Title: Redemption of the Beast: Outside the City 3
Author: Amylea Lyn
Genre: m/m paranormal romance
Print length: 173 pages
Publication date: February 23, 2013
Rating: Three Stars
Blurb: Micah Sanders has been in love with the Warrior, Sashan, since he was a boy. But the strong, quiet Katrian shies away from him, making Micah believe his weak body and childhood illnesses are keeping them apart.
Sashan is a troubled Katrian who has lost his way. Emotionally scarred, he hides from the world and the one man who could complete him, feeling unworthy of his mate.
When Micah is kidnapped, will Sashan find the strength to rescue his mate, discover what the City plans next for the Katrian people, and learn who the monstrous traitor is behind all their troubles? Most importantly, will a seemingly unworthy Beast finally find the redemption he seeks in the arms of his love?
Review:
I had originally intended to give this book only two stars. However, it is a third book from the 'Outside the City' collection. Considering that I haven't read the first two, my dissatisfaction with the poor presentation of all the supporting characters can be canceled out. I will give the writer some credit and assume that they've been properly dealt with in the first two novels.
I will start with the positive end of my review. The created world, I believe, has an incredible potential. The City is intriguing, the Outside world even more so. Perhaps the idea is not the most original one, but it comes off fresh and new.
The plot has a few faults (I knew who the bad guy was long before the end of the novel) but it's definitely a better thought out plot than most Nora Roberts fiction. If it all seems a bit convenient, it doesn't actually harm the story. After all, a lot of readers prefer a convenient plot. Especially when they're looking for a light read.
What harms the story is a combination of things.
The dialogue. I hate to say it's terrible but that's the first word that comes to mind. Some sentence structure is so jarring that you're continuously propelled out of the story. "He hit me, beating me as he spouted off the City's propaganda that it pushes into its citizen's heads before they even start walking." Sometimes, a writer is so afraid of too many 'ands' that he/she will avoid them at all costs. Unfortunately, the end result is just a butchered sentence.
The emotion. It's so extreme that by the end of the novel, you're mostly numb to it. We're told, in excruciating detail, how each character feels at every given moment. Combine that with each of them being strapped to the world's most unstable emotional roller coaster and you have a recipe for nausea.
In addition, the use of the word 'mate' drove me crazy. It was so frequent in so many unnecessary places that the main characters were starting to sound Australian.
I won't go on to sex and grammatical mistakes and many other things I disliked. Some readers have no issues overlooking grammatical mistakes as long as they like the story (and there really was only a few; nothing really bad). The sex, on the other hand, is subjective; we all have different expectations and different preferences.
What bothered me the most, in the end, was the potential that was wasted here. To have such an imaginative world and yet such a poorly written book about it. If this writer ever does a collaboration with an author who can provide the skills she is missing, I would be the first person to buy their work. Until then though, I'm sorry to say, her work is just not for me.
I will start with the positive end of my review. The created world, I believe, has an incredible potential. The City is intriguing, the Outside world even more so. Perhaps the idea is not the most original one, but it comes off fresh and new.
The plot has a few faults (I knew who the bad guy was long before the end of the novel) but it's definitely a better thought out plot than most Nora Roberts fiction. If it all seems a bit convenient, it doesn't actually harm the story. After all, a lot of readers prefer a convenient plot. Especially when they're looking for a light read.
What harms the story is a combination of things.
The dialogue. I hate to say it's terrible but that's the first word that comes to mind. Some sentence structure is so jarring that you're continuously propelled out of the story. "He hit me, beating me as he spouted off the City's propaganda that it pushes into its citizen's heads before they even start walking." Sometimes, a writer is so afraid of too many 'ands' that he/she will avoid them at all costs. Unfortunately, the end result is just a butchered sentence.
The emotion. It's so extreme that by the end of the novel, you're mostly numb to it. We're told, in excruciating detail, how each character feels at every given moment. Combine that with each of them being strapped to the world's most unstable emotional roller coaster and you have a recipe for nausea.
In addition, the use of the word 'mate' drove me crazy. It was so frequent in so many unnecessary places that the main characters were starting to sound Australian.
I won't go on to sex and grammatical mistakes and many other things I disliked. Some readers have no issues overlooking grammatical mistakes as long as they like the story (and there really was only a few; nothing really bad). The sex, on the other hand, is subjective; we all have different expectations and different preferences.
What bothered me the most, in the end, was the potential that was wasted here. To have such an imaginative world and yet such a poorly written book about it. If this writer ever does a collaboration with an author who can provide the skills she is missing, I would be the first person to buy their work. Until then though, I'm sorry to say, her work is just not for me.
Buy it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Beast-Outside-City-ebook/dp/B00BO1AQ80/ref=cm_cr-mr-img
Or read parts 1 & 2 first:
Title: Nature of the Beast: Outside the City 1
Author: Amylea Lyn
Genre: m/m paranormal romance
Print length: 324 pages
Publication date: August 5, 2011
Overall reviewer rating: Four Stars
Blurb: The City is a cold, sterile place. What lies Outside it?
Raine O'Kelly has a gift. The very power of nature is his to command. When his gift lands him in trouble with the government, Raine find himself thrown into The Prison; one of the most feared punishment for those citizens who wont conform to The City's ideals.
Abused, scared, and slowly dying of deprivation from the one thing his body truly needs, an accident lands him in the infirmary, which leads him to be given to The Prison’s most feared inmate… The Beast.
When The Beast defends him from the guards, Raine finds himself inexplicably drawn to the misunderstood man. A man with unique abilities of his own, the Beast’s animalistic desires forms a connection between them that cannot be denied. When he learns The Beast comes from Outside the City, is Raine willing to take the chance on escape with the mysterious man?
Escape wont be easy, and there are dangers waiting for them on The Outside, ready to strike at the fragile relationship between the two men. When The Beast’s past come’s to light, will Raine be able to put aside his own fears in order to fight for the life the two of them could have together? Or will he fold under the pressure?
Will he get his happily ever after?
Or will he become just another victim of the Nature of the Beast.
Or read parts 1 & 2 first:
Title: Nature of the Beast: Outside the City 1
Author: Amylea Lyn
Genre: m/m paranormal romance
Print length: 324 pages
Publication date: August 5, 2011
Overall reviewer rating: Four Stars
Blurb: The City is a cold, sterile place. What lies Outside it?
Raine O'Kelly has a gift. The very power of nature is his to command. When his gift lands him in trouble with the government, Raine find himself thrown into The Prison; one of the most feared punishment for those citizens who wont conform to The City's ideals.
Abused, scared, and slowly dying of deprivation from the one thing his body truly needs, an accident lands him in the infirmary, which leads him to be given to The Prison’s most feared inmate… The Beast.
When The Beast defends him from the guards, Raine finds himself inexplicably drawn to the misunderstood man. A man with unique abilities of his own, the Beast’s animalistic desires forms a connection between them that cannot be denied. When he learns The Beast comes from Outside the City, is Raine willing to take the chance on escape with the mysterious man?
Escape wont be easy, and there are dangers waiting for them on The Outside, ready to strike at the fragile relationship between the two men. When The Beast’s past come’s to light, will Raine be able to put aside his own fears in order to fight for the life the two of them could have together? Or will he fold under the pressure?
Will he get his happily ever after?
Or will he become just another victim of the Nature of the Beast.
Review by Jem (Top 1000 Reviewer and Amazon Vine Voice):
Imagine George Orwell's "1984" reinterpreted as an M/M romance, with some shapeshifting cats thrown into the mix, and you get this highly creative story. Big Brother is indeed watching Raine, and sends him to prison for life after he is found harboring plants. The author uses vivid description to bring her world to life. I could easily imagine The City in all its oppressive glory. And though this story is short, we get enough background on Raine, and later the Beast, to make them come alive. This was an unusual setting that provided a nice twist on the usual shapeshifter M/M romance.
Just like 1984, this tale has a dark underbelly. Though it is not explicitly described (thankfully!), Raine is repeatedly raped in prison before being sent to the Beast when he falls ill. And, this fact is not glossed over when he and "the beast" become a couple. This is a romance, so the issue is resolved fairy quick, but the men do have issues to overcome beyond prison. I liked both characters, and came to care about them. However, readers will have to suspend their disbelief as there are logical flaws in the story. How can they have porridge when all plants are forbidden in the city? How do they feed themselves at all? Still, these were minor and did not ruin my enjoyment of the story.
The title indicates this is intended as the first in a series (in fact, The Beast's Promise (Outside the City) is available for kindle already), and has certainly hooked me for more. There are many questions left unanswered about how the City came about, the Katria, and though Raine and the Beast's story has closure, there are others who need to have their story told. Overall, I look forward to more, and truly hope the publisher releases the sequel in print as well.
Just like 1984, this tale has a dark underbelly. Though it is not explicitly described (thankfully!), Raine is repeatedly raped in prison before being sent to the Beast when he falls ill. And, this fact is not glossed over when he and "the beast" become a couple. This is a romance, so the issue is resolved fairy quick, but the men do have issues to overcome beyond prison. I liked both characters, and came to care about them. However, readers will have to suspend their disbelief as there are logical flaws in the story. How can they have porridge when all plants are forbidden in the city? How do they feed themselves at all? Still, these were minor and did not ruin my enjoyment of the story.
The title indicates this is intended as the first in a series (in fact, The Beast's Promise (Outside the City) is available for kindle already), and has certainly hooked me for more. There are many questions left unanswered about how the City came about, the Katria, and though Raine and the Beast's story has closure, there are others who need to have their story told. Overall, I look forward to more, and truly hope the publisher releases the sequel in print as well.
Buy it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Beast-Outside-City-ebook/dp/B005G849T4/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1367970842&sr=1-2&keywords=redemption+of+the+beast
Title: The Beast's Promise: Outside the City 2
Author: Amylea Lyn
Genre: m/m paranormal romance
Print length: 149 pages
Publication date: March 24, 2012
Overall reviewer rating: Four stars
Blurb: Owen Sanders has a lot on his mind. Ever since being kidnapped from the City, he's been trying to get back in order to rescue the twin baby brothers he had been forced to leave behind. The only thing stopping him is leaving behind his newly found mate, Maltok, and the feelings he has for the other man.
Katrian Co-Alpha Chief, Maltok doesn't know why his human mate refuses to bond with him. When he finds out about Owen's forgotten family, Maltok is hurt that the smaller man would keep something so important from him. Maltok agrees to help retrieve the children on one condition; Owen must agree to mate him when they return to the Village. Owen reluctantly agrees.
The two men begin their journey and, on the way, learn that some misunderstandings must be resolved before they could have hope for their future. And when the City retaliates against their actions, the two men must make a decision that could save them all…
And possibly destroy the City forever.
Review by J9:
What I Liked: Owen and Mal's romance starts in book one but hits its richness here. I love their commitment to each other and how important they are to each other, even in the face of grave obstacles. This is a pretty drama-free romance and as I read more MM romance I'm looking for that honesty between the leads. I also like that their romance isn't purely sexual but first they get to know each other and learn what pushes each other buttons.
What I Also Liked: This author has created a compelling world in these two books. In the first one, readers are introduced to the oppressive City which controls and spies on its citizens. In this second book the City's cracks are found and exploited. I loved this continued world building. The stark difference between City life and life Outside, where the shifter village is located, is nearly visual and I love that.
The secondary characters are also good and give this book and the series a community feel that I like in my paranormal reads. I also like that the couple from book one play big roles in this book and it was nice to revisit them since I enjoyed their romance so well.
What I Didn't Like: I like paranormal series, I make no qualms about that. But what I don't like is foreshadowing pairings. It feels like a cheap ploy to make me look forward to the next installments when in reality the fine world building and writing should do that. And even worse than this, I *detest* when children in books are the foreshadowed mates of adults in the book. It has an element of pedophilia to it and makes me want to discontinue reading.
IMO: Even with this strong dislike, I really enjoyed reading this romance and well written novel. I think other MM fans will enjoy this book but should start with book one to get the full experience of the stellar world building.
What I Also Liked: This author has created a compelling world in these two books. In the first one, readers are introduced to the oppressive City which controls and spies on its citizens. In this second book the City's cracks are found and exploited. I loved this continued world building. The stark difference between City life and life Outside, where the shifter village is located, is nearly visual and I love that.
The secondary characters are also good and give this book and the series a community feel that I like in my paranormal reads. I also like that the couple from book one play big roles in this book and it was nice to revisit them since I enjoyed their romance so well.
What I Didn't Like: I like paranormal series, I make no qualms about that. But what I don't like is foreshadowing pairings. It feels like a cheap ploy to make me look forward to the next installments when in reality the fine world building and writing should do that. And even worse than this, I *detest* when children in books are the foreshadowed mates of adults in the book. It has an element of pedophilia to it and makes me want to discontinue reading.
IMO: Even with this strong dislike, I really enjoyed reading this romance and well written novel. I think other MM fans will enjoy this book but should start with book one to get the full experience of the stellar world building.
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