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Like a Sparrow #1
Like a Sparrow Through the Heart
Talon the griffin is broken-hearted - so, can you really blame him for not-quite-accidentally trying to kill a guy? Flit the sparrow sure can. Now the sparrow has taken over Talon's life, and Talon hates it. But maybe things will turn out all right. If only Flit would stop decorating the place.
Length: epic (~57,000 words) Complete
Ebook formats by The Fluff - Free Download via Goodreads
Length: epic (~57,000 words) Complete
Ebook formats by The Fluff - Free Download via Goodreads
171 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2008
104 people are currently reading
4727 people want to read
About the author
Aggy Bird
6 books19 followersAlso writes as Agatha Bird
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
November 20, 2010
Why you should read this FREE ebook?
1) Flit, the sparrow. He is one of the main character... you will love him! So sweet and delicate!
A great character!
2) Talon, the griffin. Ok, no good words to him. I hate him, his violence and his cruelty...
. So how can he be the another main character of this M/M paranormal-romance? Simple: Flit will put all his soul in the mission of making Talon a better person, no wait shifter, no I must say a better Griffin... well whatever... Talon is a big jerk, whatever way you want to classify him.
3) The humor. One of the best qualities of this story is the no stop laughing... Flit, a little annoying and overactive sparrow, living with a huge and violent griffin is something you should read. Hilarious! Their discussions, and the quick tongue both have worth your reading.
4) Talking about tongue... don't expect wild and long sex right away. I can't spoil telling why or how, but if you are patient you will read very good sex scenes. It's not a sex without plot type of book, and in my view that's a very good thing, don't you thing too?
5) Finally the last motive to my 5 stars, and my last tease about this story: the world where they live. My congratulations to this incredible writer! The theme of this book, avian shifters, are so rare to find, and I love how the writer was able to create a perfect world to develop the plot. Very good, and in my view perfect!
BTW... a quick 6 motive... no cloaca... sorry, I'm a biologist, the first thing I thought reading this plot was: "crap, avians shifters could have cloaca!"
so... calm down... no cloaca... good thing, don't you agree?
5 stars
1) Flit, the sparrow. He is one of the main character... you will love him! So sweet and delicate!
A great character!2) Talon, the griffin. Ok, no good words to him. I hate him, his violence and his cruelty...
. So how can he be the another main character of this M/M paranormal-romance? Simple: Flit will put all his soul in the mission of making Talon a better person, no wait shifter, no I must say a better Griffin... well whatever... Talon is a big jerk, whatever way you want to classify him.3) The humor. One of the best qualities of this story is the no stop laughing... Flit, a little annoying and overactive sparrow, living with a huge and violent griffin is something you should read. Hilarious! Their discussions, and the quick tongue both have worth your reading.
4) Talking about tongue... don't expect wild and long sex right away. I can't spoil telling why or how, but if you are patient you will read very good sex scenes. It's not a sex without plot type of book, and in my view that's a very good thing, don't you thing too?
5) Finally the last motive to my 5 stars, and my last tease about this story: the world where they live. My congratulations to this incredible writer! The theme of this book, avian shifters, are so rare to find, and I love how the writer was able to create a perfect world to develop the plot. Very good, and in my view perfect!
BTW... a quick 6 motive... no cloaca... sorry, I'm a biologist, the first thing I thought reading this plot was: "crap, avians shifters could have cloaca!"
Cloaca
The common cavity at the end of the digestive tract for the release of both excretory and genital products in vertebrates (except most mammals) and certain invertebrates. Specifically, the cloaca is present in birds, reptiles, amphibians, most fish, and monotremes.
so... calm down... no cloaca... good thing, don't you agree?
5 stars
November 15, 2012
I LOVED THIS FIC.
OK now that’s out of the way I can try to say why.
This was in my opinion a brilliantly written cute funny romantic slightly angsty read. All my favourite requirements.
I worried at times that I wouldn’t be able to overlook Talons violence, but its amazing how much the stupid birdbrain grew on me.
Flit was a simple caring wonderful funny little bird that I wanted to hug even though he proved he could take care of himself.
I wanted to add so many quotes but I realized I’d end up quoting most of the book. The clever and at times groan worthy way the author mixed well known sayings into suitable bird talk was highly entertaining.
I guess the romance came more towards the end, but the build up to it was extremely satisfying.
Recommended to all who are looking for fun and romance.
OK now that’s out of the way I can try to say why.
This was in my opinion a brilliantly written cute funny romantic slightly angsty read. All my favourite requirements.
I worried at times that I wouldn’t be able to overlook Talons violence, but its amazing how much the stupid birdbrain grew on me.
Flit was a simple caring wonderful funny little bird that I wanted to hug even though he proved he could take care of himself.
I wanted to add so many quotes but I realized I’d end up quoting most of the book. The clever and at times groan worthy way the author mixed well known sayings into suitable bird talk was highly entertaining.
I guess the romance came more towards the end, but the build up to it was extremely satisfying.
Recommended to all who are looking for fun and romance.
November 13, 2010
OMG, I LOVE THIS STORY!! Talon is a brute, insensitive idiot bastard -- who needs to have his head smacked couple of times. But when is protecting his Flit, he goes all out. And when he falls, he falls hard. While Flit, he is just such a cute annoying sparrow, with a heart of gold -- I mean, with the "abuse" he gets from Talon, he STILL wants to find the griffin a boyfriend?! Awwww. This story makes me laugh and annoyed (with Talon) and frustrated (with the two of them) and want to protect (Flit) and HOT (because their sex IS hot) and choked up (when they get separated) and all smiley when they finally figure it out.
PLUS IT'S FREE!! It deserves all the 5 stars!
PLUS IT'S FREE!! It deserves all the 5 stars!
November 16, 2012
3.5
I really enjoyed this clever take on bird shifters. Some neat world-building going on here. I liked Talon and Flit quite a bit but Talon's constant abusive behaviour got to be a bit trying after a while so it wasn't as high of a rating as I thought I was going to end up giving it.
Still, some wonderfully well drawn characters with fun dialogue and a surprisingly hot sex scene. I'm looking forward to Roc and Robin's story.
I really enjoyed this clever take on bird shifters. Some neat world-building going on here. I liked Talon and Flit quite a bit but Talon's constant abusive behaviour got to be a bit trying after a while so it wasn't as high of a rating as I thought I was going to end up giving it.
Still, some wonderfully well drawn characters with fun dialogue and a surprisingly hot sex scene. I'm looking forward to Roc and Robin's story.
January 2, 2011
The book gets 5 stars out of the sheer joy it gave me.
It's well written and the writing gets better chapter after chapter. It's as if the author is able to understand the characters better as the story progresses, adding a few layers of complexity.
The reference to birds is pretty clever and it had me laugh out loud a few times (birdbarians is my favorite). I think the quality/price rate can't be beaten because the book its free. This is one of the rare times I decide to round up my rating, because the book is not perfect, I had a few problems with the relationship between Talon, the big, aggressive griffin, and Flit, the small sparrow.
In the book we learn that Flit comes from an abusive relationship. His meeting with Talon begins with a violent act and to remedy the fact that Flit got his arm broken as a consequence, Talon brings him home and gives Flit one of his flying feathers as retribution until Flit's healed. While Flit lives with Talon, he decides to help the griffin meet someone and mend his broken heart. Talon treats Flit badly at the beginning and it troubles me that Flit slowly falls for someone like Talon, who is aggressive, both verbally and physically. Even if Talon is well meaning and he is probably unable to express his feelings in a civilized way, I'm still worried about Flit, because in the end he develops a relationship which is not exactly healthy and it mirrors his previous one.
Now, maybe I am wanting too much for a story that is so funny and sweet but I wish Talon mended his ways more clearly at the end of the book.
Highly recommended!
It's well written and the writing gets better chapter after chapter. It's as if the author is able to understand the characters better as the story progresses, adding a few layers of complexity.
The reference to birds is pretty clever and it had me laugh out loud a few times (birdbarians is my favorite). I think the quality/price rate can't be beaten because the book its free. This is one of the rare times I decide to round up my rating, because the book is not perfect, I had a few problems with the relationship between Talon, the big, aggressive griffin, and Flit, the small sparrow.
In the book we learn that Flit comes from an abusive relationship. His meeting with Talon begins with a violent act and to remedy the fact that Flit got his arm broken as a consequence, Talon brings him home and gives Flit one of his flying feathers as retribution until Flit's healed. While Flit lives with Talon, he decides to help the griffin meet someone and mend his broken heart. Talon treats Flit badly at the beginning and it troubles me that Flit slowly falls for someone like Talon, who is aggressive, both verbally and physically. Even if Talon is well meaning and he is probably unable to express his feelings in a civilized way, I'm still worried about Flit, because in the end he develops a relationship which is not exactly healthy and it mirrors his previous one.
Now, maybe I am wanting too much for a story that is so funny and sweet but I wish Talon mended his ways more clearly at the end of the book.
Highly recommended!
April 10, 2016
Half a star off for Flit suffering through the abuse like it was nothing.
How is this book free??? @.@
How is this book free??? @.@
August 6, 2012
3.5-4 stars. Very creative m/m fantasy romance about bird shifters who live in the clouds, have jobs, and fly around. (Also, heads-up, this novel is *free* to download.)
This story focuses on Talon, an angry cop griffon shifter who injures Flit, a sparrow shifter who is an advice columnist. Talon is forced to take care of Flit as he recovers, and Flit realizes that Talon is one big case of troubles that needs fixing (and he's just the bird to do it, whether Talon wants it or not.) As they squabble over decorating Talon's apartment or avoiding vengeful raptors, both men grow closer, even if they so fiercely don't want to realize it.
First of all, this novel is very well-written. It's filled with inspired bird-related puns that continually add to the world the author has built. For the most part, the characters are very likeable, and the dialogue was great.
The main thing that squicked me was Talon's penchant for physical abuse, which pretty much runs throughout the novel. After he hears about Flit's past with abusive relationships, he becomes more cognizant of his own actions, but even up to near the end, he's still bringing his fist in the air, and Flit is still cringing even as he's pushing Talon. "Things get better" for the characters, so yay, but on the other hand, I found the story progression troubling--tenacious abuse survivor working on a relationship with someone who often smacks him around by cooking for him, cleaning, taking care of him, and putting up with abuse until he can fix him. I'm glad for this story's case that things work out, but I'm pretty sure Flit would have gotten a DTMFA message if he wrote to advice columnist Dan Savage about his relationship.
That being said, it's well-written, clever, very readable, and has great characterization. I hear there is a sequel in the making with some of the side characters which I'm interested in checking out. Especially since Stone seems to have his anger way more in check.
This story focuses on Talon, an angry cop griffon shifter who injures Flit, a sparrow shifter who is an advice columnist. Talon is forced to take care of Flit as he recovers, and Flit realizes that Talon is one big case of troubles that needs fixing (and he's just the bird to do it, whether Talon wants it or not.) As they squabble over decorating Talon's apartment or avoiding vengeful raptors, both men grow closer, even if they so fiercely don't want to realize it.
First of all, this novel is very well-written. It's filled with inspired bird-related puns that continually add to the world the author has built. For the most part, the characters are very likeable, and the dialogue was great.
The main thing that squicked me was Talon's penchant for physical abuse, which pretty much runs throughout the novel. After he hears about Flit's past with abusive relationships, he becomes more cognizant of his own actions, but even up to near the end, he's still bringing his fist in the air, and Flit is still cringing even as he's pushing Talon. "Things get better" for the characters, so yay, but on the other hand, I found the story progression troubling--tenacious abuse survivor working on a relationship with someone who often smacks him around by cooking for him, cleaning, taking care of him, and putting up with abuse until he can fix him. I'm glad for this story's case that things work out, but I'm pretty sure Flit would have gotten a DTMFA message if he wrote to advice columnist Dan Savage about his relationship.
That being said, it's well-written, clever, very readable, and has great characterization. I hear there is a sequel in the making with some of the side characters which I'm interested in checking out. Especially since Stone seems to have his anger way more in check.
September 19, 2010
This book was supposed to be a filler in between some angsty books, something light and quick. It turns out, this very odd book about bird shifters, is sarcastic, violent and just really funny. Talon, a griffin, is rough and rude. Flit, the sparrow Talon nearly kills, is an advice columnist and therapist, with issues of his own. When Talon has to take Flit in after the near-fatal accident, they clash, argue and get under each other's feathers. It's a mess and it was so fun to read. The prequel, with Zip and Tawney, is sweeter and gives a hint as to why Talon is just so ornery.
December 6, 2011
One of my favorite stories. Not only because of the nice story and characters, but also because it's free (yeah, I'm cheap! :-)
The story itself is not that new but the execution is done well. All characters are bird shifters. the strong alpha male-type Talon and the smart-ass Flit. Their slowly developed relationship is nice. The scene where they finally tell each other their feelings is beautifully romantic.
Recommended.
The story itself is not that new but the execution is done well. All characters are bird shifters. the strong alpha male-type Talon and the smart-ass Flit. Their slowly developed relationship is nice. The scene where they finally tell each other their feelings is beautifully romantic.
Recommended.
January 18, 2021
It's SO PUNNY! *dies*
If you, unlike me, do not like puns, don't despair! There's something here for everyone.
...though there's a rather large part of me that is screaming, "OH FUCK NO" when Flit decides, after a night of reflecting on Talon telling him that it fucking makes sense why his ex would beat him, that he would stay if Talon asked. Because Talon spent the entire first half of the story beating him up too.
...which I thought was okay because bird-people have different social norms and bodies and they heal faster or some shit so it's totes normal to beat each other up! Right?
...well, no. But Talon's reformed!
THAT ASIDE (and I guess I'm willing to put it aside because this is a fine example of crack fic and I've missed this; mental editing does wonders) this was a fun read. Flit is adorable. Talon is an idiot. There are puns.
Talon wanted to refuse to have dinner with Flit every night, but he wasn’t about to turn down a plate of buffalo wings. (Flying buffalo was a rare enough delicacy.)
If you, unlike me, do not like puns, don't despair! There's something here for everyone.
...though there's a rather large part of me that is screaming, "OH FUCK NO" when Flit decides, after a night of reflecting on Talon telling him that it fucking makes sense why his ex would beat him, that he would stay if Talon asked. Because Talon spent the entire first half of the story beating him up too.
...which I thought was okay because bird-people have different social norms and bodies and they heal faster or some shit so it's totes normal to beat each other up! Right?
...well, no. But Talon's reformed!
THAT ASIDE (and I guess I'm willing to put it aside because this is a fine example of crack fic and I've missed this; mental editing does wonders) this was a fun read. Flit is adorable. Talon is an idiot. There are puns.
February 20, 2013
This started out okay but took a major downhill turn for me. It has a few funny moments. There are a lot of puns that are kind of cute. I liked one of the MC's, Flit. The other one, Talon, was a complete bastard. He got a bit sappy and sweet later but he was a complete ass up to that point. I have a hard time getting into a story where one of the MC's is calling the other one a stupid bitch over and over and being abusive in other ways.
This one was definitely not for me.
This one was definitely not for me.
February 14, 2012
I'm glad I finally perservered with that. I gave up twice because the humour of the early chapters isn't to my taste, but once I pushed past chapter 5 I did really enjoy the MCs.
August 19, 2012
Cute, if you enjoy puns you'll probably like this quite a bit, and it's free so what the hell? I feel rather apathetic toward it to be honest. I was excited about the premise, two hot boys who could shift into birds and were hell-bent after eachother. The two protagonists were rather endearing, even the 'grumpy' - otherwise known as total bitch - top of the couple. I liked the progression of the story, but I didn't find it nearly as hilarious as some others, but as i said, if you enjoy puns and ridiculous humor, it just might be for you.
The ending was cute, even though at that point I found myself hating both characters.
WARNING, SPOILERS
I just couldn't forgive Talon for what he said during their argument. Domestic violence is not something to take lightly, and the fact that he would even raise a hand against someone he supposedly 'loves' distubs me greatly. The fact that Flit took him back after Talon said he 'deserved to be beaten' left me shocked and appaled. I was sick to my stomach after he had said that and for me, that destroyed the novel. No matter how mushy they may be in bed, when all Talon is thinking of is shutting Flit up and satisfying his carnel needs, and then refuses to talk to him about the status of their relationship, I can't help but feel that Flit is getting involved with the same sort of sleazeball that that violently abused him before.
Some people may like that sort of relationship, or read deeper thinking, 'oh, but Talon really does love him, didn't you see how sad he was at the end?', I don't give a shit. He insults the person he loves, slaps him around, and whenever he gets angry he just spouts off terrible, terrible things.
Sorry, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
The ending was cute, even though at that point I found myself hating both characters.
WARNING, SPOILERS
I just couldn't forgive Talon for what he said during their argument. Domestic violence is not something to take lightly, and the fact that he would even raise a hand against someone he supposedly 'loves' distubs me greatly. The fact that Flit took him back after Talon said he 'deserved to be beaten' left me shocked and appaled. I was sick to my stomach after he had said that and for me, that destroyed the novel. No matter how mushy they may be in bed, when all Talon is thinking of is shutting Flit up and satisfying his carnel needs, and then refuses to talk to him about the status of their relationship, I can't help but feel that Flit is getting involved with the same sort of sleazeball that that violently abused him before.
Some people may like that sort of relationship, or read deeper thinking, 'oh, but Talon really does love him, didn't you see how sad he was at the end?', I don't give a shit. He insults the person he loves, slaps him around, and whenever he gets angry he just spouts off terrible, terrible things.
Sorry, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
September 23, 2010
Thhis book was a hoot. Funny, happy and full of gay stereotypes. The big hulking Talon almost kills the small nester Flit. Talon is obliged to allow Flit stay at his home and surrender one of his flight feathers until Flit is healed. Flit moves in and all hell breaks loose. Suspend reality and just sit back and chuckle.
November 12, 2012
4,5* I can't believe it's free and not published 
thank you Aggy Bird
thank you Aggy Bird 
November 2, 2010
I loved this story, it is amazing
October 18, 2023
I was in constant pain but I couldn't help laughing even though it made the pain spike with every vibration. Loved it. Wish it was longer.
January 14, 2011
Overall
Very enjoyable. Once again this is a free read (you can find it via the link above). Although it is an LJ published story, there was promise of a PDF--which I couldn't find. However, I just copy and pasted the story into a word doc, then had amazon convert it for me, so I could read on my eReader. I tend to have lower expectations for free reads, because they tend to have minimal editing and no limit of what horrors can be posted.
However, once again I was delighted to find a well-written, well-edited story with a good mix of plot, romance, and humor. We follow the adventures of Flit and Talon, a sparrow and griffin shapeshifter, who accidentally meet. Talon is a bully, Flit has a penchant for fixing birds and sees Talon as a bird who needs fixing. He forces his company upon Talon, and comedy (and excitement) ensues.
Strengths
Writing is really what made this story work. The mix of sensitive subjects, heartbreak, humor and action only function because the author strings them together effortlessly. What starts as an almost comedy develops into something more, then transforms once again into a third incarnation that holds its own. Exploring all these different elements like the author did helped the story work and not become cliche, which was a real possibility.
Along these same lines, the author was good at developing small instances to remind the reader that these were not just humans that live among the clouds. They do pretty much have everything we do, which kept the author from having to create her own world, but there are little word choices that are cute and birdy (eg, poppypeacock, birdfriend [instead of boyfriend], finchtoast).
Although Talon is a bit of a grump in the beginning, Flit is a lovely little bird who is small and tough. There are a variety of side characters who make an appearance, most, amusingly, just being named after their bird-type (Robin, Finch Finchly). They work to keep the story going and break up the alone time that our two main characters have with one another.
Weaknesses
Not so much a weakness as a warning: There is violence/abuse in this story, and it follows a Beauty & the Beast motif. If this is unacceptable, then you will not enjoy this book! Flit enjoys a dominating man, which has previously landed him with abusive birdfriends, and in combination with his need to fix things, gets him into trouble (NOT that he warrants some of the things that happen to him). Talon has a temper, is aggressive and things nothing of smacking someone around. The combination leads to what could very easily be seen as an abusive relationship. I forgive it for two main reasons: 1. Flit isn't being kept there by Talon. In fact, he holds the power in the relationship via tail feather (aka, blackmail). 2. Talon is a brute, yes, but he doesn't really mean to be abusive (which sounds like denial/excusing, I know), and once things are pointed out to him, his behavior changes for the better (well, at least in Flit's case).
Check out my other reviews on my blog.
Very enjoyable. Once again this is a free read (you can find it via the link above). Although it is an LJ published story, there was promise of a PDF--which I couldn't find. However, I just copy and pasted the story into a word doc, then had amazon convert it for me, so I could read on my eReader. I tend to have lower expectations for free reads, because they tend to have minimal editing and no limit of what horrors can be posted.
However, once again I was delighted to find a well-written, well-edited story with a good mix of plot, romance, and humor. We follow the adventures of Flit and Talon, a sparrow and griffin shapeshifter, who accidentally meet. Talon is a bully, Flit has a penchant for fixing birds and sees Talon as a bird who needs fixing. He forces his company upon Talon, and comedy (and excitement) ensues.
Strengths
Writing is really what made this story work. The mix of sensitive subjects, heartbreak, humor and action only function because the author strings them together effortlessly. What starts as an almost comedy develops into something more, then transforms once again into a third incarnation that holds its own. Exploring all these different elements like the author did helped the story work and not become cliche, which was a real possibility.
Along these same lines, the author was good at developing small instances to remind the reader that these were not just humans that live among the clouds. They do pretty much have everything we do, which kept the author from having to create her own world, but there are little word choices that are cute and birdy (eg, poppypeacock, birdfriend [instead of boyfriend], finchtoast).
Although Talon is a bit of a grump in the beginning, Flit is a lovely little bird who is small and tough. There are a variety of side characters who make an appearance, most, amusingly, just being named after their bird-type (Robin, Finch Finchly). They work to keep the story going and break up the alone time that our two main characters have with one another.
Weaknesses
Not so much a weakness as a warning: There is violence/abuse in this story, and it follows a Beauty & the Beast motif. If this is unacceptable, then you will not enjoy this book! Flit enjoys a dominating man, which has previously landed him with abusive birdfriends, and in combination with his need to fix things, gets him into trouble (NOT that he warrants some of the things that happen to him). Talon has a temper, is aggressive and things nothing of smacking someone around. The combination leads to what could very easily be seen as an abusive relationship. I forgive it for two main reasons: 1. Flit isn't being kept there by Talon. In fact, he holds the power in the relationship via tail feather (aka, blackmail). 2. Talon is a brute, yes, but he doesn't really mean to be abusive (which sounds like denial/excusing, I know), and once things are pointed out to him, his behavior changes for the better (well, at least in Flit's case).
Check out my other reviews on my blog.
March 9, 2013
I refused to read this whole story, I felt like my brain was melting and I was in danger of spraining something with the amount of exasperated eye rolling I was doing.
Flit is an obnoxious, blundering, know-it-all who barrels into people's lives and disrupts them without a concern for what they want or respect for their wishes. So sure of himself and his rightness he goes so far as to tie people up when they're sleeping to force a confrontation, chaining up dangerous criminals who came to kill him, and then demanding said criminals aren't criminals and deserve to be free. At which point I had to, for the sake of my sanity, stop reading. His love interest, Talon, is no better. Talon is insane. Period. The author tries to dress it up pretty; he's confused and hurt and misunderstood, but the ends do not justify the means. The reasoning is that he was a portly, shy child who was teased until he lost his baby fat and started beating people up himself. He "fell in love" with his best friend, the only person who stuck up for him when he was teased, then proceeded to terrorize anyone he perceived as a threat to that relationship. The first seven chapters read like this guy should be locked up and on massive amounts of medication. He breaks Flit's arm/wing then continues to beat on him until he passes out, then continues to beat on him when he comes to, and threatens more constantly. With the aforementioned annoyingness that is Flit, you can see how often physical violence ensues. And like some S&M junkie with battered wife syndrome, Flit just stays (demands to be allowed to stay) and busies himself "redecorating" Talon's house, despite Talon's express demands not to.
I'm just not a fan of highly dysfunctional relationships dished up and served to me like True Love.
Flit is an obnoxious, blundering, know-it-all who barrels into people's lives and disrupts them without a concern for what they want or respect for their wishes. So sure of himself and his rightness he goes so far as to tie people up when they're sleeping to force a confrontation, chaining up dangerous criminals who came to kill him, and then demanding said criminals aren't criminals and deserve to be free. At which point I had to, for the sake of my sanity, stop reading. His love interest, Talon, is no better. Talon is insane. Period. The author tries to dress it up pretty; he's confused and hurt and misunderstood, but the ends do not justify the means. The reasoning is that he was a portly, shy child who was teased until he lost his baby fat and started beating people up himself. He "fell in love" with his best friend, the only person who stuck up for him when he was teased, then proceeded to terrorize anyone he perceived as a threat to that relationship. The first seven chapters read like this guy should be locked up and on massive amounts of medication. He breaks Flit's arm/wing then continues to beat on him until he passes out, then continues to beat on him when he comes to, and threatens more constantly. With the aforementioned annoyingness that is Flit, you can see how often physical violence ensues. And like some S&M junkie with battered wife syndrome, Flit just stays (demands to be allowed to stay) and busies himself "redecorating" Talon's house, despite Talon's express demands not to.
I'm just not a fan of highly dysfunctional relationships dished up and served to me like True Love.
October 1, 2013
I was loving, loving, LOVING this at first! The humor, puns, bickering, redecorating, and the general level of cuteness where totally up my alley. I enjoyed the birds/flying aspects and the enemies-to-lovers theme. BUT THEN I seriously lost interest when That bothered me enough that I was basically over the story at that point. Then the sex scene seemed odd to me. Out of place and rough and weirdly kind of BDSM-ish (not that I generally have a problem with that). But here it just seemed strange . Really the whole scene. It was awkward and just didn't truly flow to me, like a puzzle piece that didn't fit. Or like it was written at some other time (or by someone else) and the author just tossed it in later without revising it to flow better with the finished product. Anyhow, after that I guess my enthusiasm just went kaput and the story never really drew me back in. I also couldn't really deal with the excessive Anyway I think if those elements were removed, and the sex scene revised, it would be a 4 or 5 star read for me.
February 2, 2017
Okey, after re-reading I upgraded this story to 4 stars...
That's true that Talon is a pain in the ass, I didn't like a bit him treating Flit like a punching bag.
But Flit??!! I loved this MC so much! He was such a tease and fun!
The whole idea, the world-building, the sexy and funny banter (and Flit, of course!) made me overlook Talon's flaws and vices.
And anyway, it all ended up very well, didn't it? ;)
That's true that Talon is a pain in the ass, I didn't like a bit him treating Flit like a punching bag.
But Flit??!! I loved this MC so much! He was such a tease and fun!
The whole idea, the world-building, the sexy and funny banter (and Flit, of course!) made me overlook Talon's flaws and vices.
And anyway, it all ended up very well, didn't it? ;)
December 5, 2011
Talk about the pen being mightier than the sword.
This story was creative beyond the usual, Jaybird Witnesses? Flipping the person? Histerically funny, caught myself snorting in laughter many, many times. The characters? Delicious! If only I could have Flit as a real-life friend. Talon? Typical emotionally-stunted, physically overgrown, adorable idiot.
Now, could we persuade the author to give us Stone and Robyn's story?
Highly recommended as a perfect cure for real-life ennui. Enjoy!
This story was creative beyond the usual, Jaybird Witnesses? Flipping the person? Histerically funny, caught myself snorting in laughter many, many times. The characters? Delicious! If only I could have Flit as a real-life friend. Talon? Typical emotionally-stunted, physically overgrown, adorable idiot.
Now, could we persuade the author to give us Stone and Robyn's story?
Highly recommended as a perfect cure for real-life ennui. Enjoy!
December 6, 2020
Why the HELL did I wait so long to read this?! That was legit incredible.
2020 reread: It was still fun, but enjoyed less than before, maybe because I have far less patience with abusive assholes that in 2012. My favourite thing is a good antagonistic romance but Talon was not a nice person, it wasn't cute this time, I was just like Flit, get out.
2020 reread: It was still fun, but enjoyed less than before, maybe because I have far less patience with abusive assholes that in 2012. My favourite thing is a good antagonistic romance but Talon was not a nice person, it wasn't cute this time, I was just like Flit, get out.
November 21, 2010
Ha! This was just hysterical! Don't remember the last story that had me cracking up so consistently throughout. Great, great fun. Enjoy!
March 4, 2012
It's quirky, it's funny, it's an adorable little book!
Loved the pens...I mean puns. :D
Loved the pens...I mean puns. :D
August 2, 2019
Talon was way to violent. He kept physically abusing Fit at every turn. He broke his arm, he made him bleed on numerous occasions, it was just too much. At about 33% I had enough and started skimming and then finally just jumped to the end.
January 8, 2011
What a delightfully odd story. At first I was kind of lost and wondering if I would be able to endure all the quirky puns and references to birds but it quickly became so cute and endearing that I had no problems after the first few chapters. In fact, as the story progressed it only seemed to get better and more heartfelt. Talon and Flit were the definition of opposites attract, but in this story it worked so well due to Aggy Bird's ability to make you simultaneously love and hate at the same time. And believe me, you will hate Talon many times throughout this story....he is a complete and utter ass. On the other hand, Flint is such a refreshing character that you simply can't help but love and cherish him. Flint is the balm to Talon's black soul and thank the Feathers for that! I couldn't help it, Aggy Bird has me spewing puns so easily now. She is a master at them and will have you laughing out loud (literally) while reading 'Sparrow'. On a side note, the sexual tension was palpable and when we finally get the much awaited love scenes they were off the charts! Great job all around and I highly praise Ms. Bird for this fantastic and insightful little romp into the clouds!!
A few favorite things:
Flint regarding self defense: I'm a sparrow. What am I going to do....tweeter him to death.
"Well, I'll be," Stone said, still chuckling. He straightened and stood. "I got it the wrong way around, don't I? Little Flit's got you eatin' outta the palm of his hand."
"Like hell," Talon said. "I wear the pants."
"Sure," Stone said easily over his shoulder as he walked away. "After Flit tells you which pair to put on."
Talon lobbed a stapler at his head, but Stone just ducked and kept walking, flipping him the person over his shoulder.
OMG...'flipping him the person'. I laughed for a good 10 minutes over that pun. I don't know why but it caught me totally off guard and had me rolling. Loved it!
A few favorite things:
Flint regarding self defense: I'm a sparrow. What am I going to do....tweeter him to death.
"Well, I'll be," Stone said, still chuckling. He straightened and stood. "I got it the wrong way around, don't I? Little Flit's got you eatin' outta the palm of his hand."
"Like hell," Talon said. "I wear the pants."
"Sure," Stone said easily over his shoulder as he walked away. "After Flit tells you which pair to put on."
Talon lobbed a stapler at his head, but Stone just ducked and kept walking, flipping him the person over his shoulder.
OMG...'flipping him the person'. I laughed for a good 10 minutes over that pun. I don't know why but it caught me totally off guard and had me rolling. Loved it!
July 19, 2019
Люблю лав/хейт отношения, а вот романтизированный абьюз не люблю. Один герой ведет себя как конченый мудак всю книгу (замахивается даже тогда, когда в полной мере осознает свои чувства), а другой, переживший домашнее насилие в особо тяжкой форме, вновь встречает мудака из этой же серии, только лайт-версию. Возможно, я не до конца смогла абстрагироваться от происходящего, но каждый раз, читая про очередную "любовную" оплеуху, мне хотелось кому-то врезать.
Любовь слепа - это уж точно. Виктимный воробушек продолжает любить грозного грифона даже тогда, когда тот сознательно подставляет подножку, из-за чего воробей падает на пол с кружкой, чьи осколки впиваются в кожу и превращают ее в кровавое месиво. Прибавляем к сломанной руке еще пару недель хождения в бинтиках. Ах, какая романтика! А ко всеобщему пиздецу прибавляется тот факт, что покалеченный и перебинтованный воробей при всех обстоятельствах ищет пару для этого долбоклюва, ибо переживает за его личное счастье! Ваттафак из гоин он?
А ведь сюжет мне даже понравился, и пары "угрюмый/радостный" мне всегда импонировали, но местами милые словесные перепалки никак не вязались бок о бок с побоями, неадекватным поведением и пренебрежительным обращением.
Читалось бодренько и с интересом, но происходящее вызывало конфуз. 3,5 балла
Любовь слепа - это уж точно. Виктимный воробушек продолжает любить грозного грифона даже тогда, когда тот сознательно подставляет подножку, из-за чего воробей падает на пол с кружкой, чьи осколки впиваются в кожу и превращают ее в кровавое месиво. Прибавляем к сломанной руке еще пару недель хождения в бинтиках. Ах, какая романтика! А ко всеобщему пиздецу прибавляется тот факт, что покалеченный и перебинтованный воробей при всех обстоятельствах ищет пару для этого долбоклюва, ибо переживает за его личное счастье! Ваттафак из гоин он?
А ведь сюжет мне даже понравился, и пары "угрюмый/радостный" мне всегда импонировали, но местами милые словесные перепалки никак не вязались бок о бок с побоями, неадекватным поведением и пренебрежительным обращением.
Читалось бодренько и с интересом, но происходящее вызывало конфуз. 3,5 балла
January 27, 2015
At long last I ignored all the Sterek fics in my feed and went back to my TBR shelf to find this free story by aggybird. It's been around for a while now and the many reviewers seem to either love it or hate it. I'm of two minds about it myself. I for sure had fun reading it (even the sex was unexpected). But in the end I wished several things would have been handled differently in order for me to enjoy the fic without feeling sort of bad about it.
How the author handles Talon's violence is problematic to say the least. Most of the 1 and 2 star reviews explain the issue well, so I won't go into it.
The relationship dynamic between Talon and Flit was irritatingly reminiscend of a 1950s marriage - the husband out in the world and the perfect wife at home all day cooking, decorating the house, throwing parties for her husband's friends. Why not turn that cliché on its head and let the hulking griffin be the one with the abusive ex-lover and a love for interior design? And let the little sparrow be the super cop with psychotic tendancies?
So sadly, not a 5 star fic for me.
How the author handles Talon's violence is problematic to say the least. Most of the 1 and 2 star reviews explain the issue well, so I won't go into it.
The relationship dynamic between Talon and Flit was irritatingly reminiscend of a 1950s marriage - the husband out in the world and the perfect wife at home all day cooking, decorating the house, throwing parties for her husband's friends. Why not turn that cliché on its head and let the hulking griffin be the one with the abusive ex-lover and a love for interior design? And let the little sparrow be the super cop with psychotic tendancies?
So sadly, not a 5 star fic for me.
January 2, 2011
Talon and Flit are bird shape shifters. Talon mistakes Flit for a regular sparrow and injures him, and according to local custom then owes Flit a period of caregiving while recovering. Flit, a psychiatrist and writer of a local advice column, sees Talon as a project and decides to use the time at Talon's house to help him get over his lost love. Talon objects to all the meddling, often violently. Of course there is unresolved sexual tension building in the air and neither wants to admit it.
This was a very enjoyable book, full of humor and whimsy. The characters are well developed and I found myself thinking about them after I finished the book. I know a lot of people enjoyed the frequent plays on words the author used, but for me they were a minor distraction. There were a few moments in the story I would have liked to see fleshed out a bit, but overall this is a well written book and I would recommend it to others.
This was a very enjoyable book, full of humor and whimsy. The characters are well developed and I found myself thinking about them after I finished the book. I know a lot of people enjoyed the frequent plays on words the author used, but for me they were a minor distraction. There were a few moments in the story I would have liked to see fleshed out a bit, but overall this is a well written book and I would recommend it to others.
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