Flynn is just out here trying to live his #bestlife. He’s feeding his cat, running his business, and dating his boyfriend . . . well, trying to date his boyfriend. Every time things start to get intimate, something seems to interrupt them, no matter where they are or how many cell phones they turn off.
When the interruption is Flynn’s cousin, having been attacked and drained of energy, Flynn realizes that the monster who’s been killing dragons isn’t just a distant thing, but a clear and present threat.
But can a man who’s always let other people fight his battles handle his own this time?
Masquerade is the final book in the Knight & Daywalker series, starring one scatterbrained detective, a spoiled kitten, a frustrated daywalking boyfriend who just wants a nice quiet dinner, the world’s most overprotective mother, and a whole cast of other friends Flynn has made along the way, including a surprise or two.
The easy-to-read vibe with a dash of action of the previous books ist still here and now the author also upped the heat but somehow the preachy-ness is also raised and that leaves an odd aftertaste for this kind of story. There is also this logical blip about female dragons who, if I understood the previous book right, shouldn't exist and that being the reason why every dragon has a mother of a different species and did I read over the part where someone explains what that strange machine is for or wasn't it important enough for the author? So it's still a nice story but much weaker than expected.
This was a fun one but a bit bland for a conclusion. Why did we have the dragon transformation in book 2 and none at all in book 3?i feel like all them dragons who didn't know how to shift deserved to be shocked that the youngest of them figured it out, even if he didn't tell them how. Why did we have that big bad guy get killed off in 2 seconds 🤣 I guess I wanted it to be a bit less safe and a bit more dramatic at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Masquerade finishes out the urban fantasy trilogy of Knight and Daywalker by Sam Burns and I have to admit it’s a little underwhelming.
Both Smokescreen and Façade were excellent. The plots were very well executed and the characters were engaging and the growing relationships between Flynn Knight and his day walker vampire boyfriend, Davin Byrne, just were so well done. And that goes for the intriguing side characters like the scary void kitten Twist and the paranormal siblings who run the confectionery shop. Love them.
But this story feels rushed. As though Burns had so many elements and unfinished storylines that had big implications that were never really explored but had to go into this book anyway. Some were lovely while introducing new characters.
But most of all the storylines were just too one layered. There was no substance to them.
I suppose that’s because there’s no page time for many main series plots to be developed and executed at the last book, often in the very last chapters. So it feels underwhelming and certainly rushed into an ending where the villain gets his comeuppance, the characters their happy ending but the reader isn’t exactly satisfied.
Spoilers. Don’t read further if you don’t want to know.
The villain is revealed, as is his longtime nefarious plan that heinously threatens to destroy all dragons and a terrible magical machine. None of these are given much as far as depth of in storyline knowledge or exploration of any other laid out foundation. It’s more here they are or someone says they exist. It’s very superficial.
The “dramatic rescue” as well as the preceding arrival of Flynn’s father, missing for decades, again given short shrift narratively speaking. The father is used basically to give Flynn’s mother a HEA, but we know nothing about him or his captivity. He appeared and it’s happy family once again.
The rescue and fight isn’t much fun. No one lives up to any expectations of power or possible magical growth. Even Twist falls short. And worse, when the cells , full of traumatized broken dragons, plus others who’s got wounds to be healed, instead of dealing directly with their injuries, Flynn’s dithering about in his head with “stuff “, for pages. Which makes me lose interest and patience.
Burns has made a big deal of his attention deficit syndrome , but this is absolutely the worst decision to make narratively in the scene. The dragons and others are suffering and Flynn’s not paying attention to what’s happening instead of getting things done right away. It’s Davin to the rescue instead.
Can we not just be adults here? As Cher would say “Snap out of it!”.
I believe had this been stretched out to four books instead of cramming everything together into a trilogy, things might have been better handled. Or maybe not.
But as is, Masquerade as a finale and a story is too rushed and underdeveloped. Which is unfortunate because this had so much potential to be outstanding.
Masquerade is the third and final book in Sam Burns’ entertaining Knight and Daywalker urban fantasy series. The books feature an ongoing relationship between Flynn and Davin, as well as a connecting storyline, and should be read in order. This book brings the series arc to a close as we learn who is threatening the dragons and why, as well as get some new revelations surrounding Flynn. The story opens with a prologue where we see an unnamed dragon being held captive and get just a tease as to what might be going on. I enjoyed this start, as it gave the book some nice intensity early on, with this danger lurking behind the scenes. I had some ideas of what might be happening, but I still found it really exciting to see how this part of the storyline plays out and then leads into some higher intensity moments later in the book.
I have adored this series from the very first pages of book 1 and that love has only grown as the story progressed. Flynn and Davin are just trying to find time between all the chaos to be a couple and enjoy their newfound relationship, but fate has other things in store for them first. The dragon story continues here with the re-emergence of Flynn’s father, the kidnapping of Flynn’s cousin and everything connected thereto.
It appears the mastermind that Flynn’s father (also a dragon) escaped from had master plans of collecting all the dragons to siphon their powers to make him the grandaddy of all dragons. Before Flynn and friends/family can devise a plan to thwart the evil mastermind, Flynn’s cousin is taken and the mission turns to one of recovery as well as destruction of evil.
Flynn’s mom calls in all of her vampire allies to help with the mission and reluctantly must allow Flynn to be a part of same. Having basically sheltered Flynn for most of his life, letting him fly the next, so to speak, is not an easy task for her. But, Flynn is up to the task given his newly-found dragon powers and having powerful vamps at his side, including his boyfriend/mate, is a sure sign of future success. Things get pretty interesting and exciting as this all plays out with details of this world coming into play.
And let’s not forget the other secret weapon, Plot Twist, Flynn’s kitten aka ferocious tiger. She is one of my favorite characters of this series for sure. Flynn also finds help in other friends he has met along the way that he had no idea were more than just the animal friends he adored.
Needless to say that I loved this world and all of the characters in it. Flynn and Davin eventually find time to consummate their relationship, but sex is definitely not the focus of this story. I tried to savor this story, but it wasn’t easy as I was quickly turning pages to see how it all would play out. I’m a bit sad this Flynn (and Davin’s) story has come to an end, but I will definitely no hesitate to grab whatever Sam Burns has coming next.
We're back with Knight & Daywalker book 3! Set in the The Fantastic Fluke universe which I hadn't read until this point (I also recommend it! Not only for some back story on the world setting, but a great story across five books and has a sassy fox familiar named...you guessed it Fluke! Clearly foxes are a theme with Sam as I mentioned in my review of Smokescreen and the book Where Foxes Say Goodnight and it's sequel Let Sleeping Foxes Lie. )
Masquerade continues the story fairly seamlessly letting you ease back into the lives of Flynn and Davin (and most importantly Twist!) and we learn there's some not so good vampires running around doing things they shouldn't be (is anyone surprised?) and we get some interesting non-feline twists along the way (just wait till you spot the unlikely pairing on a date...and you'll know what I mean!)
Through the course book Flynn learns more about his father, his relationship with Davin and maybe most importantly himself in general. It's one of Sam's "darker" books, there's less levity overall given things, but it's still a great read and finishes the series up perfectly.
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
Absolutely epic end to this wonderful series from Sam and I'm really sad actually that it's over because I adore this expanded part of her Fantastic Fluke universe.
Flynn and Davin - and their kitten Twist have been carrying on with trying to discover who is behind the kidnapping of all the dragons when they get a surprise arrival on the island Flynn inherited in book two (no spoilers).
It throws them all for a loop but also finally reveals who is the evil mastermind behind the plan and finally gives them an opportunity to end it once and for all.
With the addition of a few helpful vampires and other assorted friends and colleagues, they set off to the frigid north beyond Scotland with a vague kind of plan and a whole bunch of hope.
I'm not going to spoil anything here but let's just say Flynn & Davin finally get some time together in the same bed and it's both ridiculously hot and seriously sweet and emotionally connected.
Sam's humour is en pointe as always, there's plenty of action and daring do to add to the tension and a couple of surprises along the way.
I'm going to miss this bunch a lot and I really hope Sam goes back to it because I want Doc & Cain's obvious romance, which seems to be going somewhere in the background, as well as Arthur and Grady!
"sigh" so AWESOME. I've been completely in love with The Fantastic Fluke series, and now i'm completely in love with Knight & Daywalker series. It's quite a bit different from the Fluke ones in a lot of ways, but in a very good way. I simply adore Flynn. He's awesome. And how could i not adore Twist, right? I do adore cats, so that had been what drew me to the series. And of course, being written by one of my favorite authors. And i was of course not disappointed. Seriously, the series was awesome. Simply beautiful. So of course, i'm heartbroken that it's over. I wanted more. I still want more. It's the kind of series that i just know i'm gonna find myself re-read it often. After all, i did just re-read Fluke and then Knight & Daywalker just last week, and now that i've read Masquerade, i find myself wanting to re-read all the books again. Including Masquerade of course, even though i literally just finished reading it. It was just that awesome. I want more :(( :(( I loved it sooo much 😍😍😍🩷🩷🩷🩷
This was a very disappointing ending for a series I had enjoyed a lot. I felt that all we get in this book is lots of preaching and zero action. The author keeps repeating the same ideas, how rich people are bad, how Flynn knew he was lucky to be a privileged, rich kid but oh he was so lucky too because his mum raised him well so he’s a very decent citizen. Which, granted, the author is right but we don’t need to be told more than once. Apart from the main character’s preaching for the choir, we get… nothing.
Friends, family, adventure and a kitten (sort of) Carrying on the story from Smokescreen and Facade Flynn is just continuing to bumble through life with his cat Twist and his boyfriend Davin. This book is not as funny as most Sam Burns’ books because there is a VERY BAD thing going on. There are the usual twists and turns and there is still some humor of course, often about Twists and her appetite and how awkward Flynn is. Luckily Davin likes all those things that Flynn considers wrong with him. I particularly liked how gentle and supportive Davin is as a boyfriend while still being a strong character. He never comes across as a pushover only as someone who knows who he is and accepts the quirks as well as the qualities of his partner. I still think that my favorite character is Twist and I hope that we get more about her even though this series is only supposed to be three books.
Loved this book, as I have all of the books in this series. Twist is such a delight. All of the characters are great and memorable, and the plot was so interesting. I hope it's not the last in the series, although that story arc seems to be complete. ---------------- "Probably just too dear, since body mages are so rare.” Expensive, he meant, which was fair." Author-splaining. Could've just said the next sentence.
"...it could have been nineteen-forty and I wouldn’t have been particularly surprised." I can't tell if this is the year 1940? Or military time? Or neither?
Speaking of military time. Goodness. What rank is Olive's granddaughter that she could afford that condo? As a military brat we never had money like that growing up, but then again my dad wasn't the base commander or anything.
I do not have adequate words to describe how I have felt waiting for this book. The anticipation was more than I could handle and I got my hands on it as soon as I possibly could. I received this book as an ARC, because it was the fastest way to get to read it!
I read this book in one sitting, I couldnt convince myself to put it down despite having to work the following day. I re-read it a week later just to make sure it was as amazing as I remembered. This book continues the story of Flynn, Davin, and Twist, along with characters seen in previous books. This book focuses much more on Flynn with Other Father being along for the ride. I wish there were more books to this series and I hope there will be future books in this world.
I really enjoyed the way this series wrapped up. Davin and Flynn have one last battle to fight and it's a dozy that's for sure. It was great to see Flynn tackle this external threat with all the found family he's built along the way. We do finally get a bit of smexy times between Flynn and Davin, though they're interrupted enough that it's really low on the list of time on page. These characters are a lot of fun and I am greatly enjoying the world that's been built here. I do hope we get to see Doc and Cain, and Arthur and Grady again. It would be nice to revisit this world and get their stories too.
This series has to be read in order and it's perfect for anyone looking for an urban fantasy series.
I have loved everything about this series, and this book was no exception. Flynn finally gets to have his man (lol)! Sexton does so well in this book, and Twist gets to meet both a Grandfather and a Great-Grandfather... and another great grandfather who we are less than impressed with. Flynn and Davin really do make a good team, and their combined awesomeness wins the day. The extended cast continue to be amazing, and Flynn makes a truly important discovery about dragonkind that will hopefully mean their species can heal. The vibe of this story was cozy and sweet, with a light touch of angst and plenty of adventure.
This is a gripping story, with exciting action, sweet romance, humour, brilliant characters and fantastic world building. Davin and Flynn, as a unit, are a force to be reckoned with, but throw in their adorable "kitten" Twist and they are unbeatable. To top it off, they have an amazing support system in their friends and family. I loved the plot and the way the series was wrapped up. I'm actually sad that this series is finished, as I've grown quite fond of the central characters. I can't wait to see what's next by this author. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I love a fun quirky protagonist and their opposite/more serious love interest. This is the third in the series about the son of a vampire senator (he’s not a vampire though) and his partner a day walking vampire from Ireland. This book has dragons (so many), a kitten shifter animal out of nightmares who is always hungry, surfer lawyers, a surprising number of grandparents, and a goddess. It can sometimes feel a bit more like an episode of Saturday morning cartoons than an adult novel, but it works. I don’t know of a fourth book is in the works, this one sort of tied up ends, but I will continue to read anything Ms Burns puts out so huzzah.
I adore this series!!!! Flynn is so unassuming. You would never pick him out as being dangerous. Him and Davin are the cutest couple and Twist is the bestest of kitties. The found family he is building is going to be the key to solving a mystery. And can I say that I loved the plot twist…not that Twist…of his raven friend and his father?!? So good! This is going to be yet another set that I read over and over again from this author. I also appreciated the commentary-the bits about building a community and being there for people. We definitely need much more of that!
Flynn’s father escapes, and us reunited with Flynn and Flynn’s mother. His cousin Sexton gets captured. A Raven that’s not 100% a raven but a goddess of nightmares gives Flynn a spear. Flynn also learns that Caspian is technically his grandfather. Flynn, Davin and Caspian go rescue Sexton from his grandfather on his father’s side, a dragon that can’t turn into one.
All ends well. I loved the book and hope to see more of the other characters from it.
This is book 3 in the series and must be read in order. Flynn and Davin are back, and now as boyfriends. When trying to get intimate, Flynn receives a call from his cousin who is in danger. What follows is Flynn and Davin, and of course Twist, trying to figure out what is going on. I loved this world and cannot wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend this series, you will not be disappointed.
This third book didn’t totally live up to the expectations I had for it based on how much I LOVED the first two, but I still liked it.
I am SO SOFT for Flynn and Davin and all the other side characters in this series and I loved spending time with them but the plot was kinda meh and the end a little anticlimactic and I was just really missing some actual dragons and more interactions between Flynn and his dad…
This book makes me happy. I love Davin the sexy and Plot Twit the hungering. 😆 Flynn is the best! I'm so happy that he gets to have his family again. I love that his raven turns out to be more than he thought. They're so funny together. This book is such an awesome happy ending. It gives me warm fuzzies. Greg Tremblay is such a great narrator. He makes every book better. I love listening to the audiobooks he narrates.
The narrator brings to life the conclusion to a beloved series in which Flynn is confronted with unexpected developments, a couple of surprises, an reunion that brings him happiness, and facing an enemy with his friends help. I really would have liked being in Davin's mind in certain circumstances, but appreciated the little snippets from a certain someone. I liked the narrator’s voices and accents, as well as the way he presented the emotional scenes, as well as the intense ones.
I don't usually go for slow burn but this was good. Slower then slow actually. I was however raging mad about something else....
Why the effff make your MC a vampire if he is not drinking blood (doesn't need it), eats food (no other one does, it taste bad for them and need to be expelled) and walks in the sun (no other can) What is the f*cking point!? First time we saw his teeth was at 93%!!!! of book 3 Just..... WHY!?
This was the perfect end to a highly enjoyable series! Full of family (both found and born), humour, danger, and surprising twists. To top it off we finally get some sexy times!
I love Flynn and Davin together; they balance each other so well! And while Plot Twist often steals the show, there are so many wonderful characters that make me smile.
Flynn and Davin story reaches its climax with their latest case that puts things in perspective and brings to light unexpected developments. There’s humour and teasing, but also danger as things escalate. There’s danger and adrenaline and friends that give a helping hand. I also adored the kitten, Twist, and her shenanigans and hope to see more of.
Flynn and Davin are back with their great kitty, Twist. Once again they're back in the thick of things as bad vampires are snatching dragons. Along the way we meet some good vampires, the found family aspect was wonderful and the plot twits had me racing to the final page.
This was a wonderful story and the finale to the series! There was so much going on, that my head was spinning in spots. We finally understand where the dragons are as well as where the father ended up. Overall a fantastic series I’m already looking forward to reading again! Highly Recommended