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kbairbooks's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
I read this for Salem Sinclairs story and probably should have left it at that? I didn’t enjoy the majority of the stories and I feel bad about… and at the same time kept having hope it would get better? I think this just wasn’t for me.
raalyse's review
5.0
monsterific
So much monster smutty deliciousness in one little package.
That is all. That’s the review. You definitely should read it.
So much monster smutty deliciousness in one little package.
That is all. That’s the review. You definitely should read it.
bunnerz's review
I originally picked up the book due to the monster theme and that it was on KU. I was not familiar with any of the authors featured.
A few stories in, I think the themes might mostly not to my preference - there was a lot of dubcon without much consent from the MCs and erotica rather than true romance.
---
Preface: I've listed all the stories in this anthology but will be leaving more detailed summaries and reviews as I slowly go through all of them.
Bad to the Bone by Salem Sinclair
35 pages
Rating: ★★★★☆
Tags: ghouls, druids, orcs, magic, monsters, necromancers, fae, goblins, reverse-harem
The author stated in the content warning that there was no plot but just smut with triggers such as blood play, belly bulging, and water sports among others, and it did not disappoint these expectations.
The story was based in the town of Grimlake during the 3 days of Samhain when the Lich Ederic returned annually to the human realm to plunder his chosen maiden to regain enough magical necromancer energy through female orgasms to restore his human form instead of just looking like a reanimated skeleton. While he used to choose random maidens from the village, the FMC Callahan, then 21 years old, managed to make him sign a contract to use only her instead.
It was a sweet very smutty read with a HFN and hope that Ederic would eventually gain enough power in the future.
---
Delectable Soul by Maggie Bennet
56 pages
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Tags: monsters
This story followed the 23-year-old widowed FMC Fiadh after her 25-year-old husband Daire died in a motorcycle accident and she moved in with her ailing grandfather. While there, she attracted the attention of an Irish Sluagh demon in the woods who wanted her as his prey. The dubcon and degradation were not really my cup of tea, and the ending was hand-wavy without much explanation about what happened with her Granda. I started skimming when the romantic scenes kept suddenly turning monstrous with a flip of a coin - I think I would have preferred if the personality had been unapologetically morally grey the whole time.
---
Hexed and Hellbound by January Rayne
41 pages
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ / DNF
Tags: hellhounds, monsters
This story followed the hellhound Hex as he found his mate, Madison. Hex was the right hand of Lucifer, responsible for cursing the sons and daughters of fathers that had sinned - the sons would become hellhounds themselves when they turned 18, and the daughters would become true mates to a hellhound.
I found that to be quite the messed up system, and Lucifer talked more like a 20-year-old rather than the ultimate boss of Hell. DNF at Chapter 3 of 5 after Hex pretty much kidnapped the FMC, and Madison pretty went full irrational insta-love for her kidnapper after seeing his dick.
---
Monsters Captivated by Quirah Casey
31 pages
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Tags: sex-workers, menage, monsters
This story followed the FMC Celeste as she was introduced to sex work by classmate to pay her bills for school and found out she was actually sleeping with monsters. It was quite the smutty read with a TSTL FMC, but it ended pretty inconclusively with a menacing tone.
---
My Monster by Maeve Black
31 pages
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Tags: merfolk, monsters, telepathy, m-m-romance, mpreg
This story followed the MMC Angel after he dived too deep in the ocean and ended up captured by a monster, who revealed that he was his mate. There was consequently quite abrupt breeding for a previously asexual virgin, and we still didn't know the monster's name (Raith) until much later in the story. I also feel like Chapter 6 was supposed to go before Chapter 4, timeline-wise. The story was mostly smut, but it was an interesting concept.
---
Once Upon a Slither by Dani Carr & Tia Fanning
77 pages
---
Ruthless Monster by Selena Michaels
76 pages
---
Songs of Wrath by Lea Jade
63 pages
---
The Crimson Throne by L.K. Reid
81 pages
---
The Hunger of Thieves by YD La Mar
68 pages
A few stories in, I think the themes might mostly not to my preference - there was a lot of dubcon without much consent from the MCs and erotica rather than true romance.
---
Preface: I've listed all the stories in this anthology but will be leaving more detailed summaries and reviews as I slowly go through all of them.
Bad to the Bone by Salem Sinclair
35 pages
Rating: ★★★★☆
Tags: ghouls, druids, orcs, magic, monsters, necromancers, fae, goblins, reverse-harem
The author stated in the content warning that there was no plot but just smut with triggers such as blood play, belly bulging, and water sports among others, and it did not disappoint these expectations.
The story was based in the town of Grimlake during the 3 days of Samhain when the Lich Ederic returned annually to the human realm to plunder his chosen maiden to regain enough magical necromancer energy through female orgasms to restore his human form instead of just looking like a reanimated skeleton. While he used to choose random maidens from the village, the FMC Callahan, then 21 years old, managed to make him sign a contract to use only her instead.
It was a sweet very smutty read with a HFN and hope that Ederic would eventually gain enough power in the future.
---
Delectable Soul by Maggie Bennet
56 pages
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Tags: monsters
This story followed the 23-year-old widowed FMC Fiadh after her 25-year-old husband Daire died in a motorcycle accident and she moved in with her ailing grandfather. While there, she attracted the attention of an Irish Sluagh demon in the woods who wanted her as his prey. The dubcon and degradation were not really my cup of tea, and the ending was hand-wavy without much explanation about what happened with her Granda. I started skimming when the romantic scenes kept suddenly turning monstrous with a flip of a coin - I think I would have preferred if the personality had been unapologetically morally grey the whole time.
---
Hexed and Hellbound by January Rayne
41 pages
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ / DNF
Tags: hellhounds, monsters
This story followed the hellhound Hex as he found his mate, Madison. Hex was the right hand of Lucifer, responsible for cursing the sons and daughters of fathers that had sinned - the sons would become hellhounds themselves when they turned 18, and the daughters would become true mates to a hellhound.
I found that to be quite the messed up system, and Lucifer talked more like a 20-year-old rather than the ultimate boss of Hell. DNF at Chapter 3 of 5 after Hex pretty much kidnapped the FMC, and Madison pretty went full irrational insta-love for her kidnapper after seeing his dick.
---
Monsters Captivated by Quirah Casey
31 pages
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Tags: sex-workers, menage, monsters
This story followed the FMC Celeste as she was introduced to sex work by classmate to pay her bills for school and found out she was actually sleeping with monsters. It was quite the smutty read with a TSTL FMC, but it ended pretty inconclusively with a menacing tone.
---
My Monster by Maeve Black
31 pages
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Tags: merfolk, monsters, telepathy, m-m-romance, mpreg
This story followed the MMC Angel after he dived too deep in the ocean and ended up captured by a monster, who revealed that he was his mate. There was consequently quite abrupt breeding for a previously asexual virgin, and we still didn't know the monster's name (Raith) until much later in the story. I also feel like Chapter 6 was supposed to go before Chapter 4, timeline-wise. The story was mostly smut, but it was an interesting concept.
---
Once Upon a Slither by Dani Carr & Tia Fanning
77 pages
---
Ruthless Monster by Selena Michaels
76 pages
---
Songs of Wrath by Lea Jade
63 pages
---
The Crimson Throne by L.K. Reid
81 pages
---
The Hunger of Thieves by YD La Mar
68 pages
More...