Un traghetto di ossa e oro

Soulbound #1

by Hailey Turner, Caterina Bolognesi (Translator)

Patrick Collins lavora da tre anni per l’AOS, l’Agenzia per le Operazioni Sovrannaturali, quando gli dèi decidono che è il momento di riscuotere il suo debito con loro. Un immortale è scomparso a New York e continuano a spuntare cadaveri collegati a un rituale demoniaco che gli ricorda fin troppo quello dei suoi incubi.
Non potendo fuggire, si trova nuovamente ad affrontare i praticanti magici del Dominion Sect. Combattere da solo non è mai stata una tattica vincente, secondo la sua esperienza, ma sono passati anni dall’ultima volta in cui ha avuto un partner di cui potersi fidare.
Cercando alleati nei luoghi più sbagliati, scopre che il prossimo obiettivo del Dominion Sect è lo stesso licantropo che i Fati hanno gettato sulla sua strada. Si è sentito immediatamente attratto da lui, ma il desiderio non serve in guerra. Questo non gli impedisce di volere ciò che non dovrebbe avere. Jonothon de Vere è bellissimo, pericoloso e non porta altro che problemi, per il caso, per la lotta contro l’Inferno e, non da ultimo, per il cuore e l’anima di Patrick.
Alla fine, tutti i debiti devono essere ripagati e Patrick è costretto a fare ciò che gli riesce meglio: ingannare la morte.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, M M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Magic, Shapeshifters

422 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2018

About the author

Hailey Turner is a big city girl who likes to spoil her cats rotten. She writes science fiction and fantasy with lots of action, epic plots, and romantic relationships that satisfy the heart. Hailey lives in sunny California when she isn’t adding stamps to her passport.

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Reviews

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

All of my friends love A Ferry of Bones & Gold, and so when I polled everyone on social media to see which book I should read next, this was the overwhelming winner.

While I enjoyed A Ferry of Bones & Gold, I wish it was... more.

I'm an urban fantasy lover, and I'm a long-time reader of authors like Ilona Andrews and Jim Butcher, so I expect a lot from my urban fantasy. What I really value is impeccable world-building and really tight editing, and I think that's where Hailey Turner could have stepped up her game.

I think this book needed a very firm hand with an editor. Lots of repetition and lots of extra information really bogged down the story. There was a lot of potential with the magic plot and backstory (which I feel like I needed more of), but it was weighed down by too much extraneous content. Too many types of creatures thrown in at once, too many secondary characters... it felt muddled and confusing at times.

I think the relationship had potential, but it felt more like a relationship of convenience and not one with true chemistry. Jono was too willing to do anything for Patrick very quickly, and I couldn't get a good feeling as to why. I think the dynamic will improve in subsequent books, and I'm sure I could fall in love with these two together, eventually.

A fun, exciting book that was weighed down by world-building that needed improvement, I think A Ferry of Bones & Gold had potential to be excellent but fell just short.


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[len ❀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another one that missed the mark.

This should have worked for me. It has a lot of good things to work with and awesome aspects to make it work. There’s a growing found family, magic, supernatural creatures, Greek gods and goddesses, lots of non-stop action, some steamy scenes that are bound to grow throughout the series, a stubborn main character easy to root for, a relationship on the verge of developing. The plot is also more heavy than the romance, which is just what I need right now.

But believe it or not, those things exactly are why this book was not an enjoyable one for me.

I don’t think the book is bad, there just wasn’t much I could appreciate and consider enjoyable. The reading experience wasn’t the worst by any means, but there were certain points of the story dragging, and other parts where the story could’ve, most likely, been cut down.

The author sets up a lot of characters. I made note of more than 21 characters mentioned (*deep breath in* Patrick. Jono. Setsuna. Casale. Nadine. Dwayne. Allison. Emma. Sage. Marek. Leon. Yossufe. Estelle. Hera. Hermes. Hades. Persephone. Cara. Ethan. Hannah. Carmen. Lucien. Angelina. Rachel. Tyler. Skuld. Fenrir. Victoria. *deep breath out*). Some dead, some not, some not really important but still mentioned or made appearances. Regardless, they’re all related to Patrick, Jono, or the people around them in some way. And I don’t even think that’s all. While not all of them have high status in terms of being main characters or important, their roles are still significant one way or another. It makes the story more aggravating to read, as there is so much to keep up with. I think even if you come into this more for the romance, you’d be disappointed with how little the romance feels and how much the plot overtakes it. So I definitely do not recommend this for anyone looking for more romance than plot, or even a balanced take on it, as it felt more 70/30. There is a lot going on in the story, and not for the best reason. The author brings in a lot of characters into the story that once you meet one or two characters and think that’s it, you’re being introduced to three more. From supernatural creatures (werewolves, vampires, fae) to Greek gods and goddesses ??? It was very strange. I didn’t think I would be reading about Zeus, Hermes, Hades, Persephone, and Hera but here we are. The good thing is that my small knowledge of them came in handy, so I knew who they were, but their relationship to the story felt odd and out of place. It was as if the author wanted to blend in a bunch of fantasy and paranormal elements into one story. It would’ve made more sense to add in random, new and unique gods and goddesses to make the story more convincing, but we got werecreatures, magic binders, healers, immortals, gods, goddesses, and other creatures blended in together, as if only one of them wasn’t enough.

Secondly, the writing of this isn’t bad or anything (I mean, I really am not one to comment on writing because if I wrote a book, it would most likely be something that felt like it came out of Wattpad, and I don’t mean that in a complementary way). However, there are many sentences that are unnecessary. It’s mostly small things like that, where the author tells us unnecessary things about the characters: doing a, b and c before x, y, and z. Sometimes, it works, and other times, it doesn’t. This had a lot of instances where it became dumb. With how long the story already is and how much is happening inside the story, content wise, it was a hassle to read.

Ex:
“Jono lifted his hips enough to pull his mobile free of his pocket and tapped in his passcode. He went into his text messages and pulled up Marek’s name, typing out a message.”

Jono lifted his hips enough and tapped in his passcode. Was that necessary? No. It really could’ve just done with “Jono pulled his mobile free of his pocket […] and texted Marek” or something similar. Especially because during this scene, he was in a car, so that’s why he lifted his hips. And okay, he has a password set up to unlock his phone, but do we actually need to know that much information? No, we don’t. I don’t care what anyone says. It’s literally unnecessary writing.

I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of the majority of the characters, including Jono. He’s…okay. There’s not much he offers besides being a werecreature. I feel like there is a lot missing from him, and I don’t mean with just who he is and his backstory. It’s the simple fact that some of his characterization is missing. He’s not someone memorable (at least in this story) and not someone I’d commemorate. We know a little bit about him, which I’m not exactly complaining about, but, again, what we know about him doesn’t offer his character much. It’s not that he’s one-dimensional or has no personality, but his character didn’t stand out much to me. It’s as if he’s just Jono, plain Jono, future love interest of Patrick. His feelings for Patrick are pretty quick, and I guess it makes sense for him being a werecreature, but I still wasn’t a fan, no matter how logical it is. I literally don’t care how realistic it was because of who he is. His feelings for Patrick were missing that spark, and it felt like his connection with Patrick was progressing too fast for my own liking, which didn’t allow me to interpret their relationship in a strong way. There wasn’t enough emotional intimacy between them.

That said, the romance was not my favorite by any means, and that’s coming from someone who is currently struggling reading romance books. It is why I read this in the first place. As an avid romance reader, I’m currently in that phase where I want to read romance books with the smallest crumbs given, meaning the plot is bigger than the romance/relationship, and this is definitely that, yet the romance was not…good. Or at least, to me it felt that way. At this point, it’s reminiscent of the last series I started reading, The Beacon Hill Sorcerer by SJ Himes. Many things that don’t work in romances overall were present here: instant attraction with not enough emotional connection built outside. The problem isn’t that Patrick and Jono are quickly attracted to each other sexually, but it didn’t make sense to me how most of their time was spent either focused on their mission or in the bedroom yet they’re at that point in a relationship where they’d practically do anything for each other. It should’ve been slow burn if you ask me, but I’m not the author, obviously, so it’s fine. Still, the relationship doesn’t take its time forming. It felt like there was nothing outside of either of those aspects, which is why the emotional connection was lacking severely for me. Jono and Patrick have a bond that feels too instantaneous, too quick, without proper verification. They meet, there’s sparks, there’s some sex, and suddenly Jono is all rawr and grr defending Patrick as if they’re soulmates.

The good thing is that there aren’t any “I love you” bullshit statements yet, and I was told by my good friend Iz that it does take time for them to get to that part in their relationship because of Patrick (Iz, I get what you meant now), so at least I can look forward to more development (hopefully). Regardless, I wasn’t a big fan of the relationship shift. I thought the two needed more time to become acquainted with each other for their own benefit without the mission and their sexual attraction taking most of the time and space, especially as they spent most of their time together fighting and surviving. The soul binding at the end was also not the best option, in my opinion. It feels a little forced, as if because of that, the two need to figure out how to be together. It’s as if the author didn’t know any other way to put the two together, which in my opinion is lazy writing and lazy structure, so she made the soulbinding their thing. Like, “Hey, our souls are tied together now so we kinda like, have to be together now. But it’s fine cause we’re attracted to each other anyway so it works out!” Um, no. I’m really crossing my fingers for the future installments and can only hope that there will be more tension and relationship development.

However, I will say that I did find myself being a fan of Patrick and the world-building. While others may not care or bother paying attention, world-building is an important part of the fantasy story for me to enjoy it more. It makes the imagination more creative and soothing, as I am a visual reader and like to imagine what I’m reading. So if I have an idea of what the world looks like and can envision it as I’m reading, it’s a plus. Luckily, Hailey excels in that area. The action is also greatly entertaining! From the beginning, the action is non-stop, where Patrick is fighting and trying his best to survive one fight after another. I could easily imagine this story being a tv series or film. I think it’s very smart of the author for what she did. We aren’t told everything by Patrick, and even Jono, but instead we find out little by little about him. There are still things we don’t know about him and his past, but the author teases the reader and hints at what is to come. I find this a smart approach, because it makes me want to continue reading to find out. It happened in this first installment, with how I was asking myself questions as I read: What happened? How did this happen? Who is this? How and why are they related? And as I kept reading, bit by bit of my questions were answered. So honestly, props to the author for that. It makes the story all the more entertaining and captivating, keeping my attention at bay, wanting to find out what is what. While I struggled in other areas, I will admit I wanted to keep reading to continue getting the answers to my questions.

And of course, I did become a fan of Patrick. His no-fucks-given attitude, stubborn personality, and loyal standing were great characteristics for him. I love that he isn’t one to take someone’s bullshit but is also aware of where he stands, his advantages and his disadvantages. He’s a little bit of an enigma, as there is a lot we are still not aware of. Once again, I like the approach the author took with his characterization in sprinkling bits and pieces of his characters but not everything, that way we’re able to continue learning more about him throughout the next stories.

All in all, I really was not the biggest fan of this, and all I can really say I’m excited for is the relationship progression. So yes, I am going to continue with the series, because even if I’m not excited for this, some of you know I am a series completionist and so therefore, I must continue.

[carol. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a QB¹ read, but strangely addicting. I found the combination of ex-military, magic-wielding, NYC, and inclusion of the pantheon of gods downright irresistible. I finished this and went straight (haha) on to the next.

My synopsis, aka what makes this different from everything else I've read: A very damaged² ex-military mage is called in by the locals to consult on a stalled investigation² of what seems to be supernatural serial killings. In the course of the investigation, he runs into one of NY's most powerful seers, who happens to have strong ties to the local Pack.² Solving the crimes will mean facing his own troubled past.²

There is a bit of a rocky start that feels somewhat like a first book. Turner has the tendency to over-explain or re-explain as she builds her world. However, I'll note that there are some readers out there that like Every Single Thing spelled out, so perhaps this technique was in response to those kind of beta readers.³ Once our hero, Pat, came into conflict with a demon and things started popping, I was able to ignore such wordy moments. (Either that, or I used my Super-Skimming Power®.)

I haven't read many (really any) military urban fantasy (excepting Larry Correia), so it was interesting to take the culture and background of someone with that focus and bring it into the UF setting. I probably stay away from that genre because of the machismo and inherent -isms (again, see Correia), but the male-romance eventually softened the testosterone angle.

Action turned out to be an interesting combination of independent-operator and team-operation, which also feels like a nice change in my reading. There's a good combination of questionable allies², as well as definitely-villains, as well as villains-but-on-our-side-now² types, which kept me guessing at how it was all going to play out. Patrick has a complicated backstory that ends up being important.²

The genre tropes and the information-dumps in the beginning really make this a candy-level read. However, the PNR tropes were strangely tolerable for me because they involved a male-male romance, although in this book, I think I'd hesitate to call it 'romance.'


Off-topic commentary follows.

I don't believe I've ever read any male-male romance before, which may or may not say something for my prejudices or predilections. Honestly, it probably does, but what it should mostly say is that I rarely read romance or erotica, and when I do, it's always a sub-plot, and apparently, it takes work to find male-male representation. The interesting thing that I discovered reading this series is that the tropes that drive me batty in normal PNR romance hardly bother me at all in the gay male romance, perhaps because I'm so outside of the norm for the leads that I have nothing to react to?

I'm spit-balling here. So there can be insta-attraction/lurv, there can be over-protective behavior, there can be the obligatory try-to-push-them-away-so-I-don't-hurt-them trope (there's gotta be a short-hand for that one), and I find it eyebrow-raising, but not eye-rolling. If one part of the male couple decides not to tell the other something, well, is that really patriarchal patronizing behavior? Or is is just, you know, emotionally stupid behavior? And what if they each take turns doing it? Neither seemed to be socially/economically 'dominant' (although perhaps one was sexually dominant?), that kind of defangs my trigger-irritation of it as a social more, and just makes it a mild plot-irritation. It was so fascinating to me how little deconstruction it triggered. Speaking of potential eye-rolls, for those who may or may not be comfortable with it, I'll note there are three quite explicit sex scenes, taking it a step or two beyond the normal PNR/UF.

So, definitely up there for quarantine reads. I burned through the next, then gave a few days before I went on to book three and four. On the upside, Turner does seem to be avoiding cliffhanger endings, though there is an overarching plot. It also seems the series is done, 'for now,' which is always a bonus. The romance has turned into a relationship, which I've discovered is kind of sweet, and not at all annoying³. The world-building has continued to enlarge, which I always appreciate.

Overall, I'd say I've definitely found it more interesting than a lot of the female-lead PNR/UF I've given a try (The One With the Graves², The One With the Vampires², The One with the Seer², The One With the Werewolf Beta², The One with the Fae and the Art Gallery², The One with the Vampires in Chicago², The One with the Weather Mages², etc., etc).
Really, probably 2 1/2 stars at the moment on overall quality, but a solid 3.5 on the QB¹ scale. For a better description of pros and cons, please see Elena C.'s review.



¹QuarantineBrain™ You've heard people relapse after recovery, right?

²Trope

³You know, the over-explanation stuff. Maybe I'm not the ideal audience here. I prefer the organic build.

⁴I know, I'm shocked too.


Hey! Guess who decided to use All The Symbols today?

[Alexia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This was an entertaining read that kept me engaged despite a few flaws.

Did I find some characters and interactions frustrating? Absolutely. Were there moments when boredom crept in? Yes, there were. However, by the time I reached the conclusion of the book, the enjoyable moments far outweighed the times I felt irritated or lost interest.

The plot in this story is genuinely captivating; it seizes your attention right from the very first page. The worldbuilding crafted by the author is nothing short of exceptional. She skillfully weaves in a rich tapestry of supernatural creatures alongside a diverse array of gods, creating a vivid and immersive setting. Although the cast of characters is extensive, each one has a certain appeal, which makes it easier to follow their journeys. That said, I believe the story could have benefited from a smaller ensemble to prevent some narrative threads from feeling tedious or overstuffed.

