The Order Collection: With Bonus Epilogue to 21 Arrow Salute

The Order #1-3.1

by Kasia Bacon

This box set is a special five-volume collection of stories in the Order series, containing approximately 110,000 words. It includes some new content—the previously unpublished Bonus Epilogue to Twenty-One Arrow Salute—as well as the latest exclusive instalment titled Loose Cannons.

These fantasy stories feature hot and edgy Elven soldiers (two different couples) and prove that opposites do attract!

Contains: swoony military romance, world-building and snark!

The Mutt (Order #1): An insta-lust soulmates romance.
The Highlander (Order #2): A lust-to-love romance.
Twenty-One Arrow Salute with Bonus Epilogue (Order #2.5): A slow burn friends-to-lovers romance.
The Scouts (Order #3): An established couple hurt/comfort romance.
Loose Cannons (Order #3.1): A humorous romp with an adventure.

THE MUTT
I, Ervyn Morryés of the Black Mountain clan, know all about control.
As the only fair-haired Dark Elf in the Highlands, I had to learn to control my fists and my temper in the face of derision.
To become the best archer amongst my peers, I had to learn to control my breathing and my movements.
But the day the half-breed called Lochan Féyes arrived at the training camp, my discipline faltered. Because—sweet gods—when I am around that aloof, blue-eyed assassin, my need is uncontrollable.

THE HIGHLANDER
I, Lochan of the famed Féyes clan, know all about fighting.
As a half-breed Elf, I have struggled against prejudice and feelings of inadequacy.
A recluse by nature, I have battled my aversion to touch and interaction with others.
To become an assassin of The Order, I have learnt to overcome the limitations of my mind and body.
But denying the power Ervyn Morryés holds over me might be the one fight I lose. The truth is—damn it all—the relentless Highlander brings me to my knees.

TWENTY-ONE ARROW SALUTE
Verhan Tŭrryés of Black Mountain is a handful.
Freshly enlisted in the Highland Regiment, he does all he can to steer clear of responsibility and commitment. Loose of tongue and even looser of morals, he rarely misses an opportunity to get into trouble—and into the other archers’ knickers, too.
In a unit composed of Dark Elves, Hernan Seinnés, with his green eyes and auburn hair, is an outsider. When Verhan, up the creek again, is blackmailed into helping Hernan, he never expects to fall for him. But during the long hours spent training Hernan for the Honour Guard, feelings strike the Highlander right in the heart—and with the force of an arrow.
Unversed in relationships, Verhan finally plucks up enough courage to tell Hernan how he feels, only to drive the Asirhwӱnian away instead. If Verhan can swallow his pride, he might get one last chance to show Hernan what he means to him—and maybe this time he can hit the mark.

THE SCOUTS
Lochan and Ervyn—an assassin and a sharpshooter—remain in service to the queen as part of an elite reconnaissance unit.
The Scouts are ghostlike. Elusive. Deadly.
They strike at enemies of the Crown without mercy. They get the job done, leaving no loose ends or witnesses. When Magic Supremacists threaten the safety of Elven Country, they do their duty—whatever it takes.
Lochan and Ervyn belong to each other, but will serving together as comrades-in-arms strengthen their bond as lovers or tear them apart?

LOOSE CANNONS
The life of a Scout is never dull.
A new mission from Commander Heinnés takes Ervyn and Lochan to the garrison of the Royal Artillery in Derrhwÿn, where the couple find themselves hard-pressed and in a tight spot.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Romance, Military Fiction, Elves

574 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2022

About the author

A linguist and an avid reader with a particular fondness for fantasy and paranormal genres, KASIA BACON lives in London with her husband. When not tearing her hair out over a translating project, she writes stories about the shenanigans of emotionally constipated assassins and sexy Elves. Otherwise, she can be found shaking her loins at a Zumba class, binging on anime or admiring throwing knives on Pinterest. A lover of MMA and Muay Thai, she also enjoys nature and the great outdoors. She dreams of becoming independently wealthy, leaving the city and moving into her wooden mini-manor—located in the heart of stunning forests resembling those of the Elven Country depicted in her tales.

For excerpts, free stories and updates about new projects, sign up for Kasia’s newsletter at:
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https://linktr.ee/KasiaBacon

Reviews

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonus epilogue for Twenty-One Arrow Salute 💗

That's enough to make this box set worth it on its own but it's also brilliant having all of Kasia's amazing Order series short stories in one place.

How she manages to bring such depth to her worlds with so few words constantly amazes me (read all my individual reviews for this series if you want my full on fangirling - I call her my Short Story Fantasy Queen for a reason 👑 )

If you've not read anything of her amazing elves, then this is the set to pick up.

[Virginia Cavanillas]

So beautiful all together. 💕💕 And that Twenty-one Arrow Salute bonus epilogue? Hell, yeah. (I’m currently translating it and I’m delighted)
I love Kasia, her writing, her dirty poetry, and her universe.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful fantasy

I love Kasia’s books! The writing and the story are outstanding and the characters 🥵🥵
So happy to have these amazing stories in a box set☺️

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great re-read + a delicious epilogue... :)

TBH, I was waiting for some more 'action' between Hernan and Verhan and I'm so grateful to Kasia Bacon that finally the lads got some well-deserved page time! ;)

The whole The Order universe is equisite, guys! I've come to love those kinky, mouthy, dangerous elves and their partners from the very start. The world-building is enormous, and I'd also recommend the other stories set in the same realm to you: Don't Fight the Spark, When I First Saw Red, Rago, Blessing and Light, and my personal fave: The Poison Within.

But, getting back to my The Order Collection: With Bonus Epilogue to 21 Arrow Salute review... It was soooooo good to revisit the Dark Elf elite archers: Ervyn and his cousin Verhan and (again) fall in love with their respective partners: the seemingly aloof and rugged Lochan, an elven superassassin; and the sweet and shy redhead, Hernan.

What will you find in this universe? Some super hot archery and combat training (I'm not crazy! It's mouth-watering, guys!). Some dumb-ass stupid shenanigans ;) And some extremely smutty (but also tender) moments...

Here you can find my reviews for all the individual stories:
- The Mutt
- The Highlander
- Twenty-One Arrow Salute
- The Scouts
- Loose Cannons

Truth be told... I simply love The Order universe and all of its inhabitants <3

Highly recommended!!!

[AngelFire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this ended up being a disappointing reading experience. I loved the characters, I loved their dynamic, the worldbuilding was fantastic and there was such huge potential in this whole set up. Sadly, I felt the execution came nowhere close to fulfilling the potential that this world and these characters provided. Not to mention that I'm really irritated that the author decided to take this collection of random stories/scenes and publish them as a separate package, making it look like it's a complete series when it's not.

Side note - I'll be reading/reviewing Twenty-One Arrow Salute separately since it's about a different couple.

The Mutt/The Highlander = 3 stars

IMO, The Mutt is basically the first few chapters of The Highlander. By itself, The Mutt is a bland, overly simplistic story that feels like the lead up to an erotica but stops short of the actual smut. Ervyn sees Lochan while they're at training camp, Ervyn becomes obsessed with him, Lochan ignores him, Ervyn finally corners him and forces a kiss on him, Lochan likes it and that's the end. It's the beginning of a story, not a complete story. But if you're going to read The Highlander directly afterwards, the duology does tell a complete and enjoyable story.

The Highlander continues Ervyn and Lochlan's time at training camp and they're dealing with various issues. They're both young and inexperienced with relationships and each other so a lot of the conflict comes from misunderstandings and misplaced jealousy. This was understandable (given their ages and situations) and it was a good place to start the character/relationship development that I assumed would take place during the series (spoiler alert: there's no development whatsoever, but I didn't know that at the time).

It was disappointing that a lot of the romance development was conveyed through telling instead of showing because I ended up not caring about their romance at all. In addition, the story felt short and didn't include much plot but what plot was present was enjoyable. I especially liked the final archery competition and how cleverly the author had Ervyn and Lochan solve their relationship issues during it.

So overall, there was a lot to like about The Mutt/The Highlander. The writing was solid and I loved that the author's Elven world took place in a UK-like setting with the geography and accents from the real life places being incorporated into the fantasy world (ex. having Ervyn be a Highlander elf with many aspects of that culture having Scottish influences). It was also fantastic that I didn't have to read the author's glossaries at the start of each story because she did such a wonderful job incorporated the worldbuilding details into the narrative that I was never confused. It demonstrates the author has a lot of skills and it left me excited to see where the series would go.

The Scouts = 2 stars

Unfortunately, this is where everything fell apart. Everything that had been done well in the previous installments were done badly here and everything that was missing from the past stories was still missing here.

In this part, we start with a 2 year time jump, during which Ervyn and Lochan have been lovers and working for the Scouts. Then Lochan is told that a woman who has information the Scouts need will only divulge it if Lochan will sleep with her. Lochan is ordered to do it, he goes off to do the deed and this is where everything fell apart.

So Ervyn knows this is a very difficult situation for Lochan and he promises to wait at bar for Lochan so they can meet when it's over. You'd think that after 2 years of being together and no longer being an immature kid, Ervyn would stay focused on the most important aspect: that Lochan has having to do something terrible and he'll need Ervyn's support. But no. Ervyn is overcome with the same jealousy, doubts and woe-is-me attitude that he had in The Highlander and he spends his time at the bar feeling sorry for himself and getting drunk. Lochan has to rescue his drunk ass after Ervyn gets into a bar fight, then they both get in trouble the next morning. I had such problems with Ervyn's actions in this part, especially because the author acts like it was a good plot decision, which it wasn't - on any level. We find out that Lochan never slept with the woman and instead, she did a nude painting of him before giving him the information he needed.

What happens in the rest of the story? Basically nothing. The MCs wander around the world, allowing the author to use them as narrative tour guides to dump information about her world that she wanted to share but couldn't think of a narrative purpose for - like Ervyn telling readers about Highlander dancing customs or the time he spends ages watching the Highlander Regiment archers doing their thing. The book is stuffed full of irrelevant padding, purely because the author clearly couldn't think of anything meaningful for the characters to do. Ervyn visits his family home but this ends up being pointless and boring. There's the lengthy and detailed description of Lochan getting his nipple pierced. Later, Ervyn is in his room, waiting for Lochan and he describes every single thing he does in painstaking detail (like how/why/when he fixes a tear in his glove). I skimmed through the chapter listings and when I saw a chapter called The Painting, I thought - finally! Here comes the plot. Lochan will be blackmailed by that woman or something else will happen. Nope. The woman gifts the painting to Lochan and he and Ervyn have sex. Then there's the final chapter, called The Fair. I was prepared for action, excitement, something, anything. Nope. Ervyn is there to buy horses and he negotiates to buy a nice horse for Lochan. I get the emotional significance of that, but it was way too little, too late.

In addition to all this, the end of this story includes the actual scene of Lochan being with the woman, yet the author says she couldn't fit it into the narrative. I...wanted to cry. Or scream. Possibly both. That scene would have been one of the only interesting things to happen in this boring slog of a story. How on earth did the author think it's a better idea to do yet another 'Ervyn jumps to stupid conclusions and feels sorry for himself' thing?? Unfortunately, that decision right there made me lose all faith with this author's storytelling ability. The Scouts had all the ingredients to be something amazing, yet nothing was done with that potential.

To top it all off, The Scouts continued the pattern from earlier by having nearly all the romantic development between the MCs conveyed through telling instead of showing. There are multiple sex scenes, but very little emotional development. As a result of that, I still don't care about their relationship.

I think the author kind of shot herself in the foot by not planning this series out in advance (that's my assumption, if this series WAS planned out in advance...then I don't know what to say). For example, I think it was a big mistake to have the MCs get together at the end of The Mutt because the author obviously can't think of any relationship conflict for them to go through other than the old 'misunderstanding' trope. It became old and repetitive. It didn't help that the author constantly had the MCs pushed into the background in order to focus on the romantic entanglements that side characters were having. It felt like the author had lost interest in Lochan and Eryn and was just using them as tour guides in her world.

Loose Cannons = No rating

This was short, pure fluff. I know some people love this kind of thing but I don't. Especially when the MCs main story was boring and incomplete.

Conclusion:

Overall, this collection left me extremely disappointed. I loved the MCs, the writing and this world and there was such huge potential in it. Unfortunately, I feel that potential isn't being fulfilled and that made me lose enthusiasm to continue with this series.

[KB · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE MUTT
I adore this tale. And I adore the universe. I am well and truly hooked to both of them.

The writing is lyrical. It's evocative. Kasia's word choice is deliberate but natural. It's just so damn lovely, start to finish. It's romantic and also has bits of humor woven throughout, which is a combination I am a real sucker for.

And it's fantasy! MY FAVORITE. Elves! Half-elves! Assassins! Interesting culture! Gah. So good.

Some peeps don't enjoy short stories because they are, well, short. I have myself had trouble with some short stories because they don't give me enough. They often don't leave me wanting more. They often don't clarify necessary aspects of the story. I have indeed read short stories that I have genuinely enjoyed in the past, here and there. And this is absolutely--without a doubt--one of them. After having read The Mutt, I have a strong sense of the world Kasia has created, and while we are left with a cliffhanger, it's one that I embrace because it has me excited to read the rest of the series.

What especially blows my mind is that Kasia was able to build a world rich enough to, even within 40 pages, leave me feeling like I truly get it. How badass. And she writes such well-developed characters. The main characters! Gods. I so enjoy both of them. Even the side characters are interesting.

THE HIGHLANDER
Every time I read one of Kasia Bacon's stories, I think to myself: THIS IS MY FAVORITE STORY SHE'S WRITTEN THUS FAR. And that's exactly how I feel about The Highlander.

After having read The Mutt, and getting a strong sense of Ervyn's personality and perspective, I was quite excited to read a story from Lochan's view. It absolutely did not disappoint. The Highlander is a perfect example of what, in my opinion, Kasia does best, and that is her ability to get inside a charcter's head and write his disposition so distinctly. Lochan feels real and whole. And I just adore that about Kasia's writing. The characterization is on point.

We get a sense of Lochan's inner struggle in this tale. And I feel for him. He deals with a lot of angst and pressure and expectation, and he struggles to conform while also getting his own needs and desires met. After reading The Mutt and The Highlander, I couldn't be more convinced that Ervyn and Lochan are meant for each other. Ervyn's charismatic, flirty, courageous, yet self-conscious, personality is a lovely complement to Lochan's stoic, thoughtful and adventurous bearing; while Ervyn wears his emotions on the outside, Lochan's emotions dwell within, and both characters feel so deeply. I love the two of them together. Not to mention the fact that they are so sexy together. Let us not neglect that vital detail! :)

I can hardly wait to read The Scouts. I'm certain it will be just as compelling and evocative as the rest of Kasia's stories. She has a true talent for writing, and she knows just how to reel in the reader. 

TWENTY-ONE ARROW SALUTE
As usual, Kasia Bacon wrote another fantastic story! I always think that there are no characters I will love more than Ervyn and Lochan, the main characters in the Order Universe, but then I read a tale like this that focuses on the side characters, and I'm just as riveted.

In Twenty-One Arrow Salute, we get to read about Verhan and Hernan--and wow, do opposites attract! Verhan is a snarky goofball who appears to say whatever comes to his mind. And since we've been introduced to him in previous stories, it's neat to get to read more about him here. He provides many LOL moments. And we also get to meet Hernan, a slightly uptight and romantically inexperienced archer who couldn't be more different than Verhan. While Verhan is rough around the edges and unpredictable, Hernan is dignified, shy, and respectful. It's fun to see them find one another given that they are such opposites.

This tale has a bit of a younger feel than Kasia Bacon's other stories. Ordinarily I would skip stories that have a New Adult vibe, but there's no way I could ever skip a story by Kasia. And I'm so happy I read it because it was a delight.  I can't wait to read more about this couple!

THE SCOUTS
I have been waiting for the next book in this series, and I couldn't be happier with it! Bacon is a gifted writer and has a true talent for world building. It's so easy to imagine myself in the world of The Order Universe--if only I could go for a visit!--and I'm particularly hooked on the MCs in this series. Ervyn and Lochan are clearly made for each other and I can only hope we'll get more of their story in a future book.

Ervyn and Lochan face down some drama this time around--which I admit had me sweating--nonetheless, The Scouts left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. And it certainly didn't hurt to get to read some saucy scenes between two hotties.

Plus we get to see Verhan and Hernan again, which is always a delight!

Ok--so when do we get the next one??? *is greedy*

LOOSE CANNONS
How delightful to catch up with Ervyn and Lochan!

I first want to say that I absolutely love the universe Kasia Bacon has created for this series. Even in a short story, she provides readers with believable details and imagery--it's a fantasy world I would love to visit. The world-building is just so on point.

This story is a fun one involving a friendly little prank between military regiments. The premise is amusing, and I was enthralled with it from the first page.  I will say that Ervyn and Lochan make an outstanding team, both at work and in bed...or occasionally both at the same time lol. And no matter the context, it's always a joy to catch back up with my favorite MCs. I'm super invested in their relationship at this point and can't wait to see what the future holds for them!

The dialogue is outstanding, and as usual, the side characters are interesting. I absolutely adore their commanding officer, Hiennes, and Kasia--if you see this--may I personally request a story about him? He's absolutely hilarious, and I'm certain he'd be a delight to learn more about. Just sayin. :)

[Kasia Bacon]

The Order Box Set is now live on Amazon!

Snatch it if you’d like to own his special bundle containing new & exclusive content. Or read in Kindle Unlimited.

AMZ US: https://amzn.to/3IUPqEt
AMZ UK: https://amzn.to/3uhSPcf

[fishreads (on indefinite hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gay Elves! What a wonderful collection of short stories mostly focusing around two main characters Ervyn Morryés, a fair-haired Dark Elf from the Highlands, and Lochan Féyes, a maternal half breed Elf from the "lowlands." From their first meeting at military training camp the stories follow developing romance between the two.

2* The Mutt, told from Ervyn's POV, tells the story of Ervyn's instant attraction to Lochan, the newest arrival to their training camp. Ervyn is drawn to Lochan's looks and sheer competence at everything Lochlan applies to. He's also incredibly frustrated by not being able to catch Lochan's eye the same way. This was the shortest story in the collection and for me the weakest one at that. Even if the story was told from his POV I did not feel like I got the good grasp on Ervyn's character here.

4* In The Highlander, told from Lochan's POV, we follow the developing "fuckbuddies" relationship between the two. The story offers us a closer glimpse of what hides behind Lochan's enigmatic facade and what we discover is fascinating. Lochan is such a complex character full of contradictions. He both fears and craves closeness to Ervyn, has aversion to being touched but sleeps the best when wrapped in between Ervyn's arms. Having discussed joining different units after they finish their training Lochan decides to end things between them sooner rather than later not realizing Ervyn is already one step ahead of him. This story made me fall in love with the characters, I felt like not only I got to get to know Lochan better but also Ervyn felt more fleshed out by having the opportunity to observe him through Lochan's eyes.

5* Twenty-One Arrow Salute takes a detour from Ervyn and Lochan. It focuses instead on Verhan Tŭrryés, Ervyn's cousin, and Hernan Seinnés, Ervyn's competition from the Scout's trails. Told from Verhan's POV, having finished their own trainings both Verhan and Hernan are serving in the Queen’s Guard, unit of archers comprised mostly of Dark Elves in which Hernan is an outsider. Hernan is chosen as one of the seven archers to execute the Twenty-One Arrow Salute for the upcoming Queen’s Namesday celebration. Verhan on another hand is blackmailed by their squad’s leader into helping Hernan prepare for it. I thought Verhan often showed promise to be equally competent as his cousin, except he lacked proper motivation to apply himself seriously to anything. Instead he was more laid back of the two, applying himself to horsing around with his fellow archers. Hernan originally portrayed as conceited proved to be the exact opposite with his sweet disposition, his shyness and his desire to make friends. Soon after Hernan starts training with Verhan, Verhan's opinion of Hernan starts to change and not only friendship develops between the two but some unexpected deeper feelings on Verhan's side. There is gut wrenching misunderstanding almost immediately after their first kiss and I have to say I did not hate it as such. In the end it turned into an opportunity for admitting their feelings for each other and I adored the way they reached resolution. I easily fell in love with both of the characters and I have to say this was hands down my favorite story in the collection. Additional epilogue was greatly appreciated because otherwise the ending of the story felt too abrupt.

3* I have to say I felt really apprehensive reading The Scouts. We get back to Ervyn and Lochan who are two years into their service with the Scouts and Lochan's next mission is getting information on a magic extremist from a certain Baroness in exchange for spending the night with the woman in question. Naturally, this puts a bit of strain on his and Ervyn's relationship especially considering the fact neither of them are in the habit of talking about their feelings. Chapters before and during Lochan's mission were probably as hard on me as they were on Ervyn but in the end it turned into an opportunity for them to become even closer. There were some wonderful tender moments between the two, like Ervyn brushing Lochan's hair and Ervyn buying a horse for Lochan, for which I was glad I braved the initial apprehension. It was dual POV, but mostly Ervyn's.

3* Loose Cannons, told from Ervyn's POV, was a bit of a fun romp with Ervyn and Lochan on a mission to steal the Royal Artillery's banner but I have to say I was more intrigued by the teasers of secret relationship between their commander Heinnés and Kudiyés hoping they might get their own short story sometime in the future than I was by Ervyn and Lochan's sexual exhibitions inside a giant magical cannon no matter how amusing it was.

I discovered this collection pretty late but I am actually glad for that because I could immediately catch up with all the five stories in this fantastic world instead of having to wait years between the stories which would have been an absolute torture. I thought the world building was really great but at the same time this whole world of elves and humans and mages is so obviously intricate that even after five stories filled with details it feels like we have barely scratched the surface. Two things that blew my mind, which I did not even realize how much I appreciated until I started thinking about them, was that even there was some obvious discrimination between elves and humans and different Elven races there was absolutely no prejudice when it came to genders and sexuality. Both male and female elves served in the military ranks as equals and there were also mentions of both male and female heroes from the Elven War. As for the sexuality nobody batted an eye at who anyone was sleeping with; heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality all seemed as equally represented in the society which was truly refreshing.

I am really looking forward to reading more stories from this author in their wonderful Order verse.

Themes: dual POV, insta-love, opposites attract, elves, military, friends to lovers, established relationship

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved all the stories in one place

I loved Ervyn and Lochan and it was nice to see Ervyn’s cousin get his red headed archer as well.

There is one point where several paragraphs are repeated, but other than that the editing was good.

However there are a few plot points - or rather hints at future trouble - that never materialized and there are no more books that I can see to resolve it (not that I want to see what trouble love might not over come 😳)

On the whole a great collection with interesting characters and world!

[Dag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to have all this books in a one Box Set !!! and to have it a bonus to 21AS just delicious almost :)

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't so much a review of the set as a collection of reviews for the individual books. But since Bacon brought all the books together in a box set, I figured I should bring all the reviews to one place too. Collectively, my ratings average out to 4.12. So, 4 stars. But I'm also always an odd rater for Bacon's stories and that should be noted. I love Bacon's writing, but shorts aren't my jam. So, always there is a bit of a disconnect between how much I like her writing, characters, and world and the actual works themselves. And it would be unfair not to acknowledged that. (Come on, I just need a 300 page Order book.)

The Mutt (Order #1) - 5*
Really lovely.
Lots of atmosphere and attitude.
Good set up for Elvish/Human society.
Obviously part of something larger, but a story I want more of.
I'll be looking forward to the next installment, for sure.

The Highlander (Order #2) - 3.5*
Another lovely read from Kasia Bacon. Apparently there will be a novel in this series at some point in the future and I 100% cannot wait. I love these sexy elves, and they are darned sexy. Lochan and Ervyn have sizzling chemistry.

I do have to admit to not loving this story as much as past ones. I'm not even sure why. The writing was still good, though I did think Lochan's voice a little stiff (I think he's supposed to be painfully formal in all things). The sexy is still hot. There's some tension there. It's good. It's worth reading. But not everything is a grand slam for every reader. I'll not miss a story by Bacon for anything. This just wasn't my favorite. You however should read and decide for yourself.

Twenty-One Arrow Salute(Order #2.5) 5*
I had this marked as READ in my Calibre file, but hadn't written a review for it. Which left me in an uncertain space. Had I read it? Yes...no...maybe. In the end, I decided to either read it or re-read it. And I'm glad I did. I so love Bacon's use of feels, sarcasm, and characterization. But so many of her works are too short for me. (Just a personal preference kind of thing.) This is a bit longer, but still full of all the character, feeling, and wit I adore in her shorter works. (In fact, it's longer, so it has more even.) I'm so happy to have read it...for the first time or not.

The Scouts (Order #3) 3*
Oh, I have such a fraught relationship with Bacon's writing. I love her characters and jovially informal narrative style. But I'm a dedicated binger. Be it reading a novel in a night or watching an entire season of a show on Netflix, I want all of a story. And Bacon's publications are far closer to a serial than a series, in my estimation, which I find incredibly frustrating.

I say all of that because it would be unfair to judge my review of her works without factoring in this strong preference on my part. But I do still keep coming back, even when I know what to expect. Because these short works are also full of the feels and, as I said, I like the characters and writing style. I'll add world too. I find the world, with all it's Elvin races and cultural norms intriguing.

I did find the occasional phrase felt anachronistic and there are quite a lot of characters for such a short book. But those are my only critiques. No doubt, when next Bacon publishes, I'll be in in line to read it too.

Loose Cannons (Order #3.1)
Another short but satisfying vignette of life with Ervyn and Lochan.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soldiers and assassins

A really unique and well done collection that only suffers from not being the complete universe set yet!

Ervyn and Lochan are a unique pair, elves each of unusual births and different circumstances. The world they are in is fascinating and as the characters move about it we learn more of its places and politics and people. But always at the core are Ervyn and Lochan and they are truly wonderful!

This collection does end on an odd sort of almost cliffhanger. It doesn't per se have cliffhanger in that there is no big danger at the end. It is more so that the story is unfinished, with missions embarked upon and danger mentioned and then the story ends. It is an odd place to end the book and hopefully the next story will come out soon!

[CB · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time I have read this author and I was surprised at the in-depth world development in these short stories. Very entertaining. I also found 4 others that take place in the Order Universe so it worked well to read those next but they could be read stand-alone: two books in Soldiers and Mercenaries, The Poison Within, then Rago.

[KotayaLu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first three stories in this were full of angst and really great. The story called the Scouts started out super angsty and great as well, but I think it could have been a bit shorter.

[Mstay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

It was fun diving back into this world again. The characters as well as the world itself is interesting. .

[the kevin (vaguely alive)]

pausing at 50%/ Scouts for now

[Amra · Rating 5 out of 5]

really enjoyed it

I really loved this book! It has the snarky attitude, funny, love. Friendship, just amazing! Oh and how beautiful the men are.

[Janice M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just pure fun. Lots of holes in the plot, but I liked the characters and setting so much, they just didn’t seem important, but just me over thinking the story. Almost a Romeo and Juliet kind of story, two opposing houses type thing, and I’m okay with that.