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Heart of Darkness #1
The Little Crow
This edition is no longer available.
Detective Jamison Landry knew his job was never going to be easy. He’s dealt with the worst criminals imaginable and believes in his work and the community he serves. But he’s never met someone like Mal before. The mysterious man keeps him guessing, both confuses and excites him and Jamison isn’t sure how he feels about him. Things turn from unusual to downright strange when people start insisting Mal isn’t quite human. And Jamison’s creepy dreams of crows and graveyards don’t make things any better for him. Will Mal stay around long enough for Jamison to figure out his secrets or will this stranger leave him wanting more?
Detective Jamison Landry knew his job was never going to be easy. He’s dealt with the worst criminals imaginable and believes in his work and the community he serves. But he’s never met someone like Mal before. The mysterious man keeps him guessing, both confuses and excites him and Jamison isn’t sure how he feels about him. Things turn from unusual to downright strange when people start insisting Mal isn’t quite human. And Jamison’s creepy dreams of crows and graveyards don’t make things any better for him. Will Mal stay around long enough for Jamison to figure out his secrets or will this stranger leave him wanting more?
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2012
10 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Caitlin Ricci
291 books174 followersCaitlin was fortunate growing up to be surrounded by family and teachers that encouraged her love of reading. She has always been a voracious reader and that love of the written word easily morphed into a passion for writing. If she isn't writing, she can usually be found studying as she works toward her counseling degree. She comes from a military family and the men and women of the armed forces are close to her heart. She also enjoys gardening and horseback riding in the Colorado Rockies where she calls home with her wonderful fiance and their dog. Her belief that there is no one true path to happily ever after runs deeply through all of her stories.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 7, 2016
I bought this thanks to a 50% off coupon (Heather K. Dentist) and the cover, which is NOT the cover GR is showing me on my phone. IMHO, the new one is 100x better, nothing personal artist but I just love it. (To clarify, the one with the orange/black background is the one I like.)
So cop Jamison rescues Mal from some creepy drug dealing cult and weird shit starts happening. Mal is quite up front that he's a demon, but naturally it takes Jamison quite some time to believe it. For reasons even Mal is unsure of, he's kind of bonded to Jamison and wants to be with him. Much to both Jamison and Jamison's partner who's crushing on him's, dismay.
Things get ugly when Mal's masters find out about the situation. I'll be honest, I skipped the demon torture scenes. I'm a wimp that way, but I absolutely adored Mal. He was innocent and evil at the same time and didn't try to hide it. He didn't get why it was wrong for him to encourage people to commit suicide or do bad things. He was a demon afterall. *shrug* He chose some roses because the looked like blood. Perfectly natural to him. Of course he stole them, he had no "plastic money". All "normal".
So I upped my rating to 4 which I think Mal alone deserved. Because Jamison (unlike his adorable mother) was kind of an asshole. He never listened to Mal, or even his partner and I thought his reasons for being so mean to Mal without even trying to get the real details was weak. But worse, he is essentially cursing Mal and telling him to leave at dinner more or less, wakes up in the night to see him dancing and says "I never want you to leave". Really? That must have been one hell of a ballet he performed in the living room.
So the ending for me came across way too jarring, but I was happy to see Mal happy, but I'd be one of those friends telling Jamison he better treat him right or face my wrath.
So cop Jamison rescues Mal from some creepy drug dealing cult and weird shit starts happening. Mal is quite up front that he's a demon, but naturally it takes Jamison quite some time to believe it. For reasons even Mal is unsure of, he's kind of bonded to Jamison and wants to be with him. Much to both Jamison and Jamison's partner who's crushing on him's, dismay.
Things get ugly when Mal's masters find out about the situation. I'll be honest, I skipped the demon torture scenes. I'm a wimp that way, but I absolutely adored Mal. He was innocent and evil at the same time and didn't try to hide it. He didn't get why it was wrong for him to encourage people to commit suicide or do bad things. He was a demon afterall. *shrug* He chose some roses because the looked like blood. Perfectly natural to him. Of course he stole them, he had no "plastic money". All "normal".
So I upped my rating to 4 which I think Mal alone deserved. Because Jamison (unlike his adorable mother) was kind of an asshole. He never listened to Mal, or even his partner and I thought his reasons for being so mean to Mal without even trying to get the real details was weak. But worse, he is essentially cursing Mal and telling him to leave at dinner more or less, wakes up in the night to see him dancing and says "I never want you to leave". Really? That must have been one hell of a ballet he performed in the living room.
So the ending for me came across way too jarring, but I was happy to see Mal happy, but I'd be one of those friends telling Jamison he better treat him right or face my wrath.
October 10, 2016
1.5 stars
This is my Yeah, Okay Sure Face. I still don't know what the eff is going on face.
I'm going to be super serious here, I don't even understand the story. I don't know what the point is. I mean it's not really a romance. From the first time Mal is on the scene it's weird. It was manipulations, and choppy sentences. The plot didn't make much sense to me. I didn't like Mal, and Jamison was clueless. That's the safest way I can describe him. Without giving away the plot (**snorts** if you want to call it that), I still didn't get the story. It was slow, and halfway through it I wanted to chuck it. I didn't like the writing of the story. Everything felt disjointed from the pacing of the story to the characters themselves. The ending was abrupt which was not needed even thought a sequel was in the works. I can't recommend this book, because I didn't even like it.
This is my Yeah, Okay Sure Face. I still don't know what the eff is going on face.
I'm going to be super serious here, I don't even understand the story. I don't know what the point is. I mean it's not really a romance. From the first time Mal is on the scene it's weird. It was manipulations, and choppy sentences. The plot didn't make much sense to me. I didn't like Mal, and Jamison was clueless. That's the safest way I can describe him. Without giving away the plot (**snorts** if you want to call it that), I still didn't get the story. It was slow, and halfway through it I wanted to chuck it. I didn't like the writing of the story. Everything felt disjointed from the pacing of the story to the characters themselves. The ending was abrupt which was not needed even thought a sequel was in the works. I can't recommend this book, because I didn't even like it.
May 26, 2017
2.5 stars
Should trust all those less than stellar reviews. Because this book is confusing. I have no idea what the author is trying to achieve. Like there are so many things introduced (demon, cultists, cold case that Carter picks up, there is even scene in Hell?! -- et cetera) but at the same time nothing really happen.
I started skimming around half-way. Jamison is clueless and naive for a detective ... heck even Mal says so. Carter's infatuation with Jamison gives a weird "three is a crowd" vibe. Also, the ending feels unresolved.
I can only say good thing about the GORGEOUS cover. Not everything else.
Should trust all those less than stellar reviews. Because this book is confusing. I have no idea what the author is trying to achieve. Like there are so many things introduced (demon, cultists, cold case that Carter picks up, there is even scene in Hell?! -- et cetera) but at the same time nothing really happen.
I started skimming around half-way. Jamison is clueless and naive for a detective ... heck even Mal says so. Carter's infatuation with Jamison gives a weird "three is a crowd" vibe. Also, the ending feels unresolved.
I can only say good thing about the GORGEOUS cover. Not everything else.
Read
September 8, 2016Not rating because I was the editor :)
If you have read a previous edition of this, please note that there were significant changes to this edition.
If you have read a previous edition of this, please note that there were significant changes to this edition.
January 15, 2017
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review
2.5 stars
This is my third book by Caitlin Ricci, and the first fantasy book I read by her. Since I really liked the first two contemporary books, I figured this was a safe bet. Well, unfortunately “The Little Crow” left me rather disappointed.
I never understood the attraction between Jamison and Mal. Mal is annoying and stalkerish and Jamison repeatedly tells him to get lost – which Mal ignores. At one point, Mal is forced to do some pretty awful things to Jamison. Jamison is understandably pissed and feels betrayed. Mal does feel guilty, but instead of explaining why he did what he did and giving a proper apology for it, he was just annoyed that Jamison was once again telling him to stay away. The apology that came eventually was too late and too little for me to believe Jamison’s forgiveness.
Jamison was difficult to connect to. I just don’t know what to think of him. He seemed oddly naïve and innocent for a policeman. Mal repeatedly says, “You shouldn’t have freed me.” And Jamison never wonders why. I could never quite get a handle on his emotions. He was very difficult to read, even when I was reading his POV.
Mal was much easier to read. I didn’t necessarily like him, but he was simple. He had some funny ideas how to deal with people he didn’t like and he was extremely protective of Jamison.
The plot felt very unfinished. All we learned was that Mal is a weird guy. Subplots are introduced and then left hanging, going nowhere. This is only part 1 of the series, but it still felt rather unfinished.
The general idea was interesting and certainly had potential, which the author sadly never quite fully realized. The world was rather lacking, too.
The one thing I found truly fascinating was Mal’s second form, the crow. I wish there’d been more about that.
All in all, this book just wasn’t for me. Too little everything, really. I won’t continue this series.
Cover: The cover by Natasha Snow is absolutely gorgeous. That crow looks amazing and the background colours are perfect.
2.5 stars
This is my third book by Caitlin Ricci, and the first fantasy book I read by her. Since I really liked the first two contemporary books, I figured this was a safe bet. Well, unfortunately “The Little Crow” left me rather disappointed.
I never understood the attraction between Jamison and Mal. Mal is annoying and stalkerish and Jamison repeatedly tells him to get lost – which Mal ignores. At one point, Mal is forced to do some pretty awful things to Jamison. Jamison is understandably pissed and feels betrayed. Mal does feel guilty, but instead of explaining why he did what he did and giving a proper apology for it, he was just annoyed that Jamison was once again telling him to stay away. The apology that came eventually was too late and too little for me to believe Jamison’s forgiveness.
Jamison was difficult to connect to. I just don’t know what to think of him. He seemed oddly naïve and innocent for a policeman. Mal repeatedly says, “You shouldn’t have freed me.” And Jamison never wonders why. I could never quite get a handle on his emotions. He was very difficult to read, even when I was reading his POV.
Mal was much easier to read. I didn’t necessarily like him, but he was simple. He had some funny ideas how to deal with people he didn’t like and he was extremely protective of Jamison.
The plot felt very unfinished. All we learned was that Mal is a weird guy. Subplots are introduced and then left hanging, going nowhere. This is only part 1 of the series, but it still felt rather unfinished.
The general idea was interesting and certainly had potential, which the author sadly never quite fully realized. The world was rather lacking, too.
The one thing I found truly fascinating was Mal’s second form, the crow. I wish there’d been more about that.
All in all, this book just wasn’t for me. Too little everything, really. I won’t continue this series.
Cover: The cover by Natasha Snow is absolutely gorgeous. That crow looks amazing and the background colours are perfect.
October 12, 2016
The Little Crow is the first in the Heart of Darkness series by Caitlin Ricci. The book has a strong voice and sense of self, which is always enjoyable to read. The plot is somewhat complex and there are times the writing tends to trip over itself. As a result, sections of the novel occasionally fail to make sense of the story’s wider context and more than once I had to re-read a portions in order to figure out what was happening. This was frustrating, but overall the story was engaging enough that it didn’t completely detract from my experience.
