What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bearer of Truth #1
Shadowing the Light
“Everybody has their own agenda. Everybody.”
Hunted for the unique blood that runs through his veins, half-angel, half-demon Gabriel Sinclair lives without expectations. On the run from forces on both sides of an ancient conflict, he searches for strength and peace in a world which only seeks to use him.
When Gabriel is forced to stop running, assigned a team—and a mate—he doesn’t want, and reluctantly tasked with a mission, he must overcome obstacles both real and imagined. Otherwise, the world as he knows it, and the mate he’s reluctantly come to care for, may cease to exist.
“I will do as the Creator bids me. Always.”
Evander Ryan is special, and he knows it. The final handcrafted immortal warrior for the light, he is the Creator’s greatest masterpiece. For fifty-eight years, he’s lived his life in black and white, coddled by his Maker, while leading his team to countless victories against their enemies. Those fights were easy. Working with a new, uncooperative mate who sees the world in shades of gray? Less so.
As Evander’s eyes are opened to the existence of light warriors who are not good, dark warriors who are, and the wider world of supernatural beings, he learns nothing is as he thought it was, and his mate isn’t who he thought he was either. Maybe there’s something to be said for not always following the rules. . .
This book is LGBT Urban Fantasy with a romantic subplot. Not recommended for readers under 18. Use the Look Inside feature or download a sample to see additional content advisories on the Copyright page.
301 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 17, 2018
58 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Miranda Turner
5 books47 followersMiranda Turner is a single mom of eight living outside a small, hippie town in the middle of Ohio. She’s surrounded by children, chickens, and one temperamental editor kitty who is silently judging her on a daily basis. She is a voracious reader and an editor who decided she had different stories to tell. She firmly believes a happily ever after is there for everyone, but she likes to make her characters earn it.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
March 10, 2019
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*I'm So Conflicted*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I'm quite conflicted. On one hand, I like the Guild Hunters (just M/M) feeling it gave with angels and other supernatural creatures. However, on the other hand, I didn't how powerful the main character was. Too powerful. It felt way too exaggerating. I understood the author's need to create this powerful being, but this is going way overboard. Also, the book centers around the team's friendships rather than the bond between the two mates. So the romance is not there. I also understood the author's need to show how in the black and white world the Angeli and Bellators were, but there's a line to becoming too stupid and naive. <-- This also made it extremely weird that someone who has only lived for 25 years knows more than Angeli who's probably lived for centuries. Again, going overboard by making a character too powerful to ‘believe it’.
The book centers around Gabriel Sinclair (25), a half-angel, half-demon (halfling) who is hunted for the unique blood that runs through his veins. He's ‘forced’ to stop running, assigned a team— which includes his fated mate. Enter Evander Ryan (58), the final handcrafted immortal warrior for the light, he is the Creator’s greatest masterpiece: a Bellator. Leader of his own team, he lives in a world of black and white, believing Gabriel to be an evil creature, however, duty is duty and Gabriel is his fated mate so he'll do as said by the Creator. That doesn't mean he have to like him though. However, as the team is forced to work together, they realize how sheltered/coddled they've been and Gabriel is showing them the world of gray. Friendships is built, and secrets comes out, the book is heavy on one being being all mighty and powerful.
Overall, it's too much for one character, I also struggled to feel the friendships because they felt like they were too close for such a short time. It didn't fit to be that heavy in my mind. Also, I had expected Evander to be more powerful than he was. He was barely anything extraordinary which is strange considering he's supposed to be ‘the Creator’s greatest masterpiece’. Which he's not, he's just there, being completely overshadowed by Gabriel who is apparently more powerful than anyone else. I can totally get why Evander would then try to have space between the two, because he's becoming small beside Gabriel. He even submit to him in bed, which I find odd that the other didn't change up, to make Gabriel submissive in bed. To have a somewhat balance. To let Evander have something. So I'm really not sure if I want to continue, even though I hate leaving things hanging. But if the series continue with this unbalance, then I'll probably quite faster than you can say ‘Daemon’.
So to summaries, I'm not quite sure how to rate it. Because while I liked that we got a M/M book in this setting (angels and demons, which I've been looking long for), I didn't like how unbalanced it felt with Gabriel being too powerful. Maybe it would've been better had Gabriel actually let readers in. As it felt like the book was more focused on showing how powerful Gabriel was, it was hard to actually get to know him, beside his somewhat sassy mouth. But still, the concept was still good and enjoyable enough to finish and not regret it. So I'm conflicted. Also, will the series continue with Gabriel and Evander POV or will it change couples for each book. I have a feeling I know who will eventually end up together: Also, Torin, the wolf alpha seem like he could be an interesting character, as Gabriel described Wolf Alphas as one of the most powerful creatures on Earth... you all know me, I love powerful men :P Just apparently not when it's too unbelievable like Gabriel. I'm babbling. I'm gonna stop. And go to sleep now. Ugh.
Glossary of terms:
→ Bellator Luminis (Bellator/s)—Warrior of Light, created by God to continue to fight the war between good and evil for the side of the light on Earth once Angeli and Daemons were banned from the Earthly realm.
→ Tenebrix Meam (Tenebrix/Tenebris)—Warrior of Darkness, created by Satan as an answer to the Bellators to fight for the side of the darkness on Earth.
→ Sustainer—can channel the power of the Light as a weapon
→ Impeder—blocks dark workings, but can be hurt by the Light
→ Seer—sees future and past events, however, the future is not static and is always changing, only Bellator (or Tenebris) that is born to human parents, not created. Seers are not born to the light or the dark, they choose their path.
→ Negator—a magical black hole, can absorb all types of offensive magic whether light or dark
→ Liquidator—highly trained assassin, enhanced senses
→ Navigator—can reroute those traveling by magical means
→ Angelus (Angeli)—angel/s
→ Daemon/s—demon/s
→ Sodalis Vita/e—soul mate/s
→ Timoris (Timorum)—Deamon/human hybrid
→ Gaudii (Gaudiorum)—Angelus/human hybrid
→ praesidium lapides—protection stones
→ Baphomet—a Daemonic deity the Knights Templar were falsely accused of worshiping
→ Knights Templar—Catholic military order involved in the Crusades along with many other operations
→ Kupua—demigod—can be good or evil
→ Empyrean realm—comparable to Heaven, home of the Creator and the Angeli
→ Underworld—comparable to Hell, home of Daemons and others
Other Characters:
→ Michael, a full-blooded Angeli (angel) and Gabriel's “uncle”.
→ Luc (the team’s Impeder), Delsin (the Seer), Logan (the group’s Negator) and Rafe (the Liquidator), (along side Evander, the team leader of the most elite group of Bellators and one of the Creator’s chosen) the Bellators in Gabriel's new team.
→ Barabbas, a Daemon and Gabriel’s other “uncle” and trainer
→ Antonio ‘Ant’, a Bellator and his mate, Bain, a Tenebris.
→ Lucinda, owner of the Atari Fire Bar and she was the leader of a group of Timorum (deamon/human hybrid) one of her many duties was to oversee all challenges.
→ Keeton, Lucinda’s right hand.
→ Catalina, one of the Bellators Gabriel had given a new identity and relocated nearby. She was pregnant by her Tenebris mate who had died in battle at the hands of his own men. Her son, Gabe.
→ Torin, wolf Alpha of the Spirit Claw pack. Saphy (5), a pack member.
→ Reginald Descartes, a very old and powerful vampire and his mate’s Beatrice, a fae, a blood-addict.
→ Lance Descartes, Reginald's second.
→ Abaddon, one of Satan’s Crown Princes. He's the only known Daemon with the skill of feeling human suffering (a very rare talent). He's been missing for over 20 years. Abaddon is Gabriel's father?
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Fantasy
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Ummmm.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Unsure.
Would I recommend this book/series? -Unsure.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2.5/3 stars.
December 12, 2018
I enjoyed a lot about this book. The plot twists were numerous, the characters were diverse and very interesting to get to know, the world-building was well-developed. Although I must admit at times there were a little bit too much information provided it didn't deter from the story. It had multiple POVs that made this book multidimensional. This is more urban fantasy with romance elements. By the end of the book I figured out that the story was focused more on building bonds with and around Gabriel, one of the MCs, because he is important in the whole scheme of things. So here we see relationship development between all the members of Bellator's team. Romance between mates Gabriel and Evander takes a second place and can be considered a sub plot.
I loved Gabriel who is a mix of Daemon and Angelus which makes him one of the most hated creatures on Earth and one of the most hunted. But that only makes him stronger, the desire to help anyone who asks for it making him one of the best characters in this book. He is compassionate, loyal and ready to defend the weak and hurt. He is not without faults but he sees the world for what it is - many shades of gray.
Evander is the Bellator's team leader. I disliked him for most of the book. He is arrogant, naive and so full of himself that when the world as he knows it does not make sense and does not fit into the mold he wants it to he rejects his mate and constantly acts like a complete a$$. Although in the end Ms Turner showed some of the turmoil that he was in, still there was no excuse for his actions. It will take an act of Deity and whole lot of humble pie for him to eat, many amends to make to Gabriel for him to be considered a decent person and mate.
The secondary characters were outstanding. I loved them to bits. They were each unique, with a set of skills that made them invaluable to the team but only when Gabriel came along were they finally able to open up and show their personalities. It was as if Gabriel was meant to be and work with them. Bonds of brotherly love and devotion sprung between these men and made them a family. I loved their interactions, their banter and their humor. The ending was very satisfying and left some questions unanswered but didn't feel like a cliffhanger. The closest I would call it is HFN, and I will impatiently anticipate what Ms Turner will come up with next. I recommend it!
** ARC kindly provided by the author for honest review **
I loved Gabriel who is a mix of Daemon and Angelus which makes him one of the most hated creatures on Earth and one of the most hunted. But that only makes him stronger, the desire to help anyone who asks for it making him one of the best characters in this book. He is compassionate, loyal and ready to defend the weak and hurt. He is not without faults but he sees the world for what it is - many shades of gray.
Evander is the Bellator's team leader. I disliked him for most of the book. He is arrogant, naive and so full of himself that when the world as he knows it does not make sense and does not fit into the mold he wants it to he rejects his mate and constantly acts like a complete a$$. Although in the end Ms Turner showed some of the turmoil that he was in, still there was no excuse for his actions. It will take an act of Deity and whole lot of humble pie for him to eat, many amends to make to Gabriel for him to be considered a decent person and mate.
The secondary characters were outstanding. I loved them to bits. They were each unique, with a set of skills that made them invaluable to the team but only when Gabriel came along were they finally able to open up and show their personalities. It was as if Gabriel was meant to be and work with them. Bonds of brotherly love and devotion sprung between these men and made them a family. I loved their interactions, their banter and their humor. The ending was very satisfying and left some questions unanswered but didn't feel like a cliffhanger. The closest I would call it is HFN, and I will impatiently anticipate what Ms Turner will come up with next. I recommend it!
** ARC kindly provided by the author for honest review **
January 30, 2020
This story had a lot of potential, I think, but the execution missed the mark by a planet, for me.
Shadowing the Light is 301 pages of didactic preachings about how the world isn't black and white, but rather shades of gray and stereotyping people is a shitty thing to do. And while I can definitely get behind a story that illustrates those things, every single conversation doesn't need to be a teaching moment and every time there was a conflict, there was a "teaching moment" conversation. It felt condescending and forced, and quickly became tedious.
Plot/character-wise, Gabriel was way too powerful. He's way too good at everything and he has unimaginable knowledge and resources, and no matter what was thrown his way, he easily beats the challenge, all of which was less than satisfying, IMO. Truth be told, I didn't much like Gabriel. Also, the romance is pretty non-existent, with Evander running hot and cold so much (mostly cold), and the focus is more on team building than it is about Evander and Gabriel, at all. If the rest of the story had fewer problems, the lack of romance issue wouldn't have been a deal killer for me. The sex was kinda hot, but it wasn't enough to carry the story, by itself (never is!).
Overall, Shadowing the Light very much reminded me of an After School Special, with Angels, Daemons, and gay sex. So, a grown-up ASS (innuendo totally intentional).
I came close to DNF'ing several times, but I wanted to give the story a chance. Verdict -- I should have cut my losses 25% in, especially since the story ends on a cliffhanger. I'm not going to continue to book 2.
PS -- there was way too much winking. WAY.
Shadowing the Light is 301 pages of didactic preachings about how the world isn't black and white, but rather shades of gray and stereotyping people is a shitty thing to do. And while I can definitely get behind a story that illustrates those things, every single conversation doesn't need to be a teaching moment and every time there was a conflict, there was a "teaching moment" conversation. It felt condescending and forced, and quickly became tedious.
Plot/character-wise, Gabriel was way too powerful. He's way too good at everything and he has unimaginable knowledge and resources, and no matter what was thrown his way, he easily beats the challenge, all of which was less than satisfying, IMO. Truth be told, I didn't much like Gabriel. Also, the romance is pretty non-existent, with Evander running hot and cold so much (mostly cold), and the focus is more on team building than it is about Evander and Gabriel, at all. If the rest of the story had fewer problems, the lack of romance issue wouldn't have been a deal killer for me. The sex was kinda hot, but it wasn't enough to carry the story, by itself (never is!).
Overall, Shadowing the Light very much reminded me of an After School Special, with Angels, Daemons, and gay sex. So, a grown-up ASS (innuendo totally intentional).
I came close to DNF'ing several times, but I wanted to give the story a chance. Verdict -- I should have cut my losses 25% in, especially since the story ends on a cliffhanger. I'm not going to continue to book 2.
PS -- there was way too much winking. WAY.
January 4, 2019
This book started out really good. The more I read the more I kept thinking Wow, this is such a five star read but, as I continued on my enthusiasm began to fade and eventually burned out. After Gabriel and Evander’s initial hook-up they completely fell apart and never fell back together. For the remainder of the book they were at odds with each other with a constant barrage of juvenile, immature, whiny, lame-ass miscommunicative bullshit. 🙄
The back and forth and the animosity amongst Gabriel and Evander was really, very draining. Also a bunch of the teams interactions seemed out of place and disingenuous. Just there to make it hot, maybe? But it was more awkward and uncomfortable than anything else. The idea that the team members might possibly engage in an orgy was just plain cringe-worthy but not cos I find it bothersome but cos the author initially wanted to sell the idea that mates can only find sexual fulfillment with each other and then suddenly everyone can manage to put tab A into slot B with no problem? Give me a break. 😳😐
By this point I just wanted the book to be over. The story was good just poorly executed. I’m hoping the next book centers around mending Gabriel and Evander’s relationship with them moving forward as a couple cos I can’t see myself continuing if their fractured mating is going to go unresolved.
The back and forth and the animosity amongst Gabriel and Evander was really, very draining. Also a bunch of the teams interactions seemed out of place and disingenuous. Just there to make it hot, maybe? But it was more awkward and uncomfortable than anything else. The idea that the team members might possibly engage in an orgy was just plain cringe-worthy but not cos I find it bothersome but cos the author initially wanted to sell the idea that mates can only find sexual fulfillment with each other and then suddenly everyone can manage to put tab A into slot B with no problem? Give me a break. 😳😐
By this point I just wanted the book to be over. The story was good just poorly executed. I’m hoping the next book centers around mending Gabriel and Evander’s relationship with them moving forward as a couple cos I can’t see myself continuing if their fractured mating is going to go unresolved.
December 31, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
2 stars
I found it hard to finish reading this book. The writing is decent, the pace and the plot twists are skilled enough, but the characters and the world building left me feeling utterly disinterested in finishing this story which, I should warn you, ends on a cliffhanger. Since most of the book involves Gabriel bonding with Evander’s group of holy warriors, with brief moments set aside for the story, the characterization is important. Unfortunately, I so disliked Gabriel and was so uninterested in the other characters that I found it hard to care when the plot did show up, and with the world building so confused and weak, I struggled to make myself keep reading to the end.
Gabriel is a Gary Stu (aka a male Mary Sue). He’s amazing, he’s wonderful, he’s Linda Evangelista. He’s a powerful warrior, healer, mage, and computer wiz. He’s somehow rich enough to have a half dozen or more bolt holes around the city stocked with weapons, computers, food, and personal gyms. He’s so strong that even full demons are in awe of him, he can take more pain than a thousand angels, and he’s powerful enough he’s able to keep his dark side in control, a dark side that, if unleashed, could destroy a city. He knows every hybrid, is friends with every hybrid, fights in an underground fight club for hybrids, and even conducts his own underground railroad, saving young men from being brutalized and killed by evil Tenebris and corrupt Bellators. If it weren’t for his pesky demon blood, Gabriel might well be a saint.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
2 stars
I found it hard to finish reading this book. The writing is decent, the pace and the plot twists are skilled enough, but the characters and the world building left me feeling utterly disinterested in finishing this story which, I should warn you, ends on a cliffhanger. Since most of the book involves Gabriel bonding with Evander’s group of holy warriors, with brief moments set aside for the story, the characterization is important. Unfortunately, I so disliked Gabriel and was so uninterested in the other characters that I found it hard to care when the plot did show up, and with the world building so confused and weak, I struggled to make myself keep reading to the end.
Gabriel is a Gary Stu (aka a male Mary Sue). He’s amazing, he’s wonderful, he’s Linda Evangelista. He’s a powerful warrior, healer, mage, and computer wiz. He’s somehow rich enough to have a half dozen or more bolt holes around the city stocked with weapons, computers, food, and personal gyms. He’s so strong that even full demons are in awe of him, he can take more pain than a thousand angels, and he’s powerful enough he’s able to keep his dark side in control, a dark side that, if unleashed, could destroy a city. He knows every hybrid, is friends with every hybrid, fights in an underground fight club for hybrids, and even conducts his own underground railroad, saving young men from being brutalized and killed by evil Tenebris and corrupt Bellators. If it weren’t for his pesky demon blood, Gabriel might well be a saint.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
October 17, 2019
This was a great first book in this series. I would be really angry with some developments if I didn't know that there are two more books.
Evander was misunderstood a lot. Yes, he made mistakes but Gabriel did not really try to get to know him ( contrary to the rest of the team)
The story was good and I liked the characters. So glad the second book is out already
Evander was misunderstood a lot. Yes, he made mistakes but Gabriel did not really try to get to know him ( contrary to the rest of the team)
The story was good and I liked the characters. So glad the second book is out already
December 20, 2018
Yes Yes YES! I will write a more detailed review in the coming weeks after the holidays settle down, but let me say this one is EXCELLENT!
December 21, 2018
Well that was an impressive debut from Miranda Turner and another name to add to the urban fantasy genre list.
Lots of excellence in this narrative, great world building, a wonderful bunch of complex characters and a successful introduction to a new series which looks at the age old struggle between light and dark.
It did get a tiny bit bogged down in the middle third when there wasn't much happening and a bit of necessary exposition needed to be given to the reader.
But, otherwise, the pacing is superb, keeping the plot flowing organically through a very complex and complicated narrative.
That isn't to say the book is difficult to read, on the contrary, the reader gets an instant insight into the world within the first few paragraphs.
The romance/mates element never overtakes the thrust of the mission - to find Gabriel's parents - and instead offers up lots of intimate moments as well as some seriously hot ones.
I may have had a wee eye-roll each time one of the supposedly hetero team members seemed to gain an attraction to another member or an external character of the same sex, but only for a very short time.
I rationalise it by thinking these guys are living and operating in highly pressurised situations and top-level enemies are trying to kill them all the time and pressure makes us look at people differently.
I have absolutely no idea where the story is going and that takes it onto my favourite books shelf.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Lots of excellence in this narrative, great world building, a wonderful bunch of complex characters and a successful introduction to a new series which looks at the age old struggle between light and dark.
It did get a tiny bit bogged down in the middle third when there wasn't much happening and a bit of necessary exposition needed to be given to the reader.
But, otherwise, the pacing is superb, keeping the plot flowing organically through a very complex and complicated narrative.
That isn't to say the book is difficult to read, on the contrary, the reader gets an instant insight into the world within the first few paragraphs.
The romance/mates element never overtakes the thrust of the mission - to find Gabriel's parents - and instead offers up lots of intimate moments as well as some seriously hot ones.
I may have had a wee eye-roll each time one of the supposedly hetero team members seemed to gain an attraction to another member or an external character of the same sex, but only for a very short time.
I rationalise it by thinking these guys are living and operating in highly pressurised situations and top-level enemies are trying to kill them all the time and pressure makes us look at people differently.
I have absolutely no idea where the story is going and that takes it onto my favourite books shelf.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
dnf
August 31, 202515% in and I can’t take it anymore, dnf it is
the writing is sooo confusing and pacing is all over the place
the writing is sooo confusing and pacing is all over the place
January 21, 2019
New series by a new author. I loved it! You can see the author is still finding her style but the story was great. I stayed up till 1 last night finishing it. I just hope this isn't a one and done kind of thing. I read several books in 2018 by new authors that never seemed to have a planned release date for the next book. I'm hoping this one continues writing and soon! :)
Happy Reading Lynz
Happy Reading Lynz
March 22, 2019
So this book has a lot of issues BUT... I honestly had such a fun time reading it that I didn’t mind. I’m definitely coming back for the sequel. The main character Gabriel is a fun time. There’s complexities to this character & it’s enough that it made me want to follow him on an adventure & care about him. I really enjoy the supporting characters as well. we have some diversity in the characters! We Stan that so brownie points to the author. Anyway Evander is Gabe’s love interest & I’m not sure about that character. The 2 characters start out strong as enemies then they get boo’d up but by the end of the book it fizzles out. They have little to no time together & it’s hard for me to care about a relationship when I do really know anything about? Also the “they love each other they hate each other they love each other” thing going on in their relationship got old. I just wanted them to shit or get off the pot. Date or don’t but make a choice. I will say though that I LOVE that this book isn’t an insta-love. I’m hoping it’ll be a book that makes me work for the relationship and when it finally comes it’ll be amazing. Other issues were character descriptions. I just need more. I’m not sure what Evander looks like? I know he’s huge with green eyes & I think blonde. But is he white? Dialogue was occasionally hard to follow cause there was no indication of who was speaking. Also also there are magical terms thrown around and not explained. Anyway fun book.
December 16, 2018
I really enjoyed this! It has a unique world that drew me in right away and I really loved the MC. Gabriel makes such a great character! He’s snarky and is constantly having to deal with the shit people and life throw at him, including his crazy-powerful “uncles” who I LOVED.
While I labeled this as romance it isn’t really a huge part of this book. Gabriel has a mate, Evander, but at this point they haven’t really gotten into true romance territory. They have an enemies-to-lovers sort of thing going on which I absolutely loved! My only issue is that we’re told at the beginning that Evander is Gabriel’s mate and it’s something they’ve both known for a while. I would have preferred more info on their history, when they discovered what they were to one another, and how they reacted to finding out their mate was the “enemy”. I feel like we miss a lot of the complexity of their relationship and characters by just saying they’re mates, they’ve known they’re mates, and they’re still enemies. I definitely need more info on their past. Hopefully in the next book...
I love the idea of found families and the friends/families that we make, so I loved that the group of side characters have started making that bond and I’m really looking forward to seeing them all grow closer. I was a little annoyed at how fast the group went from hating Gabriel to becoming besties and I feel like that probably could’ve been paced a little better. But I like the endgame we’re working towards so it’s a small complaint.
I’m really looking forward to continuing this series and seeing how all of these relationships grow.
4.5 STARS
While I labeled this as romance it isn’t really a huge part of this book. Gabriel has a mate, Evander, but at this point they haven’t really gotten into true romance territory. They have an enemies-to-lovers sort of thing going on which I absolutely loved! My only issue is that we’re told at the beginning that Evander is Gabriel’s mate and it’s something they’ve both known for a while. I would have preferred more info on their history, when they discovered what they were to one another, and how they reacted to finding out their mate was the “enemy”. I feel like we miss a lot of the complexity of their relationship and characters by just saying they’re mates, they’ve known they’re mates, and they’re still enemies. I definitely need more info on their past. Hopefully in the next book...
I love the idea of found families and the friends/families that we make, so I loved that the group of side characters have started making that bond and I’m really looking forward to seeing them all grow closer. I was a little annoyed at how fast the group went from hating Gabriel to becoming besties and I feel like that probably could’ve been paced a little better. But I like the endgame we’re working towards so it’s a small complaint.
I’m really looking forward to continuing this series and seeing how all of these relationships grow.
4.5 STARS
January 1, 2019
First point - when is the next book out? I need it now!
Second point - Holy cow what a fantastic story with amazing characters, relationships and plot lines
Third point - I love and needed the glossary that comes at the start of this book.
Ok, they're my main points just in case I forget (very likely!). I don't know why but I was not expecting this book to be as good as it was. I enjoyed it immensely and if sleep wasn't a necessity, it would have been consumed in one sitting.
There are two MC's, Gabriel and Evander who are mates but we also have a large supporting cast with the team of men they work with, along with Michael and Barrabas who pop in to help Gabriel every now and then, as well as the wide variety of supernatural beings we meet along the way.
What starts as the most tense of arrangements fast becomes something entertaining, emotional and action packed. Once you become accustomed to the words and what all of the mean (see point three) it's so easy to fall into the story and what is going on with our MC's. My heart strings were tugged for Gabriel on many occasions and just wanted to slap Evander up the side of the head.
This book comes with a strong and well developed plot line, intricate relationships and several locations that are described in great detail. This author has done an amazing job with her debut work!
I cannot recommend this book and I am so looking forward to book two! Really hoping that we don't have that long a wait for it.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
Second point - Holy cow what a fantastic story with amazing characters, relationships and plot lines
Third point - I love and needed the glossary that comes at the start of this book.
Ok, they're my main points just in case I forget (very likely!). I don't know why but I was not expecting this book to be as good as it was. I enjoyed it immensely and if sleep wasn't a necessity, it would have been consumed in one sitting.
There are two MC's, Gabriel and Evander who are mates but we also have a large supporting cast with the team of men they work with, along with Michael and Barrabas who pop in to help Gabriel every now and then, as well as the wide variety of supernatural beings we meet along the way.
What starts as the most tense of arrangements fast becomes something entertaining, emotional and action packed. Once you become accustomed to the words and what all of the mean (see point three) it's so easy to fall into the story and what is going on with our MC's. My heart strings were tugged for Gabriel on many occasions and just wanted to slap Evander up the side of the head.
This book comes with a strong and well developed plot line, intricate relationships and several locations that are described in great detail. This author has done an amazing job with her debut work!
I cannot recommend this book and I am so looking forward to book two! Really hoping that we don't have that long a wait for it.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
January 4, 2019
This was a truly impressive first novel. Well done, Miranda Turner.
Warning, this book does have a cliffhanger ending. There is no HFN in this, just a 'to be continued'. This didn't bother me at all as I really enjoy book series that build on one another, but for some readers, this may be a problem without a warning, so consider yourself warned.
The world building was phenomenal, the characters were captivating and the plot was intriguing. She had a good mix of villains, hero's and anti-heroes to keep things complex and keep the reader invested.
In a world where angels, demons and all sorts of supernatural being exist, the main character - Gabriel Sinclair - is not only an aberration, he's an abomination. The child of an Angelus and a Daemon, he should not exist because Angelii and Daemons are forbidden to mate. And yet he does.
Hated and feared by both sides of his nature, he is hunted but the Bellators - warriors of the light - and Tenebrix - warriors of the dark. Both sides seek to destroy him and yet the most powerful of all of the Creator's children - Michael - has helped raise and train Gabriel along with a defected Daemon called Barrabas. In fact, Gabriel calls them both 'uncle'.
In this world, these supernatural beings have a sodalis vitae - a soul mate - and Gabriel's happens to be Evander - leader of the _best_ Bellator team in the biz. Oh and Evander's tried to kill Gabriel a time or two, despite knowing that Gabriel was his mate. Talk about a doomed relationship. But Michael and Barrabas have a mission for the Bellator team and in order to accomplish it, they need to work with Gabriel. Find Gabriel's parents and prevent the end of the world.
The Bellators will have to get over their prejudices and ignorance of how the world really is, stop seeing it in black and white, and stop trying to kill Gabriel. And Gabriel will have to learn how to trust the Bellators to have his back in a fight rather than trying to stab him in it.
But Gabriel's half daemon side is rearing it's ugly head... and it's less than pleased that Evander is less than on board with the whole mate thing. Add to it, someone or something is gunning for Gabriel, hunting those he's helped, and basically trying to make Gabriel's life a living nightmare.
Will these disparate beings learn to trust and perhaps even like each other? Will Gabriel's darkling half win the fight for his soul? Will Evander get his head out of his... posterior and realize what a good thing he has with Gabriel?
Read and find out.
Warning, this book does have a cliffhanger ending. There is no HFN in this, just a 'to be continued'. This didn't bother me at all as I really enjoy book series that build on one another, but for some readers, this may be a problem without a warning, so consider yourself warned.
The world building was phenomenal, the characters were captivating and the plot was intriguing. She had a good mix of villains, hero's and anti-heroes to keep things complex and keep the reader invested.
In a world where angels, demons and all sorts of supernatural being exist, the main character - Gabriel Sinclair - is not only an aberration, he's an abomination. The child of an Angelus and a Daemon, he should not exist because Angelii and Daemons are forbidden to mate. And yet he does.
Hated and feared by both sides of his nature, he is hunted but the Bellators - warriors of the light - and Tenebrix - warriors of the dark. Both sides seek to destroy him and yet the most powerful of all of the Creator's children - Michael - has helped raise and train Gabriel along with a defected Daemon called Barrabas. In fact, Gabriel calls them both 'uncle'.
In this world, these supernatural beings have a sodalis vitae - a soul mate - and Gabriel's happens to be Evander - leader of the _best_ Bellator team in the biz. Oh and Evander's tried to kill Gabriel a time or two, despite knowing that Gabriel was his mate. Talk about a doomed relationship. But Michael and Barrabas have a mission for the Bellator team and in order to accomplish it, they need to work with Gabriel. Find Gabriel's parents and prevent the end of the world.
The Bellators will have to get over their prejudices and ignorance of how the world really is, stop seeing it in black and white, and stop trying to kill Gabriel. And Gabriel will have to learn how to trust the Bellators to have his back in a fight rather than trying to stab him in it.
But Gabriel's half daemon side is rearing it's ugly head... and it's less than pleased that Evander is less than on board with the whole mate thing. Add to it, someone or something is gunning for Gabriel, hunting those he's helped, and basically trying to make Gabriel's life a living nightmare.
Will these disparate beings learn to trust and perhaps even like each other? Will Gabriel's darkling half win the fight for his soul? Will Evander get his head out of his... posterior and realize what a good thing he has with Gabriel?
Read and find out.
August 15, 2019
I … hm. Look. I’ve tried to read this book twice. It kept being recommended to me and I didn’t realize the second time I picked it off Kindle Unlimited that I’d already made an attempt on this one. I’ll be honest, I made it to chapter two the first time I tried to read this. I did make it further this time and ended somewhere in chapter nine (there are twenty-five). That’s by no means a good sign on my end. I only made it thirty-four percent into this book and I had to give it up for my sanity.
This book hops between two main characters: Gabriel and Evander. Evander is a spoiled brat/asshole while Gabriel is … well, he’s a Mary Sue. Marty Stu? Whatever. He does all the things and he’s amazing at all of them. I could buy being a top-notch warrior if he’s been trained to conduct missions by his two mentors his whole life. I could even buy his knowledge of tactics and leadership skill. Still in line with his training. When his massive skill with computers comes in, I started to fall out of my suspension of disbelief. He’s programmer level with computers, writing his own algorithms to country-wide data searches (what the hell databases is he even pulling from?). I lost my hold when he was what amounted to an accomplished surgeon as well. He’s fucking twenty-five. When in the world would he have had the time to be a master of all these different things. Let’s not forget that he’s the super good guy with no actual faults. Sarcasm is not a fault unless the character is also an asshole to everyone they meet. That is not the case with Gabriel. He’s loved by damn near everyone they run across except the team of “good guys” he’s supposed to be working with. Being a half-breed isn’t a fault either. That’s a back-story. Something to overcome and not something they’re inherently throwing in their own path.
On that note, let’s talk about Evander. He’s supposed to be leading this great team. He has shit tactical skills and no actual control as a leader. Telling people what to do in a calm environment is not really leadership. Leadership skills are shown when the shit hits the fan and you must react in a split second. Nah. Evander isn’t a leader. He’s just weak. We’re told he’s been made to be the leader and he’s the strongest of his skillset but at no point up to the point I read was he able to demonstrate that he reflected any of that. His interactions with Gabriel are so childish as to be obnoxious. Even when he knows Gabriel is not evil, he still picks fights with him and consistently jumps to outrageous conclusions. In fact, every time they come to an agreement and start working together again, the next chapter they’re back at square one on some stupid forced communication issue.
Let’s talk about world building in this story. It’s shaky at best. I have very little idea what half the words and concepts meant. Hopefully, they were explained (or better yet, demonstrated) later on in the story but as it was, I made it a third of the way through the book confused over how their powers worked and who did what and how. That’s not a good place to be for someone who loves visiting new worlds in books.
Honestly, a lot of this work was like that. I have very little idea of what the team was really supposed to be doing. I understand they were supposed to be looking for Gabriel’s parents but we weren’t told why or anything and up to a third of the story, they hadn’t done any real searching. They spent their time doing training missions that really made me question their previous cohesion as a unit. They couldn’t work together in and out of missions (I wouldn’t have wanted Lucas on any team with me ever) and couldn’t show me that they’d been a top-tier squad before pairing up with Gabriel.
That’s the deal though, isn’t it? One solid rule in media—any media—is to “show, don’t tell.” I shouldn’t be told Evander is a strong leader if I’m really being shown he’s not. Don’t tell me how Gabriel is steeped in sarcasm if he only uses the basest form of sarcasm every now and then (maybe watch some more BBC for more examples of strong sarcasm?). This went across to everything in the story. A lot of it felt like weird info dumps of things that very well could have been shown to the audience. That sort of writing bothers me a lot. It’s inherently lazy. It’s easy to tell the reader something. It’s hard to show us the reality of our idea.
I get it. And this author very well could be a new one but that doesn’t change my view on the writing. It needs a lot of work. The characters talk and interact in a … let’s say non-natural way. Their conversations don’t flow like actual conversations. Not as random people interacting with each other and definitely not as people who’ve known each other for decades. Maybe go people watch and learn how they interact with each other in real life, how conversations flow. Gabriel being a Marty Sue is unforgivable. He’s over-powered and unbelievable as a person. He can be the most powerful person in the universe and that’s fine if it follows the story but he shouldn’t be great at everything else too. He needs realistic faults and goals to overcome. Evander needs to actually be the things we’re told he is. And learn how to communicate. It’s fine to have someone start off jumping to conclusions but he needs to learn from his experiences or he’s not in a character arc at all and he’s become one-sided.
Yes, I’m tearing this work apart. I wasn’t impressed. However, I think the core idea was interesting. It got my attention and I wanted to see how it went. I just couldn’t get around the characters and the writing. This author has some good ideas. They just need some practice. And maybe a Mary Sue test before finalizing characters.
I give this story a 1.5 out of 5. Keep practicing. Your ideas are great, just need some work. Cross posted on I Read What Now, my book review blog.
This book hops between two main characters: Gabriel and Evander. Evander is a spoiled brat/asshole while Gabriel is … well, he’s a Mary Sue. Marty Stu? Whatever. He does all the things and he’s amazing at all of them. I could buy being a top-notch warrior if he’s been trained to conduct missions by his two mentors his whole life. I could even buy his knowledge of tactics and leadership skill. Still in line with his training. When his massive skill with computers comes in, I started to fall out of my suspension of disbelief. He’s programmer level with computers, writing his own algorithms to country-wide data searches (what the hell databases is he even pulling from?). I lost my hold when he was what amounted to an accomplished surgeon as well. He’s fucking twenty-five. When in the world would he have had the time to be a master of all these different things. Let’s not forget that he’s the super good guy with no actual faults. Sarcasm is not a fault unless the character is also an asshole to everyone they meet. That is not the case with Gabriel. He’s loved by damn near everyone they run across except the team of “good guys” he’s supposed to be working with. Being a half-breed isn’t a fault either. That’s a back-story. Something to overcome and not something they’re inherently throwing in their own path.
On that note, let’s talk about Evander. He’s supposed to be leading this great team. He has shit tactical skills and no actual control as a leader. Telling people what to do in a calm environment is not really leadership. Leadership skills are shown when the shit hits the fan and you must react in a split second. Nah. Evander isn’t a leader. He’s just weak. We’re told he’s been made to be the leader and he’s the strongest of his skillset but at no point up to the point I read was he able to demonstrate that he reflected any of that. His interactions with Gabriel are so childish as to be obnoxious. Even when he knows Gabriel is not evil, he still picks fights with him and consistently jumps to outrageous conclusions. In fact, every time they come to an agreement and start working together again, the next chapter they’re back at square one on some stupid forced communication issue.
Let’s talk about world building in this story. It’s shaky at best. I have very little idea what half the words and concepts meant. Hopefully, they were explained (or better yet, demonstrated) later on in the story but as it was, I made it a third of the way through the book confused over how their powers worked and who did what and how. That’s not a good place to be for someone who loves visiting new worlds in books.
Honestly, a lot of this work was like that. I have very little idea of what the team was really supposed to be doing. I understand they were supposed to be looking for Gabriel’s parents but we weren’t told why or anything and up to a third of the story, they hadn’t done any real searching. They spent their time doing training missions that really made me question their previous cohesion as a unit. They couldn’t work together in and out of missions (I wouldn’t have wanted Lucas on any team with me ever) and couldn’t show me that they’d been a top-tier squad before pairing up with Gabriel.
That’s the deal though, isn’t it? One solid rule in media—any media—is to “show, don’t tell.” I shouldn’t be told Evander is a strong leader if I’m really being shown he’s not. Don’t tell me how Gabriel is steeped in sarcasm if he only uses the basest form of sarcasm every now and then (maybe watch some more BBC for more examples of strong sarcasm?). This went across to everything in the story. A lot of it felt like weird info dumps of things that very well could have been shown to the audience. That sort of writing bothers me a lot. It’s inherently lazy. It’s easy to tell the reader something. It’s hard to show us the reality of our idea.
I get it. And this author very well could be a new one but that doesn’t change my view on the writing. It needs a lot of work. The characters talk and interact in a … let’s say non-natural way. Their conversations don’t flow like actual conversations. Not as random people interacting with each other and definitely not as people who’ve known each other for decades. Maybe go people watch and learn how they interact with each other in real life, how conversations flow. Gabriel being a Marty Sue is unforgivable. He’s over-powered and unbelievable as a person. He can be the most powerful person in the universe and that’s fine if it follows the story but he shouldn’t be great at everything else too. He needs realistic faults and goals to overcome. Evander needs to actually be the things we’re told he is. And learn how to communicate. It’s fine to have someone start off jumping to conclusions but he needs to learn from his experiences or he’s not in a character arc at all and he’s become one-sided.
Yes, I’m tearing this work apart. I wasn’t impressed. However, I think the core idea was interesting. It got my attention and I wanted to see how it went. I just couldn’t get around the characters and the writing. This author has some good ideas. They just need some practice. And maybe a Mary Sue test before finalizing characters.
I give this story a 1.5 out of 5. Keep practicing. Your ideas are great, just need some work. Cross posted on I Read What Now, my book review blog.
July 29, 2019
Angels and demons and lesser paranormals fight for power. A half-breed male is the fated mate of a male angel, but the angel pushes the half-breed away out of fear.
Typos: some misplaced and misused commas.
Typos: some misplaced and misused commas.
January 7, 2019
This book is a great start to a new queer, urban fantasy series, and I’m looking forward to more!
Read the review on my blog.
Read the review on my blog.
December 17, 2018
This is one kickass series starter
I just finished it and I'm already looking forward to the next book. It's not a cliff-hanger per say but it did leave a lot of questions yet to be answered. One book in and I can already tell that I'm going to love this entire series, I know I'm going to enjoy Gabriel's journey as he learns to integrate the opposing sides of his heritage.
I just finished it and I'm already looking forward to the next book. It's not a cliff-hanger per say but it did leave a lot of questions yet to be answered. One book in and I can already tell that I'm going to love this entire series, I know I'm going to enjoy Gabriel's journey as he learns to integrate the opposing sides of his heritage.
December 31, 2019
2.5 star~
I love Gabriel's character (and stopped myself from DNFing pretty much just because of him), but other than that I felt pretty "meh" about this book. Somehow it seemed that there was too much and not enough background info at the same time. Also, they didn't even really start doing anything until halfway through the book. The two "training" missions taking up alot of the first half seemed pretty much pointless to the overall story other than a little "team-building" and character development that could have probably been handled in more interesting ways. All of the fight scenes weren't very interesting or dynamic either, which made the climax fall kind of flat imo. On to Evander... first of all how THE HELL is Evander's team supposedly the best of the best??? He seems to be a subpar leader and his subordinates dont seem particularly talented either. Not really feeling Evander as a whole honestly. His character just doesnt seem to fit the image and status he supposedly has. He's much more whiny and immature than someone like him should be and its a real turnoff. On a positive note, sex scene was written to my taste tho so that adds half a start itself, haha. If more of the series was out I would probably read it just cuz, but in all honesty I'll probably forget about this book by the time more come out. Might give book 2 a try when it comes out and give the story a chance to improve, but we'll see.
I love Gabriel's character (and stopped myself from DNFing pretty much just because of him), but other than that I felt pretty "meh" about this book. Somehow it seemed that there was too much and not enough background info at the same time. Also, they didn't even really start doing anything until halfway through the book. The two "training" missions taking up alot of the first half seemed pretty much pointless to the overall story other than a little "team-building" and character development that could have probably been handled in more interesting ways. All of the fight scenes weren't very interesting or dynamic either, which made the climax fall kind of flat imo. On to Evander... first of all how THE HELL is Evander's team supposedly the best of the best??? He seems to be a subpar leader and his subordinates dont seem particularly talented either. Not really feeling Evander as a whole honestly. His character just doesnt seem to fit the image and status he supposedly has. He's much more whiny and immature than someone like him should be and its a real turnoff. On a positive note, sex scene was written to my taste tho so that adds half a start itself, haha. If more of the series was out I would probably read it just cuz, but in all honesty I'll probably forget about this book by the time more come out. Might give book 2 a try when it comes out and give the story a chance to improve, but we'll see.
June 9, 2019
Strap on your PARA-chute & free-fall into the fantastical fun!😍
Shadowing the Light- The facts:
• 301 pages • Urban Fantasy • MM Romance • Book #1 in series • 4/5 steam factor • 3/5 action-violence/ gore (see trigger warnings)💙
MC1 is:
Gabriel • half Angelus (accepts this half) • half Daemon (represses this half) • sodalis vita (soul mate) to Evander
MC2 is:
Evander • Bellator (warrior of light) • Leader of the greatest team of Bellators • Has ability to channel THE Light as a weapon • sodalis vita to Gabriel
So! I thought going into this it was going to be a nice lil jaunt about Good vs. Evil with a few rounds of fisticuffs, some decent MM scenes (if I was lucky), and an HEA with some haloes and wings 👼 for good measure. Holy TENebrix levels of 🔥HAWT🔥 Awesomeness, BATMAN! Talk about underestimating a book! My sincerest apologies to the author, Miranda Turner! 💖
First- kudos to the Miranda for NOT putting the Creator in a box by calling God, He/ Him. Even though I personally don't adhere to Christian beliefs, I DID appreciate the Godhead being referenced as, They/ Them. Seemed fitting somehow.
Second- this isn't the typical fated mates trope you may be used to. Gabriel and Evander both know who and what the other is, and neither wants anything to do it. So, prepare yourself now, theirs is an explosive battle of wills. And that's not the only thing that's explosive! 💥😍💥 YOWZA!!! When their scenes together finally happen, keep ice chips, and a fan handy. You will need both to cool down.😜
Third- this IS a definite SUPER-PARAnormal read, and it goes way way wayyyy beyond just angels, demons, and warriors for the light and dark. So, strap on your PARA-chute and free-fall into all the fantastical fun, Miranda Turner style. You will love it! 🌈💞
Fourth- because Gabriel is half Daemon👹, half Angelus👼, logically each of his parents are whole. One light, one dark. Gabe has no clue who they are, and he spent many of his formative years a prisoner. Because of this and for other reasons, possible triggers:
•Mentions of past rape • abuse/ torture • imprisonment • cutting •
Fifth- because this is not your run of the mill typical MM Romance, it does not end with our guys getting their HEA. I don't even know that I would call it a HFN, as it is more like they are in the eye of a hurricane at the moment. Calmness is all around, but you know the a$$ end of that category 5 storm is coming and they are stuck in a dingy to ride.😰
Finally, this book was STUPENDOUS! If I could rate it higher than 5🌟, you can bet your sweet butter but crunch, I would! Alas, all I can do is sing the praises of it, and the author, Miranda Turner for giving us an Urban Fantasy, MM Romance of epic proportions, fueled by the fires of the Underworld and guided by the light of Empyrean and THIS is just book #1!
5+ infinitely-stellar-stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
**💀Don't be a Digital Book Pirate, Matey! Save our Indie Authors from Walkin' the Plank! 💀**
I received a free copy of this book via LesCourt and am voluntarily leaving a review.💋
Shadowing the Light- The facts:
• 301 pages • Urban Fantasy • MM Romance • Book #1 in series • 4/5 steam factor • 3/5 action-violence/ gore (see trigger warnings)💙
MC1 is:
Gabriel • half Angelus (accepts this half) • half Daemon (represses this half) • sodalis vita (soul mate) to Evander
MC2 is:
Evander • Bellator (warrior of light) • Leader of the greatest team of Bellators • Has ability to channel THE Light as a weapon • sodalis vita to Gabriel
So! I thought going into this it was going to be a nice lil jaunt about Good vs. Evil with a few rounds of fisticuffs, some decent MM scenes (if I was lucky), and an HEA with some haloes and wings 👼 for good measure. Holy TENebrix levels of 🔥HAWT🔥 Awesomeness, BATMAN! Talk about underestimating a book! My sincerest apologies to the author, Miranda Turner! 💖
First- kudos to the Miranda for NOT putting the Creator in a box by calling God, He/ Him. Even though I personally don't adhere to Christian beliefs, I DID appreciate the Godhead being referenced as, They/ Them. Seemed fitting somehow.
Second- this isn't the typical fated mates trope you may be used to. Gabriel and Evander both know who and what the other is, and neither wants anything to do it. So, prepare yourself now, theirs is an explosive battle of wills. And that's not the only thing that's explosive! 💥😍💥 YOWZA!!! When their scenes together finally happen, keep ice chips, and a fan handy. You will need both to cool down.😜
Third- this IS a definite SUPER-PARAnormal read, and it goes way way wayyyy beyond just angels, demons, and warriors for the light and dark. So, strap on your PARA-chute and free-fall into all the fantastical fun, Miranda Turner style. You will love it! 🌈💞
Fourth- because Gabriel is half Daemon👹, half Angelus👼, logically each of his parents are whole. One light, one dark. Gabe has no clue who they are, and he spent many of his formative years a prisoner. Because of this and for other reasons, possible triggers:
•Mentions of past rape • abuse/ torture • imprisonment • cutting •
Fifth- because this is not your run of the mill typical MM Romance, it does not end with our guys getting their HEA. I don't even know that I would call it a HFN, as it is more like they are in the eye of a hurricane at the moment. Calmness is all around, but you know the a$$ end of that category 5 storm is coming and they are stuck in a dingy to ride.😰
Finally, this book was STUPENDOUS! If I could rate it higher than 5🌟, you can bet your sweet butter but crunch, I would! Alas, all I can do is sing the praises of it, and the author, Miranda Turner for giving us an Urban Fantasy, MM Romance of epic proportions, fueled by the fires of the Underworld and guided by the light of Empyrean and THIS is just book #1!
5+ infinitely-stellar-stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
**💀Don't be a Digital Book Pirate, Matey! Save our Indie Authors from Walkin' the Plank! 💀**
I received a free copy of this book via LesCourt and am voluntarily leaving a review.💋
December 18, 2018
The author establishes this universe in a clear and concise way in the first chapter and things build well from there. I especially appreciated the glossary of terms at the beginning of the book, so crucial for a completely new mythology.
There is a very interesting premise here and I kept thinking back to the Broadway musical Wicked...what is good and what is bad? What is light and what is dark? What happens when we judge based on stereotypes or appearances without knowing the person behind the label? The author handles all of this so well without being preachy. The characters are well established though there is clearly more we are going to learn. I loved all the clever pop culture references, many of which will go unnoticed by many readers. Again, subtlety is king here.
Gabriel makes my heart ache. He is so well constructed and fleshed out and clearly carries so much pain and suffering. Eva Deb is harder to empathize with as he remains steadfastly wedded to what he has known all his life and cannot seem to shake his biases or his cultural beliefs. He irritates me repeatedly which makes it really hard to root for him as one of the MCs. The other members of the team are allowed to grow and change in a way he is not therefore they all can see the mistakes he’s making and they all can bond with Gabriel.
The storyline is a bit vague. The individual episodes are exciting and well written but the overriding arc is amorphous and never clearly defined. It was extremely frustrating to me, mostly because it was unexpected, that there is no resolution to the plot line. It’s just left hanging there. There is no HEA or even HFN...not something I associate with a book in the paranormal romance genre. It was disappointing.
As I neared the end I kept looking down at the percentage count at the bottom, realizing I wasn’t going to get a conclusion here. I was annoyed but am looking forward to what’s next. That’s even more annoying as this is the first book in a series and today is release day which means who knows how long I have to wait to find out. I really, really wish the author had at least resolved the Gabriel/Evander relationship and moved the story arc a bit further in this book. Had she done so it would have been five stars.
There is a very interesting premise here and I kept thinking back to the Broadway musical Wicked...what is good and what is bad? What is light and what is dark? What happens when we judge based on stereotypes or appearances without knowing the person behind the label? The author handles all of this so well without being preachy. The characters are well established though there is clearly more we are going to learn. I loved all the clever pop culture references, many of which will go unnoticed by many readers. Again, subtlety is king here.
Gabriel makes my heart ache. He is so well constructed and fleshed out and clearly carries so much pain and suffering. Eva Deb is harder to empathize with as he remains steadfastly wedded to what he has known all his life and cannot seem to shake his biases or his cultural beliefs. He irritates me repeatedly which makes it really hard to root for him as one of the MCs. The other members of the team are allowed to grow and change in a way he is not therefore they all can see the mistakes he’s making and they all can bond with Gabriel.
The storyline is a bit vague. The individual episodes are exciting and well written but the overriding arc is amorphous and never clearly defined. It was extremely frustrating to me, mostly because it was unexpected, that there is no resolution to the plot line. It’s just left hanging there. There is no HEA or even HFN...not something I associate with a book in the paranormal romance genre. It was disappointing.
As I neared the end I kept looking down at the percentage count at the bottom, realizing I wasn’t going to get a conclusion here. I was annoyed but am looking forward to what’s next. That’s even more annoying as this is the first book in a series and today is release day which means who knows how long I have to wait to find out. I really, really wish the author had at least resolved the Gabriel/Evander relationship and moved the story arc a bit further in this book. Had she done so it would have been five stars.
July 2, 2019
4.25 Stars!
First of all, I've got to say I was thoroughly impressed that this is Miranda Turner's debut novel. It was a very solid start to the series and I already can't wait to see what will happen in the next installments.
I loved Gabriel from the moment we met him. He's full of snark and sass, he's strong yet vulnerable, very relatable and I felt a connection to him from the getgo. Actually, there were several moments throughout the book where I was nearly in tears because of all he'd gone/was going through. Perhaps because of that, or perhaps because he was a twatwaffle of the first order, I didn't like Evander. Really, I get seeing the world in black and white, but even Luc had a huge turnaround when he realized that Gabriel was more than what they thought he was. And just when I was warming up to him, he went and pushed Gabriel again when he needed him the most. *weary sigh* I don't really care if they're sodalis vita (soulmates), at this point, Evander will have to do something extraordinary for me to feel he deserves Gabriel.
I absolutely adored Delsin and while at some point I hoped for more between Gabriel and him, I know that's not in the cards. I'm intrigued by him and Lance, though, so I hope we see more of them in the future. Rafe and Logan were great teammates and I just loved seeing them open to Gabriel like they did. It took me longer to like Luc, but once he realized Gabriel wasn't their enemy, nor had he killed Luc's brother, the change in him was amazing and a bit of what I had hoped to see in Evander.
I really liked Ms. Turner's writing style and the way she threw us right into the action, giving us the information we needed as the plot moved along and not dumping it all on us in the first few chapters. The book ends in well, not exactly a cliffhanger, but it's not an HFN either. It's very open-ended, even if there is some hope that things will eventually get resolved, I guess. Still, I found this a very engaging, fast-paced, action-packed read and if you like urban fantasy (and even if you don't), I think this is a book you most likely enjoy!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
First of all, I've got to say I was thoroughly impressed that this is Miranda Turner's debut novel. It was a very solid start to the series and I already can't wait to see what will happen in the next installments.
I loved Gabriel from the moment we met him. He's full of snark and sass, he's strong yet vulnerable, very relatable and I felt a connection to him from the getgo. Actually, there were several moments throughout the book where I was nearly in tears because of all he'd gone/was going through. Perhaps because of that, or perhaps because he was a twatwaffle of the first order, I didn't like Evander. Really, I get seeing the world in black and white, but even Luc had a huge turnaround when he realized that Gabriel was more than what they thought he was. And just when I was warming up to him, he went and pushed Gabriel again when he needed him the most. *weary sigh* I don't really care if they're sodalis vita (soulmates), at this point, Evander will have to do something extraordinary for me to feel he deserves Gabriel.
I absolutely adored Delsin and while at some point I hoped for more between Gabriel and him, I know that's not in the cards. I'm intrigued by him and Lance, though, so I hope we see more of them in the future. Rafe and Logan were great teammates and I just loved seeing them open to Gabriel like they did. It took me longer to like Luc, but once he realized Gabriel wasn't their enemy, nor had he killed Luc's brother, the change in him was amazing and a bit of what I had hoped to see in Evander.
I really liked Ms. Turner's writing style and the way she threw us right into the action, giving us the information we needed as the plot moved along and not dumping it all on us in the first few chapters. The book ends in well, not exactly a cliffhanger, but it's not an HFN either. It's very open-ended, even if there is some hope that things will eventually get resolved, I guess. Still, I found this a very engaging, fast-paced, action-packed read and if you like urban fantasy (and even if you don't), I think this is a book you most likely enjoy!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
December 27, 2018
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 stars
🔥🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 4
What an adventure!!! This book is impressive!!!
Adventure, treachery, secrets and truths are just the beginning. Debut author, Miranda Turner deliveries it all! She’s created an intense fantasy world where the lines of good and evil are blurred and what you think you know is only the start of what there is to discover in this book. The story follows Gabriel on his journey to find him Daemon father. Gabriel and the team he’s forced on forge bonds under treacherous and stressful situations as they put their differences and beliefs aside to fight the deviousness in their world.
Miranda has created an amazing world. I love her writing style; she incorporates sass, sarcasm, wit and humour into her characters so effortlessly it had me feeling for each character in turn. I love that she also incorporates current world phases like “I can’t people right now” it adds to the humour and current world feel of this fantasy world.
I love Gabriel! He has a heart of gold. He’s interactions with his destined mate Evander are hot, hot, hot and frustrating as hell. There’s a lot of back and forth, some dislike and some super hot domination. Miranda has approached this true mates dynamic really well and I liked that it’s definitely not a ‘love at first sight’ situation and Evander has to adapt his views on the world and learn that things aren’t black and white and Gabriel is worth the risks.
I also loved the Gabriel and Delsin dynamic, talk about an awesome bromance with all the feels. I originally questioned their connection and even thought this story might go the way of an all male harem with all the hot male interactions, but a lass, eventually the brotherly intimacy is established and the care they have for each other is wonderful to read.
I truly loved this book and cant wait for the next one!!!!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com 📚
🔥🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 4
What an adventure!!! This book is impressive!!!
Adventure, treachery, secrets and truths are just the beginning. Debut author, Miranda Turner deliveries it all! She’s created an intense fantasy world where the lines of good and evil are blurred and what you think you know is only the start of what there is to discover in this book. The story follows Gabriel on his journey to find him Daemon father. Gabriel and the team he’s forced on forge bonds under treacherous and stressful situations as they put their differences and beliefs aside to fight the deviousness in their world.
Miranda has created an amazing world. I love her writing style; she incorporates sass, sarcasm, wit and humour into her characters so effortlessly it had me feeling for each character in turn. I love that she also incorporates current world phases like “I can’t people right now” it adds to the humour and current world feel of this fantasy world.
I love Gabriel! He has a heart of gold. He’s interactions with his destined mate Evander are hot, hot, hot and frustrating as hell. There’s a lot of back and forth, some dislike and some super hot domination. Miranda has approached this true mates dynamic really well and I liked that it’s definitely not a ‘love at first sight’ situation and Evander has to adapt his views on the world and learn that things aren’t black and white and Gabriel is worth the risks.
I also loved the Gabriel and Delsin dynamic, talk about an awesome bromance with all the feels. I originally questioned their connection and even thought this story might go the way of an all male harem with all the hot male interactions, but a lass, eventually the brotherly intimacy is established and the care they have for each other is wonderful to read.
I truly loved this book and cant wait for the next one!!!!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com 📚
December 11, 2018
Gabriel Sinclair is half Daemon, from his father and half Angelus, from his mother. His uncles Michael and Barrabas come and ask him to work with a team of men to track down his Daemon father to prevent very bad things.
Evander Ryan is a warrior created from the maker and the leader of a team of warriors. He's also the mate of Gabriel and not too happy about it. He's always been the strongest warrior on the team and now that they've got Gabriel, he's not. He's having a very hard time accepting that Gabriel is stronger than him.
When Gabriel first joins the warrior's team he's not accepted and one team member tries several times to kill him. As the story progresses he is slowly accepted and respected by all. That respect is hard won from Gabriel's work saving supernaturals to his loyalty to a team that's not so supportive at first. The first half of the story is kinda slow but it's full of world building and character development so expected. Evander is a jerk for most of the book and sometimes a outright asshat. He treats Gabriel bad because of his insecurities and it's a chore to read. Gabriel is slowly fighting a battle between his Daemon and Angelus sides and by the end of the book he loses that control. The mystery of his mother is revealed at the end of the book but his father is still a complete unknown. Will Gabriel get control over his two halves or will the Daemon side take control? Will Evander pull his head out and grow up? There are several questions left unanswered. This book is a somewhat HFN with a cliffhangerish ending.
Not happy with the ending but I'll definitely read book 2. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the genre and cliffhangers.
ARC received for a honest review.
Evander Ryan is a warrior created from the maker and the leader of a team of warriors. He's also the mate of Gabriel and not too happy about it. He's always been the strongest warrior on the team and now that they've got Gabriel, he's not. He's having a very hard time accepting that Gabriel is stronger than him.
When Gabriel first joins the warrior's team he's not accepted and one team member tries several times to kill him. As the story progresses he is slowly accepted and respected by all. That respect is hard won from Gabriel's work saving supernaturals to his loyalty to a team that's not so supportive at first. The first half of the story is kinda slow but it's full of world building and character development so expected. Evander is a jerk for most of the book and sometimes a outright asshat. He treats Gabriel bad because of his insecurities and it's a chore to read. Gabriel is slowly fighting a battle between his Daemon and Angelus sides and by the end of the book he loses that control. The mystery of his mother is revealed at the end of the book but his father is still a complete unknown. Will Gabriel get control over his two halves or will the Daemon side take control? Will Evander pull his head out and grow up? There are several questions left unanswered. This book is a somewhat HFN with a cliffhangerish ending.
Not happy with the ending but I'll definitely read book 2. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the genre and cliffhangers.
ARC received for a honest review.
December 22, 2018
Okay I need the next book right now! I loved Gabriel and felt so sorry for him. All his life he has been hunted because of who/what he is. I initially disliked Evander because he refused to claim his mate because of who/what Gabriel is. Evander and his team are so racist, if you’re not one of them then you’re evil. Nothing is so clear cut. The more he and his team gets to know Gabriel the more they find out that he has the most kindest soul there is. But if need be, he will not hesitate to end you. And as it turns out, he is beyond strong. I don’t think anyone knows for sure just how powerful he is. Anyway, Gabriel and Evander finally hook up and Evander decides that he wants to try a relationship, he’s not willing to claim his mate just yet. But then they are sent on a mission and Evander then decides that they are not going to continue as a couple. Talk about whiplash and breaking Gabriel’s heart, all he really wants is for someone to love him. I can’t wait for more on Michael and Barabbas there is so a story there! I love the secondary characters, even Luc who was even more of a racist then Evander. Oh and snarky, Gabriel has that in spades!
ARC provided by LesCourt Services in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by LesCourt Services in exchange for an honest review.
Read
March 9, 2020DNF @ 60%
Honestly I just stopped caring, maybe I didn’t in the first place, but it became so hard to read it, even though I only had about 100 pages left to go. I just couldn’t and kinda super sad about it because I really wanted to love this.
Pro, this is about angels and demons, it’s about god forcing them on an adventure of sorts, and yet I didn’t get the same feel I normally do when talking about religion. And I’ve read books that have had just as little religious overtones and yet I couldn’t let it go, where this didn’t have that feeling at all and it talks about the creator and about good and evil and the devil.
Con, was the sex scenes. I didn’t feel like the fit the characters completely. It was like they were only happening the way they were because Gabriel was punishing his mate for not liking him, more than wanting to sex him. That Evander only wanted to submit because of Gabriel’s power and the mate pull. They just didn’t felt for me, with who both the characters are, it was like as soon as a sex scene happened Gabriel kinda amped up a part of her personality he is trying not to embrace. It just feel so out of place, and very power play which I don’t understand, if it was an actual hate to love then it would make sense but it isn’t, not really.
Honestly I just stopped caring, maybe I didn’t in the first place, but it became so hard to read it, even though I only had about 100 pages left to go. I just couldn’t and kinda super sad about it because I really wanted to love this.
Pro, this is about angels and demons, it’s about god forcing them on an adventure of sorts, and yet I didn’t get the same feel I normally do when talking about religion. And I’ve read books that have had just as little religious overtones and yet I couldn’t let it go, where this didn’t have that feeling at all and it talks about the creator and about good and evil and the devil.
Con, was the sex scenes. I didn’t feel like the fit the characters completely. It was like they were only happening the way they were because Gabriel was punishing his mate for not liking him, more than wanting to sex him. That Evander only wanted to submit because of Gabriel’s power and the mate pull. They just didn’t felt for me, with who both the characters are, it was like as soon as a sex scene happened Gabriel kinda amped up a part of her personality he is trying not to embrace. It just feel so out of place, and very power play which I don’t understand, if it was an actual hate to love then it would make sense but it isn’t, not really.
December 10, 2018
Read: 10 December 2018.
Rating: 4 stars.
------------------------------
I really liked most of this book.
- Characters: Although the characters changed dramatically throughout the novel, they really grew on me, even the infuriating Luc. It was fantastic to see that Gabriel was integrated into the team, even at the detriment of Gabriel and Evander's relationship. Hopefully the relationship will move along more in the next book. - Pacing: The beginning of this novel was relatively slow in comparison to the rest. Had I been less determined (and not writing a review), I may have put it on the backburner. - Action: Parts of the plot, especially action [fighting] scenes, could have been expanded. At the beginning of the book when we were introduced to the characters, we were also introduced to their role within the team. I feel that some of the scenes of specific characters such as Luc didn't show his power - I only remember one scene.I found Gabriel's repertoire of skills and abilities fascinating. As well as his transformation and development at the end of the book.
I am disappointed that the book had a HFN ending, but I am now eagerly awaiting the sequel! I definitely recommend this book to readers of the urban fantasy and MM genres. I can compare this book loosely to books/series such as On Wings of Thunder by M.D. Grimm or even The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
------------------------------
** An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. **
------------------------------
January 27, 2019
I’m going to be completely honest: this book has been on my wish list since it was published; but I wasn't sure if I’d enjoy it. Well, I gave it a chance and was completely surprised, I actually really liked it.
Gabriel was an interesting yet complex and this instalment merely scratched the surface of his character. He was feisty and didn’t hesitate to put the various team members in their places.
I wanted to smack Evander several times throughout. There were times I was shouting at my kindle, telling Evander to get his head out of his rear end. This guy was insufferable and I pretty much didn’t take a liking to him. Can he redeem himself for not being there for Gabriel? Who knows but I’m definitely reading book 2 to find out.
The sexy foursome dance the team was involved in at the club was erotic and hot - damn I think I started drooling lol.
The world building was excellent and the characters were developed beautifully. Can’t wait for book 2!
January 2, 2019
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review An Alisa Review:
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Oh my, this was a wonderful story. I loved the world that the author crafted and how in depth it was. Gabriel has been hunted his whole life and is used to doing everything alone. When he is assigned to work with Evander and his team he gets much more than he bargained for.
Most of the story is told from Gabriel’s point of view but a few chapters give us some glimpses of the other characters’ thoughts and feelings too. I couldn’t help but feel for Gebriel from the beginning, he knows he doesn’t belong and hates having to fight for the right just to live but he does so much good for those who would trust him. I could see Gabriel’s frustration and fear in regards to his demon half and how he wanted to keep it pushed down.
Evander is a bit of a prick and does a bit of push and pull with Gabriel’s emotions, unfortunately it took Gabriel having to leave for him to finally realize that he wants him. I loved that Gabriel was finally able to find friends and people who will love him for who he is but it’s still a but of a struggle to get there. I can’t wait to read more in the series to see how this goes.
I loved the cover art by Lou Harper and think it’s perfect for this book.
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Oh my, this was a wonderful story. I loved the world that the author crafted and how in depth it was. Gabriel has been hunted his whole life and is used to doing everything alone. When he is assigned to work with Evander and his team he gets much more than he bargained for.
Most of the story is told from Gabriel’s point of view but a few chapters give us some glimpses of the other characters’ thoughts and feelings too. I couldn’t help but feel for Gebriel from the beginning, he knows he doesn’t belong and hates having to fight for the right just to live but he does so much good for those who would trust him. I could see Gabriel’s frustration and fear in regards to his demon half and how he wanted to keep it pushed down.
Evander is a bit of a prick and does a bit of push and pull with Gabriel’s emotions, unfortunately it took Gabriel having to leave for him to finally realize that he wants him. I loved that Gabriel was finally able to find friends and people who will love him for who he is but it’s still a but of a struggle to get there. I can’t wait to read more in the series to see how this goes.
I loved the cover art by Lou Harper and think it’s perfect for this book.
January 2, 2019
A fantastic debut book, this author has a brilliant future ahead in writing! This author creates a fantasy world where the lines of good and evil are blurred with all of the supernatural creatures. Gabriel has an Angelus mother and Daemon father (unheard of in this world) and he is tasked with finding them while working with a group of highly skilled warriors. The leader of the warriors is Evander, Gabriel’s reluctant mate. The two of them have an undeniable chemistry between them and while Gabriel embraces their chemistry Evander does everything in his power to deny it. The team of warriors is even more reluctant to accept Gabriel, in the past they have tried their best to kill him and that hasn’t changed when he joins their team. Gabriel’s sarcastic wit is hard to accept by most of the team but that is just a front for his insecurities. He is battling between his Angelus and Daemon half not letting any side take supremacy but when he finds his Angelus mother and what has been done to her his Daemon half rules. This book ends with a bunch of unanswered questions, I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews