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katyanaish's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book - it was a fun, fast read. Pretty light and fluffy ... and was perhaps a little fast on the hook up (I struggle with fated mate stuff... and this was exceptionally fast... I think Dela and Hari were in love within the first 2 hours after meeting).
But it was a really interesting setup, and the rest of the cast intrigues me. And that's not to say I didn't enjoy Dela and Hari's story. It was sweet. But pretty vanilla, very earnest, and nothing really caught me by surprise. So it was enjoyable, but not something that blew me away.
I will carry on with the series though. I'm interested to see what's going on with the rest of the team.
But it was a really interesting setup, and the rest of the cast intrigues me. And that's not to say I didn't enjoy Dela and Hari's story. It was sweet. But pretty vanilla, very earnest, and nothing really caught me by surprise. So it was enjoyable, but not something that blew me away.
I will carry on with the series though. I'm interested to see what's going on with the rest of the team.
anna3101's review against another edition
3.0
It's a very nice quick-paced slightly pornographic romantic stuff :) If you like a lot of action, some suspense and some urban fantasy and don't mind the main characters tearing off each other's cloths every now and then, this may just be the book for you. One is entitled to have a guilty pleasure from time to time, right? :)
kenzee06's review against another edition
1.0
I feel compelled to review this book, something I normally don't do on books that I haven't won/been given by a publisher. But this book was that bad. To be honest (and it was not for lack of trying), I couldn't finish it. The writing was annoying. Painfully annoying. There were all these ridiculous, overdone descriptions and sentences that weren't actually sentences - some weird stylistic choice I guess. For example, one chapter starts out: "Shocking, worthy of multiple aneurysms, explosions in her shrieking brain." And then there's lots of scenes like this: "Winds had swept through the night, sloughing away the smog and scent of exhaust and decay. Blue sky everywhere. Sun glinted off the glass of skyscrapers, cars, diamonds, the aluminum sines of umbrellas shading dark-eyed women, casting sparks in Dela's unprotected eyes. The world trickled light." You get my point. Maybe I could've gotten past this, if the dialogue hadn't been the complete opposite! It was clunky, almost childish, and unrealistic. Nobody talks like that! Especially if they think in the flowery way the scenes are described.
Oh and the romance...don't even get me started on that. I love paranormal romance, so I don't mind a book straying into that instead of urban fantasy as I expected this to be, but jeez. I'm not even going to say I hate instalove. Sometimes I don't mind - especially in stories with shapeshifters, anything with a mate. I get it. But this was just blah. I didn't feel any chemistry. And it was too lovey dovey right away, rather than sticking with a more realistic lust turned to love. He trusted her almost immediately after 2000 (yes, 2000) years of cruelty and slavery. I'm going to go with no on that one. And really, none of the characters are all that likable (forget realistic, I'd have settled for likable). Everybody loved the heroine - but I never figured out why. All the side characters introduced later were weird/boring/spoke like a teen boy. And then the plot. Why are 37 million separate people trying to kill this boring, hermit woman? And why is everything solved "off screen" - we were just told who the killer(s) were without any clues, etc. We don't see any of the actual detecting work, and that's just too convenient for me.
It's a shame because there were some interesting elements in the book (psychics, shapeshifters, etc). To be honest, I wish the book had been written by someone else.
Oh and the romance...don't even get me started on that. I love paranormal romance, so I don't mind a book straying into that instead of urban fantasy as I expected this to be, but jeez. I'm not even going to say I hate instalove. Sometimes I don't mind - especially in stories with shapeshifters, anything with a mate. I get it. But this was just blah. I didn't feel any chemistry. And it was too lovey dovey right away, rather than sticking with a more realistic lust turned to love. He trusted her almost immediately after 2000 (yes, 2000) years of cruelty and slavery. I'm going to go with no on that one. And really, none of the characters are all that likable (forget realistic, I'd have settled for likable). Everybody loved the heroine - but I never figured out why. All the side characters introduced later were weird/boring/spoke like a teen boy. And then the plot. Why are 37 million separate people trying to kill this boring, hermit woman? And why is everything solved "off screen" - we were just told who the killer(s) were without any clues, etc. We don't see any of the actual detecting work, and that's just too convenient for me.
It's a shame because there were some interesting elements in the book (psychics, shapeshifters, etc). To be honest, I wish the book had been written by someone else.
christinaatl's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- 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
nighteyes82's review against another edition
couldn't finish it...
The Hero was nice but the sex vibe a little bit over the top for my taste...
The Hero was nice but the sex vibe a little bit over the top for my taste...
eevie_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I'm continuing to read pretty much anything Marjorie Liu has ever written, so I'm going to read all of Dirk & Steele. This was fun, and basically what I expected for a novel of its genre. For what it was, it was fun enough to make it worth reading for me. It also got wild near the end! I'm excited to see how Liu's writing progresses as I make my way through the series.
sarahcophagus's review against another edition
3.0
Started out really strong (major T Kingfisher Swordheart similarities in a great way) but then kind of went off the rails once they left China and the book felt the need to introduce way too many side characters that don’t serve any purpose in this story but set up future books. Also a main plot of this was that a lot of people (both heroes and baddies) were really upset at the knife maker for how a knife she created was used by someone else and that felt like a weird major misplacement of anger.
s4ufos's review against another edition
2.0
I hate to give this book two stars, but it was not as good as I remembered. Many years ago, I read this book and loved it. Nostalgia (and a need to explore other book series) made me revisit this book.
Dela and Hari were interesting characters, but not enough to suck me into the story. I actually had a very difficult time completing the novel. The characters Dean, Blue, Artur, Roland, and Eddie were probably the only reasons I stuck with the novel and gave it more than the one star I was intending. The five of them were hilarious.
The rest of the book was okay, but it didn’t wow me. I probably won’t be reading this again.
Dela and Hari were interesting characters, but not enough to suck me into the story. I actually had a very difficult time completing the novel. The characters Dean, Blue, Artur, Roland, and Eddie were probably the only reasons I stuck with the novel and gave it more than the one star I was intending. The five of them were hilarious.
The rest of the book was okay, but it didn’t wow me. I probably won’t be reading this again.
fictionalkate's review against another edition
3.0
Dela Reese, an artist and sword-maker, is visiting Beijing for business when she comes across a mysterious old woman in the Dirt Market. The old woman insists that Dela buys an ancient little wooden puzzle box and from that moment things get even stranger. On her way back to the hotel Dela is accosted by a man who grabs her but Dela manages to get away. After returning to her room, Dela manages to open the puzzle box only to have a seven foot ancient, shape-shifting warrior pop out. Hari was cured thousands of years ago to do whatever his summoner demands from him – anything from killing to bedding them. Naturally to say, Hari is instantly suspicious and distrusting of his new mistress.
Throw in a few attempts on Dela’s life, the Chinese mafia, some more shape shifters and a few of the agents from Dirk and Steele detective agency and you’ll get a fairly entertaining story.
I enjoyed the characters in this story. Dela was a strong character who was brave and intelligent. Hari was hot and one of those characters that seem to be a little too perfect – he was too caring, too self-sacrificing, too handsome. There’s just something about characters like Hari that rub me the wrong way. I like my heroes to be a bit more flawed in terms of how they treat their mates. He’s just… with the exception of how they first meet and how suspicious he is of Dela, he seems to think she’s perfect. And she’s not. But I liked that about her. I just wish that Hari take off his rose coloured glasses for a little bit.
Whirlwind romances aren’t really my thing and Dela and Hari do fall in love VERY quickly. I think it’s only a week from meeting to the final showdown. But I liked the development of their relationship. It was a nice progression, just a little intense time-wise.
The members of Dirk and Steele – a ‘detective’ agency where the agents all have special abilities – were a great supporting cast. They’re all a little damaged and should make good heroes in their own books later in the series. There’s nothing I like more than warrior men who have a caring side – which all of these men had.
I didn’t love this book but I did enjoy many parts of it. The romance was sweet, the characters were enjoyable.
Throw in a few attempts on Dela’s life, the Chinese mafia, some more shape shifters and a few of the agents from Dirk and Steele detective agency and you’ll get a fairly entertaining story.
I enjoyed the characters in this story. Dela was a strong character who was brave and intelligent. Hari was hot and one of those characters that seem to be a little too perfect – he was too caring, too self-sacrificing, too handsome. There’s just something about characters like Hari that rub me the wrong way. I like my heroes to be a bit more flawed in terms of how they treat their mates. He’s just… with the exception of how they first meet and how suspicious he is of Dela, he seems to think she’s perfect. And she’s not. But I liked that about her. I just wish that Hari take off his rose coloured glasses for a little bit.
Whirlwind romances aren’t really my thing and Dela and Hari do fall in love VERY quickly. I think it’s only a week from meeting to the final showdown. But I liked the development of their relationship. It was a nice progression, just a little intense time-wise.
The members of Dirk and Steele – a ‘detective’ agency where the agents all have special abilities – were a great supporting cast. They’re all a little damaged and should make good heroes in their own books later in the series. There’s nothing I like more than warrior men who have a caring side – which all of these men had.
I didn’t love this book but I did enjoy many parts of it. The romance was sweet, the characters were enjoyable.
hilse's review against another edition
2.0
So, were-tiger sounded kind of cool to me and it was a Kindle daily deal.
Unfortunately, Dela is a first-order Mary Sue and the male hero is more caveman than "alpha male" in my opinion.
Unfortunately, Dela is a first-order Mary Sue and the male hero is more caveman than "alpha male" in my opinion.