thereadingwren's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/5
This was good but it’s not my style. It’s gritty, super high tech sci-fi, with long descriptions of cars, helicopters, and guns. It was stuffed full of gay men though, always a plus.
I love the blending of magic and science, it was a super cool concept. Hackers having network implants makes all the sense in the world. Very cool.
The Awakening, what I’m assuming is the creatures coming to life, is an awesomely cool concept. I want more of that.
JT was a sweetheart. He’s just an orc that is forever grieving the loss of his best friend, who just wants to be loved (but the elf he loves can’t love him back) and live a peaceful life with cars and his apprentice. I want all the nice things for JT.
Austin is kind of a dickhead, especially when it comes to JT. He gives off a lot of Dom vibes but not in the good way. His glamour influences other people and creatures and that seems a little non-con to me. He gets off on telling people what to do and thinking he’s the greatest creature to ever walk the earth. His magic is really cool though.
I don’t know how I feel about there only being two women in this whole thing. One of them is dead (her consciousness later used to potentially make porn better) and the other gets left behind. I really would have liked more females.
I wasn’t going to continue in this series but the synopsis of the third book sounds interesting so I might actually read the lot.
This was good but it’s not my style. It’s gritty, super high tech sci-fi, with long descriptions of cars, helicopters, and guns. It was stuffed full of gay men though, always a plus.
I love the blending of magic and science, it was a super cool concept. Hackers having network implants makes all the sense in the world. Very cool.
The Awakening, what I’m assuming is the creatures coming to life, is an awesomely cool concept. I want more of that.
JT was a sweetheart. He’s just an orc that is forever grieving the loss of his best friend, who just wants to be loved (but the elf he loves can’t love him back) and live a peaceful life with cars and his apprentice. I want all the nice things for JT.
Austin is kind of a dickhead, especially when it comes to JT. He gives off a lot of Dom vibes but not in the good way. His glamour influences other people and creatures and that seems a little non-con to me. He gets off on telling people what to do and thinking he’s the greatest creature to ever walk the earth. His magic is really cool though.
I don’t know how I feel about there only being two women in this whole thing. One of them is dead (her consciousness later used to potentially make porn better) and the other gets left behind. I really would have liked more females.
I wasn’t going to continue in this series but the synopsis of the third book sounds interesting so I might actually read the lot.
scrow1022's review against another edition
5.0
So much to like about this. A world with both high tech and magic (but they don't work together exactly), orcs and elves and wizards and maybe more, frustrated longing (for all sorts of things) and epic sex, augmented senses / sense of self, a kickass adventure. There are references to what has happened before, enough so that I kept thinking, "now I want to read the first book" except this is the first book (didn't feel I was missing anything I just wanted to read it!) Very happy to know the next is coming out soon.
storytimed's review against another edition
3.5
Spoiler
This is a fun trashy cyberpunk orc/elf action romance
It's giving Shadowrun! Unrepentantly nerdy, Glamour Thieves follows sweetheart orc JT and his mysterious elf ex-boyfriend as they go on One Last Job
You're really not going to get much emotional depth or resonance from this novel, but what you are going to get is a bunch of fun action setpieces and hardcore gay sex
The difference between m/m romance written by a cis gay guy and m/m romance written targeted mostly towards women (ao3) is........... super funny and interesting lmao
For one, there's a lot more description of the balls. Actually there's a ton of scrotal/testicular detail
And more like......... club scene casual sex! We find out that the elf ex is still in love with JT when he goes to hook up with another orc but can't nut lmao
I think AO3 porn tends to be less detailed and more likely to describe things in aesthetically pleasing terms
I quite liked the inclusion of casual sex though! The way romance happens here feels more realistic and more interesting than the insta-love of many romance novels
Like they're the main couple, but they're not chaste and waiting for each other at all. JT has a flirtation/fling with another character, Buzz, and their relationship falls apart for non-ex reasons. They're just not at the same point in life as each other, and that's OK
Also very interesting was a recurring theme of how various fantasy species were fetishized. Like orcs are fetishized for their violence and elves for their beauty. There's a lot of talk about "have you ever been with an elf", "I got a thing for orcs" that echoes the more problematic areas of the cis gay male community. Allmon doesn't really explore that further (which is fine by me bc he's white and I really don't need to know his takes), though he does make a point of noting that JT is an orc who bottoms
I am very excited to continue on with the rest of the series and sandblast my brain satin-smooth with more ridiculous wizard vs. paramilitary elf nonsense
daniellesalwaysreading's review against another edition
3.0
Like Persuasion by Jane Austin, except with Elves and Orcs in the future with magic and sci-fi tech plus a gang war. Also it is two males. It is the start of a series so don't read it hoping to have a great deal of story after the plot resolution. The best part is the angst, which I always love. Also, try finding another book like this one (I love novelty). Waiting for the next installment before I make a final decision on how much I liked it. Lots of sex, not for the faint of heart.
bibliotexmex's review against another edition
5.0
Hell Yeah
Everything I’ve ever wanted in one book! Well-written, great world building, complex characters and fantastic action. Throw in a great love story and steamy love scenes and bam! Magic.
Everything I’ve ever wanted in one book! Well-written, great world building, complex characters and fantastic action. Throw in a great love story and steamy love scenes and bam! Magic.
charlieash's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
this book really introduced me to some shocking new definitions of the phrase car sex
see_sadie_read's review
4.0
4.5
This I truly enjoyed. My only complaint was that there is a lot of history and I felt like I was reading a second book, instead of a first. It left some important information too vague. Like, why have there only been orcs for a generation and a half? What, exactly, was the Awakening? But beyond that, which admittedly is a big complaint, I loved the characters and the world. I liked the writing style and the author's voice. And the epilogue tempted me into wanting book 2 right now. So, it's an all around winner for me.
This I truly enjoyed. My only complaint was that there is a lot of history and I felt like I was reading a second book, instead of a first. It left some important information too vague. Like, why have there only been orcs for a generation and a half? What, exactly, was the Awakening? But beyond that, which admittedly is a big complaint, I loved the characters and the world. I liked the writing style and the author's voice. And the epilogue tempted me into wanting book 2 right now. So, it's an all around winner for me.
poplora's review
4.0
This was pretty good. Not really looking forward to the next book cuz it's about Buzz and frankly fuck that guy. JT is too good for him. Too good for Austin too frankly. I hope in the future Austin figures it out and gets his shit together.
eemms's review against another edition
3.0
Good pacing for a novella, stuff kept moving, but it could've explained more of the world's history without suffering for it. Not bad SF and not bad erotica but not really outstanding in either genre. Here for the xeno sex tho 👍
suze_1624's review
3.0
Quite far past my comfort zone for AU/sci fi whatever its called. I think because we are dropped into the universe rather than introduced to it, I cant get a feel for it. Obviously earth based as references to San Francisco, in the future as 2048 referred to as vintage, an Awakening referred to but how, why not there.
However, what is there is group dynamics, adversity making strange bedfellows, old friendships, historic issues, battling for survival and a quest (to free the Blue Unicorn/Roan).
Unfinished business between JT and Austen creates lots of tension and lots of mushed up sexual feelings, including cars! and intense sex.
All things considered, I did quite like even if not my cup of tea. I bought with a vouvher I won as I had seen good reviews and was glad I got it.
However, what is there is group dynamics, adversity making strange bedfellows, old friendships, historic issues, battling for survival and a quest (to free the Blue Unicorn/Roan).
Unfinished business between JT and Austen creates lots of tension and lots of mushed up sexual feelings, including cars! and intense sex.
All things considered, I did quite like even if not my cup of tea. I bought with a vouvher I won as I had seen good reviews and was glad I got it.