The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
galleytrot's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
READ: Jun 2023
FORMAT: Digital
BRIEF SUMMARY:
In this contemporary fantasy/romance, AVPD detectives/partners Chase and Merrick are investigating suspicious activities when things go horribly and immediately wrong for them. An impossible feat of survival reveals that Merrick, the man Chase has been silently in unrequited love with for years, is actually the Sagittarian god Gordoth the Lesser. With a cult doing their damnedest to bring about the end of the world, and with the realization that Chase’s feelings might not be as one-sided as he’d always believed they were, the human detective is a bit out of his depth trying to set things right – and trying to convince a god that it’s not just his godliness that Chase loves.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 4 / 5⭐
Yeah okay, the more books I read in this series, the more entertained I am. It took me a long time to get around to this one, because the first time we deviated away from Sloane and Loch was, in my opinion, an absolute dumpster-fire-trash-disaster and I am still unreasonably salty about it; such that even the few mentions of ol’ Tedward in this book made me bristle. I am so very happy to say that this time around, I had a much more enjoyable go of it.
Gordoth, being the god of justice and righteous wrath, holds one goal above all others: protect and cement the legacy of his precious follower, who lost his life through the god’s arrogance. Strict adherence to the PD’s code of conduct is imperative for the preservation of this legacy, and that means not acting on his impure thoughts and desires, much to Chase’s frustration. While Chase’s world has been rocked by learning that the Sagittarian faith is not only reality but firmly woven into his current existence, he has to juggle thwarting a cult that has the ability to disappear without a trace, reconnecting with a relative he’s hurt in the recent past, and courting a god who is being stubbornly resistant to his advances.
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 3 / 5⭐
I think I’m catching on to the pattern here. Sloane/Loch books move the overarching plot along in a big way, and side character/side character books do a bunch of setup and world-building for the future Sloane/Loch books to tackle. Despite that, this book contains its own story in a much more contained way than book two did. I still ended it thinking, “Wait, that’s all? The end? We’re done?” but I was less surprised by that than before. This book series reads more like an ongoing TV series than a set of self-contained stories within a strange supernatural/fantasy universe. Now that I’ve caught onto this, I feel like I can choose to be less critical over the actual story-telling being done.
I will say that we’ve come some ways from the first book, where we had a dozen characters who all suffered from having the same personality. Several of them have begun to take on a nature of their own over the course of these last two books, although still others are waiting for their personal touches and spit-shines. Milo’s whole, “Just so happy to be here!” vibe is growing on me, and I cackled when Chase described him within their weird little family group.
In the spirit of fairness, I heavily criticized book two for leaning on the f-word far too much. By my search feature’s count, there are 223 instances of it being used within this book – a massive improvement from book two’s count of 345, so that’s progress! But I still think Hiers could do better.
I will say that we’ve come some ways from the first book, where we had a dozen characters who all suffered from having the same personality. Several of them have begun to take on a nature of their own over the course of these last two books, although still others are waiting for their personal touches and spit-shines. Milo’s whole, “Just so happy to be here!” vibe is growing on me, and I cackled when Chase described him within their weird little family group.
In the spirit of fairness, I heavily criticized book two for leaning on the f-word far too much. By my search feature’s count, there are 223 instances of it being used within this book – a massive improvement from book two’s count of 345, so that’s progress! But I still think Hiers could do better.
FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 3.5 / 5⭐
While I had trepidation about this pairing and their personalities when they were first set up, I was pleasantly surprised that I found their story to be fun and exciting. Chase deserves to find love and feel love, and Merrick is an absolute delight of a god cosplaying as human. His dedication to his values and human-dictated rules is noble and all, but he's able to push past the things holding him back and claim his own happiness. I love that for him.
This book has representation for gays and inter-species couples (tentacle deities and humans). There is a push for body positivity (everyone is someone’s cup of tea!) and one of the main characters is a black man.
The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Body horror, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Gun violence, Alcohol, Car accident, Child death, and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use and Drug abuse
ladydamonayde's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Drug abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism and Sexual content
jessie_h's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
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