The real strength of The Little Crow is Malphas. He is everything that a demon should be. Cold, calculating, and ruthless, Mal never conforms to our traditional expectations of a protagonist. He gives Jamison roses, not because they are beautiful, but because they remind him of blood. He constantly offers to kill or maim (and in one case does) those who hurt or cause even minor annoyances to Jamison. He is not kind and we find him lacking in all artifice. Which is why I like him. He is honest in his evil and though as humans we find such things repulsive, he is far more comfortable in his skin than most. Jamison serves as our human counterpart, the one to whom we are supposed to relate. And Mal and his apparent lack of humanity suitably horrify him. So much so that it makes Jamison’s attraction to the man rather baffling. We’re simply never sure why he ultimately welcomes Mal into his life. Despite being well rounded and feeing like a fully formed character, Jamison pales in comparison to Mal, but I think most characters would. Mal simply steals every page upon which he appears.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
The real strength of The Little Crow is Malphas. He is everything that a demon should be. Cold, calculating, and ruthless, Mal never conforms to our traditional expectations of a protagonist. He gives Jamison roses, not because they are beautiful, but because they remind him of blood. He constantly offers to kill or maim (and in one case does) those who hurt or cause even minor annoyances to Jamison. He is not kind and we find him lacking in all artifice. Which is why I like him. He is honest in his evil and though as humans we find such things repulsive, he is far more comfortable in his skin than most. Jamison serves as our human counterpart, the one to whom we are supposed to relate. And Mal and his apparent lack of humanity suitably horrify him. So much so that it makes Jamison’s attraction to the man rather baffling. We’re simply never sure why he ultimately welcomes Mal into his life. Despite being well rounded and feeing like a fully formed character, Jamison pales in comparison to Mal, but I think most characters would. Mal simply steals every page upon which he appears.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
September 13, 2016
This book had an interesting premise and I was invested simply from the blurb. However, the summary had more substance and meat than the actual book did. It left me wanting more, while simultaneously leaving me with a bad aftertaste. I wish I had not thought to purchase this book.
June 29, 2019
I wanted so much to like this book. The idea and the characters are really neat. But the writing was not good. Everything was written very blandly, without the introspection or development that would make the characters' actions and dialogue make sense or seem realistic.
In the first two or three chapters, I thought that was deliberate. They were from Jamison's POV and Mal was trying to influence his actions, so I thought the choppiness was meant to reflect that. And I thought that was cool, that the reader wasn't being handfed a pointed "and now mal is exerting influence to make this character do something but the character has no idea" explanation. But no, as I read further, it became obvious that that's just how it's written.
Padding out scenes with endless detail and a character constantly having navel-gazing introspection about everything can get tiresome, but there does need to be some. Especially when a character is being introduced to something that challenges their worldview.
Jamison is told Mal's a demon and their exchange has all the depth of "no you aren't, yes I am, no, yep, okay I guess." And that's it. There's no real emotional or believable reaction. Scenes change without much warning. They're talking, they mention doing something, suddenly they're there. Bad things happen and there isn't enough character reaction or response to feel any kind of emotional impact as a reader.
The whole thing felt very rushed and the characters seemed two-dimensional at best. Overall, a disappointing read.
In the first two or three chapters, I thought that was deliberate. They were from Jamison's POV and Mal was trying to influence his actions, so I thought the choppiness was meant to reflect that. And I thought that was cool, that the reader wasn't being handfed a pointed "and now mal is exerting influence to make this character do something but the character has no idea" explanation. But no, as I read further, it became obvious that that's just how it's written.
Padding out scenes with endless detail and a character constantly having navel-gazing introspection about everything can get tiresome, but there does need to be some. Especially when a character is being introduced to something that challenges their worldview.
Jamison is told Mal's a demon and their exchange has all the depth of "no you aren't, yes I am, no, yep, okay I guess." And that's it. There's no real emotional or believable reaction. Scenes change without much warning. They're talking, they mention doing something, suddenly they're there. Bad things happen and there isn't enough character reaction or response to feel any kind of emotional impact as a reader.
The whole thing felt very rushed and the characters seemed two-dimensional at best. Overall, a disappointing read.
April 5, 2018
Book – The Little Crow (In the Shadows #1)
Author – Caitlin Ricci
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 252
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, dual POV
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Detective, Paranormal, Fantasy
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
Warning: this book contains scenes of violence/torture and mentions of suicide.
Wow! I loved this one. From the world building to the characterisation, there wasn't anything I didn't like about it.
The story is told in dual POV, but in a way that means each character gets a solid 4-5 chapters of POV before switching, which is great. It means that the other character can continue doing the same routine, without us having to read about it in detail, while we head off with the more interesting storyline of the moment. It does, however, mean that we don't get Mal's first POV until Chapter 15, but the reason for that is just as vital to the story as the dual POV. It takes that long for us to learn the truth of who he is and what his part in the story is.
There's a lot of “bad” or “evil” stuff covered in the story, but only in passing and never in any real detail: cannibalism, illegal drugs, occult, hit and run, coma, drowning, suicide, torture etc. All of these things are included because – hello, Demons! – but also because they're necessary plot progressions, as well as explorations of the type of crimes that Detective Jamison investigates.
I was pulled right into the story from page one, when Jamison began any other raid by finding Mal as a prisoner, held hostage by a bunch of occultists. It was a great way to introduce us to both characters, and I loved the weirdness that Mal exhibited through Jamison's POV. Though it was obvious that something else was going on, it was nice not to have it thrown in our faces right away. Jamison had a very no-nonsense attitude, always the dedicated cop, so it was nice to follow that for a while, before dipping into the more naughyy, malevolent attitude of Mal.
When it comes to the characters, I loved them all! Mal is naughty, feisty and sometimes so utterly adorable. Jamison is sweet and proper at first, then a little vengeful, unforgiving and stubborn later on (with good reason). Carter is naive, but innocent and lovely. Jamison's mum is just amazing. I love her to pieces. I loved the chemistry between Mal and Jamison, the friendship between Carter and Jamison, the awkward friend-zone part of their friendship, and the way that Mal and Carter argued and had a nicely matched resistance towards each other. Most of all, I loved the bond that Mal had with Jamison's mother. It was just beautiful and it was perfectly explored with the cookies incident.
I really liked that we spent an almost equal amount of time in Earth and Hell, getting to see Mal in both environments, while Jamison explored his reality as well as his dreams. It was a nice twist to the whole idea, actually seeing Mal in action, while also seeing that he wasn't quite the top dog, despite what he'd want anyone to think.
The ending was really cute, but I really appreciated the little blurb and snippet of book 2 at the end, letting me know that my unanswered question of Carter's shadow was going to be answered. I would have liked a confrontation about Jamison finding out the truth about all Mal had done for him, in terms of the dream and the cat-o-nine, but at the same time I kind of love that he learns to appreciate Mal despite that knowledge. Because I think Mal would always wonder if pity or gratitude was the real reason for his change of heart, instead of genuinely wanting it.
So, pretty much the perfect ending. I can't wait to get stuck into book 2.
~
Favourite Quotes
“Freed, the man rose to his feet, and Jamison found his nose only inches from the tattoo of a crow that flew against the man’s navel. Though his mouth was dry, he swallowed thickly as he followed the trail of the intricate tattoo until the bird’s tail feathers disappeared under the waist of the man’s jeans.”
““That’s it?” Mal asked as he pulled back. “That’s not a kiss. That’s a peck. You’d give some idiot dying on the sidewalk more than that if he needed CPR. Not good enough, Jamison. Not at all. I demand more.””
““Getting back to before you were hit…” Mal said, trying to move Jamison away from thoughts of Carter. Please don’t think about him, Mal wanted to say. I’m here, I’m yours. Notice me. But he didn’t. Those thoughts sounded weak, and Mal wasn’t weak. He’d make Jamison want him more than Carter without exposing himself in the process. Weakness was for humans and the lowest imps, not for demons like Mal.”
“Mal had nearly cried as he’d stood in the shower, the hot water spraying over his chest and arms as he watched his blood mix with Jamison’s at his feet.”
Author – Caitlin Ricci
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 252
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, dual POV
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Detective, Paranormal, Fantasy
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
Warning: this book contains scenes of violence/torture and mentions of suicide.
Wow! I loved this one. From the world building to the characterisation, there wasn't anything I didn't like about it.
The story is told in dual POV, but in a way that means each character gets a solid 4-5 chapters of POV before switching, which is great. It means that the other character can continue doing the same routine, without us having to read about it in detail, while we head off with the more interesting storyline of the moment. It does, however, mean that we don't get Mal's first POV until Chapter 15, but the reason for that is just as vital to the story as the dual POV. It takes that long for us to learn the truth of who he is and what his part in the story is.
There's a lot of “bad” or “evil” stuff covered in the story, but only in passing and never in any real detail: cannibalism, illegal drugs, occult, hit and run, coma, drowning, suicide, torture etc. All of these things are included because – hello, Demons! – but also because they're necessary plot progressions, as well as explorations of the type of crimes that Detective Jamison investigates.
I was pulled right into the story from page one, when Jamison began any other raid by finding Mal as a prisoner, held hostage by a bunch of occultists. It was a great way to introduce us to both characters, and I loved the weirdness that Mal exhibited through Jamison's POV. Though it was obvious that something else was going on, it was nice not to have it thrown in our faces right away. Jamison had a very no-nonsense attitude, always the dedicated cop, so it was nice to follow that for a while, before dipping into the more naughyy, malevolent attitude of Mal.
When it comes to the characters, I loved them all! Mal is naughty, feisty and sometimes so utterly adorable. Jamison is sweet and proper at first, then a little vengeful, unforgiving and stubborn later on (with good reason). Carter is naive, but innocent and lovely. Jamison's mum is just amazing. I love her to pieces. I loved the chemistry between Mal and Jamison, the friendship between Carter and Jamison, the awkward friend-zone part of their friendship, and the way that Mal and Carter argued and had a nicely matched resistance towards each other. Most of all, I loved the bond that Mal had with Jamison's mother. It was just beautiful and it was perfectly explored with the cookies incident.
I really liked that we spent an almost equal amount of time in Earth and Hell, getting to see Mal in both environments, while Jamison explored his reality as well as his dreams. It was a nice twist to the whole idea, actually seeing Mal in action, while also seeing that he wasn't quite the top dog, despite what he'd want anyone to think.
The ending was really cute, but I really appreciated the little blurb and snippet of book 2 at the end, letting me know that my unanswered question of Carter's shadow was going to be answered. I would have liked a confrontation about Jamison finding out the truth about all Mal had done for him, in terms of the dream and the cat-o-nine, but at the same time I kind of love that he learns to appreciate Mal despite that knowledge. Because I think Mal would always wonder if pity or gratitude was the real reason for his change of heart, instead of genuinely wanting it.
So, pretty much the perfect ending. I can't wait to get stuck into book 2.
~
Favourite Quotes
“Freed, the man rose to his feet, and Jamison found his nose only inches from the tattoo of a crow that flew against the man’s navel. Though his mouth was dry, he swallowed thickly as he followed the trail of the intricate tattoo until the bird’s tail feathers disappeared under the waist of the man’s jeans.”
““That’s it?” Mal asked as he pulled back. “That’s not a kiss. That’s a peck. You’d give some idiot dying on the sidewalk more than that if he needed CPR. Not good enough, Jamison. Not at all. I demand more.””
““Getting back to before you were hit…” Mal said, trying to move Jamison away from thoughts of Carter. Please don’t think about him, Mal wanted to say. I’m here, I’m yours. Notice me. But he didn’t. Those thoughts sounded weak, and Mal wasn’t weak. He’d make Jamison want him more than Carter without exposing himself in the process. Weakness was for humans and the lowest imps, not for demons like Mal.”
“Mal had nearly cried as he’d stood in the shower, the hot water spraying over his chest and arms as he watched his blood mix with Jamison’s at his feet.”
November 3, 2016
First published in 2012, this edition of The Little Crow not only has a new cover (which is fantastic) but has been revised and re-edited from the original.
This is a book about Mal, a demon who has developed a crush on a human named Jamison. It isn’t really a romance; it isn’t a mystery; it is more a descriptive tale of a demon with a human crush, and how he unwittingly torments and “loves” a man who will never really understand him and his needs. This book has a horror, paranormal storyline.
Mal is unrepentantly a demon. He feeds off of chaos, confusion, murder, greed, all those seven deadly sins. His character never deviates from this either—there is no redeeming of the demon. Your brain will automatically search for a softening of Mal’s character so that you can justify why you might like him or why you hope for a HEA for him, but it doesn’t happen. Mal as a character forces you to accept him for who and what he is. He literally steals this book; every other character is secondary. You cannot help but love his evilness even as it confuses him why Jamison cannot do the same.
Mal’s altered state of existence is the crow. It is a form and a presence which surrounds him and allows him change into a semblance of the bird when needed. Being a Prince of Hell, he often travels between the worlds, going back to Hell often to feed off of the souls trapped there. But just like everything isn’t okay on the surface with Jamison, everything isn’t all right in Hell. Trying to straddle both existences is wearing Mal out, and eventually, events come about that force him to choose.
Jamison Landry has been a cop for a long time. He’s become a bit jaded but at his core he is a good guy. The words protect and serve mean something to him. Because his motivations are so pure, Mal cannot control him or influence his behavior. He isn’t sure what it is about Mal that keeps drawing them together, but he does know that Mal is a complicated man/demon and that he must tread carefully where he is concerned. Jamison vacillates between friendship and loathing to acceptance of Mal in this story. He and Mal never cross the line into anything sexual, even though at the end the promise is there that they will. This is a psychological paranormal story, not an erotic one. Jamison is simply Mal’s human, and now that he has been informed of the fact, it is up to him to finally accept it. Trying to reconcile his attraction to Mal with his own innate goodness creates a tension inside Jamison that he struggles with through the entire novel. This is never really resolved, and in the end, when he asks Mal to stay with him, you can’t help but wonder how long that might last.
This book left a lot of the plot and subplots on the table when it ended, which leads me to believe and hope that there will be many more installments in the series beyond this one. Only in Dreams was the second book in the series, but it has been pulled (as this one was), revised, and the new title is The Broken Butterfly. This second book doesn’t have a release date yet, but features Jamison’s partner on the force, Carter ,and the mysterious entity which follows him around through this novel. This is an unusual story and it will not be everyone’s cup of tea. Overall, I enjoyed the story, there is a lot of promise to it, and I am interested to see where the author takes it. I recommend it with reservations.
Reviewed by Carrie for The Novel Approach Reviews
This is a book about Mal, a demon who has developed a crush on a human named Jamison. It isn’t really a romance; it isn’t a mystery; it is more a descriptive tale of a demon with a human crush, and how he unwittingly torments and “loves” a man who will never really understand him and his needs. This book has a horror, paranormal storyline.
Mal is unrepentantly a demon. He feeds off of chaos, confusion, murder, greed, all those seven deadly sins. His character never deviates from this either—there is no redeeming of the demon. Your brain will automatically search for a softening of Mal’s character so that you can justify why you might like him or why you hope for a HEA for him, but it doesn’t happen. Mal as a character forces you to accept him for who and what he is. He literally steals this book; every other character is secondary. You cannot help but love his evilness even as it confuses him why Jamison cannot do the same.
Mal’s altered state of existence is the crow. It is a form and a presence which surrounds him and allows him change into a semblance of the bird when needed. Being a Prince of Hell, he often travels between the worlds, going back to Hell often to feed off of the souls trapped there. But just like everything isn’t okay on the surface with Jamison, everything isn’t all right in Hell. Trying to straddle both existences is wearing Mal out, and eventually, events come about that force him to choose.
Jamison Landry has been a cop for a long time. He’s become a bit jaded but at his core he is a good guy. The words protect and serve mean something to him. Because his motivations are so pure, Mal cannot control him or influence his behavior. He isn’t sure what it is about Mal that keeps drawing them together, but he does know that Mal is a complicated man/demon and that he must tread carefully where he is concerned. Jamison vacillates between friendship and loathing to acceptance of Mal in this story. He and Mal never cross the line into anything sexual, even though at the end the promise is there that they will. This is a psychological paranormal story, not an erotic one. Jamison is simply Mal’s human, and now that he has been informed of the fact, it is up to him to finally accept it. Trying to reconcile his attraction to Mal with his own innate goodness creates a tension inside Jamison that he struggles with through the entire novel. This is never really resolved, and in the end, when he asks Mal to stay with him, you can’t help but wonder how long that might last.
This book left a lot of the plot and subplots on the table when it ended, which leads me to believe and hope that there will be many more installments in the series beyond this one. Only in Dreams was the second book in the series, but it has been pulled (as this one was), revised, and the new title is The Broken Butterfly. This second book doesn’t have a release date yet, but features Jamison’s partner on the force, Carter ,and the mysterious entity which follows him around through this novel. This is an unusual story and it will not be everyone’s cup of tea. Overall, I enjoyed the story, there is a lot of promise to it, and I am interested to see where the author takes it. I recommend it with reservations.
Reviewed by Carrie for The Novel Approach Reviews
January 13, 2013
After finishing this story, I was left with the distinct feeling that I had not read a complete story arc. Beginning at a raid on a cult’s quarters and rescuing their bound captive, and ending on a highly ambiguous note, I followed along with the gathering sense that all was not as it should be, but was not left with any demonstration of what to do about it or why. Jamison Landry, the MC, was not having as easy a time putting the clues together and has equally little resolution.
Jamison is faced repeatedly with strange things happening around the man he rescued, but such peculiar events as his captain insisting Jamison host Mal in his own home, or having the secrets of others laid bare to him, aren’t making him worry. He’s understandably slow to decide that Mal’s influence might be causing this. Unfortunately, he also seems very slow to realize that strange things do happen around Mal, and his sense of alarm is so blunted as to be very frustrating.
Even when he’s provoked to the point of shooting, it’s very difficult to feel Jamison’s emotions—we are told them, but the sense of being in his head just isn’t there. What should be creepy and frightening is then more annoying, because the signals that he should be feeling various emotions are there but the actual feeling is not. Jamison was very difficult to connect to because of this, even though he’s the POV character.
Mal is much easier to read and to connect to—his offers are sincere if occasionally horrifying, his moods easily read. He wants what he wants and he’s not accustomed to being denied. “You shouldn’t have freed me,” he tells Jamison, and Jamison never wonders why.
The story arc here is “Mal is one strange dude” which isn’t complete. Subplots are introduced, such as tension with Jamison’s detective partner, Carter, and a cold case for them to investigate, but don’t venture past the initial mentions towards the end of the story. All in all, this read like the introductory act of a much longer book, and it ends with nothing resolved.
The beginnings of the second book are included at the end, which makes it even more clear that development and resolution of the plot and subplots take place elsewhere. The story is not billed as a serial novel but probably should be.
The setting could be Anywhere, USA; there aren’t any clues aside from a quick reference to the automobile industry to place the story. The police department seems big enough to have several distinct departments, but everyone does everything until someone has a jurisdictional snit, which feels handwavy. These things would be easier to overlook with a complete plot arc to occupy attention.
I’m interested enough to want to know how this plays out, but I really want the entire story in one volume before I pick it up again.
Jamison is faced repeatedly with strange things happening around the man he rescued, but such peculiar events as his captain insisting Jamison host Mal in his own home, or having the secrets of others laid bare to him, aren’t making him worry. He’s understandably slow to decide that Mal’s influence might be causing this. Unfortunately, he also seems very slow to realize that strange things do happen around Mal, and his sense of alarm is so blunted as to be very frustrating.
Even when he’s provoked to the point of shooting, it’s very difficult to feel Jamison’s emotions—we are told them, but the sense of being in his head just isn’t there. What should be creepy and frightening is then more annoying, because the signals that he should be feeling various emotions are there but the actual feeling is not. Jamison was very difficult to connect to because of this, even though he’s the POV character.
Mal is much easier to read and to connect to—his offers are sincere if occasionally horrifying, his moods easily read. He wants what he wants and he’s not accustomed to being denied. “You shouldn’t have freed me,” he tells Jamison, and Jamison never wonders why.
The story arc here is “Mal is one strange dude” which isn’t complete. Subplots are introduced, such as tension with Jamison’s detective partner, Carter, and a cold case for them to investigate, but don’t venture past the initial mentions towards the end of the story. All in all, this read like the introductory act of a much longer book, and it ends with nothing resolved.
The beginnings of the second book are included at the end, which makes it even more clear that development and resolution of the plot and subplots take place elsewhere. The story is not billed as a serial novel but probably should be.
The setting could be Anywhere, USA; there aren’t any clues aside from a quick reference to the automobile industry to place the story. The police department seems big enough to have several distinct departments, but everyone does everything until someone has a jurisdictional snit, which feels handwavy. These things would be easier to overlook with a complete plot arc to occupy attention.
I’m interested enough to want to know how this plays out, but I really want the entire story in one volume before I pick it up again.
September 11, 2016
The Little crow is an unusual book. When we are using the term unusual it can be either good or awful, The Little Crow was great! I am trying to think about a story that it can be compared to, but I did not find any. From what I can see it was previously released and Nine Stars Press picked it up and I am glad they did. You will not find steamy scenes in that book its main focus is at the psychological level. I rarely had the chance to read a PNR story that is going down that road.
Detective Jamison Landry and his team arrived on location to what is suppose to be a drug bust. To their surprise, they have to deal with cultists that had chained a man in the basement. Jamison freed the man (named Mal). Mal was able to point out where the drugs were hidden and that’s when Jamison world turned upside down.
Mal is a demon, one of the strongest one that you can encounter. Once he was freed by Jamison, Mal became totally obsessed with him. He wants to be with him, he doesn’t understand why but all he wants is Jamison. Demons can erase memories and manipulate people thoughts. You can be sure that Mal used plenty of tricks throughout the story to have its way with Jamison.
Mal was able to manipulate most of Jamison entourage, except for Carter (Jamison teammate and best friend). That’s how he was able to end up at Jamison house and convince him to have a dinner date with him. Jamison is all about standing up to help others and make the world a better place to live in. Mal is a demon that is feeding over suffering, guilt and so on. As you can imagine huge clash happened between those two.
Caitlin Ricci imagination is taking us in Hell with Mal and is giving this story a unique appeal. It took me a while to warm up to Jamison character, which is odd because right off the bat I liked Mal. It might be because Jamison is cold and that he closed his heart to love so long ago or maybe because he is living a life that has no room for surprises and excitement. Mal is like a loose cannon that doesn't know (nor does he care) about ethics and social rules. He is doing what he wants and when he wants to. It was a fun thing to see those 2 different ways to live to clash together and see both of the characters them grow.
I can’t wait for the second book of the series to be released I know that I will have a fun time again!
*I was gifted this book by The Jeep Diva in exchange for an honest review.
Detective Jamison Landry and his team arrived on location to what is suppose to be a drug bust. To their surprise, they have to deal with cultists that had chained a man in the basement. Jamison freed the man (named Mal). Mal was able to point out where the drugs were hidden and that’s when Jamison world turned upside down.
Mal is a demon, one of the strongest one that you can encounter. Once he was freed by Jamison, Mal became totally obsessed with him. He wants to be with him, he doesn’t understand why but all he wants is Jamison. Demons can erase memories and manipulate people thoughts. You can be sure that Mal used plenty of tricks throughout the story to have its way with Jamison.
Mal was able to manipulate most of Jamison entourage, except for Carter (Jamison teammate and best friend). That’s how he was able to end up at Jamison house and convince him to have a dinner date with him. Jamison is all about standing up to help others and make the world a better place to live in. Mal is a demon that is feeding over suffering, guilt and so on. As you can imagine huge clash happened between those two.
Caitlin Ricci imagination is taking us in Hell with Mal and is giving this story a unique appeal. It took me a while to warm up to Jamison character, which is odd because right off the bat I liked Mal. It might be because Jamison is cold and that he closed his heart to love so long ago or maybe because he is living a life that has no room for surprises and excitement. Mal is like a loose cannon that doesn't know (nor does he care) about ethics and social rules. He is doing what he wants and when he wants to. It was a fun thing to see those 2 different ways to live to clash together and see both of the characters them grow.
I can’t wait for the second book of the series to be released I know that I will have a fun time again!
*I was gifted this book by The Jeep Diva in exchange for an honest review.
December 23, 2016
Original review on Molly Lolly
Three and a half stars!
There are things about this story I absolutely adored and things I couldn’t take. It made for this odd mix of enjoying the heck out of the story and being disappointed at the same time.
I liked Jamison. He was a strong character and I liked his conviction through most of the story. He waffled a bit in parts but he stuck to his guns when it came to wanting Mal to be nicer and live up to standards of behavior so they could pursue a relationship. I was a little surprised at his quick turn around at the end of the story though. It was fast and left me feeling a bit off kilter.
Mal was completely fascinating. My favorite parts of him were when he showed his emotions. When he allowed himself to be vulnerable with Jamison and be human-ish. Those were the times you could see why Mal stuck with Jamison and didn’t want to leave. I found it kind of hysterical who Mal considered his friend. The scenes with those two are such a trip. It brought some levity to the story and me like Mal a bit more.
The two parts that I couldn’t handle though were huge. The first is Mal’s actions in Jamison’s dream as dictated by Mal’s master. I appreciate that it wasn’t written in graphic detail but there was more than there should have been. That scene should have been more subtle than it was. I got why it happened but I really don’t think the story should have gone there. It was a bit gratuitous and unneeded. My second issue with the story was the ending. It just… stopped. there is still much for these two to discuss. They still have lots of things to figure out before they can truly give a a relationship a real try. The way Jamison acts in that final scene didn’t jive too well with his actions up until that point so it felt disingenuous. Not to mention the nitty gritty logistics. I needed more closure. I need more story since this one doesn’t feel done yet.
Three and a half stars!
There are things about this story I absolutely adored and things I couldn’t take. It made for this odd mix of enjoying the heck out of the story and being disappointed at the same time.
I liked Jamison. He was a strong character and I liked his conviction through most of the story. He waffled a bit in parts but he stuck to his guns when it came to wanting Mal to be nicer and live up to standards of behavior so they could pursue a relationship. I was a little surprised at his quick turn around at the end of the story though. It was fast and left me feeling a bit off kilter.
Mal was completely fascinating. My favorite parts of him were when he showed his emotions. When he allowed himself to be vulnerable with Jamison and be human-ish. Those were the times you could see why Mal stuck with Jamison and didn’t want to leave. I found it kind of hysterical who Mal considered his friend. The scenes with those two are such a trip. It brought some levity to the story and me like Mal a bit more.
The two parts that I couldn’t handle though were huge. The first is Mal’s actions in Jamison’s dream as dictated by Mal’s master. I appreciate that it wasn’t written in graphic detail but there was more than there should have been. That scene should have been more subtle than it was. I got why it happened but I really don’t think the story should have gone there. It was a bit gratuitous and unneeded. My second issue with the story was the ending. It just… stopped. there is still much for these two to discuss. They still have lots of things to figure out before they can truly give a a relationship a real try. The way Jamison acts in that final scene didn’t jive too well with his actions up until that point so it felt disingenuous. Not to mention the nitty gritty logistics. I needed more closure. I need more story since this one doesn’t feel done yet.
January 20, 2013
Grade: B-
Detective Jamison Landry is on what he thinks is a routine drug-bust when he's confronted with a man whose been kidnapped by what looks to be a bunch of crazy cultists. After rescuing the man, Jamison tries to help the victim. But, Mal is exotic, unpredictable and sometimes scary. Some people, including other cops think Mal's a demon; however, Jamison just thinks he's a pain. When his boss orders him to let Mal move in with him, Jamison knows he's in trouble. He's attracted to Mal, but the other man is evasive about his background. And when weird things start to happen in Mal's vicinity, he begins to wonder if his co-workers might be on to something.
The Little Crow starts off with a creepy and unsettling tone which does not let up through the entire novella. I compare it to an episode of Supernatural (first or second season, ya know, when the show was still good. *g*) I was really intrigued by Mal, I couldn't decide if he was an actual demon or just some strange guy. I also liked Jamison, who despite his cop instincts lets Mal get under his skin, ignoring all sorts of red flags that might otherwise have made him suspicious.
The only reason I did not grade The Little Crow higher was the ending was extremely abrupt and didn't make much sense in the context of the rest of the plot. But, I did find out from a blurb at the end of the novella, that this is just the first part of an ongoing series. So, in light of that, I could see why the ending was so sudden. Overall, I think was an interesting start to what I hope is a creepy, eerie love story between Jamison and Mal.
Recommend for readers who like a little twist in their paranormal book.
Lasha's Paranormal M/M Reviews
Detective Jamison Landry is on what he thinks is a routine drug-bust when he's confronted with a man whose been kidnapped by what looks to be a bunch of crazy cultists. After rescuing the man, Jamison tries to help the victim. But, Mal is exotic, unpredictable and sometimes scary. Some people, including other cops think Mal's a demon; however, Jamison just thinks he's a pain. When his boss orders him to let Mal move in with him, Jamison knows he's in trouble. He's attracted to Mal, but the other man is evasive about his background. And when weird things start to happen in Mal's vicinity, he begins to wonder if his co-workers might be on to something.
The Little Crow starts off with a creepy and unsettling tone which does not let up through the entire novella. I compare it to an episode of Supernatural (first or second season, ya know, when the show was still good. *g*) I was really intrigued by Mal, I couldn't decide if he was an actual demon or just some strange guy. I also liked Jamison, who despite his cop instincts lets Mal get under his skin, ignoring all sorts of red flags that might otherwise have made him suspicious.
The only reason I did not grade The Little Crow higher was the ending was extremely abrupt and didn't make much sense in the context of the rest of the plot. But, I did find out from a blurb at the end of the novella, that this is just the first part of an ongoing series. So, in light of that, I could see why the ending was so sudden. Overall, I think was an interesting start to what I hope is a creepy, eerie love story between Jamison and Mal.
Recommend for readers who like a little twist in their paranormal book.
Lasha's Paranormal M/M Reviews
September 22, 2016
Such a strange yet entertaining paranormal story. This is not your typical demon and human fall in love and try to make it work, yadda, yadda, yadda, book. It’s more the story of a cop, Jamison, who is truly a good man, who just so happens to rescue a demon, Malphas, that becomes infatuated with him. Unfortunately, as a demon and a prince of hell, Mal just can’t not be a troublemaker and he thrives on evil and guilt. He doesn’t have a conscience and can’t understand why Jamison struggles with his deeds. These two have lots to get past and I was beginning to wonder if they ever would.
This is not really a love story, even though they do end up together. It is more the mechanics of a human learning that heaven and hell do exist, and the demon who falls for a him and does everything in his power to get the human to want him back. Trust me when I say it gets a lot harder before they finally take a chance on each other. Like literally the end of book.
That was not an issue for me because I think the purpose of the story was their actual journey not the final result. Looking at it that way, I was able to really enjoy it for what it was. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book, and I hope that Carter gets his happy ending because that poor guy really deserves it.
This is not really a love story, even though they do end up together. It is more the mechanics of a human learning that heaven and hell do exist, and the demon who falls for a him and does everything in his power to get the human to want him back. Trust me when I say it gets a lot harder before they finally take a chance on each other. Like literally the end of book.
That was not an issue for me because I think the purpose of the story was their actual journey not the final result. Looking at it that way, I was able to really enjoy it for what it was. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book, and I hope that Carter gets his happy ending because that poor guy really deserves it.
January 2, 2017
Such a strange yet entertaining paranormal story. This is not your typical demon and human fall in love and try to make it work, yadda, yadda, yadda, book. It’s more the story of a cop, Jamison, who is truly a good man, who just so happens to rescue a demon, Malphas, that becomes infatuated with him. Unfortunately, as a demon and a prince of hell, Mal just can’t not be a troublemaker and he thrives on evil and guilt. He doesn’t have a conscience and can’t understand why Jamison struggles with his deeds. These two have lots to get past and I was beginning to wonder if they ever would.
This is not really a love story, even though they do end up together. It is more the mechanics of a human learning that heaven and hell do exist, and the demon who falls for a him and does everything in his power to get the human to want him back. Trust me when I say it gets a lot harder before they finally take a chance on each other. Like literally the end of book.
That was not an issue for me because I think the purpose of the story was their actual journey not the final result. Looking at it that way, I was able to really enjoy it for what it was. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book, and I hope that Carter gets his happy ending because that poor guy really deserves it.
This is not really a love story, even though they do end up together. It is more the mechanics of a human learning that heaven and hell do exist, and the demon who falls for a him and does everything in his power to get the human to want him back. Trust me when I say it gets a lot harder before they finally take a chance on each other. Like literally the end of book.
That was not an issue for me because I think the purpose of the story was their actual journey not the final result. Looking at it that way, I was able to really enjoy it for what it was. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book, and I hope that Carter gets his happy ending because that poor guy really deserves it.
January 4, 2014
I don't really know how to review this book. the story was interesting but half way through I was forcing myself to read it. I didn't connect with the characters and, really, how long can a story go on where the twoain characters are constantly fighting with eachothet and still be interesting? At some point I just wanted them to get over it and develop as a couple. I also have no idea how Jamison got to the point of loving Mal. Yet, it was still a new idea and I am happy I finished it. Don't think I'll read the rest though.
January 20, 2013
The Little Crow introduces intriguing characters which I hope to see more of in the future. Ricci has developed the relationship between the two major characters more from a psychological standpoint than an erotic one. I don't want to spoil so I can't say too much more. If you like Ms. Ricci already, you will want to read this. If you are unfamiliar with her work, this will introduce you to her voice.
February 20, 2013
This was a weird story. Edgar Allan Po/Alfred Hitchcock weird.
Only it took me too long to finish this not very long story because it was boring (for me). I pretty much guessed the ending. And as I said - weird. Not exactly a romance. Not at all. More of a mystery. But not much of a mystery, too.
I didn't like the writing style much. But that is me again.
Only it took me too long to finish this not very long story because it was boring (for me). I pretty much guessed the ending. And as I said - weird. Not exactly a romance. Not at all. More of a mystery. But not much of a mystery, too.
I didn't like the writing style much. But that is me again.
December 25, 2012
This was a really good read! I never know what to say...just that I really enjoyed it. The story was engaging, I liked the characters very much and it kept me glued to the computer until I was done. I only got up for an extra helping of cake...
Thanks for writing such a great story!
Anna
Thanks for writing such a great story!
Anna
December 7, 2012
Ничего не поняла, но хочу продолжения.
December 28, 2012
Very very weird, but enjoyable. Will definitely read the sequel because that was one hell of a cliffhanger at the end.
August 24, 2015
I really don't know what Author wanted to get out of that story plot but how it was written is not okay. Something is off in it.
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