At the Trough by Adam Knight Release Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hi guys! We have Adam Knight dropping by today with his debut release At The Trough, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~

Adam Knight - At the Trough Cover 386597ju

At The Trough

by

Adam Knight

In a future where schools have no teachers and no classrooms, Jennifer Calderon is the perfect student. Every day she watches her video modules, plays her edu games, and never misses an answer. Life is comfortable in the Plex, a mile-wide apartment building. Corporations and brand names surround her and satisfy her every want and need.

Then one day, her foul-mouthed, free-spirited, 90’s-kitsch-wearing girlfriend Melody disrupts everything. She introduces her to a cynical, burned-out former teacher, who teaches them the things no longer taught in school. Poetry. Critical thinking. Human connection.

But these lessons draw the attention of EduForce, the massive corporation with a stranglehold on education. When they show how far they are willing to go keep their customers obedient, Jennifer has to decide what is most important to her and how much she is willing to sacrifice for it.

Warning: Deaths of secondary characters, references to suicide and suicidal ideation and abuse of an adult child by a parent

.•.•.**❣️ NineStar | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | B&N | Kobo ❣️**.•.•.

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Legacy Strain by Taylor Brooke Release Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hi guys, we have Taylor Brooke popping in today with her new release Legacy Strain, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~

Legacy Strain

(Isolation 03)
by

Taylor Brooke

War is on the horizon.

After fleeing the white-walled labyrinth where Brooklyn and her friends were caged, trained, tortured, and studied, the group of renegade Omens prepare for the fight of their lives. But an unexpected arrival from Kirin—the dangerous, secret project Juneau has kept locked away in Isolation’s main facility—complicates things.

Despite the rumors surrounding Kirin’s loyalties and capabilities, Brooklyn decides to make an alliance. Together they form a plan to rescue their friends and take down Isolation once and for all.

Julian Matsumoto is strung between two sides of his heart.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and freedom always has a cost. Julian doesn’t know if he has what it takes to pay the price, especially if that price is Kirin’s life. But the Legacy Strain is being weaponized and they don’t have time to waste.

This is their only chance to escape Juneau Malloy for good, and Brooklyn Harper has been fighting for too long to back down now. Armed with deadly skills and a hunger for vengeance, the Omen Operatives set out on a risky mission to eradicate Isolation, contain the volatile Legacy Strain, and earn the freedom they’ve been chasing since Camp Eleven.

.•.•.**❣️ NineStar Press | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | B&N | Kobo ❣️**.•.•.

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ECHO Campaign by Taylor Brooke Release Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hi guys, we have Taylor Brooke popping in today with her new release ECHO Campaign, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~

ECHO Campaign

(Isolation 02)
by

Taylor Brooke

Brooklyn Harper’s worst nightmare has become her reality. She has been captured by Isolation.
Trapped in a white-walled labyrinth by Juneau Malloy, Brooklyn is faced with the horrors of Isolation’s finest training yet. The skills she learned in Camp Eleven are put to the test during brutal assessments of her physical strength, mental sharpness, combat expertise, and emotional fortitude.

Juneau offers the renegade Omens a deal—sign a contract and hand over their freedom or endure torturous trials day after day. A test of wills surfaces, and if Brooklyn isn’t careful, her recklessness could come at a price she isn’t willing to pay.

While Brooklyn confronts her worst fears, Julian Matsumoto comes face-to-face with Isolation’s biggest secret. The unknown is at his fingertips, a plan is forming behind closed doors, and Julian must choose between a life outside the facility, or a chance to destroy the corporation who stole him and his friends from their lives once and for all.

ECHO Campaign is the second in the Isolation series.

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Bane by Amelia C. Gormley

Amelia C. Gormley - Bane _500x750Title: Bane
Series: Strain, #2
Author: Amelia C. Gormley
Genre: Dystopia/ Military
Length: Novel (279 pages)
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (September 21st 2015)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Blurb: The weapon that nearly destroyed humanity may be their only salvation.

Rhys Cooper’s unique immunity to all three strains of the virus that nearly annihilated humanity has brought him the unwanted attention of Clean Zone scientists. They’ve summoned him for testing—ostensibly in the hopes of finding a vaccine—but Rhys’s partner, Darius Murrell, has good reason not to trust any government. He and his comrades in Delta Company were unwitting test subjects for Project Juggernaut, the military experiment that gave them superhuman abilities and unleashed the pandemic. Doubting the government’s intentions, Delta Company refuses to let Rhys go alone.

Fear of infection has kept Zach Houtman and his lover Nico Fernández apart for a decade. They meet rarely, just long enough to coordinate their spying on the head of the government’s virus research division. Secretary Littlewood is a vicious predator, and they suspect he’s trying to acquire the strain of the virus that would make him superhuman. To stop him, they need the perfect bait: Rhys.

For Rhys, helping them might cost him his relationship with Darius—or his life. For Zach and Nico, even if their plan succeeds, they still face the ultimate question: can infected and uninfected people ever live together safely?

ISBN: 9781626492844

Product Link: http://www.riptidepublishing.com//titles/bane

Reviewer: Aerin

Review: I admit I’ve still yet to pick up Strain and read it, and while I was afraid it will prevent me from enjoying Bane, since Strain is the setting for Bane and is totally connected with it, I felt like I got to know enough about Rhys and Darius for me to avoid feeling like I’m missing something important. This book focuses heavily on the relationship between Darius and Rhys, and let me tell you those two are so incredibly hot together.

I’m happy I didn’t get to read Strain, because it saved me from reading about Rhys being passed around for all the soldiers to fuck, even though there was a reason for that. I enjoyed Darius’s possessiveness when it came to Rhys, and the sex those two had was smoking hot!

Bane also catches up with Zack and Nico, the main characters in JUGGERNAUT, but their relationship is not as intense as that between Rhys and Darius. I found Zack tiring and frustrating, he annoyed me with his Fate multiple times…yeah I know, what a horrible thing for me to say. Not that I have something against his fate in God or anyone else’s, but does it have to be mentioned constantly throughout the book? Yes, I got it. God is telling you to stay without Nico and be miserable, now STFU!

I liked the whole plan for finding a cure, the antidote for the mutated alpha strain, even though in the end it didn’t work like it was supposed to. I also liked that this story was told from multiple POVs. It allowed us to better understand why the characters chose to do what they did, and the feelings they had about the situation they were in.

The ending was pretty unique and the idea was very interesting, but I’m not sure I understand exactly how the air in Russia is different from the air in the US, to the extent where it created such a tragedy.

Great series if you’re looking for a great sci-fi/dystopian theme.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

I Am Hope by Evelyn Shepherd Cover Reveal, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Evelyn Shepherd‏ - I Am Hope CR_Banner

Hi peeps, we have Evelyn Shepherd visiting today with the cover to her upcoming release I Am Hope, the third and last book in The Meteora Trilogy. We also have an exclusive excerpt to have a peek at and there’s also a fantastic giveaway where you can win the first two books in The Meteora Trilogy so enjoy the post and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~

Evelyn Shepherd‏ - I Am Hope ES_IAmHope

I Am Hope

(The Meteora Trilogy 03)
by

Evelyn Shepherd

The undead were only the beginning.

Topher, Jesse, and Sawyer thought their greatest threat were the Infected and Mutated that roam the world. As they struggle to reach the camp in Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina, they soon discover that the monstrous mutations of the undead are the least of their problems. Something else, something far more intelligent and lethal, is hunting them.

Topher knows that the only way humanity will survive is to find a cure for the strange infection that’s ravaged the world. He’s on the brink of discovering it; but the further his research goes, the more he realizes that curing the world of the infection may mean losing Sawyer.

The three will fight to stay together, and Topher will have to make the ultimate choice: cure the world or save his lover?

Release date: 8th September 2015

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18% Grey by Anne Tenino (Audiobook)

51pCu3vStVL._SL300_Title:  18% Gray

Series:  Task Force Iota book #1

Author:  Anne Tenino

Genre:   Dystopian Romance

Length:  9 hours and 1 minute

Publisher:  Dreamspinner Press (07/20/2012)

Heat Level:  Moderate to Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Blurb:   In a future where the United States has split along party lines, Agent Matt Tennimore’s job is to get people out of the Confederated Red States, whether they’re captured special ops agents from his own country or gay CRS citizens who’ve petitioned for asylum. He never expected to have to retrieve his high school crush, aka the guy who ostracized him for being gay.

