Tag: Guardian City series

Guardian's Dash by Grace Lynn

91UOHy1hwbL._SL1500_Title: Guardian’s Dash
Series: Guardian City, #4
Author: Grace Lynn
Genre: Paranormal/Shape-shifter/Werewolf/Vampire/Ménage a trois
Length: Novella (54 pages)
Publisher: Siren Publishing (January 20th, 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: Blake Griffon has left Griffon Heights to move on with his life from his father’s cruel reign. After deciding to take a position offered within the Guardian City, he meets his mates, Cast and Jack O’Hare.

Cast is leaving the small town behind him after another failed job, and life. He is just looking for a place where he belongs, when he is saved by his mate, Blake. Now, Cast is whisked away to Guardian City to meet his other mate, the good doctor, Jack.

Jack is Guardian City’s resident doctor. His bunny side is terrified of its mates, and Jack isn’t sure what to do about both of the handsome men. Before he gets the chance to decide, he is kidnapped by someone from his mate’s past. Destiny can only help so much, and Jack is afraid he will die in the hands of a madman.

Can the mates pull their act together and save him before it’s too late?

ISBN: 978-1-62740-867-7

Product Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/guardians-dash

Reviewer: Prime

Review: This is book 4 in the Guardian City series, and whilst can be read as a standalone, I recommend people to read in order to understand the entire story. All the matings involve ménage relationships, which I’m sure will please many people. This actually also leads to my first comment too, Grace Lynn has created a fantastic and intricate universe within this single series. Overall, I have enjoyed this series, this book perhaps more so than the others.

A main part of my enjoyment was Jack, one of the MC’s, is the most adorable bunny shifter. His actions, just as the author intended, are just like an actual rabbit. Because of his bunny genes, he’s a little scared of his stronger mates. He is also the smart and dedicated doctor of Guardian City, so we see Demend and his mates from the first two books pop up for his help or are approached for help.

Blake was actually a minor character in the previous book. And after the situation he forced to live in, it’s nice to see that’s he’s been given some freedom to do as please and find his happily ever after. Blake stumbles upon his second mate Cast, while he’s on his way back to Guardian City with supplies. Cast is an interesting one. He at first comes across as not so much weak, but rather a damsel-in-distress, but by the end of it he’s got a tough attitude and he’s willing to do anything for his mates.

There’s a minor character, a little demon named Acotas, who is also insanely adorable. He reminds me a bit of the frightened rabbit caught in headlights, to take an analogy from Jack. I don’t know if this series will ever continue, but regardless, I love this character. The story line that he is involved with, the “peril” that is face by the three mates in the book, is quite well played out, although I don’t think the actual danger is fully conveyed to reader. Like the rest of this series, the directly to the point manner in which it is written, makes it a perfect type of book to read in an hour or a few (depending how fast you read!).

Read the series, it’s a good way to pass a relaxing day, or whatever. It’s easy to read, well written and the description of setting is great!

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

Guardian's Flame by Grace Lynn

81QGf4Zc+HL._SL1500_Title: Guardian’s Flame
Series: Guardian City, #2
Author: Grace Lynn
Genre: Paranormal/Shape-shifter/Werewolf/Vampire/Ménage a trios/quarte (MMMF)
Length: Novella (59 pages)
Publisher: Siren Publishing (November 12th, 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts
Blurb: High Prince Demend, an Elf and changeling, and his mate Nathan Summers are doing their best to run the Guardian City. With the pair trying to keep Demend from dying from his own magic and a summons from the Higher Council, the newly mated couple is in over their heads.

Jason Johnson is a Phoenix with a serious problem. He’s a phoenix trapped as a dog, living on the fringe of the Guardian City. His mates live in the city, but fear prevents him from going to them. Can he figure out a way to let his mates see him as he really is, instead of the dog he was forced to become?

Zoey is a Dark Elf, trapped in a cell within an Incubi trading Post. She is a trained warrior and has tried everything to get herself free, but nothing seems to work. Can she escape the clutches of the Incubi, or will she be stuck forever as a POW?

ISBN: 978-1-62740-684-0

Product Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/guardians-flame

Reviewer: Prime

Review: This is book 2 of the Guardian City series by Grace Lynn. It is vital that you’ve read book 1 (Guardian Elf) before reading this one, because this story takes off a few months after the end of Guardian Elf. This is a wonderfully written story and like the first book, is fast paced. My only problem is that I just felt like it was kind of a footnote to Guardian Elf most of the time. The purpose of the story is to basically tie up one major loose end for

Demend and Nathan that was left open, which is essentially that Elvin has more than one mate. I know the blurb only tells us this in around-about way. But why else would Demend and Nathan be reintroduced to us along with the new characters Jason and Zoey?

Since we’ve been introduced to the world which Guardian City exists in the previous book, we get fewer details on the whole dynamics of this particular world, which means we learn a bit more about both Demend and Nathan. We also learn more about Nathan’s family, which is a complicated web if you’re not paying much attention.

Regarding this new input of information and characters associated with Nathan, I’m not really sure why it was an essential part of the story but it was an interesting side note. Probably would have been nice if there was more because it just appeared, disappeared when the action from the main storyline was played out, then reappeared once more in the epilogue.

After being reacquainted with the mated pair, we immediately meet the newbies in the story: Jason and Zoey. Jason, I can only say, is totally adorable. He is basically how I had imagined Demend in the first book before I realised that he was a badass-take-control alpha. He also happens to be a phoenix, which I just love.

I know some will be disappointed, but it is clear from just reading the genre and the blurb that this book also includes a female to be involved with our main characters. So those strictly in for the MM angle, might be a little disappointed for the turn that this has made. However, to be quite honest Zoey, the dark elf female, isn’t in the story much at all. We really only truly meet her towards the end after a number of sporadic flashes to her. And really, other than her really horny attitude at a couple of points, I have to say that I really enjoyed her. Despite the lack true appearances throughout the story, it was very easy to get to know her and like her.

Quite honestly, I preferred the first book to this, this is perhaps because I really don’t like reading about the “girlie parts” when I’m reading a romance, which would be why other than MM romance, I don’t like pure romance books. (At least I’m honest!). I find this book enjoyable. But, at the same time odd. It’s almost as if it’s an act II of a larger novel. Where Guardian Elf was act I, and then leaving space for a shorter act III tie things up.

However, in all of this, I still want to know more about Demend’s twin brother Angel!!! (In the words of Nick Cave, I used three exclamation marks because it’s cool. And I’m really trying to get my point across.)

I’m looking forward to reading books 3 and 4 of this cool series.

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

Guardian Elf by Grace Lynn

91H4TdPnZWL._SL1500_Title: Guardian Elf
Series: Guardian City, #1
Author: Grace Lynn
Genre: Paranormal/Shape-shifter/Werewolf/Vampire
Length: Novella (61 pages)
Publisher: Siren Publishing (October 29, 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5Hearts
Blurb: Sun City was once the greatest city in the world. It was built by the Elves during the height of their power, but now only one Elf remains in the city. High Prince Demend, a changeling and survivor of an accident that almost left him for dead. Now, he drinks blood, shifts, and is trying to make the world a more tolerant place for the literary works of the ancient times.

Nathan Summers is an Alpha, but not by choice. Forced into the position by a pack he loves, Nathan took the position as a last resort. Alone and constantly harassed by his father, Nathan just wants to find his mate and keep his pack safe from his family’s cruelty.

Forced to work together, they must now face the future, which seems to be grim. Can these two find everything they are wanting without destroying themselves in the process?

ISBN: 978-1-62740-683-3

Product Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/guardian-elf

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Grace Lynn has created an entirely new world for her Guardian City series, although transfers some of the well-known and used concepts in the paranormal genre, including mating and the odd ménage mating. This is book 1 in a series of 4 books and the way I understand it, this series needs to be read in order to understand the overall story.

This is a good book to read. The ideas are well thought out and all the rules explained, not leaving any room for confusion. In fact, something that also I noticed when reading another first book in a series by Grace Lynn, this story gives us the basic bones of the characters involved, but there is a lot of introduction, laying the way for future stories. In this case and this writing style, I really do like this.

However, others may get confused because the information is coming thick and fast. Which means the setting seems to chop and change a lot, so some things are mentioned and then not brought up later. Again, I hope and am fairly certain at this point that this is to do with set up for further books in the series.

That being said, with the simple story, it’s easy to get involved with the characters. Demend is an Elf with a complicated heritage that I’m not about to start. He’s pretty cool actually. First he doesn’t come across as particularly strong, then bang, we find out he’s this powerful alpha in a small-bitty package. I love that set up, especially in one particular scene where Demend makes a demonstration of his powers.

Nathan is a werewolf alpha who really isn’t happy with his lot in life. He puts up with a lot of stuff for the good of his loyal pack members. There are a number of minor characters, but the one that intrigues me the most is Cain and Thatcher – they’re connected to Demend but it’s too difficult and pretty much part of spoilers if I explained them properly. The other that intrigues me most is Demend’s twin brother Angel.

This is a good book, more involved in detail rather than plot. However, I would have liked to understand Nathan’s family a little better because it was difficult getting his brothers straight in my head – maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention. Also, because of the plot, it’s a dead give away at the end of the book that Demend is going to need another story, so I am hoping for a bit more story and more details to come.

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