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nening's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jackiehorne's review
Got about than halfway through this fantasy novel about a demon hired to hunt down an incubus who can heal rather than drain people's life force before I got so frustrated with the lack of plot, and the lack of tension/explanation over the demon's not actually doing his job but being attracted to the incubus instead, that I DNF'ed.
rimestock's review
1.5
from my calibre library:
Jory is annoyingly perfect. I don't know if I'd count him as a Mary Sue, but... he's annoyingly perfect. Also the novel is very info-dumpy, and not in a fun way.
catfoy's review
2.5
Idk it was okay, I was into it at first but I lost interest by the end and I kinda zoned out when all the evil demons start showing up lol
siavahda's review
4.0
Probably more of a three stars book, but I had to add another star for sheer enjoyment and how addictive I found it - I ended up reading the whole thing in under 24 hours. Very much Brain Fluff, despite the demons and depressing backstories, but fun fluff, with enough twists and quirks to be interesting and occasionally delightful. I hope there'll be a sequel or two, and if there are, I'll definitely be checking them out!
ellelainey's review
5.0
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
Strays
★★★★★
210 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Would I read it again?: Of course!
Genre: MM, Fantasy, Demons, Magic, May/Dec, Hurt/Comfort
Pairings: MM
Heat Level: ★★★☆☆
Content Warning: deals with history of foster care, health issues, scenes of violence/danger
This was my first book by the author and it won't be my last! Strays is a well crafted, well executed urban-fantasy novel with a host of characters to tug at your heart strings, and a plot that keeps you engaged right until the end.
I'll admit that, in some urban-fantasy settings, some authors tend to lack the necessary background, attention to detail, or true-to-life reactions that are required when telling a human about the underlying supernatural world around them. This book had done of those issues. I totally believed and understood Jory's reaction to all things supernatural – he had, after all, spent his entire life believing that there was something 'supernatural' about his own healing abilities, even if he didn't truly understand it. So, while there were some instances of Mal or Selma saying/hinting at supernatural elements of their lives, it was perfectly reasonable for Jory not to make a big deal out of it, to think them just a little strange and weird, maybe even believing that they joking. Considering all that he'd seen throughout his time with the church, as he said himself, he'd seen and heard his fair share of weird and nothing was going to surprise him anymore.
Personally, I loved that aspect. Not enough urban-fantasy stories have a main character who is willing to accept that anything is possible. Especially when they have their own powers. For me, Jory was a charming and naturally-flawed human character right from the start, who I could relate to and who I liked reading about. Similarly, Mal might be a Hellhound and a demon, but he was also human enough from his long years stuck on Earth in the human world, that he came across as someone you could meet anywhere in the world and not blink an eye at. Both of the MC's were realistic, reasonable adults, who had their secrets, their doubts, their troubles, and were strangers enough to each other that they didn't feel able to share them with each other.
The relationship between Mal and Jory was adorable right from the start. The way that Mal was so instantly taken by his 'cookies' scent, and then by Jory himself. I love even more than we got most of their first few meetings through Jory's eyes, so that very little of Mal's thoughts and experiences were explained until we'd had that little moment of uncertainty, mysterious staring, and the few awkward moments where they actually spoke to each other. I loved that Mal was so off-guard, so off-balance around Jory, and how it left him flailing for how to act and speak, at first.
For me, regardless of what the primary genre of the book is, if the romance isn't believeable then it shouldn't be there. I bought Mal and Jory from the first moment. From Mal discovering Jory's cookbook to Jory bringing him a plate for Louise, the chemistry was palpable, the longing looks were adorable, and the awkward moments were a joy to witness, before anything actually happened between them in the bedroom. I loved that they took the time to talk, to spend time together, and to get to know one another – even if there was a hidden wall between them that they were unaware of, because of their secrets – because it meant that when they finally got together, it made sense. I was rooting for them.
I also love that he just instantly assumed that because his sense of Jory being an incubus was so strong, that Jory automatically knew he was an incubus. Selma made the same mistake and didn't realise it until very late on in the book, which only goes to show even more how well Jory's character was written to be accepting of the weird and wonderful world he'd been thrust into – because no one ever thought he was unaware of himself or who/what they were, the whole time.
I do admit that the whole “blow up” over Mal's big secret was inevitable. I saw it coming miles off, but I always had that little sprinkle of hope and expectation that he was about to tell Jory and, for once, he almost did quite a few times. I liked that; it refreshed that old-standard trope of “I kept a secret that you're going to misinterpret” (which I'll admit, I kind of love).
I really enjoyed the writing style and the dual POV. The writing style was right up my alley, with the great balance between descriptive and letting the plot do the talking, a good understanding of when to show and when to tell, and a really nice characterisation that kept each character a unique individual, while making them relateable with human qualities, even if they weren't human. The world building was done slowly, introducing us to Jory's human world first, letting us feel comfortable in a contemporary setting that we, as humans, could relate to and understand. Then, slowly, the supernatural element was introduced through his healing ability, then given full-scale exploration through Mal's POV. I love that it was done that way, because it allowed my tired mind to transition slowly and gradually from human to supernatural.
The aspect with the faith healers, the religious scan, the evangelical psychic surgery, was one that I've read before, but it had a fresh twist here in that even Jory, the one with real healing ability, didn't buy it or want to continue with it. I liked that there was that element of “the real” with the tasks he performed for the church, despite how it might have ended.
When it comes to side/secondary characters, I have to admit that I loved Neal right from the start. He's exactly my kind of anti-social, snarky, laid back kind of guy. I was curious about him right from the start, but when the little slips of information began to seep in that he was more than he seemed, I got all excited trying to figure out what part he played and how it came together. All while loving the way that he took care of Jory, no matter what, even when it came to confronting Mal about his wellbeing and giving that big-brother type of warning “you break his heart and I'll break your legs” kind of thing. When Keygen was introduced, I immediately thought that he would be perfect for Neal, but now I'm just left hoping that the way the story ended means there will be another book. There was a hint of questions unanswered, of things unfinished, outside of the main plot, and I'd love to see a book for Neal, Keygen, and Asmodeus. Especially if it was for all three, if you get my drift. ;)
Was there anything I found jarring, confusing, or didn't like? Not really. For an ARC, it was excellently edited. I didn't note one mistake as I was reading, so if any existed they skipped right over me and didn't affect my reading or the flow at all. I was a bit taken aback by the six-month skip in timeline in Chapter 2 – it may have been much more easily accepted and understood had there been a timeline heading under the chapter name just saying “Six Months Later” or if the first chapter had been a Prologue. I did stumble over the timeline a little, at that point, but it was a fleeting issue and one that made sense once the six-month-later reveal was made.
I'm a sucker for a good paranormal/fantasy novel and this one reminded me of two of my favourites – by tone, rather than plot – so if you're a fan of Damned If You Do by Marie Sexton or The Little Crow by Caitlin Ricci, then you're going to love this book just as much as I did. It has the same urban-fantasy setting, the clever plotting and great characterisation that made me fall in love with both books.
~
Favourite Quotes
“When it was his turn and Jory Smith smiled at him, the world fell away around him. He swallowed hard, readily admitting to himself that this case might be the death of him more ways than one.”
““Wait, you actually killed a dragon?” Mal asked, looking horrified.
“I didn't let him stay dead!” he cried. “And now I'm making him cookies! That has to count for something, doesn't it?””
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
Strays
★★★★★
210 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Would I read it again?: Of course!
Genre: MM, Fantasy, Demons, Magic, May/Dec, Hurt/Comfort
Pairings: MM
Heat Level: ★★★☆☆
Content Warning: deals with history of foster care, health issues, scenes of violence/danger
This was my first book by the author and it won't be my last! Strays is a well crafted, well executed urban-fantasy novel with a host of characters to tug at your heart strings, and a plot that keeps you engaged right until the end.
I'll admit that, in some urban-fantasy settings, some authors tend to lack the necessary background, attention to detail, or true-to-life reactions that are required when telling a human about the underlying supernatural world around them. This book had done of those issues. I totally believed and understood Jory's reaction to all things supernatural – he had, after all, spent his entire life believing that there was something 'supernatural' about his own healing abilities, even if he didn't truly understand it. So, while there were some instances of Mal or Selma saying/hinting at supernatural elements of their lives, it was perfectly reasonable for Jory not to make a big deal out of it, to think them just a little strange and weird, maybe even believing that they joking. Considering all that he'd seen throughout his time with the church, as he said himself, he'd seen and heard his fair share of weird and nothing was going to surprise him anymore.
Personally, I loved that aspect. Not enough urban-fantasy stories have a main character who is willing to accept that anything is possible. Especially when they have their own powers. For me, Jory was a charming and naturally-flawed human character right from the start, who I could relate to and who I liked reading about. Similarly, Mal might be a Hellhound and a demon, but he was also human enough from his long years stuck on Earth in the human world, that he came across as someone you could meet anywhere in the world and not blink an eye at. Both of the MC's were realistic, reasonable adults, who had their secrets, their doubts, their troubles, and were strangers enough to each other that they didn't feel able to share them with each other.
The relationship between Mal and Jory was adorable right from the start. The way that Mal was so instantly taken by his 'cookies' scent, and then by Jory himself. I love even more than we got most of their first few meetings through Jory's eyes, so that very little of Mal's thoughts and experiences were explained until we'd had that little moment of uncertainty, mysterious staring, and the few awkward moments where they actually spoke to each other. I loved that Mal was so off-guard, so off-balance around Jory, and how it left him flailing for how to act and speak, at first.
For me, regardless of what the primary genre of the book is, if the romance isn't believeable then it shouldn't be there. I bought Mal and Jory from the first moment. From Mal discovering Jory's cookbook to Jory bringing him a plate for Louise, the chemistry was palpable, the longing looks were adorable, and the awkward moments were a joy to witness, before anything actually happened between them in the bedroom. I loved that they took the time to talk, to spend time together, and to get to know one another – even if there was a hidden wall between them that they were unaware of, because of their secrets – because it meant that when they finally got together, it made sense. I was rooting for them.
I also love that he just instantly assumed that because his sense of Jory being an incubus was so strong, that Jory automatically knew he was an incubus. Selma made the same mistake and didn't realise it until very late on in the book, which only goes to show even more how well Jory's character was written to be accepting of the weird and wonderful world he'd been thrust into – because no one ever thought he was unaware of himself or who/what they were, the whole time.
I do admit that the whole “blow up” over Mal's big secret was inevitable. I saw it coming miles off, but I always had that little sprinkle of hope and expectation that he was about to tell Jory and, for once, he almost did quite a few times. I liked that; it refreshed that old-standard trope of “I kept a secret that you're going to misinterpret” (which I'll admit, I kind of love).
I really enjoyed the writing style and the dual POV. The writing style was right up my alley, with the great balance between descriptive and letting the plot do the talking, a good understanding of when to show and when to tell, and a really nice characterisation that kept each character a unique individual, while making them relateable with human qualities, even if they weren't human. The world building was done slowly, introducing us to Jory's human world first, letting us feel comfortable in a contemporary setting that we, as humans, could relate to and understand. Then, slowly, the supernatural element was introduced through his healing ability, then given full-scale exploration through Mal's POV. I love that it was done that way, because it allowed my tired mind to transition slowly and gradually from human to supernatural.
The aspect with the faith healers, the religious scan, the evangelical psychic surgery, was one that I've read before, but it had a fresh twist here in that even Jory, the one with real healing ability, didn't buy it or want to continue with it. I liked that there was that element of “the real” with the tasks he performed for the church, despite how it might have ended.
When it comes to side/secondary characters, I have to admit that I loved Neal right from the start. He's exactly my kind of anti-social, snarky, laid back kind of guy. I was curious about him right from the start, but when the little slips of information began to seep in that he was more than he seemed, I got all excited trying to figure out what part he played and how it came together. All while loving the way that he took care of Jory, no matter what, even when it came to confronting Mal about his wellbeing and giving that big-brother type of warning “you break his heart and I'll break your legs” kind of thing. When Keygen was introduced, I immediately thought that he would be perfect for Neal, but now I'm just left hoping that the way the story ended means there will be another book. There was a hint of questions unanswered, of things unfinished, outside of the main plot, and I'd love to see a book for Neal, Keygen, and Asmodeus. Especially if it was for all three, if you get my drift. ;)
Was there anything I found jarring, confusing, or didn't like? Not really. For an ARC, it was excellently edited. I didn't note one mistake as I was reading, so if any existed they skipped right over me and didn't affect my reading or the flow at all. I was a bit taken aback by the six-month skip in timeline in Chapter 2 – it may have been much more easily accepted and understood had there been a timeline heading under the chapter name just saying “Six Months Later” or if the first chapter had been a Prologue. I did stumble over the timeline a little, at that point, but it was a fleeting issue and one that made sense once the six-month-later reveal was made.
I'm a sucker for a good paranormal/fantasy novel and this one reminded me of two of my favourites – by tone, rather than plot – so if you're a fan of Damned If You Do by Marie Sexton or The Little Crow by Caitlin Ricci, then you're going to love this book just as much as I did. It has the same urban-fantasy setting, the clever plotting and great characterisation that made me fall in love with both books.
~
Favourite Quotes
“When it was his turn and Jory Smith smiled at him, the world fell away around him. He swallowed hard, readily admitting to himself that this case might be the death of him more ways than one.”
““Wait, you actually killed a dragon?” Mal asked, looking horrified.
“I didn't let him stay dead!” he cried. “And now I'm making him cookies! That has to count for something, doesn't it?””
bookish_notes's review
2.0
This review is also posted on my blog.
This book has a stunning cover, but I'm afraid the story is a disappointment. A.J. Thomas is a new-to-me author, and I'm not sure I'm tempted to read another book by this author after reading Strays. This book is the author's first PNR, and it shows. I'm used to reading ARCs and knowing that books aren't complete when I do read them, but I read a final copy of Strays, and it just feels like a few more rounds of editing for this book were sorely needed.
The premise of this story is interesting, and based off the blurb, it seems like the story would be slightly dark in the beginning, and then lighten up to be a cute rom-com (even with a demon assassin in the mix). Unfortunately, this book never really finds the right tone to settle on, and winds up drifting aimlessly between being too serious and then lighthearted fun with no warning.
This story is told from alternating third-person POVs. One is Jory, a foster kid who makes a living as a 20-year-old by conning people at a church. Jory has a power to heal others, but only at the expense of his own well-being. In order to heal someone, Jory takes their pain as his own. The minister at the church took Jory in at a young age, and has been using Jory ever since. When things spiral out of control after meeting an elderly, unsuspecting man, Jory finds himself on the run and winds up in a town far from away from the life he's known.
The relationship between Jory and Mal seems to be caught between mistrust and secrets, mostly from Mal. Mal is keeping secrets, and he's convinced that Jory is not who he says he is. But more than that, I find it weird that Jory and Mal are in a relationship? It's stated a few times that Mal is a hellhound demon first, with all his dog forms, and a human second ("I'm a hellhound, even when I look human."). Mal feels more natural taking on the shape of a hellhound, and the way this book makes it seem, it's just different to me than being a werewolf in a relationship with a human. Werewolves, in what I've read from PNR anyways, seem to be human first - birthed from human bodies - and then transformations into wolves come later. This seems to be the opposite, so it just seems a little...weird to read about Jory and Mal's relationship and all the sex that comes with it.
I'm just going to list out the parts in this book that could have been smoothed out by an editor, because they stuck out like a sore thumb:
-Jory and Mal had met, but hadn't introduced themselves to one another yet. BUT. While Jory was talking to another character, he refers to Mal by name.
-Mal tells Jory that he's 156 while Jory still thinks he's human and there is ZERO reaction from Jory about this. Jory's doesn't have a single instance that he thinks Mal is joking, or anything, and the comment is left unchallenged.
-A guy who looks pretty dead with blue tinged skin walks into a restaurant through the WINDOW while Jory and Mal are on a date, and Jory and Mal wind up leaving briskly, but only to continue their date by going to get ice cream. There's no exchange between them about the guy who looked like a zombie barging through the restaurant window on their date. They just go on their merry way having ice cream.
-More of a pet peeve, but a condom just vanishes after Jory and Mal have sex. WHERE DID IT GO. DID IT GET DISPOSED OF? We'll never know. Mal might still be wearing it since no mention of Mal ever wearing another condom in sex scenes for the rest of the book.
-Mal mentions in passing that Jory's eyes turns silver when he's turned on, and I don't know...that seems like something that would freak a person out if they thought they were human this whole time and they've been informed their eyes turned silver.
-Mal mentions that Neal's seemingly homeless human friend is a fae bard and Jory just keeps on baking. No reaction. At all.
-The downsides of having a story kept at around 200 pages probably, but Jory needs almost zero training to know how to use the greater aspects of his power. And of course, he does everything almost perfectly with no training whatsoever.
There are some things that I did like about this book. I enjoyed that we have an incubus who likes to bake and a hellhound demon who likes to watercolor. Jory and Mal are totally sweet on each other, even when Mal was pretty convinced that Jory was just trying to lure him with his powers and kill him. I adore Louise, and a character later known as Keygan. I wish we could have seen more of them in the story.
Even if this story wasn't a light and fluffy story, I wouldn't have minded it taking a darker turn as we found out more about the demons and the place they come from, known as Hel. There are interesting tidbits and story behind it, but everything seems to come as an info dump from Mal and becomes a drag to read, with little actual world-building through the eyes of the characters. The story never quite finds the right tone to set, so the story winds up being a bit muddled.
This story ends in a HFN, as there are quite a few things that remain unanswered. I don't know if this book was meant as a standalone, or if it's supposed to be the start of a series. If there is a second book to follow-up on Jory and Mal's story, then I would be tempted to read it because I genuinely did like Jory and Mal as characters and would like to know more about the demons of Hel and the missing Asmodeus.
This book has a stunning cover, but I'm afraid the story is a disappointment. A.J. Thomas is a new-to-me author, and I'm not sure I'm tempted to read another book by this author after reading Strays. This book is the author's first PNR, and it shows. I'm used to reading ARCs and knowing that books aren't complete when I do read them, but I read a final copy of Strays, and it just feels like a few more rounds of editing for this book were sorely needed.
The premise of this story is interesting, and based off the blurb, it seems like the story would be slightly dark in the beginning, and then lighten up to be a cute rom-com (even with a demon assassin in the mix). Unfortunately, this book never really finds the right tone to settle on, and winds up drifting aimlessly between being too serious and then lighthearted fun with no warning.
This story is told from alternating third-person POVs. One is Jory, a foster kid who makes a living as a 20-year-old by conning people at a church. Jory has a power to heal others, but only at the expense of his own well-being. In order to heal someone, Jory takes their pain as his own. The minister at the church took Jory in at a young age, and has been using Jory ever since. When things spiral out of control after meeting an elderly, unsuspecting man, Jory finds himself on the run and winds up in a town far from away from the life he's known.
Spoiler
The old man who Jory met winds up taking a vested interest in Jory and hires a demon to hunt Jory down and bring him back. This demon is a hellhound known as Malpheus, otherwise known as Mal. Mal is the second POV in this story and while he chooses to walk around in his human form, he has a hellhound companion named Louise who chooses to spend most of her time as a pug. Mal knows that Jory is not human, so when Mal eventually finds Jory, it's in the last place he'd expect - Jory in a bakery, baking.The relationship between Jory and Mal seems to be caught between mistrust and secrets, mostly from Mal. Mal is keeping secrets, and he's convinced that Jory is not who he says he is. But more than that, I find it weird that Jory and Mal are in a relationship? It's stated a few times that Mal is a hellhound demon first, with all his dog forms, and a human second ("I'm a hellhound, even when I look human."). Mal feels more natural taking on the shape of a hellhound, and the way this book makes it seem, it's just different to me than being a werewolf in a relationship with a human. Werewolves, in what I've read from PNR anyways, seem to be human first - birthed from human bodies - and then transformations into wolves come later. This seems to be the opposite, so it just seems a little...weird to read about Jory and Mal's relationship and all the sex that comes with it.
I'm just going to list out the parts in this book that could have been smoothed out by an editor, because they stuck out like a sore thumb:
-Jory and Mal had met, but hadn't introduced themselves to one another yet. BUT. While Jory was talking to another character, he refers to Mal by name.
-Mal tells Jory that he's 156 while Jory still thinks he's human and there is ZERO reaction from Jory about this. Jory's doesn't have a single instance that he thinks Mal is joking, or anything, and the comment is left unchallenged.
-A guy who looks pretty dead with blue tinged skin walks into a restaurant through the WINDOW while Jory and Mal are on a date, and Jory and Mal wind up leaving briskly, but only to continue their date by going to get ice cream. There's no exchange between them about the guy who looked like a zombie barging through the restaurant window on their date. They just go on their merry way having ice cream.
-More of a pet peeve, but a condom just vanishes after Jory and Mal have sex. WHERE DID IT GO. DID IT GET DISPOSED OF? We'll never know. Mal might still be wearing it since no mention of Mal ever wearing another condom in sex scenes for the rest of the book.
-Mal mentions in passing that Jory's eyes turns silver when he's turned on, and I don't know...that seems like something that would freak a person out if they thought they were human this whole time and they've been informed their eyes turned silver.
-Mal mentions that Neal's seemingly homeless human friend is a fae bard and Jory just keeps on baking. No reaction. At all.
-The downsides of having a story kept at around 200 pages probably, but Jory needs almost zero training to know how to use the greater aspects of his power. And of course, he does everything almost perfectly with no training whatsoever.
There are some things that I did like about this book. I enjoyed that we have an incubus who likes to bake and a hellhound demon who likes to watercolor. Jory and Mal are totally sweet on each other, even when Mal was pretty convinced that Jory was just trying to lure him with his powers and kill him. I adore Louise, and a character later known as Keygan. I wish we could have seen more of them in the story.
Even if this story wasn't a light and fluffy story, I wouldn't have minded it taking a darker turn as we found out more about the demons and the place they come from, known as Hel. There are interesting tidbits and story behind it, but everything seems to come as an info dump from Mal and becomes a drag to read, with little actual world-building through the eyes of the characters. The story never quite finds the right tone to set, so the story winds up being a bit muddled.
This story ends in a HFN, as there are quite a few things that remain unanswered. I don't know if this book was meant as a standalone, or if it's supposed to be the start of a series. If there is a second book to follow-up on Jory and Mal's story, then I would be tempted to read it because I genuinely did like Jory and Mal as characters and would like to know more about the demons of Hel and the missing Asmodeus.
suflet's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, it was a great combination of mystery, action and romance. I'd recommend it!
shinkieran's review
5.0
I love this book so much! Jory is amazing, and I want to say he needs to be protected, but I guess he has his hellhound to do that, heh. They are precious, and I'm glad I got to read this book.
evybird's review
4.0
I really, really enjoyed this. Definitely think it deserves higher than a 3.6? I admit it's a bit confusing, but only at the very end. Up until the confrontation at the very end, I didn't find it confusing at all as other reviewers say? And it gave me plenty of info to follow along! I enjoyed the complexity, and thought the worldbuilding was great.
But, I don't think the book tied everything up at the end--there's a happily ever after, but many loose ends remaining, outstanding questions. It felt like it should definitely have a sequel? If there had been a sequel out there to answer all these questions for me, I'd probably have given this 5-stars. (I'll change my rating if I ever get a book 2). I need answers!
But, I don't think the book tied everything up at the end--there's a happily ever after, but many loose ends remaining, outstanding questions. It felt like it should definitely have a sequel? If there had been a sequel out there to answer all these questions for me, I'd probably have given this 5-stars. (I'll change my rating if I ever get a book 2). I need answers!