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Thrall #1
Touch of Evil
Action, adventure, romance, and thrills--everything readers love from USA Today bestselling authors C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp who are also Cat Adams, creator of the Blood Singer series--are all on display in Touch of Evil, the first volume in the Thrall series!Kate Reilly has a hard time trusting people.Six years ago, the love of her life turned her over to the vampire parasites who call themselves the Thrall. Katie survives the powerful bite of the master parasite only to discover that the Thrall's venom, coupled with her own natural psychic ability, has transformed her. Now she is next in line to be the Thrall Queen--and each day might be her last as a human.Tom, a handsome firefighter, arouses all of Katie's dormant senses, but her heart shies away. After Dylan's betrayal, how can she trust any man--even a seemingly perfect and terribly sexy werewolf?Tom's sincerity--and sex appeal--begins to wear down Katie's defenses. But his increasingly insistent charm hides a potentially deadly his werewolf pack is hiding the one person who can stop the Thrall from completing Katie's transformation into Queen--and they won't give her up.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2006
22 people are currently reading
1689 people want to read
About the author
C.T. Adams
34 books305 followersAlso known as Cat Adams, a dual-partnership writing team with Cathy Clamp.
She spent seventeen years in the Denver metro area and now resides in Texas with a large dog and pet cats. Office work provided a living while she pursued the goal of becoming a novelist. Forming the partnership with Cathy Clamp was the catalyst that led to publication and the two have enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration, with two series published within the Tor Paranormal Romance line: The Sazi, and the Kate Reilly/Thrall books. In addition they have authored stand-alone novels and participated in several anthologies. Working both as a team with Cathy and individually, Cie plans to be involved in writing novels for years to come.
She spent seventeen years in the Denver metro area and now resides in Texas with a large dog and pet cats. Office work provided a living while she pursued the goal of becoming a novelist. Forming the partnership with Cathy Clamp was the catalyst that led to publication and the two have enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration, with two series published within the Tor Paranormal Romance line: The Sazi, and the Kate Reilly/Thrall books. In addition they have authored stand-alone novels and participated in several anthologies. Working both as a team with Cathy and individually, Cie plans to be involved in writing novels for years to come.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
June 11, 2019
OMG guys!!! What the heck did I just read? This book is filled with completely unbelievable and stereotypical characters. Like they're so much The stereotype they're not believable. It is chalked full of filler plot and not much else. And the love interest is a werewolf fireman. Yes you read that right. A WEREWOLF FIREMAN! Like bow wow calendar model! and you would think that the book would be hot if there was some sexual tension between the two main characters but there is not. Utter sadness you guys. On the real I just can't do it. This book is too much SMH
June 4, 2010
What awful, plodding, meandering, unrealistic, misconceived drek.
I swear to Christ, TOR.com tricked me into reading this poor excuse for Vampire/Werewolf erotic fanfiction starring some superwoman vampire who wants to have sex with a werewolf fireman. A Goddamned werefolf fireman. A werewolf fireman.
Werewolf fireman.
Werewolf.
Fireman.
Along the way during her quest to get the puss' beaten by the Werewolf. Fireman. ( 0_o ) she has to visit a pack of 20-something shirtless werewolf men who are impregnating teengirl runaways to spawn more werewolves. WTF.
Oh, she also has some battle with parasitic vampire telepathic beings or some shit. I'm pretty sure there was some vampire lesbian porn in there too.
Just awful.
Seriously, who commissioned this to be written? Who paid for it to be published?
Werewolf. Firemen.
I swear to Christ, TOR.com tricked me into reading this poor excuse for Vampire/Werewolf erotic fanfiction starring some superwoman vampire who wants to have sex with a werewolf fireman. A Goddamned werefolf fireman. A werewolf fireman.
Werewolf fireman.
Werewolf.
Fireman.
Along the way during her quest to get the puss' beaten by the Werewolf. Fireman. ( 0_o ) she has to visit a pack of 20-something shirtless werewolf men who are impregnating teengirl runaways to spawn more werewolves. WTF.
Oh, she also has some battle with parasitic vampire telepathic beings or some shit. I'm pretty sure there was some vampire lesbian porn in there too.
Just awful.
Seriously, who commissioned this to be written? Who paid for it to be published?
Werewolf. Firemen.
May 26, 2008
I normally don't read romance, and this book had everything that reminded me why I don't, but I've been getting free eBooks from Tor, and I started reading this book before I realized what it was. And since I have this compulsive need to finish every book I've started, I was stuck.
But, the story itself was fairly interesting. The whole romance and sex stuff felt thrown in, actually, rather than the whole reason for the story. I haven't read many romance novels, as I said, but I wish there were one where the guy isn't huge and muscley and doesn't make her tingle just from his touch on her skin and that is a genuinely nice, normal guy who wants to make her happy and comfortable. But, alas, this one was not that book. It had all the cliche's (I realize that there is a formula and the author's have to follow it) and lack of character depth that one expects from this kind of book. But, it fills a need and the genre generates great sales so who am I to thrown stones? Actually, I'd like to stretch the genre a little and get some really good writing out of it. It is probably even out there already, I just haven't come across it yet.
In any case, my analysis:
Setting: Denver is not exactly my idea of vampire central, but it is a fairly self-contained area that makes the writing easy. I imagine one of the authors knows the area well, probably even lived there. Of course, the whole vampire werewolf thing gives it a certain futuristic, or at least alternate universe, feel that is interesting.
Plot: I haven't read any of the current crop of vampire stories (yet) - not even Stephanie Meyers' stuff - so the plot was interesting for me. I don't know how original it is, though. I liked how the plot was fairly self-contained so that I feel like I got a complete story arc even without reading the rest of the series (and I doubt I will in the future).
Conflict: Again, a story with mainly just the one storyline, told from only the POV of the female protagonist. Of course, it's first person, so that is sort of expected, but I would have liked more subplots and storylines to flesh out the story more. Except for the main plot, there was just the love interest plot (which wasn't really developed except for the obligatory sex scene) and the Dylan as counter-spy plot. Everything else revolved around these three.
Character: Again, not very well-rounded characters. The authors seem to think that describing people in excruciating detail, especially their well-muscled bodies, is characterization. This may be the formula for romances (I have no idea), but it didn't really make me interested in the fates of the characters. The main thing that kept me reading was the plot, far above anything else. I wanted to get through it as quick as possible, aside from that. Since it was first person POV, I expected more internal monologue and analysis of feelings (apart from the wanting the male lead and yearning for his touch and smell). The handicapped brother helped a bit in this regard.
Text: I didn't enjoy the long sequences of "well, as you know, Tom, the werewolves . . ." and its like. Exposition could have been handled a bit more cleverly.
But, the story itself was fairly interesting. The whole romance and sex stuff felt thrown in, actually, rather than the whole reason for the story. I haven't read many romance novels, as I said, but I wish there were one where the guy isn't huge and muscley and doesn't make her tingle just from his touch on her skin and that is a genuinely nice, normal guy who wants to make her happy and comfortable. But, alas, this one was not that book. It had all the cliche's (I realize that there is a formula and the author's have to follow it) and lack of character depth that one expects from this kind of book. But, it fills a need and the genre generates great sales so who am I to thrown stones? Actually, I'd like to stretch the genre a little and get some really good writing out of it. It is probably even out there already, I just haven't come across it yet.
In any case, my analysis:
Setting: Denver is not exactly my idea of vampire central, but it is a fairly self-contained area that makes the writing easy. I imagine one of the authors knows the area well, probably even lived there. Of course, the whole vampire werewolf thing gives it a certain futuristic, or at least alternate universe, feel that is interesting.
Plot: I haven't read any of the current crop of vampire stories (yet) - not even Stephanie Meyers' stuff - so the plot was interesting for me. I don't know how original it is, though. I liked how the plot was fairly self-contained so that I feel like I got a complete story arc even without reading the rest of the series (and I doubt I will in the future).
Conflict: Again, a story with mainly just the one storyline, told from only the POV of the female protagonist. Of course, it's first person, so that is sort of expected, but I would have liked more subplots and storylines to flesh out the story more. Except for the main plot, there was just the love interest plot (which wasn't really developed except for the obligatory sex scene) and the Dylan as counter-spy plot. Everything else revolved around these three.
Character: Again, not very well-rounded characters. The authors seem to think that describing people in excruciating detail, especially their well-muscled bodies, is characterization. This may be the formula for romances (I have no idea), but it didn't really make me interested in the fates of the characters. The main thing that kept me reading was the plot, far above anything else. I wanted to get through it as quick as possible, aside from that. Since it was first person POV, I expected more internal monologue and analysis of feelings (apart from the wanting the male lead and yearning for his touch and smell). The handicapped brother helped a bit in this regard.
Text: I didn't enjoy the long sequences of "well, as you know, Tom, the werewolves . . ." and its like. Exposition could have been handled a bit more cleverly.
March 10, 2011
First, I want to say I enjoyed the first of the Sazi tales and thought I'd give this new series a shot. That being said ...
I cannot understand the glowing reviews on this page. First problem - the main character Kate. She is uninteresting. A stereotype of the "strong and independent" female heroine -- owns her own apartment building but won't charge the high rents the neighborhood commands because she just doesn't have the heart for it. She is also the resident 'handy-man' who does all the repair and maintenance work herself. The authors might as well have given her a job as a waitress as an international courier since her job is totally irrelevant to the story and we never see her at work. Perhaps the most significant fault of all were Kate's inner monologues. I do not need to read an entire page devoted to why she enjoyed the British comedy "Fawlty Towers" and ordered the collection of DVDs. This does not add depth to her character or give me an inside look at her personality. Instead, it was boring, useless information useful for nothing more than "filler" and reads like the authors went off on a tangent while writing this book and forgot to continue with the story.
My second problem: Tom, the werewolf fireman/calendar model and Kate's new tenant and love-interest of the book - although calling him a love interest implies there was sexual tension between the two of them -- there wasn't -- or that they fall in love. Naturally, he claims to by the book's end, but I wasn't buying it. Tom's entrance to Kate's life was not believable -- he was being forcibly evicted from his old apartment because the landlord was prejudiced against werewolves. Kate, Ms. Independent, decides to come to his rescue and gives the landlord a comeuppance in front of Tom and all his firemen buddies while loaning her truck to move his furniture to her building. This totally neutered Tom as far as I'm concerned, mainly because of the authors' description of Tom's reaction -- awed gratitude, and he then spends another few pages drooling over her at dinner and showering her with compliments. As far as Tom being a werewolf, this was never illustrated, only referred to as a given fact. His pack is matriarchal, so apparently he is culturally conditioned to taking orders from a female.
The plot, while innovative and original, was too complicated and frankly, I don't have the energy to waste trying to criticize it. However, if you'd like an incisive and well thought-out review of the DVD collection "Fawlty Towers" -- read this book.
I cannot understand the glowing reviews on this page. First problem - the main character Kate. She is uninteresting. A stereotype of the "strong and independent" female heroine -- owns her own apartment building but won't charge the high rents the neighborhood commands because she just doesn't have the heart for it. She is also the resident 'handy-man' who does all the repair and maintenance work herself. The authors might as well have given her a job as a waitress as an international courier since her job is totally irrelevant to the story and we never see her at work. Perhaps the most significant fault of all were Kate's inner monologues. I do not need to read an entire page devoted to why she enjoyed the British comedy "Fawlty Towers" and ordered the collection of DVDs. This does not add depth to her character or give me an inside look at her personality. Instead, it was boring, useless information useful for nothing more than "filler" and reads like the authors went off on a tangent while writing this book and forgot to continue with the story.
My second problem: Tom, the werewolf fireman/calendar model and Kate's new tenant and love-interest of the book - although calling him a love interest implies there was sexual tension between the two of them -- there wasn't -- or that they fall in love. Naturally, he claims to by the book's end, but I wasn't buying it. Tom's entrance to Kate's life was not believable -- he was being forcibly evicted from his old apartment because the landlord was prejudiced against werewolves. Kate, Ms. Independent, decides to come to his rescue and gives the landlord a comeuppance in front of Tom and all his firemen buddies while loaning her truck to move his furniture to her building. This totally neutered Tom as far as I'm concerned, mainly because of the authors' description of Tom's reaction -- awed gratitude, and he then spends another few pages drooling over her at dinner and showering her with compliments. As far as Tom being a werewolf, this was never illustrated, only referred to as a given fact. His pack is matriarchal, so apparently he is culturally conditioned to taking orders from a female.
The plot, while innovative and original, was too complicated and frankly, I don't have the energy to waste trying to criticize it. However, if you'd like an incisive and well thought-out review of the DVD collection "Fawlty Towers" -- read this book.
April 29, 2018
This is an incredibly uneven book, in which unfortunately the bad points outweigh the positive.
In general, the story of vampires being verm hosts and all the diplomacy among vampires, including the state of Not Prey, is quite intriguing. However, there are holes in the plot that the authors could not justify. One of the most obvious is that werewolves are recognized and discriminated against in society, while the existence of vampires is almost a myth. Why this difference?
Another point that was well achieved was the inclusion of religion in the paranormal world in a very appropriate way. However, I considered that most plot twists were foolish and did not add much to my interest in the book.
My biggest problem with this reading was the characters, especially the main character. All characters are stereotypes: Katie the strong and independent woman; Tom the handsome fireman ... And that's why a lot ofthe romance scenes do not work. The sex scene, then, is a bust. A strong and independent woman who has never had sex with the lights on? Seriously?
A book that needed a lot of work. I noticed from the reviews of the other readers that this may be one of the weakest books of the authors. I couldn’t tell, since this was the first book I’ve read from these authors.
In general, the story of vampires being verm hosts and all the diplomacy among vampires, including the state of Not Prey, is quite intriguing. However, there are holes in the plot that the authors could not justify. One of the most obvious is that werewolves are recognized and discriminated against in society, while the existence of vampires is almost a myth. Why this difference?
Another point that was well achieved was the inclusion of religion in the paranormal world in a very appropriate way. However, I considered that most plot twists were foolish and did not add much to my interest in the book.
My biggest problem with this reading was the characters, especially the main character. All characters are stereotypes: Katie the strong and independent woman; Tom the handsome fireman ... And that's why a lot ofthe romance scenes do not work. The sex scene, then, is a bust. A strong and independent woman who has never had sex with the lights on? Seriously?
A book that needed a lot of work. I noticed from the reviews of the other readers that this may be one of the weakest books of the authors. I couldn’t tell, since this was the first book I’ve read from these authors.
October 22, 2014
**I received this book for free from Tor Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* Urban Fantasy Romance
*Rating* 3.0
*My Thoughts*
Touch of Evil is the story about a race of sentient parasites with a psychic, hive society that considers everyone on earth Prey. Only a very few humans have achieved the status of "Not Prey"---those who pose a threat to the hive. Mary Kathleen "Kate" Reilly is one of those people.
6 years ago, Kate fought and killed a Thrall Queen. During the fight, her latent psychic abilities were triggered by a bite. Kate is now a bonded courier who delivers valuable goods all over the world. But, she can't get away from the Thrall who has limited her movements by agreement, and whose voices she hears in her head.
**Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Received for Review from Tor* Published October 14th 2014 by Tor Books
*Genre* Urban Fantasy Romance
*Rating* 3.0
*My Thoughts*
Touch of Evil is the story about a race of sentient parasites with a psychic, hive society that considers everyone on earth Prey. Only a very few humans have achieved the status of "Not Prey"---those who pose a threat to the hive. Mary Kathleen "Kate" Reilly is one of those people.
6 years ago, Kate fought and killed a Thrall Queen. During the fight, her latent psychic abilities were triggered by a bite. Kate is now a bonded courier who delivers valuable goods all over the world. But, she can't get away from the Thrall who has limited her movements by agreement, and whose voices she hears in her head.
**Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Received for Review from Tor* Published October 14th 2014 by Tor Books
August 11, 2008
Ew. Ick. BLECH!
If In the Midnight Hour was a definite hit from Tor's free ebook giveaway, this was the corresponding miss. Took many of the same elements -- magic battle between good and evil, paranormal romance, heroine with a difficult family background -- and came up with a book so awful that the only reason I finished it was to be sure none of the characters I cared about died. Which points out one of the few good aspects of the book: the characterization was pretty good.
However, this was outweighed by excessive, egregious, really unnecessary gore and general ickiness. Not to mention a plot and world that were pretty much warmed-over Buffy, complete with werewolves and vampires. (Only they're not vampires, they're Thrall. Although everyone calls them vampires . . .)
And when my main reaction to the love scene was a desire for a red pencil, you know that can't be a good sign.
If In the Midnight Hour was a definite hit from Tor's free ebook giveaway, this was the corresponding miss. Took many of the same elements -- magic battle between good and evil, paranormal romance, heroine with a difficult family background -- and came up with a book so awful that the only reason I finished it was to be sure none of the characters I cared about died. Which points out one of the few good aspects of the book: the characterization was pretty good.
However, this was outweighed by excessive, egregious, really unnecessary gore and general ickiness. Not to mention a plot and world that were pretty much warmed-over Buffy, complete with werewolves and vampires. (Only they're not vampires, they're Thrall. Although everyone calls them vampires . . .)
And when my main reaction to the love scene was a desire for a red pencil, you know that can't be a good sign.
January 4, 2010
(2.5 stars)Touch of Evil is a mixed bag. There were aspects of it that I liked a great deal, and aspects that didn’t work for me.
First, the good: C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp’s vampires and werewolves are different from the usual fare. The vampires in Touch of Evil are victims of a parasite and ruled by a hive mind; the werewolves are matriarchal and not tied to the lunar cycle.
Kate’s “Not Prey” status, which is a sort of vampire diplomatic immunity, may be the most interesting plot device in Touch of Evil. Being Not Prey affords Kate certain privileges, but all of them are lost if she exhibits any “prey” behaviors. This means that she can’t do what most of us would do in her shoes: run like hell. Watching Kate attempt to evade her enemies without appearing to “run” is nail-biting stuff.
In addition, I have to applaud Adams and Clamp for the climactic scene of Touch of Evil. This physical and psychic battle for Kate’s body and soul had me on the edge of my seat. It’s followed by several very moving scenes.
Touch of Evil is also a great example of how religion can be incorporated into a fantasy novel without being heavy-handed. Kate’s Catholicism is a source of comfort to her and provides meaningful symbolism to some scenes, but neither the character nor the authors ever get preachy.
Now, for what didn’t work: First of all, there’s characterization. Kate, at times, feels too close to the “tough loner mouthy heroine” who has become just as ubiquitous in urban fantasy as the “farm boy with a great destiny” is in high fantasy. Another characterization problem involves Amanda, a secondary antagonist. Her backstory is that she was once Kate’s best friend, but she’s such an over-the-top harpy that I have trouble believing they were ever friends at all.
(Several of my favorite scenes involve Kate’s renovations on her loft building and her affection for two former pets. Part of this may be just that I’m a sucker for old buildings and cute fuzzy critters. But I think it’s also because these are rare glimpses into a Kate who really is an interesting character underneath all the urban-fantasy stereotypes. I want to see more of that Kate.)
There are numerous editing issues: random superfluous words, wrong homonyms, the number of years since Kate’s breakup suddenly changing from six to two. There’s an awkward “dream sequence” toward the beginning of the novel that gives the reader Kate’s whole life history in one big expository lump.
Touch of Evil is interesting, but uneven. Kudos to C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp for the incredible suspense of the climax, though.
This review originally published at Fantasy Literature.
First, the good: C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp’s vampires and werewolves are different from the usual fare. The vampires in Touch of Evil are victims of a parasite and ruled by a hive mind; the werewolves are matriarchal and not tied to the lunar cycle.
Kate’s “Not Prey” status, which is a sort of vampire diplomatic immunity, may be the most interesting plot device in Touch of Evil. Being Not Prey affords Kate certain privileges, but all of them are lost if she exhibits any “prey” behaviors. This means that she can’t do what most of us would do in her shoes: run like hell. Watching Kate attempt to evade her enemies without appearing to “run” is nail-biting stuff.
In addition, I have to applaud Adams and Clamp for the climactic scene of Touch of Evil. This physical and psychic battle for Kate’s body and soul had me on the edge of my seat. It’s followed by several very moving scenes.
Touch of Evil is also a great example of how religion can be incorporated into a fantasy novel without being heavy-handed. Kate’s Catholicism is a source of comfort to her and provides meaningful symbolism to some scenes, but neither the character nor the authors ever get preachy.
Now, for what didn’t work: First of all, there’s characterization. Kate, at times, feels too close to the “tough loner mouthy heroine” who has become just as ubiquitous in urban fantasy as the “farm boy with a great destiny” is in high fantasy. Another characterization problem involves Amanda, a secondary antagonist. Her backstory is that she was once Kate’s best friend, but she’s such an over-the-top harpy that I have trouble believing they were ever friends at all.
(Several of my favorite scenes involve Kate’s renovations on her loft building and her affection for two former pets. Part of this may be just that I’m a sucker for old buildings and cute fuzzy critters. But I think it’s also because these are rare glimpses into a Kate who really is an interesting character underneath all the urban-fantasy stereotypes. I want to see more of that Kate.)
There are numerous editing issues: random superfluous words, wrong homonyms, the number of years since Kate’s breakup suddenly changing from six to two. There’s an awkward “dream sequence” toward the beginning of the novel that gives the reader Kate’s whole life history in one big expository lump.
Touch of Evil is interesting, but uneven. Kudos to C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp for the incredible suspense of the climax, though.
This review originally published at Fantasy Literature.
March 16, 2015
Attempted to read in February 2015 after reading all eight of their Sazi books about shapeshifters. I decided to give this new series, about vampires known as the Thrall, a try, however, I couldn't get into it. Rather than give up, I decided to put it aside and try it again later. Maybe it will be better some other time, although I was very disappointed since the first series was such a great one.
October 24, 2011
Flat, cheesy, stereotypical characters. Ultra powerful, yet down to earth female lead. Big hunky fireman love interest. Vampire drama. Terrible novel. Ugh. I actually took a picture of my cat stretching when this book was close to him and it looks like he is taking a crap on it. Good stuff.
January 10, 2016
no...just no. eleven pages in and i already know this is gonna be crap
July 24, 2012
Should I even rate this If I couldn't get past page 95? Is that illegal and someone with revoke my goodreads membership? I hope not. But I could not keep silent about this novel...
February 28, 2010
Okay, so I don't care for romance books, however I read the synopsis for Touch of Evil before I really got the idea it was a romance book. I was already kicking myself for wanting to read it because it's a vampire - werewolf - psychic - adventure! Oopse. I still wanted to read it so I figured I'd go ahead and read it. I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't a whole lot of blatant "romance" typical stuff going on. The book was much more plot driven than I'd thought to give it credit for.
The setting was simple - and believable. Denver, Colorado. Now I don't know Denver very well so I can't really complain about anything, but the few things I was familiar with were right in the book so thumbs up there!
The characters were diverse and interesting, but at a few places I didn't quite believe their actions. Now, I can excuse it by saying that in the circumstances the characters were in were definatly not normal and some odd behavior would be excusable so I can live with those inconsistencies that seemed off to me. Don't get me wrong, I really liked many of the characters.
The plot surprised me. I had high hopes when I read the excerpt on the Macmillian site but when I went to look for it and found it in the romance section my expectations plummeted. I really wasn't expecting half of what I got! Once you got to the end you can see that the plot is fairly simple, but like in real life things don't usually seem simple from the inside of things. I really liked how the authors set up several aspects of the vampire element and how they played out.
The ending is left completely open for a sequel, which I expect is forthcoming, but I don't know that I'll read it. I don't really like romance books because I keep rolling my eyes and laughing at stuff. However, I would expect books coming after this one to have a lot of action and steam since this one sets it up to follow in those tracks. Yeah.
The setting was simple - and believable. Denver, Colorado. Now I don't know Denver very well so I can't really complain about anything, but the few things I was familiar with were right in the book so thumbs up there!
The characters were diverse and interesting, but at a few places I didn't quite believe their actions. Now, I can excuse it by saying that in the circumstances the characters were in were definatly not normal and some odd behavior would be excusable so I can live with those inconsistencies that seemed off to me. Don't get me wrong, I really liked many of the characters.
The plot surprised me. I had high hopes when I read the excerpt on the Macmillian site but when I went to look for it and found it in the romance section my expectations plummeted. I really wasn't expecting half of what I got! Once you got to the end you can see that the plot is fairly simple, but like in real life things don't usually seem simple from the inside of things. I really liked how the authors set up several aspects of the vampire element and how they played out.
The ending is left completely open for a sequel, which I expect is forthcoming, but I don't know that I'll read it. I don't really like romance books because I keep rolling my eyes and laughing at stuff. However, I would expect books coming after this one to have a lot of action and steam since this one sets it up to follow in those tracks. Yeah.
September 7, 2012
This is the story of a woman with supernatural abilities caught up in a battle for succession to the throne of the vampiric parasites known as the Thrall. This was another free ebook from Tor, and it wasn’t until I had finished the book that I realized it was a thriller romance. However, even taking that into account, I found the lead characters and relationship terribly trite, and the narrator more than a little Mary Sue. I hate to use the same descriptor as I did for another novel I so recently reviewed, but when the lead character is somewhat full of herself and good at everything, and the calendar model love interest with the perfect personality is immediately and completely enamored with her from first glimpse, there’s really no other way to say it.
It could just be my preference; I am not a romance reader. But it is first and foremost a thriller novel, and the issues I had with the main character made me want to roll my eyes. The writing itself was decent, enough to move the story along, but nothing special, and the action scenes were a bit clunky and difficult to follow. The storyline at least was pleasantly complicated and kept a moderate amount of tension, even if the climax was a little unusual. This book was, however, poorly proofread, as grammar errors were far more common than in most books I’ve read, say one every chapter or two. In short, it was a mediocre read starring an unbearably inflated protagonist, entertaining enough in its short length to stave off boredom, but not something I would actively pursue.
It could just be my preference; I am not a romance reader. But it is first and foremost a thriller novel, and the issues I had with the main character made me want to roll my eyes. The writing itself was decent, enough to move the story along, but nothing special, and the action scenes were a bit clunky and difficult to follow. The storyline at least was pleasantly complicated and kept a moderate amount of tension, even if the climax was a little unusual. This book was, however, poorly proofread, as grammar errors were far more common than in most books I’ve read, say one every chapter or two. In short, it was a mediocre read starring an unbearably inflated protagonist, entertaining enough in its short length to stave off boredom, but not something I would actively pursue.
January 30, 2012
So I have to start by saying if any book needed an index or prologue with in depth history this would be it. I dont think I understood what the hell was going on until more than halfway through, and Im surprised I stuck it out. There was just so many new terms and types of creatures that I couldnt really figure it out. Even at the end Im not sure if Ive completely got it. Katie is kind of psychic and you find out that in the past she got into a fight with a 'queen' and got bitten but didnt get infected and become a 'host' but can still hear some of the 'thrall'. Yes, its confusing and in depth. So now even though she is supposed to be 'not prey' the queen is after her and wants her to become the new queen and basically have her body be the host of some parasite that can in turn control other people she has infected. Katie (or Kate or Kathleen, goes by many names) is aided by werewolves and her ex who is now a host. Tom, a werewolf, moves into her building and helps her a bit and becomes a love interest. She aligns with the wolves and they protect her and her brothers.
If either some of the crazy details or other people/creatures were either eliminated or explained better than this book wouldve been better. I enjoyed the premise but felt like I just started with the 3rd book of a series and not the first. Im going to start the second book and hopefully after hanging in there through this first book that I will get whats going on in the next one.
If either some of the crazy details or other people/creatures were either eliminated or explained better than this book wouldve been better. I enjoyed the premise but felt like I just started with the 3rd book of a series and not the first. Im going to start the second book and hopefully after hanging in there through this first book that I will get whats going on in the next one.
March 26, 2013
Touch of Evil has one of the most unusual takes on vampirism that I've seen. They drink blood, but this is not shown as being sexy or romantic. The vampires here are more like parasites that don't just feed off of humans, but sometimes use them as Hosts for their offspring.
That is where Kate comes in. After surviving a vampire attack while trying to save her ex-fiancee, she still has a connection to the hive mind of the current Queen of the Denver hive. The Queen not only wants something from Kate, but also wants revenge. A rather nasty revenge.
The storyline kept me interested and wanting to know what happens next. The ending did not disappoint! There was a nice level of suspense and some good action scenes.
The book has a couple of problems, though. The way the romance was handled was kind of clumsy. Kate goes from being I'm-only-into-serious-relationships to hopping in the sack in a couple of days. The whole falling in love aspect happened way too fast for my taste. And I hate to say it, but Kate's characterization was a bit shaky in places. I mean, she's been psychically connected to the Hives for years, but she never made the effort to find out everything possible about her enemies? That's just stupid.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I might catch the next book in the series because I did like the plotting and the supernatural elements. I guess I'll see if the rest gets handled better.
That is where Kate comes in. After surviving a vampire attack while trying to save her ex-fiancee, she still has a connection to the hive mind of the current Queen of the Denver hive. The Queen not only wants something from Kate, but also wants revenge. A rather nasty revenge.
The storyline kept me interested and wanting to know what happens next. The ending did not disappoint! There was a nice level of suspense and some good action scenes.
The book has a couple of problems, though. The way the romance was handled was kind of clumsy. Kate goes from being I'm-only-into-serious-relationships to hopping in the sack in a couple of days. The whole falling in love aspect happened way too fast for my taste. And I hate to say it, but Kate's characterization was a bit shaky in places. I mean, she's been psychically connected to the Hives for years, but she never made the effort to find out everything possible about her enemies? That's just stupid.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I might catch the next book in the series because I did like the plotting and the supernatural elements. I guess I'll see if the rest gets handled better.
October 16, 2021
* Unwarranted & unwanted detail means an INCREDIBLY slow story - I don't care about what meals the MC makes in bulk, or where her laundry is. 'Serving' the wife trespass papers from her husband was a completely ridiculous tangent.
* The characters wink allot. Who winks, unless it's ironic, it's either weird or creepy.
* Not logical - "not prey", in nature you kill what threatens you; Also why aren't the authorities doing more to stop the Thrall.
*Little Spoilers*
- Bryan goes missing overnight, yet doesn't make it to the queen - who's in the same city!
- Tom says he can't help after a certain day because he'll be working - WTF! This is life & death for more than 1 person. If the MC becomes queen it's, possibly, the end of the Lycan & humans, OMG get someone to cover your shift.
- The Thrall have already broken "not prey" rules so why don't they attack MC all @ once (not just a max of 4 hosts), & why bother negotiating at the end, when they can win. And considering the rules have been broken why does the MC adhere to said rules.
- If female werewolves were sterile, the lycan genes would be diluted every generation resulting in the virtual extinction of the species - with possible 'throw backs'.
* Unrealistic - MC's interactions with Tom.
* The answers come too easily, with previously untold characters eg sunglasses seller, teenagers, prostitute, telling the MC exactly what she needs to know.
* The characters wink allot. Who winks, unless it's ironic, it's either weird or creepy.
* Not logical - "not prey", in nature you kill what threatens you; Also why aren't the authorities doing more to stop the Thrall.
*Little Spoilers*
- Bryan goes missing overnight, yet doesn't make it to the queen - who's in the same city!
- Tom says he can't help after a certain day because he'll be working - WTF! This is life & death for more than 1 person. If the MC becomes queen it's, possibly, the end of the Lycan & humans, OMG get someone to cover your shift.
- The Thrall have already broken "not prey" rules so why don't they attack MC all @ once (not just a max of 4 hosts), & why bother negotiating at the end, when they can win. And considering the rules have been broken why does the MC adhere to said rules.
- If female werewolves were sterile, the lycan genes would be diluted every generation resulting in the virtual extinction of the species - with possible 'throw backs'.
* Unrealistic - MC's interactions with Tom.
* The answers come too easily, with previously untold characters eg sunglasses seller, teenagers, prostitute, telling the MC exactly what she needs to know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2016
So here's the thing about the Cat Adams team: they're just not that great when it comes to romance or sex. Seriously, it kinda reads like some technical manual trying to be less dry. One partner can kiss or suck the other's nipples, this often brings pleasure. Once the man orgasms, his penis will become flacid. Like that. Bad.
What they are awesome at is letting the characters have a life and friends outside of the scope of the book. This is something more rare and precious than writing good romance or sex scenes. I can point out lots of writers that can do this, but I'd have to dig to find authors that can manage the friendships.
This series also reminds me a lot of Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan. The character has a set of expertise. Her main job is not to physically kick ass, although she does pack more of a punch than your average female. Fortunately, she is also lacking most of that thing where you let people who are out to get you and your loved ones walk away so that they can kill your loved ones later on. Seriously, do not try that shit with me. I will kill you, cremate you myself, and hold picnics on your grave for the rest of my life (not that real life creates such extreme situations, but still).
The first book was a fun ride. I did enjoy the different take on vampires. Not quite what you see in Kate Daniels, but definitely not a Bram Stoker or True Blood.
What they are awesome at is letting the characters have a life and friends outside of the scope of the book. This is something more rare and precious than writing good romance or sex scenes. I can point out lots of writers that can do this, but I'd have to dig to find authors that can manage the friendships.
This series also reminds me a lot of Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan. The character has a set of expertise. Her main job is not to physically kick ass, although she does pack more of a punch than your average female. Fortunately, she is also lacking most of that thing where you let people who are out to get you and your loved ones walk away so that they can kill your loved ones later on. Seriously, do not try that shit with me. I will kill you, cremate you myself, and hold picnics on your grave for the rest of my life (not that real life creates such extreme situations, but still).
The first book was a fun ride. I did enjoy the different take on vampires. Not quite what you see in Kate Daniels, but definitely not a Bram Stoker or True Blood.
April 24, 2010
A new, vicious breed of vampire has come to town. With a queen-run hive-mind mentality and a parasite spread through their saliva, these are not your average Louis or Edward. Kate has to find a way to maintain her status as Not Prey -- before she ends up as the next Thrall queen.
TOUCH OF EVIL is a deviously delightful romp of a horror novel! I enjoyed this from beginning to end. Though the romantic element offered in Kate's new tenant (the werewolf firefighter-slash-calendar-model) was a bit rough around the edges, it added a nice splash of lighter fare to counter some of the truly evil plots being pulled off by the bad guys. I found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable, engaging read.
TOUCH OF EVIL is a deviously delightful romp of a horror novel! I enjoyed this from beginning to end. Though the romantic element offered in Kate's new tenant (the werewolf firefighter-slash-calendar-model) was a bit rough around the edges, it added a nice splash of lighter fare to counter some of the truly evil plots being pulled off by the bad guys. I found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable, engaging read.
October 29, 2012
It was boring too descriptive in area that had nothing to do with the storyline. ie: pages of description about a show she was watching on TV. Who cares!!!!! It had nothing to do with the story. It was like that throughout the book. The plot was weak. I found you never got invested in the characters. I will not read the rest of the series.
June 3, 2008
It's like One for the Money with vampires.
September 27, 2016
Made it to page 80, but just couldn't stand it. Dreadful!
May 14, 2017
If I hadn't just lived through a crazy week of going in dozens of different directions every single day, I would not believe the book. In one day Kate, the Main Character (MC), received a concussion, meet a new love interest, repaired the trim of her rental townhouse, picked up a job on the phone for her courier business, investigated stuff even though not a detective after being hired by one of the most politically powerful men in the city, survived a kidnapping attempt at a hospital (where someone else nearly died), went on a date for dinner, then .... well, you get the picture and it isn't even nightfall yet.
One of the nightfalls was very strangely delayed. If I was content editing the book, I would go over that part in more detail - looks like she dinnered at 5, maybe 3 - had to be no early than 5 though since they were there when the restaurant opened for dinner and they ate for over an hour, maybe two. Nightfall is very important because that is when the Thrall - who have a direct link into her head - are awake.
I think the book covers four VERY packed days of activities. A powerful ticking clock drives the book, but because of the flailing around of a dozen different directions for the MC the ticking clock is not felt until the very end ruining the suspenseful build this story really should have had.
In addition the MC and her beau are a little too Mary Sue superpower. The MC has a mentally handicap brother she supports, has a rental house she personally has renovated but for which she is charging about 1/3 the market value because her residents need a good place to live, she was a professional sports person at one point, and is over 6' and very strong plus a powerful psychic (though can't use it because of her link to the thrall - so sad). Her beau is a firefighter, EMT, werewolf, good guy, and calendar centerpiece.
And just like every reveal of the MCs and beau's backstory makes them a leap more powerful or someone you just "have to" love, the villian(s) become a leap more evil and powerful and manipulative and ... Nothing builds, only jumps every which way.
A mess of fiction, the action of the novel keep me reading to the end. But I like a little more normal (reality) in my paranormal.
One of the nightfalls was very strangely delayed. If I was content editing the book, I would go over that part in more detail - looks like she dinnered at 5, maybe 3 - had to be no early than 5 though since they were there when the restaurant opened for dinner and they ate for over an hour, maybe two. Nightfall is very important because that is when the Thrall - who have a direct link into her head - are awake.
I think the book covers four VERY packed days of activities. A powerful ticking clock drives the book, but because of the flailing around of a dozen different directions for the MC the ticking clock is not felt until the very end ruining the suspenseful build this story really should have had.
In addition the MC and her beau are a little too Mary Sue superpower. The MC has a mentally handicap brother she supports, has a rental house she personally has renovated but for which she is charging about 1/3 the market value because her residents need a good place to live, she was a professional sports person at one point, and is over 6' and very strong plus a powerful psychic (though can't use it because of her link to the thrall - so sad). Her beau is a firefighter, EMT, werewolf, good guy, and calendar centerpiece.
And just like every reveal of the MCs and beau's backstory makes them a leap more powerful or someone you just "have to" love, the villian(s) become a leap more evil and powerful and manipulative and ... Nothing builds, only jumps every which way.
A mess of fiction, the action of the novel keep me reading to the end. But I like a little more normal (reality) in my paranormal.
February 1, 2017
I can never understand how the characters in books such as these can so easily jump into being "in love", but then again I must remember I actually picked this one up from the romance section (how I got there, I'm not even sure!) so I can't say its surprising. All in all, I didn't love the book, but I didn't hate it either. It was really easy to read and had a different kind of vampire. And for the first time ever, I found myself on the side of the werewolf! I can't say I'm going to run out and get the next book in the series, but if I'm bored and need something quick, I may pick it up.
August 16, 2021
Revisiting A Timeless Tale
It's been 9 years since I've read this book and it still captures my attention and enthrall me. I cannot wait to re read the next 2 books to this series. The reimagining and rules for both vampires (Thralls) and werewolves are amazing as well as the romance of Tom and Kate.
It's been 9 years since I've read this book and it still captures my attention and enthrall me. I cannot wait to re read the next 2 books to this series. The reimagining and rules for both vampires (Thralls) and werewolves are amazing as well as the romance of Tom and Kate.
January 27, 2018
This is dark, the Thrall's have a hive mind and are evil and vicious and want Kate. It reads as if some folks know there are monsters out there and some either don't believe or are oblivious. There are laws about the werewolves but not much is said about the Thralls.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2017
Enjoyable read. Adore Tom.
August 5, 2018
kinda hard to get into, really weird with stuff in her head, hope it gets better with book 2
August 31, 2018
This was a really good book. I couldn't put it down. A good author and will be getting more of her books as soon as I can.
February 11, 2019
I absolutely adored Tom!!
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