What do you think?
Rate this book
Loki Bound
Natural disasters, gods on earth, a bid for world domination and a snarky trickster god just wishing everyone would quit destroying her furniture. What more could you want? The old gods are far from dead. Some of them live on, seeking mischief and mayhem in Norfolk, Virginia. Loki likes playtime on earth and has chosen to embrace the feminine side of life as Cleo. Unfortunately for Cleo, something is off in the area and it isn't due to a current bid for power by the trickster. That just won't do as far as Cleo is concerned, but she realizes she might need some back-up. She asks big brother to step down a plane and play in the dirt. Rocky is a classical representation of Thor and not completely sure Cleo isn't up to her old tricks. The duo nonetheless sets out to find the power shift in the magical line in the mortal plane. Posing as FBI agents, they enlist the help of local detective, Richard Martin. The trickster makes a pact with her brother to keep the secrecy of their true purpose under wraps but finds that the allure of mortal life may make a painful end to her existence for that promise.
248 pages, Paperback
First published February 16, 2013
42 people want to read
About the author
Charity Ayres
17 books17 followers Crazed Author Escapes Custody and May Be Writing Again
That sounds about right... Oh, you're still reading this? Okay then...
I write. I have to, really. It isn't a choice so much as my brain fills up with random bits of this and that until I get it out. I'm not perfect, though. It has taken completing my first novel (Loki Bound) to get to a point where I can make larger stories. I'm still a work in progress, though. Being an independent author is not an easy task and there aren't really any manuals out there for this -- Kind of like parenting. You have to learn a lot as you go. I haven't broken the kid yet, and I've found a good team of people to work with (editor, cover art, etc.), so I'm getting there.
Um, Cats! I have cats. Three of them and they're poly dactyls and seniors. They chose their names as babies, like to climb on me when I'm writing, and yell at me when I forget something.
Dogs, too. We have two. Seuss would be proud.
Daisy and Violet (youngest chose their names) a Hungarian Vizsla who was a gift from my parents when my youngest was little and told her grandpa that she wanted a dog. So, we got our crazy Daisy. Violet is a boxer-lab mix that we got as a companion for Daisy because the cats don't like her.
To be fair, the cats barely like my husband, but what can you do?
The animals, and we (their human pets) live in Virginia. One of the human pets is in the Navy while the lead human who-walks-and-runs-the-dogs (tribal name, there) writes and goes away during the day to something called a "school" where she "teaches". The littlest human goes with to "learn".
Yes, I can practically hear the dogs and cats talking. One dog perpetually sounds like she's on helium. Love the furry buggers.
So, watch for my books. I have three out and another on the way after the tweaking is finished. I hope you like them and laugh and come back for more. That's why I write, after all. Oh, and let me know what you think. I don't care if it is bad or good so long as it is honest.
That sounds about right... Oh, you're still reading this? Okay then...
I write. I have to, really. It isn't a choice so much as my brain fills up with random bits of this and that until I get it out. I'm not perfect, though. It has taken completing my first novel (Loki Bound) to get to a point where I can make larger stories. I'm still a work in progress, though. Being an independent author is not an easy task and there aren't really any manuals out there for this -- Kind of like parenting. You have to learn a lot as you go. I haven't broken the kid yet, and I've found a good team of people to work with (editor, cover art, etc.), so I'm getting there.
Um, Cats! I have cats. Three of them and they're poly dactyls and seniors. They chose their names as babies, like to climb on me when I'm writing, and yell at me when I forget something.
Dogs, too. We have two. Seuss would be proud.
Daisy and Violet (youngest chose their names) a Hungarian Vizsla who was a gift from my parents when my youngest was little and told her grandpa that she wanted a dog. So, we got our crazy Daisy. Violet is a boxer-lab mix that we got as a companion for Daisy because the cats don't like her.
To be fair, the cats barely like my husband, but what can you do?
