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In the Shadow of a Hero
A cop dies in the city, life goes on. For one little boy, though, it changed everything. Haunted by his past, Maxwell Thomas has grown up homeless and friendless, trapped by his guilt. Prowling the city, the small man guards the Church District like a vigilante, trying to make up for his crime. When he rescues the wrong rent boy, he is pulled back into the madness that destroyed him as a child. And now, another cop's life is on the line...
Nick Kenna is a beat cop with dreams of being a detective. When he stumbles across a murder and the very unusual suspect, he finds himself caught, not only by the mystery of the vagrant he's apprehended, but something deeper that sparks between them.
Will Nick be able to save Maxwell, from his past and himself? Or will love be lost as the broken man fades into the shadow of his hero?
Nick Kenna is a beat cop with dreams of being a detective. When he stumbles across a murder and the very unusual suspect, he finds himself caught, not only by the mystery of the vagrant he's apprehended, but something deeper that sparks between them.
Will Nick be able to save Maxwell, from his past and himself? Or will love be lost as the broken man fades into the shadow of his hero?
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 22, 2011
253 people want to read
About the author
Anna Mayle
9 books26 followersI grew up in the woods and wild, in a place almost forgotten by time, I learned that the best moments in our existence are the ones filled with the spirit of the earth when you are surrounded by family. Even now, thirty years into my life, I find there is nothing more important than family and nothing more soothing than a quiet forest and softly flowing water.
Currently I make my home in Lansing in a place surrounded by trees and gardens and affectionately called The Nest. While work, writing and family take up much of my days, I also enjoy a variety of pastimes. Some are as mundane as reading, video games, working in the gardens, singing, dancing, sketching and swimming. Others such as medieval reenactments and various other forms of live role play might seem more exciting.
All in all, I’m a geek with a love of words surrounded by the comfort and affection of a close family and a tight knit group of friends. Life hasn’t always been easy, it never will be, but it is the adversity, as well as the caring in our days, that shapes who we are and will be.
In the end…no worries.
My name is Anna Mayle.
Currently I make my home in Lansing in a place surrounded by trees and gardens and affectionately called The Nest. While work, writing and family take up much of my days, I also enjoy a variety of pastimes. Some are as mundane as reading, video games, working in the gardens, singing, dancing, sketching and swimming. Others such as medieval reenactments and various other forms of live role play might seem more exciting.
All in all, I’m a geek with a love of words surrounded by the comfort and affection of a close family and a tight knit group of friends. Life hasn’t always been easy, it never will be, but it is the adversity, as well as the caring in our days, that shapes who we are and will be.
In the end…no worries.
My name is Anna Mayle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 11, 2013
This is one of those very rare mm books that I think ought to have a HIGHER average rating. This is a very good book, even if it ain't perfect.
To start with, Mayle has a very strong narrative voice. I became enamored of her writing style as soon as I started Bedtime Story for a Stolen Child (another book that I think should be rated more highly); and that voice, though put to different uses here, is still very much in evidence. She has a very definite gift for descriptive prose. At times that prose may become a little too self-admiring and threaten to overshadow the story a bit, but for the most part it does an admirable job of creating atmosphere and giving substance to the internal lives of the characters. Mayle has built a very effective grimy, downtrodden, very-near-future, dystopic City (never named) for her tale.
Some good points:
1. Great characters. MC Maxwell is another one of those wonderful feral cat characters that I love so much. Independent, burned in the past, unwilling to trust, ready to run. Yes, I'm a sucker for them. And MC Nick is also a great guy, incredibly open and giving and honest. Both of them turn out to be heroes in their own ways, and they both deserve it for the most part (but see my complaints listed below). There's also very nice growth in both characters over the course of the book.
2. Nice slow buildup of the romance. There's a bit of insta-attraction here, but there's also a nice gradual increase in that attraction and a lot of resistance before we're subjected to any talk about love, and before the characters jump into bed.
3. I love the dynamic between the characters.
3. Good story line. It makes sense for the most part, and even when you come upon something that feels like a plot hole, Mayle mostly plugs that hole before the end of the book. And it's gripping, keeping the reader focused on what's going to happen next.
Of course, there are also problems. For instance:
1. This is a GFY story. The MC Nick has never been attracted to men before Maxwell, but then falls head over heels. IMHO his conversion was much too easy, with very little soul searching or redefinition of self involved.
2. Much too much time elapses between the deaths of Maxwell's adoptive parents and the main story -- 14 years. This seemed entirely unreasonable to me. There's no reason why it couldn't have been something like 7 or 8 years instead. In addition, a shorter elapsed time would help to explain things like .
3. Maxwell is much too naive about sex for a guy who has spent 14 years living on the streets.
4. Nick has been an incredibly open, trusting guy for the entire story, right up until the Big Misunderstanding. Then It was out of character for Nick to instantly jump to the wrong conclusion here.
5. Nick never even apologizes after the Big Misunderstanding.
6. One eye-rolling coincidence that drew me out of the story just at the climax,
7. Maxwell's appearance. He is of mixed race, supposedly with "sienna" colored skin -- but with long, flowing, BRIGHT RED hair. Sorry, but I don't think genetics really works that way. Additionally, his older scars are described as being flat silver lines -- but with that kind of heritage and skin color, IMHO those scars would more likely be dark and raised.
