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Lunar Shadows #2
Rough Sleepers
Leon, drag performer and club owner, is attacked by a werewolf one night and loses an arm—and more, after massacring his club guests. Now homeless and tormented by nightmares, he runs away from everything he knows.
Eventually, he meets Ceri, who invites Leon to live with him above a shop owned by a woman who lost her husband and son to a werewolf attack. She and Ceri are still hunting the unknown perpetrator, and Leon gladly lends his own assistance, eager to atone for his bloody past in the hopes he might one day be able to have a home and family again...
Eventually, he meets Ceri, who invites Leon to live with him above a shop owned by a woman who lost her husband and son to a werewolf attack. She and Ceri are still hunting the unknown perpetrator, and Leon gladly lends his own assistance, eager to atone for his bloody past in the hopes he might one day be able to have a home and family again...
- GenresQueer
473 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2018
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 15, 2019
I absolutely love paranormal stories. Werewolves, vamps, witches, all of it. And I’ve read a lot of them over the years. I’ve read some that would make your hair curl and make you jump at shadows and some that are much milder. This one is somewhere in between. There’s a lot of gore, and murder and mayhem. If that’s not for you, then be careful. Otherwise, it’s really a good book. A different interpretation than what I’m used to reading and I liked it. I like seeing how people interpret things in their works.
Leon/Leona, was a club owner and drag performer, but it was more than drag for him/her. Just depended on how they felt for the day. Not that it’s something you can switch on and off like a switch, but even as Leon, Leona was always there with him. But one fateful night, Leona had wished she had stayed in her dressing room with her “adopted daughter” Amy, after an ex was an ass to her on stage. But she wanted to show that nothing could get to her and she went back out and it forever changed her life. A werewolf attacked her after seducing her, biting off her arm and causing her to change herself. And in the midst of changing, a bloodlust came over her and she, unfortunately, killed everyone she held dear to her. Including Amy and her father, who was Leona’s best friend. Now homeless and on the run, she meets a man who is offering to help her and some others Leona meets, who are like her. Ceri wants to help rid them all of the curse and atone for his own horrendous mistakes in doing so. But things aren’t that simple and more people are being changed. Now it’s up to Leon/Leona, Ceri and a few others to take on the one who started all this to begin with.
I always wondered what it would be like to be a shifter. But in most stories you hear of most shifters being good upstanding citizens, even under the full of the moon. But in this one, they are good people until the moon hits full and then all hell breaks loose. So in this story, it would scare me to be a shifter. I don’t empathize with Leon/Leona and the others that have nightmares everyday of what they’ve done but couldn’t control. Of the utter destruction and loss of family that they can never have back. Thankfully, with Ceri’s help, things seem to be a bit better, but it’s not foolproof. Especially when the trouble keeps coming to find them and make it worse. But somehow through all the horror, they’ve made a family of their own. And have bonded over all the bad in their own way. They’ve bonded over being the same and with the losses they’ve suffered. They recognize in each other what it means and console each other when times are tough.
It’s like that saying. Family isn’t always blood, but what you make it. While trying to battle the evil, they’ve learned to hang on as much as they can to the good. Maybe that’s the lesson we all need to learn.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/
Leon/Leona, was a club owner and drag performer, but it was more than drag for him/her. Just depended on how they felt for the day. Not that it’s something you can switch on and off like a switch, but even as Leon, Leona was always there with him. But one fateful night, Leona had wished she had stayed in her dressing room with her “adopted daughter” Amy, after an ex was an ass to her on stage. But she wanted to show that nothing could get to her and she went back out and it forever changed her life. A werewolf attacked her after seducing her, biting off her arm and causing her to change herself. And in the midst of changing, a bloodlust came over her and she, unfortunately, killed everyone she held dear to her. Including Amy and her father, who was Leona’s best friend. Now homeless and on the run, she meets a man who is offering to help her and some others Leona meets, who are like her. Ceri wants to help rid them all of the curse and atone for his own horrendous mistakes in doing so. But things aren’t that simple and more people are being changed. Now it’s up to Leon/Leona, Ceri and a few others to take on the one who started all this to begin with.
I always wondered what it would be like to be a shifter. But in most stories you hear of most shifters being good upstanding citizens, even under the full of the moon. But in this one, they are good people until the moon hits full and then all hell breaks loose. So in this story, it would scare me to be a shifter. I don’t empathize with Leon/Leona and the others that have nightmares everyday of what they’ve done but couldn’t control. Of the utter destruction and loss of family that they can never have back. Thankfully, with Ceri’s help, things seem to be a bit better, but it’s not foolproof. Especially when the trouble keeps coming to find them and make it worse. But somehow through all the horror, they’ve made a family of their own. And have bonded over all the bad in their own way. They’ve bonded over being the same and with the losses they’ve suffered. They recognize in each other what it means and console each other when times are tough.
It’s like that saying. Family isn’t always blood, but what you make it. While trying to battle the evil, they’ve learned to hang on as much as they can to the good. Maybe that’s the lesson we all need to learn.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/
September 17, 2018
"You don't have to put on a brave face just because you're a man. It doesn't matter what gender you are. You're still human. It's okay to be weak sometimes."
This book. I've never read anything like it. (Possibly because I haven't read Witcheskin - YET. I'm going to rectify it very soon) I went into it with a vague idea that there'll be werewolves and drag queens inside. But this book is so much more.
Firstly, it must be said that I've been thinking for ages that the UK is wasting its potential. Why do nearly all urban fantasy books take place in the US, when there is this island country that's a PERFECT location for them? Thankfully, it looks like some divine power has heard my quiet wondering and sent inspiration to the right person, who in turn wrote this gem.
My favourite thing is probably that the plot doesn't follow any of the paranormal romance/urban fantasy schemes (and trust me, I've read enough of such books to know them all), so it keeps on surprising you. And then there is the whole lot of diverse characters, in every possible, wonderful way. It's as if the author is trying to give voice to every member of the British society who has been silenced before. Of course, it's not an easy job to do but he tries his best. There are the drag queens, the werewolves (joking (partially)), people from the council estates, the homeless, people who've left prison, people with physical disabilities... and it works wonderfully. There is even a Polish immigrant aka the most badass lady in the book. Truth be told, I was very sceptical about her character when it showed up (I usually hate all representations I read) and I still have some issues but if you're not a Polish [immigrant] yourself, you'll never see them. Also, it must be noted that me "having some issues" is pretty much as good as it gets, normally I would have DNF-ed it on spot (or just hated every moment of it). That's not the case, I absolutely loved Mecky. (I also might have laughed when Leon learned how to say "okay" in Polish. FYI, it's "okej" - pronounced exactly the same, just spelt the way you say it. Way to go, you're nearly fluent now.)
What more can I say? I loved it. It was gritty, it was dark, and it was wonderful. I'll definitely read whatever Nem Rowan decides to write in the future.
*I've received an ARC from the author in return for an honest review*
This book. I've never read anything like it. (Possibly because I haven't read Witcheskin - YET. I'm going to rectify it very soon) I went into it with a vague idea that there'll be werewolves and drag queens inside. But this book is so much more.
Firstly, it must be said that I've been thinking for ages that the UK is wasting its potential. Why do nearly all urban fantasy books take place in the US, when there is this island country that's a PERFECT location for them? Thankfully, it looks like some divine power has heard my quiet wondering and sent inspiration to the right person, who in turn wrote this gem.
My favourite thing is probably that the plot doesn't follow any of the paranormal romance/urban fantasy schemes (and trust me, I've read enough of such books to know them all), so it keeps on surprising you. And then there is the whole lot of diverse characters, in every possible, wonderful way. It's as if the author is trying to give voice to every member of the British society who has been silenced before. Of course, it's not an easy job to do but he tries his best. There are the drag queens, the werewolves (joking (partially)), people from the council estates, the homeless, people who've left prison, people with physical disabilities... and it works wonderfully. There is even a Polish immigrant aka the most badass lady in the book. Truth be told, I was very sceptical about her character when it showed up (I usually hate all representations I read) and I still have some issues but if you're not a Polish [immigrant] yourself, you'll never see them. Also, it must be noted that me "having some issues" is pretty much as good as it gets, normally I would have DNF-ed it on spot (or just hated every moment of it). That's not the case, I absolutely loved Mecky. (I also might have laughed when Leon learned how to say "okay" in Polish. FYI, it's "okej" - pronounced exactly the same, just spelt the way you say it. Way to go, you're nearly fluent now.)
What more can I say? I loved it. It was gritty, it was dark, and it was wonderful. I'll definitely read whatever Nem Rowan decides to write in the future.
*I've received an ARC from the author in return for an honest review*
November 10, 2018
*~~*ARC kindly provided by the author to me in exchange for an honest review *~~*
- Review to come
Review originally posted on my blog with added content Mikku-chan / A world full of words
- Review to come
Review originally posted on my blog with added content Mikku-chan / A world full of words
December 21, 2022
A drag queen werewolf on a quest for revenge. It doesn't get much better than this.
September 24, 2020
*sigh*
This book:
- is a mystery / horror / dark fantasy mash-up,
- is about hunting for a werewolf villain,
- has a drag queen as an MC,
- unfortunately contains an offensive portrayal of a Polish character.
Leon(a) is an ex-drag queen turned werewolf searching for the person who made him that way. Here to help is Ceri ('Ceri is not a girl's name'), whose motivations remain unclear for a large part of the novel. Honestly, I loved Leon, his angst and his ability to instantly compare the men he meets to various movie stars (bonus points for mentioning James Spader).
The mystery is well-built, we get the info in small bites and there is plenty of room left for suspicion and making predictions.
The language and the first-person POV made the book super easy to read. The romance was slow-burn and cute and didn't interfere with the story.
But! A big but! I didn't like the way the Polish character, Mieczysława, was portrayed. Specifically, how she spoke. It's not the first time I see something like this in a novel written by a British person. I've been teaching English to Poles for years, I've written papers analyzing learners' mistakes, and yet I have never heard anyone speak the way British people portray it. Her mistakes were unrealistic and the whole thing was so over and irritating I had trouble enjoying certain scenes. What makes it even worse is that I know @gurtdogpress published a book by a Polish author earlier this year. We don't refer to ourselves in third person, and we are perfectly capable of using the past tense, thank you very much. We're not Martians, let us speak like human beings. If you can't write Polish characters, don't do it. Don't perpetuate stereotypes.
I would have given this story 4 or 5 stars if it hadn't been for the racism. It gets 2 from me.
Thanks to the publisher for getting me this review copy. Next time, go easy on the racist stereotypes.
This book:
- is a mystery / horror / dark fantasy mash-up,
- is about hunting for a werewolf villain,
- has a drag queen as an MC,
- unfortunately contains an offensive portrayal of a Polish character.
Leon(a) is an ex-drag queen turned werewolf searching for the person who made him that way. Here to help is Ceri ('Ceri is not a girl's name'), whose motivations remain unclear for a large part of the novel. Honestly, I loved Leon, his angst and his ability to instantly compare the men he meets to various movie stars (bonus points for mentioning James Spader).
The mystery is well-built, we get the info in small bites and there is plenty of room left for suspicion and making predictions.
The language and the first-person POV made the book super easy to read. The romance was slow-burn and cute and didn't interfere with the story.
But! A big but! I didn't like the way the Polish character, Mieczysława, was portrayed. Specifically, how she spoke. It's not the first time I see something like this in a novel written by a British person. I've been teaching English to Poles for years, I've written papers analyzing learners' mistakes, and yet I have never heard anyone speak the way British people portray it. Her mistakes were unrealistic and the whole thing was so over and irritating I had trouble enjoying certain scenes. What makes it even worse is that I know @gurtdogpress published a book by a Polish author earlier this year. We don't refer to ourselves in third person, and we are perfectly capable of using the past tense, thank you very much. We're not Martians, let us speak like human beings. If you can't write Polish characters, don't do it. Don't perpetuate stereotypes.
I would have given this story 4 or 5 stars if it hadn't been for the racism. It gets 2 from me.
Thanks to the publisher for getting me this review copy. Next time, go easy on the racist stereotypes.
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October 25, 2018(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews.)
Review to follow.
Review to follow.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews