DNF-ed @ 40%

My problems with the book:

- Very poor discipline for a royal army. Where did they find that riffraff?

- Everyone, and I mean everyone have to argue. No matter who or what or where or when.

- Zombies. When all else fails, whip out the zombies!

- ...and the most important: There isn't a single character in this book that appeals to me. None.

The rating is entirely me. There are plenty of people awarding this book with 5 stars, so it must be me.

My major pet peeves: 

I do not like horror and I do not like books that rotate solely around one or two characters, unless those characters are marooned or isolated from the rest of the world and society against their will (nods to Robinson Crusoe and The Broker).

This is a character driven book, and though MCs are pretty entertaining by themselves, they live in a bubble. There are some people momentarily poking in and out, but only to conveniently manipulate prompt the boys and the plot along and add to the character development. However they hold no substance and are eerie at best; they are in the book for the author's convenience. Imho.

Urban Fantasy is not a proper tag, it's more like a "guestroom" or a "kitchen" fantasy, considering that most of the action takes place inside Collin's house and there are maybe 2 extra characters that somehow matter and live outside of Collin's house. 

I guess the question of segregation and discrimination that this book brings up should be a good cause for an extra star, but I don't think I can muster energy to do it. The book drained me.

2.5 stars.

I do love Megan Derr's books. Her "Kria" books are forever my favorites and so is "The Infinitum Government" Series.
This, however, is turning into pure horror: zombies, demons, flying spiders that are actually angels; there is barely enough interaction between gay protagonists to make it into m/m romance category.
If I knew differently going in, if maybe I read the tags and warnings and reviews, I would have been prepared better.

Keep in mind tho, that it's mostly me, not the book, because:
- Horror bores me to tears.
- Too many characters confuse me, I can never recall anyone beyond the 4-5 major-ish characters, MCs often included. Here we have 15 princes, plus a castle full of people, plus various demons-gods-angels-village people.
- Pain, pain and more pain. Don't get me wrong, I love it when an author makes their characters suffer. "Cethe" is Dah Book. But this was too much even for me. In the end I simply stopped caring about boys wounds, headaches, scrapes or soul wrenching ache for each other.

And so this is how it went:

ME: - Book, let me love you!
BOOK: - Stop talking. I am a busy book. I have all these characters to inflict pain upon.
ME: - But Book....
BOOK: - Bugger off or start helping!

So there we were, stuck together for a few days. And guess what? We made a fine team and successfully inflicted pain left and right.... and right and left... and everywhere in between.



PS I just made to 10% of book two. Chronologically, it should be book one. Logically, so far at least, it should be book one as well. I don't know, maybe it will make sense later.

What a great fun, this book is :)

It actually has a zombie dog, who is not a zombie, but is pretty damn close, hence the tag. 

Unfortunately, the author tends to make all the tender scenes way over the top, over explaining simple things and over stressing characters and readers alike. Hence one star down. The rest? It's been awhile since I've read a book that is so much fun!

Krissy, thank you so much for picking it for me in a challenge and then lending it to me to read! ♥

"Resurrection Man" by Laylah Hunter --- 1.0 star

A young man, a magician, resurrects his dead lover. While the magician is successful and they proceed having sex, I could never get a true feel of the resurrected man. Did his mind and soul came back? Did he turn to be a partial zombie? What did he become? He seemed sinister and sketchy at best. 

One of the reasons for one star rating is Present Tense. Too much sex didn't help either.

"Mating Season" by Kari Gregg --- 4.0 stars

A young man is attacked by an octopus-like creature while camping in the woods. His friend, a vet, finds him next morning, impregnated by the monster. Lots of non-con tentacle sex. 

This story grew on me. When I just finished it I was certain it was going to be a two star rating, but somehow, by the end of the day, after reading certain bits over again, I am willing to give it four stars.

"Flesh and Song" by Ally Blue --- 3.5 stars

A man sails to find a treasure and ends up on an elusive tropical island that, rumor has it, fulfills one's most sacred desires. The man loses the track of time, consumed by his new love - the spirit of the island - that lures him in with songs and hot sex, and asks to sacrifice his life for him. The man considers dying for the beautiful spirit, yet at the same time he is feeling the need to escape, to get back his freedom.

"Out From Under" by Brien Michaels --- 3.5 stars

I have no memory of this one....

"Sleeping With Ghosts" by Peter Hansen --- 3.5 stars

A priest of an assassin order (don't ask) was given a target. By all accounts the man should not have been selected for killing, yet the priest completes his task regardless and travels home on a train with the ghost of his victim. They have hot freezing sex ('cause ghosts are cold, but sex is hot) and that's pretty it... O.o 

"Blasphemer, Sinner, Saint" by Heidi Belleau and Sam Schooler --- 4.0 stars

I realise there is a moral in every story, but the question persists: "and then what"? Maybe I am missing a point, but that's how my mind works and I can't help it. Most of the ghost stories are a dead (pardon the pun) end to me.

"Mating Season" and especially "Blasphemer, Sinner, Saint" were my favorites.