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wildfaeriecaps's review
5.0
Huh. Did I realize this was three novellas going in? No, I did not. I enjoy that the stories are separate but still connected. It was hard to pick a time period for these. The second story felt more current but then we dipped back into the 50s and it was just a little confusing. Overall, the stories were lovely, though. Sometimes things were too easy or convenient, but it's fiction and I'm fine with that. I'll likely pick up the rest of the series eventually just to see if it all circles back to Grimes in the end.
intheblackout's review
4.0
Three novellas about "monsters" and how they're not actually monstrous.
A demon bound by a sick and twisted man who profits of his pain. A man, whose father may have been angelic, tasked with destroying the demon. When Charles Grimes finds Tenrael in a carnival and sees the hurt inflicted upon him, he realises that human can be the monsters...
When bodies turn up mummified, vampires are suspected. Clay White is a former Bureau agent and is determing to make up for past mistakes. Marek is a vampire, who knows that the horrific murders were not done by the hands of a vampire. The two work together and discover a deep desire for each other, but can they survive and find the killer before they become a victim themselves.
My favourite of the three novellas. Harry wants to join the Bureau, but his told he is too soft. However, he is given a chance of joining if he is able to uncover evidence that a certain man is trying to resurrect the dead. John is to be used as bait, as he has been resurrected himself. The Bureau view John as a monster, but as Harry and John spend more time together that viewpoint is quickly discredited.
CORRUPTION
A demon bound by a sick and twisted man who profits of his pain. A man, whose father may have been angelic, tasked with destroying the demon. When Charles Grimes finds Tenrael in a carnival and sees the hurt inflicted upon him, he realises that human can be the monsters...
CLAY WHITE
When bodies turn up mummified, vampires are suspected. Clay White is a former Bureau agent and is determing to make up for past mistakes. Marek is a vampire, who knows that the horrific murders were not done by the hands of a vampire. The two work together and discover a deep desire for each other, but can they survive and find the killer before they become a victim themselves.
CREATURE
My favourite of the three novellas. Harry wants to join the Bureau, but his told he is too soft. However, he is given a chance of joining if he is able to uncover evidence that a certain man is trying to resurrect the dead. John is to be used as bait, as he has been resurrected himself. The Bureau view John as a monster, but as Harry and John spend more time together that viewpoint is quickly discredited.
b_nour's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
alexmiska's review against another edition
Couldn’t finish. I tried to power through the first several chapters of Creature (well over an hour of listening) and just found the premise too upsetting.
hartd's review
3.0
This is a collection of three stories that are set in the same alternate-universe Earth and include some of the same characters. In each story, one character has ties to a secret government agency, The Bureau, that investigates supernatural crimes. Overall, these stories are dark and focus a lot on the evil humans are capable of. So, content warning for This isn't my favorite Kim Fielding book, but urban fantasy isn't my favorite genre.
Also, one of the reasons I have read a lot of this author's books is that I really like the way she writes female side characters - as three-dimensional people - and that her characters generally treat and talk about women the same way. There aren't any important female characters in any of these stories, which is okay. But I really disliked the way a major character (the agents' boss) talked about women. I understand that his offhand remarks are appropriate to the time period, and perhaps his misogyny also serves to show that he is morally gray. But his attitude made me cringe.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joel Leslie, and he did a great job, as always. I especially liked the voices he chose for the main characters in Creature.
1. Corruption - 3 stars. In the 1940s, a Bureau agent who is half-human and half-angel falls in love with a demon. It's kind of an insta-love story, without all that much development. I guess that Charles I liked it, though. These characters show up in the other two stories.
2. Clay White - 2.5 stars. An ex-agent falls in love with a vampire and they investigate a mystery. This story takes place in the present day and it's written in first person. I think the author was aiming for a noir feel. Maybe she didn't succeed or maybe it just isn't my thing, but this was my least favorite of the three.
3. Creature - 4.5 stars. In 1950, a prospective Bureau agent is tasked with investigating a Frankenstein-like scientist, and he falls in love with a man who is (more or less) a sentient zombie. This one is novella-length and my favorite of the three. The human character, Harry, thinks of himself as stupid; although I don't think he truly does lack intelligence, this story feels like a good portrait of a man who sees himself that way. The romance feels pretty natural, but it creeps me out a little bit, because John has never interacted with any human other than Harry. Still, their connection is very emotional, exactly what they both need, and I enjoyed the story.
Spoiler
rape (although there's nothing overly explicit) and violence.Also, one of the reasons I have read a lot of this author's books is that I really like the way she writes female side characters - as three-dimensional people - and that her characters generally treat and talk about women the same way. There aren't any important female characters in any of these stories, which is okay. But I really disliked the way a major character (the agents' boss) talked about women. I understand that his offhand remarks are appropriate to the time period, and perhaps his misogyny also serves to show that he is morally gray. But his attitude made me cringe.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joel Leslie, and he did a great job, as always. I especially liked the voices he chose for the main characters in Creature.
1. Corruption - 3 stars. In the 1940s, a Bureau agent who is half-human and half-angel falls in love with a demon. It's kind of an insta-love story, without all that much development. I guess that Charles
Spoiler
is a Dom and the demon is a natural submissive, but the story doesn't really come out and state that.2. Clay White - 2.5 stars. An ex-agent falls in love with a vampire and they investigate a mystery. This story takes place in the present day and it's written in first person. I think the author was aiming for a noir feel. Maybe she didn't succeed or maybe it just isn't my thing, but this was my least favorite of the three.
3. Creature - 4.5 stars. In 1950, a prospective Bureau agent is tasked with investigating a Frankenstein-like scientist, and he falls in love with a man who is (more or less) a sentient zombie. This one is novella-length and my favorite of the three. The human character, Harry, thinks of himself as stupid; although I don't think he truly does lack intelligence, this story feels like a good portrait of a man who sees himself that way. The romance feels pretty natural, but it creeps me out a little bit, because John has never interacted with any human other than Harry. Still, their connection is very emotional, exactly what they both need, and I enjoyed the story.
hartd's review against another edition
3.0
This is a collection of three stories that are set in the same alternate-universe Earth and include some of the same characters. In each story, one character has ties to a secret government agency, The Bureau, that investigates supernatural crimes. Overall, these stories are dark and focus a lot on the evil humans are capable of. So, content warning for This isn't my favorite Kim Fielding book, but urban fantasy isn't my favorite genre.
Also, one of the reasons I have read a lot of this author's books is that I really like the way she writes female side characters - as three-dimensional people - and that her characters generally treat and talk about women the same way. There aren't any important female characters in any of these stories, which is okay. But I really disliked the way a major character (the agents' boss) talked about women. I understand that his offhand remarks are appropriate to the time period, and perhaps his misogyny also serves to show that he is morally gray. But his attitude made me cringe.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joel Leslie, and he did a great job, as always. I especially liked the voices he chose for the main characters in Creature.
1. Corruption - 3 stars. In the 1940s, a Bureau agent who is half-human and half-angel falls in love with a demon. It's kind of an insta-love story, without all that much development. I guess that Charles I liked it, though. These characters show up in the other two stories.
2. Clay White - 2.5 stars. An ex-agent falls in love with a vampire and they investigate a mystery. This story takes place in the present day and it's written in first person. I think the author was aiming for a noir feel. Maybe she didn't succeed or maybe it just isn't my thing, but this was my least favorite of the three.
3. Creature - 4.5 stars. In 1950, a prospective Bureau agent is tasked with investigating a Frankenstein-like scientist, and he falls in love with a man who is (more or less) a sentient zombie. This one is novella-length and my favorite of the three. The human character, Harry, thinks of himself as stupid; although I don't think he truly does lack intelligence, this story feels like a good portrait of a man who sees himself that way. The romance feels pretty natural, but it creeps me out a little bit, because John has never interacted with any human other than Harry. Still, their connection is very emotional, exactly what they both need, and I enjoyed the story.
Spoiler
rape (although there's nothing overly explicit) and violence.Also, one of the reasons I have read a lot of this author's books is that I really like the way she writes female side characters - as three-dimensional people - and that her characters generally treat and talk about women the same way. There aren't any important female characters in any of these stories, which is okay. But I really disliked the way a major character (the agents' boss) talked about women. I understand that his offhand remarks are appropriate to the time period, and perhaps his misogyny also serves to show that he is morally gray. But his attitude made me cringe.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joel Leslie, and he did a great job, as always. I especially liked the voices he chose for the main characters in Creature.
1. Corruption - 3 stars. In the 1940s, a Bureau agent who is half-human and half-angel falls in love with a demon. It's kind of an insta-love story, without all that much development. I guess that Charles
Spoiler
is a Dom and the demon is a natural submissive, but the story doesn't really come out and state that.2. Clay White - 2.5 stars. An ex-agent falls in love with a vampire and they investigate a mystery. This story takes place in the present day and it's written in first person. I think the author was aiming for a noir feel. Maybe she didn't succeed or maybe it just isn't my thing, but this was my least favorite of the three.
3. Creature - 4.5 stars. In 1950, a prospective Bureau agent is tasked with investigating a Frankenstein-like scientist, and he falls in love with a man who is (more or less) a sentient zombie. This one is novella-length and my favorite of the three. The human character, Harry, thinks of himself as stupid; although I don't think he truly does lack intelligence, this story feels like a good portrait of a man who sees himself that way. The romance feels pretty natural, but it creeps me out a little bit, because John has never interacted with any human other than Harry. Still, their connection is very emotional, exactly what they both need, and I enjoyed the story.
yoda_bor's review against another edition
3.0
Pour la première lecture de mes vacances d’été, on ne peut pas dire que j’ai eu droit à une grande réussite. Je pensais pourtant avoir mis les chances de mon côté en plongeant dans ce que je croyais être une romance policière surnaturelle avec des créatures s’associant pour mener des enquêtes.
J’ai bien eu les associations de créature mais autant dire que l’accent était plutôt mis sur leurs relations sexuelles que sur tout autre aspect de leur coopération.
Je n’arrive d’ailleurs pas à me souvenir si Charles et Tenrael connaissent leur nom respectif avant de coucher ensemble, mais en tout cas, il s’agit de la première intrigue de ce tome et autant dire qu’il n’y a aucun mystère là dessous puisqu’il s’agit tout simplement d’une créature indéterminée (peut-être un demi-ange) qui libère un démon du cirque itinérant dans lequel il est torturé (grosse passion de l’auteure pour les tortures, c’est charmant par ailleurs).
Je pensais qu’après leur rencontre on allait par la suite les suivre au fil des ans pour les voir mener quelques enquêtes dans leur entreprise de détectives privés mais à la place, on passe à d’autres personnages dans les deux autres intrigues même s’ils viennent y faire une apparition, tout comme Townsend, le chef du Bureau qui donne son nom à ce recueil et qui semble lui aussi assez immortel.
Je n’ai rien contre le format en nouvelles, c’est un exercice difficile mais il permet souvent de grignoter quelques pages de lecture quand on n’a pas beaucoup de temps.
Le problème ici, c’est que tout est très rapide et que les personnages couchent ensemble sans même qu’on ait pu comprendre quelle était réellement l’intrigue.
Et c’est quand même fort dommage parce que si on passe les scènes de sexe, il y a une très bonne réflexion menée sur les notions de bien et de mal et sur ce qui peut distinguer les monstres et ceux qui les chassent.
Heureusement, la troisième nouvelle prend enfin un peu de temps et permet par la même occasion de comprendre ce qu’est vraiment le Bureau des Affaires Trans-Espèce. Elle nous propose même un peu de contexte et des personnages mieux développés qui ne s’envoient pas en l’air à chaque coin de rue. Du coup, malgré une relation qui m’a semblé un peu creepy, je suis contente d’avoir pu terminer sur celle-là et je me demande bien de quoi peuvent traiter les tomes suivants.
J’ai bien eu les associations de créature mais autant dire que l’accent était plutôt mis sur leurs relations sexuelles que sur tout autre aspect de leur coopération.
Je n’arrive d’ailleurs pas à me souvenir si Charles et Tenrael connaissent leur nom respectif avant de coucher ensemble, mais en tout cas, il s’agit de la première intrigue de ce tome et autant dire qu’il n’y a aucun mystère là dessous puisqu’il s’agit tout simplement d’une créature indéterminée (peut-être un demi-ange) qui libère un démon du cirque itinérant dans lequel il est torturé (grosse passion de l’auteure pour les tortures, c’est charmant par ailleurs).
Je pensais qu’après leur rencontre on allait par la suite les suivre au fil des ans pour les voir mener quelques enquêtes dans leur entreprise de détectives privés mais à la place, on passe à d’autres personnages dans les deux autres intrigues même s’ils viennent y faire une apparition, tout comme Townsend, le chef du Bureau qui donne son nom à ce recueil et qui semble lui aussi assez immortel.
Je n’ai rien contre le format en nouvelles, c’est un exercice difficile mais il permet souvent de grignoter quelques pages de lecture quand on n’a pas beaucoup de temps.
Le problème ici, c’est que tout est très rapide et que les personnages couchent ensemble sans même qu’on ait pu comprendre quelle était réellement l’intrigue.
Et c’est quand même fort dommage parce que si on passe les scènes de sexe, il y a une très bonne réflexion menée sur les notions de bien et de mal et sur ce qui peut distinguer les monstres et ceux qui les chassent.
Heureusement, la troisième nouvelle prend enfin un peu de temps et permet par la même occasion de comprendre ce qu’est vraiment le Bureau des Affaires Trans-Espèce. Elle nous propose même un peu de contexte et des personnages mieux développés qui ne s’envoient pas en l’air à chaque coin de rue. Du coup, malgré une relation qui m’a semblé un peu creepy, je suis contente d’avoir pu terminer sur celle-là et je me demande bien de quoi peuvent traiter les tomes suivants.
mousegoddess's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Beautifully executed
nightpeaches's review against another edition
3.0
Corruption - 3 stars. This was the shortest story in this collected volume, and while I enjoyed it I felt like it was a bit too short, I wish it had been given a bit more page space.
Clay White - 4 stars. Unlike the other two stories this was a contemporary, and it was my favorite of the three. I'm a sucker for vampires (pun not intended) and I really liked the main character in this one.
Creature - 3.5 stars. I had expected the titular creature to be more monstrous or non-human, but was disappointed in that regard. That aside, I still liked this story. It had more space for the relationship between the characters to develop than the other stories had, and I liked both the main characters and the romance.
Clay White - 4 stars. Unlike the other two stories this was a contemporary, and it was my favorite of the three. I'm a sucker for vampires (pun not intended) and I really liked the main character in this one.
Creature - 3.5 stars. I had expected the titular creature to be more monstrous or non-human, but was disappointed in that regard. That aside, I still liked this story. It had more space for the relationship between the characters to develop than the other stories had, and I liked both the main characters and the romance.