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The Varcross Key
"You can't escape the curse..."
After years of abuse in a loveless relationship, Leo Grayson secretly packs up his life and heads west to Varcross, Oregon. But there’s a problem: Varcross doesn’t exist—well, not in Oregon.
Strange lights over the highway send Leo careening into an impossible realm with no way to escape. While struggling to cope with being the only human in a cursed and derelict town, he finds love and companionship with the very monsters who may one day lose control and spread their affliction to him.
To make matters worse, Leo’s arrival catches the attention of a manipulative, magic-wielding demon who wants to use the human to somehow destroy the wards keeping Varcross sealed away.
As time runs out for Leo and his new friends, he must either abandon those who sacrificed to keep him safe, or face down a powerful and desperate malevolence he cannot possibly win against alone.
After years of abuse in a loveless relationship, Leo Grayson secretly packs up his life and heads west to Varcross, Oregon. But there’s a problem: Varcross doesn’t exist—well, not in Oregon.
Strange lights over the highway send Leo careening into an impossible realm with no way to escape. While struggling to cope with being the only human in a cursed and derelict town, he finds love and companionship with the very monsters who may one day lose control and spread their affliction to him.
To make matters worse, Leo’s arrival catches the attention of a manipulative, magic-wielding demon who wants to use the human to somehow destroy the wards keeping Varcross sealed away.
As time runs out for Leo and his new friends, he must either abandon those who sacrificed to keep him safe, or face down a powerful and desperate malevolence he cannot possibly win against alone.
563 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2024
34 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Aeron Dusk
2 books54 followersDusk is a native of Florida but moved to the mountains of Colorado in 2022. On top of being a part-time author, he's also a software developer, musician and fitness enthusiast. He started writing short fan fiction and original stories when he was younger, but later in life, completed his first novel.
Over the last few years he's written three books, one has been published and another releases in 2024. He also writes short stories and spicier erotica.
To sign up for my own special book giveaways (open internationally), future physical ARC copies, and private beta sessions, join my mailing list
@ https://theliteratebeast.com
Over the last few years he's written three books, one has been published and another releases in 2024. He also writes short stories and spicier erotica.
To sign up for my own special book giveaways (open internationally), future physical ARC copies, and private beta sessions, join my mailing list
@ https://theliteratebeast.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 4, 2024
A Challenging World
The Mark of Amuli by Aeron Dusk was the first giveaway I won after joining GoodReads. And it was a great book. Needless to say, I was excited when I heard Aeron had written his second book.
The Varcross Key is a saga, a story of the founding of a new world. ***Trigger Warning*** this book contains images of violence and violent M/M sexuality. However, the theme is one of misfits finding their family.
I was thoroughly impressed with the level of world building in The Varcross Key. A true combination of fantasy and science fiction, each character becomes intimately known to the reader. Although, you'll find your loyalties switch around as the book progresses.
Another feature of the book I really liked is that long sections of day-to-day dialogue, along with poetic descriptions of their world, were followed by deep introspective philosophical discussions of a new society deciding how to shape their lives.
The Varcross Key is the book for an open, inquiring mind who appreciates thought experiments in a science fiction and fantasy setting. Great second book, Aeron Dusk.
The Mark of Amuli by Aeron Dusk was the first giveaway I won after joining GoodReads. And it was a great book. Needless to say, I was excited when I heard Aeron had written his second book.
The Varcross Key is a saga, a story of the founding of a new world. ***Trigger Warning*** this book contains images of violence and violent M/M sexuality. However, the theme is one of misfits finding their family.
I was thoroughly impressed with the level of world building in The Varcross Key. A true combination of fantasy and science fiction, each character becomes intimately known to the reader. Although, you'll find your loyalties switch around as the book progresses.
Another feature of the book I really liked is that long sections of day-to-day dialogue, along with poetic descriptions of their world, were followed by deep introspective philosophical discussions of a new society deciding how to shape their lives.
The Varcross Key is the book for an open, inquiring mind who appreciates thought experiments in a science fiction and fantasy setting. Great second book, Aeron Dusk.
December 20, 2025
simply perfect 👌
March 1, 2024
First off, I would like to thank the author for giving me an advance review copy of the book. I'm quite eager for his next project.
The story is great, the characters are well written, the romance was absolutely great that it made me all sappy feeling, I love the drama and action as well. Although the ending didn't quite stick with me, but still overall the author did a great job expanding his narrative.
The characters were relatable and I love their chemistry with each other. Makes me smile whenever they were happy and having fun.
For me, this book is all about healing, leaving the painful past behind, and finding family in unexpected places. I adore the author for creating such a wonderful story. Kudos to you.
I'll give this book my personal rating of 4.5/5.
Oh, Max if you're reading this, buy it you'll love it haha.
The story is great, the characters are well written, the romance was absolutely great that it made me all sappy feeling, I love the drama and action as well. Although the ending didn't quite stick with me, but still overall the author did a great job expanding his narrative.
The characters were relatable and I love their chemistry with each other. Makes me smile whenever they were happy and having fun.
For me, this book is all about healing, leaving the painful past behind, and finding family in unexpected places. I adore the author for creating such a wonderful story. Kudos to you.
I'll give this book my personal rating of 4.5/5.
Oh, Max if you're reading this, buy it you'll love it haha.
March 14, 2024
I'd like to thank Aeron for giving me opportunity to review his ARC copy. It's an honor to be able to follow your progress and development.
The Varcross Key is a refreshing novelty story with a werewolf theme that stylistically bears a close resemblance to Val Helsing or The Elder Scrolls type of werewolves - meaning big, powerful creatures that you don't usually see in media. It's rare, and Aeron not only provided a lot of it in his book but also dared to do what other authors are afraid to do: made them really horny.
From the very beginning of the book, I immediately got hooked on the world and it's setting. It's a pleasant mix of fantasy and the modern world, creating a unique setting that leaves you with an unquenchable desire to learn more about its universe.
The story was really engaging; there was a lot going on, and it progressed quite straightforwardly, making it very captivating read.
Characters and their development were obviously one of the biggest focuses in this book. In fact, I enjoyed them so much I wished there were much more to them. Each one of them got their own spotlight and had some kind of breakthrough or development. What I was pleasently suprised with is that at some point they all form what I like to call "Pack Integrity," which made the whole pack as important as the main character.
The relationships between characters felt extremely unique. Since Varcross is a world filled with horny werewolves, it's rather normal for everyone to be teasing each other, so it's more about forming an actual emotional connection rather than a sexual one.
However, I did feel that the relationship between the main character and his lover formed a little too fast, especially after the main character got to know more about other pack mates. It might be a personal opinion, but it really felt like the connection got stronger with the other werewolves than with his partner.
The only off-putting thing for me, and it might be for others as well, was the pacing of the book. It was a little all over the place. There were parts of the story that went SUPER FAST, and then there were parts that would drastically slow down, only to SPEED UP again.
There were a couple of parts of the book that I wish were stretched out more just to provide more information about the world, and then there were parts that I feel like had a little too much detail and could use a little trimming to make space for the lacking parts and avoid overwhelming the reader with too much information.
Overall, it's an amazing achievement for Aeron to build such a fun world with a fun story and with so many lovable characters to learn about. I really do hope for more!
The Varcross Key is a refreshing novelty story with a werewolf theme that stylistically bears a close resemblance to Val Helsing or The Elder Scrolls type of werewolves - meaning big, powerful creatures that you don't usually see in media. It's rare, and Aeron not only provided a lot of it in his book but also dared to do what other authors are afraid to do: made them really horny.
From the very beginning of the book, I immediately got hooked on the world and it's setting. It's a pleasant mix of fantasy and the modern world, creating a unique setting that leaves you with an unquenchable desire to learn more about its universe.
The story was really engaging; there was a lot going on, and it progressed quite straightforwardly, making it very captivating read.
Characters and their development were obviously one of the biggest focuses in this book. In fact, I enjoyed them so much I wished there were much more to them. Each one of them got their own spotlight and had some kind of breakthrough or development. What I was pleasently suprised with is that at some point they all form what I like to call "Pack Integrity," which made the whole pack as important as the main character.
The relationships between characters felt extremely unique. Since Varcross is a world filled with horny werewolves, it's rather normal for everyone to be teasing each other, so it's more about forming an actual emotional connection rather than a sexual one.
However, I did feel that the relationship between the main character and his lover formed a little too fast, especially after the main character got to know more about other pack mates. It might be a personal opinion, but it really felt like the connection got stronger with the other werewolves than with his partner.
The only off-putting thing for me, and it might be for others as well, was the pacing of the book. It was a little all over the place. There were parts of the story that went SUPER FAST, and then there were parts that would drastically slow down, only to SPEED UP again.
There were a couple of parts of the book that I wish were stretched out more just to provide more information about the world, and then there were parts that I feel like had a little too much detail and could use a little trimming to make space for the lacking parts and avoid overwhelming the reader with too much information.
Overall, it's an amazing achievement for Aeron to build such a fun world with a fun story and with so many lovable characters to learn about. I really do hope for more!
April 1, 2024
Overall review: 4.5 rounded up.
I have been waiting for this book for about a month when I found out this author was releasing another book. I was thinking it was the sequel to The Mark of Amulii at first before I realized it's another story entirely set in the same universe.
This was one of the best books I've read so far this year as I couldn't put it down. I am a person who loves character-driven stories, and in this one it seemed EVERY character mattered. Every character was endearing (even more so than the main character, more on that in a bit). I felt like I could be best friends with any one of these guys, even Vince who's a very prickly asshole but is one of those characters that really grows throughout the book. Loved that! I thought he was going to be something completely different and unlikeable, but as usual, this author has a way to subvert my expectations.
Let's get into the characters. Light spoilers ahead.
Our main character is fleeing from domestic abuse from his boyfriend. Personally, this is something that is quite realistic and not well talked about in gay community. These are HUMAN relationships, and as such are subjected to human problems. Gay relationships have a lot of the same problems straight ones do, and I appreciate this being brought up as well as not overstaying its welcome. We get a bit of Leo's backstory to establish his character in the first few paragraphs, but for the most part, Dusk keeps us grounded in the present.
The first part of this book was particularly hooky because of Dusk's portrayal of the main character's anxiety. I'm not sure if he has a lot of experience with this, but it sure comes across that way on the page. The quick breathing, the constant worst-case scenarios, that real feeling of being hurled into the unknown. It's terrifying. I loved it.
When we get to Varcross, the real meat of the story begins, and it starts out rather harmless and upbeat, but the author foreshadows something that's not quite right. You get this sense that just below the surface, things are not only not quite right, they are dangerous.
Chapters 2-3 introduce us to the main love interest: Axel. This guy...is the sweetest, cutest character I've seen written in a book. I have a thing for huge, scary-looking characters/monsters with hearts of pure gold, and that's what you get with this guy throughout the entire book. I was a bit worried Dusk was going to make him more like Amulii from the last book (nothing wrong with that, but it would not have fit Axel's personality), but thankfully he did not.
In chapters 4-5, we start to understand what the stakes are, and what Leo has been led to. He cannot leave this town, and the entire town is cursed. I thought the rapey nature of the vargyrs might be fetishized as I see in a lot of these types of stories, but they are most definitely not. This is a curse you DO NOT WANT, and the author goes through great lengths to gradually explain what the curse is, how it works and who was responsible for it. We also get introduced to Cole, the next main secondary character.
I want to say that Cole and Leo's interactions were some of the best. Some of Cole's antics and responses made me actually laugh out loud. He's a bit of a snippy queen sometimes, but he also ends up being a very endearing character. It was very impressive how Dusk wrote him.
From then on we meet Vince, Cole's 'mate.' We've already learned about him through Cole's story about how he contracted the curse, and we see very clearly how messed up and utterly tragic this character is as we see him for the first time sitting on the couch, completely catatonic, playing videogames. (BTW I want whatever this kind of virtual reality video game this is because it sounds amazing).
Leo comes to live with Cole and Vince goes to live with Axel for Leo's safety. Then the antagonist begins to make his move. The antagonist (Gar) is a very complex villain. You kind of get a sense that he's not good when we first meet him, but he just gets progressively more desperate and unhinged as the story goes on, especially once you figure out his story and why he's in Varcross.
At about chapter 13, we meet Derrick! DERRICK was my favorite character. Hands down. Even with what he did at the end of the book, he's still my favorite. Ironically, he's also one of the reasons why this wasn't a solid 5-stars. Dusk does drop A LOT of infodumps through this guy. While the author may have been able to do this better, I was okay with it, because he made it interesting (and entertaining because Derrick is just a gem to read every time he's in a scene).
Derrick is an ex-mage from Stellous (a city connected to the world they are in now), and he comes into the group in order to have his revenge against Gar while also keeping his new family safe. He keeps the group 3 steps ahead of the antagonist as they continuously find ways to solve problems. This is the point where the book really opens up, and we get to see this beautiful world outside of the town for the first time.
Axel, Leo, Derrick, Cole, and Vince become this found family of different personalities, and to see them all interact with one another was a real treat. I felt like every single person could have been a real person. Anyone who reads (especially this genre) knows how rare that is to see done with this many characters. This is why I enjoy the hero's journey-type fantasies, because it usually has this found family trope and very fleshed-out characters. This is not just a romance, this is a full-blown high-fantasy. I was not expecting the world-building and magic system to be THIS fleshed out, so kudos.
Which brings me to the world-building. We don't just get great characters in this book, we get an entirely new world. While we don't know much about Stellous or Eqiros, and we get some political intrigue into the other world by the end of the story, Dusk keeps us grounded in Varcross for the most part. We'll see and hear different things about the world they all come from, but I think he's saving that for the next book. It's very much hinted at by the end that there will be more to this story. It's not quite the cliffhanger Amulii was, but it's enough to make me want to know what's going to happen.
One of the only complaints I had with the book was the main character. The secondary characters in this story seemed to have more agency and personality than the main character did. That's not to say he was a bad character, but everyone else outshined him...and, I don't think that's a completely bad thing. I really did connect with him and was rooting for him, but I felt more of a connection to those around him, like I WAS him. By the end Leo is much more into his own element, but throughout most of the book he just sort of drifted along with the stronger presences on the page.
A do like how this is a gay book, but diversity isn't shoe-horned into this story as some people would rather see at the expense of the story itself. Dusk stays true to what makes sense in his world. I love to see actual good story-telling without all of the forced, token rhetoric because the author feels like he has to. He told a story only he could tell, and it's a story many of us in the gay community need to read, because it goes far deeper than being trapped in a world of horny werewolves.
I felt good after reading this, because the importance of family and love is at the forefront of the message in this story. Loneliness is a killer, and we should reach out regardless if we don't like certain people, because those people may be going through things we can't even fathom. The book ironically shows us how to be decent human beings while mostly featuring monsters. The story ends with most different people from all walks of life making up a loving family/town/community, and it's not concentrated down into like-minded people becoming friends with more like-minded people. These were real people to me, not messages.
Thank you for this book. This was probably the best book I'm going to read all year.
I have been waiting for this book for about a month when I found out this author was releasing another book. I was thinking it was the sequel to The Mark of Amulii at first before I realized it's another story entirely set in the same universe.
This was one of the best books I've read so far this year as I couldn't put it down. I am a person who loves character-driven stories, and in this one it seemed EVERY character mattered. Every character was endearing (even more so than the main character, more on that in a bit). I felt like I could be best friends with any one of these guys, even Vince who's a very prickly asshole but is one of those characters that really grows throughout the book. Loved that! I thought he was going to be something completely different and unlikeable, but as usual, this author has a way to subvert my expectations.
Let's get into the characters. Light spoilers ahead.
Our main character is fleeing from domestic abuse from his boyfriend. Personally, this is something that is quite realistic and not well talked about in gay community. These are HUMAN relationships, and as such are subjected to human problems. Gay relationships have a lot of the same problems straight ones do, and I appreciate this being brought up as well as not overstaying its welcome. We get a bit of Leo's backstory to establish his character in the first few paragraphs, but for the most part, Dusk keeps us grounded in the present.
The first part of this book was particularly hooky because of Dusk's portrayal of the main character's anxiety. I'm not sure if he has a lot of experience with this, but it sure comes across that way on the page. The quick breathing, the constant worst-case scenarios, that real feeling of being hurled into the unknown. It's terrifying. I loved it.
When we get to Varcross, the real meat of the story begins, and it starts out rather harmless and upbeat, but the author foreshadows something that's not quite right. You get this sense that just below the surface, things are not only not quite right, they are dangerous.
Chapters 2-3 introduce us to the main love interest: Axel. This guy...is the sweetest, cutest character I've seen written in a book. I have a thing for huge, scary-looking characters/monsters with hearts of pure gold, and that's what you get with this guy throughout the entire book. I was a bit worried Dusk was going to make him more like Amulii from the last book (nothing wrong with that, but it would not have fit Axel's personality), but thankfully he did not.
In chapters 4-5, we start to understand what the stakes are, and what Leo has been led to. He cannot leave this town, and the entire town is cursed. I thought the rapey nature of the vargyrs might be fetishized as I see in a lot of these types of stories, but they are most definitely not. This is a curse you DO NOT WANT, and the author goes through great lengths to gradually explain what the curse is, how it works and who was responsible for it. We also get introduced to Cole, the next main secondary character.
I want to say that Cole and Leo's interactions were some of the best. Some of Cole's antics and responses made me actually laugh out loud. He's a bit of a snippy queen sometimes, but he also ends up being a very endearing character. It was very impressive how Dusk wrote him.
From then on we meet Vince, Cole's 'mate.' We've already learned about him through Cole's story about how he contracted the curse, and we see very clearly how messed up and utterly tragic this character is as we see him for the first time sitting on the couch, completely catatonic, playing videogames. (BTW I want whatever this kind of virtual reality video game this is because it sounds amazing).
Leo comes to live with Cole and Vince goes to live with Axel for Leo's safety. Then the antagonist begins to make his move. The antagonist (Gar) is a very complex villain. You kind of get a sense that he's not good when we first meet him, but he just gets progressively more desperate and unhinged as the story goes on, especially once you figure out his story and why he's in Varcross.
At about chapter 13, we meet Derrick! DERRICK was my favorite character. Hands down. Even with what he did at the end of the book, he's still my favorite. Ironically, he's also one of the reasons why this wasn't a solid 5-stars. Dusk does drop A LOT of infodumps through this guy. While the author may have been able to do this better, I was okay with it, because he made it interesting (and entertaining because Derrick is just a gem to read every time he's in a scene).
Derrick is an ex-mage from Stellous (a city connected to the world they are in now), and he comes into the group in order to have his revenge against Gar while also keeping his new family safe. He keeps the group 3 steps ahead of the antagonist as they continuously find ways to solve problems. This is the point where the book really opens up, and we get to see this beautiful world outside of the town for the first time.
Axel, Leo, Derrick, Cole, and Vince become this found family of different personalities, and to see them all interact with one another was a real treat. I felt like every single person could have been a real person. Anyone who reads (especially this genre) knows how rare that is to see done with this many characters. This is why I enjoy the hero's journey-type fantasies, because it usually has this found family trope and very fleshed-out characters. This is not just a romance, this is a full-blown high-fantasy. I was not expecting the world-building and magic system to be THIS fleshed out, so kudos.
Which brings me to the world-building. We don't just get great characters in this book, we get an entirely new world. While we don't know much about Stellous or Eqiros, and we get some political intrigue into the other world by the end of the story, Dusk keeps us grounded in Varcross for the most part. We'll see and hear different things about the world they all come from, but I think he's saving that for the next book. It's very much hinted at by the end that there will be more to this story. It's not quite the cliffhanger Amulii was, but it's enough to make me want to know what's going to happen.
One of the only complaints I had with the book was the main character. The secondary characters in this story seemed to have more agency and personality than the main character did. That's not to say he was a bad character, but everyone else outshined him...and, I don't think that's a completely bad thing. I really did connect with him and was rooting for him, but I felt more of a connection to those around him, like I WAS him. By the end Leo is much more into his own element, but throughout most of the book he just sort of drifted along with the stronger presences on the page.
A do like how this is a gay book, but diversity isn't shoe-horned into this story as some people would rather see at the expense of the story itself. Dusk stays true to what makes sense in his world. I love to see actual good story-telling without all of the forced, token rhetoric because the author feels like he has to. He told a story only he could tell, and it's a story many of us in the gay community need to read, because it goes far deeper than being trapped in a world of horny werewolves.
I felt good after reading this, because the importance of family and love is at the forefront of the message in this story. Loneliness is a killer, and we should reach out regardless if we don't like certain people, because those people may be going through things we can't even fathom. The book ironically shows us how to be decent human beings while mostly featuring monsters. The story ends with most different people from all walks of life making up a loving family/town/community, and it's not concentrated down into like-minded people becoming friends with more like-minded people. These were real people to me, not messages.
Thank you for this book. This was probably the best book I'm going to read all year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
July 29, 2025I couldn’t really enjoy this book mostly bc of personal preference. I didn’t like any of the characters and couldn’t connect to any of them. The romance itself was pure insta-love that I couldn’t comprehend. I didn’t feel like the characters had chemistry (none of them did and there were i think three pairings).
The idea itself was unique and somewhat intriguing but still, I don’t think I enjoyed it much. The plot felt chaotic and not tight enough. At first there was this, then there was that, and then they were running away and then they had to come back - it was exhausting. I think the plot would have benefited from shortening or cutting some things that happened or fusing some plot points together. A lot of the story moments felt like deus ex machina.
Last but not least I was kinda weirded out by the fact that they all remained beasts for most of the book and most never reverted to being human again. The sex and any other types of affection happened between the characters in beast form and that may appeal to some but it just weirded me out. I usually wouldn’t mind that but I minded that I basically read about beasts and not humans, I did not expect that (at least not for most/all of the book).
It’s not for me but of you want a somewhat unique mm werewolf story this could be a good fit.
The idea itself was unique and somewhat intriguing but still, I don’t think I enjoyed it much. The plot felt chaotic and not tight enough. At first there was this, then there was that, and then they were running away and then they had to come back - it was exhausting. I think the plot would have benefited from shortening or cutting some things that happened or fusing some plot points together. A lot of the story moments felt like deus ex machina.
Last but not least I was kinda weirded out by the fact that they all remained beasts for most of the book and most never reverted to being human again. The sex and any other types of affection happened between the characters in beast form and that may appeal to some but it just weirded me out. I usually wouldn’t mind that but I minded that I basically read about beasts and not humans, I did not expect that (at least not for most/all of the book).
It’s not for me but of you want a somewhat unique mm werewolf story this could be a good fit.
March 10, 2025
No Trigger Warnings for Any Disturbing Content
Finished the book so I could be honest with my review and it’s absolutely unacceptable to write a dark fantasy series for your audience and have consent being a huge central theme in your story and not include a Trigger Warning section at the beginning of the story to allow readers to make the choice to consent to a lot of dark elements in this story.
Going into the book with high expectations only a few chapters in to have the main love interest nearly SA the main protagonist due to a magical curse left me reeling and uncomfortable and that feeling stayed the entire time until the end. Thought I was coming for a typical werewolf story and prepared myself for that but having a story where the constant threat of sexual assault, mutilation, and death due to essential plot elements was not what I signed up for and would’ve loved a warning before going in.
This also lead for me unable to fully invest into the book like I normally would and the characters weren’t three dimensional enough to draw me back in and let my guard down.
Finished the book so I could be honest with my review and it’s absolutely unacceptable to write a dark fantasy series for your audience and have consent being a huge central theme in your story and not include a Trigger Warning section at the beginning of the story to allow readers to make the choice to consent to a lot of dark elements in this story.
Going into the book with high expectations only a few chapters in to have the main love interest nearly SA the main protagonist due to a magical curse left me reeling and uncomfortable and that feeling stayed the entire time until the end. Thought I was coming for a typical werewolf story and prepared myself for that but having a story where the constant threat of sexual assault, mutilation, and death due to essential plot elements was not what I signed up for and would’ve loved a warning before going in.
This also lead for me unable to fully invest into the book like I normally would and the characters weren’t three dimensional enough to draw me back in and let my guard down.
March 27, 2024
Firstly, I was a recipient of an advanced reader copy, so I'd like to thank Mr Dusk for allowing me to be a part of that process! Obviously, there will be minor spoilers in this review.
The Good:
I really, really like the ideas presented in this book. It's a fun take on werewolves and lycanthropy, with cool lore and interesting rules around the concepts and how they're presented. Lycanthropy as an STI is not new, nor the lycanthropy as a horny-curse type beat, but again, the explanations for what's going on and how the greater society has chosen to handle the problems these situations present feel real and make sense.
Even beyond that, the greater world that Varcross is attached to is still *extremely* interesting. A lot of thought has plainly gone into the culture of these people from another world with access to magic.
The characters are generally quite compelling, if not entirely lovable. Like the world itself, they all have very compelling backgrounds and present an interesting network of interactions: there is ample interpersonal conflict in the world, as much as interpersonal affection, and it's very neat to see these characters navigate these webs.
In particular, I actually greatly enjoy the characters of Derrick and Tobias, who both have a lot of impact on the younger characters of the main cast.
Additionally, Dusk writes humor and affection (and loss and trauma and guilt) quite well-- the found-family themes of this book shine strongly.
This arguably goes hand-in-hand with the ideas of the book, but the primary conflict of the story is very compelling. Without going too far into spoiler territory, the issue of finding a way to either A) resolve the lycanthropic curse, B) turn Leo into a werewolf to ease the burden of the town's waning population of viable bachelors, or C) some secret third thing that could make or break everything else is very good. The stakes are well established and they feel like they matter.
The Less Good:
Primarily, the biggest issue I have with the story isn't specifically that there's too much exposition, but rather that the plot has a lot of slow points that tend to drag, especially between larger plot developments.
As a minor aside: if you're looking for a smuttier story, despite the "lycanthropy spreads through sex" plot element, there isn't a lot of explicit sex on the page. For obvious reasons, part of this lack of smut exists because of the stakes, ie to maintain Leo's humanity, and to prevent him from making a sacrifice others don't want him to make.
This wasn't overly bothersome to me, but I do have to admit there were points where I found myself much more interested in the sex lives of those around Leo rather than his own (or lack thereof prior to it). I am, of course, more than willing to say that this is another pro to the character writing.
Genuinely, I feel that to be the extent of my qualms with the book: it's a genuinely fun ride and romp. I love the world and I can't wait for the opportunity to revisit it with whatever is to come in the future!
The Good:
I really, really like the ideas presented in this book. It's a fun take on werewolves and lycanthropy, with cool lore and interesting rules around the concepts and how they're presented. Lycanthropy as an STI is not new, nor the lycanthropy as a horny-curse type beat, but again, the explanations for what's going on and how the greater society has chosen to handle the problems these situations present feel real and make sense.
Even beyond that, the greater world that Varcross is attached to is still *extremely* interesting. A lot of thought has plainly gone into the culture of these people from another world with access to magic.
The characters are generally quite compelling, if not entirely lovable. Like the world itself, they all have very compelling backgrounds and present an interesting network of interactions: there is ample interpersonal conflict in the world, as much as interpersonal affection, and it's very neat to see these characters navigate these webs.
In particular, I actually greatly enjoy the characters of Derrick and Tobias, who both have a lot of impact on the younger characters of the main cast.
Additionally, Dusk writes humor and affection (and loss and trauma and guilt) quite well-- the found-family themes of this book shine strongly.
This arguably goes hand-in-hand with the ideas of the book, but the primary conflict of the story is very compelling. Without going too far into spoiler territory, the issue of finding a way to either A) resolve the lycanthropic curse, B) turn Leo into a werewolf to ease the burden of the town's waning population of viable bachelors, or C) some secret third thing that could make or break everything else is very good. The stakes are well established and they feel like they matter.
The Less Good:
Primarily, the biggest issue I have with the story isn't specifically that there's too much exposition, but rather that the plot has a lot of slow points that tend to drag, especially between larger plot developments.
As a minor aside: if you're looking for a smuttier story, despite the "lycanthropy spreads through sex" plot element, there isn't a lot of explicit sex on the page. For obvious reasons, part of this lack of smut exists because of the stakes, ie to maintain Leo's humanity, and to prevent him from making a sacrifice others don't want him to make.
This wasn't overly bothersome to me, but I do have to admit there were points where I found myself much more interested in the sex lives of those around Leo rather than his own (or lack thereof prior to it). I am, of course, more than willing to say that this is another pro to the character writing.
Genuinely, I feel that to be the extent of my qualms with the book: it's a genuinely fun ride and romp. I love the world and I can't wait for the opportunity to revisit it with whatever is to come in the future!
March 23, 2024
I was lucky enough to beta read and receive an early review copy of this book.
A very nice story in the underutilised "gay werewolf where the werewolves aren't just regular wolves" category. Themes of found family are central and nicely portrayed. With a cast of lovable and memorable characters set in a beautifully detailed world, it is a book I highly recommend.
The books strength is its characters and lore. The central cast are all unique and memorable, and very moment with them was a pleasure. Even more so later on when they take a larger focus. The interactions between them all range from hilarious to genuinely touching, and there was no character you wished had less screen time. There isn't too much focus on side characters, but what there is is also a joy to read. The villain was also a highlight for the most part, with a solid blend of sinister, likable, mysterious and threatening. Also, the main characters love interest is an absolute delight. Equal parts competent and adorable, you'll wish there was more of him, and there's already a lot.
The world is just as much a focal point of the book as the characters. Fascinating and steeped in interesting lore, it is wonderful to get to explore it with the characters and uncover its secrets and history. World building has always been one of the authors greatest strengths, and that remains true in this story. It is very much a world you can visualize and enjoy exploring.
There are a few small issues. Exposition dumps can be pretty lengthy and hurt the pace at times, mostly coming from one particular character. Thankfully this is saved by said character also being one of the most enjoyable in the whole book. The most notable issue with the story is the main character. While not unlikable or unengaging, he is pretty much a stand in for the reader, and as such lacks a solid identity for the most part and his growth doesn't feel entirely earned, whereas Alex from The Mark Of Amulii was still very much his own character whos evolution felt natural for his situation. This is somewhat fixed later in the story with a particular event.
Overall The Varcross Key is a brilliant book that plays well to the authors strengths. It is very much one of those books that will ruin your sleep schedule, as you'll always be wanting to see what happens on the next page over and over again. While much grander in scope than Mark of Amulii, it still offers the close character interactions that Dusk is so good at, and once you finish you'll find yourself still thinking about it for weeks afterwards.
A very nice story in the underutilised "gay werewolf where the werewolves aren't just regular wolves" category. Themes of found family are central and nicely portrayed. With a cast of lovable and memorable characters set in a beautifully detailed world, it is a book I highly recommend.
The books strength is its characters and lore. The central cast are all unique and memorable, and very moment with them was a pleasure. Even more so later on when they take a larger focus. The interactions between them all range from hilarious to genuinely touching, and there was no character you wished had less screen time. There isn't too much focus on side characters, but what there is is also a joy to read. The villain was also a highlight for the most part, with a solid blend of sinister, likable, mysterious and threatening. Also, the main characters love interest is an absolute delight. Equal parts competent and adorable, you'll wish there was more of him, and there's already a lot.
The world is just as much a focal point of the book as the characters. Fascinating and steeped in interesting lore, it is wonderful to get to explore it with the characters and uncover its secrets and history. World building has always been one of the authors greatest strengths, and that remains true in this story. It is very much a world you can visualize and enjoy exploring.
There are a few small issues. Exposition dumps can be pretty lengthy and hurt the pace at times, mostly coming from one particular character. Thankfully this is saved by said character also being one of the most enjoyable in the whole book. The most notable issue with the story is the main character. While not unlikable or unengaging, he is pretty much a stand in for the reader, and as such lacks a solid identity for the most part and his growth doesn't feel entirely earned, whereas Alex from The Mark Of Amulii was still very much his own character whos evolution felt natural for his situation. This is somewhat fixed later in the story with a particular event.
Overall The Varcross Key is a brilliant book that plays well to the authors strengths. It is very much one of those books that will ruin your sleep schedule, as you'll always be wanting to see what happens on the next page over and over again. While much grander in scope than Mark of Amulii, it still offers the close character interactions that Dusk is so good at, and once you finish you'll find yourself still thinking about it for weeks afterwards.
March 18, 2024
First of all thanks to Aeron for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy. All reviews via ARC’s are my own opinion and in no way swayed by the author.
This year is still young but man this has to be in my top 3 and when the year end, I still see this book cracking the top 10. I’m not a huge fan of fantasy stories. Not because I don’t like the genre, I just haven’t found one that vibed with me. But this is definitely one of the rare fantasy books where I was hooked from beginning to end. Not only because of the interesting world building. But because of the characters and their relationships for one another. I really love character interactions and relationships, I can eat that up for days. And you get that here and more.
The book is smutty sure but it’s not too crazy for those who are a bit prudish. But I feel like if you miss out on this book you’re missing out on an engaging and loving story. Aeron has a voice here and I really want to read more from him. A lot of people try hard or try too little when writing Isekai type stories or even werewolf tales with romance. But Aeron writes like he’s been preparing for this his entire life and uses tent poles in the genre as a way to add much flavor to the story. You’re here for the world as much as the characters and that’s special.
A book is special when you’re sad to leave these characters after 618 pages and a book is special when you want more even when the story reached its logical conclusion. I hope we get characters cards or an art book with illustrations/ concepts. While I like what I imagined , I really want to see this world that feels so concrete and full of love.
Thank you for making something special and thank you for showing us who you are Aeron.
Overall the book is a 4/5 , I would HIGHLY recommend this book. Keep an eye out for this star in the making.
The Varcross Key releases officially on the 29th of March and will be available both digitally and physically. Don’t miss out!
This year is still young but man this has to be in my top 3 and when the year end, I still see this book cracking the top 10. I’m not a huge fan of fantasy stories. Not because I don’t like the genre, I just haven’t found one that vibed with me. But this is definitely one of the rare fantasy books where I was hooked from beginning to end. Not only because of the interesting world building. But because of the characters and their relationships for one another. I really love character interactions and relationships, I can eat that up for days. And you get that here and more.
The book is smutty sure but it’s not too crazy for those who are a bit prudish. But I feel like if you miss out on this book you’re missing out on an engaging and loving story. Aeron has a voice here and I really want to read more from him. A lot of people try hard or try too little when writing Isekai type stories or even werewolf tales with romance. But Aeron writes like he’s been preparing for this his entire life and uses tent poles in the genre as a way to add much flavor to the story. You’re here for the world as much as the characters and that’s special.
A book is special when you’re sad to leave these characters after 618 pages and a book is special when you want more even when the story reached its logical conclusion. I hope we get characters cards or an art book with illustrations/ concepts. While I like what I imagined , I really want to see this world that feels so concrete and full of love.
Thank you for making something special and thank you for showing us who you are Aeron.
Overall the book is a 4/5 , I would HIGHLY recommend this book. Keep an eye out for this star in the making.
The Varcross Key releases officially on the 29th of March and will be available both digitally and physically. Don’t miss out!
March 28, 2024
Firstly, I'd like to thank the author for the advanced review copy of the book. Eagerly looking forward to his future projects!
The story is beautifully written with a strong theme of finding a place to belong. The main character is easily likable and relatable, which is quite refreshing since most protagonist frankly aren't either. From rough beginnings to satisfying conclusion you are emotionally invested in Leo's journey of self-discovery, personal growth and of course LOVE. Through every agonizing twist and bittersweet revelation (of which there are many!), you can't help but turn that next page with a jumbled mixture of eager anticipation and dread. Hoping that Leo and his companions will surmount the odds stacked against them.
Speaking of companions, the supporting cast are simply AMAZING! Unlike other books bland "side" characters, ALL the character's have unique and quirky personalities that endear them to the reader. Especially best boy and love interest, who contrast Leo's reserved persona in insanely comical and heartwarming ways! Despite not being the "main characters" each individual you meet throughout the book has depth. Their beliefs, temperaments and motivations give the story a colorfully thrilling array of view points and perspectives. A truly wonderful feat which the author seems quite adept at achieving. The BIG BAD is also a sensational character, I loved them, you will too. <3
Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed the world the author painted for us. The allure natural beauty of Varcross itself, an exotic and enigmatic world so vastly different from our own. Coupled with the enticing mysteries of how we came to this alien plane, by who were we brought here by...and for what (possible nefarious), purpose? Wonder and intrigue playing off one another to incredible effect!
Awesome book! Thrilling yet Heartfelt story with some of the most endearing characters I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.
The story is beautifully written with a strong theme of finding a place to belong. The main character is easily likable and relatable, which is quite refreshing since most protagonist frankly aren't either. From rough beginnings to satisfying conclusion you are emotionally invested in Leo's journey of self-discovery, personal growth and of course LOVE. Through every agonizing twist and bittersweet revelation (of which there are many!), you can't help but turn that next page with a jumbled mixture of eager anticipation and dread. Hoping that Leo and his companions will surmount the odds stacked against them.
Speaking of companions, the supporting cast are simply AMAZING! Unlike other books bland "side" characters, ALL the character's have unique and quirky personalities that endear them to the reader. Especially best boy and love interest, who contrast Leo's reserved persona in insanely comical and heartwarming ways! Despite not being the "main characters" each individual you meet throughout the book has depth. Their beliefs, temperaments and motivations give the story a colorfully thrilling array of view points and perspectives. A truly wonderful feat which the author seems quite adept at achieving. The BIG BAD is also a sensational character, I loved them, you will too. <3
Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed the world the author painted for us. The allure natural beauty of Varcross itself, an exotic and enigmatic world so vastly different from our own. Coupled with the enticing mysteries of how we came to this alien plane, by who were we brought here by...and for what (possible nefarious), purpose? Wonder and intrigue playing off one another to incredible effect!
Awesome book! Thrilling yet Heartfelt story with some of the most endearing characters I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.
March 22, 2024
Firstly thank you Aeron for the opportunity to read this as a ARC you've quickly become one of my favorite authors since I've stumbled across you last year.
When I first read this story I sat down in my favorite way. Alone in the dark it helps me fall into a good book faster then anything else. I consumed this story like it was air I needed to breathe, I quickly lost track of time and before I even noticed I read 200 pages in one setting. Very few books grabs my attention like this anymore.
I laughed, I cried, both tears of happiness, joy, fear and pain and sorrow as I put my self into the characters shoes... er paws as I walked with them along thier journey though these pages. Parts would make my heart race with excitement, or fear as the heroes struggled. I wish nothing more to have been there amongst the wolves fighting with them for what they believed in. Freedom, happiness and above all else love.
This book is about love and holding onto it, walking that path to find your found family, your pack and holding onto it with your claws not letting go even if it drags you through hell. Aeron has written a magical world one that I wished I had the key to get to it. In a way he provided it here with Varcross Key, how I wish I could walk among the wolves in these pages to see the place they built together in a way I feel like I was a part of it. I'm sure so will you take a read let your mind flow with the rythem of dancing paws lose yourself in these pages and just maybe perhaps you'll find yourself all over again.
Five out of Five stars and a howling good read.
When I first read this story I sat down in my favorite way. Alone in the dark it helps me fall into a good book faster then anything else. I consumed this story like it was air I needed to breathe, I quickly lost track of time and before I even noticed I read 200 pages in one setting. Very few books grabs my attention like this anymore.
I laughed, I cried, both tears of happiness, joy, fear and pain and sorrow as I put my self into the characters shoes... er paws as I walked with them along thier journey though these pages. Parts would make my heart race with excitement, or fear as the heroes struggled. I wish nothing more to have been there amongst the wolves fighting with them for what they believed in. Freedom, happiness and above all else love.
This book is about love and holding onto it, walking that path to find your found family, your pack and holding onto it with your claws not letting go even if it drags you through hell. Aeron has written a magical world one that I wished I had the key to get to it. In a way he provided it here with Varcross Key, how I wish I could walk among the wolves in these pages to see the place they built together in a way I feel like I was a part of it. I'm sure so will you take a read let your mind flow with the rythem of dancing paws lose yourself in these pages and just maybe perhaps you'll find yourself all over again.
Five out of Five stars and a howling good read.
March 22, 2024
I have been a big fan of this writer for over a decade now and his latest book didn't disappoint! I loved the paranormal love aspect of it especially because it's rare to find one that doesn't ignore the dark aspects of romance with a monster like them being not able to control themselves when it comes to being with or around humans most others just seem to ignore that part but not this book, it really made the story more believable. The world building in the book was really well written and fun to read about since I love fantasy paranormal stuff and the characters of Gar and Derrick were fun and interesting ways to learn about it through them. I would have to say my most favorite character though was Axel he was so fun to read about and is up there with Derrick as the best written characters in the book (I guess I just love me a werewolf himbo lol) Axel's personality really made his romance with Leo flow really well and made it more believable since the time frame of them getting together was kind of short. In the end I would have to say this book really became one of my favorites ever and I highly recommend reading this book if you're interested in a really good gay paranormal romance with some adventure mixed in. By the way I was given a ARC copy of this book to review before official release.
April 8, 2024
A very good gay werewolf adventure! With a dark beginning.
As a warning, the first quarter of this book is dark. It deals directly and indirectly with people in abusive relationships. It also deals indirectly with some very dubious consent. I wouldn't call it non-consent, however, option people's opinion may vary. While I didn't mind this, other people may have problems. Luckily this is only in the first part of the book. For most of the story, these elements aren't directly part of the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wouldn't call it an erotic story, though there are several good sex scenes. It's more of a gay, fantasy, found-family, adventure story.
Leo, the human MC, gets trapped in another world full of all male werewolves. They have a curse which forces them to have sex with humans, thus spreading the curse, or they go feral. Leo is of course the only human around on this world. Luckily, he finds help from several people. Learns to trust the monsters around him, and vis versa, and eventually figures out he might be the key to ending the curse forever.
The book is well written. It also doesn't have a lot of the tropes a lot of werewolf stories have, dom/sub, omegaverse, A/B/O, etc. It touches on some of these things, but never to the extent of some other stories. Some people might not like this, but I found it refreshing.
As a warning, the first quarter of this book is dark. It deals directly and indirectly with people in abusive relationships. It also deals indirectly with some very dubious consent. I wouldn't call it non-consent, however, option people's opinion may vary. While I didn't mind this, other people may have problems. Luckily this is only in the first part of the book. For most of the story, these elements aren't directly part of the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wouldn't call it an erotic story, though there are several good sex scenes. It's more of a gay, fantasy, found-family, adventure story.
Leo, the human MC, gets trapped in another world full of all male werewolves. They have a curse which forces them to have sex with humans, thus spreading the curse, or they go feral. Leo is of course the only human around on this world. Luckily, he finds help from several people. Learns to trust the monsters around him, and vis versa, and eventually figures out he might be the key to ending the curse forever.
The book is well written. It also doesn't have a lot of the tropes a lot of werewolf stories have, dom/sub, omegaverse, A/B/O, etc. It touches on some of these things, but never to the extent of some other stories. Some people might not like this, but I found it refreshing.
April 11, 2025
A fascinating world written in a very enjoyable manner! I do think this would have benefitted from being either a series with Leo and Axel as the MCs or with varying MCs (since there are multiple stories to be told!). The stakes are high, the world building is interesting but the book is long and at the end there were suddenly a lot of different POVS (because there were a lot of stories still to tell!). It also is more than the 550 odd pages - I would be interested to know how many thousand words it is.
Tags:
Quote:
“You’re such a cheese ball,” I said, running my fingers through the fur on his hand. “I miss cheese. Ain’t had it in ten years.” p. 148
NSFW infos:
- vers
- flipfuck
- rough sex
- waking up from blowjob (no talk of consent previously)
For more info: prettysureiforgot reddit review :)
Tags:
Quote:
“You’re such a cheese ball,” I said, running my fingers through the fur on his hand. “I miss cheese. Ain’t had it in ten years.” p. 148
NSFW infos:
- vers
- flipfuck
- rough sex
- waking up from blowjob (no talk of consent previously)
For more info: prettysureiforgot reddit review :)
December 8, 2024
English is not my first language, so bear with me.
I DNFed this book. Not because it is a bad read, but because I think this isn't for me.
So, I enjoyed Mark of Amulii. It is an interesting take in werewolf mythos with an angsty relationship between a realistic queer MC and a werewolf himbo. Very enjoyable for a debut novel.
I was kinda hyped for The Varcross Key, because MoA has a ton of potential. Maybe I should have informed myself better about what was this book about, because I only read the plot summary here on Goodread before sinking my teeth on the book even though I am on the author's Telegram channel and I know he has a blog. I would have learnt this books does not share MoA mythos (entirely my fault, there is no sign this is MoA 2 or anything else) and maybe I would have known this book was to much for me.
The reason I had to drop this is because I pretty much disliked this new werewolf mythos. In The Varcross Key, werewolfs, called vargryrs, are cursed MALE humans. Lycanthropy being a curse is a well common trope, I neither like nor dislike it. The thing that really set me off is that the cursed full grown werewolfs are, quite literally, sexual predators. . I found this so messed up. Definetly too much to chew for me.
I don't mind smutt in my books, but this creeped me out of it. Maybe creeping the reader letting him know that valgrys are monsters and becoming one isn't desirable is the whole point of this first chapters before, maybe, the MC changes or else. I don't know.
The abscense of women in werewolf population also means that no important female characters in the main cast. I found this in MoA lacking, but since it is something common in M/M romance books I didn't think much of it, and even then the MC's mom was a thing.
Maybe a 2 star review isn't fair and I am sitting on a literature gem as reviews seem to point in Goodreads. Despite this new mythos I don't enjoy, there are some things I really liked, like the main character, Leo, being a realistic queer character coming out from an abusive relationship and facing body dysmorphia, the prose and how much beliavable and defined seems Varcross in comparison with Jasper in MoA. I feel I'm missing so much DNFing this book, but I can't power through the sexual predator werewolf thing. It creeps me so much. I should have read the CWs of this book in the authors blog before, so me reading a book that isn't for me is entirely my fault.
Even then, I'd give a try to the next thing Aeron Dusk does. Hell, maybe in a future I try to read this book again. He has good ideas, his characters are usually on point and I always crave for paranormal queer romance.
___________________________________________________________
EDIT 8/12/2024
Fui muy duro con esta novela. Si consigues tragar con los rapey werewolves y dejas que el autor desarrolle en la trama se queda un libro muy disfrutable.
El worldbuilding y los personajes son muchísimo mejores que los de The Mark of Amulii, la primera novela del autor. El antagonista es una fuerza opresiva, interesante y que contrapone las ideas del grupo protagonista. La prosa sufre una mejora enorme, la acción es más disfrutable y el romance es muchísimo mejor.
Me parecía una lectura muy sólida de 4 estrellas bajo el sistema de puntuación de Goodreads, porque los problemas que expresé en mi primer intentos están ahí. La falta de mujeres y cómo maneja el tema de que los hombres lobo, en un principio, sean bestias sedientas de s3x0 me siguen pesando aunque esto último se resuelva de forma correcta. Pero entonces, a partir de cierto punto, el autor toma ciertas decisiones que a mí me generan problemas.
La primera es la narración. El libro está escrito en primera persona y durante el primer 72% solo hay un narrador, pero a partir de cierto capítulo los capítulos sufren constantes cambios de punto de vista con otros narradores. Esto a mí, en lo personal, no me gusta, porque o se hace muy bien, de forma que sepas quien es el narrador solo por leer la verborrea interna del personaje sin necesidad de que el autor te indique quien es el narrador antes de empezar el párrafo, o simplemente tienes un desastre de puntos de vista que no difieren lo suficiente y se pueden hacer confusos.
Five Broken Blades es la peor novela que he leído y acabado este año y es mucho peor en este aspecto, pero te viene con este tipo de narración de cara. Aquí ocurre porque simplemente es conveniente, y para eso preferiría que la narración hubiese sido en tercera persona desde el principio o se hubiese aferrado a la idea de tener un único narrador, dejar cosas a la imaginación o futura explicación de otros personajes (porque no olvidemos que el narrador en primera persona falible existe) y plantear mejor los escenarios para que no sea estrictamente necesario este baile de narradores.
Mi segundo problema es que a partir de cierto punto, que es donde creo que tendría que ir acabando la novela, empieza a extender el chicle para llegar a una conclusión que, sinceramente, no es satisfactoria y en mi opinión no casa con los personajes. El protagonista se vuelve un werewolf Jesus por la cara y al final del día no hay consecuencias, solo logros y celebraciones. Un final más abierto con un mensaje positivo sobre la comunidad tras derrotar al antagonista 90 páginas antes de que acabase el libro hubiese funcionado muchísimo mejor, en mi opinión.
Pero bueno, esto solo es mi opinión. El libro es muy disfrutable y creo que mejora en todo lo que me genera problemas en The Mark of Amulii, pero tiene otra serie de problemas que hacen que una lectura muy buena pase a ser, simplemente, una lectura buena.
I DNFed this book. Not because it is a bad read, but because I think this isn't for me.
So, I enjoyed Mark of Amulii. It is an interesting take in werewolf mythos with an angsty relationship between a realistic queer MC and a werewolf himbo. Very enjoyable for a debut novel.
I was kinda hyped for The Varcross Key, because MoA has a ton of potential. Maybe I should have informed myself better about what was this book about, because I only read the plot summary here on Goodread before sinking my teeth on the book even though I am on the author's Telegram channel and I know he has a blog. I would have learnt this books does not share MoA mythos (entirely my fault, there is no sign this is MoA 2 or anything else) and maybe I would have known this book was to much for me.
The reason I had to drop this is because I pretty much disliked this new werewolf mythos. In The Varcross Key, werewolfs, called vargryrs, are cursed MALE humans. Lycanthropy being a curse is a well common trope, I neither like nor dislike it. The thing that really set me off is that the cursed full grown werewolfs are, quite literally, sexual predators. . I found this so messed up. Definetly too much to chew for me.
I don't mind smutt in my books, but this creeped me out of it. Maybe creeping the reader letting him know that valgrys are monsters and becoming one isn't desirable is the whole point of this first chapters before, maybe, the MC changes or else. I don't know.
The abscense of women in werewolf population also means that no important female characters in the main cast. I found this in MoA lacking, but since it is something common in M/M romance books I didn't think much of it, and even then the MC's mom was a thing.
Maybe a 2 star review isn't fair and I am sitting on a literature gem as reviews seem to point in Goodreads. Despite this new mythos I don't enjoy, there are some things I really liked, like the main character, Leo, being a realistic queer character coming out from an abusive relationship and facing body dysmorphia, the prose and how much beliavable and defined seems Varcross in comparison with Jasper in MoA. I feel I'm missing so much DNFing this book, but I can't power through the sexual predator werewolf thing. It creeps me so much. I should have read the CWs of this book in the authors blog before, so me reading a book that isn't for me is entirely my fault.
Even then, I'd give a try to the next thing Aeron Dusk does. Hell, maybe in a future I try to read this book again. He has good ideas, his characters are usually on point and I always crave for paranormal queer romance.
___________________________________________________________
EDIT 8/12/2024
Fui muy duro con esta novela. Si consigues tragar con los rapey werewolves y dejas que el autor desarrolle en la trama se queda un libro muy disfrutable.
El worldbuilding y los personajes son muchísimo mejores que los de The Mark of Amulii, la primera novela del autor. El antagonista es una fuerza opresiva, interesante y que contrapone las ideas del grupo protagonista. La prosa sufre una mejora enorme, la acción es más disfrutable y el romance es muchísimo mejor.
Me parecía una lectura muy sólida de 4 estrellas bajo el sistema de puntuación de Goodreads, porque los problemas que expresé en mi primer intentos están ahí. La falta de mujeres y cómo maneja el tema de que los hombres lobo, en un principio, sean bestias sedientas de s3x0 me siguen pesando aunque esto último se resuelva de forma correcta. Pero entonces, a partir de cierto punto, el autor toma ciertas decisiones que a mí me generan problemas.
La primera es la narración. El libro está escrito en primera persona y durante el primer 72% solo hay un narrador, pero a partir de cierto capítulo los capítulos sufren constantes cambios de punto de vista con otros narradores. Esto a mí, en lo personal, no me gusta, porque o se hace muy bien, de forma que sepas quien es el narrador solo por leer la verborrea interna del personaje sin necesidad de que el autor te indique quien es el narrador antes de empezar el párrafo, o simplemente tienes un desastre de puntos de vista que no difieren lo suficiente y se pueden hacer confusos.
Five Broken Blades es la peor novela que he leído y acabado este año y es mucho peor en este aspecto, pero te viene con este tipo de narración de cara. Aquí ocurre porque simplemente es conveniente, y para eso preferiría que la narración hubiese sido en tercera persona desde el principio o se hubiese aferrado a la idea de tener un único narrador, dejar cosas a la imaginación o futura explicación de otros personajes (porque no olvidemos que el narrador en primera persona falible existe) y plantear mejor los escenarios para que no sea estrictamente necesario este baile de narradores.
Mi segundo problema es que a partir de cierto punto, que es donde creo que tendría que ir acabando la novela, empieza a extender el chicle para llegar a una conclusión que, sinceramente, no es satisfactoria y en mi opinión no casa con los personajes. El protagonista se vuelve un werewolf Jesus por la cara y al final del día no hay consecuencias, solo logros y celebraciones. Un final más abierto con un mensaje positivo sobre la comunidad tras derrotar al antagonista 90 páginas antes de que acabase el libro hubiese funcionado muchísimo mejor, en mi opinión.
Pero bueno, esto solo es mi opinión. El libro es muy disfrutable y creo que mejora en todo lo que me genera problemas en The Mark of Amulii, pero tiene otra serie de problemas que hacen que una lectura muy buena pase a ser, simplemente, una lectura buena.
March 24, 2024
I received an advanced reader copy for the book, and just like every other story I’ve read from Aeron Dusk, I absolutely could not put it down until I’d finished reading (around 9am the following morning).
The author continues to have an absolutely amazing ability to write very realistic feeling that characters you can’t help but empathise with. I loved the little tidbits of lore we get for Maw’cha of his Mark of Amulii series, and some groundwork for very interesting twists on that story and this one in the future- I went full Always Sunny conspiracy board with some of it and I can’t wait to see how it pays off in the future.
