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Shifters #3
Noah's Boy
ORIGINAL TRADE PAPERBACK – URBAN FANTASY. Sequel to Draw One in the Dark and The Gentleman Takes a Chance.
Sequel to Draw One in the Dark and The Gentleman Takes a Chance—a new entry in Sarah A. Hoyt’s celebrated Shifter contemporary fantasy series!
For years, Rafiel Trall, one of Goldport's finest, has been walking the fine line between enforcing human law and protecting the shifters who come his way. A lion shifter himself, he's found this duty onerous. Lately it's been lightened by his friendship with Tom Ormson, a dragon shifter, and Kyrie Smith, a panther shifter. This should make it easier for him to find a solution for the crimes of a feral shifter—but not when an as yet unnamed entity takes out the Great Sky Dragon, the head of all dragon shifters. With his power devolving on Tom Ormson just as Kyrie finds that a mysterious ailment prevents her from shifting, Rafiel must rely only on himself, a seductive dragon girl and an even more seductive and unreliable old shifter to solve the crimes, maintain shifters hidden and keep his best friend in the world from becoming a dragon of unimaginable mass destruction.
Sequel to Draw One in the Dark and The Gentleman Takes a Chance—a new entry in Sarah A. Hoyt’s celebrated Shifter contemporary fantasy series!
For years, Rafiel Trall, one of Goldport's finest, has been walking the fine line between enforcing human law and protecting the shifters who come his way. A lion shifter himself, he's found this duty onerous. Lately it's been lightened by his friendship with Tom Ormson, a dragon shifter, and Kyrie Smith, a panther shifter. This should make it easier for him to find a solution for the crimes of a feral shifter—but not when an as yet unnamed entity takes out the Great Sky Dragon, the head of all dragon shifters. With his power devolving on Tom Ormson just as Kyrie finds that a mysterious ailment prevents her from shifting, Rafiel must rely only on himself, a seductive dragon girl and an even more seductive and unreliable old shifter to solve the crimes, maintain shifters hidden and keep his best friend in the world from becoming a dragon of unimaginable mass destruction.
304 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2013
14 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Sarah A. Hoyt
202 books175 followersSarah A. Hoyt was born (and raised) in Portugal and now lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, and a variable number of cats, depending on how many show up to beg on the door step.
In between lays the sort of resume that used to be de-rigueur for writers. She has never actually wrestled alligators, but she did at one point very briefly tie bows on bags of potpourri for a living. She has also washed dishes and ironed clothes for a living. Worst of all she was, for a long time, a multilingual scientific translator.
At some point, though, she got tired of making an honest living and started writing. She has over 30 published novels, in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, historical mystery, historical fantasy and historical biography. Her short stories have been published in Analog, Asimov's, Amazing Stories, Weird Tales, and a number of anthologies from DAW and Baen. Her space-opera novel Darkship Thieves was the 2011 Prometheus Award Winner, and the third novel in the series, A Few Good Men, was a finalist for the honor. She also won the Dragon Award for Uncharted (with Kevin J. Anderson.)
a.k.a. Sarah D'Almeida
a.k.a. Elise Hyatt
a.k.a. Sarah Marqués
In between lays the sort of resume that used to be de-rigueur for writers. She has never actually wrestled alligators, but she did at one point very briefly tie bows on bags of potpourri for a living. She has also washed dishes and ironed clothes for a living. Worst of all she was, for a long time, a multilingual scientific translator.
At some point, though, she got tired of making an honest living and started writing. She has over 30 published novels, in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, historical mystery, historical fantasy and historical biography. Her short stories have been published in Analog, Asimov's, Amazing Stories, Weird Tales, and a number of anthologies from DAW and Baen. Her space-opera novel Darkship Thieves was the 2011 Prometheus Award Winner, and the third novel in the series, A Few Good Men, was a finalist for the honor. She also won the Dragon Award for Uncharted (with Kevin J. Anderson.)
a.k.a. Sarah D'Almeida
a.k.a. Elise Hyatt
a.k.a. Sarah Marqués
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 25, 2017
There are some really interesting things about the world Hoyt's built, but I just don't find the characters all that compelling anymore. They all seem kind of formal and stilted for young 20 somethings.
For example, there is a conversation early on between the main couple in the series - Tom and Kyrie -- where he's agreed to let a friend sing at their diner. First of all, I hate Kyrie's reaction. It's typically their slowest night and Tom's agreed to let this guy do a set. Her first thought is that the friend will be bad for business if he stinks. It just rubbed me the wrong way. In reality, even if that scenario happened, it wouldn't ruin business. People would come back if the food and service are good. It was a contrived conversation but the contrivance was that Kyrie was kind of a bitch.
So, within the conversation Tom convinces her it's cool because there won't be many people there anyway. Here's what she says: "Okay," Kyrie said, seemingly appeased. "As long as there aren't too many people in attendance." Who talks that way in the 21st century? Not many young 20 somethings, that's for sure.
But the thing is, ALL the characters talk this way. They all think in this formalized language. There's not a "dude" or a "like" or a "fuck me" in the whole book. It's probably meant for a younger audience, but they'd be the first to spot the lack of realistic dialogue. And because they all think and speak in the same way, there isn't much definition in them.
I gave the first book in this trilogy a high rating. I stand by that one because I like the world building. But I just couldn't engage with these characters. This was a big disappointment. :(
For example, there is a conversation early on between the main couple in the series - Tom and Kyrie -- where he's agreed to let a friend sing at their diner. First of all, I hate Kyrie's reaction. It's typically their slowest night and Tom's agreed to let this guy do a set. Her first thought is that the friend will be bad for business if he stinks. It just rubbed me the wrong way. In reality, even if that scenario happened, it wouldn't ruin business. People would come back if the food and service are good. It was a contrived conversation but the contrivance was that Kyrie was kind of a bitch.
So, within the conversation Tom convinces her it's cool because there won't be many people there anyway. Here's what she says: "Okay," Kyrie said, seemingly appeased. "As long as there aren't too many people in attendance." Who talks that way in the 21st century? Not many young 20 somethings, that's for sure.
But the thing is, ALL the characters talk this way. They all think in this formalized language. There's not a "dude" or a "like" or a "fuck me" in the whole book. It's probably meant for a younger audience, but they'd be the first to spot the lack of realistic dialogue. And because they all think and speak in the same way, there isn't much definition in them.
I gave the first book in this trilogy a high rating. I stand by that one because I like the world building. But I just couldn't engage with these characters. This was a big disappointment. :(
March 28, 2016
Nice and neat ending. Though I'm 80% sure the baddie in book 2 was a dire wolf not a sabre tooth?
October 5, 2013
Sarah A. Hoyt’s Noah’s Boy, the third in the Shape Shifter series, is a grand romp through Goldport, CO, the fictional home of the diner where all shifters pass through at one point or another (it seems). It opens with the arrival, however reluctantly, of a new Shifter, a young woman who changes into a dragon. She is being ordered to do something that offends her American-raised spirit of freedom, but which all the other dragons think will save them. Namely, she must somehow persuade the heir to the Great Sky Dragon to marry her. Never mind that he is not at all inclined to consider this, being happily engaged to a lovely woman who changes into a panther. This sub-plot quickly takes a backseat to the far greater threat looming over all shifters on Earth, however, as something is coming for them… There are alligators, lions, and a dire wolf in store for those who decide they want to venture into Goldport. Although Noah’s Boy is the third of a series that begins with Draw One in the Dark, and continues with Gentleman Takes a Chance, Sarah Hoyt’s skillful weaving of story, character, and setting will draw in even a new reader. You will want to go back and read the others to begin, I guarantee you! Also, Draw One in the Dark is free, which makes it easy to start there.
February 9, 2018
I really liked the first two books in this series and I like this one, but...
But the strong female lead becomes a mess for no good reason and becomes a damsel in distress hindering her love instead of taking the lead and being the strong independent woman she was.
We also have two characters fall in love at first sight, intrigue, pheromones gone wild and feral shifters.
We even have an old shifter that never does think through the results of what they want.
The book starts strong, with a new strong female being introduced, and an old foe showing that they can become an ally.
The end of the book is the strongest of the series, and a return to form.
But I almost gave up in disgust several time in the middle of the book.
I am glad I persevered and made it to that ending.
