Tooth and Claw

Lords of Arcadia #5

by R. Lee Smith

The war between Mab's army and the lords of Arcadia is over. With winter comes a season of rest and rebuilding for the people of the Valley of Hoof and Horn. In the city of Dis, the long-displaced Cerosan have returned. Lord Antilles once again holds the throne of his fathers with Taryn MacTavish beside him. The road they built has brought them home. Their story is told.

But theirs was never the only story.

Winter in the Land of Tooth and Claw is no place of refuge, yet it becomes one when the lycan lord Kruin encounters three human females, former captives of Mab's army, led by Nona, who is as determined to find her way back to Earth as Kruin's second, Nakaroth, is determined to make her stay.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Dark, Fantasy Romance, Erotica, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction Fantasy

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2018

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice addition to the series. R Lee is getting a tad predictable in her tales but I don't mind. Her books have such a great depth of emotion to them. And she never shy's away from violence and gore. She never fails to highlight the best and worst qualities in her characters.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with any R Lee Smith book I read, I brace myself :)
So when our heroine gets captured, I was like oh no, rape, torture, etc. here we come! But no. Hmm. Then they wander the land after escaping, I am like ok, here comes a kidnapping and bad things happen. But no. I am starting to wonder where Ms. Smith is going to take me by surprise, because I am really on guard now. You can't get one by me!
Then they meet up with the High Pack and I am like shit is going to get weird now!
But no!
Then I am like hello, Ms Smith, are you there? Did someone else write this book?
Because this is a full on love story with a HEA. What the fuck?

And that is the ultimate surprise from Ms. Smith, something totally new and pretty wonderful. At the end of the 19th chapter, the erotica kicks in, but it is all so well done that it is a seamless transition. Is this my favorite love story? No. But for the writer of erotica this was the tamest story she has ever written and it also fulfills our need for sweet closure in the Land of Tooth and Claw. Everybody wins :) and I now have one of her books that I can recommend without feeling totally judged.
Excellent work Ms. Smith! And I have to wonder, did you fall in love lately???

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: apparently I gave this 4 stars by mistake.

It's a five star read though. I LOVE NONA!

***********

Even thought it says, #5 in the title, this is a spin-off/standalone sequel to the Lords of Arcadia series. BUT, despite this being a spin-off, I think you sneed to have read books 1-4 to really appreciate this one.

While books 1-4 build heavily on top of each other and reading them out of order would really rob you of character/relationship development, even if you manage to follow the story, this one stands well on its own.

I like that.

I really liked Nakaroth in the last Arcadia books and I'm glad he got his own book and girlfriend.

What surprised me the most about this book was Nona. I liked her even better than I had Nakaroth.

She was a no-nonsense, fierce leader and just perfect for someone like Nakaroth.

[Tiffany Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful addition to the Lords of Arcadia series! I loved that this book was focused on Nakaroth as he was one of my favorite Lycans who seriously needed some loving. I was excited to see he got his own little HEA. Nona fit him perfectly. Looking forward to more to come (I'm so crossing my fingers!) Anything from R. Lee Smith is always recommended!

[Cc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author, didn't realize she had finished the series until I checked a few days ago and found them on KU! You either love her writing or you don't. I would say if you think any of her books are interesting, you can deal with rape and gore (that one is a must), you have KU and you have a tolerance for snarky, mean heroines (although not all of her h's are like that, none of them are TSTL) ~ try it.

[j]

“It is a terrible thing to need…To finally and fully comprehend all that you lack. How can I ever again be content to be the wolf of Dark Water, the lord’s second, after I have been your Nakaroth?”

[gottalottie · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is closest she’s ever gotten to a traditional romance

[~♥*Marianna*♥~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good going knowing there won’t be any rape. This author can really bring the pain sometimes. It still wasn’t exactly romantic. Nona is not easy to woo. She rails against her predicament a few too many times for me. Just a repeated note of “This isn’t fair! I’m leaving! And I don’t want to need anyone!” through a good part of the book. What saves it is that she doesn’t wallow and keeps moving and stays strong and proud and is able to back up her talk with action when it counts. She killed so many people! It’s awesome!

And the hero! I really felt his pursuit of her justified. She really is a bad bitch. And his feelings really came through for me. He’s alpha but beta at the same time, if you know what I mean. Like the true meaning of alpha. He doesn’t need to get angry to prove his point or overpower her and make her submit. He just does everything he needs to win her over. He sees her better than she sees herself in some ways. He didn’t want it easy so it’s perfect what a hard case he got in the end. Hilarious!

I know I won’t read the original series, I tried the first book and got annoyed at the heroine. But if there are more standalones I’ll check them out!

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at about 50%. I just couldn’t connect with this heroine and at halfway into the book I still wasn’t entirely sure who the hero was going to be. Well, maybe I was 85% sure, but with these books it’s always up for debate. Plus the setting did nothing for me. Basically all takes place on a slab of rock outside a cave. Oh joy. And the plot was NOT pulling me in. It’s nothing but kidnapping, death, struggle, more death, more struggle, sadness, more death, more struggle, more sadness... ugh. Nope, just not feeling the need to know how that ends. At least with the first book you had that adventure of the heroine trying to live off the land and learn how to survive on her own while raising a baby griffin and dealing with nosy centaur neighbors. That was interesting, even if it did move slow at times. But this book moved slow and wasn’t all that interesting to me. And since it’s such a long book, I just didn’t have the patience to go any further with something that wasn’t pulling me in.

[Ceeri Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story six years in the make
I G. And every word a winner

The saga of life in Arcadia takes a different look, this time through the eyes of an abductee, Nona.
Ripped away from Earth by the maurauding mercenaries pulled together by Gabriel, she is herded into the sex slave quarters of the encampment on Arcadia.

But Nona decides this was not to be her fate and escapes, along with a small band of other women.
Walking blindly into the Wyvern Forrest they are taken in to the High Rock dwelling of Kruin and Nabaroth, his second in command takes a keen interest in her.

What follows is a gritty, sometimes painful account of how Nona finds Home. Far away from everything thought of as home,

💕💕A great story in its telling.💕💕
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

You've convinced yourself that no one likes you and therefore, you don't like people and, shockingly enough, that attitude has made you a thoroughly unpleasant person to be around. Maybe you thought that anyone worth having for a friend would make an effort to like you in spite of all that, but people need a reason to try.

Damn, raise your hand if you know somebody in your life who needs to hear that lesson. Cry into your coffee cup if that person is you. (*sobs*)

Tooth and Claw was a predictable read. It possessed the classic R Lee Smith formula: bullheadedly self-sufficient human woman is thrown into alien environment and struggles to survive. Here we have Nona--just Nona--abducted from Earth by the soldiers of Mab's army and imprisoned in Arcadia.

There really isn't much of that portion of the story, which is sort of a shame, considering we could have gotten an interesting and more nuanced glimpse into the goings-on of Mab's human conscripts. Nona escapes almost immediately, though, and again, my frustration is that even though there are other women who capitalize off of Nona's actions by escaping with her into the wilderness, none of them actually help much ever. It's the classic refrain of "all the other human women are useless twits except for my MC" that I'm just tired of tbh. It isn't realistic.

This does get softened over time, to a certain extent, as Heather begins to assert herself as perhaps not the bravest or most self-sufficient person around, but an intelligent person nonetheless. There's also the quote I began this review with that calls out the tendency of Nona to disparage others, perpetuating a cycle of isolation. It wasn't quite enough to wash the sour taste out of my mouth, but it helped. At least it was a glimmer of self-awareness.

I'd actually say that the book was too short, which is wild considering we're talking about R. Lee Smith, here, and my usual refrain is that her work is a little too long. However, we could have really done with another 100-150 pages after Nona and Nakaroth become an "item," because the transition from strangers to acquaintances to wary friends to lovers went too fast, in my opinion. Especially after Nona becomes Nakaroth's mate, there's just not that much H/h content.

Despite this, it was a decent read. It was cool to be back in the Land of Tooth and Claw, particularly to be in Arcadia without one of the MacTavish girls snatching up all the men in a thousand-mile radius. There was a nice theme of "found family" running throughout, too, which will doubtlessly resonate with many readers:

Those from damaged homes may attempt to recreate what they remember too; nostalgia comes in many kinds and even hurt can feel like comfort when it's old and familiar.

Anyway, I wonder if Smith is intending to continue her series in Arcadia? There's one lord who is markedly without a mate (the Dragon), and it would be interesting to see more of his realm, particularly postwar, with the remaining humans of Mab's army under his rule. The Dragon and his children have an interesting, almost hive-mind sort of connection, which I feel would be cool to see explored.

[Kilian Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming in at 272 pages, this is practically a short story for R. Lee Smith. Set in the world of The Lords of Arcadia, this is a standalone about Nona, kidnapped and taken captive by the men of the armies of Mab. She escapes with three other women, and is trying to return to earth. Nearing starvation, they are rescued by the members of Kruin's band. Nakaroth, Kruin's second, is determined to make Nona want to stay.

I know I'd stay for Nakaroth, no question. He's sexy as hell, full of humor, and he's the best beta male ever.

Nona has a difficult time adjusting to the land of Arcadia, but eventually she makes her peace with her new surroundings. I hope Smith revisits this wonderful world she has built and makes a longer stay next time.

My blog:

The Interstitial Reader
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[Melissa Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the worst book hangover ever. Reading Nakaroth through the series, he rapidly became my favourite character and I was overjoyed that he got his own book. One of the best characters I've been introduced to. I'm going to have to reread the series because I'm certain there is more that I've missed, he's such a complex character. I found this book wildly erotic and romantic.
I swallowed the series in a month.
Probably my favourite series. Devastated that I'm done. Please keep writing R. Lee Smith.

[Kathleen Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough good things about this author

All I can say is that this series has kept me busy reading for days ! I have yet to read anything by R Lee Smith that isn't fantastic. This series " Lords of Arcadia" is so well written,the plots so good , you can feel the world in which the characters exist. Tooth and claw is book 5 and just as great as book 1. Highly recommend .

[Solinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nakaroth and Nona

We are taken back to the Land of Tooth and Claw. The book centers around Nakaroth and his future mate Nona. Nona is everything Nakaroth has been looking for in a mate. Except for Nona doesn't want to stay in Arcadia, and she certainly doesn't want to be tied down to Nakaroth. Nakaroth doesn't take no for an answer. Read and find out the smooth talking Lycan gets his HEA with Nona.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always unforgettable

R. Lee Smith writes words that will twist your emotions and turn you inside out. These aren't pretty stories and you may or may not like the FMC or MMC but you still won't be able to stop reading . This one is about a modern woman trapped in an unmodern world. To say anything else would give it away. If you've read the others in the series, this one steps away from Taryn and is about first pack

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

With this I have officially exhausted my supply of Smith’s published works. Will I now read the FNAF fic? Yeah, probably.

This was pretty close to a more traditional romance for Smith. I liked it, but I do think their books thrive the longer they are. I wish there was more after the epilogue, but I respect the ending nonetheless.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it!

I loved all 5 books of this series . I’d really like to see more of the Lords of Arcadia. While I can’t imagine where it would go I have no doubt this author could do so. The world and its characters were so complex. Beautiful and harsh with so much heart. Thank you for creating this!

[Ching Tang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Furry great!

I love everything written by R.Lee Smith,it was gritty and real!.I read it in one night and wish that it was longer, and that she could have meet the other characters that was mentioned in the book.

[Gwamsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nakaroth and Nona

R. Lee wordSmith never disappoints. The only problem I ever encounter with her books is that they, as all good things, must end. Her insight and word weaving have entranced me again. Ha.

[kalyn m ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!

Like every R. Lee Smith book that I have read, this book is so well written I couldn't put it down. Her character development and story lines are incredible. Well worth the time!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite authors. I am never disappointed with her books, always great characters and something different. No insipid female characters, gritty and interesting. Look forward to the next one.

[Wes Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many gophers!

After each book I think, Surely she’s shown me everything she can do. But then she does something unexpected and brilliant. Leila’s death is an example. And the ending: I was expecting a confrontation between Kruin and Vru. That didn’t happen.

[Pete Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

Excellent continuation of the Lords of Arcadia series. Follows a different character from the first 4 books but in the same world. Loved it.

[The Glassed And The Furious · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it's nice that Smith decided to go back to the world of Arcadia and bring back characters we already got to meet, without overusing and over-changing the established MCs of this series. I liked that she went back to the lycans because I actually quite liked them the first time around.

To those who are familiar with Smith's work, they will recognize her style immediately. The way she portrays her heroine is familiar to her leading ladies from this series, but other works such as the Last Hour of Ghann and Olivia. The familiarity didn't feel boring though. It was more of a reassurance that Smith was staying true to her style.

As always, she doesn't shy away from addressing the darker topics that might disturb some readers, but the way she shows the aftermath, the dealing with trauma and difficulty always amazes me and I fall in love with her writing over and over again.

What bothered me this time around was the way in which Nona just kind of goes from 0 to 100 on the scale of badassery in 0.1 seconds. She is introduced as a loner, a person who for all intents and purposes is socially isolated and not used to human interaction that is based on friendship, respect or even love. She describes herself as this shy, awkward and isolated person but the moment she is kidnapped it all kind of turns around. She has no moment of panic or fear. She doesn't really deal with any of the horrors she is faced with. She just sees an opportunity to escape her kidnappers and, seemingly without any sort of physical or emotional difficulty kills ten people. I had issues with that. It seemed way too easy. She then also kills another beast, which I'll admit did appear to be more luck than anything else, but still. Somehow she turns into this capable killing machine in the blink of an eye.
I was also a bit annoyed with Nona throughout various scenes, in which she reminded me of Amber from The Last Hour of Gann. She is just always this bitchy person, that has a really really really bad temper. Anything can set her off at any time and while I tried to be understanding, it was quite difficult to accept her temper, when all of her other emotional responses were seriously lacking. It was just weird.

But other than that, I really liked this book. It was a nice addition to a story that has already been finished and I enjoyed reading it a lot.

[Judy W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-Read 10-2024
Holy mother of.......Whew! This novella grabs you by the throat and does NOT let go until the end. R. Lee Smith's writing is known for drawing you in closely and then slipping a knife between your ribs. It's sharp, surprising and takes your breath away. If you are looking for something fluffy and light please look away now.
Nona is minding her own business waiting at a street intersection for the light to change when a white van opens its doors and begins shooting and kidnapping. When she wakes up she is a captive but on a world she knows nothing about. Life isn't looking too good and she decides dying quickly but ruthlessly is better than suffering slowly. There are touches of similarity between Nona and Amber from her stellar book "Last Hour of Gann". That same fierce will to survive and thrive without relying on anyone but herself. After escaping into a wilderness and not knowing which direction to go, she winds up stumbling upon a band of Lycans led by Kruin. They take in her little group of refugees but the adjustment is rough. Females are in short supply and lycan constantly make a play for her which she spurns. The second in command, Nakaroth is more or less the hero of the story. He admires her tenacity and makes his own push to become her 'mate'. But there are spurned males who dislike her decision and would rather see her humiliated or gone than with anyone else. There is gore and violence as R. Lee Smith classifies as a horror author but there is triumph as well. This novella takes place in the world of Arcadia which is Smith's earlier novels which I only read the first of. Wasn't a problem to understand this out of context.

[Llaph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book lots and lots. I was so hoping to read more about Nakaroth and think Nona was a great match for him in many departments. Taryn’s times with the wolves were one of my favorites. I enjoyed seeing how the pack has gotten along since the fighting was over and the big changes were carried out.
I’m not saying this was a nicey nice book—it had all of the gritty hallmarks I love about an R. Lee Smith book. The beginning—it was just great I thought. I always like to read about how those jerkfaces got what they deserved for what they did—just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
She took down a felcat … on accident. She was so totally for Nakaroth. I so enjoyed seeing Lura get hers too … so enjoyed it. If I had the time I would so do my annual re-read of the series again right now.
A total must read—but not for the feint of heart. If graphic violence, weird sex, and blunt human behavior bugs you don’t do it.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay.

Didn't really add anything to the overall plot /characters' stories that carried over from the primary series.

Was in no way enriched or made better by this book.

Didn't particularly like Nona at all. All I got from her was a lot of agnst, anger and pride. I can give her credit for being a survivor. Though considering what her predecessor went through, ( rape, prostitution, starvation, beatings and the like), she could have toned down the attitude alot. She was not selfless and kind like the McTavish sister's.

I did like that Nakaroth got a story even though his HEA was a bit of a disappointment for me. He should have gotten a more courageous woman if Rhionnan was his first interest.

[Tünde Kasza tóth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shorter than the previous books, and even those were short in R. Lee Smith world.
This one is so much better. Nona is a real person with a real outlook on her circumstances and real reactions.
The world is still great, and I like Nakaroth more than I ever liked Antilles or Arion, but we never get to read his thoughts. We can read about Kruin. And maybe that's one reason the romance between Nakaroth and Nona is lost.
They get together because Nona needs it, and Nakaroth kind of wants her in his bed, but there are no real feelings there.
Still, if you haven't read the first four books, you should still check out this one, it's much better.

[Rasa Ievkalne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sutch a sweet addition to the series. I can't help but be a little disappointed at how short it was-guess I was just spoiled by lengthy previous books. Nonetheless it's a lovely story and Nakaroth finds the mate he wanted and deserved. No gore,no rape just a telling of love that comes with time.

A must have read for "Lords of Arcadia" fans.