The characters seem to not quite get for awhile that they are coming from the same places, and it really felt like something that should’ve been more immediately apparent and noted on, but that was honestly my one issue I had the entire time.
Varcross Key was an absolute pleasure, and thanks so much for giving us this fantastic story to read!!
(PS, the werewolf sex? Very rough and enjoyable, definitely enjoyed that lol)
The author continues to have an absolutely amazing ability to write very realistic feeling that characters you can’t help but empathise with. I loved the little tidbits of lore we get for Maw’cha of his Mark of Amulii series, and some groundwork for very interesting twists on that story and this one in the future- I went full Always Sunny conspiracy board with some of it and I can’t wait to see how it pays off in the future.
The characters seem to not quite get for awhile that they are coming from the same places, and it really felt like something that should’ve been more immediately apparent and noted on, but that was honestly my one issue I had the entire time.
Varcross Key was an absolute pleasure, and thanks so much for giving us this fantastic story to read!!
(PS, the werewolf sex? Very rough and enjoyable, definitely enjoyed that lol)
May 2, 2024
One of my favourite reads in recent times, I couldn't put it down.
I read The Mark of Amulii, Aeron Dusk's previous and first book, directly prior to The Varcross Key, I really got a sense of Aeron's progress as an author; I really feel he's come into his own with TVK - both the world of Varcross and the characters are highlights throughout. Aeron really scratched an itch I didn't even know I had, I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye out for future books from him!
At its heart this is an isekai story featuring gay werewolves, with a theme of making your own happiness regardless of circumstances. Levity and seriousness are well balanced throughout, and even the antagonist has sympathetic moments. The story is entirely self contained and ties up its own story in the end, but I was still left with that want to know what happens afterwards - to me that's the mark of great story.
I really enjoyed this story and can't recommend it enough to anyone with any interest in the genre.
I read The Mark of Amulii, Aeron Dusk's previous and first book, directly prior to The Varcross Key, I really got a sense of Aeron's progress as an author; I really feel he's come into his own with TVK - both the world of Varcross and the characters are highlights throughout. Aeron really scratched an itch I didn't even know I had, I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye out for future books from him!
At its heart this is an isekai story featuring gay werewolves, with a theme of making your own happiness regardless of circumstances. Levity and seriousness are well balanced throughout, and even the antagonist has sympathetic moments. The story is entirely self contained and ties up its own story in the end, but I was still left with that want to know what happens afterwards - to me that's the mark of great story.
I really enjoyed this story and can't recommend it enough to anyone with any interest in the genre.
March 29, 2024
First and foremost I would like to thank the author for giving me an advance review copy of the book.
The Varcross Key is such a wonderful story with a heavy emphasis of found family and the connections we build ourselves. The characters feel so very real, it's almost as if the people I know were captured and put into these pages, from the way they act, to the way they feel, to the way they even interpret each other, It feels as if I'm watching my own friends grow and improve with my own eyes, as opposed to reading the cause and effects of fictional characters.
If you are queer and/or a werewolf lover, this book was made for you!
The Varcross Key is such a wonderful story with a heavy emphasis of found family and the connections we build ourselves. The characters feel so very real, it's almost as if the people I know were captured and put into these pages, from the way they act, to the way they feel, to the way they even interpret each other, It feels as if I'm watching my own friends grow and improve with my own eyes, as opposed to reading the cause and effects of fictional characters.
If you are queer and/or a werewolf lover, this book was made for you!
April 15, 2025
Very enjoyable book, with great diversity of characters, a well developed love interest (amongst other demonstrations of relationship dynamics) and a great escapism/other world adventure fantasy.
Axel is an absolute dear, and the relationship built between him and Leo will be one I’ll fondly keep coming back to.
For me the ending felt rushed, which whilst it made sense, it was almost bittersweet to the inclusion that they’d worked so hard towards. Hence deducting a star.
Will definitely read again :)
Axel is an absolute dear, and the relationship built between him and Leo will be one I’ll fondly keep coming back to.
For me the ending felt rushed, which whilst it made sense, it was almost bittersweet to the inclusion that they’d worked so hard towards. Hence deducting a star.
Will definitely read again :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2024
Vacross Key is delightful adventure about finding family, the importance of sticking together, and sacrifice. There’s plenty of adventure and snarly-romance to be had here - the book was tough to put down!
Though a bit too heavy on exposition at times, I found the author’s subject and style to be readable and enjoyable. In particular I look forward to future installments in this alluring universe of men, wolves, and god knows what else.
Note: I was lucky enough to read an advance review copy before publication.
Though a bit too heavy on exposition at times, I found the author’s subject and style to be readable and enjoyable. In particular I look forward to future installments in this alluring universe of men, wolves, and god knows what else.
Note: I was lucky enough to read an advance review copy before publication.
March 18, 2024
An amazing book as expected. I always look forward to reading whatever works Aeron Dusk is working on and this book is no exception. I cried, I laughed, I got so invested in the characters that I needed a few days to absorb it all before I could make a review. I will say that a choice a character made without discussion from anyone else because (I know better) did leave me feeling really bitter towards the character because it just felt really out of place.
March 28, 2024
I came into this book not knowing what to expect. The genre is a bit outside of my comfort zone. I thoroughly enjoyed it! There were a few scenes in the book that were a bit too intense for me, but I managed to get through them thanks to how well written it is. I recommend anyone who enjoys epic fantasy to give this a read even if the romance genre really isn't your norm.
And, slight spoiler, but Derrick really angered me at the end. The ending I expected became a nightmare instead.
And, slight spoiler, but Derrick really angered me at the end. The ending I expected became a nightmare instead.
October 16, 2024
A complete rollercoaster of things
This books and it's story was eye-catching, spicy, funny, interesting, story driven, and everything in-between. I loved this book and how it turned out. Understanding the story was the best part about it and just solving the mysteries that were in the story. Loved the characters. A lot of relationships were restored. Loved it so, so much
10/10 would recommend for my furry or monster enjoyers.
This books and it's story was eye-catching, spicy, funny, interesting, story driven, and everything in-between. I loved this book and how it turned out. Understanding the story was the best part about it and just solving the mysteries that were in the story. Loved the characters. A lot of relationships were restored. Loved it so, so much
10/10 would recommend for my furry or monster enjoyers.
March 1, 2024
Im impressed. World building is nice. The story is very catchy and i cant wait to read another part of it. I like the fact that its not purely smutt and alot of character developement is going on. A different view of shifters going on with alot of fantasy world crashing. Perfect mix! Give it a try and i can assure you you wont be didappointed.
March 10, 2024
It was really great. I fell in love with each of the characters. While reading the book, I felt sad, I cried, I laughed, and I had fun. I finished it in 3 days and I couldn't forget it for a long time. I'm thinking about it even now. I hope the second book comes out.
I would like to thank the author for providing and advanced review copy.
I would like to thank the author for providing and advanced review copy.
March 29, 2024
Got to read the ARC for this which was a huge honor and a lot of fun.
Dusk is an excellent writer with wonderful characters and a well thought out and in depth universe that has something for everyone. If you haven't read his other book The Mark of Amulii go get that one too. Great adventures to be had!
Dusk is an excellent writer with wonderful characters and a well thought out and in depth universe that has something for everyone. If you haven't read his other book The Mark of Amulii go get that one too. Great adventures to be had!
June 22, 2024
Wonderful work from Dusk yet again. The Varcross Key presents quite the lovable cast of characters, incorporating a nice found family dynamic that brought me joy. I loved the exploration of Varcross and the other settings explored, and was quite pleased with how in-depth the world-building was. I greatly enjoyed this book from start to finish.
March 6, 2024
first off thanks for the ARC. loved the story. already re-reading. the universe is wonderfully complex yet easy to understand. the characters personalities mesh just right when they need to and clash just enough to keep you guessing. i hope to read more in the future.
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