But the strong female lead becomes a mess for no good reason and becomes a damsel in distress hindering her love instead of taking the lead and being the strong independent woman she was.
We also have two characters fall in love at first sight, intrigue, pheromones gone wild and feral shifters.
We even have an old shifter that never does think through the results of what they want.
The book starts strong, with a new strong female being introduced, and an old foe showing that they can become an ally.
The end of the book is the strongest of the series, and a return to form.
But I almost gave up in disgust several time in the middle of the book.
I am glad I persevered and made it to that ending.
August 7, 2020
Look, the writing is solid, most of the plot is solid, the world building is excellent. But, as with the previous three books by this author that I've read, plot advancement relies on outright character stupidity. On not learning from past mistakes to the point where it burns.
This isn't lazy writing. The plot, insofar as one accepts that people can somehow possibly be this stupid, works. It just... won't stop relying on the leads being unspeakably, unforgivably incapable of basic learning.
First time in a long time where I'm just *done* with an author who otherwise writes very well indeed.
This isn't lazy writing. The plot, insofar as one accepts that people can somehow possibly be this stupid, works. It just... won't stop relying on the leads being unspeakably, unforgivably incapable of basic learning.
First time in a long time where I'm just *done* with an author who otherwise writes very well indeed.
May 28, 2019
Fun
Great series. I hope there will be more! I just read the three books and lost sleep doing it. More!
Great series. I hope there will be more! I just read the three books and lost sleep doing it. More!
August 30, 2019
It was a good story. Characters were interesting.
April 16, 2021
Marvelous good!
The action, characters and plot were excellent! I would like to have a book four. It's amusing, so many shape shifters in one area.
The action, characters and plot were excellent! I would like to have a book four. It's amusing, so many shape shifters in one area.
April 25, 2023
great ending
Great story. Well done and hard to put down. I really like the characters and how things were left. I will be looking forward to more
Great story. Well done and hard to put down. I really like the characters and how things were left. I will be looking forward to more
June 21, 2018
The third installment in the series was a decent read but still not as good as the first. It feels like it wrapped a little too neat for me. Tom finds himself unwillingly the heir to the Great Sky Dragon and a new young dragon comes into town to try to help her family. Rafe is drawn to her but there appears to be a serial killer on the loose who targets shifters and humans alike, and doesn't appear to be entirely human either. Life at the diner is as crazy as usual and many characters from the previous books appear. There are a couple of surprises, but nothing monumental and the villains don't seem as difficult as in the previous two books. Still a good read for light entertainment, though.
January 17, 2016
Tom has had a somewhat adversarial relationship with the Great Sky Dragon, but this time the meddling dragon has gone too far. This time, the elderly patriarch of the dragon triad is trying to get Tom to marry a nice dragon-shifter girl instead of panther-shifter Kyrie, whom Tom has been in love with for over a year. Then something happens to the Great Sky Dragon, and Tom is on the hook for managing a triad of dragons who are none too happy at their new leader . . .
This is more focused than the second book, which although much better for the story here, does make some of the pointless extra plot threads in the second book even more pointless. The cryptozoologist paper? Not even mentioned. Nor the Rodent Liberation Front. (For the record, I agree with these being dropped; it's just frustrating that the second book is now both the busiest and the least effective of the series). And the book also conveniently forgets Rafiel's climactic scene near the end (pun intended), as he claims to be a virgin in this book. (Unless that one was supposed to not count because he was drugged? Except he's basically drugged this time, too. . .)
On a happier note, this is a more solid story, and the wider implications are a lot of fun. Tom's hatred of the Great Sky Dragon gets an interesting twist when he suddenly inherits the old one's ability to see into the minds of other dragons, compel their obedience, and remember the lives of other Great Sky Dragons. As Great Sky Dragons can only inherit from an unbroken male line, the dragons are desperate for Tom to continue that line with a dragon.
I liked the science-fiction aspect that wormed its way in, with the world-gates and the origin of shifters. The particular enemy's motives are sketched in rather than fleshed out, but then again, given how events transpire the only way to really get more would've been some kind of monologue by the villain. I also liked the book's wry observation that spacefaring races ought to be warmongering, or at least suspected of such, given the general history of long voyages and what happens when very different peoples make contact.
All told, this doesn't really feel like an ending for the trilogy, though the story wraps up. Tom and Kyrie still have full and crazy lives, and it's easy to see the adventures continuing. But it's not a bad place to close, and hope that in the future more stories might expand on this universe. I rate this book Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
This is more focused than the second book, which although much better for the story here, does make some of the pointless extra plot threads in the second book even more pointless. The cryptozoologist paper? Not even mentioned. Nor the Rodent Liberation Front. (For the record, I agree with these being dropped; it's just frustrating that the second book is now both the busiest and the least effective of the series). And the book also conveniently forgets Rafiel's climactic scene near the end (pun intended), as he claims to be a virgin in this book. (Unless that one was supposed to not count because he was drugged? Except he's basically drugged this time, too. . .)
On a happier note, this is a more solid story, and the wider implications are a lot of fun. Tom's hatred of the Great Sky Dragon gets an interesting twist when he suddenly inherits the old one's ability to see into the minds of other dragons, compel their obedience, and remember the lives of other Great Sky Dragons. As Great Sky Dragons can only inherit from an unbroken male line, the dragons are desperate for Tom to continue that line with a dragon.
I liked the science-fiction aspect that wormed its way in, with the world-gates and the origin of shifters. The particular enemy's motives are sketched in rather than fleshed out, but then again, given how events transpire the only way to really get more would've been some kind of monologue by the villain. I also liked the book's wry observation that spacefaring races ought to be warmongering, or at least suspected of such, given the general history of long voyages and what happens when very different peoples make contact.
All told, this doesn't really feel like an ending for the trilogy, though the story wraps up. Tom and Kyrie still have full and crazy lives, and it's easy to see the adventures continuing. But it's not a bad place to close, and hope that in the future more stories might expand on this universe. I rate this book Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
July 9, 2013
Fun, fast-paced fantasy
Noah's Boy is the third book in a series of novels featuring shapeshifters, following Draw One in the Dark and Gentleman Takes a Chance. If you haven't read either of those books, I highly recommend reading them first before picking up this book. Hoyt does a fairly good job recapping the major plot points of the first two novels at the beginning of this one, but I think reading them is necessary to fully enjoy this book.
If you have read the first two books in the series and liked them, you should definitely read this one. Noah's Boy continues the story of dragon shifter Tom and jaguar shifter Kyrie, as they confront a new menace--otherworldly non-corporeal beings that want to destroy all life on Earth. In this book, we learn more about the origins and history of the shifters. It also sets up major turning points in Tom's relationship to other shifters and in Tom's and Kyrie's personal lives that are sure to influence the plot in the next novel in the series.
Noah's Boy isn't a perfect read. For one thing, I had a hard time believing that all the normal human beings in town would just disregard the evidence of their own eyes in regard to the shifters. Hoyt tries to convince the reader that the will to disbelieve is so strong that the humans will ignore it if they see a dragon flying around, and I don't buy it--there are people out there who believe in crazier things than that! There were a few other plot details that also didn't quite make sense to me, but to go into more detail would be spoilerish.
However, I really didn't care about any problems with the story as I was reading. The plot sucked me in, and I just wanted to keep on reading to find out what would happen next. I had to force myself to put the book down to get some work done--and for me, that's the mark of a successful novel. Another sign of a successful book? I can't wait for the next book in the series, and I hope it doesn't take Hoyt another five years to publish this one!
(Oh, and for anyone else wondering what the heck the title "Noah's Boy" refers to, it's diner lingo for a slice of ham. All of the titles in the series refer to diner slang, a nice callback to the fact that much of the action takes place in a diner.)
An ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Noah's Boy is the third book in a series of novels featuring shapeshifters, following Draw One in the Dark and Gentleman Takes a Chance. If you haven't read either of those books, I highly recommend reading them first before picking up this book. Hoyt does a fairly good job recapping the major plot points of the first two novels at the beginning of this one, but I think reading them is necessary to fully enjoy this book.
If you have read the first two books in the series and liked them, you should definitely read this one. Noah's Boy continues the story of dragon shifter Tom and jaguar shifter Kyrie, as they confront a new menace--otherworldly non-corporeal beings that want to destroy all life on Earth. In this book, we learn more about the origins and history of the shifters. It also sets up major turning points in Tom's relationship to other shifters and in Tom's and Kyrie's personal lives that are sure to influence the plot in the next novel in the series.
Noah's Boy isn't a perfect read. For one thing, I had a hard time believing that all the normal human beings in town would just disregard the evidence of their own eyes in regard to the shifters. Hoyt tries to convince the reader that the will to disbelieve is so strong that the humans will ignore it if they see a dragon flying around, and I don't buy it--there are people out there who believe in crazier things than that! There were a few other plot details that also didn't quite make sense to me, but to go into more detail would be spoilerish.
However, I really didn't care about any problems with the story as I was reading. The plot sucked me in, and I just wanted to keep on reading to find out what would happen next. I had to force myself to put the book down to get some work done--and for me, that's the mark of a successful novel. Another sign of a successful book? I can't wait for the next book in the series, and I hope it doesn't take Hoyt another five years to publish this one!
(Oh, and for anyone else wondering what the heck the title "Noah's Boy" refers to, it's diner lingo for a slice of ham. All of the titles in the series refer to diner slang, a nice callback to the fact that much of the action takes place in a diner.)
An ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
June 30, 2013
Although the cover doesn't make it clear this is the third book in a series about shape shifters and as always with series it's probably better to start at the beginning. In this case however, I didn't. And the author provides sufficient recap at various points during the story to keep everything making sense.
Urban fantasy is an increasingly crowded market and it's not easy to carve out your own niche. In this case Sarah A. Hoyt expands well beyond the traditional werewolves and offers us panthers, lions, alligators and dragons. Which is certainly refreshing.
Unfortunately the plot (which seems interesting enough) of this novel takes a back seat to endless discussions of why things are happening and how it all works.
This is problematic, partly because it just slows things down, but also because it's actively drawing attention to all the improbabilities inherent in this set up. I really isn't credible that the number of shape changing creatures in this book could possibly have gone undetected for hundreds of years, so don't mention it and then fail to give a credible explanation.
Likewise it's really not a good idea to try and introduce science as an explanation for how shape changing works if you can't address it in a believable fashion. Which you can't because there's a basic problem of mass and energy.
And that leads into my biggest problem with the book. The writing is awkward and stilted at times. Sometimes the authors voice and opinions seem to show through (on political or social issues)and we get a couple of paragraphs of the "characters" opinion on them that just don't actually seem relevant to what's happening. At other times we just get odd statements like one character noting another's "voice made him a man."
Similarly while the core relationship between Tom and Kyrie seems pretty solid and credible the newer one between Rafiel and a new character just feels forced and happening far too fast. They don't show any real chemistry in their interactions.
So it's an entertaining enough plot that's in need of some heavy editing and probably one more draft. Not horrible but not really recommended either.
Urban fantasy is an increasingly crowded market and it's not easy to carve out your own niche. In this case Sarah A. Hoyt expands well beyond the traditional werewolves and offers us panthers, lions, alligators and dragons. Which is certainly refreshing.
Unfortunately the plot (which seems interesting enough) of this novel takes a back seat to endless discussions of why things are happening and how it all works.
This is problematic, partly because it just slows things down, but also because it's actively drawing attention to all the improbabilities inherent in this set up. I really isn't credible that the number of shape changing creatures in this book could possibly have gone undetected for hundreds of years, so don't mention it and then fail to give a credible explanation.
Likewise it's really not a good idea to try and introduce science as an explanation for how shape changing works if you can't address it in a believable fashion. Which you can't because there's a basic problem of mass and energy.
And that leads into my biggest problem with the book. The writing is awkward and stilted at times. Sometimes the authors voice and opinions seem to show through (on political or social issues)and we get a couple of paragraphs of the "characters" opinion on them that just don't actually seem relevant to what's happening. At other times we just get odd statements like one character noting another's "voice made him a man."
Similarly while the core relationship between Tom and Kyrie seems pretty solid and credible the newer one between Rafiel and a new character just feels forced and happening far too fast. They don't show any real chemistry in their interactions.
So it's an entertaining enough plot that's in need of some heavy editing and probably one more draft. Not horrible but not really recommended either.
June 14, 2015
Noah's Boy (Shifter Book 3) by Sarah A. Hoyt continues with Kyrie and Tom and their shifter friends as they must again assert themselves against older shifters, but what they don't know is that bigger baddies wait behind the proverbial curtain. This time, they learn about the origin of shifters and become uncomfortably intimate with the Great Sky Dragon's powers. The couple also comes to acknowledge the growing group of shifters that have become friends and allies over the past two books.
I enjoy how Noah's Boy adds a distinctive science fiction spin to this hitherto urban fantasy series. Everything we learn in this book brings tidbits in the first two books to life, giving that delicious feeling of aha! This new depth has the potential to carry the series through several more entertaining books.
The magic/science also adds further weight to the theme of self-agency that permeates the series, from ancient dragons demanding things to romance and sex. Oh, and on that note, there is a sex crime in this book, so, trigger warning for that. Sarah Hoyt realistically handles the issue, framing it as a violation of self-agency. Mixed in with this weighty issue is the question of what makes people human – but you'll have to read the book to learn how that comes up.
Rafiel's character gets a boost in Noah's Boy as well, and if you like how Tom and Kyrie have turned out, you'll enjoy this new pairing. Personally, I appreciate that Hoyt does not follow the typical love triangle plot, and that the two couples are also very different from each other.
Sarah Hoyt once again brings a complicated plot that draws together beautifully at the end, complete with dragon fire and viscous, ancient shifters. The character continue to be refreshingly strong through their principals and their self-awareness, which is something I don't often see in urban fantasy or adventure SF. I'm gunning for the next book!
I enjoy how Noah's Boy adds a distinctive science fiction spin to this hitherto urban fantasy series. Everything we learn in this book brings tidbits in the first two books to life, giving that delicious feeling of aha! This new depth has the potential to carry the series through several more entertaining books.
The magic/science also adds further weight to the theme of self-agency that permeates the series, from ancient dragons demanding things to romance and sex. Oh, and on that note, there is a sex crime in this book, so, trigger warning for that. Sarah Hoyt realistically handles the issue, framing it as a violation of self-agency. Mixed in with this weighty issue is the question of what makes people human – but you'll have to read the book to learn how that comes up.
Rafiel's character gets a boost in Noah's Boy as well, and if you like how Tom and Kyrie have turned out, you'll enjoy this new pairing. Personally, I appreciate that Hoyt does not follow the typical love triangle plot, and that the two couples are also very different from each other.
Sarah Hoyt once again brings a complicated plot that draws together beautifully at the end, complete with dragon fire and viscous, ancient shifters. The character continue to be refreshingly strong through their principals and their self-awareness, which is something I don't often see in urban fantasy or adventure SF. I'm gunning for the next book!
March 31, 2014
The third Shifter novel. Spoilers ahead for the first two.
It opens with a young woman arriving in Goldport and being given her orders at a Chinese fast-food place by the Great Sky Dragon. She's to seduce Tom away from Kyrie and have his children. She objects to this notion. She's only there because his forces are harassing her father.
Meanwhile, a guy working maintenance -- Jason -- finds a dead body and is attacked by a creature. When he is talking with the police, Rafiel deduces that he's a shifter himself and fought off another with his bare claws. Which is the point at which Jason explains to him that the other shifter appears to be feral.
The Great Sky Dragon is not going to let a petty thing like her objections interfere, not when a crisis is coming. So he has a plot involving killing her -- temporarily -- and a fire.
The novel delves much farther into questions about why there is a Great Sky Dragon, or for that matter, shifters at all, where they came from and when. It also touches on the heritability of shifting powers, exactly how old Old Joe is, enemies they didn't know they have, and much more.
It opens with a young woman arriving in Goldport and being given her orders at a Chinese fast-food place by the Great Sky Dragon. She's to seduce Tom away from Kyrie and have his children. She objects to this notion. She's only there because his forces are harassing her father.
Meanwhile, a guy working maintenance -- Jason -- finds a dead body and is attacked by a creature. When he is talking with the police, Rafiel deduces that he's a shifter himself and fought off another with his bare claws. Which is the point at which Jason explains to him that the other shifter appears to be feral.
The Great Sky Dragon is not going to let a petty thing like her objections interfere, not when a crisis is coming. So he has a plot involving killing her -- temporarily -- and a fire.
The novel delves much farther into questions about why there is a Great Sky Dragon, or for that matter, shifters at all, where they came from and when. It also touches on the heritability of shifting powers, exactly how old Old Joe is, enemies they didn't know they have, and much more.
August 8, 2014
I really liked returning to this world of Tom’s and Kyrie’s from Draw One in the Dark and Gentleman Takes a Chance and where they own and run a diner, with a whole lot of help from their fellow shape shifters in the made- up Goldport, CO.
The Great Sky Dragon is on Tom again: he wants him to mate with a woman, who it seems to Tom, he has chosen from a hat, she seems so random. However, Rafiel and she are interested in each other, which is very nice for both of them. And something happens to The Great Sky Dragon .
I found the third book in this series delightful fun and I hope #4 comes out not too far into the future. But: Who is Noah’s Boy and why is this book titled that? A: It's obscure diner lingo and refers to a ham sandwich. The title of book #1 refers to a cup of black coffee and book #2 means stew...
The Great Sky Dragon is on Tom again: he wants him to mate with a woman, who it seems to Tom, he has chosen from a hat, she seems so random. However, Rafiel and she are interested in each other, which is very nice for both of them. And something happens to The Great Sky Dragon .
I found the third book in this series delightful fun and I hope #4 comes out not too far into the future. But: Who is Noah’s Boy and why is this book titled that? A: It's obscure diner lingo and refers to a ham sandwich. The title of book #1 refers to a cup of black coffee and book #2 means stew...
July 16, 2016
Tom is a 23 year old dragon-shifter who lives in Goldport Colorado, a small college town which only has 3 hotels and triples it's population during the school year. 22 year old Tom has "a face not quite pretty enough to be a pretty girl's, though if it had been a girl's, she wouldn't have been ugly either." Gulfport is so small it only has one hotel and the population drops by half during the summer when the college is out. But they have several restaurants, dozens of skyscraper office buildings, their own Symphony Orchestra and a world class Aquarium with a 6 story shark tank. Tom is described as "frankly pretty, if he'd been a girl he'd have been beautiful." He first shifted into a dragon 7+years ago when he was 16. He is 21.
Do you see some contradictions? The entire series is that way. With proof reading this would be a really good series. As it is it can drive you crazy. Rafael is guy with a player reputation who actually has sex for the first time when he is "date-raped" in this book. But I guess he and the author forgot he was also date raped in the last book.
Maybe I should just give it 2-1/2 stars.
Do you see some contradictions? The entire series is that way. With proof reading this would be a really good series. As it is it can drive you crazy. Rafael is guy with a player reputation who actually has sex for the first time when he is "date-raped" in this book. But I guess he and the author forgot he was also date raped in the last book.
Maybe I should just give it 2-1/2 stars.
December 2, 2013
Sequel to Draw One in the Dark, and Gentleman Takes a Chance, about shapeshifters in a small town in Colorado. Dragon shifter Tom Ormson and his girlfriend black panther shifter Kyrie Smith, as well as policeman and lion shifter Rafiel Trall have been trying to keep shifter problems under cover, but the new complications make this difficult.
Read the first two before you tackle this one. Lots of different kinds of shifters. A very interesting, very different type of shapeshifter novel.
The titles come from old-style diner lingo. Draw One in the Dark means black coffee. The 2nd & 3rd titles connect by being whatever Tom's dad orders at their diner in the previous book. Gentleman Takes a Chance is stew; Noah's Boy is a ham sandwich. In this one he orders a Bowl of Red, which is tomato soup. I don't know if that will mean a 4th book.
Read the first two before you tackle this one. Lots of different kinds of shifters. A very interesting, very different type of shapeshifter novel.
The titles come from old-style diner lingo. Draw One in the Dark means black coffee. The 2nd & 3rd titles connect by being whatever Tom's dad orders at their diner in the previous book. Gentleman Takes a Chance is stew; Noah's Boy is a ham sandwich. In this one he orders a Bowl of Red, which is tomato soup. I don't know if that will mean a 4th book.
December 16, 2013
Sara Hoyt continues the tale of a were-dragon Tom Ormson and his love, a were-panther Kyrie. Introduced a few years ago in Draw One in the Dark (free ebook) the two now jointly own a diner in Goldport and work with a were-lion, police officer Rafiel Trall to control Goldport’s shifter problems. The Great Sky Dragon has been watching Tom, because Tom is his heir. When the melania- years-old dragon leader is killed suddenly, his powers descend on Tom. Shifter death is not the same as real death, and the Great Sky Dragon was killed as a way of torture to open the gates that have kept the enemies of the first shifters at bay for tens of thousands of years. Noah’s Boy (trade from Baen) is a fun, light read. I didn’t remember the first book and downloaded it. Printed by the Philadelphia Weekly Press
April 10, 2017
I didn’t realize this was a modern urban adventure when I picked it up. I just liked the cover—dragons fighting over what could be any era’s building; and the descriptions for what went on could just as well be for any fantasy. Fortunately, I didn’t take a closer look at the spine, because I might not have picked it up if I had read the genre.
This is apparently the third in a series about animal shapeshifters, but it read just fine as a one-off (though I may have to look for the other two now). The four main characters live in Goldport, Colorado, and shift into dragons, a panther, and a lion. In the prehistoric past of shapeshifters there is an evil, and someone wants that evil to return. But nobody remembers how to stop them, or even why it’s necessary.
This was a lot of fun, and the characters were a joy to read.
This is apparently the third in a series about animal shapeshifters, but it read just fine as a one-off (though I may have to look for the other two now). The four main characters live in Goldport, Colorado, and shift into dragons, a panther, and a lion. In the prehistoric past of shapeshifters there is an evil, and someone wants that evil to return. But nobody remembers how to stop them, or even why it’s necessary.
This was a lot of fun, and the characters were a joy to read.
October 23, 2019
Exciting times! Finally Tom doesn't act like a wimp and uses his apex predator prowess to do more than cowering. Poor cop lion finds his love but gets scent raped.
Tom becomes the temporary heir to all the Dragon shifter when the all powerful Chinese Dragon alpha is kidnapped. Now Tom, must step up to the plate to not only protect the triad, but all shifter from the threat of....wait for it aliens.
I like the right scenes more than anything especially where all the shifters were called to protect Tom and all the shifters wer were revealed.
GO TOM!
Tom becomes the temporary heir to all the Dragon shifter when the all powerful Chinese Dragon alpha is kidnapped. Now Tom, must step up to the plate to not only protect the triad, but all shifter from the threat of....wait for it aliens.
I like the right scenes more than anything especially where all the shifters were called to protect Tom and all the shifters wer were revealed.
GO TOM!
June 26, 2014
As urban fantasies go, Sarah Hoyt's Shifter series falls pretty much in the middle of the pack (no pun intended). While I don't think much of her mythology, she definitely writes a fun VERY easy read, and this is another perfect example of just that.
I bought this book as a light summer read and it was just that. If however you are looking for the next Dresden Files, you will be sorely disappointed.
I bought this book as a light summer read and it was just that. If however you are looking for the next Dresden Files, you will be sorely disappointed.
June 18, 2014
Book three in a series I'm enjoying. Despite the back cover blurb's emphasis on Rafiel, the storyline is more heavily about Tom, Kyrie and the Great Sky Dragon. Some interesting developments in the origin of shifters. Recommended, but start with book one, Draw One in the Dark.
Quibble: I don't get the title reference.
Quibble: I don't get the title reference.
July 25, 2013
There are books that make you go back and read the whole series, & this is one that does. I vaguely remember one of the other books, but now will get the other two just to be sure. Good characters, good story, good shift!
July 28, 2013
Terrific book. This continuation of Sarah Hoyt's Shifter series lives up to it predecessors and gives us new insights into the nature of the dragon shifters. Recommended.
February 21, 2015
Entertaining read with a cast of characters I've really grown to like. I'll definitely be snatching up the next one whenever it comes out.
November 15, 2014
Love her books I only wish she write more
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December 2, 2024again, racism expected of the era. also could have been gayer and maybe polyamorous but 🤷🏻
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