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Lone (2009)

by Rowan McBride(Favorite Author)

3.87 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Amber Quill Press

review 1: Surprisingly good plot, but some elements that made me uneasyWarning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS. Rating: 8/10 PROS: - Two men who are vastly different and yet equally protective of each other. Each uses his strengths to cover the other's weaknesses, and their devotion is touching.- Interesting subversion of the dominant/submissive dichotomy. This isn't BDSM; there are no toys, no bondage, no whipping, etc. But the werewolf stories I've read in the past (not that I've read many, I admit) have incorporated a fairly rigid idea of the sexual roles of the two characters. Those roles are stretched and explored in this story, which I found compelling.- Additional, intriguing element to the typical werewolf-human love story. Again, I haven't read... more much fiction about changelings, so it could be that Seth's nature isn't really that unusual in werewolf stories, but I enjoyed it.- Lovely, entertaining interaction between the two main characters and Rafe's family when he takes Seth home for the first time. I enjoyed that part of the story very much.CONS: - At times I felt that Seth's doglike nature was taken a bit far. It's not a book ruiner, by any means, but a few too many simplistic, Tarzan-like sentences (example: "Rafe mad at Seth?") began to grate just a touch.- Sex scenes that didn’t do much of anything for me…except make me cringe when one of the guys asks the other to stop and it doesn’t happen. No, it’s not rape, because the protests don’t last long and the one who’s being taken enjoys every minute of it, or so we’re told, but yikes. - Quite a bit of jealousy and self-loathing and despair and other angsty feelings that always make me a little uneasy.Overall comments: This is a good book, as is evidenced by the fact that I read it in one day. I found the plot more interesting than most other books in this genre, if only because it contains some elements I haven’t encountered in any other stories (yet, anyway). It isn’t a sweet, light-hearted, “everything’s coming up roses” novel, though, so you might rethink this one if you’re looking for romantic comedy.
review 2: Seth is more than a werewolf—he’s a Ravager, an abomination, and the Nightkin Council has him marked for death. Nightkins are those with supernatural powers: werewolves, vampires, witches, warlocks. His boyfriend Rafe loves him, against all odds— against all sanity, Rafe loves him! But Ravagers cannot love, they only feel lust and rage, and though he wants to be with Rafe, he can’t begin to tell him about his true nature. But, while accompanying Seth to DC for a series of lectures Seth is delivering at Georgetown University, Rafe finds out more about Seth than he ever expected. For one thing, he finds out that his quiet and unassuming Iowa college professor boyfriend is a world-renowned math genius with articles published in over a hundred journals. For another, he finds out about Seth’s true nature, the hard way, when he witnesses an attack on Seth by an entire pack of werewolves. Seth is driven by one thought—he must defend Rafe against all odds, and that brings forth the Ravager and drives him into a blood lust that doesn’t end until the entire pack is down. Amazingly Rafe stays with Seth, trying to understand and find answers so that he can begin to come to terms with Seth’s true nature, even though his fear is easily detectable by Seth’s enhanced senses and may trigger the Ravager change. His love and strength give Seth a reason for trying to change, trying to fit in and be more human, and when they go to meet Rafe’s family, Seth feels a part of a pack, a feeling he’s never known before. Seth has always been lone, totally and completely isolated. These strange urges and feelings he’s developing for Rafe are very new and frightening, but he fights his instinct to flee and agrees to try to stay with Rafe until Rafe decides it’s time for him to leave. The story is very intriguing, with a different take on the werewolf/vampire community. I really liked watching the relationship develop between these men and seeing Seth’s progress from total isolation to finally being a part of a family. The ups and downs, the attacks on both men, and the final confrontation with Hunters were all riveting, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author wrapped up the story in both a reasonable and satisfying outcome. If you like vampires and werewolves, try this one. I’m not a huge fan of them but I do like to see damaged characters begin to heal and this story certainly delivers on that premise so it’s definitely one I enjoyed so much I’ll re-read it again in the future. less

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