8. Minor complaint: there's too much use of descriptors like "the little man", "the vagrant", "the cop", "the bigger man", and so on. It distracts from the story at times. Just use their names, for heaven's sake.
9. Minor complaint: editing issues. There's too many times where incorrect words, especially homophones, are used -- like "fission" instead of "frisson", "plains" instead of "planes", and so on. Spell checkers wouldn't catch the errors, but a good proof reading would.
Over all -- yup, there's some problems. Nonetheless, I really **felt** this book in a big way. And since that's an incredibly important element of my reading experience, this is getting a full 4 stars from me.
To start with, Mayle has a very strong narrative voice. I became enamored of her writing style as soon as I started Bedtime Story for a Stolen Child (another book that I think should be rated more highly); and that voice, though put to different uses here, is still very much in evidence. She has a very definite gift for descriptive prose. At times that prose may become a little too self-admiring and threaten to overshadow the story a bit, but for the most part it does an admirable job of creating atmosphere and giving substance to the internal lives of the characters. Mayle has built a very effective grimy, downtrodden, very-near-future, dystopic City (never named) for her tale.
Some good points:
1. Great characters. MC Maxwell is another one of those wonderful feral cat characters that I love so much. Independent, burned in the past, unwilling to trust, ready to run. Yes, I'm a sucker for them. And MC Nick is also a great guy, incredibly open and giving and honest. Both of them turn out to be heroes in their own ways, and they both deserve it for the most part (but see my complaints listed below). There's also very nice growth in both characters over the course of the book.
2. Nice slow buildup of the romance. There's a bit of insta-attraction here, but there's also a nice gradual increase in that attraction and a lot of resistance before we're subjected to any talk about love, and before the characters jump into bed.
3. I love the dynamic between the characters.
3. Good story line. It makes sense for the most part, and even when you come upon something that feels like a plot hole, Mayle mostly plugs that hole before the end of the book. And it's gripping, keeping the reader focused on what's going to happen next.
Of course, there are also problems. For instance:
1. This is a GFY story. The MC Nick has never been attracted to men before Maxwell, but then falls head over heels. IMHO his conversion was much too easy, with very little soul searching or redefinition of self involved.
2. Much too much time elapses between the deaths of Maxwell's adoptive parents and the main story -- 14 years. This seemed entirely unreasonable to me. There's no reason why it couldn't have been something like 7 or 8 years instead. In addition, a shorter elapsed time would help to explain things like .
3. Maxwell is much too naive about sex for a guy who has spent 14 years living on the streets.
4. Nick has been an incredibly open, trusting guy for the entire story, right up until the Big Misunderstanding. Then It was out of character for Nick to instantly jump to the wrong conclusion here.
5. Nick never even apologizes after the Big Misunderstanding.
6. One eye-rolling coincidence that drew me out of the story just at the climax,
7. Maxwell's appearance. He is of mixed race, supposedly with "sienna" colored skin -- but with long, flowing, BRIGHT RED hair. Sorry, but I don't think genetics really works that way. Additionally, his older scars are described as being flat silver lines -- but with that kind of heritage and skin color, IMHO those scars would more likely be dark and raised.
8. Minor complaint: there's too much use of descriptors like "the little man", "the vagrant", "the cop", "the bigger man", and so on. It distracts from the story at times. Just use their names, for heaven's sake.
9. Minor complaint: editing issues. There's too many times where incorrect words, especially homophones, are used -- like "fission" instead of "frisson", "plains" instead of "planes", and so on. Spell checkers wouldn't catch the errors, but a good proof reading would.
Over all -- yup, there's some problems. Nonetheless, I really **felt** this book in a big way. And since that's an incredibly important element of my reading experience, this is getting a full 4 stars from me.
March 27, 2012
I liked this futuristic M/M romantic suspense novel. Maxwell, a man scarred - emotionally, physically and mentally - by his past and present, is suddenly thrust into Nick's life after being mistakenly suspected of murder. Nick, a local beat cop, can't understand the very strong need to protect Maxwell, but knows he's hopeless to resist it. Thus begins a relationship between the two men. Admittedly, it's definitely one-sided at first, but as Maxwell slowly begins to trust Nick, so does the relationship gain balance. The original death that led to Maxwell's arrest, soon draws both men into a tangled web of corruption and betrayal. As they struggle to stay alive, Nick's protection and care begins to heal Maxwell, while Nick gains more awareness of both the people around him and himself.
I really like Maxwell's character; the scars, inner strength and smart-mouth dialogue make him a multi-layered character with a good deal of depth. Nick's character seems more simplistic in contrast, but his layers are merely more subtle and slower to be revealed. The background characters were patchier in regards to depth. Some were nicely fleshed out, but others remained a little too shallow for me, particularly as those characters provide major turning points. Overall though, the characterization was solid, as was the pacing and storyline. The angst levels were balanced nicely by some loving sex scenes as well as the suspense/action. Yep, a pretty solid read. :D
I really like Maxwell's character; the scars, inner strength and smart-mouth dialogue make him a multi-layered character with a good deal of depth. Nick's character seems more simplistic in contrast, but his layers are merely more subtle and slower to be revealed. The background characters were patchier in regards to depth. Some were nicely fleshed out, but others remained a little too shallow for me, particularly as those characters provide major turning points. Overall though, the characterization was solid, as was the pacing and storyline. The angst levels were balanced nicely by some loving sex scenes as well as the suspense/action. Yep, a pretty solid read. :D
January 1, 2012
I think the book shows an author with a lot of potential, rather then being a really good book. The prose in the opening pages was a bit purple (maybe even ultra-violet) and there are a couple of instances where the author uses a metaphor and then spells it out e.g. an overgrown garden represents one MC: something truly beautiful that has been left untended and unloved: on seeing it, the other MC thinks "hey, Maxwell is just like that garden!". Incredibly annoying: trust your readers to get it. However the characters were lovely, the plot was good, and I appreciated the reversal of the usual seme/uke sterotypes. I would have liked a final sex scene; I know the relationship was about more than sex, but I need my MCs to reunite and make up with some physical closeness.
July 3, 2011
I had a few issues with the MC`s in this book.
Nick`s childlike naivety as a good cop in a dirty,corrupted city and his sudden change from straight to gay and accepting it as "his destiny" was hard to believe. Maxwell`s - described as a character with incredible inner strenght -
constant reveling in his guilt and his inner musings of "not beeing worth it" were repetitive and increasingly tiresome.
Other than that In The Shadow Of A Hero is a suspenseful if a bit gloomy story with an unusal GFY/opposites-attract romance.
The cover is spot on!
Nick`s childlike naivety as a good cop in a dirty,corrupted city and his sudden change from straight to gay and accepting it as "his destiny" was hard to believe. Maxwell`s - described as a character with incredible inner strenght -
constant reveling in his guilt and his inner musings of "not beeing worth it" were repetitive and increasingly tiresome.
Other than that In The Shadow Of A Hero is a suspenseful if a bit gloomy story with an unusal GFY/opposites-attract romance.
The cover is spot on!
January 29, 2019
This is a strong tale, emotion-wise, and one that packs a punch. Unfortunately, the delivery lacks the ease of touch and gracefulness that its gritty theme cried for if it were to have an impact upon the reader going further than the mere poetry of misery and angst. First among the ruinous elements that compromise the enjoyment of this story stands the undeniably flabby writing. Mrs Mayle perpetually falls prey to the very kind of subliterary quirks that are sure-fire causes for irritation whenever they crop up in large numbers: she repeats ad nauseam the first names of her leads, and her only means of variation in this respect exhibit an appalling crudeness - she alternates names with the unsubtle use of trite modifiers ("the vagrant", "the small man" for Maxwell; "the beat cop" for Nick) and the abuse of childish monikers ("Nicky Blue-Eyes" occurs so much within Maxwell's POV as to become an unwelcome distraction from the flow of the story, as this archly immature tag lowers the mental age of the hero from his stated 29 years to a more realistic 14 or 15). The otherwise wide and nuanced lexicon marshalled by Mrs Mayle unfortunately goes hand in hand with its very negation: a myriad typos and grammatical blemishes and solecisms and wrong or missing commas are in attendance between these covers (at least three or four to any page), to the point that the discovery of basic mistakes in the vicinity of a truly poetical turn of phrase or a lyrical description spoils the literary pleasure such gems were supposed to provide the reader with. Another downside of this stylistic awkwardness lies in the unbalanced portrayal of the urban milieu in which the story unfolds. The action is supposed to be contemporary, yet the sheer level of derelection and lawlessness and appalling shabbiness of the city, its streets, buildings and public facilities, and the very strong-black-and-white picture of law and crime, are done with such forceful exaggeration, nay: complacency, that we cannot help but get the impression of being brought back far in time, to the Victorian era, when London and New York were utter cesspools of misery. This makes for a strange read since USB keys and street streaming cameras are liberally spoken of, among other high-tech gear. Last but not least, tasteful writing usually implies that one took pains to eschew the use of purple prose and avoid über-tired tropes; both of these, alas, are unfortunately abundantly present in the book, from the needlessly florid descriptions of Maxwell's ethnicity (an impossible mix between a Celt and a African), his old building or the little shop he volunteers at and the ridiculously high-flung evocation of his love-making with wordly Nick, to the truly marvellous ease with which previously heterosexual Nick faces his GFY shift towards Maxwell and the eleventh-hour, entirely contrived and token conflict which threatens the two leads' hard-won happiness at the very point the crumbling story line stops propelling the story ahead. As this is very much a character-driven novel, the plot firmly belongs in the shallower end of the spectrum; neither the mystery nor the suspense nor the bad guys cut much ice, as is hard to avoid when all of these elements (and indeed the entire noir atmosphere) are little more than make-believe, as so many pegs or props on which the romance does hang. Thankfully, apart from his motley appearance, Maxwell is a memorable character, beautifully layered, full of spunk and fire and tenderness - so much so that his love interest cuts a paltry figure by comparison, qua the quintessential dependable beta hero whose strength is passive and placid. Much as Mrs Mayle succeeds in creating a chemistry between them, more layers to their dynamics would not have been unwelcome, for their interactions remain rather one-dimensional, if not quite bare. Two stars and a half, rounded up to three because this was a really addictive book, though not the page-turner a better writer would have wrung out of the great subject matter.
June 28, 2011
Excellent m/m romantic suspense about a guy who's been on the street for a long time, as something of a vigilante, and a cop who starts to see the depth of the man behind the grime and bruises. This was complex and involving and will stay in my head for quite a while...
June 29, 2015
3.75ish.
Review Now Available @ Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
Review Now Available @ Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
October 3, 2015
What follows is my review, but if you want a perfect review that I agree with virtually 100%, read Plainbrownwrapper's. I read it after I read the book and was pleasantly surprised at how much we noticed the same things.
First off, I really liked this book. The story was excellent, the plot complicated and the suspense and action excellent. The characters were very interesting and not black and white. Some good characters did bad stuff and some bad characters did good things. One key character turns out to be both horrible and wonderful which is challenging to absorb. The romance is intense in a good way. Maxwell's reactions given his past are believable throughout.
I really love Maxwell and his complex view of right and wrong. His guilt and PTSD were very well handled. I really liked that he was the top and aggressor in sex. It was wonderful and the fact that he was tiny and Nicky huge never even came up.
There was of course peril and near death moments, which I gobble up like a junkie eats candy. (If you don't know the metaphor, heroin addicts crave and eat tons of sugar when they're not high.) The oh-my-god-please-don't-die-you-mean-everything kind of moments were the perfect length and intensity for me even if they weren't all believable. (At one point a buy is choking to the point of things starting to go black and he says who he is. He wouldn't be able to say his name if he couldn't breathe.)
The main thing I disliked in this book was the narration and changing POVs from personal to omniscient and back. In the beginning the action was all omniscient narrator, "the man did this' and "the red head" thought that but then internal dialog would appear. At this point we didn't even know that character's name. That was disconcerting alone but the words weren't italicized, either which was even more jarring:
No, no paragraph breaks, it was just like I've written it above.
Also, when in one person's head, there were descriptions like, "Fingers still half-number with cold reached up..." People don't think of their body parts separate like that when talking about movement. Another time we're in Maxwell's POV when the narrative says this (this isn't a spoiler but it's graphic violence):
Despite my frustrations, this book was really good and with a good content editor to catch the POV issues and inconsistencies would have been a five. However, I have to say that although I felt this book was excellent, I didn't necessarily enjoy it. There were parts that were exactly what I like, but the overarching feel was morose, bleak, and depressing. I can't put into words why that is, but it left me desperately needing to read a light and superficial shifter romance before I could go to bed. (I do have to admit that this was exacerbated by stress I am under right now.)
For those reasons, this is only a four star read for me.
First off, I really liked this book. The story was excellent, the plot complicated and the suspense and action excellent. The characters were very interesting and not black and white. Some good characters did bad stuff and some bad characters did good things. One key character turns out to be both horrible and wonderful which is challenging to absorb. The romance is intense in a good way. Maxwell's reactions given his past are believable throughout.
I really love Maxwell and his complex view of right and wrong. His guilt and PTSD were very well handled. I really liked that he was the top and aggressor in sex. It was wonderful and the fact that he was tiny and Nicky huge never even came up.
There was of course peril and near death moments, which I gobble up like a junkie eats candy. (If you don't know the metaphor, heroin addicts crave and eat tons of sugar when they're not high.) The oh-my-god-please-don't-die-you-mean-everything kind of moments were the perfect length and intensity for me even if they weren't all believable. (At one point a buy is choking to the point of things starting to go black and he says who he is. He wouldn't be able to say his name if he couldn't breathe.)
The main thing I disliked in this book was the narration and changing POVs from personal to omniscient and back. In the beginning the action was all omniscient narrator, "the man did this' and "the red head" thought that but then internal dialog would appear. At this point we didn't even know that character's name. That was disconcerting alone but the words weren't italicized, either which was even more jarring:
Not one to let an opportunity to go to waste, the slender man kicked as he vaulted to freedom. His booted foot connected hard with a strong, square jaw. Then he hit the ground rolling, and colors burst along his vision as his injured head protested the quick motions. I'm pretty sure I just head a crunch. If he's still moving when I look up...oh! Hands on my neck! Big hands! He searched blindly around himself, slapping the filth strewn cement, looking for something, anything.
No, no paragraph breaks, it was just like I've written it above.
Also, when in one person's head, there were descriptions like, "Fingers still half-number with cold reached up..." People don't think of their body parts separate like that when talking about movement. Another time we're in Maxwell's POV when the narrative says this (this isn't a spoiler but it's graphic violence):
Much of the text is a bit overwrought--a little too wordy and descriptive. The first part, especially, was much longer than it needed to be. There were inconsistencies--like when a cop is wearing a uniform and someone grabs him by the necktie; someone waking up in the middle of the night but all the day cops already at work--and improbabilities: I find it extremely hard to believe someone of African American mixed race with dark skin has red hair naturally. It doesn't make sense. I also understand isolation and distancing oneself through self hatred, but for someone to live on the streets for fifteen years wouldn't be a complete virgin (of any kind, not just intercourse). Even if that made sense, his knowledge is absurd. He never had access to video porn so how does he know exactly what to do? Then there's the fact that the GFY is not handled at all. One day he's straight, the next he's in love with a man and that's it. There are some comments but he only thinks about it a couple times during his early infatuation. Don't even get me started about the money and the apartment.
Despite my frustrations, this book was really good and with a good content editor to catch the POV issues and inconsistencies would have been a five. However, I have to say that although I felt this book was excellent, I didn't necessarily enjoy it. There were parts that were exactly what I like, but the overarching feel was morose, bleak, and depressing. I can't put into words why that is, but it left me desperately needing to read a light and superficial shifter romance before I could go to bed. (I do have to admit that this was exacerbated by stress I am under right now.)
For those reasons, this is only a four star read for me.
June 13, 2015
Well, I wasn't expecting that! Don't judge a book by the cover and the synopsis! I had a hard time with the writing at first, but after two chapters, I found it brilliant. And the characters... Maxwell is beautifully broken and Nicky is so sweet and kind. Really, perfect combination. The plot was great, a little predictable maybe but it's hard these days to find a book without clichés. I'm complaining here but I would have been disappointed with a different ending...
So, I give 5 stars to this book but it doesn't go to my "favorite" shelf for one reason : Maxwell. I couldn't picture him in my head until 75% in the book. He is 29 yo, but that didn't work for me either. I think I would have liked him a little younger. But that's my problem so I don't see why I should blame the author for it.
So, I give 5 stars to this book but it doesn't go to my "favorite" shelf for one reason : Maxwell. I couldn't picture him in my head until 75% in the book. He is 29 yo, but that didn't work for me either. I think I would have liked him a little younger. But that's my problem so I don't see why I should blame the author for it.
November 27, 2011
This was really good. Beautiful writing; you could call it prose at times. It suffered a bit from repetition. There were lengthy parts who could've profited from trimming, but those were balanced by breathtakingly fast action sequences and beautiful, deeply emotional love scenes, so nothing to complain about too loudly.
I'd classify this as a definite GFY, as Nick was never attracted to men before. But I liked his consequence once he had accepted the fact that he'd fallen for a man, and I didn't find it too far-fetched - he and Maxwell completed each other so perfectly.
Two very likeable heroes, a mean villain, a gripping plot and interesting supportive characters made this book a really enjoyable read. Recommended.
I'd classify this as a definite GFY, as Nick was never attracted to men before. But I liked his consequence once he had accepted the fact that he'd fallen for a man, and I didn't find it too far-fetched - he and Maxwell completed each other so perfectly.
Two very likeable heroes, a mean villain, a gripping plot and interesting supportive characters made this book a really enjoyable read. Recommended.
September 6, 2015
I really enjoyed the story. Maxwell was such a tough character, complex and interesting. Nick was a simpler character. He is just a good guy who likes to protect. The plot was well written and smooth. I enjoyed the setting and the ideas involved. I so wanted this to be a five star read since I enjoyed the story so much but the changes of perspective were not easy to tell apart. They would run into one another and I would have to back up to realize that it was no longer the same character. I really will be looking forward to more books by this author. The style was so well done I can't wait to see what else may be written.
July 4, 2011
Usually I don't care for stories that involve straight guys suddenly finding true love with another man, but Nick and Maxwell are both such great characters that I went with the disparities and enjoyed the story very much - particularly because of the strong and evocative narrative. Beautifully written.
December 14, 2012
So wordy it was exhausting reading it.
February 21, 2021
3.5 stars
October 16, 2012
I liked this quite a bit, but it has some issues
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 6/10
PROS:
- The dynamic between Maxwell and Nick is odd and intriguing. They don’t understand each other very well, and they often have trouble communicating, but they’re drawn to each other nonetheless. This is a pair of characters I will not easily forget, even with as many m/m romances as I read.
- Maxwell’s thoughts are quite funny sometimes. When he’s being interrogated by the police at one point, for example, he offers one of the cops some advice about quitting smoking. And then there’s this: “Rude Cope was turning red. Tactical error, peaceful approach has failed. Got it.”
- Once Nick realizes that he’s fallen in love with Maxwell, he doesn’t try to deny it or hide it. He’s simplistic and frank about his feelings, and that--paired with his basic goodness--was hard for me to resist.
- This author is very good at descriptive language. When she paints a scene, it is detailed and vivid: sights, sounds, smells, impressions, etc.
CONS:
- The writing is hard to follow sometimes because it’s disjointed. Part of the problem is that the characters’ direct thoughts are not set off in any way; they’re not italicized, nor do they always appear in their own paragraphs--or even their own sentences. The result is that throughout the book, the writing switches from third person to first person, and from past tense to present, with no warning. Example: “only took one hit for the big guy to realize that the monkey on his back is smaller than he is…actually, I might be smaller than the rent boy…why was this a good idea again?” (Those ellipses are in the story; I didn’t insert them.)
- I didn’t believe in the speed at which the men become so emotionally indispensable to each other. Especially in Nick’s case: he’s attracted to another man for the first time ever, and he reaches a point where Maxwell is “the center of his existence” very quickly.
- The ending didn’t feel rushed to me so much as it felt…abrupt. The climactic battle scene is dramatic and detailed and contains a good amount of suspense. But then the book ends rather suddenly as soon as the conflict is resolved, and there are several questions/issues raised earlier in the book that are left unresolved.
- Mayle often refers to her characters using descriptors rather than their names. Maxwell, for instance, is “the dirt-coated man,” “the redhead,” “the watcher,” “the smaller man,” “the vagrant,” “the would-be hero,” etc. Writing just seems simpler to me when authors use the characters’ names to describe the action.
Overall comments: Despite the cons I listed, I actually really enjoyed this. It’s an unusual story in a lot of ways: the setting is near-future, so it’s familiar-but-foreign; the plot is engaging; and the characters are different from the usual m/m characters. Most of the book’s issues could have been resolved with some tighter editing, but overall I think this is still a pretty decent story.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 6/10
PROS:
- The dynamic between Maxwell and Nick is odd and intriguing. They don’t understand each other very well, and they often have trouble communicating, but they’re drawn to each other nonetheless. This is a pair of characters I will not easily forget, even with as many m/m romances as I read.
- Maxwell’s thoughts are quite funny sometimes. When he’s being interrogated by the police at one point, for example, he offers one of the cops some advice about quitting smoking. And then there’s this: “Rude Cope was turning red. Tactical error, peaceful approach has failed. Got it.”
- Once Nick realizes that he’s fallen in love with Maxwell, he doesn’t try to deny it or hide it. He’s simplistic and frank about his feelings, and that--paired with his basic goodness--was hard for me to resist.
- This author is very good at descriptive language. When she paints a scene, it is detailed and vivid: sights, sounds, smells, impressions, etc.
CONS:
- The writing is hard to follow sometimes because it’s disjointed. Part of the problem is that the characters’ direct thoughts are not set off in any way; they’re not italicized, nor do they always appear in their own paragraphs--or even their own sentences. The result is that throughout the book, the writing switches from third person to first person, and from past tense to present, with no warning. Example: “only took one hit for the big guy to realize that the monkey on his back is smaller than he is…actually, I might be smaller than the rent boy…why was this a good idea again?” (Those ellipses are in the story; I didn’t insert them.)
- I didn’t believe in the speed at which the men become so emotionally indispensable to each other. Especially in Nick’s case: he’s attracted to another man for the first time ever, and he reaches a point where Maxwell is “the center of his existence” very quickly.
- The ending didn’t feel rushed to me so much as it felt…abrupt. The climactic battle scene is dramatic and detailed and contains a good amount of suspense. But then the book ends rather suddenly as soon as the conflict is resolved, and there are several questions/issues raised earlier in the book that are left unresolved.
- Mayle often refers to her characters using descriptors rather than their names. Maxwell, for instance, is “the dirt-coated man,” “the redhead,” “the watcher,” “the smaller man,” “the vagrant,” “the would-be hero,” etc. Writing just seems simpler to me when authors use the characters’ names to describe the action.
Overall comments: Despite the cons I listed, I actually really enjoyed this. It’s an unusual story in a lot of ways: the setting is near-future, so it’s familiar-but-foreign; the plot is engaging; and the characters are different from the usual m/m characters. Most of the book’s issues could have been resolved with some tighter editing, but overall I think this is still a pretty decent story.
September 23, 2013
Hot damn, this was gearing up to be a 5 star read from me. Everything was going great. I loved the story, the gritty darkness (which I wasn't expecting), it was wordy-but beautifully put, it had the right amount of action, and it kept me turning the pages on the edge of my seat. What went wrong? In my opinion...the ending. What happened? Okay, I am getting ahead of myself. Let's go back to the beginning.
Maxwell is a vagrant who has lived most of his life on the streets. He knows his way around and how to keep out of sight. He's also a homeless vigilante. He trusts 1 person and in my opinion incredibly loyal. My heart broke for Maxwell. One night he's asleep on his fire escape and he hears a scuffle. He would normally let it go, but he sees the rent boy and he's young, too young. He decides to help. Little does he know that saving this rent boy was going to change the way he views his life. When he wakes up again he looks down and sees a dead body. He didn't put it there, but didn't know who. He reacts without thinking and realizes someone saw him on the fire escape. He's now a suspect.
Nick is a cop who lives in the building next to the alley the dead guy was found and saw the suspect on the fire escape. He does what he has to do and goes after the suspect. When he brings into the station Nick doesn't like the way Maxwell is treated and keeps an eye on him. Nick is thrown on the case, even though he's a beat cop. Nick has no idea that taking in Maxwell meant having his life on the line as well.
Nick and Maxwell realize that the dead guy in the alley is related to a bigger operation that Maxwell is all too familiar with. Maxwell won't have another dead cop on his hands, but can't seem to pull away from Nick because he knows he has to keep him safe. Nick only wants to keep Maxwell safe, but doesn't know who he can trust. There is too much corruption in the police force.
The ending:
Overall, I thought this was great. Minus the descriptors used as names "the small man", "the vagrant", "the redhead", "the dirt-coated man", "the cop", "the watcher", "the bigger man", etc. Definitely not flowery and it's a GFY which I thought happened too fast.
Maxwell is a vagrant who has lived most of his life on the streets. He knows his way around and how to keep out of sight. He's also a homeless vigilante. He trusts 1 person and in my opinion incredibly loyal. My heart broke for Maxwell. One night he's asleep on his fire escape and he hears a scuffle. He would normally let it go, but he sees the rent boy and he's young, too young. He decides to help. Little does he know that saving this rent boy was going to change the way he views his life. When he wakes up again he looks down and sees a dead body. He didn't put it there, but didn't know who. He reacts without thinking and realizes someone saw him on the fire escape. He's now a suspect.
Nick is a cop who lives in the building next to the alley the dead guy was found and saw the suspect on the fire escape. He does what he has to do and goes after the suspect. When he brings into the station Nick doesn't like the way Maxwell is treated and keeps an eye on him. Nick is thrown on the case, even though he's a beat cop. Nick has no idea that taking in Maxwell meant having his life on the line as well.
Nick and Maxwell realize that the dead guy in the alley is related to a bigger operation that Maxwell is all too familiar with. Maxwell won't have another dead cop on his hands, but can't seem to pull away from Nick because he knows he has to keep him safe. Nick only wants to keep Maxwell safe, but doesn't know who he can trust. There is too much corruption in the police force.
The ending:
Overall, I thought this was great. Minus the descriptors used as names "the small man", "the vagrant", "the redhead", "the dirt-coated man", "the cop", "the watcher", "the bigger man", etc. Definitely not flowery and it's a GFY which I thought happened too fast.
May 9, 2016
Mayle has such a distinctive writing style that I remembered what was the last book I'd read from her within 10 minutes of starting this one. It's that unique and strong. Lyrical and kind of lush prose.
One of the things she does so well is write experiencing the story with your five senses particularly potently. Here that's a bit of a downfall. Maxwell is homeless. By all accounts he wears the same clothes he's been wearing for years. Yes folks that would include underwear to me. Socks. So my idea of what Maxwell smells like is pretty strong. In fact it's so strong that when Maxwell and Nick get together all I can do is smell Maxwell. The thought of sucking anything that had been in the same underwear for years just is a complete turn off for me. I thought there would be a point at which all the smells would be gone but Maxwell often puts the same clothes back on. I cannot reconcile it. It's not sexy. At all.
Then how Maxwell is described had me picturing him as a really short guy who had many child like qualities. I know I know..he's not. But all the talk of little man and him being as short as me when he was picked up and described he just didn't sound attractive. I truly don't have a height fetish but I could not get a bead on what Maxwell looked like. Bright red hair, sienna skin, tiny. Speaking of - his hair. As someone who has a mixed kid I could not understand how his hair could be afro like as a child and now it almost seemed thick and straight and braid-able. Those are two completely different types of hair. It didn't help me when trying to picture him in my minds eye.
The story and plot were great - it was all the descriptions here (including smell) that brought this one down for me.
One of the things she does so well is write experiencing the story with your five senses particularly potently. Here that's a bit of a downfall. Maxwell is homeless. By all accounts he wears the same clothes he's been wearing for years. Yes folks that would include underwear to me. Socks. So my idea of what Maxwell smells like is pretty strong. In fact it's so strong that when Maxwell and Nick get together all I can do is smell Maxwell. The thought of sucking anything that had been in the same underwear for years just is a complete turn off for me. I thought there would be a point at which all the smells would be gone but Maxwell often puts the same clothes back on. I cannot reconcile it. It's not sexy. At all.
Then how Maxwell is described had me picturing him as a really short guy who had many child like qualities. I know I know..he's not. But all the talk of little man and him being as short as me when he was picked up and described he just didn't sound attractive. I truly don't have a height fetish but I could not get a bead on what Maxwell looked like. Bright red hair, sienna skin, tiny. Speaking of - his hair. As someone who has a mixed kid I could not understand how his hair could be afro like as a child and now it almost seemed thick and straight and braid-able. Those are two completely different types of hair. It didn't help me when trying to picture him in my minds eye.
The story and plot were great - it was all the descriptions here (including smell) that brought this one down for me.
January 29, 2012
Maxwell grew up on the streets. No friends no family no hope but plenty of guilt. Over the years he has tried helping some of the rent boys on the street. When he sees one trapped by a huge thug, in the alley Maxwell is sitting above, he decides to help. Battered and bruised a little while later the rent boy is all over him thanking him. Maxwell goes back to his place on the fire escape to sleep.
Nick is a beat cop who thinks he might make detective soon. He is kind, thoughtful and always helps his neighbor. One morning the neighbor say someone on the fire escape so Nick went to check it out. He opened the window and saw a homeless person. The person ran. Nick sees a dead body in the alley. He chases the homeless person to the park.
Nick brings Maxwell in but the cops let him go a few hours later. He finds out that all the lab work was rushed thru to get him back on the street.
Terrance Setorii is a big time drug dealer ,possibly underground flesh peddler and a white collar criminal the police were after. But there were talks of dirty cops taking money from him. He was the one that kidnapped Maxwell and drugged him to shoot the cop. Now hes after Maxwell again and he threatened Nicks life too.
I liked Nick and Maxwell and the storyline was great.
Nick is a beat cop who thinks he might make detective soon. He is kind, thoughtful and always helps his neighbor. One morning the neighbor say someone on the fire escape so Nick went to check it out. He opened the window and saw a homeless person. The person ran. Nick sees a dead body in the alley. He chases the homeless person to the park.
Nick brings Maxwell in but the cops let him go a few hours later. He finds out that all the lab work was rushed thru to get him back on the street.
Terrance Setorii is a big time drug dealer ,possibly underground flesh peddler and a white collar criminal the police were after. But there were talks of dirty cops taking money from him. He was the one that kidnapped Maxwell and drugged him to shoot the cop. Now hes after Maxwell again and he threatened Nicks life too.
I liked Nick and Maxwell and the storyline was great.
July 24, 2011
Maxwell is tragic in a strong way, like he's lived with a death-wish for so long that it's made him almost fearless, until he meets Nicky Blue Eyes and realizes he has something to lose.
Nicky is just a genuine good guy, almost too good, but I liked that. I'm not sure if he was straight before Maxwell or if he was in denial, but the way their courtship was written, it works either way.
This author manages to paint her worlds so clearly that I feel like I'm in them. I love the imagery in this book especially. She never says what city they're in, but I can picture a dark Chicago mixed with New York. A place with a lot of secrets. The story is like a glimpse into one of those secrets, but it leaves the door open for more.
At times it felt like it should be in the first person, like the narrative in an old detective film.
Very well done.
Nicky is just a genuine good guy, almost too good, but I liked that. I'm not sure if he was straight before Maxwell or if he was in denial, but the way their courtship was written, it works either way.
This author manages to paint her worlds so clearly that I feel like I'm in them. I love the imagery in this book especially. She never says what city they're in, but I can picture a dark Chicago mixed with New York. A place with a lot of secrets. The story is like a glimpse into one of those secrets, but it leaves the door open for more.
At times it felt like it should be in the first person, like the narrative in an old detective film.
Very well done.
September 21, 2012
Disclaimer: won copy from author
4.5 stars
I was actually surprised how much I really liked this book, I didn't want to put it down until I finished. Although the book is rather dark at times, it was more drama/suspense through most of it. I loved the hurt/comfort themes.
There were only a few things that bothered me. I kept having to remind myself how old Maxwell was (not that 29 is old, but still older than me), he just felt younger. (view spoiler) Although the book is written in third-person, there are bits that are supposed to be the characters' thoughts that are in first-person. Only there is nothing (like italics) to mark them are separate from the normal narration. It kept throwing me out of the story when one would show up.
4.5 stars
I was actually surprised how much I really liked this book, I didn't want to put it down until I finished. Although the book is rather dark at times, it was more drama/suspense through most of it. I loved the hurt/comfort themes.
There were only a few things that bothered me. I kept having to remind myself how old Maxwell was (not that 29 is old, but still older than me), he just felt younger. (view spoiler) Although the book is written in third-person, there are bits that are supposed to be the characters' thoughts that are in first-person. Only there is nothing (like italics) to mark them are separate from the normal narration. It kept throwing me out of the story when one would show up.
August 9, 2016
★★★★½ - Great, would highly recommend.
August 30, 2011
I cried while reading this story and honestly, it's a heartache feeling the pain Maxfield going through his life and the worst when he found out his Hero wasnt a hero after all. I am so glad it is a HEA ( I hope! ) for both Maxfield and Nick at the end.
YET...there are a few minor mishaps where I find a little trouble of believing it...ie the survival rate of Maxfield ( all these years living in dumps with no or little money ) is kind of impossible.
Anyway, I understand there will be a "Maxfield parents" story in the work, I cant wait to grab this bittersweet story.
YET...there are a few minor mishaps where I find a little trouble of believing it...ie the survival rate of Maxfield ( all these years living in dumps with no or little money ) is kind of impossible.
Anyway, I understand there will be a "Maxfield parents" story in the work, I cant wait to grab this bittersweet story.
August 15, 2011
Why the heck doesn't this book have a higher rating? In the Shadow of a Hero is amazing. I seriously couldn't put it down. The main character was so unorthodox compared to most gay lit characters that I never saw the things he did coming. Plus, the writing is absolutely brilliant. The book is raw, real, and in no way fluffy - at any time - which is always a plus in my books.
Seriously: brutal and exciting, plus very, very hot. The closest thing I've come to a dystopian gay lit (yay!).
Seriously: brutal and exciting, plus very, very hot. The closest thing I've come to a dystopian gay lit (yay!).
June 7, 2014
This should have been five stars if for no other reason than for the quality writing. However, I couldn't make a connection with the two main characters. And that’s too bad because the book was well done.
Four Stars!
Four Stars!
December 1, 2011
This was truly well developed and written story. I really liked Maxwell ramblings and his thoughts. He was strong character firm in this believes. The mystery in this plot was well staged and when it came into the light I was surprised. I'm glad he found Nick and the HEA was simply big plus.
November 12, 2013
This is one of the best romantic suspense novels I've read in a while. I really hope this author writes a sequel or at least write more in this genre.
July 17, 2011
4.5 stars
January 24, 2012
I quit reading it. The plot line sounded interesting, but I picked up another book and never had the interest to go back and finish this one.
September 16, 2011
Excellent - worth the read - the book description does not do it justice. It made me laugh, was gritty, suspenseful and romatic...
I have not a single smarky comment to make...
I have not a single smarky comment to make...
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