Failed to see any BDSM here. There is a DS relationship present, but I didn't enjoy even that. The plot is almost none-existent. Not going to elaborate, Deja Dei said it all. ( )

This second book in the 'Avian Shifter' series, the story of a magpie and a raven, is just as amazing as the first. The world-building continues to be excellent, adding a few new touches to an avian culture that is utterly believable and fascinating. This story is about a battle against inner demons for the magpie as well as hope for his redemption, all within a D/s setting that is meant to give structure and clarity where there was none before.

Kane is a magpie. They are total outcasts in avian society, since they are thieves, whores, addicted to drugs and 'the good life', and generally get involved in everything that is unsavory. Kane has been told this is the way it is, has been treated accordingly, and doesn’t even think there is another way for him to live. When Everet saves him from being beaten to death by humans, he is taken into custody in the nest and expects to be able to wheedle his way out of it. Trading sex for favors is a way of life for him – only this time it doesn't work.

Everet, the raven who is the new head of security for the entire nest, is one tough guy. He likes rules, is in charge of upholding them, and wants to control everyone and everything around him. A Dom to the core, who could easily just be a macho idiot, he also has compassion and a sense of justice. Once he has set eyes on Kane, he decides the magpie will be rehabilitated whether Kane likes it or not. He comes up with some very clever rules for Kane to obey and administers them ruthlessly. Never once did I have the feeling he was unjust or cruel, he really did have Kane's best interests at heart. He fights for the man he is beginning to love to the very end, and I adored him for that.

After the excellence that were book one and the new short interlude 'Celebrate', I was really looking forward to rereading 'Magpie'. My enjoyment was just as high as when I read this book the first time. I especially loved that Raynard and Ori from the first book were back and play a crucial role in the developments.

If you like books about unusual shifters, if you enjoy getting to know an entirely new world and its rules, and if a relationship that is built on not only trust but a life-saving set of rules that open up entirely new possibilities for a character who seemed irredeemable lost, you will love this book as much as I did. I hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next sequel, but if they come out at this sort of quality, I have to admit that it's worth it!



NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )

Review at http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/a-nix-mm-pnr-review-magpie-by...

When Everet is called in to a club to deal with an avian shifter that has brought their race into disrepute, it is hardly surprising to him that it’s a Magpie causing all the issues. Upon seeing the amount of suffering the young shifter has already been put through as “punishment”, he decides bringing him back to the nest to face the judgement of the Elders.

The AHole that is head of the Nest decides that, as Magpies cannot change their thieving and whoring ways, Kane is to be sentenced to the cages. Unable to watch his charge suffer such a punishment, Everet asks to be made responsible for Kane. This means that the Raven would be responsible for helping the Magpie to recuperate and also to take any punishments that he would reap whilst at the Nest. The Elders agree but maybe Everet has bitten off more than he can chew?

Although undoubtedly attracted to Kane, Everet must use his legendary restraint to resist the man who is willing to use sex as the means to getting his own way. Trying to stop him using drugs, prostituting himself and thieving will take all his skill....being distracted is not an option. But can he really take such a tricky slave on and keep his heart safe? And are the rest of the Nest correct? Can a magpie ever really change?

I have been waiting for an age for this book. Was it as good as Duck!? It was a completely different type of book and I loved it but no, it didn’t have that fantasy feel that Duck! had. It is set after Duck! (Reading it first would be recommended) and features scenes with Ori and Reynard that gave me a really lovely warm feeling inside.

This book lacked the fairytale quality that Duck! had. The characters were full of hard edges and I enjoyed reading about them because of it. Everet is a good looking Raven who has been promoted to head of security because of his control and sense of justice. He doesn’t believe in over punishment, hates avian’s using the hierarchy as an excuse to be cruel to the lower classes and believes in fairness. He is the perfect flipside to the out of control Kane but I wanted him to bend slightly, to meet Kane in the middle. He had such innovative boundaries that I instantly fell in love with him; the rule where the bedroom was only for sex, not an arena to punish any crimes was lovely because it showed Kane that he would cherish and protect him even if he made a mistake. I loved the theme of this book was lovely; no matter how much people screw up in life, people still deserve to be loved and cherished. Well, if they don’t do anything worth hard jail time for anyway! The scene where he wouldn’t let them punish Kane..... *swoon*

Kane was a brat. Kane was not really a sub because he didn’t want to submit; he wanted to do anything to get his own way. Kane had been mistreated, abused and abandoned his entire life. He did not know what to do with Everet and his protection because he had never had it. He was used to having to figure out a way to manipulate people into the things that he wanted and being a magpie these were generally shiny things. I loved that the drug he was hooked on was shiny and glittery too....it fit so well! Kane was not one for lip service and he kept waiting for all that Everet had told him to be a lie; he literally had to be shown that Everet was a man of his word in a very painful way before he believed it. I loved it.

There is MM sex because it’s a MM BDSM book. I didn’t think there was much S/M but there was definitely Dominance. I’d love to read more about these two because I feel there is so much more to come, so much more angst to follow. I hope there is more from this series as I’ve loved both books so far!

An angsty, sexy paranormal read that left me wanting more. I loved the characters, loved the plot and adored the writing. If you like MM, like PNR and liked Duck! READ THIS!!
( )

This one didn't reach out and grab me by the throat like Duck!, but it was still a seriously good book. I love Kim Dare's writing style, and this one didn't disappoint. ( )

An ARe Cafe top pick for paranormal romance.

When I found out that Kim Dare had written a sequel to Duck, I was so excited. Duck was hot, it was super interesting, and the BDSM elements were very well done…but then, Dare always writes well done BDSM.

The hero of this book is a magpie shifter name Kane. True to their avian counterparts, magpie shifters love shiny, glittery things and often get in trouble. Our other hero is Everet (who we remember from Duck). There’s no main villain or that much fighting action, but it’s a slice of life in the Nest and makes me hope that Dare will write more in the series. We also see a lot more of Ori (who I still want to take home) and Reynard (who I want to take me home).

Kane is under the influence of drugs and a bad childhood while Everet sincerely just wants to protect him and clean him up. The interactions between the two are adorable, and once Kane starts getting more territorial, funny. This is Kim Dare we are talking about so the bedroom scenes are really steamy and scorching. The BDSM element in this book was more about belonging and having one partner take charge rather than having any “toys” enter the bedroom.

If you like authority in the bedroom, if you like protective heroes, and heroes who need to be around glittering things, then Magpie is the book for you. I highly recommend reading Duck first, which is just as good and will really help to set the story.

~

Bitten by Books for AReCafe ( )