| Title | : | Dog with a Bone (Black Dog, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1632110067 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 141 |
| Publication | : | First published October 31, 2014 |
Texas is the only home Thierry has ever known, and she’s not going anywhere. Even if it means following in her notorious father’s footsteps as a peacekeeper. But pinning on the badge opens her eyes to the fact sometimes fae need protection too, and that sometimes humans are the real monsters.
Dog with a Bone (Black Dog, #1) Reviews
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Dog with a Bone by Hailey Edwards
Book 1 of the Black Dog series. Urban fantasy novella. New adult (heroine is 18), older hero.
Thierry is a half blood and has no options in a career other than as a Marshall. Her first week on the job has her fighting for her life along with her partner Shaw against a surprising foe.
The reader is thrown immediately into the action of her training and then her first couple of cases. There isn’t much world building but we get brief glimpses of a friendship and trauma of her past. The attraction of Thierry and Shaw preexists the start of this novella. I didn’t really feel the attraction but some of the innuendos are amusing.
Excerpt:
“I thought a rogue bear broke the camp’s perimeter. I returned the favor.“
“Do you often run out of tents naked to confront danger?”
He didn’t blink. “Commando is more comfortable for me.”
“What about the rest of us? Nine other campers saw your twig and berries.”
Excerpt from Dog With a Bone by Hailey Edwards
3.5. I will read the next book to get more of the world building. -
Another fun urban fantasy series from Hailey Edwards. Some romance potential but nothing explicit. The banter is not as funny as some of the lines in the necromancer series but still entertaining. On to the next! I can blow through these books as they are all on Kindle Unlimited.
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Reviewed by:
Rabid Reads.
This series was recommended to me by a number of Urban Fantasy aficionados, so when the first audiobook went on sale for $1.99, I decided that now was the time to start Hailey Edwards’ BLACK DOG novels. I was drawn to DOG WITH A BONE because of its short length, Fae inspired story line, and I liked Nicole Phillips’ sample sound clip, although it should be noted that this is the only volume that’s available in this format, the other three installments are currently read-only.
Thierry’s voice as the MC was on par with this genre however, it did come to my attention that she is only eighteen, and for the most part that wasn’t a turn-off as her character didn’t display any of the usual New Adult tendencies. The only niggle was when it came to her relationship with Shaw—her instructor turned partner. The age gap left me feeling a little uneasy about their romance, especially considering that he’s an authority figure AND an incubus. I couldn’t help but question whether the basis of their love was genuine or coerced.
Nicole Phillips’ girlish tone was an appropriate fit for Edwards’ heroine, albeit without a second installment to back-up her performance, it’s difficult to say whether I would have enjoyed listening to her long-term. Otherwise, I liked her interpretation of the action sequences, and even though there wasn’t a whole lot of world-building in this book, the protagonist didn’t similarly suffer. Thierry has a lot to prove with an absentee father, avoidist mother, and unpredictable powers. I look forward to her showing us what she’s got in HEIR OF THE DOG.
DOG WITH A BONE was an all right listen for the price. ~3.5 Stars -
DNF @ 5%
The writing has a "I did this. Then I did that. Then I did this. And then I did that." kind of staccato feel to it. I don't like it.
But then again, I don't like much lately. So I won't rate it.
Even though I do think the writing is very extremely mediocre. -
3.5
Dog with a Bone introduces a young Thierry Thackaray who has just become a marshal - a fae cop. She has this romantic connection to her instructor and a friend Shaw. She is half human, half fae and she has this almost unique gift that is perfect for the job.
She is also torn about being what she is (or what she is not). The fact she killed her friends when her powers first manifested doesn't help either. Her father, from whom she got this power, left her mother before she was born so you might get a clearer picture. And yet, Thierry still manages not to be pathetic wreck.'I wasn't much for throwing stones, and all the panes had already been shattered in my glass house.'
The case Thierry and Shaw are working on here starts as one thing but soon turns into something way worse than either of them (or me, to be honest) thought. That detail makes the whole story better.
I liked both Thierry and Shaw. They are both dedicated. The title says it all. The chemistry between them is well written and doesn't clog the story up.
Overall, a great introduction to a series. You get the glimpse of the world, some explanations, but it leaves you with just enough knowledge to want more.
I liked it. -
Note: I do NOT recommend reading the rest of this series. Thierry turns into an awful wimpering mess, the romance is shot to hell, and nothing makes a lick of sense. Enjoy this story for what it is, then forget the rest of the series exists.
Original review:
A pretty awesome story written poorly.
The writing and lack of world building was awful. It was confusing as hell, there were no explanations for anything. So you just had to go with it like, "yeah, it's a flobbernoggen, of course." Well, it sounded like a fucking hydra-sandworm, but thanks for the explanation, Madge.
That being said, the plot was awesome and even though the characters and their abilities aren't explained AT ALL, this was a really fun story. I was totally into it. The humor was on point, the romance wasn't too heavy, and the action was both entertaining and intense.
But dear god, there is literally zero world building and I was mildly confused for at least half the book. So you'll have to decide for yourself whether or not the fun factor will outweigh the confusion factor if you read this. -
Half-Bloods, Faerie and Succubus, OH My...and I loved it. Dog with a Bone is the first in the Black Dog series and I can't wait for more.
Thierry is a half-blood fae trying to make a her place in the world. Choices are limited when you are a half-blood, which puts Thierry as a fledgeling peacekeeper. Thierry's first assignment turns deadly very quickly. She must learn to rely on her inner strength and her partner to survive.
Hailey Edwards has created a stunning, contemporary fantasy that oozes sexual chemistry. What it has in sexual heat is only enhanced by the non-stop action, riveting characters and wonderful world building.
Dog with a Bone is novella length but packs the punch of a full novel.
Edwards is an author I will be following.
I received this copy of Dog with a Bone from CrushStar Multimedia LLC in exchange for a honest review. This book published October 31, 2014.
Written by: Hailey Edwards
Series: Black Dog
Sequence in Series: 1
Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy | Paranormal
Find this book on:
Amazon |
Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for:
http://tometender.blogspot.com
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This says it is first in a series. And it kinda is. Only, it's a novella and it doesn't really do much for the story. And an afterword by the author indicates that it was written after the series had been complete in some workshop or other and was added later. So it isn't actually the first and I'm a bit raw about being tricked into reading it when it doesn't really do anything for the series. Like, at all.
I'm having a hard time getting over that feeling of being tricked. The story is actually pretty good with a decent plot and a spanking pace. The relationship between Thierry and Shaw, though? Yeah, that's all kinds of "hey slow down, girl, let's think about this a bit, huh?"
I'm not going to rate it because I can't decide if I want to go with the interesting plot and setup or spank it for being a take-in.
A note about Steamy: There's a bit of sex, but not a lot. So low on the steam, but not nothing. -
I read, and enjoyed quite a lot, A Hint of Frost by Hailey Edwards. So much so that I've kind of been gathering all her books since just waiting for the time to come for me to binge read them. Yesterday I decided to pick up this novella, the start to her Black Dog Urban Fantasy series.
And, overall, I'm glad I did.
I like Thierry. She's got a lot of potential. Shaw's interesting, too. The world is intriguing, and I'm definitely down with seeing where this whole fae aspect of alternate world and how they interact with our world goes.
But I think the biggest problem that I had was that everything felt a little light. It felt a little too much like a teaser to get me interested. I want to know more about Thierry, who didn't really walk off the page for me. The love-interest with Shaw seemed to come about a little too quickly, though on the plus side there was little to no drama with it developing which was a nice change.
I fully expect all of these things to be developed further in the future books, but it was disappointing to me that there doesn't seem to be any development on the internal complications and obstacles. Everything happened just a little too easily for me.
Still, it was an enjoyable hour or so and I definitely think it's building to something great. I'm excited to see Thierry really learn more about herself, the other half of her heritage, and the issues going on in the world.
Review also available at
The Book Eaters
30 November 2015: $0.00 FREE on Kindle
3 November 2015: $0.99 on Kindle
31 July 2015: $0.99 on Kindle
4 June 2015: $2.99 on Kindle -
I wanted to read this. Until I read Dog Days of Summer (the prequel to this series) in the
Nightshade anthology. And now I say: bye bye series, it was nice not reading you!
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You may have noticed that I have been tearing through Hailey Edwards’ backlist lately. I love her Foundling series and Necromancer books too, but this first installment in the Black Dog series left me a bit lukewarm.
An author’s note at the end tipped me off that this is something of a prequel more so than really the first book in the series, and that gives me hope that the next installment will be more satisfying. This is a novella and it lacked the — I don’t know — oomph that I am used to from this author. In her other books, she made me care about the heroine. She made me have longing and lots of feels for her love interest. Less so here. It’s not a bad book at all. Don’t get me wrong. It’s just a bit superficial, both from a character perspective as well as a world building one… Or even much of a mystery.
The novella begins during Thierry’s final exam in becoming a marshal of the supernatural variety. She is half fae, half human. Her father, a Black Dog, who passed his powers on to her. I’m not very well-versed in this brand of fae, but basically what she can do is eat people’s souls with a touch of her hand.
Anyway, Thierry ends up the only one in her class who passes and earns her badge. She is paired with her previous instructor, Shaw, for on the job training. Shaw is an incubus and there is a whole lot of sexual tension between the two of them, or at least we are told that there has been in the days before the book began. This relationship was one of the things that I didn’t love. One, we missed whatever days of longing existed between these two. The angst was all off page. And I’m kind of squicked with the older man paired with an 18-year-old girl dynamic. I don’t know how old Shaw is, but he has obviously been around the block long enough to be an instructor and a seasoned marshal. (Even the love interest aside, I generally don’t prefer my heroines this young.)
So the story follows these two as they try to solve a supernatural crime and feel out whether they want to get together.
I like each of them well enough as individuals; it’s just that together they lacked fireworks. I would’ve liked a little bit more teeth gnashing and hesitation from Shaw or at the very least more longing and unresolved attraction from Thierry before they decided to give things a try.
But as I said, this is a prequel. I don’t even know if Shaw is the long term love interest or not. I have a feeling the next book is going to be a bigger hit for me, mostly because Edwards has been consistently a winner in my book and I know she is capable of it. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Rating: B/B- -
4.5*s
Review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Dog with a Bone is the first book in the Black Dog series and what an opener it was !
We meet Thierry Thackerey in the thick of her qualifying exam to become a Marshall, failure is not an option for her considering the program is the only place that offered her sanctuary when her gift manifested. She has been trained by Shaw who is an incubus and let’s just say….. his lure isn’t the only thing that draws Thierry to him. He’s her friend and one of the only ones who’s immune to her gift making him perfect to train her. They share a mutual attraction but nothing can come of it whilst she is still his student but come graduation… he won’t be staying in the friend zone for much longer if Thierry has her way.
After successfully qualifying to become a Marshall, she is partnered with Shaw for a few weeks of on the job training but when they head out to their first assignment…. It turns out to be bigger than any of them ever expected.
I honestly loved this book, I loved everything about it. Thierry was the sort of heroine one could really route for and has all of the traits a good UF leading lady should have – awesome power, kick ass moves, sense of humour and of course a hot sidekick/partner. She is more than capable of doing her new job and you can tell that she is gutsy and willing to take a risk to do what’s right. I liked the love connection with Shaw, her power actually compliments his and they have a very easy going camaraderie going on where they are attune with how the other thinks, making them perfect partners to work together. Not only that but they have a forbidden love thing about them too with Shaw being her trainer and her being the student…. I love this type of love connection and with the way they know each other it just makes sense that they would seek each other for love. They give us a few hot moments throughout the book when they give out a ‘will they, won’t they’ vibe and I’m quite looking forward to seeing their relationship develop.
With this being the first in a series it is very much a getting to know you and your world book but unlike some, it isn’t overloaded with information and the story shines through. The job Thierry is aiming for as Marshall is to police the Fae of the world, humans are still in the dark about it and everyone wants it to stay that way so the Marshalls keep the peace. Thierry is a half breed so has her foot in both worlds and that gives her an edge in her job because she can view things from both points of view but her investigation does make you wonder who the bad guys really are – Fae or Human? I thought the investigative thread of the story was fab! I love anything like that and it is probably why I love UF like I do. This story kept me engrossed in the book, I wanted to know what was going on and the more into the story we got, the more we were introduced to different species and enveloped in the world. The plot definitely kept me on my toes with plenty of action and mystery, leading to secrets being revealed and I was kept guessing right up until the end about what had happened, so when you add to that great pacing, great characters and a sprinkle of love…. I’m well happy. I thought this was a great introduction to the series, it has tons of potential but I want a longer story next time and maybe more of Thierry’s background so that I can really get behind her. -
Dog with a Bone is a story about a young woman whose status as a half-blood leaves her with one foot in the human world and one in the supernatural. The story starts off strong, flinging the reader right into the action as Thierry battles to complete an obstacle course—the only thing standing between her and graduation.
Thierry was an interesting main character. It’s obvious she’s torn about her status as a half-blood, not only because it led to the death of some of her human friends, but she’s also struggling with an absentee father, the paranormal part of her parentage. She also has a hard time thinking with her head and not her heart, and doesn’t always make wise of choices. But Thierry is young, and I thought this was an accurate depiction of her age. She’s still figuring things out. I like this, because it means the character is going to have plenty of opportunity to grow as the series progresses! Thierry reminded me a bit of Rose from the Vampire Academy series. Not a carbon copy, but I thought they had similar personalities and ambitions.
I liked to run my mouth and play at being a badass, but the bottom line was both our asses were on the line out here. I was young. I was inexperienced. I didn’t know it all, and if I thought too hard about it, my fear would take control.
Shaw, her instructor and eventual trainer at her new job, was a bit mysterious. His dismissive nature towards humans leaves Thierry feeling torn, as that’s half of who she is. Shaw being an incubus doesn’t help, because she’s not sure if he is genuinely attracted to her or if it’s just in his nature to feel desire.
While there is obvious chemistry between the two main characters, I felt like their feelings developed too quickly. During the opening scene, there was a boundary between them with their student/teacher relationship that neither seemed willing to cross. Once she graduates, the attraction is full blown (I can buy that). But there were times they acted like a couple who’d been together for a long time, then it was back to cat and mouse again.
This was a quick, exciting read, and I thought the plot was unique, but I felt like there were things I should have known that weren’t in the story. Parts of the world building were glossed over or skipped altogether. The author’s note did indicate that the first book was written (possibly even all the books in the series), and then she went back to write this book, the prequel. I’m hoping the reason for the missing bits of information is that they’re included in the first full length novel, and the author didn’t want to bog the reader down with information that would be passed on in the next book. Either way, I was intrigued enough that I want to know more! Especially about Thierry’s father. I’m thinking his reasons for staying away could change everything she thinks she knows.
Dog with a Bone was a fast paced read that captured my attention, and it made me excited to see what’s next in this series!
This review was originally posted at
Badass Book Reviews. -
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/21/2019)! 🎁
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Middle of the road. Pleasant, but forgettable.
I enjoyed this. It’s got a good story.
But I didn’t love it.
I need more visuals within my story, more colours.
I couldn’t actually tell you what either of the mains looks like, what colour hair, what style of clothes, what kinda build they possess [other than he has an amazing ass (🤷♀️)].
I could tell you the shape of some the critters, but not their colours, their textures, their smells.
Plus, it’s annoyingly choppy in places, a deliberate style of the author.
Example: one chapter ends with our FMC going to bed. Next chapter starts in the middle of the day, and we’re in a fire fight with a creature…🤨
It’s dribbled out how we got there, but it’s annoying.
Some of the conversations had a similar feel, shifting from topic to topic, dumping info and moving on..
Large parts swept by me with no real intake on my behalf.
Just too confusing, like getting yelled at from different directions, and trying to turn your head and mind fast enough to process it all…😳
The info wasn’t interesting enough to warrant the effort most of the time.
Sooo. It’s a decent urban fantasy, with interesting, if sporadic, world building.
Typical journey, with them being oh so special and the only ones to survive, everything falling in line for em, until you reach the UBER baddies, who somehow are better prepared, supplied, capable…those kind 😂
Romance is very much a second thought, with mostly teasing.
No spice until an aborted and interrupted scene right at the end, don’t bother getting excited.
Mild cliffy, with the incomplete being all about the personal, and the set up focusing on the next case to be solved.
It’s a pass for me, but I do recommend others to give it a go and decide for themselves.
There’s enough decent here, that many will likely enjoy way more than me. -
3.5 stars
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I loved Edwards The Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy and Black Hat Bureau series. In fact, most of her series are on my wishlist, so when I saw Dog with A Bone the first in the Black Dog series, I jumped at the chance to listen and dove in blind.
I didn’t realize this was a novella, and we quickly jumped into the action of learning the world and characters as things unfolded. We come in as Thierry is going through an obstacle course. One she must complete if she hopes to graduate from the program. In this world, halflings either become peacekeepers or get shipped off to Faerie, leaving the human world behind.
Thierry is young and has abandonment issues. She often thinks with her heart and not her head. So naturally I liked her. Shaw, her instructor and partner, is an Incubus who dismisses Thierry’s concerns about humans being hurt. He a bit of a mystery and I am reserving judgement.
I loved the world-building and creatures we encounter. As always, Edwards delivered unique characters, lots of action, and kept the listener completely submersed in the moment.
Mooreghan Martin was new to me, but brought the characters to life in her narration. I quickly settled in and felt she enhanced the overall tale. I am looking forward to the next audiobooks in the Black Dog Universe.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer -
Thierry Thackaray is a half-breed. The product of a human mother and a Fae father -- a Black Dog, also known as a death omen. Having the Black Dog blood run through her veins has led to many problems, past and present. Prior to her mother recognizing what she is, she had an unfortunate accident with her childhood friends. Plain and simply, one of Thierry's powers is feeding off of the life-essence of living creatures, leading to their eventual death. Her mother eventually realizes that Thierry is an unknown quantity, being half-Fae, and she recognizes that she doesn't have the skills or knowledge to guide Thierry in the way of harnessing her Fae powers. She made a choice to send Thierry to the Conclave, an organization specializing in training anything Fae to be an investigator tasked with policing the Fae in the human world.
Being half-human, Thierry often doesn't know quite where she fits in. Naturally, she has a protective side where it comes to anything human. To disregard that would essentially be the equivalent of disregarding half of herself, and I really liked the internal struggles Thierry often has when it comes to humans versus Fae. When readers first meet Thierry, she is in the midst of a test, one that will earn her a position of a Marshal for the Conclave. Not many people pass this test, but Thierry does. She is immediately partnered with Shaw, an incubus that she has some very strong feelings for, on a case involving the possible smuggling of various and rare types of Fae.
This first installment of the Black Dog series was a little confusing, as if the author wrote this after writing one or two books in the series. The world was already developed, as was the relationship between Thierry and Shaw. While it seems their relationship moved at lightning speed, it becomes apparent that their relationship goes back to before this story started, behind the scenes that readers weren't privy to. I read several reviews where readers mentioned that this wasn't initially written as the intended first in the series and knowing that, now things makes more sense. I can only imagine that things will be explained more in-depth in the following book.
Another thing I really liked was despite the fact that Thierry is young at 18, she really is wise beyond her years and she really shows a maturity and a sense of knowledge not many 18 year olds in fiction possess. Despite this riding the cusp between YA and NA, this series is really something that can appeal to those who don't particularly care for the YA/NA genres, much like myself.
If I had to make one gripe, I wanted more character description. I haven't a clue what any of the characters really look like and I can only imagine that the second book will possibly give the characters a bit more depth. What the humans lacked in dimensionality, Edwards certainly outdid herself with the various types of supernatural critters and Fae. She managed to put quite a few critters between the pages, while managing to strike a balance where it wasn't overwhelming. I'm a sucker for the underused and obscure critters, so extra points are due simply for that.
Bottom line -- despite this being such a short entry for the first book in a series, I really ended up liking it. I am certainly looking forward to the second in the series and hoping that any shortfalls from this book are remedied in the second. I recommend this for UF fans looking for something a little different, the Black Dog/death omen was a nice and fresh twist that I hope is explored more in future installments. -
Another reviewer started their review this was: "Dog with a Bone introduces a young Thierry Thackaray who has just become a marshal - a fae cop. " I read that and thought, Um, no it really doesn't. The book doesn't introduce anyone or anything. It just drops you right in the middle a story and leaves you there to flounder.
I started this book and then checked again and again to be sure it REALLY is book one, because I had no idea who or what anyone was. I could figure out what was happening fairly easily. But the characters, their species specifications? Nope, that was a loss, especially when there was supposed to be a meaningful relationship between two of them and we're given nothing about it. I felt no connection with these characters. I wasn't given the opportunity to develop one.
This literally feels like the latter half of a book. LITERALLY. Like I said, I kept looking for a prequel or SOMETHING to add to it. Alas, nothing seems to exist. There are several series set in this world. Maybe this is a spin off of one of them and the beginning of Thierry and Shaw's story is in one of them. But it sure isn't here.
I technically read Dog With a Bone book in the
Black Dog Series Bundle, books 1-3. But I won't be bothering with the next. The writing, what there is of it, is engaging. I liked what I did see of the characters and world. But I LITERALLY felt like this book was missing half its content. -
I'm such a picky UF reader that these days I tend to stick to a select few of auto-buy authors. Then I saw this book being recommended on twitter by friends and I decided to give it a shot that evening. I'm soooo glad I did.
I really enjoyed Dog with a Bone. If I sound shocked, it's because I've not read a new UF author since Thea Harrison some years back. The opening sequence to this book was full of action and had me glued from the get-go. The heroine is a young half-fae marshall with dark fae powers that feeds upon others. The worldbuilding was concentrated on the fae and for a prequel it was the perfect amount of information to a new UF world.
I loved the sexual tension between Shaw and Tierry. I'm a fan of the apprentice love type trope so I'm hoping a romance does develop between these two throughout the series, otherswise I'm going to be a very sad reader. Dog with a Bone reminded me a little of the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. There's a central mystery running through the novella and it concentrates solely on the mystery while never letting up the tension between Shaw and Tierry. There is also tension because of what Shaw is which gave a tiny slice of angst without being overbearing.
I've already pre-ordered the first book in the series which is out at the end of January.
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This is a Quickie Review. The full review is available on
The Romanceaholic as part of the Bippity Boppity Blog Tour (and there's a giveaway through November 13, 2014 where you could win a gift card or a digital copy of the book, so go check it out!).
The bottom line for me is very simple — I’m obsessed with this series already. From the characters and their powers, to the chemistry, to the world they live in, to the pulse-pounding action, and all the way through to the teaser ending that hints at the next book. While I won’t deny I was a bit growly at the fact that there was no actual love scene, that ended up being a minor complaint because my adoration for the rest of it was so overwhelming. In fact, I’ve already read it twice, and my long-time readers should know, that is not something I do often.
5/5 Stars, and I think I’ll go read it again while I stare forlornly at the calendar waiting for the sequel. -
Dog with a Bone features a fresh take on the death omen known as the 'black dog'. This trope is reimagined to fit the urban fantasy genre, where a paranormal investigator/enforcer (Thierry) takes on these powers in a unique way.
She feeds on the life force of others, making her brand of justice fairly fatal. Luckily, her instructor, Shaw, is one of the few that can survive her talent. While there is a romance between them, his aversion to humans is a bit of a problem when she herself is a half-blood. Aside from Theirry's interesting powers, I found her struggles with the idea of discriminating against humans one of the most interesting elements of the story.
3 stars for a quick enjoyable read. -
2.5 Meh
Why did I not know this was YA?!
Of course it was a pretty dull read -it felt like it was written for 14 year olds- because it was.
It was cute and sweet and all but it lacked the complexity of a great UF, it lacked the excitement of an amazing chase and that wonderful world all UFs should have.
Again, it wasn't too bad, as far as YAs go, but it's way too boring for m. -
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3.5/5.0
Great fun, almost non-stop action and the monsters are varied and creative. It’s an imaginative and fast-paced start to what looks like a promising series. -
This story was short and entertaining. I'm a character reader, and I look to make a connection with them. While I found the MCs to be likeable, I can't say that I feel invested in them from this book. It is the first of the series, so there's potential. I will read on :)
If you like action packed UF with romantic subplots, then you will probably like this book. -
The story was great, you were never sure where it was going until close to the end, I must say that for me the romance between Thierry and Shaw fell a bit flat for some reason. It was evident that they felt deeply for each other but perhaps the book was too short and the romance was not developed as well as the excellent plot. To be honest, the story might have been a bit better if the two of them had been really good friends since this was at heart an extraordinary urban fantasy novel. There IS a good valid reason for those two to be together but you need to get that from reading the story.
There was a lot of action since both of them are a sort of paranormal Marshals and a bit of flirting type innuendo but for the most part this book was a bit of a murder mystery and a chance for the reader to get accustomed to the characters. The world building was done pretty much in a bit fed to you as the story went along so there was no long boring "here is how the world works" parts.
While I must say I enjoyed this story, it was missing that "can't put it down" quality that I find in her Araneae Nation series BUT this is just book 1 and like I said the story was exceptional but the writing was a bit hurried I felt and the story was being rushed along a bit more than optimal.
Bottom Line: I enjoyed the book and will devour the next one as soon as I can get my hands on it, the two main characters were great but I must admit I have a personal lack of interest in succubi and incubus as characters in a general thing (Shaw was not Thierry). The plot was exceptional I thought and the ending was surprising but again things just felt a bit rushed not to mention somewhat bittersweet. 4 Stars and perhaps my own bias made me not give it a higher rating but since I will be getting the next one obviously I still loved it. -
With a great pace, interesting characters, a complicated romance and a fun storyline, DOG WITH A BONE introduced the Black Dog series and made me want to read more.
The book starts in the midst of what you would consider a final exam, and Thierry is the only one in her class to make it through. She is finally a marshal for the conclave and her partner is the sexy Shaw who she's wanted for a while. I found Thierry to be a fun character that is willing to put herself on the line to get the job done.
The relationship between Shaw and Thierry is a bit complicated. He was her teacher so they couldn't really have a relationship. Now they're partners and it's probably not a good idea now either, but they decide to give it a try anyways. Nothing really happens between the two as whenever they are about to go at it they are interrupted. SO annoying. Would have been nice to see more out of those two.
The story was quick and easy to enjoy. There's a lot of action and danger. The world was easy to understand and didn't require a whole lot of explanation. DOG WITH A BONE might be self-published, but it's well written, so if you're an urban fantasy fan give it a try.
* This book was provided free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review. -
The good: Self consistent world, intriguing characters, good action mystery, moderate / acceptable levels of romance and melodrama.
Best part: A strong snarky female MC who avoids being over the top, melodramatic, or self absorbed.
The bad: I have no idea what the female MC looks like, other than straight black hair. Or the male MC, except hot. Or the female MCs BFF, except that she is Japanese.
I know what almost every other character and scene looks like, except the 3 of them. I do have a good gasp on their personalities at least. And while I am glad she does not study herself in the mirror, a little more help to visualize the three of them would be nice.
Overall a fun read, on par with Hellcat from
A Cat's Chance in Hell or Raine Benares from
Magic Lost, Trouble Found. -
2.5/5
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I was curious to discover this series as I had a good time with two others from the author but I must admit that I didn’t really expect that.
When I started the novel, I wondered if it wasn’t a YA novel, because the main character was a student in a very special school and I didn’t expect that. But finally, we learn after that Thierry is 18 years old, so not really a teenager. She will team up with an incubus and become a marshal and untangle the stories that happen between humans and faes.
The novel is very short and if it is fun to read it, I has some issues because a lot of information is missing about the characters and the universe. So it’s quite nice to read it, but I didn’t really manage to connect. I don’t think I’ll read the rest.
