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The Demon's Apprentice #6
True Colors (The Demon's Apprentice Series)
Apprentice mage Chance Fortunato just can’t catch a break. His training has gotten even harder, and his mentor Dr. Corwin is pushing him to take his mage trials early. Still, it beats his old gig working for a demon. But life takes a turn for the worse when a member of his girlfriend Shade’s werewolf pack is killed by a member of a rogue pack. Adding insult to grief, the pack is forced to let the Conclave send an observer to monitor their investigation. When the Conclave allows Jacob Kain, an Alpha from the Boston clans to act in their stead, though, things become even more complicated, as Kain has an agenda of his own. As Chance and Shade fight to keep Kain from taking over, a new enemy arrives with a very personal connection to Chance. Even if he can survive this deadly combination of forces, can he survive the plans of another, hidden enemy from his past? The only thing that is certain that before it’s all over, everyone’s true colors will show.
1 pages, Audio CD
Published October 12, 2021
124 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 16, 2019
I’ve never been much of a fan of the stereotypical werewolf hierarchy, or the interplay therein. It’s doesn’t make sense to me, and so I find it irritating. And always so much unnecessary aggression. But because It’s so prevalent, I imagine some, possibly many, must feel differently.
By the end it petered out a bit, but still, how many times can we be expected to find them throwing the same insults at each other engaging. You’re a beta. No, you’re a beta. No, you’re a gamma. Oh, now you’ve done it - *character frantically Googles which letter comes next in the alphabet.
The romantic entanglements haven’t gotten any less... concerning, over the course of the series. And the characters all remain so very edgy, which I suppose is common to the urban fantasy genre. Overall, it was okay, if a bit of a mess, and not to my taste. I may or may not read a subsequent installment. Currently I’m leaning against it, which is a little disappointing because I enjoyed some of them quite a bit.
By the end it petered out a bit, but still, how many times can we be expected to find them throwing the same insults at each other engaging. You’re a beta. No, you’re a beta. No, you’re a gamma. Oh, now you’ve done it - *character frantically Googles which letter comes next in the alphabet.
The romantic entanglements haven’t gotten any less... concerning, over the course of the series. And the characters all remain so very edgy, which I suppose is common to the urban fantasy genre. Overall, it was okay, if a bit of a mess, and not to my taste. I may or may not read a subsequent installment. Currently I’m leaning against it, which is a little disappointing because I enjoyed some of them quite a bit.
December 27, 2018
Love this series
I truly love this series, but have to give this book a 4 instead of a 5 because of the Shade issue. The issue I have is the repeated sexual abuse of Shade. She is strong now and should not be abused by every new werewolf. Been there, done that. Let's let her move on, truly heal, and not be abused by another male in this series. Contrary to popular belief, once a victim does not mean always a victim. Otherwise the books are amazing. I love Chance and his entire extended family. I say family instead of friends because they are a family by choice. I love that Chance's character grows.
I truly love this series, but have to give this book a 4 instead of a 5 because of the Shade issue. The issue I have is the repeated sexual abuse of Shade. She is strong now and should not be abused by every new werewolf. Been there, done that. Let's let her move on, truly heal, and not be abused by another male in this series. Contrary to popular belief, once a victim does not mean always a victim. Otherwise the books are amazing. I love Chance and his entire extended family. I say family instead of friends because they are a family by choice. I love that Chance's character grows.
April 5, 2019
Rating 4.0 stars
This one was a little better. I think the last book was something of an anomaly. This one is all about Chance and Shade.
This one was a little better. I think the last book was something of an anomaly. This one is all about Chance and Shade.
October 27, 2020
Rape of a 17 year old by an Adult should not CONTINUE to be part of the story
I have enjoyed most of the series so much so that after listening to the first book on Audible I read the rest of the books in less than a week. This is a huge deal because it has probably been a year or more since I read any novel.
The only issue I have had with the series was in the beginning when Chance stops Dominique in the middle of raping Slade. However, her being sexually abused by multiple people was an important part of her back story so I continued the story. However here in this book she is being raped again by another adult. This is going to be highly offensive to the author but it honestly makes me question if e has some kind of unhealthy obsession of rape and rape of a minor
Also the changes in Chance brought on by his temporary transformation made the character lack luster for me. For the good I did enjoy meeting the other side of his family.
I have enjoyed most of the series so much so that after listening to the first book on Audible I read the rest of the books in less than a week. This is a huge deal because it has probably been a year or more since I read any novel.
The only issue I have had with the series was in the beginning when Chance stops Dominique in the middle of raping Slade. However, her being sexually abused by multiple people was an important part of her back story so I continued the story. However here in this book she is being raped again by another adult. This is going to be highly offensive to the author but it honestly makes me question if e has some kind of unhealthy obsession of rape and rape of a minor
Also the changes in Chance brought on by his temporary transformation made the character lack luster for me. For the good I did enjoy meeting the other side of his family.
January 30, 2019
Pivotal and Odd, but Good
A twisty and indirect story different from past plots. Sometimes even disjointed and disturbing, and I have
mixed feelings about it. Overall a good story, and key to a few future elements. You should definitely re-read the last book or two before reading this one.
A twisty and indirect story different from past plots. Sometimes even disjointed and disturbing, and I have
mixed feelings about it. Overall a good story, and key to a few future elements. You should definitely re-read the last book or two before reading this one.
January 14, 2022
While the writing in this novel felt comparable to the first five, I found myself struggling for at least half the novel. Werewolf politics, sexual abuse and much less magic really killed my enjoyment. The second half improved matters and I would continue the series.
January 17, 2019
Good read little heavy on the teen angst
I've enjoyed the series. The challenge of each is commiserate with the character development. Look forward to reading the next one
I've enjoyed the series. The challenge of each is commiserate with the character development. Look forward to reading the next one
January 4, 2022
I generally save my one-star reviews for books that are either offensively bad or insultingly bad. This one was offensive. While the series has been problematic from the beginning (what with the disconnect between the heaviness of the plot and its young teenaged characters), I enjoyed the books for the most part. This one was a struggle to finish. Lemme list why.
PACK POLITICS
I've read a not small portion of the shifter novels on the market, and this one's pack dynamics are particularly bad and abusive, but also boring and illogical. I mean, how many times can one guy insult another by calling him a beta or a gamma in one single book? Answer: too many to be effective. But why does Chase ever just buy into his Alpha’s brainwashing? The strong rule? That was some King bullshit and he killed that Alpha in Book 1. He’d had another model to learn from with Shade’s pack. Hell, he SHOWED them they could have better. And yet Chase, this kid strong enough to shield his mind and free himself from slavery to a demon, couldn't seem to remember any of that when around his mysterious Alpha. Yesss, it later comes out that Chase had some kind of magical whammy on his defenses, but so far in the books we expect him to see through that nonsense. And yes, it turns out Cain turned King and taught him all that "the strong rule" nonsense, but I'd still expect Chase to know better.(**SPOILER** I did like the plot twist that made Shade's ex Brad the mysterious Alpha, and allowed for a second chance for him. If you make it that far in the book -the epilogue- it makes sense.)
SHADE'S MISTREATMENT
Enough already with abusing this girl. She deserves better as a character. This is at least the third book in the series where there's some really creepy, chest-beating gorilla of an older guy trying to tame and own her. The girl is 17 here. If her abuse is part of her back story (Book 1, and I still had a problem with that then), fine. But subjecting her to the same thing over and over again denies her the growth she's worked for and earned over the series.
Then there's the whole bit where she willingly walked into a fight with Cain where she thinks she'll have her will taken and be raped. Raped to “protect her pack,” and Chase and all the adults and friends around them don't try to stop her or scramble to come up with some madcap alternative plan. Seriously? Shade. Deserves. Better. Trigger warning: It is heavily implied that Cain did in fact rape her, and then nobody talks about it after. Shade and Chase and everybody else just ignore that trauma like it never happened. Badly done, Ben Reeder, badly done.
ILLOGICAL CRAP
-Chase is made into a werewolf and then Dr. C doesn't seem to fight for a solution. Only his mom tries. Doesn't seem like Dr. C to me. (Spoiler: his mom succeeds with her Romany family in turning Chase back into a mage and removing the wolf.)
-What was up with the random robbery plan in the middle? Why would Chase just go along it? Where did that plot even take the story? Was it just in there to find a way to pay off the Russians? Why would a "the strong rule" Alpha even share the loot with his packmates? Also, Chase was TSTL by following a note from his Alpha to where his part of the haul was hidden. Sure, that doesn’t smell of a trap at all. Chase is smarter than that, and what's more, was trained by a demon to think deviously.
-Why did Sinbad just disappear and let Cain take over for most of the story?
-Why was the investigation into Tyler’s murder sidelined? Shade allows Cain to spend all this time trying to teach her how to run her pack instead of doing what she and Sinbad called him and the Conclave in for: investigating the death of her friend and packmate. Where was the Conclave in the investigation?
-Why is Chase a terrible fighter all of a sudden, even after learning all Kim’s skills and the years of training with Dr. C? His many, many beatdowns by Cain and his Alpha were redundant (boring) and just didn't make sense.
I don't know if there are plans for another book in the series, but it was set up to make me think so: Chase still has another year of school, the warlock girl from his time at the Academy is still at large, Chase still has to pass his mage trials, we need to know what it will mean for Chase to be the Mage of New Essex, the sprites need a better solution... If one comes out, I may still give it a try. I do like these characters and the world they live in, and I did enjoy books 2-5 quite a bit. This book was a big miss, though.
PACK POLITICS
I've read a not small portion of the shifter novels on the market, and this one's pack dynamics are particularly bad and abusive, but also boring and illogical. I mean, how many times can one guy insult another by calling him a beta or a gamma in one single book? Answer: too many to be effective. But why does Chase ever just buy into his Alpha’s brainwashing? The strong rule? That was some King bullshit and he killed that Alpha in Book 1. He’d had another model to learn from with Shade’s pack. Hell, he SHOWED them they could have better. And yet Chase, this kid strong enough to shield his mind and free himself from slavery to a demon, couldn't seem to remember any of that when around his mysterious Alpha. Yesss, it later comes out that Chase had some kind of magical whammy on his defenses, but so far in the books we expect him to see through that nonsense. And yes, it turns out Cain turned King and taught him all that "the strong rule" nonsense, but I'd still expect Chase to know better.(**SPOILER** I did like the plot twist that made Shade's ex Brad the mysterious Alpha, and allowed for a second chance for him. If you make it that far in the book -the epilogue- it makes sense.)
SHADE'S MISTREATMENT
Enough already with abusing this girl. She deserves better as a character. This is at least the third book in the series where there's some really creepy, chest-beating gorilla of an older guy trying to tame and own her. The girl is 17 here. If her abuse is part of her back story (Book 1, and I still had a problem with that then), fine. But subjecting her to the same thing over and over again denies her the growth she's worked for and earned over the series.
Then there's the whole bit where she willingly walked into a fight with Cain where she thinks she'll have her will taken and be raped. Raped to “protect her pack,” and Chase and all the adults and friends around them don't try to stop her or scramble to come up with some madcap alternative plan. Seriously? Shade. Deserves. Better. Trigger warning: It is heavily implied that Cain did in fact rape her, and then nobody talks about it after. Shade and Chase and everybody else just ignore that trauma like it never happened. Badly done, Ben Reeder, badly done.
ILLOGICAL CRAP
-Chase is made into a werewolf and then Dr. C doesn't seem to fight for a solution. Only his mom tries. Doesn't seem like Dr. C to me. (Spoiler: his mom succeeds with her Romany family in turning Chase back into a mage and removing the wolf.)
-What was up with the random robbery plan in the middle? Why would Chase just go along it? Where did that plot even take the story? Was it just in there to find a way to pay off the Russians? Why would a "the strong rule" Alpha even share the loot with his packmates? Also, Chase was TSTL by following a note from his Alpha to where his part of the haul was hidden. Sure, that doesn’t smell of a trap at all. Chase is smarter than that, and what's more, was trained by a demon to think deviously.
-Why did Sinbad just disappear and let Cain take over for most of the story?
-Why was the investigation into Tyler’s murder sidelined? Shade allows Cain to spend all this time trying to teach her how to run her pack instead of doing what she and Sinbad called him and the Conclave in for: investigating the death of her friend and packmate. Where was the Conclave in the investigation?
-Why is Chase a terrible fighter all of a sudden, even after learning all Kim’s skills and the years of training with Dr. C? His many, many beatdowns by Cain and his Alpha were redundant (boring) and just didn't make sense.
I don't know if there are plans for another book in the series, but it was set up to make me think so: Chase still has another year of school, the warlock girl from his time at the Academy is still at large, Chase still has to pass his mage trials, we need to know what it will mean for Chase to be the Mage of New Essex, the sprites need a better solution... If one comes out, I may still give it a try. I do like these characters and the world they live in, and I did enjoy books 2-5 quite a bit. This book was a big miss, though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2022
This series was better than I expected it to be. First, I'm not usually fond of spending time in a teen's head, so a "well written" teen character is not enjoyable for me. I usually don't mind if I can forget the person's age which tends to mean they don't read like a teen. This series jumps over all those problems with the MC's backstory. So he doesn't read like a teen and that's believable, but he's still in real world teen situations and still often has the internal reactions of a teen even if his history gives him an unusual amount of chill in a crisis behaviorally. It's a bit like getting the best of both worlds.
This is a good series that I was sorry to see the end of and hope the author decides to return to it.
Bulk Input Day
This is a good series that I was sorry to see the end of and hope the author decides to return to it.
Bulk Input Day
December 27, 2018
Like the other books in the series I didn't want to put it down and am left looking forward to the next.
Like the other books in the series I didn't want to put it down and am left looking forward to the next adventure. It's full of the usual action and attics that is Chances life along with a lot of personal growth of characters.
Like the other books in the series I didn't want to put it down and am left looking forward to the next adventure. It's full of the usual action and attics that is Chances life along with a lot of personal growth of characters.
January 26, 2019
This is the sixth book in this series it's about a young man who 's father made a deal with a Demon for power and used a seven years old Chance as payment
This was a good read I'm invested in these characters their story is relatable and interesting I look forward to more of chance's and his sister's story .
This was a good read I'm invested in these characters their story is relatable and interesting I look forward to more of chance's and his sister's story .
February 16, 2019
Definitely Worth the Wait
It feels like I've been waiting forever for the next book in this series, but a true storyteller cannot be rushed. True Colors was absolutely worth the wait! This novel takes the series to a new level. I read it in one sitting. Trust me when I say you will not be disappointed!
It feels like I've been waiting forever for the next book in this series, but a true storyteller cannot be rushed. True Colors was absolutely worth the wait! This novel takes the series to a new level. I read it in one sitting. Trust me when I say you will not be disappointed!
January 3, 2019
Must buy
This is one of the most powerful books of the series. It takes the hard choices that life requires and exposes weaknesses and fears and what it takes to make the choice to keep going on when you want to quit.
This is one of the most powerful books of the series. It takes the hard choices that life requires and exposes weaknesses and fears and what it takes to make the choice to keep going on when you want to quit.
January 7, 2019
This is an interesting continuation of the story. Though we had heard the last of Brad but nope dude kept showing up.. He is like herpes. Ya can't get rid of him. Well hope he becomes a better person.
July 14, 2021
Fantastic book I love this series and it builds upon itself in amazing ways. The characters grow and expand, I honestly hope this isn’t the last book in the series.
A must read for urban fantasy readers.
A must read for urban fantasy readers.
December 30, 2018
Starts slow, ramps right up
To me the start seemed a bit off. Not quite the usual from the Demon apprentice. Then things kick off and it's the story I was wanting after all.
To me the start seemed a bit off. Not quite the usual from the Demon apprentice. Then things kick off and it's the story I was wanting after all.
January 1, 2019
Good sequel
I enjoyed the book, but I think that Shade could have been made to evolve differently as a character. It's the only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars.
I enjoyed the book, but I think that Shade could have been made to evolve differently as a character. It's the only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars.
January 12, 2019
Great series
Great series.
I'm sure I'll re read several times as I have with the prior books. Already looking forward to the next one.
Great series.
I'm sure I'll re read several times as I have with the prior books. Already looking forward to the next one.
January 16, 2019
Best one yet
This was the most interesting and absorbing book of the whole series. I could not figure out where the book was going. Great job , can not wait for the next book!
This was the most interesting and absorbing book of the whole series. I could not figure out where the book was going. Great job , can not wait for the next book!
January 16, 2019
Great Read
Lots of action. Great characters. The whole series is excellent. Who knew there was a cure for lycanthropy. Good to see Chance back to normal.
Lots of action. Great characters. The whole series is excellent. Who knew there was a cure for lycanthropy. Good to see Chance back to normal.
January 30, 2019
Time consumer
As with his other books I couldn't pit it down and I can't wait till the next one. Keep up the good work.
As with his other books I couldn't pit it down and I can't wait till the next one. Keep up the good work.
February 16, 2019
Great book
I've been hooked on this series since I first stumbled onto Demon Apprentice. I look forward to the next book.
I've been hooked on this series since I first stumbled onto Demon Apprentice. I look forward to the next book.
May 30, 2019
Really love this series. Write more please!
March 9, 2021
Great book!
Even though this book was a bit shorter, he continue telling a very engaging story. I’m looking forward to the next book.
Even though this book was a bit shorter, he continue telling a very engaging story. I’m looking forward to the next book.
July 14, 2022
Great series! Every book kept my interest and always wanting more.
November 8, 2022
Nice! Almost wrapped up the loose plot threads.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews