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Apex #2

Blood Feathers

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“Easy, sweet little wren. I won’t hurt you. Not unless you ask me to.”

***
Zookeeper Evelyn Mulholland is single and proud of it. Fickle, flirty and fancy free, she’s impossible to tie down and likes it that way – at least, that’s what she wants people to think. No man can knock her off her guard… but what about a monster?

Discovering that her best friend is dating a crocodile demon is shocking enough, but when another monster arrives needing assistance, life gets even more surreal. Eagle monster Jax is bold, charming and very keen to get Evelyn into bed. Despite her fascination with his soft feathers, razor-sharp talons and extremely talented vibrating tongue, she resists, sick of meaningless flings that lead nowhere.

But when a team of monster hunters arrive, determined to capture Jax at any cost, events take a deadly turn. Evelyn may turn out to be his only hope for survival. Whether her heart survives the encounter is another matter.

***
ADVISORY: This ~24k word monster romance novella features high heat sexual scenes between a human and a monster. Some content in this story may be triggering for some readers. Please check the author's website for a full content guide.

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First published September 28, 2022

56 people are currently reading
178 people want to read

About the author

Vicky Walklate

9 books68 followers
Vicky Walklate is a romance author from Norfolk, UK. She writes full length novels about dragon gods, and spicy novellas about predator monsters. She loves all things monstrous and magical in romance.

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5 stars
102 (26%)
4 stars
147 (38%)
3 stars
100 (26%)
2 stars
23 (6%)
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7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
Profile Image for  Bon.
1,349 reviews198 followers
September 27, 2022
Tomorrow is release day!

I completely loved this monsterfucking romp in the All Yours universe, coming out on September 28th.


It may be a novella but it's part of the Apex series so there's already some established settings and lore, making it feel like a fully fleshed story in such a brief word count.

There was just enough plot to make it feel like a whole story, without sacrificing sexy scenes on-page either. Perfectly balanced. Jax was a refreshing kind of monster, and what that tongue does? And the feather play? Well, let's say I wasn't sure what sexy content to expect from a birdman but I was totally impressed. His work with Evelyn on her self-worth and self esteem was also an important part of the plot. Evelyn was a relatable protagonist, and nice and protective of her friend Cleo. Her discovery of Raukra was hilarious. It was also nice to revisit characters like Cleo and Raukra. I love the monster boyfriends squad.

At about 24k words, this story is consumable and wholly satisfying at the same time. Love that cover, too!

Massive thanks to Vicky for an advanced copy I could dig into before everyone else.
Profile Image for Poppy || Monster Lover.
1,811 reviews499 followers
November 11, 2023
Was going good until a plot point made no sense

I was enjoying the raparte between MCs in this book and the plot had some good potential. But then something happened close to the end that made 0% sense. Literally no sense at all. It was such a major plot point it kinda ruined the book for me.

Spice: 4/5

Triggers: murder, attempted murder, voyeurism/exhibitionism, emotional abuse, child abandonment (off page)
Profile Image for Elizabeth Litch.
193 reviews
June 22, 2023
Ha estado mejor que el primero pero yo hay físicas que no entiendo. También es que me ha parecido un poco más furro que el primero y me ha dado un poco de repelús pero no pasa nada porque en cuanto salga el tercero estoy ahí por el
Profile Image for TreeFlower.
207 reviews9 followers
May 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️

As a person who isn’t a fan of birds, I still HIGHLY enjoyed this book.

This book was such a good follow up to the first one. The familiar characters and well known setting made this book easy to fall into. I like that these books have a bit of plot twisty action to go alongside the spicy storyline. I can see the Apex series becoming one of my favorite little monster romance series.
Profile Image for Samantha.
294 reviews15 followers
September 21, 2022
I liked this novella overall. It was a quick read with some steamy parts. I liked that the FMC was sassy and gave lots of attitude.

I found one or two minor word errors. Nothing major!

I received this novella as an ARC for free.
Profile Image for Courtney.
374 reviews8 followers
January 7, 2024
The Apex Series features monster demons who are very smitten and protective of their humans! These demons are not humanoid at all and by default are terrifying… but the love and tenderness they show for their mates is so sweet! This series gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!

I got the first book, All Yours, for free on a BookFunnel promo and oh my god I was immediately hooked. I instantly bought the whole series because I couldn’t get enough of the world that was built up and these demons!

There’s magic, demon portals, primal/feral demons, strong FMC’s, and some badass fighting! Also the spice is sooooo good! Who knew spicy scenes with horrifying looking demons could be so hot! 🥵

Each book intertwines with their plots and characters so I definitely recommend reading in order. For instance, the FMC’s in books 1 and 3 are sisters! I also love the set up for what might be the next book! 🦑?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Amy Dale.
620 reviews18 followers
September 29, 2022
I recieved this ARC from BookSirens and am leaving a voluntary review.

This is book 2 in the series but it works perfectly as a standalone read as I hadn't read the first one and I had no problem following the story.

We get an eagle monster!! I've seen eagle shifter books but never an actual bird monster, so I was super excited for this book! I found it a little difficult to imagine what he looked like and keep that image steady but eventually my imagination created something that worked. Jax has a man's body but feathers on some areas, wings, and an eagle's head, like an avian minotaur. He's cool and a little cocky to start with but soon becomes a cinnamon roll gentleman who's so respectful and tender, ah I just adored him! He also has a long vibrating tongue! His dirty dialogue is full of praise and adoration,super swoonworthy.

Our heroine is a kind girl hiding behind a tough, reckless, worldly facade, she struggles with her self worth and her monster is only too eager to show her how amazing she is, I loved it. I also really liked that Evelyn is a zookeeper, it was nice to have the human character have a job that's interesting for a change!

The steamy scenes! I really really liked that in this book we get quite a few 'peeping tom' scenes where Jax watches her. And then we get these delicious sort of tormented scenes with her standing or outside or blindfolded and they're just really unique to the types of scenes I've come across in most books. They're such an adorable couple and he looks after her so well.

There's also plenty of danger and action in the story but it doesn't get in the way or detract from the romance,it was perfectly balanced.

I really enjoyed this unique story and can't wait to read more from this author!
Profile Image for Summer.
385 reviews
May 3, 2023
Another great monster romance book that gave me exactly what I needed. Evelyn is a zookeeper and she is determined to find out who her best friend, and manager, is dating in secret. When she stumbles upon her best friend and a crocodile creature she is thrust into the world of monsters. Two eagle monsters must stay at the zoo to hide out because of their highly valuable feathers. Evelyn finds one of the bird men especially annoying but also can’t help that her body feels something else towards him. Jax is preparing to go back to his world to take care of his feathers so that they cannot be stolen from him. Him and his best friend must hide out at the zoo but he doesn’t mind because he gets to see the sexy human Evelyn. He flirts with her but it’s not until after he gets a special show from her that the two enjoy each other. Evelyn seems so care free but deep down she struggles. She has a mother that can’t seem to ever say anything nice to her and guys that never stick around after they get in her in bed. She loves her job but also realizes she missing something. She is feisty and not afraid to tell Ajax exactly how much she’s not interested even though it may be a little white lie. Jax is Mr. Confident and he is not afraid to make his interest known. Despite not knowing Evelyn very well he seems to be able to see straight through her tough exterior. I loved how rough he could be but also that he could be so tender. The back and forth and tension between these two was so great.
Profile Image for ilabeaux.
49 reviews
September 19, 2022
This book was a quick read with a sassy FL and a caring ML.

Evelyn works at the zoo with her best friend. One day she finds out her best friend is seeing someone and through him, she meets his friend, Ajax. He's half bird half human and is on the run because he is being hunted for his feathers. He ends up hiding out at the zoo Evelyn works at and they get to know each other.

Ajax is confident and I love that he respects boundaries and consent. He is trying to hide from hunters before a portal appears to take him home, but then he meets Evelyn, and he wants to be there for her because she's alone. Evelyn is difficult sometimes because she doesn't want to fall for someone just for them to leave her again.

The events in the book happened really quickly. There is no slow burn and it gets spicy. This is the second book of the series and not a standalone. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for JML.
1,299 reviews24 followers
September 6, 2023
4& 1\2 🌟s for Blood Feathers 💖

Evelyn is zoologist in the same Zoo that Cleo is from the first book. She becomes aware of the world of monsters when she meets Cleo' s crocodile demon mate. In this book he has friends who are in need and Evelyn helps home them from hunters. Jax is an Eagle monster and he's as majestic as the bird of prey he looks like. He takes a really shine to Evelyn and sparks fly. with witty banter and flirty repartee their relationship grows. Danger stalks them and their bond grows will they be able to out run the hunters and will Evelyn and Jax have the relationship they both need and desire? You have to read and find out. I really love this series. Once again I'd love a bit more works building when it comes to the monsters among us and where they come from, but the characters are well written and the stories are great I can't wait for the next in the series💖🌟🔥🔥🌟💖🌟🔥🔥🌟💖🌟🔥🔥🌟💖🌟🔥🌟💖🌟🔥💖🌟🔥🌟💖🔥🌟💖💖🌟🔥
Profile Image for D.J..
Author 18 books195 followers
November 1, 2022
Oh, wow. This was delightfully weird. Vicky's monsters are always so unique! This time... we've got Ajax, an eagle guy. Going to be honest here, wasn't sure how I felt about the eagle guy, personally. I'm a long-time bird owner so it was an adjustment wrapping my head around the idea. But no, no worries. Vicky is a pro at handling the monster goodness and if you are especially into the praise kink, you will like this book!

The world building is interesting, and I'm looking forward to Vicky continuing the series. If you were a fan of her first book, the croc demon returns as a side character (along with Cleo!), yay! Ajax wasn't a very... sweet ... lover. He and Evelyn snark, sass, and talk back to each other and the banter is great. That said, he's still a cuddly guy and I enjoyed reading about these two!
Profile Image for Phoenix Seon.
142 reviews3 followers
September 10, 2022
Warnings:
#1: Triggers: author lists them at the beginning; check them out.
#2: Be there monsters here: monsters/demons/shifters are featured.
#3: Don't be a prude: fully depicted scenes with said monsters/demons.
#4: This is Book 2, and it's a novella.

This quick read is sure to make you go "I wonder…", and you'll probably find yourself never looking at crocodiles and eagles the same way again.

I thoroughly enjoyed this steamy story. It developed nicely, got you straight to the point, and gave you some very enjoyable moments along the way. I rather hope there's more of Jax and Evelyn at a later date.

(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
Profile Image for erin roisin.
Author 3 books4 followers
September 25, 2022
I received this as an ARC for an honest review.

When will Goodreads give us half star options?!

3.5/5 stars

This was a short and sweet novella. I enjoyed the banter between Jax and Evelyn. They had an apparent attraction to each other without the ~insta-love~ thing happening.

I enjoyed the way Jax showed his support and wanting to uplift Evelyn throughout the story.

Truly, I wish it had been a bit longer so I could see more development and exploration of the Eagles and their history. We had a good glimpse into Evelyn and her character but not much with the love interest.

I enjoyed the non-typical monster! Again, I wanted just a little bit more exploration of their ~intimate~ time together (without the blindfold).

This was a fun read for a cozy afternoon.
Profile Image for Lizzypants.
208 reviews5 followers
August 6, 2023
it’s a cute story but I just can’t with Evelyn

I’ve had friends like Evelyn, and they’re stifling. Like I understand she had her insecurities and friendship is give and take but I just get annoyed with being smothered. Bring my friend doesn’t give you access to all my thoughts or all things happening in my life. I get annoyed with this trope of I love you but I will pretend I don’t. It’s worn out already.

These are very personal reasons for me to dislike parts of the book. I still think if you like monsters you will like this book. Plus it’s short enough that if you’re mildly annoyed with the characters it’s already almost done.
Profile Image for GeeAlbi.
93 reviews4 followers
November 29, 2025
After finding out her best friend is dating a giant crocodile monster, Evelyn comes face to face with a monster all of her own; an eagle like creature who is on the run. Set on helping the creature even though he is extremely infuriating, Evelyn works with Raukra & Clio to keep Jax safe.

Evelyn has her own personal hang ups about herself & dating but she can’t seem to get Jax off her mind, even if he is arrogant & calls her many different bird-themed nicknames.

I loved the humour but also there’s that sense of deep caring & respect. For a monster romance novella, it hit deep with some of the themes & I really appreciated that. There’s loads of spice but a good amount of substance to the story too. I love how all the stories link together as well. Such a fun & quick read.
Profile Image for K.W. Bernard.
Author 3 books16 followers
August 20, 2023
Super fun

I read this book in one sitting! It’s the second novella in the Apex series and pairs Cleo’s best friend from the first book (Evelyn) with Jax, an eagle monster hunted for his feathers. It was as fun and spicy as the last book. I loved Evelyn in this. She’s such a caring friend and has a huge heart. Jax is sweet as well. There’s just the right balance of friction and chemistry between them. I can’t wait for the next one!
Profile Image for Kayla P.
266 reviews1 follower
May 4, 2025
I definitely think this one was developed a bit better than the first one. I still think the origin stories and plot weren’t as well rounded as I’d like but definitely better for this one. I felt like the author leaned more into the monster aspect this time so the sex was less vanilla and I appreciate that a lot. The was a lot of back and forth and banter between the characters which is cute. Definitely an improvement
Profile Image for Tamara Dyer.
130 reviews4 followers
July 7, 2025
This one was cute. The snarky banter between Evelyn and Jax is great and it’s obvious that they want each other. It’s as slow burn as a short book can be but it was so satisfying when the eventually get together. Their push and pull chemistry is perfect and I loved every second of it. I also love that Clara and her crocodile make an appearance as well. It gives a sense of new friends and old. I’m in love with this series. Can’t wait to read the next one
Profile Image for tre.wandereads.
446 reviews
September 11, 2022
It was a nice book. Entertaining. But not as substantial as I would like. Cute characters. I could easily get into it. But overall, there wasn’t much to go by and it was generally too short and a common storyline.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Cassidy Chappell.
75 reviews
October 4, 2022
Okay these short reads are amazing; 10000 stars

I’m blown away with the story and depth this author can convey in such few words. There’s character development, suspense, and a sweet little ‘like’ story. The monster romance is spicy and the back story on Evelyn feels real and relatable.
Profile Image for Victoria Weyland.
Author 2 books29 followers
March 5, 2023
Heavens know I love me a croc-monster romance, but I have to say, I think Blood Feathers is actually better than the first Apex book All Yours. Who knew feathers and a beak could be so hot? Just a really fun monster story with great tension between the FMC and her eagle monster love interest. I can't wait to read the third one!
177 reviews
March 12, 2023
Really unique, quick and fun read

This was a fast and short monster romance. I really enjoyed it. It left itself open for more books later (maybe Severing needs a little redemption arc?) For such a short book I thought that the characters were really well done and everything was paced well.
Profile Image for Angela.
35 reviews1 follower
November 17, 2023
Very, very, meh. Though longer than the first book, it still didn't quite satisfy. Plus, I found the heroine of this book a bit aggravating. Most if not all of her relationships were no strings attached (or in her words, f*ck buddies), but was hurt that they all eventually left her. Or she offered the hero something, he took her up on it and it bothered her that he did....ok...then why offer?!
Profile Image for Leslie.
2,113 reviews25 followers
February 14, 2025
Waving that red flag….

Ajax is waving all the red flags. He’s cocky, bossy, pushy, just passing through, and fond of literal love bites…. And he has this little human positivity panting for it. Turns out… all he really needs to do is tell her she’s a good girl and suddenly she’s into exhibitionism and light bondage. Good thing he’s a good snuggler too.
Profile Image for Kayce B.
503 reviews10 followers
February 25, 2025
A 4.75 because I didn’t love the overly cocky nonsense by the MMC in the very beginning and the ending show down was just a touch too abrupt it kinda left my head spinning.
But aside from those moments I really enjoyed these two. The vulnerability from the FMC felt real and resonated a bit. Big fan of the protectiveness. Again, pretty well written for a short novella.
Profile Image for K. .
405 reviews6 followers
February 25, 2025
LOVED THESE TWO!

Such a fun and interesting monster romance novella!

I absolutely loved the little birdy quirks that the author gave Ajax in this story! The little bird bites on her neck?! Um yes please. I mean, heck they would hurt! But it’s so freaking cute!

Loved the ending of this soooo much!
Profile Image for Toni.
151 reviews
June 13, 2025
FMC is the best friend of the FMC from the first book. She ends up falling for the cocky, suave? birdman. At first she’s like ew! 🤢 but then she’s like oh! 🥵

The birdman and his buddy are being hunted for their feathers.The Hunter turns on the person who hired him because the terms of the contract are voided. The Hunter becomes the MMC for the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
778 reviews9 followers
September 9, 2022
This was a decent story. I liked the plot but I had trouble wrapping my head around the monsters descriptions. I had trouble picturing them.

Side note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review
Profile Image for Mattie.
185 reviews
January 5, 2023
Sweet

I really enjoyed this book! Its kind of a slow burn for a novella but I liked that! I truly loved the characters and how some characters overlap from the other book. The spice was nice but I loved the plot itself more! I need more sweet Jax!!
Profile Image for B ~ modern day bookworm~.
322 reviews1 follower
January 13, 2023
Birds of a feather

I actually liked this book more than the first…

Steamy scenes yes, but the banter, the awry of emotions seen by the characters, and the expansion of the world as the previous characters and new develop more in this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews

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