Took some notes while reading. Reporting back:

- The first 10% of the book is all about child birth. Not sure what's with refusing painkillers during 14+ hours of painful misery. I would rather be ready and alert for my babies and enjoy the experience. But to each its own. Not judging, just saying those 10% did feel like 14 hours.

- What I wanted when I started this installment was the evil doctor to come back. What I got was a hormonal gamma. like uber hormonal. 

However, Paul hinted that there is hope yet! Abuse and torture and not a drop of epidural in sight! =)

- The second case of TSTL kicks in around 40%. I am disappointed. It takes away from pain and torture because - honestly - it's self inflicted :/ Someone needs to put a leash on Aden and lock him in a cage for his own safety. Oh, wait! The good doctor, it seems, is the one with the right ideas!

- Nate is "innocent"! Hahaha, good one! Almost killed one person, and intentionally at that, then shot and killed another, conspired with the worst most evil doctor evah, not to mention that shady business with his own mother, and yet he is "innocent". I am about to die laughing here!

UPDATE:
While reading the length of this book, one star. <----- That pretty much sums up the state of editing in this book. Hence the rating.

==================

I was sooooo looking froward to this book! This is pre-Kai Gracen universe, I was told. But the moment I dug in.... *sigh* I expected horror elements, of course, but not like this :/

This is a horror, alright. This. Is. Frigging terrible. Who "edited" this book? They really need to be fired. Like 3 years ago. Before this mess came out :/

Warning: Misplaced modifiers, POV ping-pong, adjectives (ab)used as nouns.

I lost the story behind this terror! :/ Sure, horror was never my poison, but it's on me, not the author. I still love Kai Gracen, but he certainly received much more attention from people who somewhat know how to apply English grammar to a written text. It wasn't perfect, but it was readable. Lack of editing in its entirety, however, I cannot forgive. Not where it comes to a published book. Not when that book costs you 7 bucks :/

I am beyond disappointed and this.... this close to DNF.


66% After acquiring a massive headache that not even sake can heal, I am DNF-ing. My brains says No. More!

This story is a disaster. I remember seeing a few negative reviews a year or so ago, but I have no idea what had happened to them. They are not here anymore. I should have known better. I should have paid heed to the warnings.

If you think this is about an archaeological dig, it's not. If you think it's about Creed and outstanding security services he provides, it's not. If you think there is a complicated story that involves dangerous gods and their immense powers, it's not.

This is about a bunch of horny teenagers in grown-up god and human bodies, who drink, f*ck like bunnies (I dare you to flag me for that word, when every other sentence in this book contains a profanity), tell each other tragic sappy stories about their past and run around with googly eyes, falling in insta-love and whispering saccharine nothings when not swearing. These are the Gods. These are tough and rough disciplined ex-military types.

Creed is hired to provide security for a group of archaeologists. He makes a huge deal over it while talking to his client. But what does he do when he gets to the site? Shouts, yells, throws a fit or two and then goes off on a drinking/banging spree first with a member of the dig, and not a couples of hours later with Loki. Creed is too full of himself, and "A limp dick bastard with a God complex" definition suggested by one of the characters describes him to a T.

And so it goes on, Creed and Loki traveling all over the place, bragging about their intelligence, drinking, banging, talking feelings (yuck... yuck.... sticky sugary stuff ...bleh *shrugs*). Everything falls into places when they need it, cause - Gods. They take care of that crap. And so on through now 75% of the book.

Then there is the issue with the Sleeper. Gods don't want him disturbed, but put him in a sealed chamber in an active volcano. What do you think will happen if the said volcano awakes? The seals will be broken, the Sleeper will rise. That's what. Gods Morons.

Strongly reminds me of The Student Prince. All party with little plot.

Still reading (can't believe myself). Will report on the rest later.

And so, I am sad to report that the story is not improving. Ancient gods, who waited literally hundreds of thousand of years for their one and only soulmate, are now rapidly finding them not only within the same week of 2015, but 2 out of three popped up at the same location. The Dig.



What are the odds? O.o

...and then there were poor puppies and poor abused boys and who knows what else, put there for the sole purpose of squeezing out a tear, creating more drama and producing more sap.



DNF-ing at 88%. Actually I did scroll to the end of the book, but couldn't concentrate on any of it.

Want to mention: inconsistencies, contradictions, messed up narrative (not always sure in which timeline I was), cliches and various other wtf-ery waiting for you on every page and in every paragraph. But, yaoi novel, what did I expect. I went for something naive and low quality - a quicky, if you please - and I got it for about 60%.

And then BIG guns came out.

NOT A SPOILER, BUT A SERIOUS WARNING (this is all in the book, not my words, except for "wtf", so keep your finger off that "flag" button):

*

The book took a turn for pure brutality: brutal rape, brutal beatings, brutal murder, brutal zombies, brutal weres, brutal winter, just effing brutal all around with a bouquet of taboos thrown in just for the shocker. It includes consuming human flesh, tearing off limbs, sucking out brains and eyes, ripping out "bowels", fisting, tearing up assholes (literally, of course), dancing on the bloody floor and stomping through the guts, watersports, piss enemas, knotting, implied incest (why not go all the way, wtf?), bestiality and manimal sex/rape (shifted form). I am sure I missed a few juicy bits while rolling my eyes. Please, don't hold it against me.

1 star for the first 60-65%, which still contained a story. The rest - super-massive black hole.

Thank you for your time.

PS Must mention: one of the scenes in the book reminds me strongly ofPrisoner in the Viewfinder. Particularly the scene on the cruise ship with Michael Arbatov, his uncle Yuri and Akihito. A young blond photographer, a pure soul, raped and abused by bad Russian homophobic mobsters.