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Rune Alexander #1
Shiv Crew
Rune Alexander wants to get through her days doing her job, which is protecting the humans against the myriad of supernatural creatures, known as Others, who exist uneasily in a human's world.
But she is unstable and damaged. She realizes how broken she is even as she continues to submit to the unspeakable things her lover does to her, craving desperately the strange peace she finds in the aftermath.
When she discovers things are not as they seem and a faceless human is torturing the supernatural groups in her city, she and her crew must break the rules and begin to protect the Others from the humans.
But as the darkness inside her becomes stronger and she ends up on the wrong side of a battle she must not lose, who will save Rune from herself?
But she is unstable and damaged. She realizes how broken she is even as she continues to submit to the unspeakable things her lover does to her, craving desperately the strange peace she finds in the aftermath.
When she discovers things are not as they seem and a faceless human is torturing the supernatural groups in her city, she and her crew must break the rules and begin to protect the Others from the humans.
But as the darkness inside her becomes stronger and she ends up on the wrong side of a battle she must not lose, who will save Rune from herself?
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2013
779 people are currently reading
2364 people want to read
About the author
Laken Cane
44 books466 followersLaken was first published in 2008. After a few exciting years with her publishers, she struck out on her own to write the now complete Rune Alexander series, and never looked back.
She shares her Ohio home with three spoiled dogs, two fish, and a tenacious African Violet. She drinks too much coffee and continues burning up the keys of her trusty laptop, getting the stories out of her head and into her readers' hands.
You can connect with Laken through her website at www.lakencane.com or her Facebook author page at www.facebook.com/authorlakencane
She shares her Ohio home with three spoiled dogs, two fish, and a tenacious African Violet. She drinks too much coffee and continues burning up the keys of her trusty laptop, getting the stories out of her head and into her readers' hands.
You can connect with Laken through her website at www.lakencane.com or her Facebook author page at www.facebook.com/authorlakencane
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
September 20, 2019
3.5 Ohh, I smell potential!
First book in the series, first book by this author (for me), and it's fun!
I really like the characters and, frankly, I like the flawed Rune and all that she is. I like that she has her own problems, her own dark secrets, and she's trying to deal with them however she can.
Plus, she's that sort of badass chick that I love in all my UFs.
This will definitely be a fun, entertaining series. I can smell it!
First book in the series, first book by this author (for me), and it's fun!
I really like the characters and, frankly, I like the flawed Rune and all that she is. I like that she has her own problems, her own dark secrets, and she's trying to deal with them however she can.
Plus, she's that sort of badass chick that I love in all my UFs.
This will definitely be a fun, entertaining series. I can smell it!
May 11, 2017
First of, I like the fact the there isn't really romance in this book. As it is a series, this is actually a good thing. Though, you do get a hint of who could be the love interest in the future, and to be honest, I'm quite happy with him (if it is him that is indeed the future love interest...)
Second of, I really had a huge dislike for the constant use of 'baby'. It was used too many times, and on wrong places, at least that's my opinion.
Third of, I sometimes had difficulty with the way the book is written, but as soon as you get into the story, you'll accept it simply because the story is still good.
Fourth of, for the first time, since I can remember I got respect for a character. Like real respect. Many characters gain my love, but respect? That's unusual. That was amazing.
Other than that I'm happy I started this series! I can't wait to see where and how things will go for Rune and her Shiv Crew.
Second of, I really had a huge dislike for the constant use of 'baby'. It was used too many times, and on wrong places, at least that's my opinion.
Third of, I sometimes had difficulty with the way the book is written, but as soon as you get into the story, you'll accept it simply because the story is still good.
Fourth of, for the first time, since I can remember I got respect for a character. Like real respect. Many characters gain my love, but respect? That's unusual. That was amazing.
Other than that I'm happy I started this series! I can't wait to see where and how things will go for Rune and her Shiv Crew.
December 17, 2013
HELL YEAH!!!!!! Now this was a damn good book.
This might not have been the best book I read but what this book did was make me remember how much I love Urban Fantasy. Shiv Crew echoed the great UF books of the past before everything turned into paranormal romance with sparkly vampires and weak-ass shifters. There is nothing weak, sparkly or sweet about this book and I love that.
Shiv Crew definitely followed some of the typical UF traps. Hot little girl, hot guys surrounding her, hot little girl is all powerful and alpha love interest but this doesn't hurt the story at all. There are many little unique things about this book but the one thing that I love was Lex, a beautiful black female who may or may not have a love triangle with twins (if she doesn't, she needs to). As a black female I always rejoice when I see a minority character that is not stereotyped.
If you read UF from ten years ago and you wish that UF would go back to that awesomeness definitely check out this book.
This might not have been the best book I read but what this book did was make me remember how much I love Urban Fantasy. Shiv Crew echoed the great UF books of the past before everything turned into paranormal romance with sparkly vampires and weak-ass shifters. There is nothing weak, sparkly or sweet about this book and I love that.
Shiv Crew definitely followed some of the typical UF traps. Hot little girl, hot guys surrounding her, hot little girl is all powerful and alpha love interest but this doesn't hurt the story at all. There are many little unique things about this book but the one thing that I love was Lex, a beautiful black female who may or may not have a love triangle with twins (if she doesn't, she needs to). As a black female I always rejoice when I see a minority character that is not stereotyped.
If you read UF from ten years ago and you wish that UF would go back to that awesomeness definitely check out this book.
October 20, 2014
SCRU - Spiritgrove’s Criminal Recovery Unit - or Shiv Crew is the name of the group whose main duty is to protect the humans against the Others (Supernaturals), whose crew consist only of 3 super hot and elite fighters, namely Z, Jack and Race….. Then there's Ellis, the assistant to the head of Shiv Crew… And, the head of Shiv Crew, Rune Alexander.
Rune is not only fighting monsters outside, she is also fighting her own demons inside, making her feel unstable and damaged…. and there are only two people who knew her struggles… her lover who helps her deal with said demons by hurting her… and Ellis who helps fix her after. It is really rather sad and shocking.
On their mission to hunt down that Others who are kidnapping humans... they later realized that everything was not what it seems. That in fact, a human was torturing the supernatural groups in her City. And she, and her crew, must break the rules and begin to protect the Others from the humans.
You know how you can tell that it’s going to be a good book? When it brings you straight to the action scene from the beginning. And you know how you can say it is well written? When it was so easy to fall into the story and connect with ALL the interesting characters in the book. I love that! I need that!
Rune makes a perfect hero or heroine. ;) A great leader... She is passionate with all her crew and her job, very powerful, smart, confident and just amazing. To start with, I didn’t like how she was not accepting who she is, but she showed character growth as she listens to the people who cares for her.
I fell in love with all her crew…. They make such great group dynamic… I can feel the intensity on how much they care and will do everything to protect each other. Ellis specially. He is the heart of them all. Then there's the new Shiv Crew members, Levi and Demi (lol on the name btw), and then there’s Lexi, a blind Other who is special. And last, there is Strad Matheson or as Rune calls him, Berserker, because he is calm and quite on the outside but inside something is just waiting to explode and Rune is scared of him and she doesn’t scare easily. And his character turnout was definitely surprising!
Oh, and there’s this ghoul, Gunnar, who I thought was funny.
It’s fast-paced, action-packed with full on suspense and surprises. The highlight or highlights of the book was stunning with a full blown action mixed with such intense emotions which brought me to tears. It was just crazy good!
There is still a lot of unanswered questions in the end though. But it’s a perfect start of an urban fantasy paranormal series. With great world building.
I know I didn’t mention romance, because, well, there’s none. And I didn’t feel it was needed for now… so I appreciate the fact that the author didn’t go there. But it doesn’t mean there wasn’t a hint of one and I’m leaning on Strad. He seems like the perfect alpha for someone like Rune. And he did save her twice here! And I kinda find their intensity hot.
Review also posted here : http://slitsread.com/2014/10/20/shiv-...
Rune is not only fighting monsters outside, she is also fighting her own demons inside, making her feel unstable and damaged…. and there are only two people who knew her struggles… her lover who helps her deal with said demons by hurting her… and Ellis who helps fix her after. It is really rather sad and shocking.
On their mission to hunt down that Others who are kidnapping humans... they later realized that everything was not what it seems. That in fact, a human was torturing the supernatural groups in her City. And she, and her crew, must break the rules and begin to protect the Others from the humans.
You know how you can tell that it’s going to be a good book? When it brings you straight to the action scene from the beginning. And you know how you can say it is well written? When it was so easy to fall into the story and connect with ALL the interesting characters in the book. I love that! I need that!
Rune makes a perfect hero or heroine. ;) A great leader... She is passionate with all her crew and her job, very powerful, smart, confident and just amazing. To start with, I didn’t like how she was not accepting who she is, but she showed character growth as she listens to the people who cares for her.
I am my monster.
My monster is me.
I fell in love with all her crew…. They make such great group dynamic… I can feel the intensity on how much they care and will do everything to protect each other. Ellis specially. He is the heart of them all. Then there's the new Shiv Crew members, Levi and Demi (lol on the name btw), and then there’s Lexi, a blind Other who is special. And last, there is Strad Matheson or as Rune calls him, Berserker, because he is calm and quite on the outside but inside something is just waiting to explode and Rune is scared of him and she doesn’t scare easily. And his character turnout was definitely surprising!
Oh, and there’s this ghoul, Gunnar, who I thought was funny.
It’s fast-paced, action-packed with full on suspense and surprises. The highlight or highlights of the book was stunning with a full blown action mixed with such intense emotions which brought me to tears. It was just crazy good!
There is still a lot of unanswered questions in the end though. But it’s a perfect start of an urban fantasy paranormal series. With great world building.
I know I didn’t mention romance, because, well, there’s none. And I didn’t feel it was needed for now… so I appreciate the fact that the author didn’t go there. But it doesn’t mean there wasn’t a hint of one and I’m leaning on Strad. He seems like the perfect alpha for someone like Rune. And he did save her twice here! And I kinda find their intensity hot.
Review also posted here : http://slitsread.com/2014/10/20/shiv-...
February 20, 2015
First thing's first! I want to say a big thank you to Janet for recommending this book to me. :D We usually swim in the same waters. :D
Now:
Imagine it's 7:45am on a dull Monday morning, and you are waiting in line at your local coffee shop to get your hands on the much needed black elixir of life. You shuffle along tiredly, offering only a nod of commiseration to the poor bastards in the line that share your fate. The weekend is gone and you have a whole new week ahead of you, but you can't even think about that right now. You just want your coffee.
But then the front door slams open and a cheerleader bursts in. The hair is too big, the eyes are too wide, the fake smile stretches her lips almost to the tips of her ears. She waves her pompom toting hands and yells, “'Cmon, guys! It's time to go! Woohoo!” And it's simply too much.
“Shiv Crew” would have been so much better, if the author wasn't trying so damned hard. Take this for an example. Rune brings two men that she knew for a whole of five minutes to a practice yard, to determine their fighting skill. They win against her crew. Before they even clear the mats, she notices them animatedly talking about something. One of the boys lifts his hand to quiet the other one. This is what Rune has to say about it.
“She frowned. Secrets were allowed, but if those secrets could hurt the crew they were best dragged out of the dark and destroyed before they became a problem.”
Very dramatic, and completely unnecessary. They could have been arguing about a high kick or witch technique could have been used for a better result, at least that's what one might expect them to talk about, when you take the entire situation in account. Yet the author wants us to focus on some 'dark secret'. More then once I wanted to say to Laken Cane, “Whoa girl, slow down, you have plenty of time to get where you're going.”
The plot was good, and has potential to develop, but the execution was bad, very bad. It dragged the whole thing down. The plot holes were too deep and common to ensure a smooth ride. That's one of the reasons that Rune came off as a rough character that was often condescending. If you are in her good graces, most likely you are a hot sexy guy. If Rune doesn't like you then you are a bastard, asshole, fucking asshole, blowhard, pompous ass, and so forth.
I firmly believe that the novel itself would have been so much better if the author wasn't in such a rush all the time, or tried to find a very specific, truly unique trait to describe each and every supporting character. Let's face it, life doesn't happen that way, not everybody can be drop dead gorgeous, an ultimate fighter or have the X factor aura. Truth is that approximately 98% of people one deals with throughout the course of their life are plain and unremarkable, and it's because of that the uniqueness of certain individuals shines trough so much brighter.
To some people reading this review it might come off as negative, but it's not. If I didn't think it was worth talking about, the review would have been a few sentences long. I loved the general idea, but as it stands, in my eyes it's a rough cut, unpolished. I am actually torn. I feel grateful to the author for coming up with a storyline I would love to follow, as it's right up my alley. On the other hand I am kinda annoyed with her for ruining it with such classic PNR mistakes.
Now:
Imagine it's 7:45am on a dull Monday morning, and you are waiting in line at your local coffee shop to get your hands on the much needed black elixir of life. You shuffle along tiredly, offering only a nod of commiseration to the poor bastards in the line that share your fate. The weekend is gone and you have a whole new week ahead of you, but you can't even think about that right now. You just want your coffee.
But then the front door slams open and a cheerleader bursts in. The hair is too big, the eyes are too wide, the fake smile stretches her lips almost to the tips of her ears. She waves her pompom toting hands and yells, “'Cmon, guys! It's time to go! Woohoo!” And it's simply too much.
“Shiv Crew” would have been so much better, if the author wasn't trying so damned hard. Take this for an example. Rune brings two men that she knew for a whole of five minutes to a practice yard, to determine their fighting skill. They win against her crew. Before they even clear the mats, she notices them animatedly talking about something. One of the boys lifts his hand to quiet the other one. This is what Rune has to say about it.
“She frowned. Secrets were allowed, but if those secrets could hurt the crew they were best dragged out of the dark and destroyed before they became a problem.”
Very dramatic, and completely unnecessary. They could have been arguing about a high kick or witch technique could have been used for a better result, at least that's what one might expect them to talk about, when you take the entire situation in account. Yet the author wants us to focus on some 'dark secret'. More then once I wanted to say to Laken Cane, “Whoa girl, slow down, you have plenty of time to get where you're going.”
The plot was good, and has potential to develop, but the execution was bad, very bad. It dragged the whole thing down. The plot holes were too deep and common to ensure a smooth ride. That's one of the reasons that Rune came off as a rough character that was often condescending. If you are in her good graces, most likely you are a hot sexy guy. If Rune doesn't like you then you are a bastard, asshole, fucking asshole, blowhard, pompous ass, and so forth.
I firmly believe that the novel itself would have been so much better if the author wasn't in such a rush all the time, or tried to find a very specific, truly unique trait to describe each and every supporting character. Let's face it, life doesn't happen that way, not everybody can be drop dead gorgeous, an ultimate fighter or have the X factor aura. Truth is that approximately 98% of people one deals with throughout the course of their life are plain and unremarkable, and it's because of that the uniqueness of certain individuals shines trough so much brighter.
To some people reading this review it might come off as negative, but it's not. If I didn't think it was worth talking about, the review would have been a few sentences long. I loved the general idea, but as it stands, in my eyes it's a rough cut, unpolished. I am actually torn. I feel grateful to the author for coming up with a storyline I would love to follow, as it's right up my alley. On the other hand I am kinda annoyed with her for ruining it with such classic PNR mistakes.
June 4, 2017
We got a strong female lead for the first 10 pages, then we get told that she gets regulary abused and craves it. We are talking about kicks in the cunt and chocking till Rune thinks the guy will kill her one day and that how she has to have this kick. Its just disgusting and and world offers MANY books with strong female leads that wont take shit. And that brings me to the second point, Rune takes crap also in her professional life, "Oh you want to fuck me over and give a boss who hates? No way in hell..." One second later she gives in because she GETS ABUSED. I dropped the book after this crap (10%) and recomment you read the extract if you dont believe me...
May 29, 2023
I wavered between three and four stars for this the first in the Rune Alexander series. The characters are the best bits.of this.book and I hope as the series goes on we learn more about them. The book is called Shiv Crew but all the focus is on Rune the group's leader and is told from her point of view. The Shiv Crew work for the local police department and are part of the supernatural division, it is their job to go in and rescue humans who are in danger from "the others" yes, in this world the monsters are real and could be living near you. Vampire, were's various.species wolves, bears, rats etc, ghouls all appear in this story. Rune she is also other, she's not human she knows that but what kind.of.monster lives inside her she doesn't know.and.nor.does.she ever intend.to let the monster out. In fact Runs goes to quite a disturbing place to control the.monster. At times Rune's body requires blood but the.only way she will.let herself have the blood is by first being severely physically abused. I said it was disturbing. As to the story that could have been stronger the plot is.not fleshed out enough, everything seems to happen in a vacuum with no interaction with anyone outside the crew, then there is the bad guys who are too easily identified. But it is book one and has left the.story open to be developed more in the next book. Lastly I wonder when this was written as there's lot of endearment s thrown around mainly by Rune, Love, Dude, Baby to name but a few it gets a bit annoying if I'm honest and the endearment s sometimes appear when they don't seem appropriate. Having said all that I read this book in three goes it's a good piece of escapism, but if urban fantasy is not your thing or you may be triggered by some of what Rune allows to be done to herself then give this one a miss.....................
June 7, 2018
3.5 to 4 stars I couldn't quite decide.
Well.
As Rune would say: Fuck me.
I am stunned. Devastated. Emotionally drained. Completely hollowed out.
That was an absolutely gutting read.
Having just read BLOODHUNTER and SHIV CREW back-to-back, I have to say that I think Laken Cane's skills as a writer have grown. Her latest novel, BLOODHUNTER, contains very similar characters and a lot of the same themes as this book did. (Actually, I wonder - are they the same world? I would suspect so, though there seem to be a few differences in the vampires.) Both series contain strong thematic social commentary about prejudice and injustice, abuse and PTSD.
But BLOODHUNTER felt a little more balanced, a little more sophisticated, a little more complex than this earlier effort.
That is not to say that this was not good. It was.
Yes, it started off pretty rocky. And more than once (okay more like a million times) I wanted to absolutely throttle the main character, Rune Alexander. Her utter inability to learn from her mistakes and willful blindness to what was happening - both within her and around her - was extremely frustrating. I really hope we are past that now, but I suspect not. And that is unfortunate.
However, the author has clearly always had a talent for writing complex, flawed, interesting, and compelling characters. Rune is no exception. I think this first book was really Rune's book. Introducing her, and the world, and setting up the overarching conflict that will occur throughout the series. The other members of the Shiv Crew are remarkably likable. I would not say that most of them have been very well developed yet, but there is plenty of time for that, since this a lengthy series.
One of the strengths of this book was the compellingly immersive point of view. Sure, that connection was very frustrating at times - it is tough to be stuck in the mind of someone that is so very broken. But because the entire book is from Rune's singular POV, the connection held me tight and pulled me relentlessly through every dark event. It was extremely difficult to put down. Even when I was utterly horrified or disgusted by what was happening.
I will also note that it was an utter pleasure to experience that strong a POV that was not in first person! This book was written entirely in third person. Thank you Laken Cane! It becomes tiresome when every PNR or RH PNR is written in first person.
I will also note that I really disliked this book for at least the first third. I was intrigued by the world and almost immediately liked the other members of Shiv Crew, but the story and MC just didn't grab me early on. I persevered because I was so impressed by BLOODHUNTER and thought this deserved a fair shot. I am glad I stuck it out, because the book kept building the farther it progressed - a runaway train I ultimately couldn't disembark. I am sure you can see the change if you read my update notes below versus the overall tenor of this review.
In either case, if you are a fan of extremely dark paranormal romances (though there nothing on the romance front to date - unless you count the abuse, and I most definitely do not), then this is worth the read. But be warned... this is DARK. Really dark, and with an infinite number of potential triggers.
UPDATE PROGRESS NOTES:
96.0% "Very sweet and emotional moment. But rather reminiscent of Katniss in the Hunger Games trilogy."
87.0% "Wow. Rune just doesn't learn, does she? I'm not certain I can keep going if she doesn't learn very damn soon. I mean, hell, she just had a near death experience where she realized she should never have gone in without backup and never starved her "monster"...and the very next day, not only is she doing it ALL FUCKING OVER AGAIN, but this time with the added "benefit" of no badge and no guns. What a fucking fool."
76.0% "*sigh* Better start seeing some more growth from Rune soon. This is becoming really frustrating. And really depressing. Just trust them (and yourself) already Rune!"
69.0% "I find it so hard to read books where the characters cannot accept who they are, despite every bit of evidence in front of them :/"
62.0% "No, not true, Rune. Nothing happened UNTIL YOU TOLD JEREMY."
60.0% "Okay, really? The girl is dying, you give her human blood and then say it's almost like her body is fighting it, and it's doing no good. Doh! Then try Others blood you idiots!"
48.0% "Wow...this book is brutal. It's pretty much being stuck in the mind of an abuse victim who is so blinded by her need for her abuser that she can't escape."
40.0% "Damn...after reading this, I am going to need to find something with rainbows, unicorns... kittens... maybe some puppies. Yeah, definitely puppies... I feel battered."
30.0% "Why are these separate groups? Aren't the wolves a type of shifter?"
26.0% "Wow...DAMN this is fucked up."
12.0% "Another MC that needs serious psychotherapy and a big-time attitude adjustment :( I am getting tired of this trope."
10.0% "I think I am going to have real problems with this MC. Inviting herself to be abused because she feels the monster inside her needs to be punished, that SHE needs to be punished to deal with her guilt. Yet being unwilling to seek any sort of psychiatric help. Argh"
Well.
As Rune would say: Fuck me.
I am stunned. Devastated. Emotionally drained. Completely hollowed out.
That was an absolutely gutting read.
Having just read BLOODHUNTER and SHIV CREW back-to-back, I have to say that I think Laken Cane's skills as a writer have grown. Her latest novel, BLOODHUNTER, contains very similar characters and a lot of the same themes as this book did. (Actually, I wonder - are they the same world? I would suspect so, though there seem to be a few differences in the vampires.) Both series contain strong thematic social commentary about prejudice and injustice, abuse and PTSD.
But BLOODHUNTER felt a little more balanced, a little more sophisticated, a little more complex than this earlier effort.
That is not to say that this was not good. It was.
Yes, it started off pretty rocky. And more than once (okay more like a million times) I wanted to absolutely throttle the main character, Rune Alexander. Her utter inability to learn from her mistakes and willful blindness to what was happening - both within her and around her - was extremely frustrating. I really hope we are past that now, but I suspect not. And that is unfortunate.
However, the author has clearly always had a talent for writing complex, flawed, interesting, and compelling characters. Rune is no exception. I think this first book was really Rune's book. Introducing her, and the world, and setting up the overarching conflict that will occur throughout the series. The other members of the Shiv Crew are remarkably likable. I would not say that most of them have been very well developed yet, but there is plenty of time for that, since this a lengthy series.
One of the strengths of this book was the compellingly immersive point of view. Sure, that connection was very frustrating at times - it is tough to be stuck in the mind of someone that is so very broken. But because the entire book is from Rune's singular POV, the connection held me tight and pulled me relentlessly through every dark event. It was extremely difficult to put down. Even when I was utterly horrified or disgusted by what was happening.
I will also note that it was an utter pleasure to experience that strong a POV that was not in first person! This book was written entirely in third person. Thank you Laken Cane! It becomes tiresome when every PNR or RH PNR is written in first person.
I will also note that I really disliked this book for at least the first third. I was intrigued by the world and almost immediately liked the other members of Shiv Crew, but the story and MC just didn't grab me early on. I persevered because I was so impressed by BLOODHUNTER and thought this deserved a fair shot. I am glad I stuck it out, because the book kept building the farther it progressed - a runaway train I ultimately couldn't disembark. I am sure you can see the change if you read my update notes below versus the overall tenor of this review.
In either case, if you are a fan of extremely dark paranormal romances (though there nothing on the romance front to date - unless you count the abuse, and I most definitely do not), then this is worth the read. But be warned... this is DARK. Really dark, and with an infinite number of potential triggers.
UPDATE PROGRESS NOTES:
96.0% "Very sweet and emotional moment. But rather reminiscent of Katniss in the Hunger Games trilogy."
87.0% "Wow. Rune just doesn't learn, does she? I'm not certain I can keep going if she doesn't learn very damn soon. I mean, hell, she just had a near death experience where she realized she should never have gone in without backup and never starved her "monster"...and the very next day, not only is she doing it ALL FUCKING OVER AGAIN, but this time with the added "benefit" of no badge and no guns. What a fucking fool."
76.0% "*sigh* Better start seeing some more growth from Rune soon. This is becoming really frustrating. And really depressing. Just trust them (and yourself) already Rune!"
69.0% "I find it so hard to read books where the characters cannot accept who they are, despite every bit of evidence in front of them :/"
62.0% "No, not true, Rune. Nothing happened UNTIL YOU TOLD JEREMY."
60.0% "Okay, really? The girl is dying, you give her human blood and then say it's almost like her body is fighting it, and it's doing no good. Doh! Then try Others blood you idiots!"
48.0% "Wow...this book is brutal. It's pretty much being stuck in the mind of an abuse victim who is so blinded by her need for her abuser that she can't escape."
40.0% "Damn...after reading this, I am going to need to find something with rainbows, unicorns... kittens... maybe some puppies. Yeah, definitely puppies... I feel battered."
30.0% "Why are these separate groups? Aren't the wolves a type of shifter?"
26.0% "Wow...DAMN this is fucked up."
12.0% "Another MC that needs serious psychotherapy and a big-time attitude adjustment :( I am getting tired of this trope."
10.0% "I think I am going to have real problems with this MC. Inviting herself to be abused because she feels the monster inside her needs to be punished, that SHE needs to be punished to deal with her guilt. Yet being unwilling to seek any sort of psychiatric help. Argh"
December 11, 2022
confused
I felt like I was reading a book halfway through a series and not the first book. It was very confusing and hard to follow. It was also difficult to tell the characters apart. They (the original crew minus Elllis)didn’t have any characteristics of there own. They were described differently and that was pointed out a lot, but they read as the same person. Also we were told to love Ellis, over and over again. Instead of creating a character we loved, she told us to love him. Again and again and again. I think I liked the character, but I couldn’t make a real connection because I was told I had to love him.
It was a difficult book to finish and the action was pretty confusing. I couldn’t picture her fighting 50 supernatural mercenaries alone (besides Ellis) for 30-45 minutes without be taken down by the sheer number and weight of the enemy. I mean, throw enough ants on a person and sooner or later they are going to fall.
I felt like I was reading a book halfway through a series and not the first book. It was very confusing and hard to follow. It was also difficult to tell the characters apart. They (the original crew minus Elllis)didn’t have any characteristics of there own. They were described differently and that was pointed out a lot, but they read as the same person. Also we were told to love Ellis, over and over again. Instead of creating a character we loved, she told us to love him. Again and again and again. I think I liked the character, but I couldn’t make a real connection because I was told I had to love him.
It was a difficult book to finish and the action was pretty confusing. I couldn’t picture her fighting 50 supernatural mercenaries alone (besides Ellis) for 30-45 minutes without be taken down by the sheer number and weight of the enemy. I mean, throw enough ants on a person and sooner or later they are going to fall.
July 10, 2014
This is a wonderful Urban Fantasy. It has very interesting characters with a lot of action!It's a world where humans and paramornal try to coexist. Rune is an awesome heroine and is my favorite character. I had so many emotions with Rune.I felt like I was right there crying with her, cheering her on and wanted to help her face her inner demons. The book is captivatingwith plenty of twists and turns. Go buy it now. You won't regret it!
December 11, 2013
Gut-wrenching Brilliance!
Laken Cane is remarkable!
I can't even think of the right words to say how absolutely amazing this book is!
Rune Alexander gives Chess Putnam a run for the most damaged, self destructive heroine ever written. I wasn't even ten chapters in before my heart was broken for her!
Amazing writing. Fabulous story.
Am starting book two now!!
READ. THIS. BOOK!
Laken Cane is remarkable!
I can't even think of the right words to say how absolutely amazing this book is!
Rune Alexander gives Chess Putnam a run for the most damaged, self destructive heroine ever written. I wasn't even ten chapters in before my heart was broken for her!
Amazing writing. Fabulous story.
Am starting book two now!!
READ. THIS. BOOK!
November 12, 2013
I am blown away! I was not expecting this book to rock my world but did it ever! If you like strong female characters and urban fantasy get this book! I am starting number 2 right now!!!!
September 9, 2015
In Spiritgrove, Ohio, humans and Others coexist, but not peacefully. Each group is wary of the other and many times for good reason. Others get a bad rap from humans; there are many humans who look upon Others as something unnatural that needs to be eradicated without question. Some humans tolerate them, but the amount of people who look upon Others as "people" are few and far between. Humans have their police inside the Spiritgrove law enforcement agency. Also within the agency are two divisions who specialize in anything supernatural and Other - RISC is the main branch with SCRU falling beneath. Rune Alexander is the leader of SCRU, who have been given the nickname Shiv Crew because of their preference for the shiv.
Rune is a tough girl; as the female leader of a group of men, she'd better be. Her men are strong, loyal, fierce and require the same traits from a leader. Which Rune delivers and does so quite well. Rune also hides a secret - as the leader of a group of humans sworn to protect other humans against the Others, being only half-human really puts her in a bind. She keeps her secret closely guarded being that not only would most of the law enforcement team frown upon letting an Other in, but they most certainly wouldn't let an Other work in a division that polices Others. Yes, Rune is half-Other. What that half is is a mystery even to her. She doesn't let this little fact prevent her from protecting the humans and at times, she even feels disgust towards the monsters. That all changes when a human is wreaking havoc in the supernatural community. Rune and her team step in to help and investigate, and things definitely change with her feelings towards Others as a whole.
I have to say, I'm quite impressed with this first book in the Rune Alexander series. I am normally so very hesitant to even browse through the "lesser known" (or even new) authors because it's really hit or miss these days when it seems like everyone has published a book. That's great that everyone nearly has, but sometimes it's really difficult to find a gem among the many (and sometimes not very good) offerings out there. Laken Cane turned out to be a gem. While there are some things in her story that are kind of been there/done that, she really shined in her characterization. She was able to make Rune balanced, which I appreciate. She was tough, but not unbelievably so. She was also so conflicted, not only with her status of half-Other, but with her views on Others in general. Rune was mostly tolerant with the Others, oftentimes sympathetic, but there were days when she though ridding the world of Others would be the best course of action. There was a lot of character growth on her part just within this first book, so I really look forward to seeing what she does with her newfound sense of understanding in the books to come.
All in all, so very glad this was recommended to me. The only bummer is there wasn't any lovin, but all signs point to some romance in the future. I will certainly find out because I plan to continue the series to see where Rune and Cane take readers next :)
Rune is a tough girl; as the female leader of a group of men, she'd better be. Her men are strong, loyal, fierce and require the same traits from a leader. Which Rune delivers and does so quite well. Rune also hides a secret - as the leader of a group of humans sworn to protect other humans against the Others, being only half-human really puts her in a bind. She keeps her secret closely guarded being that not only would most of the law enforcement team frown upon letting an Other in, but they most certainly wouldn't let an Other work in a division that polices Others. Yes, Rune is half-Other. What that half is is a mystery even to her. She doesn't let this little fact prevent her from protecting the humans and at times, she even feels disgust towards the monsters. That all changes when a human is wreaking havoc in the supernatural community. Rune and her team step in to help and investigate, and things definitely change with her feelings towards Others as a whole.
I have to say, I'm quite impressed with this first book in the Rune Alexander series. I am normally so very hesitant to even browse through the "lesser known" (or even new) authors because it's really hit or miss these days when it seems like everyone has published a book. That's great that everyone nearly has, but sometimes it's really difficult to find a gem among the many (and sometimes not very good) offerings out there. Laken Cane turned out to be a gem. While there are some things in her story that are kind of been there/done that, she really shined in her characterization. She was able to make Rune balanced, which I appreciate. She was tough, but not unbelievably so. She was also so conflicted, not only with her status of half-Other, but with her views on Others in general. Rune was mostly tolerant with the Others, oftentimes sympathetic, but there were days when she though ridding the world of Others would be the best course of action. There was a lot of character growth on her part just within this first book, so I really look forward to seeing what she does with her newfound sense of understanding in the books to come.
All in all, so very glad this was recommended to me. The only bummer is there wasn't any lovin, but all signs point to some romance in the future. I will certainly find out because I plan to continue the series to see where Rune and Cane take readers next :)
pigs-fly-and-crayfish-whistle
September 16, 2015I thought this sounded pretty good. Until I heard what Heather had to say about it. Bye bye book, it was fun while it didn't last.
August 18, 2014
Wow...what a great read!! Can't wait to read more of the Shiv Crew!!!
June 27, 2023
I felt like something was missing as I started this one, like maybe it was spun off a different series, making me feel lost as I read it. It didn't help that I didn't care for Rune, she's a bitch. Her treatment of new members to her team was a bit crazy, from their first meeting to going to their house. Sure she found something crazy there, but she or her team didn't want to listen to what was going on. It was here I threw in the towel, this one just wasn't for me.
July 14, 2015
Baby, the word used by /everyone/ in the book. Just had to put that first.
The book was, okay. I would not recommend it to many people and I wouldn’t go out of my way to find the others. It’s almost like fan fiction that’s been published; only I have read better fan fiction. That’s not to say the book was bad, it has its good points and it is a bit unique but there was one thing I couldn’t get over. It has a horrid nasty lack of description. Yes, I did double adverbs for that.
For a light read with nothing else to do like on a bus or waiting for an appointment it’s okay to have. Very short chapters make easy stopping marks for those who don’t like stopping in the middle of a page etc. I might also suggest it for people that avoid books which seem long and daunting. It has a lot of chapters but it’s not long in the least, just gives the impression making it so the reader might feel more accomplished for the number of chapters they can read in a sitting despite not really reading much.
Main character, grow some brains and a spine. That is all~
If I happen to run into the next book I will grab it but if not; well I wont be losing sleep over it.
The book was, okay. I would not recommend it to many people and I wouldn’t go out of my way to find the others. It’s almost like fan fiction that’s been published; only I have read better fan fiction. That’s not to say the book was bad, it has its good points and it is a bit unique but there was one thing I couldn’t get over. It has a horrid nasty lack of description. Yes, I did double adverbs for that.
For a light read with nothing else to do like on a bus or waiting for an appointment it’s okay to have. Very short chapters make easy stopping marks for those who don’t like stopping in the middle of a page etc. I might also suggest it for people that avoid books which seem long and daunting. It has a lot of chapters but it’s not long in the least, just gives the impression making it so the reader might feel more accomplished for the number of chapters they can read in a sitting despite not really reading much.
Main character, grow some brains and a spine. That is all~
If I happen to run into the next book I will grab it but if not; well I wont be losing sleep over it.
February 12, 2015
I'd like to preface this by saying I read the thing in like 2 days.. So obviously on some level j liked it. HOWEVER, I'm not really proud of that fact. It had a lot of holes, and a lot of elements that I normally won't stand for. Other than Ellis, (and strad, I guess) all the dudes were interchangeable. They seriously could have been one guy. I couldn't picture any of them.. They had no depth! And are you kidding me right now, Levi and denim?!? For f's sake. And then with the 'baby'. Just stop. And don't even get me started on her relationship with Jeremy. Normally I will toss a book with the h letting a dude treat her bad, or cheat on her faster than you can say pathetic, but this one was just effed up enough that I let it pass.. (But I felt kind of dirty doing it). I guess what I liked about this book is that it had a lot of the elements that I love in a book: badass h that's kind of damaged and down on herself (understatement in this book), supernatural, big strong men surrounding the h, fighting blah blah blah, but there was a little something about each of those characteristics that kept this book from being great.
July 10, 2018
Is there better praise for an author than to say that you didn't stop to take breath between finishing 1 and starting book 2?
So I'm going back to review this halfway through book 3 which is where my binge finished!
I'd forgotten the joys of a good Urban Fantasy
- Snarky badass heroine
- More action than a McDonalds drive thru
- Yummy crew of Alpha males
- Potential for an epic romance
This one is quite dark also which adds another level of interest for me!
Don't panic but....Gurl got some issues
Not in an abusive past (thank heavens) but she is a tortured soul in need of some series therapy ... you are warned!
My only peeves
She needs to stop calling everyone BABY it's not cute!
This needs to be a RH! It is so perfect for it it's almost painful that it's not! The guys are so yummy and we even have twins....twins! now you know every good harem has twins so
So I'm going back to review this halfway through book 3 which is where my binge finished!
I'd forgotten the joys of a good Urban Fantasy
- Snarky badass heroine
- More action than a McDonalds drive thru
- Yummy crew of Alpha males
- Potential for an epic romance
This one is quite dark also which adds another level of interest for me!
Don't panic but....Gurl got some issues
Not in an abusive past (thank heavens) but she is a tortured soul in need of some series therapy ... you are warned!
My only peeves
She needs to stop calling everyone BABY it's not cute!
This needs to be a RH! It is so perfect for it it's almost painful that it's not! The guys are so yummy and we even have twins....twins! now you know every good harem has twins so
September 15, 2015
Shiv crew was a good story with interesting people and concepts but it was hardly original and it felt like two different people wrote it.
the way Rune Alexander was written didn't work for me.
it was as if her thoughts, actions, and personality, didn't match up with what came out of her mouth.
all the 'baby' 'baby' crap made me want to gag. EVERY TIME.
it was almost like... if Rune just shut up and didn't say anything throughout the story, it would have been a better book.
despite that, it still was an okay read.
the way Rune Alexander was written didn't work for me.
it was as if her thoughts, actions, and personality, didn't match up with what came out of her mouth.
all the 'baby' 'baby' crap made me want to gag. EVERY TIME.
it was almost like... if Rune just shut up and didn't say anything throughout the story, it would have been a better book.
despite that, it still was an okay read.
November 22, 2015
3 1/2 stars. This wasn't bad for the first book in a series especially from an indie author. As far as self published books go, this was way better than most. It was hard to really connect with most of the characters. Rune changed a lot for one book, which took place in a relatively short period of time. It was a bit much for Rune to have one belief system in place for her whole life and by the end of the book she saw things a completely different way and accepted it 100%.
January 7, 2014
I want a silver shiv! I truly enjoyed this book. the story is great and shiv crew is bad ass. my only gripe is that the book moves very fast. I cant wait to start the next one and see what happens with Rune, the crew and all the changes that happen between the humans and others.
January 23, 2014
I am so addicted to this series! Everybody should give this a chance. No chance of being disappointed!
July 18, 2014
Excellent storytelling
I couldn't wait to read this story every day. The Shiv Crew is AWESOME! I cannot wait to start book two.
I couldn't wait to read this story every day. The Shiv Crew is AWESOME! I cannot wait to start book two.
July 5, 2017
This was one amazing book!
February 4, 2022
Well happy days!! I have found a new author to obsesses over and binge read all her works.
What a bloody brilliant story. It has everything, it’s dark and twisty, kick arse female protagonist who is flawed but not broken, her struggles are heart wrenching but humanizing. The action and adventure is really well paced and descriptive without getting bogged down into heavy detail.
Everything about this series is amazing. - Not for the lighthearted though and does contain potential triggers for self harm and rape.
What a bloody brilliant story. It has everything, it’s dark and twisty, kick arse female protagonist who is flawed but not broken, her struggles are heart wrenching but humanizing. The action and adventure is really well paced and descriptive without getting bogged down into heavy detail.
Everything about this series is amazing. - Not for the lighthearted though and does contain potential triggers for self harm and rape.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2023
It's sort of good, but at the same time, it's a bit boring .
December 3, 2023
Quite a disaster
I got tired of the fae, and I liked another series by this author, so I thought I'd give this series a go...
Well, this was a bit of a hot mess.
First, it's in the third person... It's not my favorite perspective.
But there's a lot of issues with this book.
The monsters are all evil, but they're not all evil, but hold on, yes they are, wait! No, they're not. I got whiplash. This confusion happened from one sentence to the next, pretty much throughout the entire book.
This made the world hard to envision. It also made it difficult to get a read on how people really responded or interacted in the world. Any kind of social complication didn't have an oomph because there was nothing to back it up with. You're just told and shown conflicting information.
The mysteries are not very mysterious. You have the bad people pegged immediately. Worse, though, there's an invisible bad guy too with a shadow organization of bad guys you do not interact with on any level at all. The one you do interact with has no reason really to be evil. He just is. Empty characters are hard to like, evil, or not.
Shiv Crew doesn't really have a purpose. Their role in the book is never truly defined; sure the statement is that they're supposed to enforce, then it is they're supposed to protect humans, then it's they're supposed to protect everyone.... but they don't really do anything of the sort. They just move through the story with no direction at all.
Rune is supposed to be a badass, which is why she is supposedly the leader of the crew. She doesn't walk the talk, though. As soon as that's mentioned, she gets her ass kicked. You never actually see her in action. None of them, really.
There is no action. 75% through you get a taste of a battle, and it is so anticlimactic. You are told rather than shown pretty much everything in this book. It was a painful read.
I had intended to give this series a three book chance, but honestly, the writing is so awful, I don't think I can make it through another.
I just don't care about anyone in the story. You don't actually get to know or build attachments to anyone. It seemed like the romance was going to be a slow burn where chemistry was created, but nope, it was just delayed until later in the book, adding to the disappointment.
Outside of that, there were elements of the book that had promise. Rune had a back story to work with. She had flaws to overcome and trauma that could've enhanced her character, but it wasn't really used for that.
The other characters could've been fleshed out to give you something to attach to, but they're empty.
Yeah.... it's rather boring.
I got tired of the fae, and I liked another series by this author, so I thought I'd give this series a go...
Well, this was a bit of a hot mess.
First, it's in the third person... It's not my favorite perspective.
But there's a lot of issues with this book.
The monsters are all evil, but they're not all evil, but hold on, yes they are, wait! No, they're not. I got whiplash. This confusion happened from one sentence to the next, pretty much throughout the entire book.
This made the world hard to envision. It also made it difficult to get a read on how people really responded or interacted in the world. Any kind of social complication didn't have an oomph because there was nothing to back it up with. You're just told and shown conflicting information.
The mysteries are not very mysterious. You have the bad people pegged immediately. Worse, though, there's an invisible bad guy too with a shadow organization of bad guys you do not interact with on any level at all. The one you do interact with has no reason really to be evil. He just is. Empty characters are hard to like, evil, or not.
Shiv Crew doesn't really have a purpose. Their role in the book is never truly defined; sure the statement is that they're supposed to enforce, then it is they're supposed to protect humans, then it's they're supposed to protect everyone.... but they don't really do anything of the sort. They just move through the story with no direction at all.
Rune is supposed to be a badass, which is why she is supposedly the leader of the crew. She doesn't walk the talk, though. As soon as that's mentioned, she gets her ass kicked. You never actually see her in action. None of them, really.
There is no action. 75% through you get a taste of a battle, and it is so anticlimactic. You are told rather than shown pretty much everything in this book. It was a painful read.
I had intended to give this series a three book chance, but honestly, the writing is so awful, I don't think I can make it through another.
I just don't care about anyone in the story. You don't actually get to know or build attachments to anyone. It seemed like the romance was going to be a slow burn where chemistry was created, but nope, it was just delayed until later in the book, adding to the disappointment.
Outside of that, there were elements of the book that had promise. Rune had a back story to work with. She had flaws to overcome and trauma that could've enhanced her character, but it wasn't really used for that.
The other characters could've been fleshed out to give you something to attach to, but they're empty.
Yeah.... it's rather boring.
May 4, 2016
This is one of those middle of the road books that has a decent plot idea and the writing isn't bad, so it tricks some readers into thinking the book is good. It isn't. Now, before anyone accuses me of cruelly trashing the book, I'll reiterate, It's not bad either. It's just ok. But it could have been so much better.
My main issue is that the book is a bit of a one trick pony. Rune Alexander (not be to confused with Lex, which is so expected a nick name that it belonging to another character is confusing) is an angry woman...that's about it. That anger makes her strong, makes her stupid, makes her friends, makes her enemies, makes her weak. It's pretty much the core of what she is and that's just not enough character development to make her relatable. And if she's undeveloped, the others are paper cut outs. What's more, it's this anger that moves the plot and saves the day. That's not really enough to carry a believable story either.
That plot too is thin. The villain is obvious from the very beginning and there are no real unexpected twists. Rune defeats enemies she really shouldn't be able to. She intimidates others for no apparent reason. She is pathologically loyal to her assistant for a reason we're never given. Followers of the enemy defect and come to her, with no explanation. There is some weird sadism/masochism thing going on that just felt like the author trying to give the book some edge. A romance of sorts sparks at the very end out of nowhere. There's a bit of a deus ex machina ending.
The thing is, a lot of these same points have potential to make for interesting contributions, but instead they're like dough balls falling to the floor. Just kind of landing with a resounding splat and laying there. Present and accounted for, but of no use. For example, big men being loyal to and taking orders from a woman they're protective of is a sexy button for me. I love big dangerous men submitting to a woman. I just do. This book has several of them, one even literally presenting himself at her feet. I should be thrilled. But we get no history. We see no reason these men are so dedicated to Rune (and visa versa). It's flat. Rune is basically the Trump of the book, talking a big game about how awesome she and her team is, but not really giving anything to back the statement up.
Again, not bad. It's an enjoyable read. But it's full of holes and doesn't withstand scrutiny of any sort.
My main issue is that the book is a bit of a one trick pony. Rune Alexander (not be to confused with Lex, which is so expected a nick name that it belonging to another character is confusing) is an angry woman...that's about it. That anger makes her strong, makes her stupid, makes her friends, makes her enemies, makes her weak. It's pretty much the core of what she is and that's just not enough character development to make her relatable. And if she's undeveloped, the others are paper cut outs. What's more, it's this anger that moves the plot and saves the day. That's not really enough to carry a believable story either.
That plot too is thin. The villain is obvious from the very beginning and there are no real unexpected twists. Rune defeats enemies she really shouldn't be able to. She intimidates others for no apparent reason. She is pathologically loyal to her assistant for a reason we're never given. Followers of the enemy defect and come to her, with no explanation. There is some weird sadism/masochism thing going on that just felt like the author trying to give the book some edge. A romance of sorts sparks at the very end out of nowhere. There's a bit of a deus ex machina ending.
The thing is, a lot of these same points have potential to make for interesting contributions, but instead they're like dough balls falling to the floor. Just kind of landing with a resounding splat and laying there. Present and accounted for, but of no use. For example, big men being loyal to and taking orders from a woman they're protective of is a sexy button for me. I love big dangerous men submitting to a woman. I just do. This book has several of them, one even literally presenting himself at her feet. I should be thrilled. But we get no history. We see no reason these men are so dedicated to Rune (and visa versa). It's flat. Rune is basically the Trump of the book, talking a big game about how awesome she and her team is, but not really giving anything to back the statement up.
Again, not bad. It's an enjoyable read. But it's full of holes and doesn't withstand scrutiny of any sort.
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