Under Her Skin by Margo Bond CollinsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
During the ordinary course of her job as a children's counsellor, Lindi Parker helps on a case involving a young female child who killed her abusive step-father. She goes with that child in the ambulance but instead of going to the children's hospital, the place Parker would normally find herself in a situation like this, they go to a different one. But then she already knows things are different this time. For the little girl lets her know that she knows that Parker is a shifter. And that the hospital that they were going to is the shifter hospital.
Of course Lindi Parker knew she herself is a shifter. She didn't know, though, that there were other shifters out there or that what she was is detectable by others. She didn't know because her (adoptive) father, a snake scientist (not actual term used but I don't want to take the time to look it up), had found her when gathering snakes to examine. Later, expecting to find a snake in the container he had put the snake, he found instead a baby (or a toddler, I forget now). Then watches as the child morphs from human to snake and back again. That man, a Dr. Parker, and his wife adopt the small weresnake and teach her to be human.
Lindi is concerned/alarmed and curious about this development, but it isn't the time to talk about shifters with a little traumatised girl. Later.
Then, once everyone is at the hospital, Lindi is confronted by the girl's doctor (some might call the confrontation something approaching a sexual assault, which Lindi did, one or more occasions later). Luckily for her, that doctor goes somewhat against his own instincts, for he is a weremongoose. And they are supposed to kill snakes (instead of force kisses on them while thrusting them against walls).
And the story unfolds from there - a weresnake and weremongoose circling; introduction to the shifter community; almost immediate instinctual hatred towards Lindi from the community for what she is - the snake part; and a mystery to solve. For almost before anyone can catch their breath, Lindi finds herself working on a case, with this same doctor (Kade), that involves the death of children.
The story was quite interesting and good. But then this isn't the first book I've read by this author, and the others were . . . um, good. hmm, I only see one other book I've read by this author. I rather thought I'd read at least one more than that. No matter, both (or however many there actually have been) books I've read have been good.
One note: Mongoose lets Lindi in on what she is exactly and no, they don't call her 'weresnake'. She's a lamia. Which I mention for two reasons - throughout the story I kept seeing and hearing it in my mind as 'llama' *shrugs*; and the first time I saw the word I randomly clicked on it to see if my Kindle would give me a definition (I assumed it wouldn't). Definition appeared - "a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era." Dang, no, that's a llama, I meant to give the lamia definition - "a mythical monster, with the body of a woman or with the head and breasts of a woman and the body of a snake, said to prey on human beings and suck the blood of children."
Rating: 4.25
May 26 2017
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A Generation of Vipers by Margo Bond CollinsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This short story follows directly upon the full length book that started this series so I can't be too specific about what happened in this story itself.
What I can say is: mongoose and snake continue dating. Continue in their different jobs (doctor; child therapist). And, wait for it - the big evil in this story? Squirrel. Yes, a weresquirrel. hehe. Okay okay, no, really, the people who 'attack' physically in this story are werewolves and a large werebear. The weresquirrel is strongly opposed, actively working against, the lead character in this story (the female snake, Lindi).
Okay, so, to line things up: weresnake = lamia = Lindi, child therapist and lead character who is dating a weremongoose = Dr. Kade. Werebadger is Janice who leads the shifter council. Werecoyote is . . . um, what was his name, Eduardo? Something like that - head of Shield which acts as the defense/police of the shifters (and Ed is training Lindi). Weresqurriel is Hank (I think that's his name). Werewolves and werebear are physical attackers - the bear's name gets mentioned but isn't important.
On the sex front: on two occasions sex almost broke out but got stopped for 'reasons'. Unless I missed it, no sex occurs in this story.
Rating: 3.77
May 29 2017
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Laugh Out Love by Margo Bond CollinsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A super quick read that didn’t seem to be 58 pages in length. This story finds two different people as the leads – Shadow (listed in the book description on GoodReads as ‘eldest daughter of the Glass family’ which I find odd because neither that family, or families in general were mention in relation to Shadow, and, instead, focus was more on mentors and other Scylds (however that was spelled)), and Jeremiah Diphiri. Both have their own point of views in the short story.
Since it is mentioned by Shadow that she hasn’t been to anywhere but the USA, Canada, and Mexico, the assumption is that she is from one of those countries. Though which isn’t mentioned. I bring that up because Jeremiah and his family are from Botswana. And are hyenas. Shifters who shift between hyena and human form. Jeremiah is a Shield for his clan. Shadow is a hunter – and somehow or another an augmented human (has more strength, etc.), though isn’t a shifter (Shadow and her ‘people’ read like Grimms from the show ‘Grimm’ – hunters of the creatures on that show, though the critters on there do not appear to shift fully into other animals but into people in furry suits).
Sex: yes, there definitely is sex in this story. Explicit vigorous graphic sex.
ETA: Forgot to mention - Shadow sees (and was taught) shifters as 'monsters' who sometimes hide in human shapes, and would never ever 'fuck one'. I liked how the part wherein she accidentally did was something physically revolting to her - she didn't just shrug and say 'whatever, guess I was wrong'.
I liked how the story was presented – the part where Jeremiah is a very strong man, a Shield, and a member of a group of shifters who are led by women. A strong man able to lead, and able to obey women. Interesting.
One last thought – the story has a good opening, middle and something of . . . well, no, it doesn’t have an ending – or at least, the ending it has is kind of an ending you have on the end of part one of a two part television episode. Things just kind of stopped at after a certain moment. If it hadn’t had that kind of ending, there is a good chance I would have given this story 5 stars. But alas.
Rating: 4.5
May 30 2017
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More Than Skin Deep by Margo Bond CollinsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Important Points:
1) This really is a series wherein you need to read each thing in order. And I mean each thing - including the short stories.
2) The book ends at 64% in the Kindle File - I'd already known that one of the short stories was tacked on the end, since I saw it in the table of contents, but even so I was somewhat surprise when stuff ended at 64%.
3) I haven't mentioned it up to this point, and it might be somewhat unfair to wait until the 4th story in the series but - - - this series really really needs either an editor or several more attempts by an editor. Massive issues with spelling, missing words, misspelled words, etc. I mostly ignored because stuff was interesting. But it was super hard to ignore in this specific story.
Okay so - Lindi is boredly on duty in the Shield office, on duty. Waiting out her time. Near a phone. Two people barge in and demand to speak to the lamia (and I really really want another story in this series that includes a werellama . . . for reasons). Lindi's naturally reluctant to immediately say who she is and stuff. One thing leads to another and . . . it's the two people from the prior story - the werehyena and the Hunter. They beg for help from the lamia - specifically to be protected by the lamia (not some segment of the council or the like, but specifically the lamia). They are being chased by wolves.
Meanwhile . . . the baby weresnake continues to wiggle around foster mother Lindi continues to bond with the snake.
Graphic sex occurs between Kade and Lindi.
Lindi's father is a dick.
I still like the series, even if the massive errors almost overwhelmed me this time.
Rating: 3.8
May 30 2017
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