The animals, and we (their human pets) live in Virginia. One of the human pets is in the Navy while the lead human who-walks-and-runs-the-dogs (tribal name, there) writes and goes away during the day to something called a "school" where she "teaches". The littlest human goes with to "learn".
Yes, I can practically hear the dogs and cats talking. One dog perpetually sounds like she's on helium. Love the furry buggers.
So, watch for my books. I have three out and another on the way after the tweaking is finished. I hope you like them and laugh and come back for more. That's why I write, after all. Oh, and let me know what you think. I don't care if it is bad or good so long as it is honest.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 8, 2016
I was provided a copy of this book free of charge from the author in exchange for my honest review.
I will admit, Marvel and Tom Hiddleston have made me perk up and pay attention when Loki’s name is mentioned around me. Even apart from the Avengers movies, I’ve enjoyed learning more about the original character, the trickster god, through other re-tellings and myths. Loki is exactly the kind of character I love to watch—loving to cause trouble, but not too much. So seeing another story where Loki can take a main-stage place in modern times was absolutely a draw.
Unfortunately, it seems to only be just that. (Mild spoilers below.)
Loki, here, has taken a female mortal form who goes by the name Cleo. (Her full name becomes Cleopatra Anthony. More on that later.) Early in the book, we find that Loki—Cleo—has requested that her brother Thor be sent to Earth as well, in response to a feeling that the powers have shifted somewhere in the world, and it needs looking at. (Thor becomes Rocky once in mortal form.) Cleo and Rocky do their best to slip into police roles, intent on finding this power change, but it becomes quickly evident that this may be more than either of them expected…and there’s a detective who’s proving to be quite the distraction. It’s up to Cleo and Rocky to get to the bottom of this before it ends up being too late.
So got it. There’s been a disturbance in the force, Cleo and Rocky aren’t pleased, so let’s go play Dean and Sam Winchester and grab our fake FBI badges and jump in. Rocky goes from being about as smooth as Castiel in the same situation (utterly incapable of blending in) to being more smooth about all of it than Cleo. No explanation given. Enter Detective Martin, average Joe until suddenly he’s not anymore. A mere mortal man, able to utterly throw Cleo for a loop. Chalk it up to hormones all you want, this is more than just female lust. This runs deeper.
Cleo takes a place at a local business, thinking that she can see what’s happening from the inside, as this is the most likely place for the power-balance-upset she’s been feeling. This is where my “okay, there are a few odd things” begins to fall apart into “are you serious.” First, is literally no one going to make mention that her name is Cleopatra Anthony? Really? Even if it’s a tongue-in-cheek mention, met by a “yeah, I get that a lot” from Cleo, I’m supposed to believe that no one in the world even mentions it? Questions it? Nothing? Martin’s continued presence multiplies this. I was positive I knew exactly where Ayres was going with Martin…and then it dropped me on my face. I get no explanation as to why he’s affecting Cleo the way he is. Am I supposed to believe that he’s just that much of a special snowflake that he can make even the notorious Casanova that Loki is, just roll over and play nice for him? The only way this makes sense to me is if we find out something more later, but if you’re going to carry this into future books—since I know there’s at least one more in this run—then I need something to bite into now. I need something to make me continue to care. Because right now, he’s a special snowflake Gary Stu who I have very little interest in. (Which is unfortunate, because honestly I think Martin’s one of the better characters in the book. I wouldn’t mind having him around—and also, he’s got grey eyes. Do you know how hard I have to look sometimes to find cool characters with the same color eyes as me?)
But what frustrates me the most is Cleo and Rocky themselves. There’s nothing wrong with their portrayal as Loki and Thor…except that they are. I don’t see any reason for these characters to be who they say they are. Nothing about them is intrinsic to Loki or Thor, there is no connection (well okay, no necessary/strong connection) to either of their given powers, and I think the story could have been told just as well if they hadn’t been gods, or hadn’t been those gods, or had just been supernatural beings of a different flavor. My comparison to Sam and Deam Winchester earlier wasn’t flippant; that’s what this is. This is an episode of Supernatural, except we’ve superimposed Norse gods over our favorite demon hunters. Why? Cleo doesn’t use her powers for anything more major than some shadow-jumping and minor mischief, and Rocky only seems to use his powers to destroy Cleo’s apartment or to play deus ex machina. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but whatever it was, it didn’t deliver. It felt flat and forced, and left me with little to really root for.
Ayres’ writing is good; there’s some really nice wordplay hiding throughout the book. I’ll admit to a bit of surprise at the reveal at the end, though it got muddled in with a bunch of other things that flattened it out a bit. I left the book feeling like there was an interesting concept in here…and it never quite managed to find the light of day. Which is unfortunate; I think this could have been a lot of fun.
(A belated note here at the end that I just saw: It appears that this is Ayres’ first novel, which explains a great deal to me. It doesn’t change my rating at all, but it gives me a bit of insight as to why it’s there.)
Rating: **1/2 (Almost Worth a Look)
rounded down to ** for GR
I will admit, Marvel and Tom Hiddleston have made me perk up and pay attention when Loki’s name is mentioned around me. Even apart from the Avengers movies, I’ve enjoyed learning more about the original character, the trickster god, through other re-tellings and myths. Loki is exactly the kind of character I love to watch—loving to cause trouble, but not too much. So seeing another story where Loki can take a main-stage place in modern times was absolutely a draw.
Unfortunately, it seems to only be just that. (Mild spoilers below.)
Loki, here, has taken a female mortal form who goes by the name Cleo. (Her full name becomes Cleopatra Anthony. More on that later.) Early in the book, we find that Loki—Cleo—has requested that her brother Thor be sent to Earth as well, in response to a feeling that the powers have shifted somewhere in the world, and it needs looking at. (Thor becomes Rocky once in mortal form.) Cleo and Rocky do their best to slip into police roles, intent on finding this power change, but it becomes quickly evident that this may be more than either of them expected…and there’s a detective who’s proving to be quite the distraction. It’s up to Cleo and Rocky to get to the bottom of this before it ends up being too late.
So got it. There’s been a disturbance in the force, Cleo and Rocky aren’t pleased, so let’s go play Dean and Sam Winchester and grab our fake FBI badges and jump in. Rocky goes from being about as smooth as Castiel in the same situation (utterly incapable of blending in) to being more smooth about all of it than Cleo. No explanation given. Enter Detective Martin, average Joe until suddenly he’s not anymore. A mere mortal man, able to utterly throw Cleo for a loop. Chalk it up to hormones all you want, this is more than just female lust. This runs deeper.
Cleo takes a place at a local business, thinking that she can see what’s happening from the inside, as this is the most likely place for the power-balance-upset she’s been feeling. This is where my “okay, there are a few odd things” begins to fall apart into “are you serious.” First, is literally no one going to make mention that her name is Cleopatra Anthony? Really? Even if it’s a tongue-in-cheek mention, met by a “yeah, I get that a lot” from Cleo, I’m supposed to believe that no one in the world even mentions it? Questions it? Nothing? Martin’s continued presence multiplies this. I was positive I knew exactly where Ayres was going with Martin…and then it dropped me on my face. I get no explanation as to why he’s affecting Cleo the way he is. Am I supposed to believe that he’s just that much of a special snowflake that he can make even the notorious Casanova that Loki is, just roll over and play nice for him? The only way this makes sense to me is if we find out something more later, but if you’re going to carry this into future books—since I know there’s at least one more in this run—then I need something to bite into now. I need something to make me continue to care. Because right now, he’s a special snowflake Gary Stu who I have very little interest in. (Which is unfortunate, because honestly I think Martin’s one of the better characters in the book. I wouldn’t mind having him around—and also, he’s got grey eyes. Do you know how hard I have to look sometimes to find cool characters with the same color eyes as me?)
But what frustrates me the most is Cleo and Rocky themselves. There’s nothing wrong with their portrayal as Loki and Thor…except that they are. I don’t see any reason for these characters to be who they say they are. Nothing about them is intrinsic to Loki or Thor, there is no connection (well okay, no necessary/strong connection) to either of their given powers, and I think the story could have been told just as well if they hadn’t been gods, or hadn’t been those gods, or had just been supernatural beings of a different flavor. My comparison to Sam and Deam Winchester earlier wasn’t flippant; that’s what this is. This is an episode of Supernatural, except we’ve superimposed Norse gods over our favorite demon hunters. Why? Cleo doesn’t use her powers for anything more major than some shadow-jumping and minor mischief, and Rocky only seems to use his powers to destroy Cleo’s apartment or to play deus ex machina. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but whatever it was, it didn’t deliver. It felt flat and forced, and left me with little to really root for.
Ayres’ writing is good; there’s some really nice wordplay hiding throughout the book. I’ll admit to a bit of surprise at the reveal at the end, though it got muddled in with a bunch of other things that flattened it out a bit. I left the book feeling like there was an interesting concept in here…and it never quite managed to find the light of day. Which is unfortunate; I think this could have been a lot of fun.
(A belated note here at the end that I just saw: It appears that this is Ayres’ first novel, which explains a great deal to me. It doesn’t change my rating at all, but it gives me a bit of insight as to why it’s there.)
Rating: **1/2 (Almost Worth a Look)
rounded down to ** for GR
Want to read
November 26, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/26/2020)! 🎁
October 17, 2020
I received an audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review, and here goes. I’m in love with Richard Martin. He’s not the main character but there is something about the way the author describes him that just makes him..... mmmmm. He’s in a league with Roarke from Nora Roberts’ In Death series and Reyes Farrow from Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series. I have never heard so many descriptions of a character’s eyes before but it really paints a picture. On to the main character. Loki in a story, 10/10 will definitely read. Loki as a smartass, loud mouth female, 1,000 times better. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time and I definitely will revisit when the mood strikes. It’s funny, it’s a little intense. It’s hot in all the right spots. For a first novel, Charity Ayres has done an exceptional job at storytelling. Can’t wait to start the second novel to this series. I need more Detective Martin.
April 27, 2020
Loki at his best!
The Trickster and Shapeshifter just as he should be, and for once, with a (possibly?) Happy outcome.
More Loki stories please!
The Trickster and Shapeshifter just as he should be, and for once, with a (possibly?) Happy outcome.
More Loki stories please!
July 18, 2013
This was a very fun book. Wrapping my head around Loki as a female boggled me a bit in the beginning but once I fell into the idea (and Cleo's snipes and jabs at Rocky/Thor), it worked nicely. No matter the form Loki chooses, messing with people is what this god does best.
Except, that is, when a certain detective falls into her orbit and suddenly she has a tough time conjuring up her tricky tricks. Emotion isn't all it's cracked up to be when you have godling powers that are on the fritz. Seriously. And when the trickster god finds herself tripping over her own lies... well, let's just say that it makes keeping secrets interesting.
The limitations on how often the gods can assume mortal form are intriguing. Heck, the world building itself is intriguing. Gods and power struggles and bad, bad things crawling out of the woodwork and the type of lusty romance that amuses me. Cleo knows her new mortal body just needs a good roll in the hay. That must be why she's acting all touchy-feely with the detective. Isn't it?
Seriously, fun book with plenty of potential for future shenanigans with all the gods and trouble they can get into.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Except, that is, when a certain detective falls into her orbit and suddenly she has a tough time conjuring up her tricky tricks. Emotion isn't all it's cracked up to be when you have godling powers that are on the fritz. Seriously. And when the trickster god finds herself tripping over her own lies... well, let's just say that it makes keeping secrets interesting.
The limitations on how often the gods can assume mortal form are intriguing. Heck, the world building itself is intriguing. Gods and power struggles and bad, bad things crawling out of the woodwork and the type of lusty romance that amuses me. Cleo knows her new mortal body just needs a good roll in the hay. That must be why she's acting all touchy-feely with the detective. Isn't it?
Seriously, fun book with plenty of potential for future shenanigans with all the gods and trouble they can get into.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
November 13, 2014
It may have been hot, and it wasn't as though I couldn't just whip up some rain if I wanted, but it just wasn't the right moment.
Loki the Trickster god has returned to earth in a female form and is soon joined by her brother god Thor. The two take on the identities of Cleo and Rocky and pass themselves off as FBI agents to the local police. The area surrounding Norfolk, Virginia has suddenly had a decrease in criminal activity. Cleo suspects something wicked is afoot. She gets hired by an odd company that has offices in a building that looks condemned on the outside but has rich marble floors inside. She feels an odd bit of magic that should not be there because it is her personal magic with a twist. Cleo and Rocky are joined by Detective Rich Martin in investigating the strange occurrences in town.
An interesting twist on the legend of Loki. Seeing Loki as female was a little disconcerting at first but soon fell into place as the story progressed. Twists and turns create a good solid read.
3.5 stars
Loki the Trickster god has returned to earth in a female form and is soon joined by her brother god Thor. The two take on the identities of Cleo and Rocky and pass themselves off as FBI agents to the local police. The area surrounding Norfolk, Virginia has suddenly had a decrease in criminal activity. Cleo suspects something wicked is afoot. She gets hired by an odd company that has offices in a building that looks condemned on the outside but has rich marble floors inside. She feels an odd bit of magic that should not be there because it is her personal magic with a twist. Cleo and Rocky are joined by Detective Rich Martin in investigating the strange occurrences in town.
An interesting twist on the legend of Loki. Seeing Loki as female was a little disconcerting at first but soon fell into place as the story progressed. Twists and turns create a good solid read.
3.5 stars
February 14, 2014
Wonderfully Unexpected!
If you're looking for a traditional 'gods' book, don't read this... but if you're looking to be hilariously entertained by abnormality, this is the book for you!
At first, when I started reading, I couldn't get the "Avengers" Loki out of my head... talk about awkward as you are reading about him being female... lol... but as I got used to the idea, I couldn't help but find it funny that he'd come back as a woman... Talk about something that would be the perfect prank but turns out to be more hassle than it is worth!
The book is peppered with so many giggles and laughs that I couldn't seem to put it down! I can't say that about every book that I read, but this was certainly the case with this one. I'll be wanting to read more by this author, for sure!
If you're looking for a traditional 'gods' book, don't read this... but if you're looking to be hilariously entertained by abnormality, this is the book for you!
At first, when I started reading, I couldn't get the "Avengers" Loki out of my head... talk about awkward as you are reading about him being female... lol... but as I got used to the idea, I couldn't help but find it funny that he'd come back as a woman... Talk about something that would be the perfect prank but turns out to be more hassle than it is worth!
The book is peppered with so many giggles and laughs that I couldn't seem to put it down! I can't say that about every book that I read, but this was certainly the case with this one. I'll be wanting to read more by this author, for sure!
September 22, 2016
A fascinating debut novel, this one is a clever spin on the Loki story. Ayres has shaped characters that leap off the page as they lead you through a rollicking, action-packed adventure that will keep you on the edge-of-your seat as you eagerly turn the pages to learn what happens next. If you're like me, you'll greet dawn as you wrap it up, having fought through the call of sleep, eager to learn what happens next.
Ayres is definitely an author to watch, I'm looking forward to reading the follow-up.
Ayres is definitely an author to watch, I'm looking forward to reading the follow-up.
December 30, 2016
loved the new take on Loki especially the problems with working within a mortal body
July 24, 2018
This was such a fun read! Love the characters and humor in this story. Can’t wait to read book 2!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews