He’s tried everything to make the pain go away… except him.
Sam refuses to let his traumatising past dictate his future, so embraces life to the fullest. Stable, independent and attracted to a Guardian who’s off limits, Sam couldn’t be happier... until his father comes back from the dead.
Facing memories he’s suppressed from childhood, and a new threat he never saw coming, Sam struggles to keep the life he’s built from crumbling.
Cursed as a child and scarred from addiction, Axel never thought his life could get much worse. Until the poison that helps relieve his pain starts to affect his work, the sole reason for his existence.
With nothing else to lose, he finally gives into his desire that he’s suppressed for so long, breaking his celibacy with the one man he's always wanted. But he quickly figures out there’s something dark lurking in the shadows, ready to test his control.
As everything unfolds Axel must decide what’s more important, Sam's life, or his own.
Warning: Whisper of Fate is a dark paranormal romance that contains explicit content, graphic violence, profanity, and topics that may be sensitive to some readers. Full details can be found listed inside the book. Recommended for 18+.
This novel is written in British English including spelling and grammar.
Taylor Aston White writes deliciously dark fantasy & romance, where tension burns, secrets break, and love always wins. Based in the UK with her childhood sweetheart and their two children, she's the author of several bestselling series and loves to explore mythology and European faerie tales to create her own, modern twists.
Follow her on Instagram - @taylorastonwhite, and join her newsletter on www.taylorastonwhite.com
I just love this series so much, and Axel and Sam's story did not disappoint! The characters are written with so much depth, so many layers. They are two broken souls just trying to survive using their own unhealthy means. They are both determined to bring each other back into the light. Their chemistry was palpable! The darkness, action, trauma/healing, hurt/comfort, and amazing world building keep bringing me back to these books!
Rating 4.5 stars. This is an MM book, meaning that, yes the two leads are both of the same gender and with the same parts.
I'm so happy that Sam gets his own story!! He was such an amazing character in the Alice Skye series (not necessary to read before this, but you should!) and I loved that he finally gets his own happiness!! Sam's friendship with Alice was incredible and I liked her inclusion more in this story (because she's one of my favorite characters and I'm pretty biased towards her). He has had a rough life and spent years in therapy and then a visit from his sperm donor and his life went sideways. But he's a trooper and doesn't want to owe anyone anything and tries to handle it on his own (he does have a trusty wing-man to help him out in some cases). I liked how he was given depth and wasn't just a generic abused character floating threw life with sex. I also liked how he and Axel had their ups and downs and how they both had to overcome pretty big issues. Axel has obviously had some ups and downs as well in his life, from being a Guardian to being half a succubus who's celibate (oh the irony). He tries to hide his addiction and I appreciated the callout by Hunter (Kace's all but adopted kid) about his behavior. But sometimes, it takes more than a 14 year old to help you get your head on straight. This is a story I practically devoured! The story flows almost seamlessly from one scene to the next and I really couldn't stop reading once I got started. It's told in third person POV from both lead characters.
This book is proof that Lucy deserves his own story. He was amazing in this. He was a true friend to Sam and helped Axel see what's right in front of him. Plus he had some really great one-liners!
This is part of a series and must be read in order. While each story can be read on its own, the overarching storyline needs the books to be read in order or you will be completely lost. This series is also set in the same world as the Alice Skye series and I highly recommend reading that before enjoying this series and it helps with understanding the world the author has created.
CW: Assault, violence, gory, drug use (on page), and implied SA of a child (off page).
Axel is drowning in his addiction and the only time he doesn’t is when he is close to Sam. But Sam doesn’t want commitment, he doesn’t trust it after his past, and the guardians are off limits. But Axel always chases the high. . . . . . . . . . .
Whisper of Fate is so different from the last two books in this series and I think it’s amazing that this author is able to connect these stories but also give you a completely different experience with each one.
Axel is struggling with his addiction. His reasons for using are make sense and you really end up feeling for his character and the physical pain he endures daily. But you also see that he is lost and clearly needs some serious help.
Sam loses himself in lovers. He doesn’t want any emotional connection, just physical bliss for an evening. He was so fun and it was hard not to love him from the get go. His past is horrific and the issues he derives from it are understandable but so sad.
The heat was strong and tangible between the two. I loved that this showcased two strong males learning to lean on each other. I think the only reason this wasn’t a five star for me was because it could have been stronger. I felt like in this one, we got our heat earlier one and it sort of fizzled out. But that’s because of the plot. It didn’t feel like it disappeared, it made sense. But at time point, I’m heavily into the spice, haha.
Also, so far, no one has quite taken over for my love of Xander. Ugh.
I won’t lie, I’m 𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 for Sythe’s story. But every time I finish a book in this series, I’m completely on board with the next characters. I need Titus to have his happy ending, after everything he endured in this one. I can’t wait.
I really enjoyed Axel and Sam's book. It did feel a little quicker than the other books in the series, but it also didn't feel like it was lacking. Both boys had some heavy issues and dealt with them differently, but underneath it all, they really just wanted to be seen. They both calmed the noise for each other.
Axel and Sam may have been friends for a while, but despite their attraction for each other, it never went further. Both struggling with their own d3mons and both dealing in very different ways. Sam chose to lose himself in countless partners, giving him power over the fact that he once had no control of what was done to him. Axel battled his beast daily, and unlike his brothers, his connection was somehow broken. He became celibate many years ago because he loathed the side of himself he inherited from his mother. The side that made heads turn at his beauty. Axel turned to a different kind of drug to quiet the noise. But it quickly became out of hand, he spent more time high, and the effects began to impact his life. When his beast takes over one night and leads him to Sam's doorstep, they cross a line they've been straddling for a while. They both brush it off as a mistake that can't happen again but eventually wind up in each other's embrace again. When history threatens to repeat itself as Sam's past comes back to haunt him, he'll need all the help he can get. With Sam's life and their future threatened, Axel will have to choose which life is more important, his own or the man his beast has claimed.
This is a re-listen for me as I prepare to dive into the newly released Book 5, and I have to say I’ve really enjoyed this series. It’s actually a spin-off of the Alice Skye series by the same author, which I haven’t read yet but definitely plan to. While I started here and was initially a bit lost in Book 1 (Kiss of Darkness), I quickly found my footing within the first few chapters. This installment focuses on Axel and Sam, a m/m pairing with a lot of emotional depth. Axel, a Guardian, has been denying part of his heritage, which ultimately leads him down the path of addiction. Sam, Alice’s best friend and adopted brother, has a painful and neglected past that resurfaces with a vengeance. Their personal struggles are heartfelt and well balanced with plenty of high-stakes action and intense fight scenes that kept me hooked. There’s some spice, but it’s well-placed and doesn’t overshadow the plot, which I appreciate in a paranormal romance. I also loved that familiar characters from previous books make appearances, making the world feel cohesive and rich. The narrators do a fantastic job bringing all the characters to life, each voice distinct and engaging. While you can enjoy this series without having read Alice Skye, I’d recommend starting there if you want the full immersive experience.
Holy hell, this book was so much darker than I was expecting! Taylor absolutely did not hold back while writing Axel and Sam's story, and I just wanted to wrap them both up in bubble wrap and bundle them off to safety. Both Axel and Sam are fighting demons from their pasts and presents as they struggled to find a way to have a future together. My heart broke for Sam as he fought to maintain his independence, while Axel battled himself to overcome his addiction. I feel like Taylor did an amazing job portraying both characters in a realistic, imperfect, yet relatable light, and I just loved watching them slowly find salvation in each other. The friendships and dynamic between all of the secondary characters are so fun to watch, and I cannot wait for the rest of the Guardian's books♡
Tropes: fated mates, grumpy/sunshine, reluctant mates, protector hero, cinnamon roll hero, tragic past, MM romance, shifter/shifter pairing, dark romance, 'who did this to you' vibes, hate-to-love-you, band of brothers, found family, STEAMY🔥
Trigger warning: drug abuse/addiction, child abuse/molestation, verbal abuse
*ARC provided by the author, and I voluntarily reviewed it*
This book follows Sam and Axel, you see snippets of some of the other much lived characters too. There are some hot and steamy scenes that leave you wanting more although not as many compared to other books. I read this in one sitting, I literally couldn't put it down! Taylor stays true to the soul of Sam's character from the previous books abd we get to ldarn mote about the mysterious Axel and it feels like an honest reflection of growth in them both by the end. There are some sensitive topics discussed within the plot and these are brought up in a respective manner in my opinion. I wished it had been longer as Sam is one of my favourite characters, hoping we get to explore more of him and Axel in future books. I would reccomend reading the previous books in this set as well as the Witch Detective Series to help understand the some of the topics discussed and independent worries that Axel and Sam have.
I’m a sucker for character driven books, and this book satisfies that craving. The plot was interesting, if a bit confusing at times, but the character development that both Sam and Axel went through was great! Both of them had their unique struggles, and I felt that the way they reacted to them was realistic and I was so proud reading about how they worked through them. Another thing I loved was the respect Sam and Axel have for each other’s boundaries. One quote in particular stuck out to me, and I think this is when I truly fell in love with this pairing:
“I’m not going to ask you for more, because I know that right now you can’t give it.”
It might seem insignificant to some people, but to me, this moment was extremely important (especially given Sam’s past). I’m still a fan of the over-protective lust driven relationships, which is why I loved the second book of this series, but something about this soothes my soul.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is book 3 in White's Curse of the Guardians series. A well written and wonderfully narrated paranormal romance that while book 3 in the series can be read / listened to as a standalone. Definitely dark themes addressed, and this is a M/M romance and while that is not normally something I seek out I have listened to all the books in this series thus far and didn't want to miss Axle and Sam's story. The storyline itself was a little harder for me to follow - it's one that you kind of have to pay attention to as you listen, and I have a hard time doing that as I'm often pulled in different directions so for me it wasn't as easy to follow as it would be otherwise. I did like the characters and all the different family dynamics that were depicted in this read. Overall, I found it to be a good, and intense listen.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I voluntarily provided this review. *this review is based on the audio version of this read.
Another great instalment in the series. I adored Sam anyway and have now fallen in love with Axel too. The tension between these two was perfect. The only thing I struggled with was understanding exactly what was going on plot wise at times. I felt like I was occasionally a little lost on who was who and quite what was going on in some scenes. The relationship building and the emotional rollercoaster you go on with the guys was spot on though.
I cannot wait for Titus' book and I'm once again taking the opportunity to beg for Lucifer to get his own book.
🔞 18+ read due to explicit content and dark themes. Trigger warning can be found at the beginning of the book.
I was so excited to get to Sam’s story! Loving him from book one of Alice Skye’s book! He was always one of my faves and his and Axel’s story is so good!
Taylor really fused these two together I was so into their relationship developing from what it was and so loved how she wrote Beast in this one!
Also Axel has been one of my favorite guardians being the quiet one but reading about him is such a fun ride! I was very into his relationships with the other guardians being how he seemed like the calm but really he was just on the precipice much like Kace! So excited for more of the guardians! Loving this series so much!
The third in the series and I can’t decide who is my favorite guardian yet. Love them all. All of the guardians are damaged but Axel maybe one of the most severe. He is beautiful a fact he hates. He physically hurts, his beast is broken and doesn’t communicate with him like his other brothers beast. He tries to numb the pain with drugs. He doesn’t realize he has an addiction until it’s too late. Sam is a shifter and has been hurt in the past. He uses sex as an outlet against his pain. When he sees Axel hurting himself he must intervene. This was so good, the heat and tension between these two. Each one is willing to give their lives for the other. The danger is really intense in this one.
I loved the dual narration of DB West and Holden Maddox
Axel and Sam may have been friends for a while, also are very attracted to each other, but never acted on it. Sam many partners, he feels this gives him control. Axel battled his beast daily, and unlike his brothers, he has stayed celibate, as he hates the side he inherited from his mother. So he uses drugs which has become out of hand, spending more time high. One night his beast takes over and he goes to Sam. With history coming back to haunt them and Sam in life threatened, Axel has to choose which life is more important, his own or the man his beast has claimed.
I came into this story without listening to the first ones. That said I was able to understand their world and characters just fine without being super lost. That alone upped the star rating for me. At first I was into the story and it had my attention but it slowly lost it for me. There is a lot of addiction issues in the book that made me stop rooting for the characters. Which to be fair is more like real life so makes sense to me but for some reason my brain got too annoyed. 😒 I was just rooting for a faster progression of that part of their life. I do however always love a more positive ending full of love on so many levels 💖.
A fab addition to this fab series. Darker, exciting, thrilling and very steamy as we see Sam whose doing everything he can to forget his awful and horrific past and Axel whose also fighting demons of his own, get together and this is their story. Both are such great characters as they strive to be better and overcome their own personal battles, something they help each other with. Friendship, romance, abuse and some darker themes as we get on this emotional rollercoaster of pain, trauma and heartache filled with twists and turns, mystery and suspense and a little action.
I haven't actually read the Alice Skye series yet so I didn't really know Sam the way others did but I have to say, this book is definitely my favourite out of the series. Sam is your everyday, happy, friends with everyone type of guy who uses sex to distract himself, he's a good time. I really FELT Axel though, his struggle with drugs, his struggle with pain, his struggle with balancing his life, his story is so raw, so deep and it was beautiful to see him and Sam finally find each other. I loved the LGBTQIA+ representation, the story was HECTIC with this one, so well done it had me gripping my chair. The spice was #HOLYSHIT and that cliffhanger with Titus? Blew. My. Mind.
This was a really good book. I think it portrayed a bunch of issues well, with sensitivity but also with impact. I think the character relationship progression and character development were paced well. It didn’t feel rushed but I also never felt bored. One question I have for authors though is how can you so royally fuck over your characters? Titus hasn’t been one of the main characters yet but we’ve still seen more of him than Jax (who I straight up forget about) and Sythe. TAW did Titus dirty with this one imo. The next book is going to be wild.
I think I have found another author to add to my favorites. The depth of the characters is so amazing considering how short the story is. So much is packed in without the story feeling rushed and cluttered. The quality is top tier for sure. I don’t feel like I’m missing any part of anyone’s story, well except that I skipped book 1 of the series and apparently Riley’s story is in previous series. Guess i will have to backtrack. I will say that these poor guardians have got a hard, fast and dangerous life. Hell even their mates don’t have it easy.
Thoroughly enjoyed this 3rd Guardians novel. Taylor delivers once again with complicated characters and story lines that pull in several of the characters and set us up for the next story. Axel and Sam deliver and its wonderful to see Sam settle down and reach for happiness. Before reading this one you should read the Alice Skye series and the other 2 Guardian books. If you haven't read any of them yet, I’m jealous- you will have a great binge.
This was my first MM book read, and I was very pleasantly surprised. The chemistry between the MC was super smokey and I really enjoyed seeing both Sam and Axel evolve and grow, personally and with each other. The danger they went through and their protectiveness toward each other was endearing. And the family bond between the guardians was sweet!
Axel used drugs as a way to relieve pain until they started interfering with his work. Sam, a temptation Axel had long desired, remained out of reach as Axel maintained celibacy. However, after taking a new drug, Axel's inner beast took over, and he succumbed to the temptation of Sam, making it even harder to resist. Now, with Sam taken, Axel is determined to do anything to get him back and make him his own.
This was an entertaing story to listen to my only complaint would be Sam's character the narration was low so i had to keep adjusting the volume so i could hear it. It's a bit of a slow start then it picks up. When Axel and Sam give in to the temptation and Axel breaks his celebecy is hot and sexy. I also found the part where Axel who has been treating his pain with drugs figures out the reason he was in pain. Can't wait to listen to the next story.
MM stories usually aren’t my cup of tea but the style of writing and the story quality of this author had me wanting to read this book. I loved it. Her other stories have more subject matter to them than just the spicy scenes like some other authors I have read in the past and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Axel and Sam are absolutely MADE for each other. Tragic childhoods and overcoming parental abuse and neglect to be stronger. HERE. FOR. IT!
More world-building than previous books so highly suggest reading the others before this one. Has some dark themes surrounding addiction and trauma. Loved the romance between the 2mcs, wish that had been more of a focus than it was. Great plot though and fantastic writing
Both our male MCs have struggles to overcome, and while they have iOS and downs when they meet, they are able to help the other in various ways. Their chemistry was slow burn and we got to see how they changed throughout the story. Add in mystery, action, and suspense, and you’ve got a well-paced story with twists and turns.
I’ve been a fan of the Curse of the Guardians series since book 1 and I’m so glad Sam got his own book with Axel! The plot was well thought out and bringing Sam’s dad back to mix with the Undercity made it really interesting. The chemistry between Sam and Axel is insane! It was really sweet to see that Sam pretty much always had Axels back even when the Guardians gave him the boot.
This was a slightly tougher read than the rest of the series, so far. Both Sam and Axel had been through such tough times and they coped in different ways but they were both so broken, it was so great to see them help each other heal and become stronger for themselves too.
This story tells of a young man who's in love with his friend only not just his friend but some one he needs as his mate which he almost lost to death,but for his friend and one of them was lusrfur a demon from hell.I would like to say thank you for all your hard work and may fortune smile 😃on you always 😁from a bookworm
This one was a bit slower paced than the first two. Axel’s story unfolds, while he’s struggling with his pain and what he feels he needs to do to control it. This showcases the relationship between Axel his cousin Ty, and their shenanigans. Sam and Axel have been friends for a while now; but they are complete opposites. But when circumstances spark between them, things start to change.