Welcome to the Jungle! Hot, steamy, and full of danger and adventure, this Taste Test will take you places you've never been before. In The Pale Ape, by Sean Michael, James is a lone hunter, intent on ignoring the tales he's heard of a mysterious, magical pale ape. What he finds is far more interesting, and far more dangerous to his peace of mind. In Set in Stone by Mercy Loomis, Jon fights to sleep, so he can escape his real life and go to the jungle plane of existence he finds in his dreams. Gargoyle and guardian Tamal is trying to keep Jon safe. Can they see eye to eye? Finally, in Kiernan Kelly's Bringing them Back Alive, Garrison takes Hollister to the jungle to find an animal most people believe to be extinct. In his rush to find his prey, though, Garrison puts Hollister in grave danger. Can the two of them survive to explore their new love?
The Pale Ape by Sean Michael, 3 stars James is a hunter who discovers Geris, who has survived on his own for many years. A fun short read.
Set in Stone by Mercy Loomis, 4 stars Jon is an overworked cop whose brother died recently. He has trouble dealing with life and so he "dreams himself into another world" where he encounters Tamal, a gargoyle. I really liked the idea behind this alternative world, the "Nexus", and how it works.
Bringing them back alive by Kiernan Kelly, 4 stars Hollister is a scientist who gets recruited by the famous hunter Garrison to help him find a mythical creature in the Brazilian rain forest. Their team leaves them behind and they decide to try and walk back to the town they used as a base. Set in the 1930s, this is a touching story about discovering love which is written with a delightful splash of humor.