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Gabriel Ingram is running from his past. It’s common knowledge at the college where he teaches that he’s a former CIA technical analyst, but no one knows the things he really did—or about the rage and bloodlust that are his constant companions. He’s holding on to his normal life with both hands, but he knows someday he’ll lose his grip.
Lucas Craig is a social worker studying to become a family therapist. For reasons Lucas can’t understand, the normally reclusive Professor Ingram takes an interest in him, and Lucas secretly hopes their friendship might become more.
Then Eric, Lucas’s roommate, disappears. Lucas is frantic. The police are no help. With nowhere else to turn, Lucas begs Gabriel for his expertise.
What starts as a simple errand to help a friend becomes a journey into a violent world of gangs and human trafficking—one that will bring Gabriel face-to-face with the forces intent on stealing his soul. But Lucas might be the one who can save him—if Gabriel can get them out alive.
Lucas Craig is a social worker studying to become a family therapist. For reasons Lucas can’t understand, the normally reclusive Professor Ingram takes an interest in him, and Lucas secretly hopes their friendship might become more.
Then Eric, Lucas’s roommate, disappears. Lucas is frantic. The police are no help. With nowhere else to turn, Lucas begs Gabriel for his expertise.
What starts as a simple errand to help a friend becomes a journey into a violent world of gangs and human trafficking—one that will bring Gabriel face-to-face with the forces intent on stealing his soul. But Lucas might be the one who can save him—if Gabriel can get them out alive.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 21, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 14, 2017
1.5 stars
I have been following ‘the order of the black knights’ series from the beginning and this book is my least favorite of all. The story follows the same premise as the others. Here our MC is Gabriel, a black knight who is cursed by Moriel to serve him for all eternity until he is forgiven by ‘The One’.
In this lifetime, Gabriel is an ex-CIA agent who had hung up his guns and retired to a civilian life and now teaches in a college. The need to kill is still present as always but he has kept it under control. Lucas is a grad student in his college to whom he is uncharacteristically attracted to. They meet few days in a week in the student co-op shop where Gabriel always buys him coffee.
Lucas is attracted to the reclusive professor, Gabriel Ingram and he is immensely flattered and intrigued that Gabriel shows any kind of interest in him. When his childhood friend and roommate, Eric vanishes one day, Lucas has no one but Gabriel to turn to for help in finding his friend.
But what starts as a simple case of disappearance slowly entangles them in a world of human-trafficking which will force Gabriel to once again become the accomplished killer he was before. Only Lucas can save him from completely losing himself and release him from his curse but before that can happen they need to make it out alive.
The story is very boring with complete lack of action, danger or chemistry between the MCs. It moves very slowly with very minimal romantic development. The stories in this series always had this sense of danger that is a part and parcel of the knight’s life but here Gabriel’s past life is just what it was, in the past. He helps Lucas in tracking his friend but it was more of a hands-off approach. I was anticipating action but there was nothing of it here. The final confrontation was too short to fully satisfy my action-lust.
Lucas and Gabriel had very poor chemistry. They basically lived together but except the few internal thoughts of ‘how badly they want each other’, there is no spark at all. I wanted more passion which would justify their age-old bond to each other.
I did not enjoy reading this book much. I skipped through many chapters as more often than not, the plot was unable to hold my interest. Hopefully, the next book will have more to offer than this one. I cannot recommend it.
This review has been cross posted at GayBookreviews*
I have been following ‘the order of the black knights’ series from the beginning and this book is my least favorite of all. The story follows the same premise as the others. Here our MC is Gabriel, a black knight who is cursed by Moriel to serve him for all eternity until he is forgiven by ‘The One’.
In this lifetime, Gabriel is an ex-CIA agent who had hung up his guns and retired to a civilian life and now teaches in a college. The need to kill is still present as always but he has kept it under control. Lucas is a grad student in his college to whom he is uncharacteristically attracted to. They meet few days in a week in the student co-op shop where Gabriel always buys him coffee.
Lucas is attracted to the reclusive professor, Gabriel Ingram and he is immensely flattered and intrigued that Gabriel shows any kind of interest in him. When his childhood friend and roommate, Eric vanishes one day, Lucas has no one but Gabriel to turn to for help in finding his friend.
But what starts as a simple case of disappearance slowly entangles them in a world of human-trafficking which will force Gabriel to once again become the accomplished killer he was before. Only Lucas can save him from completely losing himself and release him from his curse but before that can happen they need to make it out alive.
The story is very boring with complete lack of action, danger or chemistry between the MCs. It moves very slowly with very minimal romantic development. The stories in this series always had this sense of danger that is a part and parcel of the knight’s life but here Gabriel’s past life is just what it was, in the past. He helps Lucas in tracking his friend but it was more of a hands-off approach. I was anticipating action but there was nothing of it here. The final confrontation was too short to fully satisfy my action-lust.
Lucas and Gabriel had very poor chemistry. They basically lived together but except the few internal thoughts of ‘how badly they want each other’, there is no spark at all. I wanted more passion which would justify their age-old bond to each other.
I did not enjoy reading this book much. I skipped through many chapters as more often than not, the plot was unable to hold my interest. Hopefully, the next book will have more to offer than this one. I cannot recommend it.
This review has been cross posted at GayBookreviews*
April 18, 2017
Gabriel (Order of the Black Knights #5) by R.K. Staunton
3 stars
M/M Romance
Triggers: Sex trafficking
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This is the first book that I've read in this series.
This book was somewhat strange for me. It seemed pieced together. The two main characters started out with small meet ups, which I found very sweet. Gabriel was drawn to Lucas, but he didn't really know why.
Lucas is a hard working, somewhat scattered student and social worker. He's trying very hard to better the world. He finds Gabriel irresistible, but Gabriel's reputation is of a somewhat hard ass professor.
The two main characters, I didn't think, had very much chemistry. I was more interested in Moose, Gabriel's friend. Also, the teenager that Lucas was working with just was left behind. There could have been more followup.
Finally, the actual mystery in this story was well developed, but it just lacked cohesiveness.
3 stars
M/M Romance
Triggers: Sex trafficking
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This is the first book that I've read in this series.
This book was somewhat strange for me. It seemed pieced together. The two main characters started out with small meet ups, which I found very sweet. Gabriel was drawn to Lucas, but he didn't really know why.
Lucas is a hard working, somewhat scattered student and social worker. He's trying very hard to better the world. He finds Gabriel irresistible, but Gabriel's reputation is of a somewhat hard ass professor.
The two main characters, I didn't think, had very much chemistry. I was more interested in Moose, Gabriel's friend. Also, the teenager that Lucas was working with just was left behind. There could have been more followup.
Finally, the actual mystery in this story was well developed, but it just lacked cohesiveness.
February 15, 2018
Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews: http://lovebytesreviews.com/2017/04/2...
EVERY CENTURY has seen its knights. But there are those who are never seen. They do what must be done, what has to be done— when nobody wants to get their hands dirty. They are called the Black Knights. First created in the 1100s by the wizard Moriel, these men seem cold and hard, and it is said that some have no soul. But for each knight, there is one who can bring out the man who waits inside. The question is whether he will kill the individual before he figures it out.
Through the ages, they’ve conquered and ruled and taken what they wanted. And they have adapted to modern times. Instead of being bullies for hire, they have taken their skills further— the Internet, the CIA, government infiltration, hacking, special ops, assassination, but each one of them has a need they don’t understand— to squash, kill, or destroy.
If the Knight pardons an enemy, he will no longer be cursed. If not, he will continue to live the same life again and again, and each life will make him harder and more unyielding. And each life will make it less likely that he can be saved.
Gabriel is Professor Ingram and he has what he feels is an unhealthy interest in a graduate student at the college he teaches at. Gabriel has taken to buying Lucas Craig a morning coffee and muffin as he is sure Lucas doesn’t eat anything before arriving for class. Lucas can barely get up most mornings let alone have time for breakfast. Lucas works as a social worker, studies to be a family therapist and is also a volunteer for a suicide hotline. Luckily Lucas’ flatmate Eric has taken to waking him up early so he makes it to college on time, until the morning Eric isn’t there to wake him up!
Eric thought he was hooking up with a gorgeous guy after his shift tending bar at Sparks except when he got there he was kidnapped! Eric woke up from being drugged handcuffed to a bed in a run-down motel. And so, started Eric’s time as a sex-slave.
When Eric hadn’t been home for three days Lucas was beside himself but when he reported, him missing no-one was interested in a missing gay man! Lucas went to Gabriel to ask for his help in locating Eric. Gabriel knows that getting involved in the search for Eric is going to result in him being drawn back into the life of the CIA. To protect Lucas, Gabriel has him move into his house and to his utter surprise while Lucas is near him he calms the rage inside Gabriel.
Gabriel was an unexpected find for me. This is the first story by RK Staunton that I’ve had the pleasure of reading but it will most definitely not be the last. I urge you to get your copy of Gabriel, you really need to find out if the relationship between Lucas and Gabriel lasts. Do they find Eric? Does Gabriel manage to remove the curse from himself?
Have you got your copy yet? No? WHY NOT??
EVERY CENTURY has seen its knights. But there are those who are never seen. They do what must be done, what has to be done— when nobody wants to get their hands dirty. They are called the Black Knights. First created in the 1100s by the wizard Moriel, these men seem cold and hard, and it is said that some have no soul. But for each knight, there is one who can bring out the man who waits inside. The question is whether he will kill the individual before he figures it out.
Through the ages, they’ve conquered and ruled and taken what they wanted. And they have adapted to modern times. Instead of being bullies for hire, they have taken their skills further— the Internet, the CIA, government infiltration, hacking, special ops, assassination, but each one of them has a need they don’t understand— to squash, kill, or destroy.
If the Knight pardons an enemy, he will no longer be cursed. If not, he will continue to live the same life again and again, and each life will make him harder and more unyielding. And each life will make it less likely that he can be saved.
Gabriel is Professor Ingram and he has what he feels is an unhealthy interest in a graduate student at the college he teaches at. Gabriel has taken to buying Lucas Craig a morning coffee and muffin as he is sure Lucas doesn’t eat anything before arriving for class. Lucas can barely get up most mornings let alone have time for breakfast. Lucas works as a social worker, studies to be a family therapist and is also a volunteer for a suicide hotline. Luckily Lucas’ flatmate Eric has taken to waking him up early so he makes it to college on time, until the morning Eric isn’t there to wake him up!
Eric thought he was hooking up with a gorgeous guy after his shift tending bar at Sparks except when he got there he was kidnapped! Eric woke up from being drugged handcuffed to a bed in a run-down motel. And so, started Eric’s time as a sex-slave.
When Eric hadn’t been home for three days Lucas was beside himself but when he reported, him missing no-one was interested in a missing gay man! Lucas went to Gabriel to ask for his help in locating Eric. Gabriel knows that getting involved in the search for Eric is going to result in him being drawn back into the life of the CIA. To protect Lucas, Gabriel has him move into his house and to his utter surprise while Lucas is near him he calms the rage inside Gabriel.
Gabriel was an unexpected find for me. This is the first story by RK Staunton that I’ve had the pleasure of reading but it will most definitely not be the last. I urge you to get your copy of Gabriel, you really need to find out if the relationship between Lucas and Gabriel lasts. Do they find Eric? Does Gabriel manage to remove the curse from himself?
Have you got your copy yet? No? WHY NOT??
May 25, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
3 stars
There are so many elements that draw me to this story. The characters have so much potential. Gabriel is a mysterious, dominant male who has convinced himself he can never know love. Lucas is a do-gooder who breaks down all of Gabriel’s barriers. Setting the romance between Gabriel and Lucas against the backdrop of Eric’s disappearance has both men’s emotions running high, which pushes them to act on their feelings when they otherwise might not. Yet the overall assemblage felt a bit lacking to me. The prose, for one thing, wasn’t as polished as it could have been. Specifically, I thought the author’s use of repetition was tiresome. There are no less than three different situations where Staunton makes a point of highlighting how Lucas feels like he’s beneath Gabriel’s notice and they all use the same phrase, “If Gabriel noticed blah blah blah, he didn’t show it.” On the one hand, sure, it definitely reinforces the idea that Gabriel is super-aloof. On the other hand, the reader has the benefit of seeing things from both Gabriel’s and Lucas’ (third person) POV so I felt a little cheated that so often the compelling, inexplicably powerful hold we KNOW Lucas has over Gabriel is so easily hidden.
Another element that got a lot of lip service—and hence started to feel pretty tired to me—was the whole way Gabriel basically denies that Lucas can want Gabriel. This is a lot more layered and it’s not ALL bad—especially if you like angst like I do. What grated was how Lucas, at one point, makes his romantic intentions known in no uncertain terms and Gabriel STILL insists he’s taking advantage of Lucas. To me, it felt like the physically more powerful half of the couple was imposing/projecting his will onto the less powerful character. In other words, Gabriel is telling Lucas how he can feel and while I don’t think the SPIRIT is that Gabriel be a commandeering dick, that’s how the words felt to me.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
3 stars
There are so many elements that draw me to this story. The characters have so much potential. Gabriel is a mysterious, dominant male who has convinced himself he can never know love. Lucas is a do-gooder who breaks down all of Gabriel’s barriers. Setting the romance between Gabriel and Lucas against the backdrop of Eric’s disappearance has both men’s emotions running high, which pushes them to act on their feelings when they otherwise might not. Yet the overall assemblage felt a bit lacking to me. The prose, for one thing, wasn’t as polished as it could have been. Specifically, I thought the author’s use of repetition was tiresome. There are no less than three different situations where Staunton makes a point of highlighting how Lucas feels like he’s beneath Gabriel’s notice and they all use the same phrase, “If Gabriel noticed blah blah blah, he didn’t show it.” On the one hand, sure, it definitely reinforces the idea that Gabriel is super-aloof. On the other hand, the reader has the benefit of seeing things from both Gabriel’s and Lucas’ (third person) POV so I felt a little cheated that so often the compelling, inexplicably powerful hold we KNOW Lucas has over Gabriel is so easily hidden.
Another element that got a lot of lip service—and hence started to feel pretty tired to me—was the whole way Gabriel basically denies that Lucas can want Gabriel. This is a lot more layered and it’s not ALL bad—especially if you like angst like I do. What grated was how Lucas, at one point, makes his romantic intentions known in no uncertain terms and Gabriel STILL insists he’s taking advantage of Lucas. To me, it felt like the physically more powerful half of the couple was imposing/projecting his will onto the less powerful character. In other words, Gabriel is telling Lucas how he can feel and while I don’t think the SPIRIT is that Gabriel be a commandeering dick, that’s how the words felt to me.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
July 8, 2018
Was not what i was expecting. Was expecting a series more like JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, and it's not, but don't think as it's not like that fabulous series, it's not good, because it is.
Gabriel has lived many lives, thanks to the pact he made with Moriel a wizard to become one of his Black Knights. To live, to kill, to die and to start the process all over again. The catch they must pardon the one enemy they first killed when they became a black knight and the cycle will be broken, however they have no knowledge of this detail until the end of every life, to know they had killed the one again, and the knowledge they just learnt will not go with them into the next life.
Gabriel is now a professor having given up working for the CIA. A student at the uni has come to him as his friend has disappeared and was wanting his help to find his friend as the police were not listening. Lucas is Gabriel's one, the one he must pardon.
Enjoyable, well written. Recommend this multi authored series.
Gabriel has lived many lives, thanks to the pact he made with Moriel a wizard to become one of his Black Knights. To live, to kill, to die and to start the process all over again. The catch they must pardon the one enemy they first killed when they became a black knight and the cycle will be broken, however they have no knowledge of this detail until the end of every life, to know they had killed the one again, and the knowledge they just learnt will not go with them into the next life.
Gabriel is now a professor having given up working for the CIA. A student at the uni has come to him as his friend has disappeared and was wanting his help to find his friend as the police were not listening. Lucas is Gabriel's one, the one he must pardon.
Enjoyable, well written. Recommend this multi authored series.
October 19, 2025
I wrote this review on Amazon.com when I read the book in 2017. I enjoyed this story. My four star rating is based on the following: good writing and editing (no obvious spelling and grammar issues), likeable main characters, and good story that is consistent with the premise of the series. Recommended read.
August 3, 2017
I really loved this!
If you can imagine a CSI episode with a hot ex CIA agent and one of his students tracking down evil human traffickers and falling in love while doing it – that’s kind of how this book felt to me. And they’re both men so – BONUS!
Gabriel has this “evil” inside him – the curse that haunts all our MCs in this series – and it makes him turn into a killing machine at times. Because of this he deems himself “unlovable”. When Lucas asks for his help, the “goody goody social worker” is just too sweet for Gabriel to ever consider as someone he could be with.
But of course – nothing is as it seems – and our MCs find their way into each other’s arms – all the while finding clues that lead them to the bad guy.
The paranormal aspect of this series was played down more than in the last book I read – Jaeger - but it was still there and still satisfying.
The ending was a bit more abrupt than I’d hoped – I wanted to see these guys down the road a ways – but it was still sweet.
If I have any complaints it’s the POV shifts that landed me in the heads of too many people when I wanted their “stories” to be more of a mystery.
In any case, I really enjoyed this and think fans of the series will as well, but it’s also a great standalone for anyone interested in a crime solving story with a bit of a May/December romance to go along with it.
Highly Recommended
4.5 of 5 stars
If you can imagine a CSI episode with a hot ex CIA agent and one of his students tracking down evil human traffickers and falling in love while doing it – that’s kind of how this book felt to me. And they’re both men so – BONUS!
Gabriel has this “evil” inside him – the curse that haunts all our MCs in this series – and it makes him turn into a killing machine at times. Because of this he deems himself “unlovable”. When Lucas asks for his help, the “goody goody social worker” is just too sweet for Gabriel to ever consider as someone he could be with.
But of course – nothing is as it seems – and our MCs find their way into each other’s arms – all the while finding clues that lead them to the bad guy.
The paranormal aspect of this series was played down more than in the last book I read – Jaeger - but it was still there and still satisfying.
The ending was a bit more abrupt than I’d hoped – I wanted to see these guys down the road a ways – but it was still sweet.
If I have any complaints it’s the POV shifts that landed me in the heads of too many people when I wanted their “stories” to be more of a mystery.
In any case, I really enjoyed this and think fans of the series will as well, but it’s also a great standalone for anyone interested in a crime solving story with a bit of a May/December romance to go along with it.
Highly Recommended
4.5 of 5 stars
April 19, 2017
I truly love "The alder Of The Black Knights" series. R.K. Straunton made this book just as amazing as the past authors for each book in this series. That is what I love about this series. Each book is by a different author but they have the same concept in order to make it part of the series.
Each book starts the same with the main character being given the choice to either accept Moriels offer of a better life or to not and keep going on in the same type of life that they are already living. But with the acceptance of this "better life" there are consequences that the main character has to face and a set of rules that have to be followed in order to be released to what could be called nothing else other then a curse Moriel places on the ones who accepts his offer.
That is what happened to Gabriel. He accepted and now in order to no anger feel the need to kill, he has to give an enemy and not just any enemy but the "one".
The thing is how will Gabriel ever know this is the case if he cannot remember making the pact with Moriel. Will his past life's somehow make it known to Gabriel what he is supposed to do without going against the contract? Or will his unnatural attraction to Lucas guide him into realizing what he feels is an unnatural attraction to Lucas actually turn into a blessing in disguise and save Gabriel in more ways then one.
In my opinion what makes this series so amazing is that each book is basically the same plot but each book is so different from the last because each book is written by a different author therefore making each book like it is standalone instead of part of a series. Each book is so different then the other because of being written by someone else as each book has came out that it makes it interesting to the reader because the reader cannot predict what the book is truly going to be about because each author has a different vision for each book.
I cannot wait for the next book to come out!!!!!
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
Each book starts the same with the main character being given the choice to either accept Moriels offer of a better life or to not and keep going on in the same type of life that they are already living. But with the acceptance of this "better life" there are consequences that the main character has to face and a set of rules that have to be followed in order to be released to what could be called nothing else other then a curse Moriel places on the ones who accepts his offer.
That is what happened to Gabriel. He accepted and now in order to no anger feel the need to kill, he has to give an enemy and not just any enemy but the "one".
The thing is how will Gabriel ever know this is the case if he cannot remember making the pact with Moriel. Will his past life's somehow make it known to Gabriel what he is supposed to do without going against the contract? Or will his unnatural attraction to Lucas guide him into realizing what he feels is an unnatural attraction to Lucas actually turn into a blessing in disguise and save Gabriel in more ways then one.
In my opinion what makes this series so amazing is that each book is basically the same plot but each book is so different from the last because each book is written by a different author therefore making each book like it is standalone instead of part of a series. Each book is so different then the other because of being written by someone else as each book has came out that it makes it interesting to the reader because the reader cannot predict what the book is truly going to be about because each author has a different vision for each book.
I cannot wait for the next book to come out!!!!!
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
April 25, 2017
3 Stars
I have been a fan of The Order of the Black Knights series from the very beginning but, unfortunately, this book did not excite me the way the previous books have. I definitely think this is my least favorite.
Moriel again has cursed a young man, in this case, our main character Gabriel, to kill and serve him for all eternity or until he forgives an enemy, something much harder to do than he initially assumed. After many lifetimes of killing, we meet a present day Gabriel, a retired CIA agent turned college professor. While the need to kill is an ever present companion, he has kept it under control.
Lucas is a Social Worker and Grad student. Gabriel shouldn't be interested in him but he can't help it. Seeing the man every morning and bringing him coffee before he races off to class, soon becomes a habit he has no clue how to break.
Lucas can't help his attraction to Gabriel even if the man can come off a bit acrimonious at times. It comes as a very welcome surprise when Gabriel shows him a softer side of himself by buying him coffee each morning. So, when his best friend and roommate, Eric, ends up missing and police seem not to care, Lucas turns to Gabriel for help.
If only they'd have known that this was more than a simple disappearance and that they had just stepped into the dark and dirty world of human-trafficking. Now, Gabriel is once again thrust into his role of killer. It will be down to Lucas to save him from the darkness that consumes him before he loses himself once again.
Unfortunately, I felt like this story moved way too slowly. Even the beginning didn't hold that same excitement the previous stories possessed. Each Knight seemed to have this dangerous and dark feel to them but Gabriel was missing that. I felt like there was such a potential to take Gabriel to some very frightening and intriguing places. There was a lack of true action you'd expect for the theme.
To make matters worse that lack of sexual chemistry was a major let down as well. I wanted Gabriel and Lucas to have that intense buildup and the need that radiates off the page. However, it didn't seem to happen and that was a disappointment. It made the whole story more blah and just okay.
*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*
I have been a fan of The Order of the Black Knights series from the very beginning but, unfortunately, this book did not excite me the way the previous books have. I definitely think this is my least favorite.
Moriel again has cursed a young man, in this case, our main character Gabriel, to kill and serve him for all eternity or until he forgives an enemy, something much harder to do than he initially assumed. After many lifetimes of killing, we meet a present day Gabriel, a retired CIA agent turned college professor. While the need to kill is an ever present companion, he has kept it under control.
Lucas is a Social Worker and Grad student. Gabriel shouldn't be interested in him but he can't help it. Seeing the man every morning and bringing him coffee before he races off to class, soon becomes a habit he has no clue how to break.
Lucas can't help his attraction to Gabriel even if the man can come off a bit acrimonious at times. It comes as a very welcome surprise when Gabriel shows him a softer side of himself by buying him coffee each morning. So, when his best friend and roommate, Eric, ends up missing and police seem not to care, Lucas turns to Gabriel for help.
If only they'd have known that this was more than a simple disappearance and that they had just stepped into the dark and dirty world of human-trafficking. Now, Gabriel is once again thrust into his role of killer. It will be down to Lucas to save him from the darkness that consumes him before he loses himself once again.
Unfortunately, I felt like this story moved way too slowly. Even the beginning didn't hold that same excitement the previous stories possessed. Each Knight seemed to have this dangerous and dark feel to them but Gabriel was missing that. I felt like there was such a potential to take Gabriel to some very frightening and intriguing places. There was a lack of true action you'd expect for the theme.
To make matters worse that lack of sexual chemistry was a major let down as well. I wanted Gabriel and Lucas to have that intense buildup and the need that radiates off the page. However, it didn't seem to happen and that was a disappointment. It made the whole story more blah and just okay.
*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*
April 22, 2017
Gabriel is the fifth book in Dreamspinner Press’s Order of the Black Knights series, and the first in the series that I’ve read. Each book is meant to be a standalone, but I can’t help wondering if I would have gotten a bit more out of it had I read more from the collection. The book was good; it held my interest. But, there were a few moments where I wondered if I was missing something. If perhaps it would have been better if I had more knowledge of Moriel, the devil with whom Gabriel struck a bargain all those years ago. We get a sense of how all of this began for Gabriel in the prologue; when we meet him, he has been shot, as a result of a mob deal gone wrong, and he has a life-flashing-before-your-eyes moment.
The prologue left me feeling a bit mixed up, to be honest, and I had a difficult time getting into the story because of it. The pace started to pick up in chapter one, and I was able to start connecting to the story more starting from there. There was also the use of a third POV in a handful of the chapters that I have mixed feelings about. On the one hand, it was cool that the author put us inside of Eric’s head, but, on the other hand, the usage was inconsistent. Once we were given that viewpoint, it seemed like we should get more from his perspective. Instead, we got the couple of chapters in the beginning, but then not another peep until chapter fourteen.
One thing I like very much about the book, and I think is a cool tenet of the series, is the idea that each of the black knights has some sort of a tether. That one person that can keep them grounded and bring forward their true self, quieting the blood-thirsty monster that is always waiting to take hold. This idea was portrayed really well in Gabriel. Lucas was that person for Gabriel, and I loved Gabriel’s unwitting reactions to him. Completely aware that Lucas made him feel calm and totally quelled the rage he felt simmering below the surface almost constantly, but unaware as to how it is was possible.
So, yeah… Mixed feelings on this one. I liked the characters. I totally dig the idea behind the series and the premise of this book. The action and suspense were great. I liked Gabriel and Lucas as a couple—I reeeaaally liked how cute Gabriel was in the beginning, getting Lucas his coffee at the co-op—but it drove me crazy that Gabriel kept calling Lucas “kid” and referring to him as “the kid” when it said in the book that Lucas was “perhaps five or ten years Gabriel’s junior.” And, I wish the ending had given us a little bit more resolution for some of the characters.
In this case, I might recommend this one a little more highly to those who are already fans of the series. This book was good, but not great, and I still wonder if there had been a bit more background on Gabriel’s past, and at least a little more emphasis on the paranormal aspect, if it could have been kicked up a notch or two.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
Then the memories shifted and changed. They became older, much older, and morphed through hundreds of years and showed things centuries before his own time – things he couldn’t possibly be familiar with – and yet they were familiar, and as real as intimate as the steel of the gun in his hand. They tunneled back farther and faster, and finally converged on the moment some eight centuries earlier when he sold his soul to the devil.
The prologue left me feeling a bit mixed up, to be honest, and I had a difficult time getting into the story because of it. The pace started to pick up in chapter one, and I was able to start connecting to the story more starting from there. There was also the use of a third POV in a handful of the chapters that I have mixed feelings about. On the one hand, it was cool that the author put us inside of Eric’s head, but, on the other hand, the usage was inconsistent. Once we were given that viewpoint, it seemed like we should get more from his perspective. Instead, we got the couple of chapters in the beginning, but then not another peep until chapter fourteen.
One thing I like very much about the book, and I think is a cool tenet of the series, is the idea that each of the black knights has some sort of a tether. That one person that can keep them grounded and bring forward their true self, quieting the blood-thirsty monster that is always waiting to take hold. This idea was portrayed really well in Gabriel. Lucas was that person for Gabriel, and I loved Gabriel’s unwitting reactions to him. Completely aware that Lucas made him feel calm and totally quelled the rage he felt simmering below the surface almost constantly, but unaware as to how it is was possible.
So, yeah… Mixed feelings on this one. I liked the characters. I totally dig the idea behind the series and the premise of this book. The action and suspense were great. I liked Gabriel and Lucas as a couple—I reeeaaally liked how cute Gabriel was in the beginning, getting Lucas his coffee at the co-op—but it drove me crazy that Gabriel kept calling Lucas “kid” and referring to him as “the kid” when it said in the book that Lucas was “perhaps five or ten years Gabriel’s junior.” And, I wish the ending had given us a little bit more resolution for some of the characters.
In this case, I might recommend this one a little more highly to those who are already fans of the series. This book was good, but not great, and I still wonder if there had been a bit more background on Gabriel’s past, and at least a little more emphasis on the paranormal aspect, if it could have been kicked up a notch or two.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
April 25, 2017
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book five in the Order of the Black Knights series. You don't need to have read the others, but you should. Each book has a different author, dealing with the same theme: love, kill, rinse and repeat. Until The One. The One who will stop the cycle. And I am LOVING how each author deals with this theme, really I am.
Gabriel is now professor at a university in the middle of nowhere. Lucas is a student, but not one of Gabriel's. When Lucas' flat mate goes missing, Lucas calls on Gabriel's CIA background to help. And Lucas finds himself in far deeper than he ever imagined.
And just like that, we are back up to 5 full stars!!
I LOVED this one! On a par with Vespar, book three, it kinda grabs you, and doesn't let you go. Gabriel is, for the most part, hiding. Lucas sets all his radars off in ways he didn't know he had radars to set off. When Eric, the flat mate, goes missing, Gabriel has to dig deep, far deeper than he knew he could dig, to give Lucas what he needed.
Lucas had noticed Gabriel way before that first cup of coffee appeared before him. And Gabriel pushed all of Lucas' buttons, in every which way. Gabriel's past that comes back to help Eric and Lucas brings them far closer than either of them planned, but both desperately needed.
In all the other books, there has been a moment of, almost. . . I dunno if zen is the right word, but a moment when you think....."oh my freaking god" That moment here came when Gabriel let forth the name of the one who started him on this slippery slope, on the never ending love, kill, rinse, repeat cycle. I was like...."what did he just say?" Because I skim read at the best of times. And I glanced over that bit, stopped dead, went back, stopped again, read it again. Four times it took me rereading that little line for me to fully comprehend what he said. I've no idea WHY it took me four times, its just one little name, but there you go. Just needed to say that!
Through a bit of stalking, and digging around Amazon/Goodreads and the like, I have discovered that this author usually writes, and I quote here "romance with a side of spanking" male/female romance. So this is her first attempt at male/male AND the darker/ grittier sort of book.
And my opinion on that attempt?? NAILED IT. As in totally and utterly nailed it.
So, because I read it in one sitting, and because Staunton NAILED it...
5 full stars!
ps, please write more, I'll read them, I really will!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book five in the Order of the Black Knights series. You don't need to have read the others, but you should. Each book has a different author, dealing with the same theme: love, kill, rinse and repeat. Until The One. The One who will stop the cycle. And I am LOVING how each author deals with this theme, really I am.
Gabriel is now professor at a university in the middle of nowhere. Lucas is a student, but not one of Gabriel's. When Lucas' flat mate goes missing, Lucas calls on Gabriel's CIA background to help. And Lucas finds himself in far deeper than he ever imagined.
And just like that, we are back up to 5 full stars!!
I LOVED this one! On a par with Vespar, book three, it kinda grabs you, and doesn't let you go. Gabriel is, for the most part, hiding. Lucas sets all his radars off in ways he didn't know he had radars to set off. When Eric, the flat mate, goes missing, Gabriel has to dig deep, far deeper than he knew he could dig, to give Lucas what he needed.
Lucas had noticed Gabriel way before that first cup of coffee appeared before him. And Gabriel pushed all of Lucas' buttons, in every which way. Gabriel's past that comes back to help Eric and Lucas brings them far closer than either of them planned, but both desperately needed.
In all the other books, there has been a moment of, almost. . . I dunno if zen is the right word, but a moment when you think....."oh my freaking god" That moment here came when Gabriel let forth the name of the one who started him on this slippery slope, on the never ending love, kill, rinse, repeat cycle. I was like...."what did he just say?" Because I skim read at the best of times. And I glanced over that bit, stopped dead, went back, stopped again, read it again. Four times it took me rereading that little line for me to fully comprehend what he said. I've no idea WHY it took me four times, its just one little name, but there you go. Just needed to say that!
Through a bit of stalking, and digging around Amazon/Goodreads and the like, I have discovered that this author usually writes, and I quote here "romance with a side of spanking" male/female romance. So this is her first attempt at male/male AND the darker/ grittier sort of book.
And my opinion on that attempt?? NAILED IT. As in totally and utterly nailed it.
So, because I read it in one sitting, and because Staunton NAILED it...
5 full stars!
ps, please write more, I'll read them, I really will!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
April 27, 2017
This is the first Black Knight novel that I have read. After approximately 30 pages, the twists and turns in the plot became blatantly obvious, and the only reason to continue the book was to figure out how the author would maneuver each of the readily apparent plot twists.
Enter Gabriel, who was born in or about the year 1100 AD. He agreed to work as a hired killer under the magical protection of someone named Moriel. The killer magic would continue for lifetime after lifetime until Gabriel discovered the one person that he would apologize to who would break the curse. Well, on his first assassination assignment, Gabriel inadvertently kills a witness named LUCien (yes the first three letters are highlighted for a blatantly obvious reason). It happens, however, that LUCien was the one person who could break Moriel's killing curse.
Fast forward eight lifetimes, and Gabriel is now a retired CIA assassin who is working at a local college, where he meets a 30+ year old student named LUCas (am I banging you over the head as strongly as the author did in this book? Can you see how LUCas is going to be the one to break the curse that LUCien could have broken 900 years earlier? Well, anyone with a modicum of intelligence can see where the plot is going.).
LUCas' roommate Eric is a bartender and he gets kidnapped by Damien (oh please, can we get more devil-inspiring than the name Damien?!?). You can bet dollars to doughnuts that Gabriel is going to have some type of supreme fight with Damien to save Eric, and then there will be the apology to LUCas, and that will break the spell that has been on LUCas for 900 years. La la la la la . . . Reading . . . . Reading . . . Reading, and voila! The paper thin plot reveals itself and all is right with the world.
The entire story is as transparent as looking through a pane of glass, but it was enjoyable to read. The author kept me interested in the story, even though there wasn't any real surprise in it. That demonstrates that even a predictable story can be entertaining if it is well-written. I give it four stars.
Enter Gabriel, who was born in or about the year 1100 AD. He agreed to work as a hired killer under the magical protection of someone named Moriel. The killer magic would continue for lifetime after lifetime until Gabriel discovered the one person that he would apologize to who would break the curse. Well, on his first assassination assignment, Gabriel inadvertently kills a witness named LUCien (yes the first three letters are highlighted for a blatantly obvious reason). It happens, however, that LUCien was the one person who could break Moriel's killing curse.
Fast forward eight lifetimes, and Gabriel is now a retired CIA assassin who is working at a local college, where he meets a 30+ year old student named LUCas (am I banging you over the head as strongly as the author did in this book? Can you see how LUCas is going to be the one to break the curse that LUCien could have broken 900 years earlier? Well, anyone with a modicum of intelligence can see where the plot is going.).
LUCas' roommate Eric is a bartender and he gets kidnapped by Damien (oh please, can we get more devil-inspiring than the name Damien?!?). You can bet dollars to doughnuts that Gabriel is going to have some type of supreme fight with Damien to save Eric, and then there will be the apology to LUCas, and that will break the spell that has been on LUCas for 900 years. La la la la la . . . Reading . . . . Reading . . . Reading, and voila! The paper thin plot reveals itself and all is right with the world.
The entire story is as transparent as looking through a pane of glass, but it was enjoyable to read. The author kept me interested in the story, even though there wasn't any real surprise in it. That demonstrates that even a predictable story can be entertaining if it is well-written. I give it four stars.
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