What do you think?
Rate this book
Vertigo Chronicles #1
Vertigo
Book I in the Vertigo Chronicles series...
Each night Simon Saint-Saens hunts the creatures of darkness that others fear--beings that come through dimensional rifts into our world from a world called Vertigo. Simon has unexplained superpowers that help him fight, but his is a desolate existence, fraught with danger. He works by himself and never allows anyone to get too close to him because his powers come at a terrible cost--a secret he's never revealed to anyone. Better to be alone than jeopardize the life of someone he cares about.
Enslaved in Vertigo for years, Jaden Cole was one of the innocent lives Simon saved when he first started hunting. Jade had almost forgotten what it meant to be human...until Simon found him and brought him back to this world. But when their friendship turned into something more, Simon sent Jade away and cut him out of his life to keep Jade safe.
Nine years later, when a new, powerful evil stirs to life in Vertigo and targets Simon as its enemy, Jade returns. He's not the same innocent he was all those years ago, though. Now he has his own secret, one that could turn Simon against him, even force Simon to kill him. But Jade's willing to risk everything, even his life, to save the man he's always loved.
Please Don't miss the exciting Shattered...
Gay / Fantasy / Superheroes / Dark Fantasy / Werewolf / Shapeshifter / Witchcraft / Magic / Series
Each night Simon Saint-Saens hunts the creatures of darkness that others fear--beings that come through dimensional rifts into our world from a world called Vertigo. Simon has unexplained superpowers that help him fight, but his is a desolate existence, fraught with danger. He works by himself and never allows anyone to get too close to him because his powers come at a terrible cost--a secret he's never revealed to anyone. Better to be alone than jeopardize the life of someone he cares about.
Enslaved in Vertigo for years, Jaden Cole was one of the innocent lives Simon saved when he first started hunting. Jade had almost forgotten what it meant to be human...until Simon found him and brought him back to this world. But when their friendship turned into something more, Simon sent Jade away and cut him out of his life to keep Jade safe.
Nine years later, when a new, powerful evil stirs to life in Vertigo and targets Simon as its enemy, Jade returns. He's not the same innocent he was all those years ago, though. Now he has his own secret, one that could turn Simon against him, even force Simon to kill him. But Jade's willing to risk everything, even his life, to save the man he's always loved.
Please Don't miss the exciting Shattered...
Gay / Fantasy / Superheroes / Dark Fantasy / Werewolf / Shapeshifter / Witchcraft / Magic / Series
133 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
3 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
M.L. Rhodes
42 books570 followersI’m author M.L. Rhodes and I write m/m romance and fantasy. This means my books are about gay or bisexual men meeting, falling in love, and finding happily-ever-afters with other men. Sometimes the settings are contemporary, sometimes the stories take place in worlds filled with dragons, witches, or other fantasy and paranormal creatures. But there’s one thing of which you can be certain…in my books, love always wins!
If you'd like to know more about me and writing, swing by my website when you have a few minutes! http://authormlrhodes.com
If you'd like to know more about me and writing, swing by my website when you have a few minutes! http://authormlrhodes.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 20, 2010
Vertigo is the first novella in the The Vertigo Chronicles and introduces us to a world much like our own – expect a vertex has opened up and monsters from an alternate universe are filtering in at night to hunt humans for food or sport. One man with superhuman abilities named Simon goes out each night to battle the bad guys who cross-over.
One night… Simon traps a creature only to find out that it is a cherished person from his past (Jade) and he must reexamine his life and his quest.
I liked this story. The characters are damaged people both dealing with guilt, fear and an overwhelming desire for salvation. Religion and spirituality are a recurring theme, and the relationship between Simon and Jade is complicated, sad and very sexy.
The other-worldly creatures are mostly mindless monsters with the exception of one super villain that is only briefly introduced.
Vertigo is a good read if you are interested in dark paranormal tales and brooding hot guys getting it on. The second book in the series Shattered continues the story and is even better than Vertigo.
One night… Simon traps a creature only to find out that it is a cherished person from his past (Jade) and he must reexamine his life and his quest.
I liked this story. The characters are damaged people both dealing with guilt, fear and an overwhelming desire for salvation. Religion and spirituality are a recurring theme, and the relationship between Simon and Jade is complicated, sad and very sexy.
The other-worldly creatures are mostly mindless monsters with the exception of one super villain that is only briefly introduced.
Vertigo is a good read if you are interested in dark paranormal tales and brooding hot guys getting it on. The second book in the series Shattered continues the story and is even better than Vertigo.
March 5, 2011
Simon Saint-Saens is a hunter of dark creatures that come out from a world called Vertigol. Jaden Cole was a man Simon saved a long time ago, a man he left for safety, only to be murdered few months later. Or so he thought ... until Simon faces a were-wolf who turns into a human that reminds him of Jaden ...
I just got my first taste of M.L. Rhodes's story with Into the Woods and Falling (I did read Wanting but it was awhile ago and I couldn't really remember) and realized that her writings might fit to what I'm looking for in m/m romance. So I backtrack her older books -- especially the urban fantasy piece, and pick up Vertigo.
AND GOD DAMN IT, M.L. RHODES WINS MY HEART OVER, AGAIN. The two heroes are tortured in their own way. Simon thinks that he is a killer (he has a past that he doesn't tell anyone, until the last pages). Jaden struggles to control his beast. But gosh, the intensity of their emotion!! It's so palpable, I'm reading this with my heart being squeezed all the way through, from the time that Simon realizes that the were-wolf is Jaden, until the very last page. The thing is, the writing is angsty but it never gets crossed into sappy. It's emotional but just the right balance for me, personally.
The ending is definitely not an HEA -- not when the big villain has just been introduced. I know that there is a sequel to this, so I don't mind that it ends that way.
I just got my first taste of M.L. Rhodes's story with Into the Woods and Falling (I did read Wanting but it was awhile ago and I couldn't really remember) and realized that her writings might fit to what I'm looking for in m/m romance. So I backtrack her older books -- especially the urban fantasy piece, and pick up Vertigo.
AND GOD DAMN IT, M.L. RHODES WINS MY HEART OVER, AGAIN. The two heroes are tortured in their own way. Simon thinks that he is a killer (he has a past that he doesn't tell anyone, until the last pages). Jaden struggles to control his beast. But gosh, the intensity of their emotion!! It's so palpable, I'm reading this with my heart being squeezed all the way through, from the time that Simon realizes that the were-wolf is Jaden, until the very last page. The thing is, the writing is angsty but it never gets crossed into sappy. It's emotional but just the right balance for me, personally.
The ending is definitely not an HEA -- not when the big villain has just been introduced. I know that there is a sequel to this, so I don't mind that it ends that way.
July 2, 2018
Rushed.
Not enough world building or fleshing out the world.
Here is a quick backstory to set up some angst, but we're just going to move through that real quick.
Not enough world building or fleshing out the world.
Here is a quick backstory to set up some angst, but we're just going to move through that real quick.
February 11, 2015
I'm a huge fan of M.L. Rhodes' books! There is just something about her style of writing that draws me fully into the story, makes me love the main characters, lets me experience the emotion, and revs up my engine when the m/m action kicks in!! This book had all of the above going for it. Simon and Jaden were exceptional characters - flawed but adorable. My only wish was that we could have had more prior history included in the book. I almost felt like I had missed a prior book in the series from the point where this story takes off. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel to learn more about these great characters and the angsty demon existence/world that they are dealing with. Fantastic read!
March 25, 2014
The book? Not bad. The cover? Seriously horrible. I have to admit I imagined a guy with a cape and tights every time the name Simon showed up on the pages. I'm serious. I couldn't help myself. I only started seeing him like a normal dressing dude (as much as a long duster can be considered normal) about halfway through the story. Really bad choice of a cover, I tell you. If I was one for choosing my books by their cover...this would've been completely ignored. No, more like banished. *shudders*
Anyway, the plot in itself is good. There was some thought put into the characters background and the world-building is pretty creative too. Overall, it's a good piece of romance between two men who have felt and seen way too much. It is a HFN tho.
Anyway, the plot in itself is good. There was some thought put into the characters background and the world-building is pretty creative too. Overall, it's a good piece of romance between two men who have felt and seen way too much. It is a HFN tho.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2013
This is a terrible cover.
If I was one to judge books by their cover, this book would've shriveled in shame.
That said, I'm reading this electronically, so I don't have to stare at it in pain as I flip virtual pages.
The story is so short -- I can't get used to this shortness. It never feels finished, and really, they aren't -- they're all cliffhangers.
If I was one to judge books by their cover, this book would've shriveled in shame.
That said, I'm reading this electronically, so I don't have to stare at it in pain as I flip virtual pages.
The story is so short -- I can't get used to this shortness. It never feels finished, and really, they aren't -- they're all cliffhangers.
February 15, 2010
In this first part of the story the scene is set, the world is built and the main characters reveal deep secrets to each other. No guarantee of Happily Ever After for them with a Big Bad Demon on their trail, but they do decide to take as much Happy For Now as they can get.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews