Clock Strikes

Neko #1

by Ana Raine

Collin is a Neko, a human cat hybrid, who has never had the chance to leave Aloria Island. The only way a Neko is ever allowed to go to the human world is if they become a pet to a demon. Collin has been in love with Adrian, the Prince of the Demons, for years, but Adrian doesn't even seem to notice he exists, so when Porter, Prince Adrian's cousin, asks Collin if he would like to be his pet for the Annual Reaping of Souls Ball, Collin jumps at the chance.

Prince Adrian has secretly lusted after Collin for years, but a demon and a Neko becoming lovers is not only unheard of, such a relationship is banned. With a rebel army threatening to overthrow Prince Adrian and the royal council, Collin has to choose sides. But neither choice guarantees him a place next to Prince Adrian's side.

Genres: Demons, M M Romance

84 pages, ebook

First published July 25, 2014

About the author

Ana lives in Michigan where when it’s not snowy and wet, there are beautiful state parks and lakes to visit. When she was eighteen, she married her best friend and they live with their two cats, Mason and Misaki. Ana has celiac disease, but that hasn’t stopped her from learning how to cook and bake so she can eat tasty treats. Fudge, enchiladas, and anything involving yucca/cassava are her absolute favorite.

Ana has studied in Osaka, Japan where she learned about theater and drama. She would love to go back after she is sure her Japanese is efficient enough. Ana loves anything to do with foxes, especially Arctic foxes. One day, Ana will find a way to incorporate her love of foxes into a novel, but until then, she’ll stay focused on fairies, shape shifters, and mythology.

Feel free to stop by her blog for tasty recipes, freebies, and more.

Reviews

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someday, my prince will come...this is all Collin can think of when he dreams about leaving Aloria Island. A Neko is a parahuman in the sense that he's part cat and part human. How his race came to existence is lightly touched upon. For a Neko, there are only two ways off the island. He must either become a demon's pet or go to the island where his parents have gone. Collin is thinking of the first option because he's been in love with Prince Adrian for a long time. Unfortunately for Collin, Prince Adrian is the most sought after demon and no one knows if he prefers females or males. Chances of capturing Adrian's attention seem slim from Collin's perspective.

This story is sweet and easy to read. It's a fairy tale in a way because there is a prince and a pauper finding their true love. The sex in the story is also lovely with its rough body play. The characters are cute. The world building is lacking and needs more work. Perhaps in the next book, more will be revealed. Overall, Ms. Raine's writing voice is smooth and fun to read. She does need to work on a few details.

First, why does Collin seem think he is average? It's never clear other than Collin being down on himself. Prince Adrian's desire for Collin is fine, but it doesn't validate Collin's physical attractiveness. Is there a specific standard that demons prize which can illustrate that Collin possesses prized features? This would help make it more convincing as to why Adrian wants Collin.

Second, what is the reason why Neko and demons cannot mate? It is mentioned as verboten several times yet it is not exactly clear to the reader why this is so forbidden. Is this something which will be explained in the next book?

Lastly, the subterfuge for Collin to come to the human world didn't really make sense. If the goal was to prevent Adrian's enemies from trying to take Collin, it fooled no one. Because Collin's beard for Adrian did nothing to keep other demons from wanting Collin to hurt Adrian.

Still, this is a quick and delightful read. Recommended for m/m lovers who enjoy a bit of animalistic rough sex.

[Serena Yates · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a world where demons reign – except they do it secretly. Helped by the mysterious Neko, hybrids of human and cat origin, they have melded with human society and are hiding in plain sight. The demons are ruled by royalty, and have Nekos as their pets, never their lovers. Politics, a threatening rebellion, and a few more mysteries as to what is going on kept my interest, and the characters of Collin, the Neko, and Prince Adrian, a powerful demon, are certainly hot together. They also have quite a few issues to solve, and some questions were clearer and more urgent by the end of this first book than they had been at the beginning. I certainly hope volume two is published soon.


Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.