Broken Wings

Broken Wings #1

by Katica Locke

Jakil LeMae arrives at Alyrrawood University, the prestigious school for mages, werecreatures, vampires and faeries.

Complete
Word approx. 172,364

Genres: M M Romance, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, M M M, Menage, Fae

online fiction

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

I learned at a young age that books were precious and that the written word was a powerful means of communication. Since I have social anxiety and find it hard to speak to people, writing has become my voice. I’m able to say what I really think and feel without the irrational worry that comes with speaking.

I grew up and still live in Oregon, in the beautiful Willamette Valley. I’m within walking distance of the Willamette River, and a couple hours’ drive from both the coast and the mountains. Since writing doesn’t pay the bills yet, I also work for the school district, as an educational assistant at the same elementary school that I attended.

I love camping, hiking, bird watching, and rock-hounding and spend my free time writing, reading, or watching TV, movies, and sporting events. I’m a huge football, bullriding, and NASCAR fan.

I’ve been writing stories since I was ten and in all these years, the one constant in my writing has always been the magic, the supernatural, the inexplicable. Nothing inspires me like fantasy, be it dragons or vampires, faeries or demons.

I’m fascinated by human interaction, probably because I’m so bad at it, and few things in life bring out the raw intensity of human emotion like love and sex. Even when writing about faeries or demons or fantasy cultures, the needs are universal. Love is love, no matter what planet you’re on. Love is not the domain of the rich, or the powerful, or the beautiful. It belongs to everyone and that’s why I enjoy writing erotica. The fact that guy-on-guy action is really hot doesn’t hurt, either.

Reviews

[YullSanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Какая долгая книжка! Устала читать.
Интриги нет, все понятно наперёд: кто злодей, кто "хороший". Раздражали резкие скачки в поведении героев, причём автор никак это не объясняет. То, что дело происходит в школе, лучше сразу забыть, ибо неправдоподобно и притянуто за уши. Ученики грязнут в насилии и интригах, а педсостав не в курсе и, более того, ничего не предпринимает даже тогда, когда нарушители пойманы за руку.
Вообще не знаю, зачем дочитала. Даже секс не спас ситуацию! При такой неразборчивости персонажей мне не верилось а HEA, неискренне все(( потрахался с одним... Потом с другим... А потом вовсе с двумя сразу! Нее, это не по мне.

[La*La · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

A bit messed up. A lot silly. But also entertaining as hell, fast-paced, fun and sexy read. I could have done without the whole 'mwa-ha-ha' type total cliché villain, but the MCs were well drawn and interesting to read about.

Overall, despite some eye-rolling moments, I enjoyed this book.

[caroline wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book and thought faeries, were creatures, vampires and mages and in the setting of a school environment I jumped at the chance to read it. At the beginning I wasn't sure where the direction of the story was going to go, I mean was jac going to get with the were shark which I thought at first as there was no book description for me so I went in blind. But I got to say I loved the story, I enjoyed the different diverse characters and the detailed descriptions for setting you into the scene. There was spelling and wrong words mistakes but this was a free read so I didn't mind and automatically read over the mistakes but if your one of those people that get jilted out of a book due to this then it's not the book for you. As I said I enjoyed the story, the reason only 3 star rating was some tales in the story were unfinished for instance,
moonslinger , I wanted to know why he disappeared
Who's blood was on the shower when jac had his mini breakdown
Would of loved to get Zaiden his comeuppance and why he couldn't get expelled?
What papers did prof dark want to give him and was any of the rumours true about him
The shival and vampire horse
And I would of loved a bit of monologue from the teachers on the various circumstances, but to be honest that's just because I like to know the ins and the outs of a ducks ass but apart from what I stated I enjoyed the concept from this book and it kept me interested to the end. Good read and glad it was a happy for now ending:)

[Hpstrangelove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I made my own 'audiobook' using my screen reading program, so I did not actually read the story. If there were editing errors, I will pick up on different ones than if I'd read it, and I didn't hear so many that they kept me from enjoying the story.

That said: I listened to the version that's posted on Fiction Press, along with the author's notes that were included in the various chapters as she progressed through the writing. Reviews covering the basic plot have already been done so I don't need to repeat them here.

I very much enjoyed the world the author created - so many different types of creatures all going to the same school was fascinating. I actually first met these characters while reading the author's current WIP Moonlight and loved them so much that I decided I wanted to read Broken Wings. I certainly wasn't disappointed.

I like the resolution at the end, although I got a feeling of it being a little 'rushed' (probably because the author thought it was time for the story to wrap up after working on it for five months).

There was a lot of sex, but not so much that I ever got to the point that I wanted to skip a sex scene to find out what would happen next. I do have to say the non/dub-con scenes between Jak and Akitra were my favorite, but I like the dark type stuff so that shouldn't be a surprise.

[JG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Katica Locke. Not your ordinary author I tell you that. She's like the sadist to my masochistic soul.

If you happen to get your lucky, lucky (depends on who you ask) hands on Katica Locke then you should know:

1. She's insanely good at world building
No stone left unturned or magic left unexplained. It's fresh, new, and insanely original.

2. Dark, edgy romance
Be prepared to hate, get frustrated, and cry. This woman can play your emotion like nobody's business I tell you that.

3. Once you are in; Locke fucking owns your soul
Basically, she has your time, attention and emotion. Whether you like it or not.

4. Sick, twisted plotlines
Ahhhh Just my cup of tea.
________________________________________________
So you're probably wondering, why the 2 stars? I happened to read 5 of Katica Locke's books last night and her talent could not be denied. Just because I'm not a huge fan of menage does not mean I am blind to her great talent.

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the ending, loved the magic system, hated the drama.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A definite roller coaster. It kept me guessing. I love how twisted and detailed it is.

[Ayanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird-ish.

I skipped a lot of it because towards the beginning, the only character I cared about was Maika and towards the end, I don't really know if I actually cared about any of them, but by the time I stopped caring about Maika as much, I was so close to the end I figured I might as well just finish it.

Umm...I was pissed off by how inept her campus therapist people were.
And...the characters were...people...who did stuff...
It was a bit melodramatic? I mean, it wasn't bad; it was just...at times...it was kind of like "OK. THANK YOU. WE GET THE IDEA NOW." or "GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS. OR THAT STICK, AS IT WERE. EITHER WAY, STOP BEING A POMPOUS HYPOCRITE."

I kind of liked the Big Reveal - I thought that was rather clever, although Locke's MCs do generally tend to be a little too Mary-Sue-ish for my tastes and this book is no different.
Still, I did kind of get through it all the way-ish, so yeah.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think Harry Potter but teens with 10 times more hormone eruptions. Lots of sex and just really meaningless sex. The characters are sluts doing it with many other characters. Just a warning to those who like the "You're special and I'm going to only be with you" kind of user....my kind of user.

IT was kind of good until the ending just fucked it up. It was a cheap ending....

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this long fantasy romp.
The Allyrawood University setting was interesting, especially shrouded in fog as it was. Also the characters there, and the many forms of were-people and fairies, was fun.
It's a good, erotic light read with lots going on.
I would have given it 5 stars (4.5 rounded up) were it not for the crying need for an edit.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it alot. The beginning seemed kinda wonky, but after about the first 5 or 6 chapters the characters seemed to be fleshed out and more interesting. The plot really kept me going all the way to the end. Very enjoyable read.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a free on-line fiction story this was really good. It kept me entertained and engaged. With a little editing it would be better than a lot of published books I've read. I really liked it.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a wonderful story. Her descriptions are amazing, the characters are very real, and the romance/sex is fantastic.

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star. Ouch. I really liked, and still have fond memories of 'Magebound,' great book! Unfortunately, 'Broken Wings' is not a book I will think back on fondly.

Locke's pacing was absolutely horrid. I felt like I was be driving around a go-kart track by a three-year-old. Fast - slow - fast - slow, with no clear correlation to what was happening in the story. How does a boat ride to a magic school take less time than waiting in line for lunch?

Whenever an explanation was needed, a character just conveniently popped into existence to helpfully explain what was happening. Whenever a description was needed, the weather went bad. What does this magic school look like? To foggy to tell, so no need for details.

The sex. Sigh. IMO, good erotic literature is all about building anticipation and clarity. By clarity, I mean that the description of the sex acts are straightforward making it easy for the reader to follow, and the sex scene does not interrupt the plot but instead furthers the plot.

Unfortunately, the poor pacing affected the sex too. On top of poor pacing, the main character's first sexual encounter is weighed down with the beginning of three different plot lines (i.e., roommate issues, bullying issues, and the first day of school daddy/existential crisis issues), oh and add in two primary character introductions. In all the sex scene is a complete mess and makes absolutely no sense. No one masturbates in front of someone they just met. That's insane.

Whatever awesome storytelling mojo Locke conjured when she wrote 'Magebound,' I certainly hope she finds it again!

[Tj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the online version of the book. I am just trying to figure out how to review this story. It has a very interesting and engaging plot line with characters that are well defined. I loved this part of the story. The sex part of the story was very overwhelming. There is a LOT of sex. I get that is ONE way to generate great power for the mages but there are other ways.

Anyway, my issues weren't even with that it was the fact that the author didn't set up the world. There was no real world building. Well, ok, there is SOME contained in the story but it isn't well defined at all. Sometimes that was confusing and other times a little frustrating. My other issue was the fact that the author left a lot of the story unfinished. It made it seem that the author just wanted done with the story. I do think if those lines were finished off this would have created a more seamless book.

All in all I loved the story I just wanted more of it with some background for understanding. Still great story.

[Rhema P __(：з」∠)__ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no denying how awesome this story is. It's very twisted, completely fucked and unusual and itss FREE!. Only thing that bothered me were the mysteries that were completely overlooked (Is izeri the shival?, who is professor dark?) and the very obvious villain.
Other than that bonus points for the interesting storyline, the weird situations, the very likable hero if not dim at times and the unexpected but satisfying ending.
I almost wish there was a sequel.

[Mick Phin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this eons ago on fiction press. I bought it in paper form recently, I hope to purchase the 2nd book too.

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I read the fictionpress version. I'm not sure how similar/different it is to the published version (which I will probably buy for the next reread).

Gah, I loved this book so much. First of all, the level of detail in the language and construction was excellent. The words and scenes flowed so smoothly, great word choices. Secondly, the worldbuilding was top-notch. I really felt like I was in this world, immersed in the story. I especially loved the mist surrounding the school. It made for such beautiful descriptions anytime a character walked outside and definitely helped out with their naughty secrets (i.e. the first day of class).

I was impressed with the author's ability to present characters one way and have them turn out to be totally different, and even when you think you knew, there were still surprises lurking in the shadows. Also definitely got a lot of the "wow, that's the worst thing that can happen. how does it get better? oh, no. it got worse? how will these characters survive?" and I loved that! Lots of intensity in both the plot and the sex scenes. I enjoyed every word of this, and no review I make of it will ever do it justice for all the feelings I felt while reading this. It's definitely something I will read again and again. Katica Locke has a new special place in my heart.

[Fen'Harel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book several times over because it's so enjoyable.
I love how each and every character has a very defined personality and I never found myself confused and thinking, "Wait, who was he again?"
I loved the romance, and I loved how cold Maika was and how he slowly warmed up to everyone, including Jak.
Akitra was my favourite though!! He had levels that needed to be uncovered slowly! His love for another man whom he could never have, and how weak he could appear sometimes even though he was such a strong character.
Izeri was fun, but I noticed a lack of description towards him. I'm up to date with the sequel on fictionpress and that was where I finally knew what race he was!! So to me, description was a little slack which made me a little bothered, but at the same time I wouldn't have wanted to read a full description of every single character who speaks because it wouldn't really help the story.
The ending was a little abrupt and I was hoping for it to go for a little longer. Trust me, I wouldn't have minded reading another million words of this!!
It would be great to read some spin offs of other characters, even if they were just short stories.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this originally online when it was free way back in the day. Gosh, it has to have been back in 2012 or 2010. I'm not sure. Whatever the year, it has been a very long but I still found I enjoyed it.

It's not my usual fare as far as reading goes but I'm stickler for making sure I buy all possible books I've read and, as I'm sure you can imagine, it's a rather silly thing to do. However, here we are.

It's a bit rough around the edges and has some rather concerning themes in it but it still plays out a pretty story. It's like a slightly blurred constant movie. Something is always occurring and moving you forward. I'd personally have loved to see more interaction between the multitude of beings and how the magic systems play out but you can only cover so much in a single book.

I don't know if I'd strongly recommend this for most people but at the time in my life when I read this, it was fairly important to me. So it gets a nice and positive star rating. Plus, one can not deny the good use of imagery.

[Jess]

This book was chosen for me as a book-of-the-month in an LGBT fantasy community. While I trust the reader's judgment think they have otherwise great taste, this book just couldn't do it for me. It felt a little too much like early 2000's fan-fiction...if it was a shorter read, I would've finished it to see where it went, but it is damn long. The characters were inconsistent and the plot was super plodding. However, if you're a fan of intense mythology and world-building, this might be a read for you.

You win some, you lose some, I suppose!

[Lioness7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a really good book. There were some errors that probably should be corrected, but there weren't so many that it made reading too hard.

Basically, the book is about an earth mage that starts college and the people that he meets while there. Yes, like other people have said, there is a lot of different hookups. There is also some intrigue and in the end, a little romance.

I guess I would some this up as a light-hearted book that was fun to read.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to say about this book. It had an interesting paranormal school base but I felt that the world was a undefined in a lot of ways. It tried to throw so many different ideas that the core of the world building was never fully developed. I was never sure exactly which way the story was going to go and kept me guessing. The downside is by the end I just didn't like any of the characters or knew who I was suppose to sympathize with.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd time around and years later but this definitely holds up! All the feels for these guys - especially poor Jak. It's a totally different feel when you know what the twists and turns are going to be. I have a few concerns about the Professor who keeps trying to get Jak alone and the missing students but maybe that's covered in the alternate POV that Ms. Locke was writing...

[Seregil · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars :)

[Davina · Rating 4 out of 5]

the end wasn't so pleasing but in all it was entertaining.

[Saya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5