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CATO
There is a monster terrorizing my City, but not the one I’ve been raised for since puberty. I have been preparing to escape for nearly as long. If only I had run when I had the chance, if only I had never caught his attention. I am prize and poison all in one bite, but is feeding myself to one monster to save strangers from another worth the sacrifice? Does it even matter if after one sight of him, I no longer want the choice?
The Tamer is a trap, but not even knowing that is enough to keep me from swallowing him whole, body and soul.
The Tamer is a trap, but not even knowing that is enough to keep me from swallowing him whole, body and soul.
227 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 3, 2023
17 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
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January 13, 2024What the fuck did I just read? 😵
I don't know whether to give it one ⭐️ or five.
It's brutal.
It's grotesque.
It's horrific.
It's painful.
It's possession and obsession.
It captured my attention from the first page.
I went into it blind...don’t think I’ll ever do that again. It only had two reviews on Amazon and none on here. It was recommended in an FB group I’m in. I’ve learned my lesson…
Berserkers are born. They’re taken away from their families and held only released when they’re needed to hunt a Ripper. They have no conscience. They’d just soon kill you as look at you, but they love to play with their food first.
Tamers are also born and taken away from their families to be trained and taught to keep berserkers under control, but only if the berserker chooses them and doesn’t kill or maim them first.
Did I read the whole book? Yep
Did I cringe and recoil in horror? Oh definitely
Will I read the next one? You bet your sweet ass I am. I hope Ramona gets what’s coming to her. Skyler and Cato are trying to make a better place for berserkers and tamers. I want to see if they succeed. I hope they do. I really hope we get just a wee bit more softening of these monsters, but I doubt it.
I will say be warned. I’m going to list as many trigger warnings as I can think of, at least the ones for me. Some of these may not bother others.
🔴Bruising from rough handling between mc’s. Cato wants his mark all over Skyler.
🔴Biting between mc’s. He’s covered in them. See above ⬆️⬆️⬆️
🔴Dub-con to me. I don’t care that this is what they were born for. They didn’t have a choice. Looking at you, Ramona.
🔴Rape minor characters (not on page) and depending on what you think of the dub-con between the two mc's.
🔴Sex no lube or with just spit.
🔴Spanking as a punishment. He ain’t sitting down for a week.
🔴D/s
🔴Violence
🔴Murder
🔴Maiming of minor characters
🔴Psychological terror of characters
🔴Dismemberment of people
🔴**Author lists violence against children. People, it’s murder, brutal and sickening. The actual act isn’t describe live, but the aftermath is. It’s awful.
🔴On page violence against a child
🔴Violent thoughts of one mc about the other
🔴Primal hunting one mc of the other
🔴Virgin mc. First time is rough
Final thoughts: I think people are either going to love or hate this book. Maybe both. Me? Let's just say this book is going to stay with me for quite some time, and I don't know if it's because I'm traumatized or I'm just fucked up enough to have enjoyed it.
I don't know whether to give it one ⭐️ or five.
It's brutal.
It's grotesque.
It's horrific.
It's painful.
It's possession and obsession.
It captured my attention from the first page.
I went into it blind...don’t think I’ll ever do that again. It only had two reviews on Amazon and none on here. It was recommended in an FB group I’m in. I’ve learned my lesson…
Berserkers are born. They’re taken away from their families and held only released when they’re needed to hunt a Ripper. They have no conscience. They’d just soon kill you as look at you, but they love to play with their food first.
I drag my hands over the rough bark of the trees as I enter the woods. I can taste freshness and pine in the air, and I go still, reading the landscape around me carefully. It is not hard to track Skyler. He is not hiding from me, he is running, and he is mine. It is the easiest thing in the world to chase him.
Tamers are also born and taken away from their families to be trained and taught to keep berserkers under control, but only if the berserker chooses them and doesn’t kill or maim them first.
Tamers have a reputation for being soft, and it is true that we are not psychopaths. But we are bloodthirsty enough to participate in the hunt, to enjoy the kill, and to welcome the most violent of predators into our beds, into our bodies, still wet with the blood of their prey.
Did I read the whole book? Yep
Did I cringe and recoil in horror? Oh definitely
Will I read the next one? You bet your sweet ass I am. I hope Ramona gets what’s coming to her. Skyler and Cato are trying to make a better place for berserkers and tamers. I want to see if they succeed. I hope they do. I really hope we get just a wee bit more softening of these monsters, but I doubt it.
I will say be warned. I’m going to list as many trigger warnings as I can think of, at least the ones for me. Some of these may not bother others.
🔴Bruising from rough handling between mc’s. Cato wants his mark all over Skyler.
🔴Biting between mc’s. He’s covered in them. See above ⬆️⬆️⬆️
🔴Dub-con to me. I don’t care that this is what they were born for. They didn’t have a choice. Looking at you, Ramona.
🔴Rape minor characters (not on page) and depending on what you think of the dub-con between the two mc's.
🔴Sex no lube or with just spit.
🔴Spanking as a punishment. He ain’t sitting down for a week.
🔴D/s
🔴Violence
🔴Murder
🔴Maiming of minor characters
🔴Psychological terror of characters
🔴Dismemberment of people
🔴**Author lists violence against children. People, it’s murder, brutal and sickening. The actual act isn’t describe live, but the aftermath is. It’s awful.
🔴On page violence against a child
🔴Violent thoughts of one mc about the other
🔴Primal hunting one mc of the other
🔴Virgin mc. First time is rough
Final thoughts: I think people are either going to love or hate this book. Maybe both. Me? Let's just say this book is going to stay with me for quite some time, and I don't know if it's because I'm traumatized or I'm just fucked up enough to have enjoyed it.
November 2, 2024
Dnf at 31%
The idea is cool, the execution was lacking. Not developed enough and made me cringe a bit.
The idea is cool, the execution was lacking. Not developed enough and made me cringe a bit.
January 16, 2024
These authors only have 2 books out so far, but they are exactly what I love! Cato was dark, twisted and has two lovely men, Cato and Skyler, whom I’m very fond of now. Now mind the triggers, just because I don’t have any doesn’t mean that this is for everyone.
I absolutely can’t wait for the next book in this series and to see more of Cato and Skyler. It definitely has vibes like Onley James Necessary Evils series but more twisted, I loved it and couldn’t get enough!
I absolutely can’t wait for the next book in this series and to see more of Cato and Skyler. It definitely has vibes like Onley James Necessary Evils series but more twisted, I loved it and couldn’t get enough!
September 30, 2024
His trust is a blessing and an honor and the highest compliment I can earn from him.
Okay, first of all, excuse me! Gaaaaaaah. Oh, fuck me! If I see such a neck, I would like to cover it in bruises—my marks, too. Cato is justified; this cover is to die for. It's just so pretty so captivating.
Ahem, now! I went into this blind, and the concept of leashing such powerful beings by giving them a chew toy that's worth their freedom was new and exciting. In the first half of the book, I lost count of how many times I shrieked with excitement, going back a page or two to read again. However, in the second half, nah not so much.
My first complain the leashed said "powerful beings" didn't feel too powerful, I didn't get a display of that, therefore I was robbed of feeling the anxiety of Cato roaming the streets. I wanted to feel it, like Skyler did.
This was filled with more holes than my grandma's skirt! Ugh,
🚩🚩🚩spoiler ahead🚩🚩🚩
By the end, it felt like we had a brand new Skyler. I mean, come on—leading the Agency? I know he's confident, collected, and calm. But, and it's a big but, leading an agency—with new policies at that—requires determination, ambition, and a certain spark. These qualities aren’t simply supposed to appear out of thin air. I would have loved to see more development in his character to justify such a significant change. How his boss gave up her position so easily, after being described as cruel and a control freak, didn’t sit well with me too. She should have seen this coming; should have had an ace up her sleeve to keep her position secure. But she didn't, and that’s ironic.
AAAAAAnd I still enjoyed it! despite all that I did love it! Their dynamic were intoxicating!
March 4, 2024
dnf 20%. I was excepting a more complex story, more world building etc. The idea is interesting but it starts already with the two guys flirting and that’s not what I thought. I wanted more personnalities building.
January 14, 2024
Read to me by Alexa
3.5⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was pretty good and while the concept wasn’t entirely novel, but it was interesting enough to hold my interest and possibly get to know other couples in the universe if the author intends to write more characters.
There are berserkers and Tamers. Each are born and destined to be paired. Berserkers are predatory and violent, but they can be controlled or balanced out by a Tamer. Because of this a government agency identifies the two as children and basically grooms them to eventually meet.
Berserkers are basically kept is luxurious cages, until they are “activated” and then Tamers that have been groomed to know that one day they will belong to a berserker are sent in one by one hoping to be a match. The berserker may or may not kill the ones they don’t like.
In this story the Beserker is Cato and the Tamer is Skyler.
Cato has no real desire to be tamed but one look at Skyler and he can’t really help himself
There is:
✅ power exchange
✅ pretty good spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
✅ domestic discipline
✅ sort of true mates
✅ strict top/ bottom roles
3.5⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was pretty good and while the concept wasn’t entirely novel, but it was interesting enough to hold my interest and possibly get to know other couples in the universe if the author intends to write more characters.
There are berserkers and Tamers. Each are born and destined to be paired. Berserkers are predatory and violent, but they can be controlled or balanced out by a Tamer. Because of this a government agency identifies the two as children and basically grooms them to eventually meet.
Berserkers are basically kept is luxurious cages, until they are “activated” and then Tamers that have been groomed to know that one day they will belong to a berserker are sent in one by one hoping to be a match. The berserker may or may not kill the ones they don’t like.
In this story the Beserker is Cato and the Tamer is Skyler.
Cato has no real desire to be tamed but one look at Skyler and he can’t really help himself
There is:
✅ power exchange
✅ pretty good spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
✅ domestic discipline
✅ sort of true mates
✅ strict top/ bottom roles
January 14, 2024
I'm positive I read the blurb for this at some point, but I'll admit that I'd forgotten what this book was about when I started reading it. Going in that way was maybe the best thing I could have done. While the premise itself may not be groundbreakingly original, the execution was so wonderful that it *felt* like I was reading something I never could have expected. For a while I was a little worried that I'd stumbled into erotica. There's *a lot* of sex in this book. But it makes sense why (and I'm not going to spoil it on the off-chance someone else sees this but wants to read the book with no prior plot/character knowledge too). The plot and character dynamics kept me turning pages and, honestly, I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.
January 15, 2024
The possessiveness 🔥
April 28, 2024
So much potential...
This book is so similar to the Handled series by Romilly King that it makes it ironic... Regardless the concept is amazing a 'tamer' (submissive ?) who has been trained since puberty to handle the berserker (mutant psychopath?) they've been chosen for who upon meeting will insta- bond. Then together they will track down 'rippers' who are female versions of berserkers but mindless and irredeemable and kill them. And that's pretty much all the world building you get. It seems like Skyler and Cato are only together for 2 days but apparently it was weeks. Skyler seems young, naive & barely able to handle himself but apparently we missed something bc he's running the agency by the end of the book. Just way too many plot holes for a concept that may or may not be original. I wanted to love this book bc I LOVED the Handled series if not the issues with the author but this was a huge disappointment. Maybe the next book will be better.
This book is so similar to the Handled series by Romilly King that it makes it ironic... Regardless the concept is amazing a 'tamer' (submissive ?) who has been trained since puberty to handle the berserker (mutant psychopath?) they've been chosen for who upon meeting will insta- bond. Then together they will track down 'rippers' who are female versions of berserkers but mindless and irredeemable and kill them. And that's pretty much all the world building you get. It seems like Skyler and Cato are only together for 2 days but apparently it was weeks. Skyler seems young, naive & barely able to handle himself but apparently we missed something bc he's running the agency by the end of the book. Just way too many plot holes for a concept that may or may not be original. I wanted to love this book bc I LOVED the Handled series if not the issues with the author but this was a huge disappointment. Maybe the next book will be better.
January 13, 2024
Liked it tons
I loved this world the idea of berserker and tamers. I loved the story line there was good spice lvl. Can't wait to read the next one, I hope we get more background on how a bersker or tamers came to be.
I loved this world the idea of berserker and tamers. I loved the story line there was good spice lvl. Can't wait to read the next one, I hope we get more background on how a bersker or tamers came to be.
January 28, 2025
Well, THIS was an unexpected surprise! 😃 I ADORED it. Was it perfect? No. Was the resolution with satisfying? Also no. But was the story and world imaginative and intense and engaging all throughout, full of a twisted, dark obessive kind of codependency passing for love that was total catnip for me? Soooooo much yes. All-the-stars amounts of yes. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really, really, like so much really hope that this author duo continues this series as indicated in the back of this first book, because I am HERE for it!
I really, really, like so much really hope that this author duo continues this series as indicated in the back of this first book, because I am HERE for it!
January 17, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
January 20, 2024
great start to a new series
I loved this book and will be on the lookout for the next one to come out.
This book reminded me a lot of Romilly King’s Handler series.
I loved this book and will be on the lookout for the next one to come out.
This book reminded me a lot of Romilly King’s Handler series.
May 10, 2025
The plot, story, world building, character building, all of it. I quite enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews