Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

King and Queen by Maz Maddox

1 review

galleytrot's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

FIRST READ: Mar 2023 
SECOND READ: Feb 2024
FORMAT: Audio, digital

BRIEF SUMMARY: 
In book three of this contemporary shifter action/romance series, Royal is encouraged to leave the desk to stake out a fossil dig site, keeping an eye out for either fossil thieves or newly-awakened shifters. One wild night turns up both, as well as an enterprising “science communicator” who live-streams the unruly showdown between two pissed-off Therapods and a protective Ceratopsian. Caught up in a world he never could have imagined existed, Blaise joins Royal on his hunt across Canada for the thieves who got to the new Albertasaurus shifter before Royal could. 

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 3.75 / 5⭐ 
First thing’s first, mega-hype for this story highlighting Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrell Museum, a place I had the good fortune to visit on a road trip out West (and absolutely my most memorable stop of the trip). The Canadian Badlands are a sight I hope everyone gets to behold at least once in their life. The sheer awe of it can’t be captured in books, or even in photos. The dinosaur-themed everything is by no means an exaggeration – the town is a mecca for dinosaur tourism, and you can’t look anywhere without seeing a prehistoric statue, model, mural, or whatever else have you. 

Personal geekout aside, I’m sad to say this story didn’t grip me the way either of the previous two did. It was certainly just as charming and comedic, but I don’t think I connected with our main characters quite as well. If I’m being completely honest, it isn’t until two of our previous characters join up where I start to say, “Okay, now we’re having some fun!” But at the same time that’s when Blaise and Royal shine their brightest, so it’s not down to the other characters doing any especially-heavy lifting.

Royal is the techie of the RELIC team, fully embracing the modern world and usually acting in the support role for the other shifters’ missions. He’s a bit out of his element out in the field, but perfectly capable when he needs to be, even as RELIC’s sole vegetarian. Blaise is between jobs, between houses, and between comfort and stability. A dino-geek through and through, he Is attempting to make a name for himself by bringing paleontology into social media. Despite their heated hookup from before, Blaise doesn’t want to get into things with Royal, knowing he’ll just be heading back to Texas once all is said and done. 

TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 4.5 / 5⭐ 
For all I didn’t enjoy this story as much as the others, I still think that Maddox did an excellent job writing fun characters doing fun things in a fun setting. Was it perfect? No, but I’m more than happy to forgive inconsistent, unaddressed, or forgotten plot points if I’m generally just having a good time. 

I’m starting to get curious about each of the villains from each of the books, and whether or not they’ll connect later on down the line. This one especially leaves a lot of questions unanswered – namely their entire reasoning behind doing things the way they are. A hint is dropped that there may be more to it than there seems, but nothing is revealed at all as far as motive. 

FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 4 / 5⭐ 
I certainly recommend reading this installment to the RELIC series. What didn’t connect for me can certainly still connect for others, and I don’t think this is a bad book. It simply didn’t live up to the standards the other books set up for me. 

This book has representation for gays, pansexuals, and non-binary individuals. Multiple characters are non-white, including a black main character. Our other main character identifies as genderqueer and does performances in drag. 

The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail. 
This book contains:
alcohol use; dinosaur violence (fighting, biting, scratching, horn stabbies); homelessness caused by an unscrupulous roommate; mentions of infidelity; a car crash (intentionally being driven off the road); assault with an improvised weapon (tire iron); and, blood and injuries.
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