Reviews

The Alpha's Warlock by Eliot Grayson

chrisrin's review against another edition

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3.0

This was a quick, enjoyable read but I was left wanting more - more world building and more of the relationship between Nate and Ian.

much_ado_about_mothman's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

fizzybooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

kaity_b's review

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2.0

2-2.5 stars

Synopsis had promise, but the execution left a lot to be desired… it wasn’t done as well as I wished..

I wanted to DNF it multiple times, but I didn’t have another book to read..

miki514's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

3.0

rainjrop's review

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3.0

DEAR ELIOT GRAYSON, GIVE THE PERSON WHO MADE YOUR BOOK COVER A RAISE. THAT IS THE REASON I READ YOUR BOOK. SINCERELY, ME.

Somewhere between a 3 and 3.5 stars. Which is a good rating! Honestly!

Typically, I judge books by their cover AND their title. I generally don't prefer ABO, so if I see a book title with Alpha or Omega in the name, I steer clear. But I actually liked this cover - the lack of a giant waxed shirtless torso definitely grabbed my attention.

I LOVE THE FONT. DEAR ELIOT GRAYSON, I LOVE THE FONT. THANK YOU FOR NOT USING DIY PINTEREST CALLIGRAPHY FONT.

I love me some warlock/mage/magic stuff, so the cover pulled me in while the title repelled me. So I read the blurb. The forced mate stuff also almost put me off. ABO paired with dubious consent usually sends me packing.

So with strong forces pushing me in both directions, I decided to give it a shot. And I liked it. I stayed up until 2:00 am reading it.

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

I could tell RIGHT AWAY that the two main characters actually liked each other a lot and were being dicks to each other for other reasons, so that actually assuaged a lot of my concerns about the forced mating stuff. That was still kind of uncomfortable to read, but I thought overall it was handled pretty well (I mean, as well as can be when there's a dub-con marriage and sex scene). After that, I had a good time with the protective stuff and the You-don't-own-me stuff (which is always necessary imo) and the werewolf fighting stuff.

Was there world building...uhh kinda? Were there characters randomly thrown in there with little explanation? You bet! Just like Forgive and Forget (which I reviewed about 15 minutes ago), this was no Hailey Turner Soulbound book with world building out the ass and fleshed-out side characters and actual human adults.

Did I care? Not really.

I'll probably check out the second book even though it's about different characters. And maybe I'll check out some more Eliot Grayson. Nice work!

lyss008's review

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adventurous emotional tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

eesh25's review

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4.0

Okay, I didn't expect this book to be so entertaining. I picked it up because the synopsis promised banter and I've always been a sucker for that. But as much I try not to judge books by their title, it has the word "alpha" in it. That usually results in a growly-possessive book that takes itself too seriously. This wasn't like that.

Well, there was still growling because, you know, werewolves. But to be fair to Ian—the werewolf protagonist—Nate could be really annoying. In the best way, though.

Nate is the narrator of the novel. He's a warlock, and he gets kidnapped and cursed. The only way to save him is for him to "mate" (i.e. have sex) with an Alpha werewolf. Though neither the mating nor the alpha thing fits the usual description. The former is completely voluntary, and the latter doesn't mean you’re the leader of a pack. It's just genetics, I think. The world-building is a little light. But enough to make sense, especially for a relatively short book.

Anyway, Ian and Nate have never gotten along, but now they're kind of stuck together. Not to mention, someone's conspiring against Nate, and against Ian’s pack. There's a lot that happens in the 172 pages. There's the romance, the banter (so fun), finding out who the villain is and what's their plan, and there are side characters.

This is a very fast-paced book. It's also hilarious since Nate is just bursting with sarcasm. It doesn't take itself too seriously. And while I would have liked for Ian and Nate to have pulled their heads out of their asses sooner, I'm quite happy with the book. It's not perfect but it's got decent writing, great characters, and a story that never slows down. And that somewhat makes up for the flaws. It's the perfect book to read in one sitting, which is what I did. And I'm looking forward to the sequel.

oofie's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes

2.25

2.25 - it was ok

This book follows Nate Hawthorne, warlock who has been unconsensually sucked into a plot involving a werewolf pack. He was kidnapped and started being forced into a bond with a werewolf so they could use his magic, but escaped before it finished. However, now his magic is draining to nowhere. All this to say: he still needs to bond with a werewolf.

And who better to do it with than one of the Armitage brothers, since they're who his captors had been conspiring against? The plot quickly thickens, because who was it really who was plotting against him, the Armitages, and even some local vampires? What do they want?

I wanted more out of this book. It was far too short with not enough fleshing out. The plot itself wasn't bad, but it just moved so damn *fast*. I feel like I barely got to know the characters. I could have done with just a lot more embellishment, re: the plot and the characters. The author didn't have to rush so hard. But maybe that's because I'm used to reading like 400 page books? Idk. 

kindlereads's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I was hoping for more plot. It was a smut book with a plot and I was hoping for the reverse. It was ok, but I could tell it was a female author.