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In the Company of Shadows #extras
1/27: An ICoS Anthology
January 27, 2027 - One day around the world.
Weeks after the last page of the In the Company of Shadows series, seven stories show glimpses of the lives of fifteen characters, scattered across the globe. In Ireland, an unexpected reunion takes a terrible turn. In Australia, the tides are changing while those involved never stop watching. In Mexico, fear brings uncertainty into a once strong relationship. And in the United States, worlds are about to collide.
1/27 answers the important question: What happens next?
Weeks after the last page of the In the Company of Shadows series, seven stories show glimpses of the lives of fifteen characters, scattered across the globe. In Ireland, an unexpected reunion takes a terrible turn. In Australia, the tides are changing while those involved never stop watching. In Mexico, fear brings uncertainty into a once strong relationship. And in the United States, worlds are about to collide.
1/27 answers the important question: What happens next?
109 pages, ebook
First published March 29, 2014
16 people are currently reading
600 people want to read
About the author
Ais
24 books744 followersHey! I write LGBTQIA+, usually with a twist. My solo works are mostly fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, or similar. Currently working on Wildwood Rising, a long LGBTQIA+ fantasy series; first book written/being edited: Incarnations.
Helpful links? Helpful links!
-My masterlist of original writing: http://aisylum.com/writing-masterlist/
-Some of my favorite solo stories: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mik...
-My patreon- $1 for all but most things are eventually free for those who can't/won't pay: patreon.com/ais
-My site: http://aisylum.com
By the way, you may know me because I co-wrote In the Company of Shadows.
PS: I can be chatty so if you have questions, feel free to ask! Have a lovely day! <3
Helpful links? Helpful links!
-My masterlist of original writing: http://aisylum.com/writing-masterlist/
-Some of my favorite solo stories: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mik...
-My patreon- $1 for all but most things are eventually free for those who can't/won't pay: patreon.com/ais
-My site: http://aisylum.com
By the way, you may know me because I co-wrote In the Company of Shadows.
PS: I can be chatty so if you have questions, feel free to ask! Have a lovely day! <3
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
March 29, 2014
4.5 stars
You know what Santino & Ais do really really well? I mean, they are kickass writers for sure. But they PLAN stories out so well. Their capacity to see all these interwoven storylines that make this crazy map of a picture for a book is so freaking impressive. It wow’d me all throughout ICoS until the very last word. And it floored me yet again with “1/27”.
You see, I expected this anthology to be sort of like…an epilogue?...that just kinda cleaned up some questions we had at the end of fade. What I did NOT expect was for it to actually open up an entire can of worms and 1000’s more questions about these characters! And therein lies the brilliance. They’ve got more planned out, right? THEY MUST!
“1/27” is a series of bits about many of the ICoS characters and what each of them was doing, on the same day, after they escaped the Agency at the end of Fade. It is a bunch of brilliant and delicious nuggets into the lives of our favorite characters. But even moreso, it brings to the forefront some of the lesser-known characters and made them…shine. Yes, I wanted to read about Hsin & Boyd, Zach & Emilio, even Ryan and Kassian. But I was so pleasantly surprised to find out more about Bree & Viv, Jeffrey & Owen, Archer/Harriet/Doug, and Bex. And every story was outstanding. I’m actually hard-pressed to pick a favorite of the bunch.
Bree & Vivienne’s story: most likely to make me change my mind about a character
Emilio & Zach’s story: HOTTEST F’ING THING EVER (I read it 3 times before moving on)
Owen & Jeffrey’s story: fun turnaround and interesting developments
Hsin & Boyd’s story: forever my favorite characters of the series so every word was a treat
Harriet/Archer/Doug’s story: surprisingly sexy and a fun tale among previously under-explored characters
Kassian & Ryan’s story: completely unexpected and I MUST. HAVE. MORE.
Bex’s story: scares the shit out of me.
My jaw was ON THE GROUND with each chapter…so many surprises and dun, dun, duuuun moments…I couldn’t wrap my head around them all.
This is SUCH a must-read for ICoS fans. And it’s a bridge…a bridge to what? Well…read the author’s notes at the end and you’ll see!
So fun, so sexy, so satisfying…but would have LOVED a Luke Gerant story (!!!) and a little bit of Hsin & Boyd smexy...just sayin'... :)
Review + an interview w/ the authors & a giveaway:
April 1, 2014
This review is uncensored
It’s been 3 days since I finished this anthology. I had to wait before I could even think about voicing my motherfucking feelings! But it’s made no difference …
I am still so PISSED! No, pissed is not enough - I’m fucking LIVID!
You have to understand that for more than a year these characters, this story and this world have haunted me! I compare EVERYTHING to ICoS. And I can’t help it; it’s an obsessive disorder that fucking cripples me and I just can’t stop!
I read about a blonde haired twink? I see Boyd.
I read about a man with dark hair and green eyes? I see Hsin.
Adorable curly haired blue eyed geek boy? Yup, I see Ryan.
A book with assassins? I’m having ICoS flashbacks!
Dystopian novels? Ha! You must be joking! I can’t even …
And then there’s the labels like angst, UST, intensity levels that get slapped on other books to which my inevitable response is: You labelled that angst? PAH! YOU DON’T KNOW FUCKING ANGST! I scoff in the face of their unresolved sexual tension and roll my eyes at what they deem sexual intensity. Nothing compares to the UST here, nothing compares to the heat of that balcony scene! Don’t even mention Mexico cos I’m not so on the same page as you! Every single song I hear? I automatically pair it with a scene or character from ICoS - yes, every song - and when it doesn’t fit? My subconscious deems it shit!
PAH-THETIC <-- that’s me!
Oh I know it’s ridiculous, I’m ridiculous but this series is just so damn intrusive it’s rude! It crossed the boundaries into my RL more than a year ago and it has never fucking left! I have created a hundred happy endings in my head; I have obsessed, daydreamed, masturbated, fantasised and stewed over this series for more than a year. Every. Single. Day.
This anthology was meant to be my closure, the end of it all. I was supposed to get over it; this was supposed to be me moving on and leaving the debilitating comparisons behind because enough is enough! This was supposed to be my fond farewell … I should be feeling relief, I should be filled with gratified nostalgia, my heart should be full of love and happiness and my body sated from the release of months of tension and worry. Bloody hell man, I am so tired of being an emotional slave to this series …
And so, instead of my closure I get a brand new beginning. I get more angst, more attachment; my heart is in my throat AGAIN. Yes, I am blown away again ! But I am left feeling crippled …again! Well, fuck that! Somebody put me is stasis and wake me up in 10 years when the next million and a half words are finished. I can’t bare it … I want to puke.
Okay, okay …just a moment while I stop sucking my thumb and take a breath. That is how most of me feels right now but the rest of me – the masochistic me - is thrilled that there is more to come. The VR’s? Holy shit man! That is the coolest thing I’ve ever read! I loved every single one of these stories and dammit all I felt alive, these characters – all of them – make me feel so fuelled and pumped that I could, could …I don’t know, participate in a drive-by or something? You know what else blew me away? The writing! The author’s floored me with the writing; it was in the little things, the descriptions and small character nuances had the impact of an atomic bomb.
God dammit, I didn't expect this, I didn't expect ANY of what this is! I'm in shock and I’m so pissed that I have to wait for more. To the author’s I want to say fuck you and thank you and I love you all in the same breath. You guys are ruining my life! But it's still the best thing I've read all year. Here, have 5 stars!
It’s been 3 days since I finished this anthology. I had to wait before I could even think about voicing my motherfucking feelings! But it’s made no difference …
I am still so PISSED! No, pissed is not enough - I’m fucking LIVID!
You have to understand that for more than a year these characters, this story and this world have haunted me! I compare EVERYTHING to ICoS. And I can’t help it; it’s an obsessive disorder that fucking cripples me and I just can’t stop!
I read about a blonde haired twink? I see Boyd.
I read about a man with dark hair and green eyes? I see Hsin.
Adorable curly haired blue eyed geek boy? Yup, I see Ryan.
A book with assassins? I’m having ICoS flashbacks!
Dystopian novels? Ha! You must be joking! I can’t even …
And then there’s the labels like angst, UST, intensity levels that get slapped on other books to which my inevitable response is: You labelled that angst? PAH! YOU DON’T KNOW FUCKING ANGST! I scoff in the face of their unresolved sexual tension and roll my eyes at what they deem sexual intensity. Nothing compares to the UST here, nothing compares to the heat of that balcony scene! Don’t even mention Mexico cos I’m not so on the same page as you! Every single song I hear? I automatically pair it with a scene or character from ICoS - yes, every song - and when it doesn’t fit? My subconscious deems it shit!
PAH-THETIC <-- that’s me!
Oh I know it’s ridiculous, I’m ridiculous but this series is just so damn intrusive it’s rude! It crossed the boundaries into my RL more than a year ago and it has never fucking left! I have created a hundred happy endings in my head; I have obsessed, daydreamed,
This anthology was meant to be my closure, the end of it all. I was supposed to get over it; this was supposed to be me moving on and leaving the debilitating comparisons behind because enough is enough! This was supposed to be my fond farewell … I should be feeling relief, I should be filled with gratified nostalgia, my heart should be full of love and happiness and my body sated from the release of months of tension and worry. Bloody hell man, I am so tired of being an emotional slave to this series …
And so, instead of my closure I get a brand new beginning. I get more angst, more attachment; my heart is in my throat AGAIN. Yes, I am blown away again ! But I am left feeling crippled …again! Well, fuck that! Somebody put me is stasis and wake me up in 10 years when the next million and a half words are finished. I can’t bare it … I want to puke.
Okay, okay …just a moment while I stop sucking my thumb and take a breath. That is how most of me feels right now but the rest of me – the masochistic me - is thrilled that there is more to come. The VR’s? Holy shit man! That is the coolest thing I’ve ever read! I loved every single one of these stories and dammit all I felt alive, these characters – all of them – make me feel so fuelled and pumped that I could, could …I don’t know, participate in a drive-by or something? You know what else blew me away? The writing! The author’s floored me with the writing; it was in the little things, the descriptions and small character nuances had the impact of an atomic bomb.
God dammit, I didn't expect this, I didn't expect ANY of what this is! I'm in shock and I’m so pissed that I have to wait for more. To the author’s I want to say fuck you and thank you and I love you all in the same breath. You guys are ruining my life! But it's still the best thing I've read all year. Here, have 5 stars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2018
Re-read 18/01/18 to 21/01/18
I say again please don’t let this be the end.
I often wonder if I’d have been better stopping after Fade (best book ever) because while it left me wanting more it was manageable but this, this book has me needing more. I didn’t like how any of the characters or situations were left so please continue on, publish and charge for it.
Original Review.
This is a short book especially when you consider the rest of the series but it's taken me ages to read it.
I was worried this would be the end and somehow it didn't feel like the end while I was still reading so I dragged it out. Also these guys have been through so much, I wanted them somewhere perfect, I had visions of sun, sand, sex and contentment totally unrealistic I know and unlike me they'd be bored to tears.
Stupid dreams aside this book is a must read, we catch-up with the escapees and life is not idyllic for them nor for me because now I need more, I mean I did before at the end of Fade I needed that next book but now it's essential, these guys cannot be left with this for their lives they need and deserve better and so Sonny and Ais you need to continue what you started, get writing and charge for this, the whole series has been free which is incredible but I was hooked after the first few pages of the first book like most people I would imagine and we'd pay for more.
There's nothing I can really say about this book without giving something away, all these stories affected and shook me but Emilio's and Zach's was the hardest to read.
So please continue this series, you've created something truly amazing here, it's unlike anything I've read before and it's without a doubt the best most haunting series I've ever read and that's saying something because I read a lot so please please please write more.
Read
July 18, 2016--------------
March 2014
I'll start by admitting that I'm totally, unashamedly biased toward anything ICoS-related. No qualms about it. Some of my very favourite fictional characters were created by Santino and Ais and I'll always be grateful to them about it.
It's a rare treat when you get to revisit such cherished characters, especially after you think you've seen the last of them:
My dearest Hsin. I love you more than ever. And I'm so glad Boyd is by your side. I've come to think of you as a single entity and you deserve each other and what you have.
Emilio, Emilio, Emilio. I would do anything for you in a heartbeat. Anything!
General Carhart. Oh General Carhart! How you make my heart race.
Kassian. I knew you were special since I first met you in Evenfall. Don't tell anyone—Hsin might hear and get jealous—but I have such a huge soft spot for you. You can tell Ryan though. No secrets from my favourite nerd.
Vivienne. I never thought I'd see the day. I'm so curious to see what you have in store next.
Bree. Your virtues are solid.
Owen. You're as capable and as efficient as ever.
Jeffrey. You're always full of surprises.
Harriet. You have a heart of gold.
Doug. I'm starting to really like you.
Archer. You're a constant, unwavering power.
I loved everything about this anthology and I'm sure every other ICoS fan will too.
March 9, 2018
I know many are removing their ratings and reviews of all the books they have read, written by Santino Hassell, in light of his despicable behavior. I have deleted my ratings from all Santino books I have read, because I too am shocked and appalled!!! I won't do it with the ICOS series though. I am gonna be honest here and say, that this series is one of the best I have ever read, and I am sure Ais played a big part in my enjoyment. As far as I know, Ais had nothing to do with all that has happend. Until I hear otherwise, my ratings and reviews for this series, will stay up. I am sorry for those who might not agree with me on this. I would also like to say that I am so sorry for all of you who have been hurt....my heart goes out to all of you ;) xoxo
When I first read this series...I skipped the Anthology. To be honest it made me nervous because some reviews were raving while others sounded dissapointed..
I guess I am somewhere in the middle. I loved getting this little epilogue about all these awesome characters I have grown to love so much !!
Of course I am talking about :
Hsin and Boyd. ... man you guys gave me some heavy palptitations thoughout this series. It's good to see the two of you still together and still gowing strong...though I never had any doubts about this
Emilio and Zach ...damn what a fucked up couple you are !! But I can't deny that the two of you belong together...or should I say deserve each other
Vivienne ...I will always fucking hate you...no matter what, so you can stick it where the sun don't shine !!
Ryan and Kassian ... I really wish you guys the best. I haven't always been the biggest Kassian fan, but once I got to know him, I couldn't help but love him
Jeffrey, Harriet, Owen and Doug, Archer and Bree .... you were awesome. Especially Owen, who has made me laugh so much in this series and still managed to do so in this epilogue.
Bex ... I hope you choke on a dick !!!
Thank you to all these amazing characters !! They were great. I just wished there was more.
Sure some of my questions were answered, bit to be honest... I ended up with so many more !! In that aspect I was a bit dissapointed :( I really do hope there will be more in the future, but I am not holding my breath.
When I first read this series...I skipped the Anthology. To be honest it made me nervous because some reviews were raving while others sounded dissapointed..
I guess I am somewhere in the middle. I loved getting this little epilogue about all these awesome characters I have grown to love so much !!
Of course I am talking about :
Hsin and Boyd. ... man you guys gave me some heavy palptitations thoughout this series. It's good to see the two of you still together and still gowing strong...though I never had any doubts about this
Emilio and Zach ...damn what a fucked up couple you are !! But I can't deny that the two of you belong together...or should I say deserve each other
Vivienne ...I will always fucking hate you...no matter what, so you can stick it where the sun don't shine !!
Ryan and Kassian ... I really wish you guys the best. I haven't always been the biggest Kassian fan, but once I got to know him, I couldn't help but love him
Jeffrey, Harriet, Owen and Doug, Archer and Bree .... you were awesome. Especially Owen, who has made me laugh so much in this series and still managed to do so in this epilogue.
Bex ... I hope you choke on a dick !!!
Thank you to all these amazing characters !! They were great. I just wished there was more.
Sure some of my questions were answered, bit to be honest... I ended up with so many more !! In that aspect I was a bit dissapointed :( I really do hope there will be more in the future, but I am not holding my breath.
June 25, 2016
Review to come. I am so happy but somehow I can't gather my thoughts to write anything.
But I do feel excited and really, really happy I "visited" again the characters I loved!
Well I have to repeat myself with all that "another 5 BIGGEST STARS in the Universe ... "
I needed time to gather my thoughts and I don't know if now is the right moment but here I go because I know there are no right words to describe this wonderful book. No words would do it justice!
Well I didn't expect to get to LOVE the END of the series... Honestly! But it did gave me HOPE and that is what matters the most. Hope for sequel!!! It has to be... someday. Sooner than later I hope!
The end of Fade broth tears to my eyes. I was not ready to let them go... But still I couldn't let myself read 1/27: An ICoS Anthology because I didn't want it to be over.
I am happy I got to read it shortly after Fade and it really cured my broken heart. It broth me some answers and HOPE. I know I already said it but it is so true. SO SEQUEL NEEDED!!!
I got to "visit" the characters I got to LOVE with all my heart: besides Sin and Boyd, Carhart and Emilio, Ryan and Kassian - I just couldn't believe how much I've missed them all and their new lives were sooo interesting. I could read another 4000 pages and never get bored!!!
This must be the best ANTHOLOGY ever and I just can't believe how awesome Ais and Santino Hassell are. I am in awe!!! FOREVER!
But I do feel excited and really, really happy I "visited" again the characters I loved!
Well I have to repeat myself with all that "another 5 BIGGEST STARS in the Universe ... "
I needed time to gather my thoughts and I don't know if now is the right moment but here I go because I know there are no right words to describe this wonderful book. No words would do it justice!
Well I didn't expect to get to LOVE the END of the series... Honestly! But it did gave me HOPE and that is what matters the most. Hope for sequel!!! It has to be... someday. Sooner than later I hope!
The end of Fade broth tears to my eyes. I was not ready to let them go... But still I couldn't let myself read 1/27: An ICoS Anthology because I didn't want it to be over.
I am happy I got to read it shortly after Fade and it really cured my broken heart. It broth me some answers and HOPE. I know I already said it but it is so true. SO SEQUEL NEEDED!!!
I got to "visit" the characters I got to LOVE with all my heart: besides Sin and Boyd, Carhart and Emilio, Ryan and Kassian - I just couldn't believe how much I've missed them all and their new lives were sooo interesting. I could read another 4000 pages and never get bored!!!
This must be the best ANTHOLOGY ever and I just can't believe how awesome Ais and Santino Hassell are. I am in awe!!! FOREVER!
November 24, 2023
✰ 3.5 stars ✰
“Hsin pulled him closer, and Boyd could feel Hsin’s heart running a Counter beat to his own. Even though they were in a cell, even though their future was dark and uncertain before them, even though so many things could and probably would go wrong, Boyd felt almost serene with his body pressed flush against the man he loved.
Hsin’s heartbeat was his serenade and nothing else mattered.”
It's a heart-breaking feeling knowing that all these little snippets that we got in I/27: An ICoS Anthology was a potential set-up for a future spin-off that sadly, never came to pass. But, if nothing else, just to see where familiar characters were after the last time we saw them, was definitely worth it. 👍🏻👍🏻
“I never betrayed you back then, and I never will now. No matter how it might have seemed to you all, you were the only friends I had. And now, you’re the only friend I can locate.
The only one I can protect.”
And yet, even so, I relished the glimpses of these characters I had grown so very fond of -'they were wraiths, slipping between the dying shadows.' 😢 Trying to find a balance after the disastrous events that we left them at, just seeing all the varying viewpoints of each of them was intriguing and compelling. Because I didn't want to say good-bye to them. 'The Guild… there have been rumors. We’re hearing word that the Agency may be reinventing itself. That they may be putting out feelers.'
I couldn't just leave them like this - knowing that there was still danger sharpening it's knives, possible threats lurking in the shadows, and the painful knowledge that some of them had been so irrevocably shattered that you just wanted them to have their happy ending. 🥺 Yes, Ryan, I'm looking at you. Your chapter - I didn't see it happening - Kassian's heartbreaking plea - the way the trajectory of your story has shifted - all the little tidbits I gleaned further about your character development. 😢😢 Uff, what I wouldn't do for someone to write his story for me!!!
What amazed me is that we get glimpses of seven different perspectives, and each of was unique, and yet, somehow, they were all entwined. It felt like closure to some of them, and some were the set-up to a possibility that their stories are far from over. 😔 And when they've grown on you, as much as they have to me, I understand why the authors weren't ready yet to say good-bye. Seeing Boyd and Sin again - happy and together - even if they've ended up in some other predicament that they had no desire to be a part of - I just want them to be happy. 'You know how far I’ll go for you. No matter what they try to do, I’ll be here and I’ll fix it so you won’t have to worry.' ❤️🩹❤️🩹 Yes, I'm still so very soft for them - I mean, after all they've been through, can you blame me? 😊
“Emilio stared, transfixed, attention not shifting until he saw Zach mouthing his name, his real name, and something else. Three fucking words that meant nothing but still made Emilio smile like a chump.”
Haha, these two are really the crème de la crème of of couples you can't help but hate to love them and their twisted form of romance. But, y'know, they're trying - in their own methods that work for them, of course. 😅 They were the levity to the story that I needed, and I appreciated how the balance of shifting pov's was done well - enough to gauge your interest and keep the tone of the story, both intriguing and longing. There's a lot of heart and raging emotions to wade through, and I appreciated each of them. I was actually surprised how much of the supporting characters stood out for me! Boyd's mother, yeah, didn't really care for her, but I figured, she also had earned it - in a way. 🤷🏻♀️
For while this anthology offered closure to some, it also left me with a wistful yearning that these characters will never be free. That it's not enough simply to escape, that 'it was the constant running, being at the mercy of others or luck, never knowing for sure where they would be sleeping each night or whether the people they tentatively relied on would betray their trust.' And all I have now is my own imagination to conjure up all that could have beenwhat happens next? 🥺
“Hsin pulled him closer, and Boyd could feel Hsin’s heart running a Counter beat to his own. Even though they were in a cell, even though their future was dark and uncertain before them, even though so many things could and probably would go wrong, Boyd felt almost serene with his body pressed flush against the man he loved.
Hsin’s heartbeat was his serenade and nothing else mattered.”
It's a heart-breaking feeling knowing that all these little snippets that we got in I/27: An ICoS Anthology was a potential set-up for a future spin-off that sadly, never came to pass. But, if nothing else, just to see where familiar characters were after the last time we saw them, was definitely worth it. 👍🏻👍🏻
“I never betrayed you back then, and I never will now. No matter how it might have seemed to you all, you were the only friends I had. And now, you’re the only friend I can locate.
The only one I can protect.”
And yet, even so, I relished the glimpses of these characters I had grown so very fond of -'they were wraiths, slipping between the dying shadows.' 😢 Trying to find a balance after the disastrous events that we left them at, just seeing all the varying viewpoints of each of them was intriguing and compelling. Because I didn't want to say good-bye to them. 'The Guild… there have been rumors. We’re hearing word that the Agency may be reinventing itself. That they may be putting out feelers.'
I couldn't just leave them like this - knowing that there was still danger sharpening it's knives, possible threats lurking in the shadows, and the painful knowledge that some of them had been so irrevocably shattered that you just wanted them to have their happy ending. 🥺 Yes, Ryan, I'm looking at you. Your chapter - I didn't see it happening - Kassian's heartbreaking plea - the way the trajectory of your story has shifted - all the little tidbits I gleaned further about your character development. 😢😢 Uff, what I wouldn't do for someone to write his story for me!!!
What amazed me is that we get glimpses of seven different perspectives, and each of was unique, and yet, somehow, they were all entwined. It felt like closure to some of them, and some were the set-up to a possibility that their stories are far from over. 😔 And when they've grown on you, as much as they have to me, I understand why the authors weren't ready yet to say good-bye. Seeing Boyd and Sin again - happy and together - even if they've ended up in some other predicament that they had no desire to be a part of - I just want them to be happy. 'You know how far I’ll go for you. No matter what they try to do, I’ll be here and I’ll fix it so you won’t have to worry.' ❤️🩹❤️🩹 Yes, I'm still so very soft for them - I mean, after all they've been through, can you blame me? 😊
“Emilio stared, transfixed, attention not shifting until he saw Zach mouthing his name, his real name, and something else. Three fucking words that meant nothing but still made Emilio smile like a chump.”
Haha, these two are really the crème de la crème of of couples you can't help but hate to love them and their twisted form of romance. But, y'know, they're trying - in their own methods that work for them, of course. 😅 They were the levity to the story that I needed, and I appreciated how the balance of shifting pov's was done well - enough to gauge your interest and keep the tone of the story, both intriguing and longing. There's a lot of heart and raging emotions to wade through, and I appreciated each of them. I was actually surprised how much of the supporting characters stood out for me! Boyd's mother, yeah, didn't really care for her, but I figured, she also had earned it - in a way. 🤷🏻♀️
For while this anthology offered closure to some, it also left me with a wistful yearning that these characters will never be free. That it's not enough simply to escape, that 'it was the constant running, being at the mercy of others or luck, never knowing for sure where they would be sleeping each night or whether the people they tentatively relied on would betray their trust.' And all I have now is my own imagination to conjure up all that could have beenwhat happens next? 🥺
October 2, 2016
OMG. I feel like a huge lion roaring: MOOOOOORRREEEE!!!!
What in the world was that?!!
This anthology cleverly made us see how our friends are doing. They were scattered all over the world, not having contact with one another.. And we get a glimpse of what they have become after that tragic ending in Fade.
This would give me closure.
Help me accept that its the end.
Allow me to finally bid farewell.
Go to sleep with tears and smile knowing that they are all right and living their happy ever afters..
Or so I thought.
Because this short anthology fellas, combined with that sick Author's Note..
Just got me more intrigued, addicted, curious, sucked in, excited, wanting and whatever else!!!
I was sooo happy and elated for one moment thinking that there'd be more! That I haven't seen the last of these people! That maybe the sequel is in the works. Whomever POV it is, I AM SO DOWN FOR IT.
But then...it was a clear "IF" and it's been more than two years. And there's nothing. (Please let there be something, anything; rumors, drafts, hints, just..anything!)
Or is that really the end?
Please no. Just.. One more. I know I'm being such a drama queen here, but man.. I'm not sure if this solution of letting the reader's imagination wonder what happens next and wait if there's more to come is better than just tying everything up in a neat ending and a walk in a sunset..
Don't get me wrong cuz I damn am grateful for this wonderful one of a kind reading experience..
But I do hope/wish/pray that I haven't really seen the last of them yet. Because sigh, after reading what felt like MILLIONS of pages that never seem to end? I'm certain of one thing... I still want more.
“The Lexington Defectors, and all the trouble they bring.”
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March 5, 2018Best anthology EVER in my opinion.
This answered all the questions I had after ‘Fade’.
And it raised about a million more.
This was so clever and so wonderfully written and I can’t say anything else because anything I say will just cause spoilers.
One thing though. I love dual POV’s. LOVE them. This is multiple POV’s. Multiple! I actually did a happy dance. A really stupid happy dance. One of those multiples also now necessitates me adding this to my ‘heroines I love’ shelf. She was always loved but now I’m crushing hard!!
I give it all of the stars there ever was.
This answered all the questions I had after ‘Fade’.
And it raised about a million more.
This was so clever and so wonderfully written and I can’t say anything else because anything I say will just cause spoilers.
One thing though. I love dual POV’s. LOVE them. This is multiple POV’s. Multiple! I actually did a happy dance. A really stupid happy dance. One of those multiples also now necessitates me adding this to my ‘heroines I love’ shelf. She was always loved but now I’m crushing hard!!
I give it all of the stars there ever was.
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March 10, 2018While I can no longer support this author, I will still retain my review in the spoiler tag for my own record.
April 9, 2014
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There's going to be MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm as HAPPY as a tick sucking blood right now!!!!!! Horrible analogy but WHATEVER.....you get the IDEA!!!!!
All these pages....ALL theses words....ALL these emotions.....through out this series........ I thought this WAS IT.....the final hurrah......the ending to it ALL!!!!!
BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
This makes me soooooooooooo HAPPPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!
These characters are like drugs(if u did those which I don't) they infiltrate your system and you can't STOP because it gets better and Better and BETTERRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!
I really should write a real review but I'm just to emotional right NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There's going to be MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm as HAPPY as a tick sucking blood right now!!!!!! Horrible analogy but WHATEVER.....you get the IDEA!!!!!
All these pages....ALL theses words....ALL these emotions.....through out this series........ I thought this WAS IT.....the final hurrah......the ending to it ALL!!!!!
BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
This makes me soooooooooooo HAPPPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!
These characters are like drugs(if u did those which I don't) they infiltrate your system and you can't STOP because it gets better and Better and BETTERRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!
I really should write a real review but I'm just to emotional right NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 30, 2014
I'm relieved! After reading this Anthology I feel so relieved that my favorite characters of ICoS are well... not on the better circumstances, but they are all alive! Hsin, Boyd, Emilio, Zach, Ryan, Kassien... I was so worried about them in the end of Fade! There were so many questions to be answered! Now I have some answers and more questions!
Thank you so much Sonny & Ais, you gave me some rest and more anxiety, but you also gave me the opportunity to "see" again two of my favorite couples ever! Hsin and Boyd; Emilio and Zach... the Vega men will never leave my heart!
This series is unforgettable and so are its characters! After this book, there MUST be a sequel, right?
Thank you so much Sonny & Ais, you gave me some rest and more anxiety, but you also gave me the opportunity to "see" again two of my favorite couples ever! Hsin and Boyd; Emilio and Zach... the Vega men will never leave my heart!
This series is unforgettable and so are its characters! After this book, there MUST be a sequel, right?
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March 9, 2018Rating removed!
And they rode off into the sunset...
I can't tell you how I wish this would be true!!!
Yes, I got my answers after the whole mess Fade left at the end, but only to get even more questions. Much more.
The situation Sin and Boyd and all the other guys I came to love so much during this series (especially my Emilio) were in, reminded me a bit of the Hydra mythology: if you cut off the head of the snake, two more will be growing back and I wonder if there will ever be a solution for the whole Agency thing and if all of them will see each other again.
BUT... the author's note at the end of the book gave me hope. Someday there will be a sequel and I'm comforting myself with that thought.
I'm overly sentimental right now because it's hard for me to say goodbye, now that it all comes to an end, so I will cut this short.
One thing's for sure: ICoS will always be the favorite of my favorites! No doubt about it!
Sin and Boyd will always have a special place in my heart and I can't get them out of my head, not while reading the whole series and not for a long time!
And they rode off into the sunset...
I can't tell you how I wish this would be true!!!
Yes, I got my answers after the whole mess Fade left at the end, but only to get even more questions. Much more.
The situation Sin and Boyd and all the other guys I came to love so much during this series (especially my Emilio) were in, reminded me a bit of the Hydra mythology: if you cut off the head of the snake, two more will be growing back and I wonder if there will ever be a solution for the whole Agency thing and if all of them will see each other again.
BUT... the author's note at the end of the book gave me hope. Someday there will be a sequel and I'm comforting myself with that thought.
I'm overly sentimental right now because it's hard for me to say goodbye, now that it all comes to an end, so I will cut this short.
One thing's for sure: ICoS will always be the favorite of my favorites! No doubt about it!
Sin and Boyd will always have a special place in my heart and I can't get them out of my head, not while reading the whole series and not for a long time!
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March 5, 2018REVIEW REMOVED
I may still love the book, but I will not support this author anymore..
I may still love the book, but I will not support this author anymore..
July 7, 2017
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Might contain spoilers*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
I ain't all that happy with this one. Sure, I'm glad we got to know a little more about what happened after that open ending in book #4. However, there was still left too fucking open!!! I want closure, for christ's sake! Specially for our main couple.
“I can take a lot. You know I can. But if they try to keep me in here, I’ll kill them all, Boyd. I will.”
“Hey.” Boyd pressed cold palms to Hsin’s cheeks, centering their gazes on one another. “You won’t have to. I will never let anyone cage you again, and if they try I will tear this place apart getting you out.”
Hsin ‘Sin’ Liu Vega (30? 35?) and Boyd Kadin Beaulieu (26?) → was that all we got from our main couple? I wanted more! I specially wanted them to know that !
Zachary Andrew Carhart (43? 45?) and Emilio Alvado Vega (42? 44?) → I definitely wanted a more personal ending for these two. More closure with them real loving each other. But they are still so damn toxic towards each other...
Kassian Eric Trovosky (in his thirties) → still the same. Will we ever know if you really love him, ?
Ryan Glenn Freedman (25? 27?) → deserves more, unfortentily, I'm not all that interested in you, nor Kassian. I kinda just want Boyd and Hsin and maybe Emilio and Carhart.
Vivienne Amarante Beaulieu (38? 40?) → at least you're opening up a little bit. Getting a bit warmer, but you're still cold, but you're on your way.
Bree → really didn't care about you, but at least you get Vivienne to open up more?
Owen and Jeffrey → I didn't really connect with these two, specially not with Jeffrey as he was such a douchebag throughout the whole series and I felt like we didn't really get to know on a personal level.
Harriet, Archer and Doug → don't really care for Harriet, though Archer seems interesting. I feel sorry for Doug and I really wanted He deserved to know.
Bex → hope you die. You better not touch .
“Sounds like a good way to die, General Carhart.”
Zach shook his head, eyes still half-shut. “You won’t let that happen.”
“Goddamn right.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Science Fiction (?) - Romance (M/M)
Series: - Series, Book 4.5 (?)
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Hsin ‘Sin’ Liu Vega.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Unsure.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Unsure.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 3 stars.
April 7, 2014
It was almost exactly a year ago that I finished Fade. I'd always hoped there would be more to come and I would find out if Emilio and Zach made it out alive, Ryan and Kassien were together somewhere and Hsin and Boyd were still surviving.
I can't tell you how relieved I was to find out that Emilio and Zach had made it out and they were still together and doing ok. I just love every word that comes out of Emilio's dirty mouth, I can't get enough! I also have a new favourite to add to the list....Doug! (my god that scene on the bed was HOT)
I'm so familiar with these guys now that it really did feel like coming home and I'm sure I had a silly grin on my face for most of the book. I really don't know how Santino & Ais managed to squeeze so much in but I'm glad they cleared up a lot of the questions I had. I also love the new direction the story has taken and am keeping everything crossed for a sequel, however long it takes.
I can't tell you how relieved I was to find out that Emilio and Zach had made it out and they were still together and doing ok. I just love every word that comes out of Emilio's dirty mouth, I can't get enough! I also have a new favourite to add to the list....Doug! (my god that scene on the bed was HOT)
I'm so familiar with these guys now that it really did feel like coming home and I'm sure I had a silly grin on my face for most of the book. I really don't know how Santino & Ais managed to squeeze so much in but I'm glad they cleared up a lot of the questions I had. I also love the new direction the story has taken and am keeping everything crossed for a sequel, however long it takes.
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March 10, 2018Review removed.
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December 22, 2017DNF at 47% and no rating.
This is my fault and my fault only. I thought I was going to read a ICoS epilogue and this is not that. Far from it. This is an unfinished project, a short story where everything is... messed up? Sad? Full of unresolved questions? I don’t even know what to say.
My personal advise if you haven’t read this series yet is: well, first, read it. These books are amazing and the last one: a gem.
But once you are done with Fade (masterpiece of masterpieces) stop, quit the reading and end it the way Matrix needed to be ended: a powerful Neo and just your imagination to fly anywhere you want.
But this is my personal opinion. I have friends (friends that I trust) who enjoyed this book, so don’t let my feelings and disappointment guide your reading. It’s just that... ICoS is so good... so intense...that I wanted more of that. More of the awesomeness.
And don’t misunderstand me, if Santino & AIS write 5 more books in the ICoS universe, I’m on board. 10000 pages? Yes, yes and yes. My friend Dani told me yesterday she would offer her first born to them if they keep going. In my case that ship has already sealed, but I can negotiate my soul.
But not this, guys, not this. If there’s no more, why read it? It’s a source of madness and disappointment.
Peace!
Reviews for Book Lovers
This is my fault and my fault only. I thought I was going to read a ICoS epilogue and this is not that. Far from it. This is an unfinished project, a short story where everything is... messed up? Sad? Full of unresolved questions? I don’t even know what to say.
My personal advise if you haven’t read this series yet is: well, first, read it. These books are amazing and the last one: a gem.
But once you are done with Fade (masterpiece of masterpieces) stop, quit the reading and end it the way Matrix needed to be ended: a powerful Neo and just your imagination to fly anywhere you want.
But this is my personal opinion. I have friends (friends that I trust) who enjoyed this book, so don’t let my feelings and disappointment guide your reading. It’s just that... ICoS is so good... so intense...that I wanted more of that. More of the awesomeness.
And don’t misunderstand me, if Santino & AIS write 5 more books in the ICoS universe, I’m on board. 10000 pages? Yes, yes and yes. My friend Dani told me yesterday she would offer her first born to them if they keep going. In my case that ship has already sealed, but I can negotiate my soul.
But not this, guys, not this. If there’s no more, why read it? It’s a source of madness and disappointment.
Peace!
Reviews for Book Lovers
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March 13, 2018Review Removed.
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Just so we're clear, Ais is innocent in all this.
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Just so we're clear, Ais is innocent in all this.
August 11, 2015
FANTASTIC, MADE MY DAY AND I NEED MORE!!!
For me ICoS is epic. And everything I loved and missed in the previous books was brought back to life in this wonderful little gem. Made me want to re-read the whole lot...
Beautifully written each short story is as thrilling and intriguing as the next.
A must read for ICoS fans.
And I am anxiously waiting for the next main feature... hopefully soon?
For me ICoS is epic. And everything I loved and missed in the previous books was brought back to life in this wonderful little gem. Made me want to re-read the whole lot...
Beautifully written each short story is as thrilling and intriguing as the next.
A must read for ICoS fans.
And I am anxiously waiting for the next main feature... hopefully soon?
April 1, 2014
There's no other way to put it: ICoS is in a league of it's own.
Anyone who has read up to the last page of Fade knows that ICoS is EPIC. Everything we loved and craved in the previous volumes was brought back to life in these few pages, and it’s just like we'd read them just yesterday. Each character is unique and compelling; their speech, mind set, skills, personalities - are all so distinct. We've grown to love most of them, and also despise or despair some of them...
And now? A now we have more.
My expectations weren't too high re the anthology. I thought there was no way they could deliver a few short stories that could compare to the rest of the series, but Holy Moses on a Nutcracker, what they've done with this is perfection. They haven't just updated us, they've reignited the flame.
Thank you SantAis. Thank you for giving us more and giving it to us for free.
You guys rock.
Oh, and Ryan? OMG. And the Author’s Note? *dies, dead, gone*
Anyone who has read up to the last page of Fade knows that ICoS is EPIC. Everything we loved and craved in the previous volumes was brought back to life in these few pages, and it’s just like we'd read them just yesterday. Each character is unique and compelling; their speech, mind set, skills, personalities - are all so distinct. We've grown to love most of them, and also despise or despair some of them...
And now? A now we have more.
My expectations weren't too high re the anthology. I thought there was no way they could deliver a few short stories that could compare to the rest of the series, but Holy Moses on a Nutcracker, what they've done with this is perfection. They haven't just updated us, they've reignited the flame.
Thank you SantAis. Thank you for giving us more and giving it to us for free.
You guys rock.
Oh, and Ryan? OMG. And the Author’s Note? *dies, dead, gone*
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March 8, 2018My friends Ele and Renée buddy read the whole series and I stalked them unapologetically. Reliving the series through their comments triggered my own need for all the characters and to satisfy my signs of withdrawal I just had to read this epilogue.
It was great to revisit all the key players of the series. I got some answers but I was left with even more questions. Great and effective way to tease me, lol!
I really hope the authors will continue this series soon. Even after "swixty kagrillon pages" (yes, Cupcake, I'm quoting you) I have not had enough yet of Boyd & Hsin, Carhart & Emilio, Jeffrey & Owen, Ryan & Kassian, and all the others. I WANT MORE!! I will always want more!!
It was great to revisit all the key players of the series. I got some answers but I was left with even more questions. Great and effective way to tease me, lol!
I really hope the authors will continue this series soon. Even after "swixty kagrillon pages" (yes, Cupcake, I'm quoting you) I have not had enough yet of Boyd & Hsin, Carhart & Emilio, Jeffrey & Owen, Ryan & Kassian, and all the others. I WANT MORE!! I will always want more!!
March 29, 2014
And it is finally out! I am not exaggerating when I say this anthology was one of my most anticipated releases of all times.
By now it should be no surprise that I am passionate *coughobsessedcough* about ICoS, the world, the characters, the story...so when this anthology was first mentioned, that made me a very happy reader; now that I have read it I am absolutely ecstatic.
Unfortunately this review will go like this: part 1 of it will me squealing like I waws three and Santa had brought me ALL the presents;
part 2 will be an attempt at actually reviewing the book.
So bear with me - or not - and make sure not to read under the spoilers tag. Also don't read this if you haven't finished Fade.
Ok, Ready?
By now it should be no surprise that I am passionate *coughobsessedcough* about ICoS, the world, the characters, the story...so when this anthology was first mentioned, that made me a very happy reader; now that I have read it I am absolutely ecstatic.
Unfortunately this review will go like this: part 1 of it will me squealing like I waws three and Santa had brought me ALL the presents;
part 2 will be an attempt at actually reviewing the book.
So bear with me - or not - and make sure not to read under the spoilers tag. Also don't read this if you haven't finished Fade.
Ok, Ready?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2014
This anthology show us small snippets of the life of the characters that survived, around two years after the end of Fade, disclosing the doubts about what happened and what path took every one of them, and how they try to stay alive covering his backs the best they can. And all of them are fantastic and more than satisfying.
March 2, 2015
Well, as interesting as it was finding out about what happened to our favourite characters from the ICoS after escaping, each anthology appears to be the beginning of something else rather than the logical ending of the series.
I admit, it was doubtful that these guys could ever have normal peaceful lives but to see them all edgy and restless and forever on the run after sacrificing so much to gain their freedoms was disturbing and highly unsatisfying.
My personal favourite stories here were Emilio and Zachary's (no surprise here!) and Kassian and Ryan's. If or when the sequel is out and it is told from Ryan's POV as promised by the authors, I would definitely be curious.
The one thing that I craved and didn't get here, however, was
***3.4 stars***
I admit, it was doubtful that these guys could ever have normal peaceful lives but to see them all edgy and restless and forever on the run after sacrificing so much to gain their freedoms was disturbing and highly unsatisfying.
My personal favourite stories here were Emilio and Zachary's (no surprise here!) and Kassian and Ryan's. If or when the sequel is out and it is told from Ryan's POV as promised by the authors, I would definitely be curious.
The one thing that I craved and didn't get here, however, was
***3.4 stars***
March 29, 2014
I'll write a longer review once I've digested it more and regathered my wits, but this surpassed all my expectations. It's amazing if you can write a 20-25 page story that (1) fills in the gaps for the past two years of the characters' lives, (2) shows, rather than tells, the characters' growth in those intervening two years, and (3) lays the groundwork for where the characters are going to go next. To do it 7(!) times is astounding. Each of the stories made me desperately wish for more time with these characters. After plunging back into the ICoS universe, I was just as reluctant to leave it again as I was the first time. So
Thanks, Sonny and Ais for being so great to your readers! Everything about 1/27 was a dream come true.
Thanks, Sonny and Ais for being so great to your readers! Everything about 1/27 was a dream come true.
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April 15, 20201/27 is a brilliant set of stories. Instead of answering questions and saying fond goodbye to favourite characters, it asks even more questions and makes me long for more from these characters, whose story is far from over.
Because it becomes clear, change is coming, it is underway and the future is exciting and scary.
1/27 made me care for characters I've never cared about - Bree and Archer, even Doug and Harriet, by showing sides of them I hadn't seen before. It was magnificent.
Every word in this anthology is a delight.
Because it becomes clear, change is coming, it is underway and the future is exciting and scary.
1/27 made me care for characters I've never cared about - Bree and Archer, even Doug and Harriet, by showing sides of them I hadn't seen before. It was magnificent.
Every word in this anthology is a delight.
August 20, 2014
I tried writing a review, I really did, but I can't think of a way of saying how much I loved this anthology and how much I love the characters in it, but I will say this:
This is really one of best series out there. I don't think I will ever get enough of these characters. I NEED MORE.
This is really one of best series out there. I don't think I will ever get enough of these characters. I NEED MORE.
March 29, 2014
I wasn't surprised that my favorite story in this Anthology turned out to be Emilio & Zachary's segment. Those two have such an incredible, twisted and complicated dynamic, plus they are super hot! I could read about Emilio & Zach all day long! I wish they had their own full length novel.
The other stories were nice too, I really enjoyed Ryan and Kassian's segment as well. Really nice to "see" all the characters. My only problem.....I was left wanting more.
March 10, 2018
“Review deleted because the author may have have misrepresented themselves as ownvoices and accepted cash gifts from fans under potentially false pretenses.”
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