Raised among humans, Ori Jones only discovered he was an avian shifter six months ago. Unable to complete a full shift until he reaches his avian maturity, he still can’t be sure of his exact species.

But with species comes rank, and rank is everything to the avians. When a partial shift allows the elders to announce that they believe Ori to be a rather ugly little duckling, he drops straight to the bottom rung of their hierarchy.

Life isn’t easy for Ori until he comes to the attention of a high ranking hawk shifter. Then the only question is, is Ori really a duck—and what will his new master think when the truth eventually comes out?

 

Review

 

I have mixed feelings about this book but what is done well is done so well I really enjoyed it.

This is an excellent re imagining of The Ugly Duckling. The relationship between the heroes is compelling and a great romance.

However, everything else in this world gets smudged. We get no other characters really. The world seems cruel beyond measure but it can't all be because of things we see.

The tight lens is good but I wanted more world building overall. 

There is just something about this book I love

When it comes to BDSM books, I am very picky as to what I read. The master/slave dynamic is one I stay away from unless it is either paranormal or fantasy setting. But this world Kim Dare created just sucked me right in.
The avian society is harsh and abusive, while there is structure there, there is no real protection for the lower ranks. Ori spent the majority of the book in the lower ranks coping with abuse from the other shifters who believed it was their right to abuse him.
Ori is a beautiful soul, who's natural submissive nature put him in the position of being manipulated and abused for his whole life. Ori's confusion and devastation after his first shift was heartbreaking but the pleasure we see during his submission was breathtaking.

See Ingela's review. :)

Today's look back at earlier read is Duck! by Kim Dare and is one of the few shifter romances that I have read.  

 

Curious as to why I picked it up and what I thought?  We'll jump into the Wayback Machine and check out my thoughts from May 2013.  

 

Duck! by Kim Dare - My Thoughts

I am so happy when Kim Dare writes a long story.
I am so happy to see Ori again.
I am so happy with Kim Dare's Avian Shifter series.
I would be so crazy happy if she would write another one.