5 fantastic fantastical stars!

Oh dear, this was GOOOD. Color me amazed!


Let me explain why I'm so surprised and blown away by this story, and why I was very hestitant to pick it up. First of all, I am not a huge fan of the cover. I know, I know! Don't judge a book by it's cover. I really don't. But I can't help it, I do tend to pick up a book sooner if I really like the cover. Ergo, when I'm really not happy with a book cover, the blurb has to make up for it or else I'll probably have it sitting on my TBR shelf for a long time. Not proud of it, but that's what it is. Thank god, the blurb here was very good! A former sorcerer, trapped in his self-imposed isolation is forced to face his past, and conquer his future after being summoned by the King.

Which brings me to my second "issue". I like the fantasy genre a lot, but I'm always a little... cautious when I pick up a story written by an author I'm not familiar with in this particular genre. Because fantasy is not easy to write, and I tend to be a little nit-picky. The art of creating a new world, building it in a believable and comprehensible way, AND adding an intriguing plot with three-dimensional characters to the mix, is something that not every author is good at. Especially when they only have a month and a half to do it.

And then there came Kaje Harper. Boy, did she pull it off and pull it off good. This story was absolutely amazing on many different levels. Harper's writing has been a favorite of mine for a long time now. She's just really, really good at what she does, and it always shows. She gets the tone and pace right, every story has its' own style, but you always recognize her hand in it. Her characters are three-dimensional, with flaws and strenghts and weaknesses. So loveable, all of them! What really knocked me over here though, was her ability to create an alternative world that made sense and that I understood, without adding a very lenghty description of every little detail. It all just fell into place as the story wore on and I loved it!

Lyon's story, while absolutely heart-breaking, was very emotional but hopeful at the same time. There are some dark themes included here, but the overall tone of the story was not dark or depressing. On the contrary, the slow and careful development of a relationship and Lyon's hard fight out of his own personal hell were timed perfectly, carefully crafted and so believeable. Tobin, too, was a gem. So patient, sweet and understanding. Full of love, strenght, respect and commitment. I adored him, and I loved him and Lyon together.

I don't want to talk about the story more then I already have, because there are some big surprises here and an unbelievably good Bang! at the end. It's such a pleasure to read the action scenes, because Kaje Harper has them down pat. I can only say: READ IT! Seriously, if you like hurt/comfort, a wonderfully wholesome fantasy world, and the sweetest love between two complex men, PICK. THIS. UP. I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Dear Author,
My friends and I love cosplay, and this year we’re going all out for our city’s con. Yup, we’re going to go as members of the Justice League. I’m going as Batman, but I can’t figure out who’s going as a Superman. My friends are being a little cagey. What’s going on? How did I go from not knowing who Superman is to making out with the guy?

 

What a wonderful interpretation of this prompt! 

Bryce and Clark meet again after years, and while Bryce is dead set on surpressing is old feelings and not getting close to Clark again, all "Superman" Clark wants is to get back to the easy connection they once shared.

Annabeth Albert hit the nail on the head - again - with this one for me. I loved the alternating POVs, but Bryce definitely was my favorite. And I loooved the shower scene! So sexy, but tender at the same time. This was a real gem. All the love from me!

4.5 stars all around


I admit it, I was hestitant to read this. I had it sitting on my shelf for a relatively long time before actually picking it up. Because I have one all-time favorite book about a hockey player and a somewhat washed-up dancer/med student, namely Fairy-Tale, and I loved this to pieces ever since I found it as a free story on fanfiktion.de.

And I never found a book featuring a hockey player or hockey in general afterwards that grabbed me so completely. Additionally, hockey is not exactly "my" sport - I'm a soccer girl and always will be. But in the end, this book got so many high praise from people I follow, I just had to try it. And I was really not disappointed.

Ryan and Jamie were best friends before it all went to hell in a way that neither of them ever really understood. When they meet again, it all comes back - and is still as connfusing as it was years ago. I really liked the writing here, and also the pace of the story. Their misunderstandings, miscommunication and even the development of the physical and emotional side of their tentative relationship felt real to me, and I had a lot of fun reading about it. I know, some readers complained quite loudly about the juvenile way these two behaved and, most of all, talked at times. Which is, in my opion, one of the things that really worked well here. These two guys are inexperienced young men who spent most of their adolescence in locker rooms and on the field. I'm not sure what people expected, but I sure got exactly what I was prepared for. A lot of swearing, a lot of childish pranks and jokes, and a ton of brash talk and pretending to know all the answers to questions they feel the most insecure about. So, yeah, if you have a problem with things like that, this book probably isn't for you. These guys behave and talk exactly like almost every other young guy growing up on a hockey/socker/football field.

I also really liked the solution, especially for Ryan. I'm not a huge fan of the GFY-trope, mostly because I never met someone who was just "gay for one person", and a lot of stories I read about this topic felt somewhat forced or unrealistic to me. But that's just me. Also, I love it when authors include bi-sexual main characters without reinforcing negative stereotypes about them. Because the "B" in LGBTQA+ tends to be forgotten as much as the "A" or the "+" in literature, and if it's used, more often then not, it makes me hopping mad with how it's handled. The infidelity, the "indecision", the either-or mentality - because if you aren't, you don't have a sexuality, but are just a coward to admit to being gay. I've heard and read it all - from all sides of the field, so to speak. Which is probably one reason why I liked this story so much.

I also enjoyed how the author let's the guys grow and flourish without beating the same old path to death again. It wasn't all predictable, I was surprised a time or three, which is always a big plus in my book.

All in all, a very well written story, with a touch of reality to it that made it more enjoyable to read. Also, these two guys are hot together, their banter was amusing to me rather then annoying, and overall I had some great fun reading this one. Definitely recommended if you're looking for a sexy, fun frenemies-to-lovers story in a sports environment.

Well, I don't have a lot of words for this one.

I loved Matt. Yes, he could be immature, acting before thinking, with no filter and sometimes not even with a fully functioning brain. But he was good, innately and indisputably good. Alex was harder to read, but still a really great guy. The two of them together made for one hell of a ride. I was so damn glad for the secondary characters calling them out on their bullshit because seriously? Somebody had to do it or I might have punched my book.

There is really nothing more to say. This story was fun, it was touching, it was sexy, and I felt for these two very much. Just read it, you'll understand.

Man, where to begin with this one?


One important thing first: Heed the trigger warning, folks! Of course, I completely overlooked it before I began reading. I wouldn't go as far as saying that it was a mistake, because I got through the scenes intact and still liked the book. But I do think that the description and picturing of self-harm in all its' complexities and backrounds is done very realisticly. They are intense and real. This was not done by an author who had no idea what she was talking about and it showed in a way that might not be as "harmless" to other readers as it was to me. So, again, please heed the warnings.

What else? Yes, Ryder! Ryder breaks your heart - probably more than once. He is so many contradictory things at the same time, it made my head spin and still allowed me to understand him completely. He was so strong, yet felt so weak at times, it was almost impossible for him to bear. He seems so confident, but really has no feelings of self-worth, sometimes not even self-preservation. Hence, the abuse of alcohol and other substances.

And then we have Mason. My problem probably was, that as connected as I felt to Ryder, I didn't quite get the same grasp on Mason. At least not in the beginning, all the more though during the end.

I enjoyed the flow of the story very much. Their battles, their struggles, their communication and their communication problems drew me in and held me captive. And let's be honest, the sexual side of this relationship was pretty damn hot. And that's something I don't say too often in the "porn star" trope, mainly because I don't like "my" sex too porny, which annoyed to me quite often when reading "porn star" books. But it was well done here, so no complaints on that front. Parts of the dialogue and descriptions of feelings might have been a little bit too over the top if you ask me, but not overly so.

I also liked the development around the little "mystery/crime" part, even though it problably wasn't the most believable plot line. But that's when I actually connected fully to Mason.

About Ryder's mother thoough (his father is not worth even that much): Uhm, no. I didn't get her, I didn't believe her and I certainly couldn't forgive her. At all. Her regret didn't faze or touch me. Too little, too late.

All in all a solid read for me, at times a little too much, at times unebelievably intense, but still really good.