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Covenant of Thorns #1
Rogue's Pawn
This is no fairy tale...
Haunted by nightmares of a black dog, sick to death of my mind-numbing career and heart-numbing fiance, I impulsively walked out of my life--and fell into Faerie. Terrified, fascinated, I discover I possess a power I can't control: my wishes come true. After an all-too-real attack by the animal from my dreams, I wake to find myself the captive of the seductive and ruthless fae lord Rogue. In return for my rescue, he demands an extravagant price--my firstborn child, which he intends to sire himself...
With no hope of escaping this world, I must learn to harness my magic and build a new life despite the perils--including my own inexplicable and debilitating desire for Rogue. I swear I will never submit to his demands, no matter what erotic torment he subjects me to...
92,000 words
Haunted by nightmares of a black dog, sick to death of my mind-numbing career and heart-numbing fiance, I impulsively walked out of my life--and fell into Faerie. Terrified, fascinated, I discover I possess a power I can't control: my wishes come true. After an all-too-real attack by the animal from my dreams, I wake to find myself the captive of the seductive and ruthless fae lord Rogue. In return for my rescue, he demands an extravagant price--my firstborn child, which he intends to sire himself...
With no hope of escaping this world, I must learn to harness my magic and build a new life despite the perils--including my own inexplicable and debilitating desire for Rogue. I swear I will never submit to his demands, no matter what erotic torment he subjects me to...
92,000 words
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2012
85 people are currently reading
1169 people want to read
About the author
Jeffe Kennedy
101 books1,341 followers💙She/her💙 Award-winning Bestselling Author of epic fantasy romance. Taoist. Swiftie. Santa Fean. Cat lady @sfwa_inc Past-President. Rep by @seyitsme
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
February 23, 2015
Received from Netgalley for review.
I wanted to like this. I liked the writing - clean and direct and intelligent. I liked the main character, Jennifer. I liked Darling and Starling and Blackbird and Larch. I liked the general idea, of the bargaining and quid pro quo and the system of magic.
But the book didn't, quite, hang together – I don't buy Jennifer's accidental transportation into fairyland, and the story as a whole didn't resolve believably in my eyes. And while I understood the arc of Jennifer's "training" and its necessity to the story as given, I hated the whole aspect of (someone's going to say it, so it might as well be me) Fifty Shades of Fae.
I wanted to like this. I liked the writing - clean and direct and intelligent. I liked the main character, Jennifer. I liked Darling and Starling and Blackbird and Larch. I liked the general idea, of the bargaining and quid pro quo and the system of magic.
But the book didn't, quite, hang together – I don't buy Jennifer's accidental transportation into fairyland, and the story as a whole didn't resolve believably in my eyes. And while I understood the arc of Jennifer's "training" and its necessity to the story as given, I hated the whole aspect of (someone's going to say it, so it might as well be me) Fifty Shades of Fae.
March 13, 2017
Rating: 4 1/2 stars for overall concept, writing style, creativity and a strong-willed heroine who is flawed and too self-aware to not fall for the hero who is dastardly.
The entire time I was reading Rogue's Pawn I could hear "Bad Romance" by Lady GaGa. It fit the dynamic between Lord Rogue and Jen. This is a dark romance with a woman who is strong-willed, smart and determined to survive her fate. She knows she ain't in Kansas and this is gonna be a bumpy, bumpy ride.
Yes, it is her own damned fault for entering the world of Faerie.
Yes, the quicker she understands these are NOT human beings, the better off she will be.
Of course, once she learns how to wield her magic I will be cheering from the pews.
I learned as she learned to navigate this ruthless, inhumane society where one must watch and mind every word spoken. A place of such brutal cruelty, childish impracticality and exquisite beauty it is beyond human understanding. Welcome to Faerie.
And yet, Jen is surviving. So well, that I can't wait to read book two after reading this one in a sitting. See, she is not a heroine who rolls over willingly and says to Rogue, "You're so pretty, hot and dominant, I will do what you say and have your child."
Hell no.
No way. She is a woman of logic who fights as best as she can by using her brain. I don't resent her for not giving in. I'm glad she does not succumb.
There are a host of fascinating characters, so unusual and Fae. So far, my favorite supporting character is Darling :-) and then maybe Starling and Larch.
The language and writing style is lyrical. How magic works in this world is interesting but not so complex you get lost, plus it makes sense. The setting feels other.
And Rogue, I want to see when (and how) he will be redeemed. He is sexy, cold, manipulative and yet is vulnerable. Their interplay reminds me of the last scene in Labyrinth between Sarah and Jareth, where the Goblin King says, "Fear me, love me, obey me, and I will be your slave."
The cover sucks. It doesn't represent either character. They should have made it abstract or something else with no people. How cheap and sad.
Lastly, I would only recommend this book to those who love stories where the Fae are dark, disturbing, cruel and strangely sinister. Also, the H is not quite lovable and not quite despicable but you know the h cannot trust him or give in to him. Still, I want to know his motivations and navigate the "otherness". He is NOT a human man but an immortal being with vast power and secrets.
All in all, this is good stuff.
The entire time I was reading Rogue's Pawn I could hear "Bad Romance" by Lady GaGa. It fit the dynamic between Lord Rogue and Jen. This is a dark romance with a woman who is strong-willed, smart and determined to survive her fate. She knows she ain't in Kansas and this is gonna be a bumpy, bumpy ride.
Yes, it is her own damned fault for entering the world of Faerie.
Yes, the quicker she understands these are NOT human beings, the better off she will be.
Of course, once she learns how to wield her magic I will be cheering from the pews.
I learned as she learned to navigate this ruthless, inhumane society where one must watch and mind every word spoken. A place of such brutal cruelty, childish impracticality and exquisite beauty it is beyond human understanding. Welcome to Faerie.
And yet, Jen is surviving. So well, that I can't wait to read book two after reading this one in a sitting. See, she is not a heroine who rolls over willingly and says to Rogue, "You're so pretty, hot and dominant, I will do what you say and have your child."
Hell no.
No way. She is a woman of logic who fights as best as she can by using her brain. I don't resent her for not giving in. I'm glad she does not succumb.
There are a host of fascinating characters, so unusual and Fae. So far, my favorite supporting character is Darling :-) and then maybe Starling and Larch.
The language and writing style is lyrical. How magic works in this world is interesting but not so complex you get lost, plus it makes sense. The setting feels other.
And Rogue, I want to see when (and how) he will be redeemed. He is sexy, cold, manipulative and yet is vulnerable. Their interplay reminds me of the last scene in Labyrinth between Sarah and Jareth, where the Goblin King says, "Fear me, love me, obey me, and I will be your slave."
The cover sucks. It doesn't represent either character. They should have made it abstract or something else with no people. How cheap and sad.
Lastly, I would only recommend this book to those who love stories where the Fae are dark, disturbing, cruel and strangely sinister. Also, the H is not quite lovable and not quite despicable but you know the h cannot trust him or give in to him. Still, I want to know his motivations and navigate the "otherness". He is NOT a human man but an immortal being with vast power and secrets.
All in all, this is good stuff.
September 18, 2012
The truth of the matter is, I went into this read half knowing I'd love it, I'm not going to lie. I've read 3 other titles by this same author, and I know I really enjoy her writing and her characters and relationship dynamics. So I expected to really enjoy this, but just how much I did enjoy it I couldn't have expected.
The world of this novel is just super fun and fresh. I loved how the reality and the Elsewhere world worked together, how Jennifer was of both worlds and yet not quite belonging to either. Perhaps this would qualify as an urban fantasy world that crosses over into a fantasy one, I suck at picking out these things, but this I can tell you, the world building in this novel was totally fun, whimsical and magic and I just loved it to bits. Since I tend to not like fairies and fantasy worlds, this ought to tell you just how fun it really is :D
But my favorite part of this read has to be the characters, I always fall for them if I do fall. Jennifer was just awesome, I loved her entirely. Her free and rebel spirit, her strength, her human emotions and needs entwined so beautifully with strength and determination. She was an awesome character, and coupled with the seductive, mysterious and playful Rogue - not to mention sort of dangerous, always but always plus as far as I'm concerned - she just shone, you know? Rogue was yummylicious to the n-th degree, hot stuff alert all the way.
What I totally loved here was Jeffe Kennedy built the kind of relationship dynamics that really make sense to me, we're talking intense, tumultuous, confusing yet addictive, the sort of chemistry that makes me swoon. Her other titles that I've read showed the power-play sort of relationships, but more clearly into the BDSM specter - which I of course thoroughly enjoy as I've already mentioned -, while here she kept the power-play tension but on a more subtle way. It's rather hard for me to explain this properly, I think, but the type of relationship that Jennifer and Rogue have is the most believable, real and fascinating kind of relationship I can picture or read about. It's not the obvious chains that bind, but a more subtle sort of connection and interaction that's intense and powerful and...well, freaking magic. So while I had a great time reading her other three works, Sapphire, Feeding the Vampire and Petals and Thorns, it feels to me like this right is her best work yet for my reading pleasure.
The awesomeness doesn't just stop at the romance though, we're also talking about an interesting story about change, self-search and belonging, filled with fun and tense moments, and I just loved reading it. The writing is really good, the characters come through so vividly, the world vibrates with life and magic, emotion and action come together beautifully. The end result is a thoroughly entertaining read, touching and swoon-worthy as well as active and intriguing, and I for one give it all the thumbs up I could possibly give it.
Overall, I say read this if you enjoy adult paranormal romance, fantastic settings and awesome, awesome characters. Loved, loved, loved it.
Butterfly-o-Meter Books
The world of this novel is just super fun and fresh. I loved how the reality and the Elsewhere world worked together, how Jennifer was of both worlds and yet not quite belonging to either. Perhaps this would qualify as an urban fantasy world that crosses over into a fantasy one, I suck at picking out these things, but this I can tell you, the world building in this novel was totally fun, whimsical and magic and I just loved it to bits. Since I tend to not like fairies and fantasy worlds, this ought to tell you just how fun it really is :D
But my favorite part of this read has to be the characters, I always fall for them if I do fall. Jennifer was just awesome, I loved her entirely. Her free and rebel spirit, her strength, her human emotions and needs entwined so beautifully with strength and determination. She was an awesome character, and coupled with the seductive, mysterious and playful Rogue - not to mention sort of dangerous, always but always plus as far as I'm concerned - she just shone, you know? Rogue was yummylicious to the n-th degree, hot stuff alert all the way.
What I totally loved here was Jeffe Kennedy built the kind of relationship dynamics that really make sense to me, we're talking intense, tumultuous, confusing yet addictive, the sort of chemistry that makes me swoon. Her other titles that I've read showed the power-play sort of relationships, but more clearly into the BDSM specter - which I of course thoroughly enjoy as I've already mentioned -, while here she kept the power-play tension but on a more subtle way. It's rather hard for me to explain this properly, I think, but the type of relationship that Jennifer and Rogue have is the most believable, real and fascinating kind of relationship I can picture or read about. It's not the obvious chains that bind, but a more subtle sort of connection and interaction that's intense and powerful and...well, freaking magic. So while I had a great time reading her other three works, Sapphire, Feeding the Vampire and Petals and Thorns, it feels to me like this right is her best work yet for my reading pleasure.
The awesomeness doesn't just stop at the romance though, we're also talking about an interesting story about change, self-search and belonging, filled with fun and tense moments, and I just loved reading it. The writing is really good, the characters come through so vividly, the world vibrates with life and magic, emotion and action come together beautifully. The end result is a thoroughly entertaining read, touching and swoon-worthy as well as active and intriguing, and I for one give it all the thumbs up I could possibly give it.
Overall, I say read this if you enjoy adult paranormal romance, fantastic settings and awesome, awesome characters. Loved, loved, loved it.
Butterfly-o-Meter Books
July 17, 2012
I'm kind of ambivalent about this story. It's about Jennifer, a neurophysiology professor, who is annoyed with her life and her fiancé. She finds herself transported to the Fae world, is attacked by a mystical Black Dog, and is rescued by a Fae noble called Rogue. But nothing is free in Faerie and Jennifer's debt for her rescue and healing has condemned her to several years of servitude, torture, non-con sex and giving up her first-born child.
The 'hero' in this book, Rogue, is mysterious and happy to barter Jennifer off for this bad treatment as long as he gets to bed her and father a child in the end. I never once got any feeling that he really liked/loved her. There is plenty of sexual attraction but little deeper feeling. In fact he seems cold, self-serving and ignoble most of the time.
I felt like the beginning was really rushed.I only got a scant glimpse into Jennifer's life and woes before she was dumped into the Fae world. I had trouble understanding or feeling any sympathy for her. There's a bit of BDSM thrown in when Jennifer is imprisoned and tortured by the first of her Fae masters, seemingly to condition her to control her magic, but more obviously for the reader's titillation. The theme of dominance and submission runs strongly throughout the novel. I kept waiting for Jennifer to come into her power and fight back but she rarely gains the upper hand and is putty everytime Rogue appears.
This novel really got my feminist hackles up. It felt like an allegory for how to 'dumb-down' a smart 21st century woman and put her in her place. There's no real ending, just a nebulous acceptance of Rogue as her lover and lord.
I did enjoy aspects of the Fae world. There seems to be a lot of oppression and abuse of power by the Fae Lords who are in turn influenced by the savage and omnipotent goddess Titania. I'd like to see the brownies and the race of men rise up against the powerful magic Lords. I'm interested to see how Jennifer's powers develop and what the dragon blood will do. I would read the next book in the series if I could feel reassured that Jennifer would kick some Fae ass but I suspect I'd be in for more of the 'weak little woman kept in the dark' BS. I guess I'll just wait for the reviews.
The 'hero' in this book, Rogue, is mysterious and happy to barter Jennifer off for this bad treatment as long as he gets to bed her and father a child in the end. I never once got any feeling that he really liked/loved her. There is plenty of sexual attraction but little deeper feeling. In fact he seems cold, self-serving and ignoble most of the time.
I felt like the beginning was really rushed.I only got a scant glimpse into Jennifer's life and woes before she was dumped into the Fae world. I had trouble understanding or feeling any sympathy for her. There's a bit of BDSM thrown in when Jennifer is imprisoned and tortured by the first of her Fae masters, seemingly to condition her to control her magic, but more obviously for the reader's titillation. The theme of dominance and submission runs strongly throughout the novel. I kept waiting for Jennifer to come into her power and fight back but she rarely gains the upper hand and is putty everytime Rogue appears.
This novel really got my feminist hackles up. It felt like an allegory for how to 'dumb-down' a smart 21st century woman and put her in her place. There's no real ending, just a nebulous acceptance of Rogue as her lover and lord.
I did enjoy aspects of the Fae world. There seems to be a lot of oppression and abuse of power by the Fae Lords who are in turn influenced by the savage and omnipotent goddess Titania. I'd like to see the brownies and the race of men rise up against the powerful magic Lords. I'm interested to see how Jennifer's powers develop and what the dragon blood will do. I would read the next book in the series if I could feel reassured that Jennifer would kick some Fae ass but I suspect I'd be in for more of the 'weak little woman kept in the dark' BS. I guess I'll just wait for the reviews.
February 5, 2017
Gwynn unintentionally wound up in Faerie. Rogue saved her but would not explain anything to her. He and some other noble fae forced her to bargain for her life. The reason for this is never explained unless I'm just supposed to assume they're power hungry assholes who get off on fucking with people. Without truly having a choice, she had to agree to serve three different people.
It was obvious Rogue was the LI from the start, but he was an asshole. There was no hero to be found in this story. When she was at the gathering where she was bargaining for her life, I thought Rogue would do something slick to save her, but it didn't happen. How lovely that his only attempt to help her ensured that she could only have sex with him. Nope, no ulterior motives there. He just shipped her off to be tortured and abused by two twisted psychos so she could learn to be more obedient all because of their fucked up, mysterious fae rules. WTF? How am I supposed to get over that and see him as genuinely caring about her? Supposedly he didn't have the power to stop her from being sent with the twisted psychos, but he didn't really seem to give a shit either. Rogue didn't do anything charming or amazing later on to even remotely redeem himself.
Gwynn was pathetic. She didn't fight back at all when the people tortured her. After a few days of solitude she was desperate for any contact. That would suck but shouldn't have made her lose her damn mind so quickly. I didn't want her to fight back to the degree that she put herself in danger, but she never tried to defend herself. Even when her magic skills improved she still let them beat her. It was described as Stockholm syndrome but she pretty much went right back to normal as soon as she was freed from their clutches.
The romance sucked. They had no chemistry. There weren't even any fun sexy times. I was under the impression this was going to be smuttier. The world building was awful too. Two big issues were explained and that's it. There were so many little things I wanted to know about. Gwynn did ask for the answers to those questions, but no one would give them to her. The ending felt rushed. Rogue and Gwynn went from enemies to friends? lovers? (I'm not even sure how to define their relationship) way too fast.
It was obvious Rogue was the LI from the start, but he was an asshole. There was no hero to be found in this story. When she was at the gathering where she was bargaining for her life, I thought Rogue would do something slick to save her, but it didn't happen. How lovely that his only attempt to help her ensured that she could only have sex with him. Nope, no ulterior motives there. He just shipped her off to be tortured and abused by two twisted psychos so she could learn to be more obedient all because of their fucked up, mysterious fae rules. WTF? How am I supposed to get over that and see him as genuinely caring about her? Supposedly he didn't have the power to stop her from being sent with the twisted psychos, but he didn't really seem to give a shit either. Rogue didn't do anything charming or amazing later on to even remotely redeem himself.
Gwynn was pathetic. She didn't fight back at all when the people tortured her. After a few days of solitude she was desperate for any contact. That would suck but shouldn't have made her lose her damn mind so quickly. I didn't want her to fight back to the degree that she put herself in danger, but she never tried to defend herself. Even when her magic skills improved she still let them beat her. It was described as Stockholm syndrome but she pretty much went right back to normal as soon as she was freed from their clutches.
The romance sucked. They had no chemistry. There weren't even any fun sexy times. I was under the impression this was going to be smuttier. The world building was awful too. Two big issues were explained and that's it. There were so many little things I wanted to know about. Gwynn did ask for the answers to those questions, but no one would give them to her. The ending felt rushed. Rogue and Gwynn went from enemies to friends? lovers? (I'm not even sure how to define their relationship) way too fast.
July 4, 2015
Wow, this was really, really not what I expected.
For one, it's pretty dark. The main character is tortured to gain control of her magic.
And the relationship is . . . weird. I don't buy her attraction to him AT ALL. And I can like kidnapped-by-the-fae love stories quite a lot. But this was all . . . he's terrible, but ohhh, I'm so attracted to him??? And I guess it's trying to play with BDSM elements, but that never seemed to get all the way there either.
But, really, where it lost me was
I skimmed the last 25% and maybe should've just DNF'd it, but I think it still would've left a bad taste in my mouth. Need to shake this off.
For one, it's pretty dark. The main character is tortured to gain control of her magic.
And the relationship is . . . weird. I don't buy her attraction to him AT ALL. And I can like kidnapped-by-the-fae love stories quite a lot. But this was all . . . he's terrible, but ohhh, I'm so attracted to him??? And I guess it's trying to play with BDSM elements, but that never seemed to get all the way there either.
But, really, where it lost me was
I skimmed the last 25% and maybe should've just DNF'd it, but I think it still would've left a bad taste in my mouth. Need to shake this off.
June 5, 2022
I love this book!
Kennedy creates a wonderful, yet dark world where wishes come true, but also might destroy you.
Jennifer/Gwynne is a heroine I really could relate to. She's practical and rational and I loved seeing her adapt to a world full of magic. She doesn't give up even when things get really tough and keeps looking for possibilities to turn the tables on those who wrong her.
Rogue on the other hand is dark and mysterious with a ruthlessness to him that makes him both sexy and a bit scary. I could totally understand why Jennifer/Gwynne can't make up her mind about Rogue. The relationship that builds between them is intense and believable and I can't wait to see how things between them will develop in the next two books.
Kennedy also did a really good job at characterizing the minor characters in this book. I especially fell in love with Blackbird and her daughter Starling and hope they will be in the next book as well.
The story itself was very different from what I expected when I started the book. There was lots more action and intrigue than I thought there would be and this was a pleasant surprise. Most Paranormal/Fantasy Romances focus just on the romance and are a bit sloppy on the story around that romance, but Rogue's Pawn luckily didn't have this flaw and instead delivers on both romance and story.
All in all this is a delightful read and I'm already longing for the next book in this trilogy to see what's next for Jennifer/Gwynne and the people close to her.
Kennedy creates a wonderful, yet dark world where wishes come true, but also might destroy you.
Jennifer/Gwynne is a heroine I really could relate to. She's practical and rational and I loved seeing her adapt to a world full of magic. She doesn't give up even when things get really tough and keeps looking for possibilities to turn the tables on those who wrong her.
Rogue on the other hand is dark and mysterious with a ruthlessness to him that makes him both sexy and a bit scary. I could totally understand why Jennifer/Gwynne can't make up her mind about Rogue. The relationship that builds between them is intense and believable and I can't wait to see how things between them will develop in the next two books.
Kennedy also did a really good job at characterizing the minor characters in this book. I especially fell in love with Blackbird and her daughter Starling and hope they will be in the next book as well.
The story itself was very different from what I expected when I started the book. There was lots more action and intrigue than I thought there would be and this was a pleasant surprise. Most Paranormal/Fantasy Romances focus just on the romance and are a bit sloppy on the story around that romance, but Rogue's Pawn luckily didn't have this flaw and instead delivers on both romance and story.
All in all this is a delightful read and I'm already longing for the next book in this trilogy to see what's next for Jennifer/Gwynne and the people close to her.
July 20, 2013
Title: Rogue's Pawn
Author: Jeffe Kennedy
Review Rank: Five Stars
Reviewer: Linda Hays-Gibbs
Couldn't stop reading this!
Dr Jenifer McGee is a scientist. She is having naked nightmares with a black dog chasing her. She doesn't believe in love or in her relationship with her present boyfriend Clive. She believes in empirical evidence no dreams or magic.
One day logic deserts her. She leaves a party and just keeps on going. She finally stops at Devils Tower and decides to rest a day or two and later take a hike around it.
On impulse she does a crazy thing like cutting her hand and hair and then to tie the bloody hair onto a tree. As if by magic,
she tumbles into a new world where her name is Gwynn. Here in Fairy world her nightmare black dog lives and the man of her dreams.
Rogue is a Fae and she is human. Her life was not very pleasant before with a condescending boyfriend Clive who 's ego does not recognize her for any thing. However; Rogue draws her to him through her world into his. He loves her but she won't admit she cares for him. He entices her with sex and power but shows her obedience and cruelty. She does not understand why. He needs her to be trained so she doesn't destroy his world with her magic because she is very powerful. He chases her through fae wars and adventures but she will have nothing to do with him. She becomes even more powerful and he loses power. It is a struggle between power and love and you will love it.
I enjoyed all the characters and the jaunt into another world. It is a world of make believe as seen through this author's eyes. It is a different slice of passion with a very determined handsome rogue and a not to be intimidated heroine that will not cower or be defeated. Find out who wins and enjoy a spin into an alternate reality.
I love the world of the fae and you will too. It is dark and enchanting. I gave this book Five Stars. It is an incredible journey.
Thank you Jaffe Kennedy.
Linda Hays-Gibbs
Author: Jeffe Kennedy
Review Rank: Five Stars
Reviewer: Linda Hays-Gibbs
Couldn't stop reading this!
Dr Jenifer McGee is a scientist. She is having naked nightmares with a black dog chasing her. She doesn't believe in love or in her relationship with her present boyfriend Clive. She believes in empirical evidence no dreams or magic.
One day logic deserts her. She leaves a party and just keeps on going. She finally stops at Devils Tower and decides to rest a day or two and later take a hike around it.
On impulse she does a crazy thing like cutting her hand and hair and then to tie the bloody hair onto a tree. As if by magic,
she tumbles into a new world where her name is Gwynn. Here in Fairy world her nightmare black dog lives and the man of her dreams.
Rogue is a Fae and she is human. Her life was not very pleasant before with a condescending boyfriend Clive who 's ego does not recognize her for any thing. However; Rogue draws her to him through her world into his. He loves her but she won't admit she cares for him. He entices her with sex and power but shows her obedience and cruelty. She does not understand why. He needs her to be trained so she doesn't destroy his world with her magic because she is very powerful. He chases her through fae wars and adventures but she will have nothing to do with him. She becomes even more powerful and he loses power. It is a struggle between power and love and you will love it.
I enjoyed all the characters and the jaunt into another world. It is a world of make believe as seen through this author's eyes. It is a different slice of passion with a very determined handsome rogue and a not to be intimidated heroine that will not cower or be defeated. Find out who wins and enjoy a spin into an alternate reality.
I love the world of the fae and you will too. It is dark and enchanting. I gave this book Five Stars. It is an incredible journey.
Thank you Jaffe Kennedy.
Linda Hays-Gibbs
April 4, 2013
Not what I expected...
But definitely not disappointed. I’m a fantasy lover. I love a big long sweeping fantasy that you can sink your teeth in and Rogue’s Pawn does not disappoint. But this isn’t your every day run-of-the-mill fantasy story. Dragons, check. Magic, check. Hot guys, check. BUT – it’s different. I like different. It’s different enough to make you sit up and take notice. The worldbuilding is excellent. It’s not the Faerie I think of when I think of that place. It has a cast of colorful people who are intriguing. Who keep you guessing. And we never quite know who’s an ally and who’s an enemy. I love that sort of mysterious storytelling.
The characters are well-drawn. The voice is smooth and engaging. I was immediately pulled in and thought I would read this as I got to it. But I was wrong. I was immediately pulled under the spell of Lady Gwynn and Rogue. I couldn’t stop reading. I found that after I stopped reading the book, the characters and the story lingered with me long after. Even after reading the last page I was like, “WHAAA?? More.” Like a kid throwing a tantrum. I wanted more! More story! I loved Starling and Liam (the sexy human officer who teaches Gwynn self defense and has a little smoochy time with her). In fact, I really want to see Liam again. I loved him so. I don’t know why. But he’s the kind of guy I’d fling myself at in a heartbeat. Anyway… great story, intriguing plot and the story ends with lots of unanswered questions inviting the read to beg for more. Which of course I did. And am thrilled to hear there will be another story. Hoorah!
But definitely not disappointed. I’m a fantasy lover. I love a big long sweeping fantasy that you can sink your teeth in and Rogue’s Pawn does not disappoint. But this isn’t your every day run-of-the-mill fantasy story. Dragons, check. Magic, check. Hot guys, check. BUT – it’s different. I like different. It’s different enough to make you sit up and take notice. The worldbuilding is excellent. It’s not the Faerie I think of when I think of that place. It has a cast of colorful people who are intriguing. Who keep you guessing. And we never quite know who’s an ally and who’s an enemy. I love that sort of mysterious storytelling.
The characters are well-drawn. The voice is smooth and engaging. I was immediately pulled in and thought I would read this as I got to it. But I was wrong. I was immediately pulled under the spell of Lady Gwynn and Rogue. I couldn’t stop reading. I found that after I stopped reading the book, the characters and the story lingered with me long after. Even after reading the last page I was like, “WHAAA?? More.” Like a kid throwing a tantrum. I wanted more! More story! I loved Starling and Liam (the sexy human officer who teaches Gwynn self defense and has a little smoochy time with her). In fact, I really want to see Liam again. I loved him so. I don’t know why. But he’s the kind of guy I’d fling myself at in a heartbeat. Anyway… great story, intriguing plot and the story ends with lots of unanswered questions inviting the read to beg for more. Which of course I did. And am thrilled to hear there will be another story. Hoorah!
June 19, 2012
I was surprised that I liked the story as much as I did. It was confusing and frustrating to begin but as the story progressed it became more clear what was happening.
Jennifer was no longer happy with her career or her dull fiance and has been plagued with nightmares of a viscous black dog. Jennifer spent the night away after a disagreement with her fiance that she walked away from a cocktail party to drive and clear her thoughts. She decides to hike the Devils Tower the following morning before returning home and is drawn to a secluded area and wakes up in a strange world where she is faced by the dog in her nightmares. Jennifer wakes in the land of the fae and a power she don't understand. She is attacked by the dog and is certain of her death when all fades only to wake in a strange room and bound in silver. Jennifer has become indebted to Lord Rogue for saving her life. His price is her first born in payment but she must serve first her debt to Lord Falcon and Rogue has promised him 7 years of servitude but first Jennifer must be taught to suppress her emotions, learn the way of fae and is knowingly sent away to unspeakable tortures for the purpose of breaking her to Faerie will.
Jennifer was no longer happy with her career or her dull fiance and has been plagued with nightmares of a viscous black dog. Jennifer spent the night away after a disagreement with her fiance that she walked away from a cocktail party to drive and clear her thoughts. She decides to hike the Devils Tower the following morning before returning home and is drawn to a secluded area and wakes up in a strange world where she is faced by the dog in her nightmares. Jennifer wakes in the land of the fae and a power she don't understand. She is attacked by the dog and is certain of her death when all fades only to wake in a strange room and bound in silver. Jennifer has become indebted to Lord Rogue for saving her life. His price is her first born in payment but she must serve first her debt to Lord Falcon and Rogue has promised him 7 years of servitude but first Jennifer must be taught to suppress her emotions, learn the way of fae and is knowingly sent away to unspeakable tortures for the purpose of breaking her to Faerie will.
April 16, 2013
I was very surprised that I actually liked this book. I loved the witty remarks that Gwen made while she tried to mesh concepts of her own reality with her adventures. I especially loved how Gwen fumbled about her actions because the 'rules' were not clear.
I don't know much about fae lore but it was central to the world building of this story...problem is that it was not explained to the reader nor the heroine. It made for interesting reading because you assume things to go a certain way. It was fun to guess what a Lord would want or how it is expected to behave....and have a different answer than the one you expect. I don't particularly like 'disciplining' of any characters and there was some of that in this book. It made me hate Rogue along with Gwen for a while even if I could see it had a purpose.
I think that I liked to hate the 'hero', which made the story more interesting in the end. The end or resolution could have been spread out into two more chapters to make the transition smoother. There are a lot of hints to other well known fairy tales in this story, you may like this one.
I don't know much about fae lore but it was central to the world building of this story...problem is that it was not explained to the reader nor the heroine. It made for interesting reading because you assume things to go a certain way. It was fun to guess what a Lord would want or how it is expected to behave....and have a different answer than the one you expect. I don't particularly like 'disciplining' of any characters and there was some of that in this book. It made me hate Rogue along with Gwen for a while even if I could see it had a purpose.
I think that I liked to hate the 'hero', which made the story more interesting in the end. The end or resolution could have been spread out into two more chapters to make the transition smoother. There are a lot of hints to other well known fairy tales in this story, you may like this one.
July 17, 2012
This was more of a 4.5 star read. I can also say that after finishing it I had to tweet the author and see if she was going to have more in this particular world and she said she was working on book 2 now *happy dance*
Review originally posted at: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/07/16/...
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: Out today
How we got this book: ARC from the publisher via Netgalley
This is no fairy tale…
Haunted by nightmares of a black dog, sick to death of my mind-numbing career and heart-numbing fiancé, I impulsively walked out of my life—and fell into Faerie. Terrified, fascinated, I discover I possess a power I can’t control: my wishes come true. After an all-too-real attack by the animal from my dreams, I wake to find myself the captive of the seductive and ruthless fae lord Rogue. In return for my rescue, he demands an extravagant price—my firstborn child, which he intends to sire himself…
With no hope of escaping this world, I must learn to harness my magic and build a new life despite the perils—including my own inexplicable and debilitating desire for Rogue. I swear I will never submit to his demands, no matter what erotic torment he subjects me to…
This blurb came from Goodreads.
Has: I was pleasantly surprised on how much I was sucked into this book and I didn’t expect it to be this dark whimsical and imaginative take on the fae. Jennifer who is bored and unhappy with her life and fiance finds herself in a strange world full of magic and dangerous and seductive fae. She is totally lost and unaware on how things work but she knows that one thing is never to fall into the trap of the attractive Lord Rogue who calls her Gwynn and although she is very attracted but knows is dangerous. She is told that she is a sorceress and holds great power but is untrained and because of the danger she is in, she is forced to bargain for her life to train to gain control over her powers. But it is a huge price to pay which may cost her sanity, soul and body.
It is really hard to explain the feel and tone of this book, because it has such a surreal and dreamy tone which I loved! Although the beginning of the book where Jennifer finds herself in the land of the fae which looks like a darker and crazier version of Wonderland, has to cope with a magical system that involves wishes and even ways of communicating. This felt so refreshing and unique and I’ve read a lot of fantasy based books and this was a great take on the fae myths. Although I did wish the fae world was explained a bit more and how its society structure worked because although the overall tone was dreamy – it did feel a bit choppy and jarring.
E: It has been a while since I have read a dark fantasy romance and I enjoyed diving into this one. The sharp contrast between Jennifer’s real world life and experiences and that of the fae world was really fascinating. She went from preferring work over anything including her fiancee to a world where her mind was her only true ally and yet also an enemy. Granted her introduction to her new world was extremely brutal and rough and she was forced to figure out the best way possible for her survival without very many hints or assistance. Unlike other fantasies I have read where the newcomer is welcomed and honored she was forced to bargain for her life without knowing the rules. I will admit I was rather confused about why she had to bargain with fae outside of Lord Rogue and the healer but I think that was probably due to whatever relationship Lord Rogue had with the other fae and maybe a debt he owed them. Like Has said earlier I wish I knew a bit more about their politics and governing structure along with the alliance structure.
Has: I also didn’t get why everyone kept her calling her Gwynn instead of Jennifer and she then accepted it and thought herself as Lady Gwynn. But I loved that she used her logical thinking because she was a scientist to solve magical problems or to outwit her opponents when she was in danger. Jennifer/Gwynn was very resourceful and intelligent and she did it with style! I also loved her witty commentary on the fae which I think helped to ground herself by using humour and pop culture to survive in this crazy world. She was definitely an engaging and witty character!
But I think one of the best aspects of this book was the romance, this wasn’t a hawt and heavy lets fall in bed and you are the love of my life thing. Gwynn/Jennifer was wary about Rogue’s feelings and intentions towards her and that was realistic and I liked how she fended him off with banter and her wits. That helped to create real tension although Rogue although I did get frustrated on why he was being so vague and mysterious but it did feel to me he had genuine feelings for Gwynn/Jennifer.
E: Oh the romance was certainly interesting. I can almost see why he called her Gwynn because it sounds like a more elegant version of her name but to “know” her as he said and continue to use a different name struck me as different. I also enjoyed her mental snarky comments regarding the fae and how she heard what they “meant” not what they said. That added a whole new layer of meaning to any conversation she had. I also liked how she managed to develop allies from unexpected areas, not to mention enemies, and how they helped her survive within the limits of their abilities.
One of my favorite things was how she managed to come up with magical means to carry out what Lord Falcon requested without giving him exactly what he had in mind. I also liked how she survived her extremely brutal training period by locking away her personality and enduring until she was set free again. Her extreme intelligence is what I think allowed her to survive and still be herself instead of a pet in reality that wouldn’t give Lord Rogue what he really wanted. Thinking back on this I wonder if Lord Falcon intended to basically ruin Lord Rogue with the implementation of his bargain with Jennifer/Gwynn. Again more questions about fae alliances and friendships.
Has: Oh yes!!! And this is why I really enjoyed the book so much because of it was so multi-layered and cerebral as well as dreamy. And in a lot of ways when Gwynn/Jennifer undertook that training which had overtones dominance and submission that touched on BDSM but she never really submitted and in fact made her stronger. I really liked the emphasis on the emotional and psychological aspects especially on how it touched on sex, and that was wasn’t that heavy or overpowering which I liked because that can sometime overpower the story or characterisation.
Another aspect I loved in the book was the supporting characters like Darling the cat, who becomes Gwynn’s familiar, he really lived up to his name! What I really liked about the supporting characters is that they were such a rich tapestry of different types from the cooly deranged to charming and cute and they were all so fleshed out and memorable.
E: The supporting cast was good with their various personalities within their respective roles. They were extremely stratified but didn’t always stay within those confines. I will admit I felt bad for little Dragonfly but she did grow up in that world knowing the rules. She did provide a good example and allowed Tatiana in all of her merciless glory to emerge. I also hope she gets a chance to redeem herself and regain her wings. Ms Kennedy did pay attention to the psychological changes and effects that can occur in captivity, sensory deprivation and how adaptable the human brain really is. They didn’t come out as a dry lecture or infodump because of Jennifer’s profession and how she recognized the tactics as they were used on her.
Has: I did feel that although it was too vague at times and an abrupt beginning, this was a fantastic and engrossing read. The world-building such as the magical system was beautifully thought out and unique and it is hard to carry an overall tone which is dark and humourous but it worked! And even though there were a few things that didn’t make sense or I wished that it was explained more, I didn’t really care because I am still thinking of the characters and the story a few days after I’ve read the book and I am definitely lusting after the sequel on what happens between Lord Rogue and Gwynn and that is a great sign for me of a very good book. Rogue’s Pawn is a wonderful entry to a new trilogy with memorable characters in a dark seductive world filled with wit and passion and rich imagination.
I give Rogue’s Pawn an A-
E: After finishing Rogue’s Pawn I had to ask the author if there was going to be anything else in this particular world. To my happiness she said that she is working on book 2 now. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next with Jennifer/Gwynn and Rogue not to mention how Tatiana’s influence will continue to come into play. I did have some niggles about some aspects of the Fae and their world rules but I think that was due to first book in a series/world and I think more information will become known in future books.
I give Rogue’s Pawn a B+
Links to purchase:
Kindle
Review originally posted at: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/07/16/...
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: Out today
How we got this book: ARC from the publisher via Netgalley
This is no fairy tale…
Haunted by nightmares of a black dog, sick to death of my mind-numbing career and heart-numbing fiancé, I impulsively walked out of my life—and fell into Faerie. Terrified, fascinated, I discover I possess a power I can’t control: my wishes come true. After an all-too-real attack by the animal from my dreams, I wake to find myself the captive of the seductive and ruthless fae lord Rogue. In return for my rescue, he demands an extravagant price—my firstborn child, which he intends to sire himself…
With no hope of escaping this world, I must learn to harness my magic and build a new life despite the perils—including my own inexplicable and debilitating desire for Rogue. I swear I will never submit to his demands, no matter what erotic torment he subjects me to…
This blurb came from Goodreads.
Has: I was pleasantly surprised on how much I was sucked into this book and I didn’t expect it to be this dark whimsical and imaginative take on the fae. Jennifer who is bored and unhappy with her life and fiance finds herself in a strange world full of magic and dangerous and seductive fae. She is totally lost and unaware on how things work but she knows that one thing is never to fall into the trap of the attractive Lord Rogue who calls her Gwynn and although she is very attracted but knows is dangerous. She is told that she is a sorceress and holds great power but is untrained and because of the danger she is in, she is forced to bargain for her life to train to gain control over her powers. But it is a huge price to pay which may cost her sanity, soul and body.
It is really hard to explain the feel and tone of this book, because it has such a surreal and dreamy tone which I loved! Although the beginning of the book where Jennifer finds herself in the land of the fae which looks like a darker and crazier version of Wonderland, has to cope with a magical system that involves wishes and even ways of communicating. This felt so refreshing and unique and I’ve read a lot of fantasy based books and this was a great take on the fae myths. Although I did wish the fae world was explained a bit more and how its society structure worked because although the overall tone was dreamy – it did feel a bit choppy and jarring.
E: It has been a while since I have read a dark fantasy romance and I enjoyed diving into this one. The sharp contrast between Jennifer’s real world life and experiences and that of the fae world was really fascinating. She went from preferring work over anything including her fiancee to a world where her mind was her only true ally and yet also an enemy. Granted her introduction to her new world was extremely brutal and rough and she was forced to figure out the best way possible for her survival without very many hints or assistance. Unlike other fantasies I have read where the newcomer is welcomed and honored she was forced to bargain for her life without knowing the rules. I will admit I was rather confused about why she had to bargain with fae outside of Lord Rogue and the healer but I think that was probably due to whatever relationship Lord Rogue had with the other fae and maybe a debt he owed them. Like Has said earlier I wish I knew a bit more about their politics and governing structure along with the alliance structure.
Has: I also didn’t get why everyone kept her calling her Gwynn instead of Jennifer and she then accepted it and thought herself as Lady Gwynn. But I loved that she used her logical thinking because she was a scientist to solve magical problems or to outwit her opponents when she was in danger. Jennifer/Gwynn was very resourceful and intelligent and she did it with style! I also loved her witty commentary on the fae which I think helped to ground herself by using humour and pop culture to survive in this crazy world. She was definitely an engaging and witty character!
But I think one of the best aspects of this book was the romance, this wasn’t a hawt and heavy lets fall in bed and you are the love of my life thing. Gwynn/Jennifer was wary about Rogue’s feelings and intentions towards her and that was realistic and I liked how she fended him off with banter and her wits. That helped to create real tension although Rogue although I did get frustrated on why he was being so vague and mysterious but it did feel to me he had genuine feelings for Gwynn/Jennifer.
E: Oh the romance was certainly interesting. I can almost see why he called her Gwynn because it sounds like a more elegant version of her name but to “know” her as he said and continue to use a different name struck me as different. I also enjoyed her mental snarky comments regarding the fae and how she heard what they “meant” not what they said. That added a whole new layer of meaning to any conversation she had. I also liked how she managed to develop allies from unexpected areas, not to mention enemies, and how they helped her survive within the limits of their abilities.
One of my favorite things was how she managed to come up with magical means to carry out what Lord Falcon requested without giving him exactly what he had in mind. I also liked how she survived her extremely brutal training period by locking away her personality and enduring until she was set free again. Her extreme intelligence is what I think allowed her to survive and still be herself instead of a pet in reality that wouldn’t give Lord Rogue what he really wanted. Thinking back on this I wonder if Lord Falcon intended to basically ruin Lord Rogue with the implementation of his bargain with Jennifer/Gwynn. Again more questions about fae alliances and friendships.
Has: Oh yes!!! And this is why I really enjoyed the book so much because of it was so multi-layered and cerebral as well as dreamy. And in a lot of ways when Gwynn/Jennifer undertook that training which had overtones dominance and submission that touched on BDSM but she never really submitted and in fact made her stronger. I really liked the emphasis on the emotional and psychological aspects especially on how it touched on sex, and that was wasn’t that heavy or overpowering which I liked because that can sometime overpower the story or characterisation.
Another aspect I loved in the book was the supporting characters like Darling the cat, who becomes Gwynn’s familiar, he really lived up to his name! What I really liked about the supporting characters is that they were such a rich tapestry of different types from the cooly deranged to charming and cute and they were all so fleshed out and memorable.
E: The supporting cast was good with their various personalities within their respective roles. They were extremely stratified but didn’t always stay within those confines. I will admit I felt bad for little Dragonfly but she did grow up in that world knowing the rules. She did provide a good example and allowed Tatiana in all of her merciless glory to emerge. I also hope she gets a chance to redeem herself and regain her wings. Ms Kennedy did pay attention to the psychological changes and effects that can occur in captivity, sensory deprivation and how adaptable the human brain really is. They didn’t come out as a dry lecture or infodump because of Jennifer’s profession and how she recognized the tactics as they were used on her.
Has: I did feel that although it was too vague at times and an abrupt beginning, this was a fantastic and engrossing read. The world-building such as the magical system was beautifully thought out and unique and it is hard to carry an overall tone which is dark and humourous but it worked! And even though there were a few things that didn’t make sense or I wished that it was explained more, I didn’t really care because I am still thinking of the characters and the story a few days after I’ve read the book and I am definitely lusting after the sequel on what happens between Lord Rogue and Gwynn and that is a great sign for me of a very good book. Rogue’s Pawn is a wonderful entry to a new trilogy with memorable characters in a dark seductive world filled with wit and passion and rich imagination.
I give Rogue’s Pawn an A-
E: After finishing Rogue’s Pawn I had to ask the author if there was going to be anything else in this particular world. To my happiness she said that she is working on book 2 now. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next with Jennifer/Gwynn and Rogue not to mention how Tatiana’s influence will continue to come into play. I did have some niggles about some aspects of the Fae and their world rules but I think that was due to first book in a series/world and I think more information will become known in future books.
I give Rogue’s Pawn a B+
Links to purchase:
Kindle
July 7, 2022
Oh my one of my favourite authors writing a book about the Fae and you know that I just had to read it ! I admit it's a 're release which had previously escaped my radar but as a devotee of her fantasy romance books I was beyond thrilled. Jennifer whilst admittedly successful in her career is failing dramatically when it comes to love, romance and happiness. Stifled by her fiance, haunted by scarily erotic dreams and just feeling adrift she takes a drive that has unexpected consequences as Jennifer finds herself transported to a land full of tricky, manipulative and very dangerous Fae ! With no one to trust and truly vile creatures apparently"training" their new Pet will she survive ?
Oh my not a sweet, gentle portrayal of Fairies but a violent, perhaps for many unpleasant view that skirts the boundaries of consent. For this reader the beginning was a little rushed but I cannot fault that the author wanted to introduce her world populated by beautiful, amazing , magical creatures who grab your attention and twist every preconception. Rogue is what I consider to be an anti hero although if it's steam you are looking for than he certainly delivers on that front. Our heroine is down to earth and that makes her relatable although her actions towards the end didn't quite feel right to me but her journey has only just begun and with so much pain and suffering behind her I truly want her to rise up and shake these cruel creatures out of their feelings of superiority !
This voluntary take is of an advanced copy and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
Oh my not a sweet, gentle portrayal of Fairies but a violent, perhaps for many unpleasant view that skirts the boundaries of consent. For this reader the beginning was a little rushed but I cannot fault that the author wanted to introduce her world populated by beautiful, amazing , magical creatures who grab your attention and twist every preconception. Rogue is what I consider to be an anti hero although if it's steam you are looking for than he certainly delivers on that front. Our heroine is down to earth and that makes her relatable although her actions towards the end didn't quite feel right to me but her journey has only just begun and with so much pain and suffering behind her I truly want her to rise up and shake these cruel creatures out of their feelings of superiority !
This voluntary take is of an advanced copy and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
July 27, 2012
Originally published at Reading Reality
Rogue's Pawn by Jeffe Kennedy is part of an interesting and fascinating sub-branch of urban fantasy. I call it crossover fantasy, where someone from our reality literally "crosses over" to another reality where magic works.
But just because magical powers are made manifest, doesn't mean that the person suddenly manifesting them has a magically good time in whatever place he or she has found herself in. Magic can be both wondrous and terrible.
As the story opens, we don't even know her name. But we're in her head. And we know that she's finally gotten fed up with her boring fiance and her academic/scientific job in the middle of a party where Clive (the truly boring fiance, she should have ditched him long ago) has belittled her for the last time. But in walking out, she follows a compulsion to go to nearby Devil's Tower (Wyoming, iconic scene of Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and enact a very strange ritual.
She winds up in Fae, with the ability to wish things into being, and no idea how she got there. Compulsions to enact rituals don't really figure into her calculations.
She's attacked by a huge black dog, and captured by the fae. She wakes up in extreme agony, her throat nearly torn out. From there, she discovers that she has terrible magic powers, and zero control.
She truly does think things into being. And she has no mental controls at all. As far as the fae are concerned, she is a dangerous weapon that should be eliminated immediately. But the man who has rescued her wants her trained for war. He believes she is a weapon that can be used, with the proper conditioning.
His name is Rogue. She is chained within his castle. She is his pawn, his property. If he saves her life, she owes him.
Everything in fae is negotiable. Life, death, power, souls. Eternity can be bargained away. A person is only worth the price they can negotiate. Rogue has saved her because he wants something from her, but she doesn't know what that might be.
She doesn't know anything. From being an academic with knowledge at her fingertips, she has been thrust into a situation in which she has no information except what she can gain through negotiation.
She doesn't even have her own name. Rogue calls her Gwynn. It is close, but not quite. And for the damage she caused in her first flush of power and lack of knowledge, he negotiates her use as a weapon in the war. She will be trained by utter sadists, but she cannot be permanently damaged. And she cannot be raped. Because Rogue has the rights to her firstborn child in return for saving her life.
Confused? So is Gwynn. She has lost everything, even her identify. She must remake herself in this strange new place where she has no friends, only enemies. And where she has power she must learn to control. She has to become more than just Rogue's Pawn.
Escape Rating B: Gwynn's voice is snarktastically terrific. Which is a great thing, because we see the entire world of Rogue's Pawn through her first-person viewpoint. We only know what she knows and see what she sees. Her sarcasm is hilarious, but, because Gwynn is such a complete fish-out-of water, her knowledge is limited and adds to the reader's confusion. I think I might have enjoyed the story more if I'd been less confused.
Gwynn's lack of information is necessary to the story. I'm less certain that the reader's total blindness is.
The training Gwynn undergoes to become a sorceress for the war effort is unquestionably torture, and equally unquestionably sadistic. Some desperate measure were definitely required to save Gwynn's life by training her magic. She absolutely had to learn to make her mind a blank. Whether this was the only way, and how much of a betrayal it was, and how Rogue felt about it, etc., is one of those things that a different form of narration might have helped with.
Rogue's motives and thoughts are difficult to fathom for a large part of the story. Gwynn simply doesn't know enough about this world to have any handle on him. And we filter through her. Although we do finally get the big picture at the end. It's the smaller pictures, like the war (hard to believe that's the smaller picture, isn't it?) that I'd love some explanation for.
And I truly wish I understood about Titania. Hopefully, I'll find out lots more in the next books in the Covenant of Thorns series. Please?
Rogue's Pawn by Jeffe Kennedy is part of an interesting and fascinating sub-branch of urban fantasy. I call it crossover fantasy, where someone from our reality literally "crosses over" to another reality where magic works.
But just because magical powers are made manifest, doesn't mean that the person suddenly manifesting them has a magically good time in whatever place he or she has found herself in. Magic can be both wondrous and terrible.
As the story opens, we don't even know her name. But we're in her head. And we know that she's finally gotten fed up with her boring fiance and her academic/scientific job in the middle of a party where Clive (the truly boring fiance, she should have ditched him long ago) has belittled her for the last time. But in walking out, she follows a compulsion to go to nearby Devil's Tower (Wyoming, iconic scene of Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and enact a very strange ritual.
She winds up in Fae, with the ability to wish things into being, and no idea how she got there. Compulsions to enact rituals don't really figure into her calculations.
She's attacked by a huge black dog, and captured by the fae. She wakes up in extreme agony, her throat nearly torn out. From there, she discovers that she has terrible magic powers, and zero control.
She truly does think things into being. And she has no mental controls at all. As far as the fae are concerned, she is a dangerous weapon that should be eliminated immediately. But the man who has rescued her wants her trained for war. He believes she is a weapon that can be used, with the proper conditioning.
His name is Rogue. She is chained within his castle. She is his pawn, his property. If he saves her life, she owes him.
Everything in fae is negotiable. Life, death, power, souls. Eternity can be bargained away. A person is only worth the price they can negotiate. Rogue has saved her because he wants something from her, but she doesn't know what that might be.
She doesn't know anything. From being an academic with knowledge at her fingertips, she has been thrust into a situation in which she has no information except what she can gain through negotiation.
She doesn't even have her own name. Rogue calls her Gwynn. It is close, but not quite. And for the damage she caused in her first flush of power and lack of knowledge, he negotiates her use as a weapon in the war. She will be trained by utter sadists, but she cannot be permanently damaged. And she cannot be raped. Because Rogue has the rights to her firstborn child in return for saving her life.
Confused? So is Gwynn. She has lost everything, even her identify. She must remake herself in this strange new place where she has no friends, only enemies. And where she has power she must learn to control. She has to become more than just Rogue's Pawn.
Escape Rating B: Gwynn's voice is snarktastically terrific. Which is a great thing, because we see the entire world of Rogue's Pawn through her first-person viewpoint. We only know what she knows and see what she sees. Her sarcasm is hilarious, but, because Gwynn is such a complete fish-out-of water, her knowledge is limited and adds to the reader's confusion. I think I might have enjoyed the story more if I'd been less confused.
Gwynn's lack of information is necessary to the story. I'm less certain that the reader's total blindness is.
The training Gwynn undergoes to become a sorceress for the war effort is unquestionably torture, and equally unquestionably sadistic. Some desperate measure were definitely required to save Gwynn's life by training her magic. She absolutely had to learn to make her mind a blank. Whether this was the only way, and how much of a betrayal it was, and how Rogue felt about it, etc., is one of those things that a different form of narration might have helped with.
Rogue's motives and thoughts are difficult to fathom for a large part of the story. Gwynn simply doesn't know enough about this world to have any handle on him. And we filter through her. Although we do finally get the big picture at the end. It's the smaller pictures, like the war (hard to believe that's the smaller picture, isn't it?) that I'd love some explanation for.
And I truly wish I understood about Titania. Hopefully, I'll find out lots more in the next books in the Covenant of Thorns series. Please?
July 14, 2012
I have the feeling that my thoughts about this novel are still not very well defined. During the whole book I hovered between delight and a confusing feeling, like I would miss something important. I know that the novel Rogue’s Pawn is enclosed in the erotic/romantic fantasy category, and maybe this is the reason of these unclear thoughts, because this is the first erotic fantasy novel I read. But anyway, from the first pages to the last one, I couldn’t get rid of the sensation that something is missing, but I can’t determine what exactly. It’s like something wasn’t on it’s place, like there was a thing damaging the harmony of the story. Indeed, there are some explanations that we only get at the end of the book, but unfortunately, the moment when you find out the truth is not canceling the sensation you had during the whole book.
From my point of view, the novel looked like an interesting mix between Alice in Wonderland, Narnia and the story of Rip Van Winkle. Jennifer (Gwynn) has a normal life, a common job and an (apparently) perfect fiancé and nothing in common with any supernatural world or paranormal being. Until she accidentally lands in a world where fairies, gnomes and shapeshifters represent the majority of the population. And it doesn’t seem that Gwynn has any possibility to get back in her world. Worse, she sees herself engaged in a game of power and slavery, because somewhere in her way between the two worlds, she received magical powers, meaning the possibility to convert any thought in reality. And her uncontrolled magic throws this whole new world in danger. What makes this novel an erotic fantasy one is not just the irresistible attraction for Lord Rogue and the flirty game that blossoms between them, but the fact that the heroine’s power is closely related to her sensuality. And the consequence is a humiliating maturity ritual that combines slavery with sexuality, the ability to blindly obey with the gradual revelation of her own abilities, the acceptance of domination with self-control.
The volume could be structured in 3 main stages: the chaos from the moment Gwynn arrives in the fairies’ world until her fate is decided, the slavery period when she needs to learn to control her power and the accommodation time, with all the challenges she has to pass through. And during this whole time, Gwynn has no allies, she has no idea who is her friend and who wants her death or even a worse fate. So almost all her mistakes are just a consequence of this hostile environment. And one of the most serious mistakes threatens to destroy both herself and the only human/fairy who could assure her happiness: Rogue. That reminds me…If Gwynn wasn’t exactly the most memorable heroine, things change if we talk about the main male character. Rogue is that kind of character that makes you fall for him from the first pages. Besides his perfect physical portrait and some unique features, his personality is enslaving. He successfully combines the bad boy attitude – he’s arrogant and taunter – with ideal features - that he struggles to keep hidden in front of Gwynn.
Rogue’s Pawn is certainly a story. Not one made for children, indeed, but one that makes you dream, because in it, everything is possible. Besides, there are so many caustic and funny remarks that the novel becomes a charming reading and you can hardly stop reading it before you get to the last page.
Pros:
- I loved the way the minor characters were designed. I felt really attached with Darling – Gwynn’s magical cat, with Blackbird, Starling and Larch – her servants, and with Lord Puck, one of the few persons that don’t represent a threat for the heroine.
Cons:
- I think the author passed a little superficial over some basic things. Gwynn is not struggling enough to find out how she got in this magical world, she is not asking enough questions, she accepts to easy everything that happens to her and she welcomes her new life like it would be something perfectly normal. Despite all the extraordinary things she sees, you don’t feel the enthusiasm in front of those, you don’t identify any traces of wonder, surprise, interest or astonishment.
From my point of view, the novel looked like an interesting mix between Alice in Wonderland, Narnia and the story of Rip Van Winkle. Jennifer (Gwynn) has a normal life, a common job and an (apparently) perfect fiancé and nothing in common with any supernatural world or paranormal being. Until she accidentally lands in a world where fairies, gnomes and shapeshifters represent the majority of the population. And it doesn’t seem that Gwynn has any possibility to get back in her world. Worse, she sees herself engaged in a game of power and slavery, because somewhere in her way between the two worlds, she received magical powers, meaning the possibility to convert any thought in reality. And her uncontrolled magic throws this whole new world in danger. What makes this novel an erotic fantasy one is not just the irresistible attraction for Lord Rogue and the flirty game that blossoms between them, but the fact that the heroine’s power is closely related to her sensuality. And the consequence is a humiliating maturity ritual that combines slavery with sexuality, the ability to blindly obey with the gradual revelation of her own abilities, the acceptance of domination with self-control.
The volume could be structured in 3 main stages: the chaos from the moment Gwynn arrives in the fairies’ world until her fate is decided, the slavery period when she needs to learn to control her power and the accommodation time, with all the challenges she has to pass through. And during this whole time, Gwynn has no allies, she has no idea who is her friend and who wants her death or even a worse fate. So almost all her mistakes are just a consequence of this hostile environment. And one of the most serious mistakes threatens to destroy both herself and the only human/fairy who could assure her happiness: Rogue. That reminds me…If Gwynn wasn’t exactly the most memorable heroine, things change if we talk about the main male character. Rogue is that kind of character that makes you fall for him from the first pages. Besides his perfect physical portrait and some unique features, his personality is enslaving. He successfully combines the bad boy attitude – he’s arrogant and taunter – with ideal features - that he struggles to keep hidden in front of Gwynn.
Rogue’s Pawn is certainly a story. Not one made for children, indeed, but one that makes you dream, because in it, everything is possible. Besides, there are so many caustic and funny remarks that the novel becomes a charming reading and you can hardly stop reading it before you get to the last page.
Pros:
- I loved the way the minor characters were designed. I felt really attached with Darling – Gwynn’s magical cat, with Blackbird, Starling and Larch – her servants, and with Lord Puck, one of the few persons that don’t represent a threat for the heroine.
Cons:
- I think the author passed a little superficial over some basic things. Gwynn is not struggling enough to find out how she got in this magical world, she is not asking enough questions, she accepts to easy everything that happens to her and she welcomes her new life like it would be something perfectly normal. Despite all the extraordinary things she sees, you don’t feel the enthusiasm in front of those, you don’t identify any traces of wonder, surprise, interest or astonishment.
July 7, 2022
I am more frustrated with myself more than anything else that I am going to DNF the book, but I just couldn't go forth with part III having the title of Early Experiments after what she goes through with Marquise and Scourge.
The only redeeming/good characters in the book, as far as I reached were Darling and Blackbird/Lady Blackbird. I wanted to read more because of them and the fact that basically Jennifer was shaping up to be (in my mind) the change, the outsider, the great magical user who would shake things up for the little people because of where she had come from, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
Initially, the cover is what attracted me and I didn't initially know that it was a new cover for an older edition book (i.e. initially published in 2012). Which raises the question, and I mean no shade to the author, but why only change one sentence from what was initially published in 2012, slap a new cover on the books, then re-print and yet you got the publishing rights for the books back? Like, did you just choose to basically ignore the reviews from the initial publication? (Don't know why I've just used initially 6 times). Or is it me who doesn't understand publishing mechanics?
The same pain points that readers had in 2012 are basically the same ones I have with the book now. I'd tend to think if this was the initial baby that got you into writing, when you finally have control over your story once more, improving on what didn't go down well for readers would be an advantage.
I have questions that maybe someone who read the complete series can answer for me? Why did Rogue just call her Gwynn? The Tatiana angle? How is she exactly a magical user? Did the guy at the park know that the place was a gateway? What happens to her family/life back on our dimension? Who/what is the black dog?
So Jennifer basically transports herself into faery land after running away from her shitty fiance. However, in faery land, she meets a shitty idiot that is slightly handsome that apparently chooses to save her by imprisoning her, sending her away to be physically and mentally tortured (to tone down her magical broadcasting) and tricks her into signing up her unwanted first born for God knows what.
When they were at the negotiation table I was shouting at her, take the death. That whole scene frustrated me. A play with words and shoop, you owe villains for basic help and a kid you did not want, said very loudly you never wanted kids, is foisted upon you. In the grand scale of things, that is what bothered me the most. The second part that annoyed me was the torture/pet play/mind-physical break. If that was just the basic start of her training, what would they have done to her next?
Then, another question, the mechanics of what the person's features are being their name, is this explained further? Then, at the end of the series, does she get back to our world or all of a sudden she is in love with Mr-I'm-Not-Feeling-It-And-You-Owe-Me?
Finally, she started off strong, then basically is broken down but the most annoying thing is I want to know if the black dog was the good guy. Please let it not be Rogue. I found him to be annoying as fuck as well because he wouldn't answer her questions and nothing annoys me more than a re-direct instead of a straight up answer.
In short, DNF, because the baby part and the torture boiled my blood together with I read ahead on some of the reviews of the other books and her outlook doesn't exactly improve in the end and I just can't be bothered.
The only redeeming/good characters in the book, as far as I reached were Darling and Blackbird/Lady Blackbird. I wanted to read more because of them and the fact that basically Jennifer was shaping up to be (in my mind) the change, the outsider, the great magical user who would shake things up for the little people because of where she had come from, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
Initially, the cover is what attracted me and I didn't initially know that it was a new cover for an older edition book (i.e. initially published in 2012). Which raises the question, and I mean no shade to the author, but why only change one sentence from what was initially published in 2012, slap a new cover on the books, then re-print and yet you got the publishing rights for the books back? Like, did you just choose to basically ignore the reviews from the initial publication? (Don't know why I've just used initially 6 times). Or is it me who doesn't understand publishing mechanics?
The same pain points that readers had in 2012 are basically the same ones I have with the book now. I'd tend to think if this was the initial baby that got you into writing, when you finally have control over your story once more, improving on what didn't go down well for readers would be an advantage.
I have questions that maybe someone who read the complete series can answer for me? Why did Rogue just call her Gwynn? The Tatiana angle? How is she exactly a magical user? Did the guy at the park know that the place was a gateway? What happens to her family/life back on our dimension? Who/what is the black dog?
So Jennifer basically transports herself into faery land after running away from her shitty fiance. However, in faery land, she meets a shitty idiot that is slightly handsome that apparently chooses to save her by imprisoning her, sending her away to be physically and mentally tortured (to tone down her magical broadcasting) and tricks her into signing up her unwanted first born for God knows what.
When they were at the negotiation table I was shouting at her, take the death. That whole scene frustrated me. A play with words and shoop, you owe villains for basic help and a kid you did not want, said very loudly you never wanted kids, is foisted upon you. In the grand scale of things, that is what bothered me the most. The second part that annoyed me was the torture/pet play/mind-physical break. If that was just the basic start of her training, what would they have done to her next?
Then, another question, the mechanics of what the person's features are being their name, is this explained further? Then, at the end of the series, does she get back to our world or all of a sudden she is in love with Mr-I'm-Not-Feeling-It-And-You-Owe-Me?
Finally, she started off strong, then basically is broken down but the most annoying thing is I want to know if the black dog was the good guy. Please let it not be Rogue. I found him to be annoying as fuck as well because he wouldn't answer her questions and nothing annoys me more than a re-direct instead of a straight up answer.
In short, DNF, because the baby part and the torture boiled my blood together with I read ahead on some of the reviews of the other books and her outlook doesn't exactly improve in the end and I just can't be bothered.
October 9, 2013
Rogue's Pawn (Covenant of Thorns)
Jeffe Kennedy .
Well, saw this recommended and it sounded like one I’d enjoy so bought it. (despite getting lots of free review books I still buy too many !) Anyway its something really unusual and magical.
Gwynn is at a party and bored, walks out and by a series of co incidences ends up in another world. She can't believe what's happening at first, then she's attacked by the Black Dog that's been haunting her dreams recently, and wakes up chained in what seems like a mediaeval castle. She needs healing and the Lord of the castle, Rogue, has arranged it for her. Its nothing like here though with bandages, stitches and creams, but based around magical healing where the lady healer is aided by a cat familiar...Welcome to the land of Fae. Then she learns everything comes at a cost and she has to pay for her healing with servitude arranged by the seductive and mysterious Rogue. By a strange exchange between different parties she has to undergo paying that debt by way of training to use her magic. She didn't know she had any. Now she needs to learn to control it as everything she thinks of appears in reality...and it could prove dangerous if she has no control.
The way the Fae speak too is interesting, a sort of telepathy which she can hear inside her mind, they talk and her mind translates the gist of what they say into something she can understand – there are times though when the translation leaves much to be desired. They all say she's shouting as she projects her thoughts so loudly, that's lesson one, how to be quieter.
She owes a debt to Rogue too – and he wants as his payment her first-born child, sired by him....but first she has to undergo the training.... and that’s pretty horrific testing her both physically and mentally by the cruel couple that are in charge of it. They want to break and remake her but Gwynn tries hard to keep some of herself inside. She blames Rogue all the while for sending her there, and not explaining more earlier, but later finds out that idyllic though everything look there's a darker side and even high Lords like him are constrained by, and afraid of, some-one above them.
I loved Rogue, even though he seemed not to help Gwynn it was still clear he wanted her. Fae lives are very long so what seems like a long time to us is just a blink for them. Gwynn has much to learn, about magic and about the rules governing the place she's in. She doesn't want to get pregnant either, that's not been in her plans, and though Rogue is sensual and seductive, and invading her dreams with erotic fantasies, she keeps reminding herself he's at fault for where she is now, and she won't be a party to creating a child with him, especially as she'd have to give it up and she has no idea of why its wanted. Learning the cost to things as she has, she knows there would be nothing good for the child in store.
A magical book, and I was really keen to get book two – got that yesterday and have read it – and its perfect but now I want book three :)
Priced at just £2.11 for 261 pages its a bargain and will definitely join my keepers file to be re read.
Stars: cracking book – full five.
Jeffe Kennedy .
Well, saw this recommended and it sounded like one I’d enjoy so bought it. (despite getting lots of free review books I still buy too many !) Anyway its something really unusual and magical.
Gwynn is at a party and bored, walks out and by a series of co incidences ends up in another world. She can't believe what's happening at first, then she's attacked by the Black Dog that's been haunting her dreams recently, and wakes up chained in what seems like a mediaeval castle. She needs healing and the Lord of the castle, Rogue, has arranged it for her. Its nothing like here though with bandages, stitches and creams, but based around magical healing where the lady healer is aided by a cat familiar...Welcome to the land of Fae. Then she learns everything comes at a cost and she has to pay for her healing with servitude arranged by the seductive and mysterious Rogue. By a strange exchange between different parties she has to undergo paying that debt by way of training to use her magic. She didn't know she had any. Now she needs to learn to control it as everything she thinks of appears in reality...and it could prove dangerous if she has no control.
The way the Fae speak too is interesting, a sort of telepathy which she can hear inside her mind, they talk and her mind translates the gist of what they say into something she can understand – there are times though when the translation leaves much to be desired. They all say she's shouting as she projects her thoughts so loudly, that's lesson one, how to be quieter.
She owes a debt to Rogue too – and he wants as his payment her first-born child, sired by him....but first she has to undergo the training.... and that’s pretty horrific testing her both physically and mentally by the cruel couple that are in charge of it. They want to break and remake her but Gwynn tries hard to keep some of herself inside. She blames Rogue all the while for sending her there, and not explaining more earlier, but later finds out that idyllic though everything look there's a darker side and even high Lords like him are constrained by, and afraid of, some-one above them.
I loved Rogue, even though he seemed not to help Gwynn it was still clear he wanted her. Fae lives are very long so what seems like a long time to us is just a blink for them. Gwynn has much to learn, about magic and about the rules governing the place she's in. She doesn't want to get pregnant either, that's not been in her plans, and though Rogue is sensual and seductive, and invading her dreams with erotic fantasies, she keeps reminding herself he's at fault for where she is now, and she won't be a party to creating a child with him, especially as she'd have to give it up and she has no idea of why its wanted. Learning the cost to things as she has, she knows there would be nothing good for the child in store.
A magical book, and I was really keen to get book two – got that yesterday and have read it – and its perfect but now I want book three :)
Priced at just £2.11 for 261 pages its a bargain and will definitely join my keepers file to be re read.
Stars: cracking book – full five.
November 4, 2013
Be careful what you wish for...
While you can read many, many books, it is only a few where you find yourself falling into the rabbit hole of the author's making. That is how I felt while reading Rogue's Pawn - utterly enthralled, enchanted, and seduced. Gwynn is a person whose modern, snarky wit, intelligence, compassion, and ... American-ness is someone you can easily relate to. We Americans are a hardy bunch; arrogant yet compassionate, sexual yet prudish, total survivors. And this is what you have in Gwynn's character.
You completely side with her throughout this novel, cheer when she succeeds, and sympathize with her when she trips. Jeffe Kennedy's Gwynn and her nicknames for where she's found herself in Faerie are hilarious. I don't quite think I'll read another faery story without thinking of it as Disney Ireland. The Fae are just as malicious, cruel, and semantic wizards as in many tales of them, which makes them creepy and the things that go bump in the night. Disney may have taught you to fear the ugly things, but the true faery tales teach you that it's the prettiest of things you need to watch out for.
While it isn't called Faerie when Gwynn first arrives, it's understood that that is exactly where we are. And Gwynn, well-educated and well-read, knows not to eat or drink in the land of Faerie. She denies herself those things as long as she is able while stumbling her way around bargaining for her very life.
Ultimately, she bargains servitude for seven years and then her first born to Lord Rogue. After enduring a horrifying, torturous training by Lord Scourge, she is passed to Lord Puck and Lord Falcon to continue her training and use her magic in Falcon's wars; skirmishes using humans to satisfy the nobles' whims. This sounds horrific, but if you think of the history of mankind, is it any different? Yes, still horrific however. I really enjoyed the first use of Gwynn as the Lady Sorceress for the battles. You'll find yourself singing along and admiring how she is trying to circumvent the violence of war.
As Gwynn learns more and more of Faerie, more of herself, and thinks more on Rogue, you find yourself fully enraptured. I am so happy to have Rogue's Possession waiting for me so that I may continue this story!
While you can read many, many books, it is only a few where you find yourself falling into the rabbit hole of the author's making. That is how I felt while reading Rogue's Pawn - utterly enthralled, enchanted, and seduced. Gwynn is a person whose modern, snarky wit, intelligence, compassion, and ... American-ness is someone you can easily relate to. We Americans are a hardy bunch; arrogant yet compassionate, sexual yet prudish, total survivors. And this is what you have in Gwynn's character.
You completely side with her throughout this novel, cheer when she succeeds, and sympathize with her when she trips. Jeffe Kennedy's Gwynn and her nicknames for where she's found herself in Faerie are hilarious. I don't quite think I'll read another faery story without thinking of it as Disney Ireland. The Fae are just as malicious, cruel, and semantic wizards as in many tales of them, which makes them creepy and the things that go bump in the night. Disney may have taught you to fear the ugly things, but the true faery tales teach you that it's the prettiest of things you need to watch out for.
While it isn't called Faerie when Gwynn first arrives, it's understood that that is exactly where we are. And Gwynn, well-educated and well-read, knows not to eat or drink in the land of Faerie. She denies herself those things as long as she is able while stumbling her way around bargaining for her very life.
Ultimately, she bargains servitude for seven years and then her first born to Lord Rogue. After enduring a horrifying, torturous training by Lord Scourge, she is passed to Lord Puck and Lord Falcon to continue her training and use her magic in Falcon's wars; skirmishes using humans to satisfy the nobles' whims. This sounds horrific, but if you think of the history of mankind, is it any different? Yes, still horrific however. I really enjoyed the first use of Gwynn as the Lady Sorceress for the battles. You'll find yourself singing along and admiring how she is trying to circumvent the violence of war.
As Gwynn learns more and more of Faerie, more of herself, and thinks more on Rogue, you find yourself fully enraptured. I am so happy to have Rogue's Possession waiting for me so that I may continue this story!
December 22, 2014
Rogue's Pawn has a beautiful cover, but the story inside is kinda boring. I didn't feel the need to keep reading, I'd read a page or two and set it down. I just didn't feel any sorta attachment or feelings at all towards the characters, they were dull to me. The actual plot and pace of the story was just kinda eh, it felt like a forced story. When I was told this was a story about fae, I guess I assumed it would be actually about faeries. I don't feel any of the characters came close to that description. Yes, some of the women were described as tall,skinny and perfect, but that's tons of models out there. I would more categorize this book as unhappy woman gets tossed through time to land in medieval "Oz" that's less magical and happy. Yes Oz, cause these characters just sound like normal people with tattoos on their faces. Maybe even say that she got tossed into Harry Potter land, who knows, it just doesn't scream faerie to me, even though its based in Ireland.
As for the "demon dog", it was just strange and really felt out of place in this story. Perhaps if the story focused more on it, other than the MC just being terrified of it and it suddenly popping up...I would have thought differently. The whole Rogue and baby scenario was just too weird. I didn't feel any romance between the two, it was more like lust. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but if some guy wants to use you as a baby maker he'd keep you with him and not let you be passed around and tortured by other guys. Guess that's just silly thinking though.
I wouldn't recommend this book, I didn't like it an thought it was kinda boring. I wouldn't consider this a paranormal romance either, it's more like fantasy to me.
As for the "demon dog", it was just strange and really felt out of place in this story. Perhaps if the story focused more on it, other than the MC just being terrified of it and it suddenly popping up...I would have thought differently. The whole Rogue and baby scenario was just too weird. I didn't feel any romance between the two, it was more like lust. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but if some guy wants to use you as a baby maker he'd keep you with him and not let you be passed around and tortured by other guys. Guess that's just silly thinking though.
I wouldn't recommend this book, I didn't like it an thought it was kinda boring. I wouldn't consider this a paranormal romance either, it's more like fantasy to me.
June 29, 2012
First off, I don't consider this book to be a romance. It might later turn into one, but just taking the first book by itself, no. No, no, no.
The events that happen in this book were horrific at times. It's almost like a terrible wreck, where you're fascinated with that's happening but turned off from it all. I'm calling it the 50 Shades of Grey effect. You can't stop yourself from reading because you hope it gets better for the lead female, but it never really does. She's stuck in an abusive situation and all you want is for her to escape.
This is a good example of why I don't like fae books. They're cruel and two-faced, and their inhumanity at times makes me very uneasy. I would never want to meet one. Ever.
So, in case you couldn't tell, this book was not for me. Definitely not my cup of tea. But if you like fae books with some torture and dehumanizing of the lead female character thrown in, then go for it.
The events that happen in this book were horrific at times. It's almost like a terrible wreck, where you're fascinated with that's happening but turned off from it all. I'm calling it the 50 Shades of Grey effect. You can't stop yourself from reading because you hope it gets better for the lead female, but it never really does. She's stuck in an abusive situation and all you want is for her to escape.
This is a good example of why I don't like fae books. They're cruel and two-faced, and their inhumanity at times makes me very uneasy. I would never want to meet one. Ever.
So, in case you couldn't tell, this book was not for me. Definitely not my cup of tea. But if you like fae books with some torture and dehumanizing of the lead female character thrown in, then go for it.
July 11, 2014
Beautifully written (hence 4 stars), with a smart, sassy heroine. There is a thread of darkness woven through the story; I enjoyed it all the more for it. Definitely one for readers who like Fae PNR. A few things I found lacking ~ which is to be expected from the first book in a series - but nothing that spoilt the overall enjoyment. I'm looking forward to reading the next instalment.
There's mention of 'erotic' in several reviews, but for me this book is firmly PNR. There's loads of sexual tension, but if you're looking for smexy action on every page, this will disappoint. Read it as a jaunt through fantasy, with lashings of sexual build-up. Basically like any PNR should be.
There's mention of 'erotic' in several reviews, but for me this book is firmly PNR. There's loads of sexual tension, but if you're looking for smexy action on every page, this will disappoint. Read it as a jaunt through fantasy, with lashings of sexual build-up. Basically like any PNR should be.
August 19, 2018
Rage quitting two chapters in. You're held captive in a strange place and you're trying, not to escape or gather information, but to find a suitable floral metaphor to describe a man's mouth without feminising him? Ergh.
July 5, 2022
Rogue's Pawn is the first book ever written by Jeffe Kennedy, and is being re-released with some slight updates. As much as I love this author, I can't believe I hadn't actually read this series!
Our heroine is Jennifer (later Gwynn), a super intelligent and sassy lady who was at the end of her proverbial rope in a relationship with a condescending twat. Strange dreams and desperation, and maybe something more mystic, culminate to land our girl in Faery, at the mercy of cunning and cruel fae who remind her that she has no friends. I liked this heroine, but hated some of her trials and tribulations. This is a dark fantasy, and we know those dark fae can be cruel and unusual. They certainly were here. But Gwynn was able to endure and make it out the other side to put herself back together.
Our anti-hero, as it were, is Lord Rogue. He is dark and mysterious and smoking hot... but morality is always somewhat lacking for the fae. There is an undercurrent of vulnerability and connection to Gwynn, which I never quite got a grasp on, so I'm hoping it will be explained in future books.
I enjoy a dark fantasy, as I did this one. I did feel that the ending was somewhat rushed... I was left feeling confused at the who, what, how and why of everything. But I really enjoyed the lead up. The characters and scenery were vividly imagined - Jeffe was certainly talented right from the start! I will be not-so-patiently waiting for the next one to re-release.
I received a gratuitous copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Our heroine is Jennifer (later Gwynn), a super intelligent and sassy lady who was at the end of her proverbial rope in a relationship with a condescending twat. Strange dreams and desperation, and maybe something more mystic, culminate to land our girl in Faery, at the mercy of cunning and cruel fae who remind her that she has no friends. I liked this heroine, but hated some of her trials and tribulations. This is a dark fantasy, and we know those dark fae can be cruel and unusual. They certainly were here. But Gwynn was able to endure and make it out the other side to put herself back together.
Our anti-hero, as it were, is Lord Rogue. He is dark and mysterious and smoking hot... but morality is always somewhat lacking for the fae. There is an undercurrent of vulnerability and connection to Gwynn, which I never quite got a grasp on, so I'm hoping it will be explained in future books.
I enjoy a dark fantasy, as I did this one. I did feel that the ending was somewhat rushed... I was left feeling confused at the who, what, how and why of everything. But I really enjoyed the lead up. The characters and scenery were vividly imagined - Jeffe was certainly talented right from the start! I will be not-so-patiently waiting for the next one to re-release.
I received a gratuitous copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2013
This book is very interesting to me, I have listened to a lot of audio books about paranormal romance and urban fantasy, I would have no idea how to classify this.
In the beggining we get a story about a woman who seems to have a sucessful life from the outside, nobody understands how much she hates her life. One day during a party she decides to leave her fiance, she heads in no paticular way and ends up at a place called Devils Tower, She stays in a strange lodge overnight and thinks about what she is doing, a lot.
She is about to leave when she heads over to the tower to make sure that a big black dog from her dreams/nightmares isn't there. She has been having the same nightmare again and again about a big black dog. She doesn't find it there but she does see an enterancce, she does something strange, she covers a few strands of her hair in her blood and is transported to a strange place where nothing is exactly as it should be, and the people are even wierder, they are human looking but longer limbeed and sharper cheak bones.
She begins searching around, after making a few accidental wishes and them coming true, the big black dog makes an appearance again. She is knocked unconscious and wakes up in a stone room. There she meets a man called Rogue and some other people.
She learns that she is very powerful, she has to learn how to calm her abilities for a few minutes so that they can remove her bonds so that she can be healed, Rogue helps her with this. While this is going on she is told that she has no friends there and nobody would care if she was dead, and that a lot of people there wanted her dead.
After she is healed and cleaned she is taken to a banquet where her fate is decided, she is to be in service to one Lord for seven years, tought by another Lord to control her thoughts and she is to bear Rogue's child.
She is taken away immediatly to be trained, or more accuratly, tortured by one of the Lords, She is left with them for what seems to her like months. There is no exact timing in this world.
When she is finished she is released with her familiar, her cat, who has dreams of battle glory. They are both sent to the front lines, she makes a few friends on the way and practices some of her magic, She learns about a booze tray that never runs out.
At the front lines she learns about the strange battle plans of the Lord she has to serve, and there are devistating consiquences if you don't serve someone you are sworn to properly. Gwen finds this out when her servant is taken away by there leader, sort of like a God but not. The servants wings are pulled off and thrown at Gwen in explination and as a reminder.
One of her friends that she met on the way to the front lines comes to replace her.
A lot of strange battling takes place, they make the opposition go near the sea so that they can have a boat fight.
Rogue turns up periodically and so does the black dog, Gwen and Rogue don't get along very well, she hates him and often imagines him dying.
She tries to get Rogue out of her head, and experiment with some of her magic, by participating in sexual acts, but not sex, with one of the officers of the Human army. Before anything can truly happen, Rogue turns up and swings his sword at the officer, telling Gwen that they have much to discuss. She hurridly gets dressed and runs to the ocean front to find the two men fighting.
Rogue is stabbed and the black dog appears by his side, when the officer moves closer to Gwen the dog becomes defensive of her, she tells him to go away. The officer realises that Gwen isn't as human as she appears and leaves.
Gwen stays with the dog, and eventually goes into a dream where Rogue offers her a green peace of ribbon, she lets him wrap it around her wrists and they begin to make love.
She wakes up wrapped in his arms, they talk about where to go from there and how it was him that pulled her into his reality, she doesn't seem hurt at this and realises that she belongs here more than she does on earth.
I found this book odd. It all takes place in a foreign land that seems earily similar to Alice in Wonderland.
I really enjoyed this book, I listened to the entire thing in one night, i wasn't well so I couldn't sleep.
There are some amazingly whitty comments, but I do think that the torture that she goes through is disturbing, it changes her in a lot of ways, in the beginign of the book she is always thinking about things and comparing them to things on earth (analysing things) and if she had thought like that throught the entire thing I think that I would have gone MAD, it is so irritating. After her torture she slowly starts to think freely again and she is finnaly under control.
I think that if Rogue truly loved her he would have fround another way to pay off the debts that she owed and to help her to control herself without being tortured. I think that that would have helped the love story some, the only idea that he loves her is in a short chapter at the end of the book. No wonder she spends most of the book hating him.
I think that the love story in this part of the series is too rushed, As the title shows it is part of a series though. I only hope that the rest of the series follows these two charecters, I generally dont like series that change the leads with every novel.
Overall I did enjoy the book, but I do think that it shoudl have been made a chapter or two longer, to give us some idea of what is going on at the end of the book, we are told in the matter of a chapter that they are in love and that they are going to be together.
For the next book I would like to see a continuation: what are they going to do about her service to the other lord, When and will she have Rogue's baby, will she ever see any part of her family again...
There are a lot of possibilities for the next book, and it is because of this I have given the book a rating of four.
I would suggest that anyone read the book, I can't wait for the net book to come out.
In the beggining we get a story about a woman who seems to have a sucessful life from the outside, nobody understands how much she hates her life. One day during a party she decides to leave her fiance, she heads in no paticular way and ends up at a place called Devils Tower, She stays in a strange lodge overnight and thinks about what she is doing, a lot.
She is about to leave when she heads over to the tower to make sure that a big black dog from her dreams/nightmares isn't there. She has been having the same nightmare again and again about a big black dog. She doesn't find it there but she does see an enterancce, she does something strange, she covers a few strands of her hair in her blood and is transported to a strange place where nothing is exactly as it should be, and the people are even wierder, they are human looking but longer limbeed and sharper cheak bones.
She begins searching around, after making a few accidental wishes and them coming true, the big black dog makes an appearance again. She is knocked unconscious and wakes up in a stone room. There she meets a man called Rogue and some other people.
She learns that she is very powerful, she has to learn how to calm her abilities for a few minutes so that they can remove her bonds so that she can be healed, Rogue helps her with this. While this is going on she is told that she has no friends there and nobody would care if she was dead, and that a lot of people there wanted her dead.
After she is healed and cleaned she is taken to a banquet where her fate is decided, she is to be in service to one Lord for seven years, tought by another Lord to control her thoughts and she is to bear Rogue's child.
She is taken away immediatly to be trained, or more accuratly, tortured by one of the Lords, She is left with them for what seems to her like months. There is no exact timing in this world.
When she is finished she is released with her familiar, her cat, who has dreams of battle glory. They are both sent to the front lines, she makes a few friends on the way and practices some of her magic, She learns about a booze tray that never runs out.
At the front lines she learns about the strange battle plans of the Lord she has to serve, and there are devistating consiquences if you don't serve someone you are sworn to properly. Gwen finds this out when her servant is taken away by there leader, sort of like a God but not. The servants wings are pulled off and thrown at Gwen in explination and as a reminder.
One of her friends that she met on the way to the front lines comes to replace her.
A lot of strange battling takes place, they make the opposition go near the sea so that they can have a boat fight.
Rogue turns up periodically and so does the black dog, Gwen and Rogue don't get along very well, she hates him and often imagines him dying.
She tries to get Rogue out of her head, and experiment with some of her magic, by participating in sexual acts, but not sex, with one of the officers of the Human army. Before anything can truly happen, Rogue turns up and swings his sword at the officer, telling Gwen that they have much to discuss. She hurridly gets dressed and runs to the ocean front to find the two men fighting.
Rogue is stabbed and the black dog appears by his side, when the officer moves closer to Gwen the dog becomes defensive of her, she tells him to go away. The officer realises that Gwen isn't as human as she appears and leaves.
Gwen stays with the dog, and eventually goes into a dream where Rogue offers her a green peace of ribbon, she lets him wrap it around her wrists and they begin to make love.
She wakes up wrapped in his arms, they talk about where to go from there and how it was him that pulled her into his reality, she doesn't seem hurt at this and realises that she belongs here more than she does on earth.
I found this book odd. It all takes place in a foreign land that seems earily similar to Alice in Wonderland.
I really enjoyed this book, I listened to the entire thing in one night, i wasn't well so I couldn't sleep.
There are some amazingly whitty comments, but I do think that the torture that she goes through is disturbing, it changes her in a lot of ways, in the beginign of the book she is always thinking about things and comparing them to things on earth (analysing things) and if she had thought like that throught the entire thing I think that I would have gone MAD, it is so irritating. After her torture she slowly starts to think freely again and she is finnaly under control.
I think that if Rogue truly loved her he would have fround another way to pay off the debts that she owed and to help her to control herself without being tortured. I think that that would have helped the love story some, the only idea that he loves her is in a short chapter at the end of the book. No wonder she spends most of the book hating him.
I think that the love story in this part of the series is too rushed, As the title shows it is part of a series though. I only hope that the rest of the series follows these two charecters, I generally dont like series that change the leads with every novel.
Overall I did enjoy the book, but I do think that it shoudl have been made a chapter or two longer, to give us some idea of what is going on at the end of the book, we are told in the matter of a chapter that they are in love and that they are going to be together.
For the next book I would like to see a continuation: what are they going to do about her service to the other lord, When and will she have Rogue's baby, will she ever see any part of her family again...
There are a lot of possibilities for the next book, and it is because of this I have given the book a rating of four.
I would suggest that anyone read the book, I can't wait for the net book to come out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2024
I have some feelings.
At the beginning I was interested. Then I was annoyed. Obviously Rogue is the LI in this story. Frankly, the things he allows to happen to Jennifer - and the crap he pulls in her tent - are just off-putting and doesn’t endear him to me as a LI.
All the secrets are what drove me so crazy. No one wants to or can tell Jennifer ANYTHING about the most minuscule of facts. 🙄
The very last few pages are where things actually get interesting again. The temptation to see the series through is there, but I feel that I’ll need to come back to it at some point after a break.
At the beginning I was interested. Then I was annoyed. Obviously Rogue is the LI in this story. Frankly, the things he allows to happen to Jennifer - and the crap he pulls in her tent - are just off-putting and doesn’t endear him to me as a LI.
All the secrets are what drove me so crazy. No one wants to or can tell Jennifer ANYTHING about the most minuscule of facts. 🙄
The very last few pages are where things actually get interesting again. The temptation to see the series through is there, but I feel that I’ll need to come back to it at some point after a break.
March 5, 2019
Well this went in a different direction then I was expecting. I'm still trying to figure out Jeffe's fantasy writing from the few books I read. I'm still going to check out the next book though. Narrator was good.
July 26, 2020
3.5 stars! It's a good start to the series, but things between Jennifer and Rogue are still a little too at the extremes, either intense passion or hatred and I think I'm starting to get a feel for the world.
July 28, 2016
I probably enjoyed this book more than I would like to admit.
I think one of the best things about this, is the author's writing style. I really like the way Ms. Kennedy writes.
Jennifer, our MC somehow transports herself into an alternate fae-based reality. One moment she's sitting at the base of Devil's Tower in Wyoming and the next she's waking up on a flat stretch of grass with nothing around for miles. At first I was annoyed because I thought there was too intricate a series of small actions that had to happen to transport her. Later, I think it's at least hinted at that there were other forces at work, so that was better but things were really iffy at that point.
Soon after, Jennifer finds that she has some sort of power in this strange place - everything she wishes for just happens. However, what she conjures doesn't come without a price. She wishes for a drink of water and gets a whole stream, etc...and this is a problem. Apparently she's well on her way to wrecking the land, when the fae send out one of their own to stop her.
That's where the sweet story-book quality of this tale ends. The fae, are just as tricky and despicable in this book as in any I've ever read and I loved that. There were multiple layers to the treachery and at times it did get tedious. I did find myself wishing for just one individual that was on Jennifer (now Gwynn's) side without a doubt but that took a little while.
After a series of inexperienced bargaining, Gwynn owes 7 years of her life to serve one fae lord by fighting in his war, after which she will return to a different fae lord and give him her first born child, of which he intends to sire.
Okay so I'm thinking clearly this is going to turn into a sweet and possibly gushy romance. I really didn't care. I guess I was in the mood for sweet gushiness at the time. So I was ok with it. But then suddenly and without warning there's this whole weird BDSM chapter as part of her magical training and it just felt out of place and useless. There was no explanation as to why it was necessary or how giving up her control would help her control her magic. It also caused me to hate the hero of the story. I mean I really really hated him. He specifically forbade the "trainers" to use sex in their training, so the BDSM involved was mostly just bondage and humiliation and whipping. And was that supposed to make me like him more? It didn't. The only aspect I'm willing to forgive is that it only lasted for approx one chapter. Any more than that and I probably would have stopped. Now, I'm not agains BDSM -generally speaking, I however am against anything that is not done by choice and that's what got me so pissy over this.
However, grudgingly, I will say that later on there is more explanation as to why that particular brand of training was used and I suppose I did forgive the hero as things progressed - he made sure she didn't get hurt, he made sure it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it could have been, he wasn't in control of anything at all and got her the best possible deal as he could get, etc..etc.. I'm still not entirely convinced that something else might not have worked just as well though.
In addition to the writing style, I found that I really enjoyed the characters. There were a lot of really colorful and interesting characters in this story and quite a few humorous scenes. The war council meetings were especially entertaining for me. Rather than feeling like any type of strategic planning was going on, it felt like a bunch of crazies choreographing a battle scene in a musical.
There were lots of little fun things about this book. So far for me they outweigh the negative. I will likely continue the series just for that.
I think one of the best things about this, is the author's writing style. I really like the way Ms. Kennedy writes.
Jennifer, our MC somehow transports herself into an alternate fae-based reality. One moment she's sitting at the base of Devil's Tower in Wyoming and the next she's waking up on a flat stretch of grass with nothing around for miles. At first I was annoyed because I thought there was too intricate a series of small actions that had to happen to transport her. Later, I think it's at least hinted at that there were other forces at work, so that was better but things were really iffy at that point.
Soon after, Jennifer finds that she has some sort of power in this strange place - everything she wishes for just happens. However, what she conjures doesn't come without a price. She wishes for a drink of water and gets a whole stream, etc...and this is a problem. Apparently she's well on her way to wrecking the land, when the fae send out one of their own to stop her.
That's where the sweet story-book quality of this tale ends. The fae, are just as tricky and despicable in this book as in any I've ever read and I loved that. There were multiple layers to the treachery and at times it did get tedious. I did find myself wishing for just one individual that was on Jennifer (now Gwynn's) side without a doubt but that took a little while.
After a series of inexperienced bargaining, Gwynn owes 7 years of her life to serve one fae lord by fighting in his war, after which she will return to a different fae lord and give him her first born child, of which he intends to sire.
Okay so I'm thinking clearly this is going to turn into a sweet and possibly gushy romance. I really didn't care. I guess I was in the mood for sweet gushiness at the time. So I was ok with it. But then suddenly and without warning there's this whole weird BDSM chapter as part of her magical training and it just felt out of place and useless. There was no explanation as to why it was necessary or how giving up her control would help her control her magic. It also caused me to hate the hero of the story. I mean I really really hated him. He specifically forbade the "trainers" to use sex in their training, so the BDSM involved was mostly just bondage and humiliation and whipping. And was that supposed to make me like him more? It didn't. The only aspect I'm willing to forgive is that it only lasted for approx one chapter. Any more than that and I probably would have stopped. Now, I'm not agains BDSM -generally speaking, I however am against anything that is not done by choice and that's what got me so pissy over this.
However, grudgingly, I will say that later on there is more explanation as to why that particular brand of training was used and I suppose I did forgive the hero as things progressed - he made sure she didn't get hurt, he made sure it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it could have been, he wasn't in control of anything at all and got her the best possible deal as he could get, etc..etc.. I'm still not entirely convinced that something else might not have worked just as well though.
In addition to the writing style, I found that I really enjoyed the characters. There were a lot of really colorful and interesting characters in this story and quite a few humorous scenes. The war council meetings were especially entertaining for me. Rather than feeling like any type of strategic planning was going on, it felt like a bunch of crazies choreographing a battle scene in a musical.
There were lots of little fun things about this book. So far for me they outweigh the negative. I will likely continue the series just for that.
July 16, 2012
4.5 Stars from Between the Bind
When I was searching through NetGalley, I stumbled across Rogue's Pawn and with it's gorgeous cover and captivating blurb - I simply had to have it. I had such high expectations for this book and Ms. Kennedy didn't disappoint.
Jennifer is living her life as a shadow. She's engaged to a man because he's confortable, has a career lacking passion, and seems to be lost in this shell of herself, doing what is expected. So, one night, she's had enough. She leaves her fiancé at a party and just drives, not caring how "insensible" she is being, simply letting the road lead her.
And lead it does. Following her instincts, Jennifer finds herself in the shadow of Devil's Tower, blindly completing a ceremony that wakes her in a land where her wishes come true. Unfortunately, said wishes aren't always well thought out...
After a rapid series of events, she finds herself a prisoner to a sexy not-quite-human man in a world unknown to her. Oh, and here, in Faerie, she's known as Gwynn - Lady Sorceress. Learning quickly about this world filled with bargains of life or death, telepathy and manipulative politics is necessary for Gwynn's survival, but at what cost?
Ms. Kennedy writes a lovely story, woven with thoughtfulness and honesty. The journey of a woman navigating her way through so much unknown is written as a relatable fantasy that I connected with easily. My biggest qualm was the multiple formatting errors in my ARC (hence the missing half star). I am *hoping* that the Kindle version will be void of these errors making for a flawless read.
Rogue, our leading man, is dark and captivating. I loved and hated him right along with Gwynn, not knowing his true feelings or reasoning even through the end of this story. His ability to command attention through every page, whether on it or not, was incredible.
Gwynn's journey is at times difficult to read, but apart from a natural disaster, there was nothing that could stop me from turning the pages. There are still so many questions to be answered and I cannot WAIT to read the next book in the Covenant of Thorns series.
My Favorite Quote:
"I feel certain you'd
ask hard questions
that require long
answers. I'll give you
three principles - three
things you should know
to get through the evening."
"Five ground rules."
"I can't think of five."
"You disappoint me."
He flashed me the
wicked grin.
"I wouldn't have, if you
let me kiss you."
When I was searching through NetGalley, I stumbled across Rogue's Pawn and with it's gorgeous cover and captivating blurb - I simply had to have it. I had such high expectations for this book and Ms. Kennedy didn't disappoint.
Jennifer is living her life as a shadow. She's engaged to a man because he's confortable, has a career lacking passion, and seems to be lost in this shell of herself, doing what is expected. So, one night, she's had enough. She leaves her fiancé at a party and just drives, not caring how "insensible" she is being, simply letting the road lead her.
And lead it does. Following her instincts, Jennifer finds herself in the shadow of Devil's Tower, blindly completing a ceremony that wakes her in a land where her wishes come true. Unfortunately, said wishes aren't always well thought out...
After a rapid series of events, she finds herself a prisoner to a sexy not-quite-human man in a world unknown to her. Oh, and here, in Faerie, she's known as Gwynn - Lady Sorceress. Learning quickly about this world filled with bargains of life or death, telepathy and manipulative politics is necessary for Gwynn's survival, but at what cost?
Ms. Kennedy writes a lovely story, woven with thoughtfulness and honesty. The journey of a woman navigating her way through so much unknown is written as a relatable fantasy that I connected with easily. My biggest qualm was the multiple formatting errors in my ARC (hence the missing half star). I am *hoping* that the Kindle version will be void of these errors making for a flawless read.
Rogue, our leading man, is dark and captivating. I loved and hated him right along with Gwynn, not knowing his true feelings or reasoning even through the end of this story. His ability to command attention through every page, whether on it or not, was incredible.
Gwynn's journey is at times difficult to read, but apart from a natural disaster, there was nothing that could stop me from turning the pages. There are still so many questions to be answered and I cannot WAIT to read the next book in the Covenant of Thorns series.
My Favorite Quote:
"I feel certain you'd
ask hard questions
that require long
answers. I'll give you
three principles - three
things you should know
to get through the evening."
"Five ground rules."
"I can't think of five."
"You disappoint me."
He flashed me the
wicked grin.
"I wouldn't have, if you
let me kiss you."
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