the_novel_approach's review
4.0
If you love your main characters frustrating to the extreme, and sexually frustrated to boot, do I have the book for you. Okay, that’s not fair. Patrick Callahan and Ethan Ellison aren’t always frustrating…just mostly…and they’re not always sexually frustrated…just mostly (mostly poor Pat)…and I liked the angst and friction and everything else that happened between them in this second installment of the Blood & Bone series.
Cooper’s The Duality Paradigm introduced readers to this world and its inhabitants—Patrick is a werewolf, Ethan a mage, and Seattle is the setting for all the mythical, magical, and murderous mayhem that wends its way through these books. The city is teeming with the weird and wonderful—the supernaturals aren’t hiding from humans here. This is a world that’s integrated its paranormal population, and Pat and Ethan are two who’ve sworn to pursue justice on the Seattle police force.
Since the blurb mentions it, I’m not giving away any secrets here: Pat and Ethan soul bonded while investigating the murder of a young woman in book one, and here’s where the author bends the rules of some of the tropes we’re more familiar with in shifter lore—these guys sort of can’t stand each other. Just because there was some magic mojo unleashed when they had sex doesn’t mean that mate bond was an insta-love, hearts and flowers, goo-goo mush face, you-are-my-destiny mating. In fact, Ethan’s still the manwhore he’s always been, while Patrick’s werewolf knows its mate but poor Pat can’t even think about sex with anyone else—he’s mated for life with a guy he can barely be in the same room with without there being something to fight about. The angst that exists between these two guys is crazy-making, no doubt, but it’s also realistic because they have such different ideals and were raised in such vastly different environments. I might even hazard to say that it’s Ethan who could use a good dose of Patrick rather than the other way around. Ethan is a man out of his element in many ways, getting stuck investigating murders when he’s not even a homicide detective. He also doesn’t do interpersonal relationships so well, with good reason—once bitten, twice shy isn’t just a pithy idiom where his past is concerned.
The author’s prose brings this fun Urban Fantasy to life, and I love the mysteries these men investigate because as the body count continues to rise, all the clues do is unveil a deeper horror and more to unravel. There’s something out there doing vile things to humans—both living and formerly living—in The Convergence Theory, and though Ethan and Patrick don’t spend much time together for a good part of the outset of this novel, something like the first half of the book, it’s death and the “something evil out there” that’s the catalyst for their reunion. True to form, though, just because they’re stuck together again trying to find a killer, that doesn’t mean they have to like it. I liked it, though. The murders were just my kind of gruesome and grizzly, and the preternatural killer just my kind of creeptastic.
There are some great secondary characters in this novel, from cryptic sisters to an aging man who’s sensing things he can’t name to Ali, the woman who warms Ethan’s bed for a while (yes, Ethan is bi, which I don’t recall picking up on in book one, but whatever. There’s girly bits and whoopdee-doo). I liked her chemistry with Ethan even though I wasn’t sure if she was as charming as she appeared to be—their interactions were easy going and genuine due in large part to the author’s use of dialogue. The banter and conversation between the characters helps to tell the story and makes the interactions feel realistic.
I don’t want to end this on a down note, but it does bear mentioning that this book didn’t format with scene breaks, so be aware, if you should decide to hop into this, that without those breaks you make your way from Ethan’s head into Patrick’s and back again without warning. It was a bit jarring at first, but once clued into the issue, it was fairly evident after a while to sense when a shift was coming and prepare for it. The book may not be perfect, but it’s entertaining.
That said, I’m looking forward to jumping into book three and finding out how Lia Cooper plans to bring this trilogy to a close. I would recommend this series with the caveat that you don’t go into it expecting any sort of hearts and flowers romantic stuff mixed in with the murdery bits.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/review-the-convergence-theory-by-lia-cooper/
Cooper’s The Duality Paradigm introduced readers to this world and its inhabitants—Patrick is a werewolf, Ethan a mage, and Seattle is the setting for all the mythical, magical, and murderous mayhem that wends its way through these books. The city is teeming with the weird and wonderful—the supernaturals aren’t hiding from humans here. This is a world that’s integrated its paranormal population, and Pat and Ethan are two who’ve sworn to pursue justice on the Seattle police force.
Since the blurb mentions it, I’m not giving away any secrets here: Pat and Ethan soul bonded while investigating the murder of a young woman in book one, and here’s where the author bends the rules of some of the tropes we’re more familiar with in shifter lore—these guys sort of can’t stand each other. Just because there was some magic mojo unleashed when they had sex doesn’t mean that mate bond was an insta-love, hearts and flowers, goo-goo mush face, you-are-my-destiny mating. In fact, Ethan’s still the manwhore he’s always been, while Patrick’s werewolf knows its mate but poor Pat can’t even think about sex with anyone else—he’s mated for life with a guy he can barely be in the same room with without there being something to fight about. The angst that exists between these two guys is crazy-making, no doubt, but it’s also realistic because they have such different ideals and were raised in such vastly different environments. I might even hazard to say that it’s Ethan who could use a good dose of Patrick rather than the other way around. Ethan is a man out of his element in many ways, getting stuck investigating murders when he’s not even a homicide detective. He also doesn’t do interpersonal relationships so well, with good reason—once bitten, twice shy isn’t just a pithy idiom where his past is concerned.
The author’s prose brings this fun Urban Fantasy to life, and I love the mysteries these men investigate because as the body count continues to rise, all the clues do is unveil a deeper horror and more to unravel. There’s something out there doing vile things to humans—both living and formerly living—in The Convergence Theory, and though Ethan and Patrick don’t spend much time together for a good part of the outset of this novel, something like the first half of the book, it’s death and the “something evil out there” that’s the catalyst for their reunion. True to form, though, just because they’re stuck together again trying to find a killer, that doesn’t mean they have to like it. I liked it, though. The murders were just my kind of gruesome and grizzly, and the preternatural killer just my kind of creeptastic.
There are some great secondary characters in this novel, from cryptic sisters to an aging man who’s sensing things he can’t name to Ali, the woman who warms Ethan’s bed for a while (yes, Ethan is bi, which I don’t recall picking up on in book one, but whatever. There’s girly bits and whoopdee-doo). I liked her chemistry with Ethan even though I wasn’t sure if she was as charming as she appeared to be—their interactions were easy going and genuine due in large part to the author’s use of dialogue. The banter and conversation between the characters helps to tell the story and makes the interactions feel realistic.
I don’t want to end this on a down note, but it does bear mentioning that this book didn’t format with scene breaks, so be aware, if you should decide to hop into this, that without those breaks you make your way from Ethan’s head into Patrick’s and back again without warning. It was a bit jarring at first, but once clued into the issue, it was fairly evident after a while to sense when a shift was coming and prepare for it. The book may not be perfect, but it’s entertaining.
That said, I’m looking forward to jumping into book three and finding out how Lia Cooper plans to bring this trilogy to a close. I would recommend this series with the caveat that you don’t go into it expecting any sort of hearts and flowers romantic stuff mixed in with the murdery bits.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/review-the-convergence-theory-by-lia-cooper/
see_sadie_read's review
3.0
This was one seriously frustrating read. The problem? I sooo almost loved it. It was so close to being a really good book. But it's horribly unbalanced, concentrating in all the wrong places and skimming over everything I would have considered important.
The two main characters, Patrick and Ethan, don't even get together until 50+% into the book and they are miserable for that time. Then there is the mystery to be solved. It's ok, the mystery. It's of sideline importance at most and you can feel it as the killer comes out of nowhere and is given very little attention.
Then after spending 200+ pages apart and miserable, the reader is given two brief sex scenes and one skimpy conversation to settle the men's misunderstandings and future as mates. It's nowhere, NOWHERE near enough of a payoff in the romance department. In fact, it feels very much like the author when 'ta-da!' there's your sex scene, everything's all better now. Um....NO! That's not at all romantic and I feel very, very cheated.
I did still very much enjoy the writing and I like the characters, even the random female sidekick (who of course will turn out not to be so random in the next book, if I know my fantasy tropes) was fun. Patrick holds so much potential to be a heart-melting lead. I just know I could truly adore him if given the chance. Please, Ms. Cooper, don't' cheat us out of it next time. So, it was ALMOST wonderful, but disappointing instead. (Oh, and just like in book one, I have no idea what the title refers to. I wonder if book three will finally explain the titling.)
The two main characters, Patrick and Ethan, don't even get together until 50+% into the book and they are miserable for that time. Then there is the mystery to be solved. It's ok, the mystery. It's of sideline importance at most and you can feel it as the killer comes out of nowhere and is given very little attention.
Then after spending 200+ pages apart and miserable, the reader is given two brief sex scenes and one skimpy conversation to settle the men's misunderstandings and future as mates. It's nowhere, NOWHERE near enough of a payoff in the romance department. In fact, it feels very much like the author when 'ta-da!' there's your sex scene, everything's all better now. Um....NO! That's not at all romantic and I feel very, very cheated.
I did still very much enjoy the writing and I like the characters, even the random female sidekick (who of course will turn out not to be so random in the next book, if I know my fantasy tropes) was fun. Patrick holds so much potential to be a heart-melting lead. I just know I could truly adore him if given the chance. Please, Ms. Cooper, don't' cheat us out of it next time. So, it was ALMOST wonderful, but disappointing instead. (Oh, and just like in book one, I have no idea what the title refers to. I wonder if book three will finally explain the titling.)
foxclouds's review
4.0
Rating: 3.5 stars
Lots of moping and moodiness which sort of took precedence over the mystery but otherwise an enjoyable sequel.
My only complain is that for whatever reason the formatting of the ebook was off - there were no page/paragraph breaks between switching of POVs which made it sometime difficult to follow what was happening.
Lots of moping and moodiness which sort of took precedence over the mystery but otherwise an enjoyable sequel.
My only complain is that for whatever reason the formatting of the ebook was off - there were no page/paragraph breaks between switching of POVs which made it sometime difficult to follow what was happening.
isalaur's review
slow-paced
3.0
So this is book two but more like book 1.5 because it just took a heck of a long time to go hardly anywhere. It picks up a short time after book one and our MCs are not anywhere close to together. They haven’t seen or spoken to each other in over a month despite working in the same building. And they have to be the dumbest supernaturals around.
First of all there is way too much navel gazing. And the same turf gets retreaded over and over. I wanted to reach into the book and smack them both. Patrick knows what’s going on but won’t say anything to anyone which makes him a total jerk. Ethan can’t figure out what his problem is which makes him pretty damn stupid. Any supernatural with even a passing knowledge of werewolves should know what’s going on. And then the old man who keeps calling Ethan will only talk in riddles. Ditto Ethan’s witch friends. I was so so very sick of no one just freaking saying what they were thinking.
So the book goes round and round in circles. We finally get a solution to case mystery, sort of. (I still don’t fully get it or what was up with the woman in the house.) And when there appears to be a resolution to the relationship part that seems to fizzle too as Ethan again acts like a jerk. And then it ends on a big question mark. I’m trying to decide if I care enough anymore to read the next book. I feel bad for Patrick, though a lot of this is his fault but I really don’t think I like Ethan, a man whose chief characteristics seem to be avoidance and blissful ignorance.
First of all there is way too much navel gazing. And the same turf gets retreaded over and over. I wanted to reach into the book and smack them both. Patrick knows what’s going on but won’t say anything to anyone which makes him a total jerk. Ethan can’t figure out what his problem is which makes him pretty damn stupid. Any supernatural with even a passing knowledge of werewolves should know what’s going on. And then the old man who keeps calling Ethan will only talk in riddles. Ditto Ethan’s witch friends. I was so so very sick of no one just freaking saying what they were thinking.
So the book goes round and round in circles. We finally get a solution to case mystery, sort of. (I still don’t fully get it or what was up with the woman in the house.) And when there appears to be a resolution to the relationship part that seems to fizzle too as Ethan again acts like a jerk. And then it ends on a big question mark. I’m trying to decide if I care enough anymore to read the next book. I feel bad for Patrick, though a lot of this is his fault but I really don’t think I like Ethan, a man whose chief characteristics seem to be avoidance and blissful ignorance.
qace90's review
4.0
The first half of this book is probably 3 Stars for me, but the ending redeemed itself. I just found it so utterly frustrating that Ethan and Pat don’t even see each other until about Chapter 13 - and this book only has 20 chapters (read in omnibus so don’t know exactly how far that is into book). It makes sense for their personalities, but it just made me wanna scream at them to get their heads outta their ass. The mystery wasn’t quite as exciting as that in the first book, but I do love the mythology and paranormal stuff going on. And Ethan’s dreams! I wanna know what’s up with that! And his uncle showing up on his doorstep at the very end?? Definitely makes me All too ready for the next book.
All of my complaining aside, I do love how Lia takes traditional tropes with werewolves and matings and throws them out the window. Yes, they have a kind of insta-attraction, but neither of them is willing to just jump into something. And when they finally (FINALLY) communicate about what’s been going on for them all summer, both of them talk about how they feel like a mess for each other, BUT being willing to try and make things work. I like their flaws and how messy they are. I just want to smash them together already though!
All of my complaining aside, I do love how Lia takes traditional tropes with werewolves and matings and throws them out the window. Yes, they have a kind of insta-attraction, but neither of them is willing to just jump into something. And when they finally (FINALLY) communicate about what’s been going on for them all summer, both of them talk about how they feel like a mess for each other, BUT being willing to try and make things work. I like their flaws and how messy they are. I just want to smash them together already though!
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