Can an assassin who exists only for one man accept his destiny as the treasured possession of four elite warriors?The world of Teros is full of beautiful, twisted things. Elves who’ve traded their magical birthright for biogenetic enhancements. Shifters who transform into the beasts of legend. Vampires who feed on their human subjects with impunity and enforce their rule with servants honed into … servants honed into deadly creatures of destruction—and seduction. None is rarer than the chimera, a special class of human and a vessel of limitless power for any lover strong enough to tame them.
As the favored “Puppet” of the Master Vampire of Ark, Arden exists to enact his master’s will. When the Brotherhood of Aeon, an elite force from the subterranean realm of the Vale, turns the tables and kidnaps the rare creature, Arden is thrown into the world of the fae, where nothing is as it seems.
The Vale is a realm of old magic and exquisite beauty beyond imagination, ruled by Dusk, the Prince of the Fae. When Dusk strips Arden of his vampire nature and the purpose that has guided him from birth, his only focus is escape. But the Brotherhood insists that he’s more than just a Puppet. To them, he’s a being deserving of love and protection, and he must be guarded at all costs.
Puppet/Master is the first book in a serial gay harem romance story. It is a slow burn resulting in an eventual MMMMM romance with a HEA. This is a story with some darker themes and is not for the faint of heart.
more
This was an excellent fantasy story! The world building was breathtakingly beautiful, the characters are well developed, and the storyline is full of emotion and life (so to speak).
This book is full to the brim with mystical creatures of almost every kind imaginable. The world is basically separated by the surface of the planet, to simplify the story. There is a war ongoing from long before present day, but as it stands, there is a “truce.” This leads to more clandestine operations and modes of attack.
There is a semi-secret multispecies organization that lives below the surface working toward a true peace. The war as it stands is basically between a precarious joining of the vampires and the elves, and the rest of civilization; meaning the fae, humans, shifters, and ghouls. I’m sure I’m leaving a group or two out, but this book has so many facets that I can’t keep everything straight in my mind.
There is some love in different forms throughout the story, and devotion is certainly a guiding force. However, I would not call what has happened so far anything close to romance; except for the one devoted couple, but even they are not what I would call romantic. And there is what could potentially be a budding relationship.
This is a high fantasy book set in a different world, but with some sci-fi attributes. It has action and suspense, introspection (of course), a group of people learning to trust and work with each other, and love and loss. It is DEFINITELY going to be the first in a series, so do not expect closure. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I’m sure you will, too.
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. *
When I started reading this book, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I very quickly became lost in Arden’s life. I could not put my Kindle down until I reached the end. I loved these characters and cried for the difficult lives they had to lead and the terrible choices they were forced to make. No one had it easy here, and I just wanted them to have peace for at least a little while. The writing was fantastic, and I was easily swept into this world of humans, vampires, elves, fae, and shifters – and poor misunderstood ghouls. My heart! I need book two to come out quickly, so I can see what happens next for these men who I’ve very quickly come to adore. I’m hoping for less devastation and more contentment. And I’m hopeful that Arden and the Brotherhood will find the happiness they all need and deserve. I can’t wait for more of this brilliant story!
This book and it’s sequel are amazing! I love the rich, imaginative world the author has built, and the modern take on vampires, fae, elves, etc. The main character is so wonderfully damaged and flawed, and his growth into his power and taking his life back is both painful to watch, but also extremely rewarding!
Wow, what a story. I loved this book. The story is deep, and has it’s twist and turns. There is never a dull time, the story flows until the end. Poor Arden is so torn inside, but I love his strong will, and the way the members of the Bortherhood protect each other. I looking forward to read the next part of The Vale Chronicles. I hope they all survive, and that they can come together, how it is ment for them. I highly recommend this book.
4 and a bit stars
Exciting m/m and more! paranormal tale with great world building and so many twists and surprises! It’s a bit dark, as I expected from the blurb, but the fae, elf, human and vampire characters (at least most of them) are complex, multidimensional characters who have their positive moments along with their weaknesses. The first chapter was a bit confusing but I thought the story got better as it went along, so give it a few chapters to get going. There’s some steam but more of the story centers on the angst and emotional conflicts the hero chimera goes through as he gets tossed between his Master vampire Eric with his cruel elf allies and the fae factions who are trying to resist Eric’s moves for total domination. Only a handful of female characters, including the Fae Queen; this is a male centric and dominated story.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
I was absolutely drawn in by this fantastic MMM+ dark romance. The plot is extremely well-thought out & written, it takes place in a well-described fictitious world. The plot has excellent details & scene descriptions. The unique characters have complex personalities & they display realistic emotional feelings to the situation they find themselves in.
There is: fae, elves, ghouls, vampires, a chimera, an intelligent Chrysalus, twists & turns, intrigue, suspense, mystery, secrets, enslavement, trafficking, danger, villains, threats, trust issues, deceit, manipulations, betrayal, emotional turmoil, conflict, death, choices, foreboding & some steam.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to future books from this talented author & I would definitely recommend this MMM+ dark romance to people who enjoy reading this genre.
This book is a rollercoaster of doubts, questions,plots ,betrayal and intrigue. Just when you think you’re got it al figured out, you turn the page, and the next information you get changes everything. The author created an intricate, complex ,colourful and vivid new world, and so many magical creatures, beautifully detailed and with well described lore and inner politics.
The multiple points of view help you get a better understanding of the characters’ personal feelings and motivations, yet you still get surprised by some of their actions,finding difficult to grasp who is friend and who are the foes.
To me,this book was an emotional ride,and by the end of it I’ve been through so many feelings for Arden,I don’t know which one was the strongest. I’m half in love with Vox,angry and dissappointed with some characters, and saddened by others.
And ,of course, it doesn’t end here,because a great author has to leave you hanging ,waiting for the next book of the series.
This was a very fast-paced story with a lot of plots and subplots that all flowed in and around one another beautifully. So many times, Arden experienced betrayals and counter-betrayals that it was amazing he found that he could trust anyone, or anything.
I did find that Arden’s submission as a chimera felt a bit off. It’s not that his character prior to that point didn’t have hints of what was to come, but I think that I found the level of his need to not quite fit with how he acted before that point.
There were point of pure triumph, and pure despair in this story. But the most poignant moments were those where Arden, Vox, Harding, Elan, Leo and Dusk chose to maintain their personal integrity despite the horrible cost to themselves in doing so. Each man sacrificed so much to become what he needed to be and I am excited to see where they will go in the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.