Rescuing James Ayala isn’t going to be easy: he’s crawling with tracking nanos and has a cybernetic brain implant that’s granted him psychic power he isn’t sure how to control. That’s the good news. The bad? The implant is compromising James’s mental stability.

So they’re on the run, avoiding surveillance by AI aircraft and hiding from enemy militia. Then James confesses he tormented Matt in high school because James wanted him. Matt can’t resist the temptation James offers, but he wants so much more than sex, assuming they ever make it home alive. Is James really a good bet when he’s got a ticking time bomb in his brain and there’s the question of how much he’s actually changed?

Product Link Dreamspinner:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3118

Product Link Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/18-Gray-Audiobook/B008N0F3LU/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1383422624&sr=1-1

Reviewer:   Tams

Review:  I loved this book!! My three favorite genres are dystopian, m/m and zombie… so when I can get any combination of the three I am usually in heaven. Add to that the expert narration of Paul Morey and this book was pure bliss. Seriously, the guy could read the phone book and make my toes curl!

A century from now the continent is divided into two parties. The Confederated Red States which is run by a strict protocol, a military state if you will, where being gay or lesbian will get you killed, if the vigorous reconditioning camp they assign you to doesn’t make you straight. And the Blue States where you are still allowed the freedom to be yourself, to be who you are. Matt Tennimore and his family are blue’s and their job is to rescue gays and lesbians from CRS and give them asylum. Matt’s latest mission is a CRS agent gone rogue, James Ayala, who also happens to be his high school crush.

The story follows Matt and James and their cross-country escapades trying to reach the safety of the Blue States. It takes a little time before James becomes comfortable enough with Matt to tell him about the implant. As they dodge CRS soldiers in a fight for their lives, they quickly learn that old feelings long ago buried are resurfacing with a vengeance. James psychic abilities are morphing along the way as well, he goes from being able to sense Matt’s feelings to hearing his thoughts and eventually, feeling what he feels as well.

When Matt is seriously injured, they find sanctuary in a convent that is run by two lesbian nuns, and then the secret of their sexuality is discovered by a horny straight nun. Her interests are more in watching than exposing though. Once Matt is healed they continue their journey for safety within the blues with said horny nun and a talking horse in tow. Did I forget to mention that during their journey they happened upon a horse that James can communicate with telepathically?

This book was the perfect balance of seriousness and comedy. They are, in fact, on the run with the threat of death if found because they are gay. But Tenino mixed in enough comic relief to balance the story out perfectly. Whether it was Miz Horse who would huff and puff if she didn’t like what James or Matt told her to do. Or the horny nun that was bound and determined to turn the gay boys straight, at the expense of her virginity gladly. Or James himself with the faces he would make and his extremely overprotective nature when it came to Matt’s safety.

Narrated by the god of narration, Paul Morey, this book kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The nine hours listening blew by, I was so sad when I came to the end. I didn’t want it to end! Morey can read the lusty, passionate scenes like a top-notch high dollar porn star. And I assure you, there were plenty of said scenes between James and Matt.

This is a must read for fans of dystopian, m/m, strong overbearing alpha males and sci-fi nuts!

Worthy by Lia Black

18075216Title: Worthy

Series: Love Has No Boundaries

Author: Lia Black

Genre: Dystopian Erotica / BDSM

Length: Novel (144 pages)

Publisher: Romance Group @ Goodreads (June 15th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.5~3 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Dear Author,

This is a dystopian class-based society where being a slave boy is a prized position. For those not born into the weal436879thy class, there are few options for work. A position as a slave boy means security and safety from a life of poverty and the danger of the streets.

Dystopian – set in a world similar to ours but with a few tweaks. Usually a bit darker or a more frightening version of what our society could become.

Product Link: http://www.mmromancegroup.com/7959

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETEB5QQ/ref=as_li_ss_sm_fb_us_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=399837&creativeASIN=B00ETEB5QQ&linkCode=shr&tag=portispass-20

Review: This is a very peculiar story which I admit sneaks in that old favorite shelf of mine. Dystopian setting in a world where society is not split in half but rather in thirds. There are the aristocrats who enjoy the freedom and wealth, there are the slaves who are actually lucky humans to have a nice upbringing and learn how to please a master and therefore given a position into a household, being cared and provided for, and there are the dregs. People with no family and a life that is lower than that of a dog.

Our characters are Demetrie and Sev (Seven); One is a rebellious aristocrat who’s had enough being held prisoner to his golden chain, always expected to conform to society’s expectations. Get married for the sake of heirs, accumulate health, and ignore your true desires. The other is a dreg, a mongrel at that. He has no family, raised by the gypsies, and won in a cheating game by a man who covets his talents. He is an acrobat and an exquisite thief. Mostly he is rare and has a subservient nature, one that walks hand in hand with the dark side of Demetrie.

When the young Count wins Sev in a card game the last he expected was to find his other half, but no one is more surprised than Sev himself with how much he came to love and adore his Master. But will that love stay strong if all a person could dream would become reality? Would Sev choose his Master over a secured wealthy life?

As I said, this genre and subgenre are my favorite. Blend in a dystopia with a good Master/slave scenario and I’m hooked. Honestly, I read this in one go and it was mostly a good story. I liked it most of it, I loved the idea, and the characters were quite charming. The erotic part was alluring to a fault (at least for me), Sev’s submission coming easily, and effortlessly, the setting provided perfect for such displays. I must say some emotions were a bit too hasty in their appearance or hastily dismissed and the tension they should have provided was lost somewhere, not quite making it up to the reader.

I did not feel as good about the narration and writing style, too. It is highly inconvenient knowing everyone’s thoughts all the time. It takes away all the suspense and intensity when you know beforehand what will happen. You just resign yourself into a read that has no anticipation at all, no reasons to keep you there.

The fact that there is such a quick love bond formed between Master and slave was also a put off. One would argue that a month is more than enough, and if this were a contemporary romance with contemporary characters, I’d agree according to circumstances. However, in a world where distrust and cynicism are in full bloom I didn’t see this happening as easy as it did. Add to that the decision Demetrie took in the end and it lost quite a large portion of any credibility it held in my eyes.

However, this was still a good read for me, one I enjoyed, and one I was glad to have read in the end.

Dominant Predator by S.A. McAuley

17402451Title: Dominant Predator

Series: Borders War, #2

Author: S.A. McAuley

Genre: Dystopian-Futuristic

Length: Novel (137 Pages)

Publisher: Total E-Bound (September 20th, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: A relationship is the least of Merq and Armise’s concerns…

With one bullet, Merq Grayson set the wealthiest citizens of the world on a collision course with the poorest—with those fighting for their freedom. As the Borders War reignites, the Revolution faces heavy losses. They scramble to maintain their advantage, to strike at the Opposition and crumble their power structure before they are able to rally.

But Merq is in the midst of an internal battle that shakes him to the core. For the first time in his life, Merq will have to reconcile the inherent tragedy of war and decide just how much vengeance can be justified by spilt blood. How much can he trust the men and women around him? The President, Neveed, his former soldiers, his parents…and Armise.

Merq and Armise find themselves off grid and on the hunt for Committee members. Merq is just as unsettled with Armise at his side as he was with Armise as an enemy, but they will have to learn how to fight together—or they may just die together.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of violence.

Product Link:http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2319

Review: I am left speechless with this book. It was remarkable to say at least, and while I expected it to be good, I honestly didn’t think it’d be this good. McAuley can definitely write war and reading this futuristic humanity’s huge cluster-fuck was a hell of a ride.

In book two of the Borders War series, we view Merq going through so many changes. Subtle at first yet gaining intensity as the story moves forward, Merq finds himself in unknown territory for the first time in his life. Everything he was, everything he knew, everyone he trusted, or not, everything around him changes making it extremely difficult for Merq to cope.

The Olympics are over thanks to him and his bullet hitting true, and while Merq never expected to make it out of there alive his world shakes up big time when his former nemesis and secretly lover Armise helps him escape the stadium alive. And Armise comes with this huge revelation that he doesn’t want to keep living anymore if Merq isn’t alive and in his life, thus changing sides not because he believes in the Revolution, but because his one and only loyalty lies with Merq. And is what really shocks Merq to the core.

Now this might not make an impact for you who are not acquainted with the series, but Merq is a very peculiar person. He was “created” for the sole purpose of being a soldier, the perfect soldier at that. An indestructible weapon that will do anything and surpass any obstacle to complete his given mission. Even he doesn’t view himself completely human, his emotions long ago beaten out of him, and his entire being built within walls, shut down until nothing at all existed except his job and his President.

To have Armise make such a declaration and follow it up with turning sides and coming to life, like that, is such a great life-altering change for Merq, that he finds it impossible to deal with. Yet he has to, as he just set the world on fire and the aftermath is bloody and violent unlike anything he has yet seen.

Point is my thoughts are quite scattered. I don’t know what to address first. The world this author has built is just awesome. The differences between the poor and rich people, the ugliness of the citizens’ reality right there for you to see and feel, the world and power order, the dynamics, and the balance between lost knowledge and new technology was amazing. The war that issued was brilliant, the fact that the Revolution was losing more than one would think made for credibility and gave authenticity to the story, even as I wondered how on Earth they went through that plan that had no solid backup for the aftermath.

Then there were the characters; all of them had this uniqueness about them. You could distinguish them from each other with ease, each of them making an impact. I can actually remember every single character in this book, even the lowest soldier, and that is quite an achievement. It was a distinct difference from the first book, that this time around each character was more visible, prominent, and their mission a bit clearer in this book.

As for our main characters, what is there to be said for them and not be an understatement? I don’t know who I loved more; I don’t think they could be better. Their relationship is a war in itself, a fight that has been going on and on for years and we only saw a glimpse of that in book #1. The feelings and emotions emerging from this couple are enormous and so, so raw. The fact that they literally kept trying to kill each other in the past, leaving permanent marks on each other’s body that are described in graphic detail, make their growing intimacy much more potent. The fact that both of them are trained killers used to work alone, and now making a team and trying to fit with each other while not letting those unnamed feelings in the way was a textbook on intensity. Absolutely delicious! They are simply perfect together; the unstoppable Merq and the unmovable Armise. Two pieces that when joined make the ultimate death-machine. But I have a feeling that we haven’t seen the best of them yet, and that the next installment will be glorious.

 And I’m not even mentioning the erotic part between them. Meh, that was near perfect. Brutal, vicious, and most times almost deadly. The feelings running deep without even being mentioned at all, so refreshing and so utterly hot.

I just loved this book; I really, really was knocked out from this read, and I really, really can’t wait for the next one to come. Totally recommended!

 

In His Command by Rie Warren

16280494Title:  In His Command

Series:  Don’t Tell, Book #1

Author:  Rie Warren

Genre:   Dystopian Romance

Length:  Novel (368 pages)

Publisher:  Forever Yours (August 6th 2013)

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Blurb:   In the dystopian future, two men discover attraction isn’t just dangerous, it’s deadly.

It is the year 2070. Generations ago, the world was annihilated by catastrophic environmental events. The survivors were driven to live in big city centers ruled by the Company. To rebuild the world’s population, the oppressive Company had one rule: all homosexuals must be exterminated.

Commander Caspar Cannon has a stellar military reputation—and a life-threatening secret. When a revolution rips through the territories, Cannon is ordered to escort Company executive Nathaniel Rice to a secure location. For months, the commander has harbored illicit desire for Rice, knowing he cannot act on his attraction. Privileged, polished, and groomed to one day take over the Company, Rice is drawn to the rugged, military man. Yet Rice has his own mysterious agenda, and he knows their love can be as dangerous as the wasteland they must traverse.

Now leaving the besieged city behind, the two men embark on a journey that becomes a minefield of sabotage, betrayal—and forbidden passion. But when danger catches up to them, can Cannon trust the secretive man who holds his heart—and his fate?

Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/His-Command-Dont-Tell-ebook/dp/B00AG0VN32/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1361214180&sr=8-3

Reviewer:   Tams

Review:  ARC copy supplied through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Look, Blondie. I’m not asking you to bottom, just to navigate.”

“Jesus, Caspar. I’m not asking you to top me, just to talk.”

This is the relationship as a whole between our two ML, Caspar (Big Boy) and Nate (Blondie). They talk to each other like they talk to no one else; they have a dry, witty banter back and forth that will make you chuckle; they get on each other’s nerves like no other and they love each other fiercely.

Caspar Cannon is a Commander in the new world army that makes up the government in the world Warren has created. Sexual deviant behavior is forbidden and punishable by death, this most definitely includes homosexuality. Caspar has always known that “tits didn’t do it for him” but his safety net is his career in Alpha Company, so he hides his secret well. Stolen moments in an underground club are his only outlet to his hidden desires, this is where he first see’s Blondie. Sexy, tall with blonde shoulder length hair, and deep blue eyes, Blondie stirs something inside Caspar that he tries to keep hidden.

Nathaniel Rice is a technical genius, a company executive and the son of a very powerful person. When rebels breech Alpha, Caspar is charged with escorting Nate to safety, imagine his surprise when they meet and he comes face to face with the one man he wants more than anything, Blondie. Thrust together by circumstance, Caspar and Nate begin a dangerous affair that could cost them both their lives if discovered.

As the story progresses both men open up more to each other every day, begin to trust one another, and have a LOT of smoking hot sex in tents and against various trees as well as the hood of a truck! Nathaniel falls hard and quick, but Caspar is not so easily trusting. He fears that if he opens up and lets Nate in he’ll be hurt, or worse killed for his indiscretions. A group of rebels that call themselves the Freelanders offer protection and solace for the lovers on the run, and not only do they not care about their relationship, they welcome it.

Both men still hold on to a deep secret though, secrets that could destroy their yet still fragile relationship. And when a betrayal from someone they thought they could trust lands Nate back within his father’s grasp and Caspar in a cell, will their love survive the trial?

In His Command is a dark and sexy story with several twists and turns along the way. The dystopian world that Warren has created is eerily believable and strategically realistic. Caspar and Nate are protective, loyal, and strong not only for each other, but for the people they call family and friends as well. Strong secondary characters round out the cast and provide a stellar story about a world that is based on homophobia and fear, and how two men that love each other change everything, including each other.

Romance, mystery, suspense and some oh my good god sex make this novel a must read for fans of the genre!

Moral Authority by Jacob Z. Flores

Jacob Z. Flores Moral authorityTitle: Moral Authority

Series: N/A

Author: Jacob Z. Flores

Genre: MM / Dystopian / Thriller-Horror

Length: Super Novel (373pgs)

Publisher: Wilde City Press (22nd May 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are prescribed ideals in America of 2050. The Moral Authority, the nation’s newest branch of government, has virtually eliminated crime, poverty, and most social ills, but it also rules the land with a tyrannical fist, championing ignorance and brandishing fear.

Mark Bryan is a gay man whose existence brands him an outlaw; Isaac Montoya is a charming stranger, who entices Mark to defy moral law; and Samuel Pleasant runs the Moral Authority and plans to punish moral offenders and a rebellious uprising—no matter the cost.

Will liberty and justice return for all?

Product Link: http://www.wildecity.com/books/gay-mainstream/moral-authority/#.UcRyT_k3Bro

Review: I love it when I get my hands on a book which is so well written it has the ability to evoke a number of emotions from me. I’m also know to love book that have a somewhat realistic approach and ending, and I’m not shy to the ones that have a tragic ending either.

Moral Authority is one such book. It attacks your soul with the first line that goes through you like a bullet and continues to do so through the duration of the story. As impossible as it seemed at the time, this story starts with the very end scene, it tells you point blank there is no happy ending here and it makes it clear as day that this is going to be heartbreaking. With its very prologue it dares you to continue reading and I warn you this is not a light read or a fun one.

In this dystopian world America has come a long way from what it is today in only a matter of half century. In this New America morality is praised and savored and guarded by all means. Moral Authority is a new branch that guards everyone’s life, integrity and morals. Crime as we know it has vanished, diversity too, gangs, murders, stealing, hustling, everything that threatens our lives today have come to an end. Immorality is the crime and everything is dealt with an iron fist. Seems perfect, or it should be, but we all know what happens when extremism reigns.

Individuality is lost and people are turned into one similar mass, clones of each other. Happiness is no longer pursued rather the illusion of it is supposedly a given. The Moral Police dictates how people should live their life and freedom has lost its true meaning. Among all things that are lost to humans is also their right to their sexuality. The Gay/Lesbians/Bisexuals of America has either fled when things changed or went underground. The ones still living among their peers live in fear, always looking behind their shoulder. Undercover police has a new meaning and baits for homosexuals are in each and every corner. Homosexuality is a crime and has a special kind of Hell on Earth, the cruelty of which can’t be comprehended.

I’m not going to dwell on the specifics of the plot and the story. I’m simply going to point out that this story has it all, depression, desperation, love, hope, heartbreak and loss, tortures and cruelty in every form and a most realistic approach that if we look closely in our past and especially countries that has suffered from Dictators, we will see how very similar the events that happen in this story are to events Humanity has already suffered and could suffer if we are not careful of our Human Rights. You can see how similar Chancellor Pleasant is to Hitler, how very similar the gay camps in the books are to the Jew camps the Nazi had. How very similar the life in this “utopian” America is to the countries plagued by Communism or strong Religion. Coming from one such country I couldn’t help but relate to most of the story, to how homosexuals are treaded in such societies, to the horrors of the camps and the despair that comes from not being able to live your life freely. It was gut-wrenching to read and awakened many memories of the past and tales I was told from my elders.

In the end this is a very carefully and brilliantly written book that one should not miss. Strongly recommended.

Spiretown by Lia Black

Stockholm - SwedenTitle: Spiretown

Author: Lia Black

Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia, Magic

Length: Novel (233pgs)

Publisher: Vinedark Publishing (2nd December 2012)

Heat: Moderate

Heart:  ♥♥♥♥3½ – 4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: It’s been several years since the end of the Mage wars. Those born with the taint of magic are sent to places like Spiretown, a city within a city that serves as a prison for its inhabitants. Logan Grey is the self-proclaimed mayor of this ghetto, but he’s suddenly found himself in some trouble, and he needs help from an unlikely source.

Templar Battalion Commander Collin Anderfels is having a very bad week. His fiancée left him for his best friend, he was blown up in a raid gone wrong, and now he’s been forced to protect a man who represents everything that Collin loathes. Worse still is the fact that Logan Grey keeps saving his life, and he seems intent on bedding the young Commander, despite Collin’s sometimes violent protests.

Somehow, beyond prejudice and deceit these two unlikely partners find themselves becoming more than just allies, but can a love born from lies survive when the gates of hell are torn open?

Purchase Link: US: http://www.amazon.com/Spiretown-ebook/dp/B00AHH0UQK

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spiretown-ebook/dp/B00AHH0UQK  

Review: Spiretown, a place where people born with the taint (magic) are shipped to when their magic becomes apparent. Logan is a mage, who has his own little part of the world in Spiretown. But, he needs help when he discovers the Red Seal (a group of rogue mages) are targeting him. So, he approaches an unlikely source for assistance. Collin is a Templar Commander.  His group is there to keep the mages in place and to destroy any who succumb to the demons. Being approached by a mage for protection is astounding; beginning to have feelings for the mage just might destroy him.

This story is slightly dark, with prejudice, hate, anger and fear, breaking down those emotions and finding love. When Collin’s team is lead into an ambush by the Red Seal, he never thought his savior would be a mage.  But, that mage wants something in return, he wants protection. Logan needs the help of the Templar if he is going to bring down the Red Seal. Saving Collin fit into his plans, and now he just needs his web of lies to come to fruition. But, neither Logan nor Collin reckoned on an emotional connection forming between them. But, it is that love that just might save them all, when the Red Seal attempt to rip open the gates of Hell.

This is a great story if you are looking for a story that is drenched in angst and darkness. After the Mage Wars, all humans showing the taint of magic were rounded up and put in places like Spiretown.  Children taken from their parents were handed over to the clergy and Logan was one of those children. Templers are plainbloods (humans with no ‘taint’), who are given the task of dealing with any mages who succumb to demons.  Many of them, like Collin, hate the mages due to losses of family in the Mage Wars. Logan is a special mage though; he has special abilities that the Red Seal want.  Logan turns to Collin for help and it begins a complex relationship between the mage and the Templar.

I have to admit to that this story isn’t black and white.  Neither character is particularly lovable due to their personalities, but the longer you read the more you understand what drives them. The storyline is brilliant, but twisted, and at times will turn your stomach, especially when it comes to Logan’s past. We see a huge development in Collin’s psyche as he comes to realize that not all mages are evil and that some humans do deserve what they get.  The relationship he develops with Logan is not easy, but it is something that he would give everything up for. Logan is a very complex character and how he has been treated as a child has left scars on his soul.  It has also molded him into the way he is now and it’s a miracle he isn’t completely insane.

I have to recommend this if you love angst, demons, mages, harsh lives, some hot sex, great descriptions, some horrific scenes, a love emerging against the odds and an ending that has hope.