Jades’s Rating: 5 Stars
MY REVIEW:
“I’ve wrecked my magic. I can’t track a threeve without it.” – Axel
“No, it’s not so easy to catch a threeve, is it?” – the witch Roslyn
“He caught me fair enough.” – Axel
(I think it will be difficult for me to discuss this book without potentially revealing some spoilery things because of how twisty this tasty little treat turned out to be, so I’ll just leave a blanket warning here. WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD.)
I’m reviewing an ARC copy of this book, and I have to admit, I requested it solely because of the gorgeous cover and the title. I mean, what is a threeve? And how does one go about catching one of them? Curious minds need to know!
I’m not going to tell you what a threeve is – it turned out to be sort of what I expected but also in some ways what not at all what I expected. You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out. *evil grin*
I will say that I almost regretted requesting this book after reading just the prologue…almost. (Don’t stop reading! Let me explain!) The blurb tells us that Liam Alloway, Constable Axel Blackwood’s first and only love, was lost to him in an attack by threeves seven years prior. I expected to have this event referred to in conversation or flashbacks or brief history given in the present time. I did not expect to have to experience the attack in Liam’s perspective in the first pages of the story, and my heart was ripped out just a small percentage into the book.
After reading the prologue, I was already mourning the loss of Liam and connecting to Axel’s pain and grief, and because of this, it was my default setting to hate Bryn Darrow for being a threeve and impersonating Liam. We learn that in the years since Liam’s assumed death, Axel has become the driving force behind the threeves leaving Lacknor. So his reaction to the thief and sneak half-threeve Bryn Darrow is justified and relatable…even when he begins to react a different way while thinking that the thief is his long-lost love come back from the dead.
As the story progressed, my heart broke for Bryn over and over again, not knowing who he truly was, always being hurt or used to hurt others. His scars, his lack of memories, the way he was treated by the threeve Begbie Darrow, his uncle. I wanted him to have his own happy ending so much, but I still held out loyalty for Axel/Liam, hopeless romantic that I am. I came to love the character of Axel, how he never lost faith or hope in love. I love how flawed he as a character is, knowing it’s dangerous to allow himself to get too close to Bryn but doing it anyway because he doesn’t see Bryn. He sees Liam in more than just the man’s appearance.
How does the old saying go? “Never judge a book by its cover.” (Well, in this case, do it. Cover is gorgeous and so is the story. ;) ) Bryn Darrow is not what he seems, nor are many people in the story. Can’t say much more than that, lest I let loose some spoilery type things, but suffice it to say that there are many twists and turns in To Catch A Threeve. Some of them I saw coming or at least suspected, and some of them caught me by surprise. There were several points in the story where I had no idea what to think, no idea who was right and who was wrong, no idea which character to believe. It could have been confusing, but I found it to be well written and a fantastic read. So even though the prologue gutted me, the rest of the story more than made up for it.
Is it just me, or was there a rather Robin Hood-esque feel to the Axel Blackwood/Drummond Alloway relationship? The fact that Drummond seems to be huge compared to Axel is in a way reminiscent of how Little John is portrayed as being a much larger man than Robin Hood. Axel is the leader and decision-maker, like Robin Hood, and Drummond is very protective of him, like Little John. Not to mention that most of the story takes place in a forest. I think that’s a pretty cool parallel.
I’d also like to mention how much the character of Lady Angela amused me. Not the political intrigue and vanity and self-centeredness so much. But when she spoke about wanting to watch Axel and the beautiful male prisoner together, I felt I had found a kindred spirit. M/M romance fangirls! LOL
I’m going to go all annoying fan on you for a moment, Ms. Duran, and say that I would love to see a sequel to this book where Liam and Axel search for Liam’s biological father and perhaps the two of them somehow restore peace between humans and threeves. Pretty please? *bats eyelashes* I really want more of this world and these characters.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Loose Id
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
BLURB:
Axel Blackwood catches a thief and is astounded to see that he closely resembles Liam Alloway, the love he lost seven years ago in an attack by the evil woodland folk known as threeves. Axel suspects he’s fallen prey to dark magic, but can’t help becoming infatuated with his prisoner. He’s overwhelmed with the hope that he can at last bring his lost lover home, despite everything that warns him it’s all a diabolical trick. Bryn Darrow, the half-threeve, half human orphan sent to trick Axel and rob him of much more than a simple gem finds himself equally as fascinated with his handsome human captor and the lure of someplace to call home, but he knows deep down that the constable is in love with a dangerous illusion. When he’s commanded by the threeves to murder Axel and steal a witch’s powerful grimoire, he’s forced to decide between the only family he’s ever known and the one person who might rescue him from a life of isolation and pain. Will Axel and Bryn be forced into a deadly confrontation before they can discover the truth?
EXCERPT:
“What are you, Bryn Darrow?” Axel asked.
“Wish I knew,” Bryn answered, shaking his head and chuckling. “You can go on pretending I’m this Liam person if you want.”
“If you ever try to act like Liam again, I’ll let Drummond lop your head off. He’s itching to, you know.”
“You started it,” Bryn snapped. “And now you’re getting friendly again.”
Axel jerked his hands away from Bryn’s back as if he’d been burned. “I’m looking for your clan sign. Why’d you remove it?”
“Looking with your fingers instead of your eyes? Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind it.” Bryn looked over his shoulder with that annoying, delectable smile. Only the memory of being spelled senseless stopped Axel from resuming his exploration of Bryn’s skin, kissing his neck, pushing him down into the grass—
Categories: Erotica, Fantasy, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance
Pages: 43,000 words/135 pages
PRIZE GIVEAWAY:
Enter the drawing for a $10 Loose Id gift card.
TOUR STOPS:
Parker Williams, My Fiction Nook, Prism Book Alliance, Multitasking Mommas, Inked Rainbow Reads, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Cate Ashwood, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Love Bytes, Andrew Q. Gordon, The Hat Party, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, MM Good Book Reviews, Jade Crystal, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake, Fallen Angel Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Alexis Duran was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. At the University of Oregon, her fascination with people and relationships led her to major in Sociology, but her main love has always been creative writing. She’s worked in museums, fashion, finance and film production. Her favorite job so far was Administrative Assistant in a haunted Victorian Mansion. She’s had several short stories published in the mystery, horror and literary genres and is the author of the Masters and Mages erotic fantasy series. Her fiction has won several awards including the Rupert Hughes Award from the Maui Writers Conference. She lives with one dog and four and half cats. She is currently working on the next Masters and Mages novella and several other erotic novellas.
Author Contact:
http://www.facebook.com/alexis.duran.18294
http://twitter.com/AlexisSDuran
