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Knights of Amaranth #1
Remain
Jace is an artist whose personal life took a back seat two years ago after he parted ways with an alcoholic ex-boyfriend. He has settled comfortably into his new life alone. He works mornings at the local coffee shop and evenings at an art gallery. His life is quiet, but that’s alright with Jace.
Until he meets Morgan. The man is intense, passionate and earnest to a fault. Jace falls head over heels, but it quickly becomes clear that Morgan is more than he seems. As Jace finds himself thrown into a world of monstrous creatures and arcane beings, he’s confronted with Morgan’s real nature – a knight of the fey, sworn in service to a Seelie Queen. It’s a world Morgan never meant him to know.
Jace’s arrival in the fey realm turns the heads of many. When the price of their tryst becomes a fight for their lives, Jace and Morgan face questions of love, loyalty and what humanity truly means. Each must decide where he stands before fate makes the decision for them.
Word Count: 69,497
Until he meets Morgan. The man is intense, passionate and earnest to a fault. Jace falls head over heels, but it quickly becomes clear that Morgan is more than he seems. As Jace finds himself thrown into a world of monstrous creatures and arcane beings, he’s confronted with Morgan’s real nature – a knight of the fey, sworn in service to a Seelie Queen. It’s a world Morgan never meant him to know.
Jace’s arrival in the fey realm turns the heads of many. When the price of their tryst becomes a fight for their lives, Jace and Morgan face questions of love, loyalty and what humanity truly means. Each must decide where he stands before fate makes the decision for them.
Word Count: 69,497
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2013
2 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 26, 2013
I very much enjoyed this adventurous, yet romantic tale of stepping through the fabric of one world into that of another, to chase after love. Entering the story, I was immediately captivated by Jace, a lonely, but determined young artist, who after a debilitating breakup with his lover two years earlier, is taking things one day at a time. Jace lives above a gallery which is home to some of his artwork, but manages a coffee shop to pay his bills. He’s a bit gun-shy on the romance, and as such has been slow to hook up steadily with anyone despite hearty encouragement from his gal pal, Felicia. His life, attitude, and world change dramatically one night, when in quick succession, his automobile collides with an unseen object, he finds a strange silver-pronged stone, and he’s drawn to a strikingly attractive stranger at his gallery.
That stranger is Morgan, a handsome, virile warrior from another realm who has entered Jace’s gallery hunting for a creature who has escaped from his homeland. Hoping to capture the creature and leave without anyone being the wiser, Morgan instead has a chance encounter with the shy sweetness that is Jace and decides he cannot depart without a taste of the beautiful man. What follows is a night of passion that neither man can forget and ends with the beginning of an adventurous odyssey that spans two worlds.
Attempting to slip away in the wee hours of the morning, Morgan is followed by Jace, who unknowingly moves from this world into the world of Amaranth, the realm of the fey. The adventures that follow reveal clever and detailed glimpses into the land of Amaranth, its fey inhabitants, and the laws and climate of the reigning fairy queen. As Morgan attempts to return Jace to his world, laws are broken, creatures appear and are slain, family and friends are betrayed, and a beautiful queen is discovered to be treacherously evil.
Despite the awkward atmosphere experienced by both Jace and Morgan upon the initial discovery of what their night of passion has wrought, the spiraling adventures lead the two men to forge a trust in each other that transforms their fledging attraction into a binding love. But as a true knight of Amaranth, Morgan is determined to keep his promise to get Jace back to his home despite his personal sense of loss, and Jace is plagued with uncertainty and angst about what kind of life he can possibly have absent of Morgan.
Nicely paced and penned, the author slices through the elaborate world-building that frequently accompanies the fantasy genre, utilizing a brilliant, condensed style that weaves a rich tapestry for the senses, providing an enchanting and enigmatic vision of the world of Amaranth and its people. The smex is romantically hot and both characters are easily inhabitable; Jace’s shyness shifting to pluck, as he rises to the challenges that make him adorable, and Morgan’s struggles to balance his needs with that of the realm, make him a knight worthy of love. I especially enjoyed the characterization of the queen of the fey city Brynstoem, a spectacular vision of evil in the guise of beauty and light. Members of the supporting cast were delightful; I hope the author plans a sequel. I would love to hear more about Llewellyn, the queen’s young brother, and Hector, Morgan’s comrade, both of whom have an air of mystery surrounding them.
Thank you, Alex Jones, for penning this sharp, smart, fantasy adventure of lonely men, lonelier knights and the fight for love. I’ll go with “Enchanting, plucky, gallant!”
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
That stranger is Morgan, a handsome, virile warrior from another realm who has entered Jace’s gallery hunting for a creature who has escaped from his homeland. Hoping to capture the creature and leave without anyone being the wiser, Morgan instead has a chance encounter with the shy sweetness that is Jace and decides he cannot depart without a taste of the beautiful man. What follows is a night of passion that neither man can forget and ends with the beginning of an adventurous odyssey that spans two worlds.
Attempting to slip away in the wee hours of the morning, Morgan is followed by Jace, who unknowingly moves from this world into the world of Amaranth, the realm of the fey. The adventures that follow reveal clever and detailed glimpses into the land of Amaranth, its fey inhabitants, and the laws and climate of the reigning fairy queen. As Morgan attempts to return Jace to his world, laws are broken, creatures appear and are slain, family and friends are betrayed, and a beautiful queen is discovered to be treacherously evil.
Despite the awkward atmosphere experienced by both Jace and Morgan upon the initial discovery of what their night of passion has wrought, the spiraling adventures lead the two men to forge a trust in each other that transforms their fledging attraction into a binding love. But as a true knight of Amaranth, Morgan is determined to keep his promise to get Jace back to his home despite his personal sense of loss, and Jace is plagued with uncertainty and angst about what kind of life he can possibly have absent of Morgan.
Nicely paced and penned, the author slices through the elaborate world-building that frequently accompanies the fantasy genre, utilizing a brilliant, condensed style that weaves a rich tapestry for the senses, providing an enchanting and enigmatic vision of the world of Amaranth and its people. The smex is romantically hot and both characters are easily inhabitable; Jace’s shyness shifting to pluck, as he rises to the challenges that make him adorable, and Morgan’s struggles to balance his needs with that of the realm, make him a knight worthy of love. I especially enjoyed the characterization of the queen of the fey city Brynstoem, a spectacular vision of evil in the guise of beauty and light. Members of the supporting cast were delightful; I hope the author plans a sequel. I would love to hear more about Llewellyn, the queen’s young brother, and Hector, Morgan’s comrade, both of whom have an air of mystery surrounding them.
Thank you, Alex Jones, for penning this sharp, smart, fantasy adventure of lonely men, lonelier knights and the fight for love. I’ll go with “Enchanting, plucky, gallant!”
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
August 20, 2013
Could have done with a lot less sex and a little more storytelling. The rotating POV was interesting at first, but I feel that it ultimately detracted from the story and made it harder to relate to the protagonists. The magic of Amaranth, the politics, and the monsters were the most interesting parts of the story, and they weren't discussed that much at all. Just things that were kind of there. If there are sequels to Remain, I hope they are more fleshed out and not in the sexual way.
March 16, 2016
Reviewed for Rainbow Gold Reviews
A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
In an ever growing genre, it’s easy for authors and books to get mired down in your to-be-read list. That’s what happened to me with Remain. I was excited to pick it with our new weekly theme. It ended up being a big surprise to me; a good one. I knew it was a fantasy adventure type story and I haven’t read many of those inside the m/m genre. Remain kept me on the edge of my seat, and I had the hardest time putting my e-reader down when real life came calling.
Jace is a normal man working in a coffee shop and an artist on the side. When he meets Morgan at an art gallery, it’s obvious to him there is a strong connection with the other man. Morgan, a fey knight who crossed into our world to apprehend an unseelie, isn’t supposed to have contact with humans, but can’t resist talking to Jace. Of course, talking leads to more and Jace unwittingly follows Morgan into another world when he tries to leave.
The real story occurs in Amaranth, a parallel world filled with fey, trolls, imps, and wierwolves. Magic exists in Amaranth and humans are not exactly welcome there. There is a reason for that, but it seems that the queen would like to keep her subjects and warriors in the dark. With Jace’s existence in both worlds hanging in the balance, Morgan, a fellow warrior named Hector, and a cursed young boy fight to save Jace and possibly all of Amaranth. There is plenty of action and suspense. I had no idea how it would play out, but I couldn’t stop reading at certain scenes even when I should have been doing other things. Like eating or sleeping.
I’ve read the blurbs for the other books in the series and it looks like they feature different couples as main characters in each one, and I have to believe that story that started in Amaranth of a wicked queen and a cursed boy will continue to play out. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series as well. If you like a bit of fantasy and action in your stories, this series is definitely for you. I highly recommend it.
9/10 Pots of Gold (90% Recommended) – Compares to 4.5/5 Stars
A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
In an ever growing genre, it’s easy for authors and books to get mired down in your to-be-read list. That’s what happened to me with Remain. I was excited to pick it with our new weekly theme. It ended up being a big surprise to me; a good one. I knew it was a fantasy adventure type story and I haven’t read many of those inside the m/m genre. Remain kept me on the edge of my seat, and I had the hardest time putting my e-reader down when real life came calling.
Jace is a normal man working in a coffee shop and an artist on the side. When he meets Morgan at an art gallery, it’s obvious to him there is a strong connection with the other man. Morgan, a fey knight who crossed into our world to apprehend an unseelie, isn’t supposed to have contact with humans, but can’t resist talking to Jace. Of course, talking leads to more and Jace unwittingly follows Morgan into another world when he tries to leave.
The real story occurs in Amaranth, a parallel world filled with fey, trolls, imps, and wierwolves. Magic exists in Amaranth and humans are not exactly welcome there. There is a reason for that, but it seems that the queen would like to keep her subjects and warriors in the dark. With Jace’s existence in both worlds hanging in the balance, Morgan, a fellow warrior named Hector, and a cursed young boy fight to save Jace and possibly all of Amaranth. There is plenty of action and suspense. I had no idea how it would play out, but I couldn’t stop reading at certain scenes even when I should have been doing other things. Like eating or sleeping.
I’ve read the blurbs for the other books in the series and it looks like they feature different couples as main characters in each one, and I have to believe that story that started in Amaranth of a wicked queen and a cursed boy will continue to play out. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series as well. If you like a bit of fantasy and action in your stories, this series is definitely for you. I highly recommend it.
9/10 Pots of Gold (90% Recommended) – Compares to 4.5/5 Stars
August 4, 2013
SlashReaders: I have a soft spot for books that deal with faeries or things of this nature and so I bought this book on a spur of the moment decision. I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed. For the most part I feel that this is an underdeveloped area of fantasy at the moment with many people focusing on vampires and werewolves. Though they all have their fun points, there are a lot more books in that vane than this one.
"Remain", starts off in a rather predictable fashion. Jace, is still hanging on to his ex after two years. He lives above a gallery space that shows some of his art work. Returning home from work one night for an opening, the last thing he expects is to meet Morgan. Handsome and mysterious, Jace has no desire to resist him. However, Morgan is not all that he seems on the surface... as Jace learns when he accidently follows his one night stand home.
My favorite part of this book is the way that Jace's artistic abilities were a key part of the story line. It's always a pleasure to see writers work the details together so that everything has a purpose. Alex Jones, also does something else that I appreciate and that is to include well developed side characters. Morgan's sister was a lot of fun to get to know. On the surface she was the typical bubbly fantasy chick but by the end she has more depth than her first appearance.
As the first part of a series, this book is wrapped up well but with enough intrigue and loose ends to encourage further reading. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book.
"Remain", starts off in a rather predictable fashion. Jace, is still hanging on to his ex after two years. He lives above a gallery space that shows some of his art work. Returning home from work one night for an opening, the last thing he expects is to meet Morgan. Handsome and mysterious, Jace has no desire to resist him. However, Morgan is not all that he seems on the surface... as Jace learns when he accidently follows his one night stand home.
My favorite part of this book is the way that Jace's artistic abilities were a key part of the story line. It's always a pleasure to see writers work the details together so that everything has a purpose. Alex Jones, also does something else that I appreciate and that is to include well developed side characters. Morgan's sister was a lot of fun to get to know. On the surface she was the typical bubbly fantasy chick but by the end she has more depth than her first appearance.
As the first part of a series, this book is wrapped up well but with enough intrigue and loose ends to encourage further reading. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book.
June 8, 2014
To read my full review, please visit http://onsilverwingz.blogspot.com/201...
Morgan, a traveling fae knight, chases an imp to Jace's world. The attraction between them is instant but they are ultimately from different worlds and must return to each their own. Jace accidentally follows Morgan to the fae realm and got tricked by the evil fae queen. Jace must keep himself alive in the queen's garden of wild beasts while Morgan finds a way to return him to his world.
Jace seems meek when he blindly follows orders from the fae around him, including the queen. He's weak physically since he cannot battle and weak mentally when he stops believing in Morgan. However, he's willing to do what is right and help those that helped him, at the cost of his own safety. He's coping with a bad situation and many people would be able to connect with him.
Jace's romance with Morgan is forbidden and Morgan wars with his heart and his head about that love. Morgan is bound by honor to his queen and his sister. There is some angst from him when he cannot give up his bonds to be with Jace even though he desires him. He is also a good character that readers will sympathize with.
This is a fantasy romance novel with many wild beast fights, magic, and the fae. The story line is on the bland side and the idea isn't new, so it might get tiresome towards the end. The world building is detailed and intricate, especially concerning how the fae realm exists in relation to the human/moral realm and the intermingling of its creatures. I would recommend this story to those that love a good world building and forbidden romance.
Morgan, a traveling fae knight, chases an imp to Jace's world. The attraction between them is instant but they are ultimately from different worlds and must return to each their own. Jace accidentally follows Morgan to the fae realm and got tricked by the evil fae queen. Jace must keep himself alive in the queen's garden of wild beasts while Morgan finds a way to return him to his world.
Jace seems meek when he blindly follows orders from the fae around him, including the queen. He's weak physically since he cannot battle and weak mentally when he stops believing in Morgan. However, he's willing to do what is right and help those that helped him, at the cost of his own safety. He's coping with a bad situation and many people would be able to connect with him.
Jace's romance with Morgan is forbidden and Morgan wars with his heart and his head about that love. Morgan is bound by honor to his queen and his sister. There is some angst from him when he cannot give up his bonds to be with Jace even though he desires him. He is also a good character that readers will sympathize with.
This is a fantasy romance novel with many wild beast fights, magic, and the fae. The story line is on the bland side and the idea isn't new, so it might get tiresome towards the end. The world building is detailed and intricate, especially concerning how the fae realm exists in relation to the human/moral realm and the intermingling of its creatures. I would recommend this story to those that love a good world building and forbidden romance.
May 26, 2014
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.5 stars
Remain is the first book in Alex Jones’s very promising series, Knights of Amaranth. You all know I’m a huge lover of all things fantasy, so of course, I had to read this high fantasy gem. Remain is the story of a man who didn’t know he was lonely until he found someone who made him feel whole, then he almost lost the guy. This story takes Jace on an adventure into a new world alongside Morgan and his family and friends. It’s a fast paced, multi-faceted story of lies, deceit, love, and honor.
Read Crissy's review in its entirety here.
3.5 stars
Remain is the first book in Alex Jones’s very promising series, Knights of Amaranth. You all know I’m a huge lover of all things fantasy, so of course, I had to read this high fantasy gem. Remain is the story of a man who didn’t know he was lonely until he found someone who made him feel whole, then he almost lost the guy. This story takes Jace on an adventure into a new world alongside Morgan and his family and friends. It’s a fast paced, multi-faceted story of lies, deceit, love, and honor.
Read Crissy's review in its entirety here.
September 4, 2018
I really liked Jace and Morgan, though I thought the feelings were a little too much too fast. That being said, I enjoyed the action and plot. There are many things left unsaid at the end of the book and I would have liked an epilogue, however it looks like we see this couple again in further books.
I would definitely continue the series if I got it on sale, though I’m not so invested as too run out and buy them right now.
I would definitely continue the series if I got it on sale, though I’m not so invested as too run out and buy them right now.
gave-up
September 5, 2015...although from one review, this one sounds more sex-centric (damnit). I keep waiting for an m/m equivalent of Holly Black's Tithe/Ironside, but alas, either it's not dark/gritty enough or it's all sex-centric and the plot was abandoned on the wayside (woe is me)
March 16, 2014
This romance was enjoyable enough, but the storyline didn't speak to me. Sure the way it began was pulling and rather good, but the storyline soon lost her appeal. I was bored at the end.
Want to read
June 6, 2014Free at ARe till June 9th
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/produ...
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/produ...
March 20, 2017
I loved this. The writing was great, the world was interesting and the love story was great. Will definitely read the others in the series.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews