the three main perspectives (Junia, Enitan, Arieh). I can see the advantage of experiencing some of the alternatives (when the sister dancer is helped by the magic man, when the magic man takes on an apprentice) but most everything else is unnecessary, and even the parts I can understand could have been taken on differently, especially if Junia was kept as a point of view.

Ignored complication. Junia found a book of scripture for Arieh, which he ignores in favor of being happy. His reasoning for this is that he's been abandoned by his god already, so it doesn't matter. It felt flat, and also like the author was setting something up that she decided not to follow through with. Even Enitan points this out, but it's never really resolved and I wonder if she felt it was or if she did resolve it and I'm missing it.

Velvet Need by Sean Michael

Velvet Need by Sean Michael
Stars: 4.5/5

Overall:
I'm not a huge fan of BDSM, which may make you wonder why I was reading a novel all about it. There was a sale, I'll leave it at that. And yet...this novel was very good. Even if some of the subject matters weren't to my liking, the writing was done in such a sensual/sexual way that I found it enjoyable.The characters aren't flat and they both struggle with their place in the dynamic, eventually finding their balance within the relationship. While, obviously, BDSM practices are a core element of the story and sex, the author did a fantastic job of balancing them with development of characters and plot (although plot is mostly through the characters). While plot is important, it is mostly a tool to drive the character development and exploration.
Warning: Contains BDSM and the use of sounds/wands, enemas, fisting

Strengths
The doctor. I was very wary of Lutrell when we were first introduced to him for several reasons. One, he giggled a lot, which I initially was concerned meant the writing was going to be bad, but it turned out just to be a character trait that I later kind of loved. Two, he was a Top with several interests that didn't, well, interest me. But as the story continued, I learned to love his laughing and his light-hearted nature, and while his sexual interests still don't do it for me, the affection and tenderness he puts into his work amends that.

Sensuality. The tenderness and care with which the sex was described, mixed with the complete abandon of passion and enjoyment made even descriptions of things that aren't enjoyable to me sound pleasant.

Writing. The writing is very smooth and Michael does an excellent job of writing two very different characters from two different perspectives.

Weaknesses
Again, some of the sexual practices weren't "my cup of tea," so to speak, but they were well handled, not gruesome or too detailed, but instead sensual.

Plot. There is a plot, just very little. Hard-working business man thinks he's a top, a Top shows him how to let go, HWBM gets kidnapped and tortured and Top has to re-coop him. That's the basic plot, and if this wasn't in outer space (aka, not our real world), I'd question some of the legal elements. As it is, we chalk it up to "well, it's an outer space thing" and move on. The action plot is minimal, the emotional plot is the focus.

The Dickens With Love by Josh Lanyon

The Dickens With Love by Josh Lanyon
Stars: 5/5

Overall:
Very few people can successfully mix romance, humor and heartfelt suffering as Lanyon does in To Dickens With Love. My initial interest in the story came from its quirky description involving glow-in-the-dark condoms, and I was happy to see that its humor stayed consistent throughout, sometimes sticking with straight amusement and other times going with a more sarcastic, jaded laugh.

But this story is much more than just a good laugh. Our jaded and desperate narrator is put into a morally questionable situation that he feels he must fulfill, both because he needs the money and also because he yearns to be "back in the business," no matter how dark the dealings are for him, at the moment. Of course, things begin to take a turn for...well, not the worse, but they do take a turn once he meets the quietly handsome Crisparkle.

This is a perfect Christmas tale, good any time of year (I read it in the autumn), but probably sweetest during the holidays (I plan to read it again then, just to keep myself in the spirit). This is a story about love, forgiveness, redemption, hope and...well, it's a Dickens' tale.

Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby

Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby
Stars: 2.5/5

Overall:
I probably would have ranked this book as a 2, but the author did an excellent job with the horse elements, so it earns an extra half star. Otherwise I found the novel mediocre overall, mostly due to Cleo's involvement. If the story had focused solely on Alex and been from his perspective, it would have been better.

What I liked
Alex. Perhaps the sweetest boy you've ever met. Okay, he's embarrassed by his family, but who wouldn't be? He's hardworking, quiet, tries not to complain and struggles with his place in the world. He doesn't fit in in so many ways, but he does his best to get by.

Equestrian. Most people get their horse stuff wrong in books, but this author, with her obvious horse experience, gets stuff right. It was wonderfully refreshing for a fellow equestrian. I'm not sure I buy the musical kur, which seems a bit advanced for two teens, but I suppose they are advanced riders.

Dressage Coaches. I enjoyed the two male dressage coaches. Their mixed personalities were funny and tender at all the right moments.

What didn't work
Cleo. She was annoying, self-centered, complaining all the time and lazy. If she was there to be a comparison to Alex, it didn't work. Even if she "brought Alex out of his shell" a little, I could not see them being friends. She annoyed me to the extremes. I tended to skim her chapters. Since she was half the book, it did serious damage to the quality.

Jesse's Story by MaculateGiraffe

Jesse's Story by MaculateGiraffe
Stars: 5/5

Overall:
A continuation of the Slave Breakers series, we are introduced to strong-willed, quick thinking Jesse. He joins the household temporarily, but leaves a lasting impression. He's smart enough to challenge Holden and he watches everyone, trying to understand them with his extremely curious, and nosy, nature.

This story doesn't have the emotional pull that Bran's Story had, because it's approaching everything from a different angle. While the main character is Jesse, this is really just continuing the story of Bran and Holden. Jesse sees everything with a jaded and cynical eye, judging Bran's love for his master as sad and Holden's abuse of that love as horrid. But it is Jesse's meddlesome ways that gives this story its happy ending.

What I liked
More Bran and Holden! I really love these two and was happy to see more of them.

Writing. The author continued to impress me with the writing style and plot development. I think there were bigger time jumps in this novel, but the flow wasn't interrupted.

What didn't work
Nothing jumped out at me as terrible. I felt less connected to Jesse than I felt previously with Bran, but some may like his brash attitude better than Bran's subservience. I also understand that this story needed to be told from his perspective in order to give us his way of thinking, his nosy nature, and an outsider's view.

Bran's Story by Maculate Giraffe

Bran's Story by MaculateGiraffe
Stars: 5/5

Overall:
If you're like me, you see "Independently published" and your nose wrinkles. But you also can't deny a free read, so you click and start reading. And you're amazed. I was amazed. The copy is clean, the story is superb, the writing is excellent and the emotional pull is strong. The overall story involves a Master-Slave relationship, but doesn't really do too much BDSM except for the "obey me" bit. The basic concept (slave falling for his master) isn't unique, but the way in which the author approaches it is. VERY enjoyable. (Warning: Sexual partners are not hard and fast in this story, but the characters aren't "slutty," they just have a different concept of loyalty.)

What I liked
Characters. Bran, Holden, Yves come off the page like the beautiful men they are, wrapping their naked limbs around each other and the reader until you relax into their grasp. They are brilliantly colored and varied, and even Yves--who we know the least about, has the least screen time, and would seem to be a "flat" character--is more than meets the eye. He has weaknesses and strengths and the author doesn't feel the need to tell us this because we see it through his interactions with Bran and his master.

World. Because the setting is supposed to be equivalent to ours in most cases, the author is freed from having to describe everything and is free to focus on the more important elements: the slave-master dynamic, both in a private context and a social context (this is developed in a later book). The author does an excellent job of illustrating everything for the reader and absorbing the reader into the world.

Bran. Bran comes from an abusive master and is terrified, but he's not broken. I think this is refreshing, as well as a central point of the story. Bran is so hopeful and desires so strongly to please, that you can't help but be happy when he is happy.

What didn't work
If you're looking for a high-intensity plot with action, this isn't it. The plot is by no means boring, but it's more of a subtle, internal struggle than a fight for life.

There was one small "huh?" that arose, and that was so small. The world is pretty much parallel to ours, with cars, etc, but also with slaves. But there is mention of a chamber pot being used, which seemed a little odd. Didn't they have toilets? They have cars but not toilets? But this can easily be explained away by the fact that it is almost parallel. So not a big deal. You know it's a good book when you have to pick on ONE line in the entire story.

Fall by Alex Draven

Fall by Alex Draven
Stars: 2/5

Overall:
I enjoyed this story, and I enjoyed this world, but the reason it scored so low was because so much was confusing. There is so much here that can be fleshed out into a longer piece. I was even hoping that maybe this was just an off shoot of another story without any luck. I enjoyed the crabby centaur, the young go-getter, the conflict between them and their histories. The end confused me a little, as to why everything happened, even if I have an understanding of what happened. The history of everyone is a little fuzzy as well, although I grasped the basic plot.

This is meant to be M/M romance, but very little actually feels like it. Our main centaur had a male lover (boyfriend/significant other/grooming mate?) and there is the possibility of something between him and the young colt, but it's all kind of vague. This needed to be longer to explore the complex systems that were created.