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kzimm2024's review
4.0
Finally- I get to read this series! I waited until there were more books released before I dug in since I am getting tired of all these series' I am stuck in while waiting for more. But on the flip-side I am horrified at the thought that they would end some of these series- so please keep writing! You heard me TA White.
I really liked this world (same as Jacky Leon) and characters even though I really don't like snakes, when it first came out I was like "No way" but since then I have read "So I married a Lizardman" and my horizons have expanded :)
I will call her "Kal". She is badass and gives no shits. Has no patience as well. But hopefully that will change with (I will call him) "Dom" in her life. Kal is saving Dom from being captured by the evil corporation and runs into an old nemesis Vampire while researching her family's murder, all the while realizing that Dom can breed with her as the last female of her kind- gasp!
I was surprised, by the way the blub and reviews sounded I thought I was going to get more of an insta-love story than most of Ms. Banets' stories but no. Our hero Dom has no idea he is a prospective mate to Kal and I am curious to see how this plays out. And I know I saw at one point what he species he is but somehow forgot so I am blissfully unaware- on to the next!
I really liked this world (same as Jacky Leon) and characters even though I really don't like snakes, when it first came out I was like "No way" but since then I have read "So I married a Lizardman" and my horizons have expanded :)
I will call her "Kal". She is badass and gives no shits. Has no patience as well. But hopefully that will change with (I will call him) "Dom" in her life. Kal is saving Dom from being captured by the evil corporation and runs into an old nemesis Vampire while researching her family's murder, all the while realizing that Dom can breed with her as the last female of her kind- gasp!
I was surprised, by the way the blub and reviews sounded I thought I was going to get more of an insta-love story than most of Ms. Banets' stories but no. Our hero Dom has no idea he is a prospective mate to Kal and I am curious to see how this plays out. And I know I saw at one point what he species he is but somehow forgot so I am blissfully unaware- on to the next!
katyanaish's review
3.0
Even though the Jacky Leon series is one of my absolute favorites, I really dithered about reading this series. A couple friends who jumped right in noted that it's super different, and Kaliya is pretty unlikeable...and so I was torn and sat on it for ages.
I'm going to firstly say that yes, I agree: she's pretty unlikeable. And she seems to revel in it. Raphael is pretty unlikeable in this book too, though that is more forgivable given the confusing shitshow his life is, this poor dude who knows nothing about the supe world but has been tortured by them, and is now being hunted by them, yeah, I get him having a hair-trigger hot temper.
I can't really make sense of Cassius and Kaliya's relationship. They like each other, then don't, then sometimes seem to like each other a lot more than either wants to admit. You get some soft hints that Cassius maybe liked her a lot, but couldn't live in her self-destructive, and honestly pretty self-absorbed, world anymore. Like, he left for his own mental health.
And maybe physical health, because as we see in this book, Kaliya makes bad choices which get the people around her hurt.
But in this book, for what it's worth, they are the more compelling relationship - part of me (pointlessly) hopes Kaliya grows up and they work it out. I feel like that will change, not just because I know who the male lead is, but also because after the rough start here where we set all the pieces on the board, things are going to settle into a more normal pace with their lives, and they'll have a chance to get to know each other outside the insane chaos.
But man... I get that it is because her life has been hard and heartbreaking, and she's probably somewhat broken, but Kaliya is a hard character to care about. She is bitchy to everyone, pretty much all the time. And is prone to changing the plan, on her own without discussing it with her team (for literally no logical reason I can think of - seriously, why couldn't they know that? She seemed like she was trying to hint, and later told Cassius she hoped he'd pick up on it faster... How about open your fucking mouth and share the plan???). So yeah, a bitch who makes bad choices that gets her friends hurt. It's a tough sell.
I'm going to firstly say that yes, I agree: she's pretty unlikeable. And she seems to revel in it. Raphael is pretty unlikeable in this book too, though that is more forgivable given the confusing shitshow his life is, this poor dude who knows nothing about the supe world but has been tortured by them, and is now being hunted by them, yeah, I get him having a hair-trigger hot temper.
I can't really make sense of Cassius and Kaliya's relationship. They like each other, then don't, then sometimes seem to like each other a lot more than either wants to admit. You get some soft hints that Cassius maybe liked her a lot, but couldn't live in her self-destructive, and honestly pretty self-absorbed, world anymore. Like, he left for his own mental health.
And maybe physical health, because as we see in this book, Kaliya makes bad choices which get the people around her hurt.
But in this book, for what it's worth, they are the more compelling relationship - part of me (pointlessly) hopes Kaliya grows up and they work it out. I feel like that will change, not just because I know who the male lead is, but also because after the rough start here where we set all the pieces on the board, things are going to settle into a more normal pace with their lives, and they'll have a chance to get to know each other outside the insane chaos.
But man... I get that it is because her life has been hard and heartbreaking, and she's probably somewhat broken, but Kaliya is a hard character to care about. She is bitchy to everyone, pretty much all the time. And is prone to changing the plan, on her own without discussing it with her team (for literally no logical reason I can think of - seriously, why couldn't they know that? She seemed like she was trying to hint, and later told Cassius she hoped he'd pick up on it faster... How about open your fucking mouth and share the plan???). So yeah, a bitch who makes bad choices that gets her friends hurt. It's a tough sell.
gypsydawn's review
5.0
While I adore Banet's Reverse Harem worlds (Age of Adina anyone?) I find myself doubly captivated by the Urban Fantasy Universe she is crafting. That world, The Tribunal Archives, first introduced in the Jacky Leon series, is made larger here, focusing on the mysterious Kaliya.
Obsessive and a bit impulsive, Kalyia is a fierce and deadly predator, the last living Nagini and one of only a few sanctioned Tribunal Executioners. Her very nature drives her to interfere in a suspicious bounty, one that leads her down a rabbit hole of scientific experiments, shadowy conglomerates, unknown supernaturals and laws that are just begging to be broken.
It's fast, intense and just the right amount of funny. In other words, it's everything an Urban Fantasy junkie could want.
Pros:
~ Great Character Development.
~ Cassius... I really don't know if I should love him or hate him, but he's a force regardless.
~ The mystery is slowly doled out, dragging the reader along as Kaliya falls deeper into the mess.
~ Hasan!! (Brief, but memorable)
~ Well written.
Cons:
~ There is a heart punch near the end... I won't spoil it, but dang...
Perspective
~ First Person, Single POV
Ending Type
~ HFN, Episodic
Rating
~ R for violence.
Romantic Dynamic
~ While romance is not the focus of an UF novel, this would be M/F
Character Age Range
~ Adult
My Final Verdict on Bounty
Obsessive and a bit impulsive, Kalyia is a fierce and deadly predator, the last living Nagini and one of only a few sanctioned Tribunal Executioners. Her very nature drives her to interfere in a suspicious bounty, one that leads her down a rabbit hole of scientific experiments, shadowy conglomerates, unknown supernaturals and laws that are just begging to be broken.
It's fast, intense and just the right amount of funny. In other words, it's everything an Urban Fantasy junkie could want.
*I received an ARC of this book and am thrilled to share my honest opinion*
Pros:
~ Great Character Development.
~ Cassius... I really don't know if I should love him or hate him, but he's a force regardless.
~ The mystery is slowly doled out, dragging the reader along as Kaliya falls deeper into the mess.
~ Hasan!! (Brief, but memorable)
~ Well written.
Cons:
~ There is a heart punch near the end... I won't spoil it, but dang...
Perspective
~ First Person, Single POV
Ending Type
~ HFN, Episodic
Rating
~ R for violence.
Romantic Dynamic
~ While romance is not the focus of an UF novel, this would be M/F
Character Age Range
~ Adult
My Final Verdict on Bounty
starlitbooknerd's review
5.0
Awesome
I thought it was interesting to see a more expanded version of this world! I can’t wait to see what happens next!!
I thought it was interesting to see a more expanded version of this world! I can’t wait to see what happens next!!
sammipants08's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
smitch29's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was good. I thought it was great for a Kindle Unlimited book. I will definitely check out the next book in the series.
stormsreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
mdlaclair's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, didn’t loves this series as much as her others. I hope it gets better in book 2.
bunnerz's review
4.0
payal_reads_alot's review
2.0
I'm torn about this book. I like the plot, the world, the different types of characters. And obviously an Indian woman who is Hindu, brown, badass, nagini is awesome.
BUT...
I hated the writing style. There was a sheer mountain of thought dump. She wrote out every single thing that flitted in her brain, some in regular font, some in italics (I can't figure out why the difference). Some were even spoken out loud.
All the dialogue was so forced. It was as if this was the first book series the author had penned but I realized that there was a whole another series (Jacky Leon) that came before this, set in the same world.
And then there was the question of research... The author researched snakes well. But only mediocre research for Indian mythology.
1. Kaliya is a boy's name. Which wouldn't bother me so much if there wasn't already a famous Kaliya from Bollywood film. Every time I read the name, I thought of the side-bandit Kaliya!
2. MC is supposed to be Hindu. But she mentions how there are boxes full of
3. Finally, they never said why Rafael would be
I know that the author said she wanted to keep some suspense for the next novels but the characters or the story aren't compelling enough for me to continue.
BUT...
I hated the writing style. There was a sheer mountain of thought dump. She wrote out every single thing that flitted in her brain, some in regular font, some in italics (I can't figure out why the difference). Some were even spoken out loud.
All the dialogue was so forced. It was as if this was the first book series the author had penned but I realized that there was a whole another series (Jacky Leon) that came before this, set in the same world.
And then there was the question of research... The author researched snakes well. But only mediocre research for Indian mythology.
1. Kaliya is a boy's name. Which wouldn't bother me so much if there wasn't already a famous Kaliya from Bollywood film. Every time I read the name, I thought of the side-bandit Kaliya!
2. MC is supposed to be Hindu. But she mentions how there are boxes full of
Spoiler
small body parts of her family members. She wants to bury them. Hindu don't bury their dead, they are cremated.3. Finally, they never said why Rafael would be
Spoiler
able to survive the bite and be a mate for Kaliya. Nor did they say why she had to bite him. Considering she couldn't even stomach her own venom, how can a mate handle that? Why does that need to happen?I know that the author said she wanted to keep some suspense for the next novels but the characters or the story aren't compelling enough for me to continue.