Alexander Hunt holds onto two both could ruin his life, but one could end it. The sudden move from Calgary, Alberta to the outskirts of Jasper during his senior year leaves Alex isolated in a cabin with bickering parents. He copes by taking daily hikes along the shores of Maligne Lake until he meets a young man named Amulii. He's huge, unkempt, and speaks broken English, but there's something else uncanny about him Alex can't quite place. What starts as a frightening first encounter escalates the moment Amulii gives Alex a strange gift and reveals there's something much wilder about him than meets the eye. Unbeknownst to Alex, this sets off a series of devastating events that sends both of them fleeing from an aggressive, well-armed militia in the forest. As Amulii and Alex escape into the mountains, their bond strengthens as they learn from one another, and what was once distrust evolves into something much deeper. Despite that, there are only two questions burning Alex's waking thoughts as they traverse the harsh wilds of western Alberta, waiting for will he be caught and killed, or will he lose the rest of his humanity to Amulii's mistake? Content This book is intended for those over the age of 17 and contains explicit sex and graphic violence. While those themes are not prominent in the story, they pop up from time to time. In case this isn't clear from the blurb or the website, this is a gay-centric paranormal romance with real biped werewolves. This is not A/B/O
Dusk is a native of Florida but moved to the mountains of Colorado in 2022. On top of being a part-time author, he's also a software developer, musician and fitness enthusiast. He started writing short fan fiction and original stories when he was younger, but later in life, completed his first novel.
Over the last few years he's written three books, one has been published and another releases in 2024. He also writes short stories and spicier erotica.
To sign up for my own special book giveaways (open internationally), future physical ARC copies, and private beta sessions, join my mailing list @ https://theliteratebeast.com
I don't read much in the way of romance novels but The Mark of Amulii is one of the best novels in the werewolf genre I've read. This emotional roller coaster had me almost immediately attached to the two main characters and sniffling, laughing and gripping my chair arms from cover to cover. In a world where it's a struggle to find a playful book about werewolves that isn't for children, Dusk delivers something special. His ability to rope the me into an emotional struggle that feels all too real without being left feeling hollow and exhausted, and skip the fluff I've read before while describing with almost uncomfortable clarity things usually 'conveniently' left to my imagination is very good. At the end, rather than being left wanting more, I found myself satisfied in the best way, albeit with a stuffy nose.
Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down until the end. This was a brilliant story, with twists and heartache, but absolutely amazing. I fell in love with Alex and Amulii, they totally deserve happiness for all the rest of their days. Now that ending?! I need the next book like now! Whew!
Me coming in here with the first negative review like ;-;
listen. I really wanted to like this book. And by no means was it a bad book; I'm just extremely harsh with my scores. My favourite book of all time, ever, is 9.4/10. And just so you know, my personal scale goes down to -5, so this book is still not actually anywhere near the bottom.
The Mark of Amulii is— well.
It's a book with the skeleton of a fantastic book. The relationship between the two protagonists is flawed, which I always love. The characters themselves are, more often than not, wonderfully imperfect, often on the side of imperfect that would have most of us disliking them in real life. Maybe except Mike. He doesn't get enough screen time to be anything other than likeable.
But here's the thing: the flesh on the skeleton is okay. It isn't particularly great—certainly not 5-star. I'd have given this book 1 star if it didn't have such amazing concepts.
And that's what hurts the most. This book is the author's first, and it shows. He wrote it 10 years ago and revisited it, and it shows. (Props to him for that, though. I absolutely despise anything I wrote more than 3 years ago—I can't imagine wrangling with something a decade old.) The prose is a little lacklustre at times. The characters are so close to being human, but I don't know, something falls just a little short. I think it might be the dialogue. Characters don't really talk the way normal people would—they imitate it in order to advance the plot. Which meant I never felt like the story was at a standstill, granted, but it also meant the characters never became lovable to me.
And honestly, here's the thing: I just couldn't agree with the morals of the good guys. I felt myself sympathising with the antagonists—which I'm pretty sure the author wanted us to do—but to a slightly larger extent than the protagonists. Sure, the main character got a really fucking shitty hand in life, which would garner more sympathy for him from me, but due to his odd back and forth moods of being damaged and then fine again and then wait we need some angst can you go back to being justifiably angry, please? It was a bit hard.
I wanted these characters to really feel the tragedies they encounter, but we just don't get enough scenes of them doing so. The antagonist is given a couple half-scenes in which I get to sympathise with him. The other background antagonist is given practically a quarter of a scene to show anything other than villainy on the emotions front. The main character has so much shit happening to him that show don't tell is kinda forced to fuck off, so that the plot can continue forward, so we're told how shitty he feels. And in so many scenes, I shut my laptop, rolled around in bed, and imagined the most dramatic dialogue I could think of, because it had me so enraptured (am I the only one who does that? Yes? Shit)—but then I'd open my laptop again and the problem is resolved in 2 pages.
Aargh! Instead of telling us that the characters hurt, make it hurt! Please! I'm begging to be wounded but I just haven't formed enough of a connection yet and hhhhhhhhhh the characters don't even feel that hurt themselves and hhhhhh okay I'll jump quickly into spoiler territory to illustrate my point but skip over it if u want to.
Dusk, you were so close with so many aspects of this book. The dialogue was almost there, the characters almost there, the plot pretty much mostly there. Things that I truly didn't like, like some character's personalities or characterisation oops that was pretty long anyway like characterisation, or prose. But that stuff isn't core! That improves over time!
I may not have particularly loved this book. But many others have. You may too if you're thinking of getting the book. And Dusk? If you're reading this? Who am I to speak, having only written for the past 5 years. You've gone through infinitely more effort than I ever have to write this, so for that I applaud you. Keep going; you're almost there.
I initially had issues with Amullii when he was first introduced in the story. He is the type of guy who gets a girl pregnant out of fear that she will leave him. What he did to Alex felt almost like a manipulation to force him into a relationship. Amullii is deceitful, dominant, abusive, and toxic. His intentions seemed twisted at first, but he ultimately redeems himself as the story progresses.
The author's writing and flow are excellent. He manages to portray Alex as a complex character despite his simplicity. Everything is seamlessly connected, from their initial meeting to the turbulent adventure they share.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy morally ambiguous characters.
I would like to mention that I was very lucky to have encountered this book as well as receiving an ARC copy beforehand. Considering the amount of werewolf books found throughout the web so far consisting of those awful "me alpha of the pack, you have to submit to me as beta/omega yadda yadda" tropes, I was hesitant at first.
However, I have to say that the risk I took in the past to start reading this turns out to be a very worthwhile reading experience. The author did a wonderful job in laying out the events happening between the main characters as well as providing phenomenal character development throughout the story, and I ended up satisfied and wanting to know more what the author has in mind for future entries of this series.
I hope that other potential readers to Mark of Amulii will have a similar experience as mine, and I hope the author's writing career debut will be a great start in producing even more exciting stories in the near future!
Fantastic story!! I absolutely loved this book. This author has the ability to take you out of this world and into his. I laughed, cried, and alot of the time was angry, it was a very emotional book. I highly recommend it!
I'm currently through chapter 7, and have been loving it so far. The characters are all very believable / relatable. The author does a fantastic job of building the world through telling the story and I can't wait to read more. It's also a very refreshing take on the werewolf genre that paints them much more just like the rest of us, with their own ambitions, motivations, and cultural values as opposed to vicious, bloodthirsty monsters. Definitely worth the read!
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC. Overall, I highly recommend this book; 5/5.
As a gay male, I found this book very enjoyable. There are few M/M werewolf novels where both the plot and the smut are very convincing, and I am pleased to say that this is one of them. The story is engaging and imaginative, and the interactions between the characters, particularly Alex and Amulii, are depicted earnestly.
Wonderful book and it’s nice to finally read a real and believable romance/werewolf story and none of that Shifter/Twilight nonsense. MoA is a breath of fresh air in that the characters felt real from their family struggles to relationship woes. All along the way you feel like part of the story as you journey with them.
The author did a great job with the plot/story and didn’t follow the same cookie cutter plot of similar genres. I haven’t read anything this new and interesting in a long time. All I have left to say is if you start this book, you won’t stop reading!
4.5 Rating. A very enjoyable and entertaining read. Usually I read sci-fi / fantasy but Mark of Amulii scratched that gay romance itch that not many books manage to do, especially in the sea of Omegaverse shifter books. Characters are interesting and flawed, especially Amulii and Alex's parents whom I both loved and hated throughout various points in the story. Also the werewolves in this book are actual bipedal werewolves, not the Twilight variety so that already is a huge plus. Plot is well written and interesting and kept me hooked the entire way through.
When I had the luxury to begin reading this book, the premise alone is really what got me. In the gay community, a lot of what we get is usually superficial works written by women, and you rarely get that "beauty and the beast" story but with men! And let me tell you, I was absolutely given everything by this author and THEN more!
Aeron Dusk delivers something that is beyond incredible. The pacing is first, and foremost, unnaturally good for a first publication! Characters interact with both realistic, and well articulated behaviors and nothing seems overtly dramatic, or inauthentic. In fact, the authenticity of the characters, their motivations, and their reactions is what caught me over, and over again!
I could review each character in depth for a long time, but I will say that Alex and Amulii are unbelievably loving. I enjoyed the traits of Alex that felt so familiar to my-self, a gay man who struggled a lot in his youth. It hits very close to home, and I found my-self constantly sympathizing, and feeling every situation through Alex's eyes.
Because this is a romance too, the fact we were given Gay Werewolf romance blew my mind. It is non-existent. Such things are almost entirely relegated to women getting the monster, and let me tell you, I was not prepared for how much I fell in love with Amulii and Alex.
Their struggles, their transformations, and the Author's complete devotion and attention TO the very nature of the Werewolf species! The passion was communicated, and what a gift it was to be given something like this by this Author! While it may be nuanced or something new to others, this has been something I have waited to read, and experience for years. The detail in the intimate/erotic scenes feel so warm and honest, so genuine: nothing is rushed, and while I was left definitely wanting to read, and see more, I feel that Aeron Dusk made up for the severe lack of this content in the Paranormal Scene.
The growth of these characters, of their relationship, of all of it, is something I thought about for hours even after the book. I had to go back and read parts again, and then eventually read it front to back! I will say it was truly a wonderful experience to read this book, and I hope more readers give this the chance it deserves!
The Mark of Amulii has been one of many books I've read in the past year on a binge to find and read as many gay furry books or visual novels that I can possibly find and this is among the upper tier of the ones that I have found.
The characters are all very memorable and distinct, everybody has a specific voice tied to them that I really appreciate as it helps to ensure nobody starts to sound like another character. The setting is vibrant, I was able to picture the scenes vividly thanks to the storytelling and it made the read that much more enjoyable. I am docking some minor points off due to the change in the tone characters like the dad and Davis both have at certain parts does feel rather sudden and abrupt but for the majority of the book the character writing was very consistent and made sense for their established personalities.
Alex and Amulii especially thankfully avoid the trope of mutually falling in love right at the very start, there's very heated emotions but we do get to see them talk at length about the situation which felt natural considering well, they're in such an unnatural situation.
I will be discussing spoilers from this point below, please scroll away if you are reading this before having read the entirety of the book as the main meat of the review is up above.
I greatly appreciated the relationship Alex and his dad have and the rollercoaster of emotions that encompasses them from the start until the end. Being also a gay man whose father passed away last year, our relationship was extremely tumultuous and never really recovered before his passing. Alex's emotions when he discovers what happens with his own dad near the end hit really hard for me, especially seeing the pits and peaks of their relationship through reading, while the situations aren't exact it did resonate close to home. It brought out a lot of emotions, but reading that arc was something that I feel like I needed and am ultimately very glad to have been able to experience.
Whatever else awaits for Alex and Amulii I eagerly hope to read, as well as any other work you decide to write going forward Mr. Dusk. Thank you for the adventure.
I’m a huge fan of werewolf novels, and I really enjoyed this author’s take on the genre. I loved our two main characters, Alex and Amulii, and enjoyed seeing both of them transform (pun intended) and grow throughout the story. This novel was quite a refreshing take on the werewolf mythology, and I thought the world-building in this story was phenomenal, as was the character development. The author gives us a truly fascinating world populated by memorable, well-developed characters.
Perfectly paced, The Mark of Amulii is a fast-paced fantasy adventure, and the action never lets up. Once Alex and Amulii are on the run, the story shifts from a mild romance into an intense, sometimes brutal, no-holds-barred thriller dripping with adrenaline. I found myself swept away in its action-packed wake, almost gasping for breath as the tension tightens like a noose, right up to the thrilling — and utterly shocking — conclusion.
The story is twisty and powerful, as well as moving. Though action-packed, the heart of the story is the romance between Amulii and Alex, and the chemistry and passion between them are fantastic. I enjoyed seeing their barriers break down as they got to know each other and how perfectly they balanced each other out. In addition, the character interaction was top-notch.
All in all, The Mark of Amulii is a razor-sharp novel that combines queer themes with a paranormal element in a clever and twisty way, with plenty of manic action and heart-stopping suspense. Right from the initial scene-setting, the novel builds to a crescendo of thrills, chills, and surprises and does not disappoint. In addition, the author left an intriguing tidbit at the end of the story, opening the way for a possible sequel. I hope there is one because I would love to read more novels that take place in this world.
A huge thank you to the author for providing a review copy of this book.
Closer to 4 1/2stars. Alexander Hunt is a gay teen with parents in a miserable marriage. To try and save it they move Alex, in his senior year of high school, to a remote cabin in Calgary. He meets some strange people on his hikes. He has a scary encounter with a wolf on his front porch. The wolf is Amulii, a werewolf type creature who speaks broken English and wants Alex as his mate. But his understanding of Alex's world leaves them on a dangerous chase to both stay alive and to stay alive with his humanity in place. First off...the cover. Absolutely stunning and I want it framed on my wall. Captures so much of the book. I really appreciated the pacing. It dove pretty quick into their relationship and Alex's adjustments to his new life-form. I felt the cold of the remote mountains. I hated the aggressiveness of the hunters, the people who didnt want to learn and understand. The romance was both sweet and aggressive. It was also relevant to the story, not just thrown in to fill up pages. My quibbles came with some of the characters. His father's emotions , later in the book, were what I expected from his mother. I didnt feel his father could change. Davis, near the end..same thing. Sympathy wasnt something I think he would have felt. Very imaginative and a great read
4 AM on a work day is what this book did to me. I wish for a second book to know what happened next. Shifted sex/partial shifted sex happening on page. Although the author forgets the fact they have tails and fur from time to time. 🤭 It's not fluf, it's not lovy dovy, it's not a porn book. It's not gut-wrenching angst either. Book is good. I was actually going so skip it... almost. The 1 star reviews got me to postpone listening at least twice. I'm glad i didn't. Sometimes, negative reviews are more a reflection on the reader than on the book. Don't get me wrong, the shift was not consensual, and Amulii is keeping secrets. But Alex is not meekly taking it all. The part about Alex being 17 is also of no relevance to me. Age of consent is different in different countries and in some it is as low as 16. I was always frustrated how we are considered adults today, but have not been yesterday just because of a point in time. With that said, sex on page is rare and very late in the story. It's there but not the main point or driving the progression. Narrator was new to me but he did good.
Wow!! This book was absolutely incredible. To say it was a joy to read puts it mildly. From the first chapters pulling at my heart strings with unrequited love to the end leaving me on the edge of my seat longing for more. This is not like any other werewolf story out there- a beautiful, scintillating love story that is sure to stir the fires of your soul. I look forward to the next book to come and everything thing else the author plans to delve into to! I can't wait to see where the story takes Alex and Amulii.
This novel was very well written and I really enjoyed the author’s take on werewolf mythology. I really enjoyed the interactions between the two main characters from the romance to the conflicts and I enjoyed seeing Alex and Amulii evolve throughout the story. The character development was very well done and the romance between the two main characters is amazing. There is plenty of action, drama and surprises as the author gives us a perfectly paced story. This novel is an intense and moving fantasy adventure all the way through. There is even a twist at the end of the novel, opening things up for a possible sequel, which I would love to read.
I wasn't sure what to expect going in especially since I returned the last book i bought in this genre
However, Aeron delivered on expectations I didn't even know I had. They kept me engaged, guessing and excited with their writing and I fell in love with these character and their world.
If you like werewolves, actually visible gay men, and nuances writing, this is the book for you.
I originally got it on kindle but I def want a hard copy for my collection
Ok the only thing bad about the story would probably be chapter 1 opening but just the first sentence everything else was amazing and was hard to put down. Take everything you knew about werewolves and threw it out the window this changes a lot about them and did it fabulously.
This cover is just so gorgeous that I knew I needed to read it. The author did a fabulous job brining this world and characters to life. I loved every page and couldn't put it down. The mystery and creatures were perfect and it was always nice to get something new. I can not wait for more by this author.
I have to say its awesome. I cant describe it in any other way. so much drama heartbreak and yet the love is still there. i cant wait for the next part
In my search for a cozy, gay, werewolf romance, The Mark of Amulii was recommended to me. Naturally, when I picked up the audiobook, I was expecting it to be just that. What I didn't expect was that it's basically a lighter version of A Little Life... but with werewolves. While The Mark of Amulii doesn’t go as deep into existential dread and long-term psychological decay, it definitely plays with similar emotional beats as A Little Life: Abuse stacked on abuse, moments of peace being short-lived, love and healing sparked after devastating lows, a protagonist who attempts suicide and is later brought back and finally, a central relationship marked by flaws, miscommunication, and trauma bonding.
Still, after finishing The Mark of Amulii, it left a bittersweet ache in my chest. This book was… a ride with a lot more emotional whiplash than I expected - but I couldn't stop reading (or, in this case, listening).
To start with the writing - it's immersive without being try-hard. A refreshing break from all the overdone isekai slop I’ve been consuming lately. The prose flowed nicely, the actions had weight, and the characters felt real and fleshed out (even when they were infuriating, which was a lot of the time). I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Creighton Bristow, who did a solid job with unique voices, but he had a habit of delivering dialogue with an annoyed, almost angry tone. It added to the tension but maybe skewed the tone a bit, making some conversations feel more hostile than they were meant to be (?).
The relationship between Alex and Amulii was a constant back and forth argument for most of the book.
For starters, Amulii (an adult) is a liar who tricked Alex (a 17 y.o.) into having sex with him (there's a word for that) and eventually forming a relationship (?) with him. He forced the werewolf change upon Alex through manipulation and for his own pleasure essentially. After a certain point, Alex had a "choice" to either turn into a blood-thirsty, crazed beast, or form a bond with Amulii.... All that because Amulii was obsessed with finding a... subservient human mate to be with, because apparently his, now dead, dad wanted him to... It's pretty bad how, nearing the end of the book, Alex essentially has three choices: become a monster and kill everyone, form the bond and live in constant pain and suffering (or attempt suicide again..), or develop Stockholm Syndrome.
On the other hand, Alex has issues on his own. Sure, he was given a pretty shitty hand in life, but he's also got anger issues. He keeps poking at Amulii—taunting him, escalating things - and then acts shocked and angry whenever Amulii snaps back...
Their attraction felt purely sexual, with little emotional grounding. Heck, after their first physical encounter, Alex reflects that their relationship now has a “foundation” to build on... aka, sex.
But credit where it’s due: there is character growth. The main saving grace of this book and the thing that makes it an actually good read is that the characters all well aware of ALL the issues I mentioned above! They come up naturally, they discuss them and they try to work things out despite the awful situations they find themselves (Alex especially). The issues are not swept under the rug as something to be overlooked and I was glad they didn't cause I'd probably have dropped the book if they did.
By the end, both Amulii and Alex recognize their flaws and begin to work on them. Their bond, however messy, starts to feel ever so slightly more genuine... Somewhat. It's not that Alex has any choice on the matter anyway... Despite that, Alex admits that he has indeed fallen in love with Amulii. So, whatever I guess.
Now... to summarise the iffy bits. • Alex is 17, while Amulii is mentally in his 20s - but actually 80. The book handwaves this with werewolf aging being different, but it still felt weird. Making Alex 18 would’ve made more sense and removed a layer of discomfort that added nothing to the story IMO. • The “bonding” plot was definitely forced. The idea that Alex has to have sex with Amulii or turn into a mindless killer is... a choice but far from good as far as clear consent goes. • The pacing leaned into suffering-porn territory. It went like: trauma → brief peace → more trauma → suicide → resurrection → healing → trauma again → chase → bloodbath. It was emotionally exhausting.
Still, I got attached to the characters. Even asshole Amulii. I almost gave up halfway through, especially during the whole lab-capture arc, but the story pulled itself back from the brink. The ending gave closure and some hope (and a cliffhanger ig), without sugarcoating the struggles. It didn't resolve every issue, but it let the characters grow and try again. That mattered.
I just really wish there had been more cozy scenes at the start - more mystery, more bonding, more vibe. With such good writing, I would’ve eaten up 500 pages of just Alex and Amulii exploring their feelings for eachother in a light-hearted, fun way before everything spiraled into chaos. But even with its flaws, The Mark of Amuliar - *cough* I meant, The Mark of Amulii , was gripping.
I’ll definitely be reading the sequel if it ever comes out. For now, I'll read The Varcross Key and the other works the author has on their Patreon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The world of werewolf romance is filled with twilight-esque love triangles and amateur FurAffinity short stories. It is hard to find something of quality that not only satisfies the attraction to werewolves, but also appeals to a queer audience and is an engaging read. There has been a void I could not fill for about as long as I've been aware that I felt "different" about werewolves...and men. The Mark of Amulii was the first novel in the werewolf romance genre I've ever seen that actually piqued my interest. I bought it the moment I learned of its existence and started reading it as soon as it arrived on my doorstep. I almost immediately fell in love. Not only is this book satisfying the void I've always longed to fill, it surpassed my base expectations. The romance made me feel giddy. It was hot and steamy from the start and I was drawn in to the drama of the relationship between Maw'cha (werewolf) Amulii and the human Alex. There was constant anticipation for what would come next, and the expectations that grew from the subtle world building and small details that gave hints at what was to come. The relationship is very real, sometimes almost to a fault, but the payoff is worth the frustration at the way the characters act towards one another. The relationship is built on distrust, both because of Amulii's mysterious nature, but also because of Alex's home life, and it allows the characters to learn and grow and exponential amount. The novel, while not being smut, is also very horny. Descriptions of the characters focus in on the details that are important to anybody with a passion for werewolves. Foot size, body hair, musculature, and often referencing other parts hanging between the characters' legs. Transformation scenes go into enough detail to give you a vivid picture while not becoming pornographic. And the sex scenes are more detailed that you'd expect. It's written with passion for werewolves and those who are passionate for werewolves will see that and feel seen reading this book. Overall I cannot recommend this book enough. If you're into werewolves, especially if you're into transformation, get it immediately.
You know? It ended up being way better than I expected! I was prepared for some silly MM fantasy romance. Yes, there’s romance, but there’s so much more than just that. It took a while to catch my interest—the beginning was a bit slow, and honestly, I thought it was going to be something like E.T. from the eighties, but with a werewolf.
However, once the story really kicked off, once the wheels started turning, it became an excellent blend of fantasy, action, tension, and a constant question about truth and manipulation. No spoilers, but I finished the book a few days ago and I’m still wondering—what is Amulii’s real agenda? How honest was he, really? There’s no definitive ending, but it definitely leaves room for a continuation.
The story follows Alex, a teenager forced to move with his parents to a cabin in a small, remote town in Canada. Alone, without his friends, and dealing with his parents’ endless fights, he encounters a lone wolf—or, to simplify it, a werewolf. They form a connection, but their relationship is complicated. Amulii seems to be sweet and loves Alex’s company (and scent), but he is a werewolf, with instincts and his own mysterious agenda.
The characters are well-developed and consistent, struggling with their emotions and actions in ways that make their decisions feel believable. The main plot is engaging, and there’s a constant unsettling tension throughout, balanced with some lighter moments. The book is well-written, and it follows a single POV, which, in my opinion, is much better than the multiple "ping-pong" POVs.
There are some erotic scenes, and, as usual, I find those a bit boring and unnecessary, though they didn’t detract too much from the overall story. The weakest aspect, in my view, was the resolution of the action—it felt rushed and inconsistent, as if the characters suddenly said, "Oh, okay, we should stop fighting. You’re right, sorry."
All in all, I enjoyed the book. For anyone looking for a consistent MM fantasy with action, hidden motives, lots of internal conflict, and romance, I totally recommend it!
I decided to wait to make a well deserved review of this book after my second read, just to be sure I got all the details and story. What really caught my attention was just how well written the characters are and especially how their personalities and emotions are portrayed, they are VERY human, almost to an uncomfortable level, which is good because it makes them relatable. The drama in the story felt incredibly real, in both main relationships shown in the book, to the point it sometimes hurt because it was relatable, and in my opinion that's one of the reasons that make this book so great and aditictive to read, you never know how the characters will react. It's delightfully unpredictable, and that brings me to the plot. You expect something to happen, but no, just like real life, shit happens. I appreciate the amount of description given to the environment, scenery, characters, etc. It's the proper amount, in my opinion. Overly detailed descriptions tend to be overwhelming and tiresome to read for me. The scenario choosen for the story to happen is very fitting, and the way the author described it, beautiful. I have to say that this is a story that a lot of readers would enjoy, it's not centered about nsfw, there's barely any of that, and when there is, it's written carefully and beautifuly, it doesn't break the story's continuity.
I'm very excited about what's to come from Aeron. I'm sure that is going to be a joy to read. Thank you for writing this book, it glued me for hours and hours, devouring it in 3 days. Best of luck, I hope and wish that your works reach and delight many more readers, as they truly deserve.
Oof. This one was rough for me. I went into The Mark of Amulii having just read and very much enjoyed the author's other book, The Varcross Key, so my expectations were pretty high. This started out well. I was excited about the storyline and setting, was looking forward to learning more about this world, and I found Amulii quite endearing in his early scenes. However, once the plot kicked off and the action started, my opinion of Amulii dropped precipitously and really never recovered. And honestly, this was the same for most of the characters.
By the end of the book, I had neutral or mostly negative feelings about almost everyone in the story, and I felt little to no connection to what I guess was supposed to be the redemption arcs. This is coming from someone who has read more than their fair share of books with morally gray or downright evil characters... Maybe I'm just a much pettier person than Alex, but I think it would have taken me A LOT more, if anything at all, to forgive Amulii for , his mom for , his dad for , Liam, Davis, etc., etc., etc.
On the plus side, I thought the book was well written.
Extremely impressive, especially since it's his first published novel. Excited for the sequel.
The (extremely) few negative reviews I've seen seem to have either not understood a lot of what took place in the book or simply did not finish it. One even compared it to a Visual Novel called Adastra, which is ugly to look at, boring to read, the relationships had no chemestry and were far more toxic than anything that happens in this book. Amulii isn't human and neither are his values or culture. To expect him to be otherwise to appease your feelings is deeply nuts.
The drama comes from them attempting to understand one another and work together in a bad situation. Alex holds his own far better than said upset reviewers would in his place. They come to terms in the end, and find love amidst terrible adversity. Tale as old as time, and told extremely well.
I have recommended this book to many many friends. Those that bought it also loved it. Excellent characterization, and pacing. Quite humorous in some parts! Did not linger on the darker parts of the story where other authors would have spent the entire book in a childish melodramatic haze. I'm looking at you, TJ Klune.
Damn you, you beautiful dude. Never have I read or listened to a story that brought me to genuine unyielding tears. By far one of your very best and I can't wait for more. It was beautiful, adventurous, sad, heart breaking, thought provoking, made me think about each character so much. The messages and themes each character brought about themselves and becoming better and forgiveness and self forgiveness and healing and love was just to... to much to sum into words. The cliff hanger are such beautiful ending for our main characters was so good it made me hang on the edge of my seat with slight anger and excitement to want to know what happens next. I've said this once I'm sure but I really do mean it Aeron... you are a very great writer and I love you and your work very much. You and Forge are my favorite artists and your works well always have a big part in my heart and life for beauty, love, and a way to escape from all of this. Thank you for the promo code and thank you for the story. I really appreciate it. This is my second favorite story besides ''When Life Gives You Werewolves."
I picked up this book based on the whole werewolf boyfriend premise, who doesn't like a bit of fantasy wish fulfilment?
Starting out, I expected the story would be just goofy fun times, but it turned out to be a lot more engaging and in depth than I anticipated; I ended up really falling for the characters and the story, to the point I couldn't put the book down and read it through more or less in one go. It does perhaps drag a little at points in the back half, but no scenes outstay their welcome.
The main character Alex is pretty easy to identify with, I would think any lgbt teen can probably relate to some of his struggles and family life. The deuteragonist Amulii is more complicated, but I found him overall engaging too.
It does leave you wanting more in the end, I'd certainly be interested if Aeron Dusk were to revisit the story in a sequel; I don't want to spoil anything, but the epilogue absolutely leaves the door open to it.
Overall it's a fun ride, and I'd recommend giving it a try if you like lgbt werewolves and such. Some themes might make some folks uncomfortable at times, but there's never anything too extreme.