The pacing fluctuates between fast and slow. There are sequences packed with action that keep the adrenaline pumping, yet there were also quieter moments where my mind began to wander, signaling a dip in excitement. I do think the book's overall length could have been reduced; it felt unnecessarily prolonged at times. The presence of the gods added complexity, but this also detracted from my overall enjoyment; I found myself genuinely disliking these characters. This was particularly surprising, as I'd never encountered a story where I felt such aversion towards the deities involved. If it had been up to me, I wouldn't have assisted them in their endeavors, even knowing the potentially dire consequences that might follow due to their insufferable personalities.

Patrick emerged as a compelling protagonist; he balanced a sharp, sarcastic wit with a softer, more vulnerable side that he revealed to those he genuinely cared about. In contrast, Jono felt somewhat average and, unfortunately, didn't leave the impression I had hoped for. While I appreciate his character, I desire to see more depth and development from him in the subsequent books. The chemistry between Patrick and Jono was palpable; their interactions crackled with intensity from the beginning. Although their romantic relationship progressed swiftly, I found the reasoning behind this rapid development believable. Nevertheless, I hope future installments will allow a more gradual exploration of their relationship dynamics.

In conclusion, while this book had imperfections, I genuinely enjoyed the experience of reading it and appreciated the adventure it offered.

[Simone - on indefinite hiatus - · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook: ***4 Stars*** (July 2019)

Gary Furlong rocked Jono's voice. The rest of the characters could have been a bit more distinctive, especially the female voices.

-----------------------------------------------

***4.5 Stars***

Magic, willed out from his tainted soul, spun itself into a pale, glowing blue sphere no bigger than a golf ball. It nestled against the curve of his hand, mostly hidden from sight.

It was one of those phone calls. One of those phone calls you are bound and determined to ignore when you are already halfway out the door and mentally in full-blown vacation-mode, attuned to weeks of umbrella-decorated cocktails, a nice tan and loads of hot sex. But when Special Agent Patrick Collins's boss at the Supernatural Operations Agency aka SOA and guardian for almost his entire life calls and sends you to New York, it is not a 'your mission, should you choose to accept it' call. You accept. Period. Especially when there are higher powers involved - umm, and I don't mean the worldly kind - and you owe them a soul-debt that makes you their good little soldier. This phone call is the reason why Patrick, mage by trade with a military background, ends up knee-deep in dead bodies - or should I say parts of dead bodies? - while dealing with several quite obnoxious and demanding gods, a cult set out for world domination, agents gone rogue and ghosts of the past that should better have stayed dead, culminating in some kind of Ragnarok...

... and all that when Patrick's soul already took a deep hit the last time it happened and he failed spectacularly. But that's not all. Not by a long stretch. Throw some vampires, witches, sorcerers, seers, faes and werecreatures - just to name a few - into the mix and you might get an idea of how much Patrick has his hands full with reconciling the whole bunch of old enemies and new allies, although the enemy/ally part might get mixed up a little.

And then there's Jono... Jonothon de Vere, Alpha werewolf without a pack and with ties to some deities himself, doesn't fall exactly under Patrick's favorite species, but something about him makes Patrick feel magically - no pun intended - attracted to this guy. Jono seems to understand Patrick's lonely soul - and vice versa - and wondrously doesn't care about his damaged soul and tainted magic, so when the immortals set their mind on both guys not leaving each other's side, their connection deepens gradually and both men form a special bond, boosted by magic.

Lordy! Once again I'm doffing my metaphorical hat to Hailey Turner's power of imagination! It's been a year and a half - almost to a day - that I discovered her Metahuman Files series and became one of its biggest fans since. But I'm honest here, so when I heard that the author's next series would be Urban Fantasy I gulped, winced and cringed a little because even if I'm all in for some hot superheroes, I'm still more of a down-to-earth kind of girl and fantasy is usually not my thing. But when Hailey writes it I'll read it and boy, was I wrong! I loved the world she created here with magic being a part of the everyday life, a healthy dose of mythology and gods living among mortals, running around in jeans and T-shirts. And with Patrick and Jono she brought two flawed and damaged characters to life whose complexity enfolded bit by bit and I'm sure there are some layers I still have to peel away. Contrary to the Metahumans it's not an already established team who has to save the world, more like a crowd of unlike allies cobbled together by a mutual cause, but I have a feeling just like between Patrick and Jono, their bond will deepen over time and we will get to see more of these guys. The story is plot-driven with action scenes and underlying tension - umm, there's a lot going on, like a lot, and we are talking about only a week here - and a romantic subplot that will surely develop over the course of the series. The sex - albeit not quite as long and frequent as in the Methuman Files - was hot, sweet and sensual.

So why not 5 stars? It took me a bit to get into it. I mean, I love me a detailed worldbuilding, but at the beginning it was quite the info dump. So many agencies and names were introduced and background stories only addressed with a lot of hints and insinuations that my old muddled brain needed some time to adjust and process what was going on here. I had to turn back a few times when I scratched my head and asked myself 'who was that again?', sure I've read the name before and that pulled me a bit out of the story. For all those with the same issues, there's a detailed index at the end of the book, I just realized it a tad too late.

I absolutely loved the second half, though, and since there are quite a few unsolved threads, I can't wait to see where this is going. Soooo, Hailey... please write faster! ;-)

Highly recommended for all die-hard and aspiring fans of urban fantasy!

***ARC generously provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!***

[Youssra (semi ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

audio: 5 stars (Gary furlong's English accent oml)
plot: 3.75 stars

So I just got roped into a 7 book series🤡🤡
Happy to announce I won't be disowned because I actually really liked this🤧 Kinda wanted to hate it because my sister forced it upon me and it's a 7 book series, but I have to be honest with myself😭

This is an MM urban fantasy with the military, Greek gods, magic, vampires, were-creatures, demons and everything in between. There's a murder mystery element which is ultimately part of a much larger plot with secrets and betrayals and lotssss of action!

what I liked
- JONO JONO JONO JONO. This delicious English werewolf ahhh I loved every single thing about him!!!
- Hermes. He was so funny and sassy.
- Lucien the vampire🥵 even though he had like 3 scenes, he was so charismatic and yummy.
- the diversity in the characters; you have characters from several different nationalities it was actually refreshing to see.
- the plot was super fun and has so much potential in the coming books
-medium to low spice I would say; it wasn't at all overpowering.
- the romance between Jono and Patrick was cute, but really insta-lusty (I would be insta-lusty if Jono was in my sights to be fair)

what I didn't like
- the worldbuilding was good but a little bit info dumpy.
- SO MANY CHARACTERS!! It was a little bit hard to keep up with all of them.
-Patrick, the mmc, was kind of annoying. He has this tortured past, and like I get it, but he comes off as an emo boy intent on doing whatever the hell he wants and always putting himself in danger😅 It's admirable yes, but can get irritating when done too many times.

Will def continue the series I'm in it now unfortunately🤧

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
My sister recommended forced me to read this book to me. She says it's great and I'll love it she will disown me if I hate it 😃 layla

[Drusilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I would give 10 stars if I could, because who likes to settle for just 5 stars.
Since I started reading gay romance, this is probably the first book that had everything I used to read, back when I wasn't so fixated on romance and the fantasy part of books was important to me. When I was desperately looking for books that didn't read like a copy of Tolkien, sort of epic but with a touch of lightness so you weren't completely overwhelmed.
This isn't a Malazan epic, luckily for me, but reading this book feels like when I was completely blown away by the first Malazan book. I actually missed that feeling and am wondering why I've been settling for so much less for years.

The writing style alone is wonderful, somehow this tickles synapses in my head that are usually just bored:
Immortals hadn’t earned his trust, the same way he hadn’t earned their faith. That enmity wouldn’t change the fact that the immortals siding with all the heavens had endeavored to blackmail him into a soul debt when he was a child and didn’t know what he was agreeing to. They’d done so in order to use him as a weapon in a war his family had started, but which Patrick wanted no part of, even now. 🤩

As for the plot ... wow, I'm so hooked. This all isn't small stuff, and the first two chapters I just thought " whaaaat?" so no idea what I was supposed to understand here, but then chapter three happened and I couldn't put the book down. There are so many things happening and so many different players involved. But I felt extremely comfortable, it wasn't too much, like I said, maybe you can call it a "light fantasy epic". Or you can leave it alone, it doesn't have to fit into a box.
“Do what you have to do. Just make sure the City is still standing at the end.” Considering the ruins that parts of Cairo ended up in, as well as other cities in the Middle East, it was a reasonable request. Patrick just wasn’t sure he could meet it. 🤭🤭🤭

Now in terms of romance, or whatever you want to call it here, it's not really romantic between Patrick and Jono, but it's sizzling and it's clear that it's going to drag on indefinitely, but it's just wonderful how it starts:
The third was a man Patrick couldn’t bring himself to look away from, desire uncoiling in his gut with a sudden spike of heat. Fuck me, he thought only a little desperately. Please. 🔥🫠🔥

One big, warm hand slipped beneath his underwear, and Patrick arched into the touch shamelessly, letting his head thunk against the wall with a moan. “Fucking hell, just get me off right here.” 🔥🫠🔥

So, that was book one of seven and that's a real problem for me now, because unlike before, I'm incapable of reading series in one go. I don't want to know how long it will take me to read the second book despite my enthusiasm, and even if I've already bought it anyway.

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is no secret that I am a big fan of Hailey Turner's "Metahuman" series. I fell deeply in love with the characters from that series, especially Kyle and Alexei...they were awesome. So when I found out she was releasing a new "Urban Fantasy" series, I was all in !!



Now I have got to be honest here and confess, that I don't exactly know, which of the books I have read, fall under the "Urban Fantasy" genre. I just know, that I love reading PNR and that I have definitely read my fair share of those, either MM or MF. I am also a big fan of magic, so I figured BRING IT ON :P

She definitely brought it !! This book is full of all sorts of creatures... There are Gods, witches, vampires, shifters, mages ...you name it and they are in it.



I absolutely loved the world-building in this one, which I think is very important, especially when it comes to a fantasy book, but... I have got to admit, that I felt a bit lost at times.

There was just a lot of information to process, which is to be expected, because this is the first book in a series. Now, it's not the book nor the author's fault, that I had to go back and re-read certain parts. This is mostly because English is not my first language. My English might be good, but it's not perfect by any means.



That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it though, it just took me a bit longer to read, which ...wasn't such a bad thing :P

Now I won't go into the whole plot, because don't want to spoiler anything, but also because I wouldn't be able to explain everything properly. This is one you just have to experience for yourself... at least I think you should !!

I got sucked into the story from the very first page, which is also the exact page I fell in love with Patrick <3



Patrick is a mage and he works for the Supernatural Operations Agency (SOA for short). All he wanted was to go on vacation....sucks to be him !!

The romance in the story took a bit of a backseat, but I myself didn't mind one bit. That said, I do hope we get a bit more "Patrick and Jono" time in the second book, because they were HOT together. I also want to give some extra credit to all the other characters in this book, who made this story so interesting.

Highly recommended ;)

My reviews are posted on DirtyBooksObsession

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[Nataliya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh dear. A part of me loved so much about this book. A part of me was terribly annoyed by it. Which part won, you ask? Well, I’m starting the second book now, so that’s your answer.

Let’s start with the good, shall we? This book is just so much fun!

“Patrick had a tendency to put out fires with gasoline.”

It takes the staples of the Urban Fantasy genre and tosses them all together and somehow makes the resultant mix a vibrant and fascinating mishmash and not just a trope casserole.

This is a world chock-full of paranormal preternatural things — all in the open, as part of society. There are military mages, and basically magical FBI, and sorcerers, and witches, and vampires, and werewolves were creatures (regular and god-pack variety), and all kinds of gods (Greek variety included) immortals, and succubi, and Thirty-Day magical war in the Middle East, and god-hunting sects, and Seers, and soul-taking demons, and Fates, and lasting magical soul-wounds. There is a string of brutal ritualistic murders in Manhattan. There are complicated backstories that are managed well, and contracts with gods that by all legal means should be null and void and not legally enforceable — but you can tell it to gods yourself:

“We are not ones to cast aside a weapon when we find one,” Hera replied coolly.
“Takes a real shitty person to think a child should be turned into a weapon.”

And all this jumble somehow works, creating a world that I can see working more or less plausibly. And it manages to feel fresh and fun and engaging.

Our protagonist Patrick is a former military Mage, crippled by a soul wound which limits his magic use, and traumatized by his prior war experiences, and now in a kind of magical FBI organization. He also seems to be a designated go-to guy when immortals and Fates need things done and murders solved and end of the world prevented, while having managed to seriously piss off pretty much everyone important in the preternatural world.

“Taking a deep breath, Patrick reined in his anger as much as he could, but he’d never reacted well to orders given by gods.
They always ended up fucking him over, and not in the good way.”

By the magic of plot requirements he is paired with a lone werecreature Jono, and sparks fly and pants are off and fun times are definitely had by the parties involved. Graphically, yes, but *not* brain-bleachingly so, which is fine by me.

Although the extreme possessiveness could have been dialed down a notch or ten.

——————————

And now, inevitably, the bad. The annoying Big Bad which is the lack of proper editing. Because, while having a great story to tell, Turner tends to overexplain and weigh it down with clunky and unnecessary details. Like the color of clothes, over and over again. Like specifying how many 200-mg tablets of Tylenol Patrick takes. Like specifying “Chukka boots” where just “boots” would do. Like writing down every single word said in a phone call when a one-line summary would suffice.

With a proper editor, the following lengthy paragraph full of unnecessary details that stop the story dead in its tracks would have been a simple: “They grabbed some food and drinks”, and not this, well, *this* (hidden under spoiler tag because I don’t even want to see its pointlessness here):

“Whaddya want?” she asked.
“Large coffee with two shots of espresso and an everything bagel,” Patrick said. He looked over his shoulder at Jono. “What do you want?”
“Double espresso and two chocolate croissants.”
The woman punched in his order on the screen. “For here or to go?”
Patrick dug out his wallet. “For here, but make the drinks to go.”
He paid with his card, getting an emailed receipt for reimbursement purposes, then stepped aside to wait for their order. When it came, their drinks were in paper to-go cups, though they’d served Jono’s free shot of sparkling water to go with his espresso as a palate cleanser in a small glass. Their food was in small plastic baskets, and they carried everything over to the empty table in the corner.”

Or this passage, which could have been summarized as: “Patrick used the bathroom”. Or even better, omitted altogether because it adds exactly nothing to the story or the scene. It’s a book, not a diary.

“Patrick looked over his shoulder at the large porta potty someone had hauled in. Walking on unsteady legs, he went to use it. The thing smelled like a sewer, but Patrick didn’t care. He closed the door, undid his jeans, and aimed his dick at the dirty urinal until the pressure on his bladder eased.
At least Victoria didn’t give me a catheter, he thought to himself. He fucking hated those things.
When Patrick finished, he washed his hands in the tiny plastic sink near the door. No paper towels were in the dispenser, so Patrick wiped his hands on his jeans before leaving.”

—————————

Luckily these editing-poor moments do not overpower the story which remains engaging and fun and somehow, despite a fair share of tropes, still fresh. The narrative tension stays decent and characterization is not half bad.

So yeah, I still liked it a lot, despite the flaws. It has the potential to become an addictive series.

3.5 stars. Let’s see how the next book shakes out.
———————

carol’s QuarantineBrain review both warned and intrigued me and helped me find this story.

——————
Also posted on my blog.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting another re-read ready for the new release in 2 days 🤗🤗🤗

Re-read 8th - 10th September 2019.

Just as good third time round.

Re-read 21st - 23rd March 2019

Figured I’d best do a re-read before starting the new one.

Original review.

If it wasn’t for the fact that I’d irritate myself with my corniness I’d refer to this book as spellbinding.

Usually it takes me a chapter or two to settle into a book. To get a feel for it and see if I’m going to like it. This hooked me immediately. Which was surprising in a way because this is a first in series and it comes with a ton of information. And I do mean a ton. We have a world where magic is prevalent. This comes with witches, mages, vampires, soul eaters, werewolves etc.
Then there’s variations within each group.

All magic users were taught according to what their magic had an affinity for. Some practitioners handled the elements. Other practitioners healed. Still others tried to raise and enslave the dead...

Patrick Collins works for the SOA (Supernatural Operations Agency). Patrick is a mage (a combat mage) on his way to Maui. He’s actually at the airport when he makes the mistake of answering his phone.
So Special Agent Patrick Collins finds himself in New York City. Trying to solve a series of murders. The bodies are mutilated with astrological signs sliced into the eyelids.

Yes this is a very different world that’s been created here and I loved it.

Patrick has a troubled past, he has more baggage than any one person should ever have to carry.

I loved this book. The world building, the characters and of course the romance. I do love a hot muscled werewolf and Jonothon is delicious . This book is fast paced in fact there’s never a dull moment.

I can’t wait for the next one.

I very rarely give 5* but this book held me completely captivated from the first page to the last.

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️&#x1f3a7;&#x1f4da; Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio – 5 + Stars! I really enjoyed Gary Furlong’s performance. Not only does he give Jono a British accent to die for, he also does a great job with the New York accent he gives Casale. Yum! Too bad Patrick's character didn't call for an Irish Brogue..lol (that's me being greedy)

Story – 5 + Overwhelming but I loved it Stars!

I can’t even begin to review a book like this. Kudos to my GR friends who were able to.

All I have to say is, I read Hailey Turner books because I know I can count on tons of suspenseful action, an amazing DIVERSE cast of characters, incredible world building, a swoon-worthy couple and hawt AF sex scenes. Oh, and she has the smarts to cast the right narrator to bring her stories to life. As an audio addict, I can’t say thank you enough for that!!

On a side note: Am I the only one who fell a little in love/lust with Lucien?

[Cæsar Eanraig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining!!

I like supernatural worlds, I enjoyed this book, the plot is interesting, no pauses, a lot of characters, action scenes were fantastic, and steamy hot sex scenes! Congratulations to Hailey Turner!!!

Everything is very detailed, I was thrilled most of the time! The story didn't finished, it let me curious!

I also have this book on audible, Gary Furlong has a really beautiful voice and he was fulled committed which I appreciate, the acting was on point, kudos!!!

5⭐️

[Len Evans Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just perfection from start to finish!

Awesome book populated by wonderfully flawed characters with the perfect balance of action and romance! Full review tomorrow! Highly recommend it to all that love sexy paranormal stories!

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whisper it quietly but I think Hailey's written another amazing pair of lovers who might have just kicked Alexei and Sean to the curb in my list of favourites (but please don't let the Russian pyrotechnic know okay?!).

I am absolutely head over heels for Patrick and Jono, both individually and as a partnership. Patrick is every thing I love in a flawed hero, both metaphorically and literally as his magic has been damaged beyond repair when first we meet him.

Jono is a British boy, and every time he spoke, visions of North Laandon (that's the accent I hear) fluttered through my head, bringing with them the sounds of the city.

The world building in this book is beyond brilliant, the mythology of the Greek Pantheon is seamlessly merged with that of the Norse Gods, and with the folklore of West African, Egyptian and European cultures.

In terms of the plot, it's fast paced, complex, at times sets the heart racing and at others makes you melt and at the centre is a new group of characters I know I'm going to love just as desperately as the Alpha Team in Hailey's Metahuman Files series.

I'm not giving away anything plotwise because I'm not spoiling it, but this is everything I want in the opener of a new series. The romance is present but doesn't overtake the urban fantasy, and the fantasy is firmly rooted into the "real world".

There's good guys to root for and bad guys you want to see wiped off the face of the Earth and a bunch of brilliant secondary characters I want to know more about.

Now, I know this book isn't even out yet, but when can I have the rest please?!

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

All fangirling is my own work because I am such a mythology nerd.

[Dia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's my first book by this author and the first book in this series. I enjoyed the suspense and the world building even if paranormal is not my favorite. Now I really want to try The Metahumans series by this author. For some reason I postponed it.

I'll give this one 4 stars because it was intense and full of action. But it was exhausting to read. For me. As much as I loved the couple, there are SO many secondary characters. My head was spinning! And I am sorry to say this but I think it could have been shorter. I wouldn't have minded. So many creatures, vampires, gods, immortals... I really think you have to have patience with this one. The story is revealed slowly. In the end we get some missing pieces that help us better understand the main characters. But honestly, I would have preferred more hot scenes. This book is full of action and suspense, but not much romance. I don't know what I feel about the forced bond between them. I suppose we will get more relationship angst in the second book.
This doesn't end in a cliffhanger and maybe I'll give the second book a try.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ????

I am really conflicted on how to rate this one. As much as I liked the story itself, there was so much world building thrown at you, I was utterly lost. It was even more difficult because I was listening to the audiobook, and I had no idea there was an index. I eventually switched over to the book and found the index which did make things a little easier.

I did enjoy Gary Furlong as the narrator, his voice for the main characters, especially Jono, was perfect. I did, however, find it difficult when he had to voice a female character. He really didn’t change his voice much and I had to pay attention to figure out who was talking.

So after all my complaining, why did I rate it 4 stars? The story is really good, if you can figure out who is who and all the lingo. There is plenty of action and it does deal with the supernatural. I will continue with the series, now that I kind of know what’s going on

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is such a crazy mix of mythologies and magic going on in this book that I have no desire to explain it. It was fun and super fast paced with the focus on magic fighting more than the romance. If you like to go to the soda machine and pour a little of each flavor in there, this is for you.


I can guarantee that the book is better than this atrocity.

[Shin Mon Thway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to read a lot of mainstream urban fantasy books and they are one of my favorite genres. I love them because they are creative, wild, imaginative, magical and oh-so-fun. 😋 So I’m very pleasantly surprised when I found out Hailey Turner is writing one. And ding-ding-ding, I was on cloud nine when I found out again that Gary Furlong is going to do the narration of this book because we all know he’s my very favorite narrator. 😁🥰 And all in all, this book met all my expectations. 😌


In the fascinating and magical world Hailey Turner beautifully created, werewolves, vampires, mages, deities and all the other magical beings you can possibly think of co-exist together with humans. And Patrick is an SOA Agent who handles all thing supernatural related and dangerous. And now he’s being sent to New York City to handle the mysterious murders which so cruelly and frighteningly eviscerate it’s victims. And the Dominion Sect is on the rise again on their quest to capture a god and use their powers for black magic. And the local werewolves and the seer on call isn’t being very cooperative. The only good thing out of this entangled mess is Jono, the packless Godpack Alpha from England, who was exiled to America. But if Patrick doesn’t act fast, he might lose Jono and possibly even his own life to the evil and ugly magic of Dominon Sect and the ruthless gods who are holding his soul and puppeteering him to their wills.


This book is near perfect except for one thing. I didn’t realize there was a glossary before I started listening to it. I’m sure if I read this instead of listening to it, it would have been mentioned. But since I had no idea there was a glossary, I was seriously lost for like first two hours because I couldn’t figure out who, why, where or when. 😅 I think it should have been mentioned at the beginning of the audio as a side note that there’s a glossary. That being said, when I finally caught up, the whole story started to make sense. 😁 And my, what a fascinating and intriguing story with its vast and enormous world-building, interesting and attractive characters and a lovely romance weaved in it. 💙 I mean who doesn’t love a mage and a powerful werewolf shacking up because I seriously did. 😉 And needless to say, Gary Furlong’s narration was simply flawless and beautiful. 👏 Couldn’t get enough. 🥰 I will say though, this is not exactly romance focused and read more like mainstream urban fantasies with its evil, malicious evils, unforgiving and manipulative gods and a healthy dose of mystery, thriller thing. Loved it and will be waiting for the day second book in the series came out as an audio. 😌 Highly recommended if you are a fantasy fan like me. 😉



4.25 Soulbound and mated for life stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨







Audio rating

Story - 3.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
Narration - 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Performance - 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall - 4.25 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨











Disclaimer: An audio copy of this book was provided by the author via LesCourt services for an honest and unbiased review.

[Snjez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked Patrick and Jono. Both are great characters and the highlight of this story for me. Loved everything about them.

The reason I'm not giving this book a higher rating is the story itself. The plot wasn't original in any way and there were too many supernatural creatures thrown in for all of them to be meaningful. It just felt like a mix of many urban fantasy books that I've read before.

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Actually Not So Bad*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

Look, I read in a review somewhere that this book had a possessive alpha male in it and I just needed an alpha male. A possessive alpha. And that was enough to change my mind about reading this one after all.. Did I make the right choice? Well... I'm have to be honest and say that I was pleasantly surprised. I actually liked it. Sure, it wasn't great, but it was enjoyable and had a plot line with cool characters. My problem however was that there was a lot of characters and it was hard to keep remembering who was who and what and where. In order to keep up I had to make a long character list with tons of information about what's going on.

That said, the book had huge potential, with action and reminded me of Kate Daniels series just with M/M, which I love. I didn't like though, that the "relationship" between the two main character was so quick to make. There was no frustration and build up there. I wanted more depth, and I wanted more possessiveness, protectiveness and more dominance, even though there were some. I just wanted more. That said, I liked it, and I'm glad I decided to read the book after all. One to the next one.

Characters & Information/Spoilers:
The list is long so I've put it in a spoilers tag.
→ Patrick ‘Pat’ ‘Pattycakes’ Collins (29?), a special agent for the Supernatural Operations Agency: SOA (DC office). He was nine years as a combat mage in the Mage Corps under the direction of the US Department of the Preternatural. The SOA, a National Intelligence Service under the supervision of the Department of Defense, had immediately recruited him when he left the Corps, which is where he's worked for three years. Which meant Patrick continued doing what he’d been trained to do in the military, just on domestic soil rather than foreign, with a little less ordnance thrown into the mix. Being assigned to the Rapid Response Division within the SOA meant Patrick never got the easy jobs. Patrick’d survived a premeditated attack and still carried the scars—physical, mental, magical—from when he was a child and a demon nearly clawed out his heart. His ability to track and kill demons and monsters with ties to the preternatural world was a side effect of that childhood trauma. That little quirk in his magic had made him an asset to the Mage Corps and was the reason he had been assigned to a Special Operations Forces team. His hunting skills meant the Hellraisers’ mission success rate looked good on paper.
→ Jonothon ‘Jono’ de Vere (30), a werewolf in a werewolves-god pack. European god pack in New York City? The god pack alpha. Got infected when he was seventeen: bad blood transfusion at a hospital after a car accident on the M1 while coming back from hols. The mistake shouldn’t have happened. When Marek showed up in London three years ago with a job offer to manage his friends’ bar, Jono didn’t say no. When he left, the London god pack exiled him. The New York City god pack wanted nothing to do with him. The Fates/Marek won't let the god pack run him out of town, even if even if Estelle and Youssef wish him gone. He's an independent werecreatures: people who either hadn’t found the right fit in a pack yet, or they’d been exiled from ones who wanted nothing to do with them anymore. Independents were the least powerful in any territory werecreatures held beneath the watchful eyes of their local god pack. It was a lonely sort of existence. Jono, a god pack alpha, had yet to form his own pack when his instincts had to be screaming at him to do so. There are very few god packs in existence who are truly guided by the patrons their kind once worshipped. Jono is one of those of the god that resonates in his soul: the immortal, Fenrir. He guides Jono: he'd his pack if Jono had one.
→ Supernatural Operations Agency Director Setsuna Abuku (51), Patrick’s former childhood guardian (for 9 years - she cared for him but had never seemed to care about him) and current boss. A witch.
→ SOA Special Agent in Charge Rachel Andrita at the New York office (SAIC). A witch. Setsuna believe that Rachel belongs to the Dominion Sect: had gone by many names throughout the centuries, but their number one priority always remained the same: the subjugation of the gods and removal of the veil between worlds. Rogue magic users of every creed who belonged to the shadowy group all lived double lives, as did their many human followers. Ferreting any of them out was difficult. The higher-ups rarely made mistakes, but when they did, those mistakes were brutal for everyone involved.
→ Clara Patterson, Patrick’s mother who had never really known the true nature of the family she married into, which cost her her life when Patrick was eight years old and Ethan Greene had murdered her. She was a witch, a healer, who belonged to the Salem Coven: they were one of the oldest covens in the country and the most powerful, a tight-knit group of extended family. Ethan was a former SOA special agent. Ethan is Patrick's father by blood and is the reason Patrick owe a soul debt to the immortals. He can break any spell Ethan creates because of that connection. Hannah Greene, Patrick's twin sister, had disappeared, a missing person presumed dead and relegated to a cold case that still haunted the detectives who’d covered the crime. At the time, the sacrificial murder of a loving mother and the assumed deaths of her twin eight-year-old children had rocked Salem’s magical community to its core. Ethan, the prime murder suspect, had gone on the run and disappeared, only to show up years later on grainy CCTV footage in Europe, making a new life as a mercenary. Over the years, every shred of evidence that proved Ethan was alive had never confirmed the same fate for Hannah. As for Patrick: the sins of the father were owed by the son in the eyes of the immortals. However the truth about Hannah was the Ethan used her soul for magic and is now a broken soul that somehow carried the power of an immortal.
→ Giovanni Casale, the PCB’s Chief of Preternatural Crimes (New York). His son, Tyler Casale a sorcerer in charge of protecting Marek during the case Patrick is working on - courtesy of the Crescent Coven.
→ Angelina, Casale's wife who's a priestess in a coven here in Manhattan.
→ Detective Specialists (NYPD) Allison Ramirez and Dwayne Guthrie, they’re the lead on the case Patrick got in the beginning of the book and reports directly to Casale.
→ Marek Taylor, one of the United States’ few true god-touched seers and the company PreterWorld's owner and founder. Young (late 20s), as most tech entrepreneurs were, and stupidly rich after the IPO went public. PreterWorld was the largest tech company originally catering to the social media habits of those born with magic or who belonged to the preternatural world and weren’t shy about sharing their identities. The social media platform, which incorporated status updates, photos, and video on a feed, initially had a cultlike following before more and more mundane users began wanting access. Part of the Tempest pack.
→ Leon Hernandez, a werecreature of the Tempest pack who owns Tempest in Manhattan, a local werecreature spot with Emma ‘Em’ Zhang, alpha and co-leader of Tempest pack (under the protection of the god pack) with Leon.
→ Isadora Cirillo, Manhattan’s most powerful high priestess witch of an old coven. Her husband, Malcolm Cirillo, is missing. Is an immortal: Hera, the titular queen of the Greek gods and her husband is Zeus, the king of the Greek gods.
→ Brianna, Setsuna’s executive assistant in DC.
→ Hermes, an immortal: the messenger god.
→ Sage Beacot, Marek's partner and a lawyer, specifically his. A senior associate at Gentry & Thyme. She's a werecreature (weretiger) but works for the fae.
→ Nicholas Kavanaugh, the god pack’s dire, essentially a rank held by a loyal pack member who enforced their alphas’ orders, was a traditional role usually filled by arseholes in Jono’s experience.
→ Estelle Walker (35), a born god pack werewolf, and her husband of five years (though the pair of them had been together for several years before that) Youssef Khan (40), the alphas of the god pack in New York: they’d fought to take over the god pack six years ago in a challenge and were successful—but the pair had affection for each other. Caring for each other didn’t mean they cared about the packs under their guardianship.
→ Lucien (1000), one of the world’s most notorious vampires and leader of Night Court. Hates Patrick. Lucien was still riding high on everyone’s Top Ten Most Wanted Lists, no matter what name he went by.
→ Carmen, a succubus, and the favored lover to a vampire, any attack against Carmen was an attack against Lucien.
→ Einar, undead, the sucking emptiness where a soul once resided in human flesh, vampire. Carmen’s protection.
→ Ashanti, Lucien's mother. As one of the first immortals and a goddess in her own right, Ashanti’s rare ability to walk in sunlight and not be burned to ashes had manifested itself in only a handful of her direct descendants. Ashanti had always been fiercely loved by her children. Most people didn’t know the mother of all vampires was dead. Patrick hadn’t been able to save her, and Lucien would always, always blame Patrick for his mother’s death.
→ Naheed, a human, a willing feeder to vampires. She was Lucien’s favorite meal, had been ever since Patrick first met her years ago.
→ Skuld, an immortal who uses Marek.
→ Special Agent Nadine Mulroney of the Preternatural Intelligence Agency. Nadine was Setsuna’s second call-in to help Patrick with the case in NY. She’d joined the Mage Corps when she was nearly twenty-two after earning a degree in political science at the Paris Institute of Political Studies in three years. She was a few years older than Patrick but had earned the same sort of honorable discharge he had after the Thirty-Day War. Instead of transitioning into civilian life, Nadine had joined the PIA and opted to return to her adoptive country. She was based out of Paris now, working counterintelligence cases in Europe. Nadine was a combat mage whose magic leaned toward defensive rather than offensive. The shields she could build with her own magic while tapped into a ley line were nearly impenetrable. Patrick's friend.
→ Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld. His daughter, Macaria: Ethan stole her godhead. Macaria’s godhead had been transferred into Hannah’s soul instead of Ethan’s, and his twin was now forever bound to their father. The feedback loop between their souls and the siphoning off of her power to Dominion Sect acolytes kept Hannah’s body from dying. As for Macaria, she wasn’t dead and gone, but she might as well be in the eyes of the Greek pantheon.
→ Zachary Myers, a mage. Works for Ethan.
→ Victoria Alvarez, a healer, an RN witch at Mount Sinai.
→ Irena, one of Lucien's vampires, the youngest vampire he’d turned. Her age hadn’t stopped her from becoming one of his cruelest. Lucien had pulled Irena out of a sex-trafficking ring in Eastern Europe decades ago.
→ Persephone, the Greek goddess and queen of the Underworld who owned Patrick's soul debt: she’d saved him from dying beneath his father’s hands all those years ago. Hades's wife.
→ SOA Deputy Director Priya Kohli, a powerful mage with an affinity for defensive magic.
→ Captain Gerard ‘Smooth Dog’ Breckenridge, Patrick's old team captain. Commanding officer of the Hellraisers. Sergeant Keith Pearson, the team’s demolitions specialist.
→ Spencer Bailey, a mage whose magic was technically classified in the family of necromancy, but the government had issued him a pardon to live when he was a child. Spencer was a soulbreaker, but he used his magic to exorcise demons and send the dead to rest; he didn’t raise them.
→ Henry Ng, the new SAIC after Rachel's betrayal and capture.

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Urban Romance (M/M).
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - HFN.
Favorite character? - Jonothon ‘Jono’ de Vere.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Sure.
Will I read this again in the future? - Unsure.
Rating - 3.5/3 *surprised* stars.

[Corina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A Ferry of Bones & Gold is my first book by this author but it won't be my last - I actually DEVOURED book 1 and 2  - and didn't want to leave the house at all this weekend. That's a fantastic sign if you ask me.

If you love UF, if you love MM, and if you loved Kate Daniels you'll love this series.

There was NOTHING I didn't enjoy about this book. Mainly because it had everything I love about a great UF series. A fantastic main couple that I could cheer on, lots of action, a great supporting cast, mythology, gods, and lots of different creatures. There were werewolves, witches, vampires and GODS. And most of all I adored the main couple, Patrick and Jono. Also the plot was right up my alley. Interfering gods are since Kate Daniels Magic Bites a plot that I can't get enough of.

Patrick and Jono are a fantastic couple.

Both are dominant in their own way. Patrick, a mage specializing in offense magic, and who was part of the Mage Corps for years, is now, after a soul wound being relegated to domestic cases. Jono, a british independent alpha werewolf, wishing for his own pack and now bar manager, meets Patrick at a pivotal point in his life. Both are in need of someone to fill the loneliness in their hearts.

Nothing is coincidence in this book. There are so many strings that are being tweaked and moved, to align just right when needed. I loved the machinations, and the many twists and turns that are such a big part of this book.

I also loved the action. The story was packed to the roof with well plotted action scenes. It reminded me so much of Kate Daniels. Also the never ending interference by the gods was something I enjoyed immensely. And of course the always important balance between good and evil.

In all honesty this book (and now series) gave me a bit of a book hangover that's how much I enjoyed the first two books. Ever since I found Kate Daniels, I'm looking for similar books. I never thought I would find what I love about KD in an MM UF series. And best news of all, book 3 A Crown of Iron & Silver is coming out on September 10th.

It's also seldom that I want to read an author's backlog, but I'll be checking out this author's Metahuman Files Series In the Wreckage asap. I'm excited to have found a new author and a new series to obsess about.

[Kaity]

10th Reread/Relisten: December 2025

A nice way to spend the holidays with my favorite found family! I will be slowly making my way through these books because they are just a nice warm hug to come back to!

9th Reread/Relisten: June 2024

Sorry not sorry 😂😂

Hoping this reread/relisten of the series will get me out of my reading funk haha. It’s just a bonus that it’ll get me more excited for Wade’s book in a few months! Haha

8th Reread/Relisten: February 2024

soooo.. it's not hard to guess by now that this is one of my all-time favorite series.

Because there are a little less than 7 months before Wade's book this for sure won't be the last reread/relisten I do of this series lol

7th Reread/Relisten: August31st/September 1st 2023

Yes okay i get it 7th reread is a lot, but do i care? no haha! i love this series, and these characters, and the audiobooks haha

I am also gearing up for Spencer's book that is coming out September 7th so you best believe i am rereading this series in preparation! Yes i know his book is a standalone, but any excuse to be back with all these characters i will take! haha

6th Reread/Relisten: January 2023

I took a year off reading this series and man oh man i remember why i love it so! What a ride you get when reading this series and i can't wait to start the year with this group!

5th reread: December 2021

Just look away… haha I am not obsessed with this series…Jk I am. I love this series and can’t wait to celebrate the holidays with this cast of characters!

4th Reread/relisten: September 2021

I am bumping this rating up to a 5 stars, something about this read was sooo much more enjoyable I love this series with a passion and am sad but excited for the last book to come out at the end of this week. I am rereading this whole series to gear up for the last book.

I am so impressed by the world building Hailey Turner does for this series and her Metahuman series. You become so engrossed in it, it is hard to remember that these characters aren't real.

I am going to really miss this series when it is all done, but as you can tell I love to reread books so this will be a definite go to read for me.

3rd Reread/Relisten: June 2021

I love Jono and the accent that Gary Furlong does for him mmm *chefs kiss*

I do wish that the voices for the other characters were more distinguishable, other than that still love this book and look forward for Wade 🥰

2nd Reread/Relisten: Rating 3.5-4 stars: March 2021

Honestly I don't think I was in the right head space for this book buuuuut I really enjoyed it the second time, i listened to it on Audio and that made the experience so much better to be honest.

I think it also helped that I really liked Hailey Turners Metahuman series a lot that i got used to her writing style.

Overall cannot wait to continue haha

1st Rating 2.5 stars.- September 2020

the pacing of the book was off to me. I also was losing interest at the end that I ended up skimming and DNF'ing at 85%....

Soooo this was not for me.

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a lot of feelings about this book. Most of them good. Some, not so much.

First the good. I loved the concept of the story and it was really good to see an actual urban fantasy that also includes a m/m romance. I loved Patrick and Jono and thought they were great together. They had a ton of chemistry and were smoking hot in the smexy scenes. Their relationship is fated mates kind of thing which I love. It's one of my favorite tropes so that was a giant win for me. I also really liked all of the side characters. There were a lot of them but they all added to the story.

Now the bad. What on earth did the copy editor actually do? Not his/her job, because this was so clunky and messy in places. So, So much info dumping. So much information told to the reader over and over and over. Yes, I know Patrick has a soul injury. You've told me 399x now (ok, slight exaggeration). The world building was also very clunky. It was dispersed in random places and didn't always make sense. The author held back info the reader needed until the end while simultaneously giving out too much information in other places. The book was way too long. It could have easily been cut down by 50-75 pages. So much pointless stuff like the telephone call from an old friend at the end. Zero reason for the scene to be there (and the reader doesn't need to know every line of a conversation). Look, we're at the end. It's time for the book to be wrapped up. I as a reader am ready to move on to another book and yet here the author is, just throwing in random, pointless scenes. There was way too much of it is this book. This type of stuff happened too many times and by the end I was super annoyed.

I actually read the notes in the back cuz I was sure this had been self pubbed w no editor. Then I saw how she had all these beta readers (which doesn't do any good if they're the author's friends and they're going to only give you good feedback) but apparently there was an editor. An expensive one too according to their website. I don't even know what to say about that (Ok, I do, but I'm going to refrain).

So....this had the potential to be an excellent book. There were a lot of good things about it. Things I really, really liked. The lower rating though is due to the abysmal editing. I liked it enough to read the next one. I do recommend it. Just be prepared to skim in places.

[Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This book was so up my tree, I can't even tell ya. Loved it!



----------------------------------------------------
Woot!!! Thank you Impatient Elf!!!! I can't WAIT to read this! <3

[Gerbera_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

05/29/2025 reread

08/04/2024 reread

06/04/2023 reread

10/15/2022 reread

8/13/2021 reread. Wow, it's been almost 3 years since I read it first time. It was good and I enjoyed it.

All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine.

Socrates

Ms Turner has done it again. She brought new world and new magic into our lives. I would venture a guess that this is the best urban fantasy novel I've read to date. It is spectacular! I loved every page! Among humans and immortals, werewolves and vampires, mages and witches we find ourselves at the epicenter of an epic battle between good and evil. How much are people willing to sacrifice to become omnipotent? Too much or not enough?


Whatever comes from God is impossible for a man to turn back.

Herodotus

Patrick Collins's life is bearable. He knows the score and he settles his debts as they come. As a man with secrets in his past and many enemies he is always aware and always ready. But this case is the straight nightmare that will bring him face to face with the truths and memories better left forgotten. As he fights to keep everyone alive he has to learn to trust and forgive himself, to open up and to start living again.

Jonothon de Vere is someone who believes in Fates. He is a creature feared but strong and loyal. He does not know what future brings but he knows that Patrick is in it. At first they clash, shamelessly flirt and antagonize each other. But as the danger mounts they become a force to be reckoned with, they become a team and with the help of their allies they forge forward straight into the abyss.

Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.
Epicurus

The story is so engrossing, full of Gods, paranormal creatures of all types, mages and witches, but all of them are connected by their desire to fight. Some choose the side, some are forced to it. But no one stays behind. It was a wondrous experience and I felt privileged to read it in advance. I can only say that this book is off the charts good. The plot twists, the mystery and suspense, the brotherhoods and divided loyalties, the magical fights and diverse characters bring forth a magnificent story that will keep you on the edge of the seat. I highly recommend it!

P.S. As this is the first book of hopefully many it ends on HFN.

** ARC was kindly provided by Leslie Copeland for my honest review **

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

And of course the audio comes out less than a month after I've already read this...with Gary Furlong narrating. Looks like a re-read/listen is on the horizon!

20Aug2019: Yep, re-read via audio. Just as enjoyable this time around!



29Mar2019: 5 FULL STARS

I'd give it more if GR had them...it was that good.

The mythology, the magic, the plot, the action, the romance. Gah. I was up all night reading this (my eyes feel like I planted face first into a pile of sand) and I'm exhausted...but I'm totally gonna read the next one ASAP. Well, I think I want to read that short prequel I picked up at Prolific Works first...but then OMG bring on Book 2.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Re-read) This is still 5+++ stars for me.
Re-read July 2025 as a comfort read during a rough patch.

5+++ awesome stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don't usually read this type of stuff. Gods, mages, vampires, wolf shifters, etc, but I absolutely loved this!!!
Even though the romance took a back-seat to the action (I NEED romance in my books), the chemistry between Patrick and Jono was perfect.

Listened on audiobook and it was absolutely amazing.

Looking forward to reading more.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so torn with this book. See, by the half way mark it really wasn't doing it for me and I set it aside. In fact, I returned it through KU. Then it started to niggle at me and wouldn't get out my thoughts so I downloaded it again and .... I'm glad I did.

Once the real action kicked it up a notch and the big reveals about Patrick's past started to flow I was hooked. But this needed to come way, way earlier in the story and this is where it lost its shine for me. The author's imagination and world building is phenomenal, though at times I felt it overshadowed the characters and this frustrated me. This is a longish book with plenty of opportunity for more character details and fleshing out, they're all so fascinating and I'm hoping that the author gives us more on them in future books. I mean, at times I was so desperate for them to be fleshed out I would've been glad for flashbacks, and me no likey flashbacks. Jono's transformation into a were-creature fascinated me but it was so lightly touched on I was clamming for MORE.

Both Jono and Patrick are such strong, badass characters who still have quite a way to go with their relationship because the romance, what very little there was of it, took a back seat to everything else that was going on. I can't even say it's a HFN because their relationship hasn't really gotten off the ground yet so I'm hoping for a lot more Patrick and Jono together time in the next book. Jono is all in and was from the get to, Patrick needs to extract his head from is arse and get with the program.

So all in all I'm really glad I went back to it.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the Goodreads Giveaway program.
This is the first book I've won in years. Ironically, I had already borrowed a paper copy and read it, but thanks for the ebook, goodreads and/or publisher!

Summary review:
This was quite fun. Lots of mythology and magic, lots of action.
More like a 3.5, but I chose to round up because I enjoyed it enough that I will likely read the sequel.

I think your enjoyment of this book will largely depend on how much Urban Fantasy you've read. And yes, I would definitely class this as UF and not Paranormal Romance. There is a relationship and some short sex scenes but the plot is primarily about people fighting supernatural evil, not about love. I've seen a few reviews indicating disappointment in that aspect, so do know before you pick this up that it is not a romance except in the base sense that two people meet and end up together.

I read quite a bit of UF back in the day and got bored with how much it was the same and predictable. So I liked that the MC here was a bit different and there is denser world-building with a lot of mythologies mixed together. Basically, all the mythologies are real, and all the deities exist: they are immortal and powerful and you don't want their attention (so fairly faithful to Greek mythology, in that sense!). Even if they help you in some material way they will almost certainly up-end your life. Our MC Patrick's life has been pretty much one dramatic upheaval after another since he was a little child, but he copes as best he can and works in supernatural crime investigation, trying to keep things under control. The law enforcement agencies were realistically complex and bureaucratic.

Those are all elements I liked. I think the author was aiming this at people who were new to the subgenre, because there was a lot of repetition of important details in case you forgot, and a lot of explaining of basic mythology that I already knew. I personally would have been happier with a tighter edit that eliminated this and trusted me to pay attention, but I see other readers complaining that they wanted more explanation, so clearly your mileage may vary. In any case, go ahead and order the book without worrying that you need to be familiar with any background folklore. There's a glossary, or check wikipedia for info on Fenris, Persephone, etc.

To sum up: Not mind-blowing or groundbreaking (I think it was a bit over-hyped) but a solid and enjoyable urban fantasy action story.

[Anne Boleyn's Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Although I am a big fan of Hailey Turner's Metahuman Files series, I was slow to pick up A Ferry of Bones & Gold. I haven't read an urban fantasy novel in years, and I worried that I would miss the romance. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it.

Well, I enjoyed it. So much that while I still missed the romance, I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would. A Ferry of Bones & Gold drew me in. Here's how:

*A compelling story. As former combat mage turned supernatural law enforcement agent Patrick investigates a series of murders by an evil occult intent upon world domination, he juggles enemies and allies, a sexy werewolf bodyguard, soul debts, and demon assassination attempts.
*A diverse cast of supernatural characters that made the landscape more lively and fun
*Jono. Ever since Kresley Cole introduced the Lykae in her Immortals After Dark series, werewolves have remained my FAVORITE paranormal heroes
*Cleverly incorporating the gods and monsters of Greek mythology (with a hint of Norse mythology too!)
*The writing. As always, it was rich and engrossing.

The world-building was as dense and complex as the characters' backstories, and piecing it all together was challenging at times. Information reveals were occasionally muddled.

The blurb is upfront that the m/m romance is a subplot. But at this point, even calling it a "subplot" is something of a stretch. I loved reading Jono's perspective, and his growing feelings for Patrick were palpable. But Patrick's feelings for Jono? Well, Patrick had a lot on his mind, what with saving the world and all, and when his thoughts did turn to Jono, they seemed to be driven by either lust or annoyance. At the end, I didn't believe that he felt anything particularly deep for Jono (or, at least, not anything independent of his guilt). In future installments, I would like to see Patrick's feelings evolve into more tangible and genuine ones. This may not be a romance series, but Turner can write romance well (shout-out to my babies Alexei and Sean).

Read for SBTB October - December 2018 Quarterly Challenge: Read whatever you like.