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Flesh and Bone #3
Shift
An angel fell and a devil was there to catch him.
My fathers always told me the rules would keep me alive. For Mihail, I’ll break every last one of them.
Never let the blood run cold.
Never let the monster out in the light of day.
Never let a human witness escape.
He saw the secret I keep buried beneath my skin one night so long ago, and I let him get away. I should have killed him, but my soul knows him the way my fangs long to.
He’s got secrets, too. Secrets of the tarnished past. Secrets sharp and rusty enough to ruin us both.
Either he falls or I do.
This is the third book in the Flesh & Bone series. It can be read as a standalone, but it includes characters and references situations from the previous two books.
My fathers always told me the rules would keep me alive. For Mihail, I’ll break every last one of them.
Never let the blood run cold.
Never let the monster out in the light of day.
Never let a human witness escape.
He saw the secret I keep buried beneath my skin one night so long ago, and I let him get away. I should have killed him, but my soul knows him the way my fangs long to.
He’s got secrets, too. Secrets of the tarnished past. Secrets sharp and rusty enough to ruin us both.
Either he falls or I do.
This is the third book in the Flesh & Bone series. It can be read as a standalone, but it includes characters and references situations from the previous two books.
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2019
About the author
Joel Abernathy
43 books1,145 followersJoel Abernathy, also writing as L.C. Davis, is a trans author of MM romance. He enjoys writing dark and emotional romance about men loving men in all genres.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
January 11, 2024
torn between 4 and 4.5 stars. this one was more of a friends to enemies to lovers beat and i struggle with those always, although it could've definitely been worse. weirdly i think despite my uncertain rating, i may have liked it more than the other two.
we met Andrei in the first book as Nicolae's nearly-feral ward. Jack became his dad and even though Nicolae remained just Nicolae, both are fathers to him making Mason and Ellie his siblings in everything but blood. in the second book, he was a teenager with a special bond with Vasil, Mason's mate. Vasil was the one responsible for tracking him down when he'd disappear from the pack at night. having essentially seen him grow up, Andrei is easily my favorite character of the series.
the start of the book brings us back to Andrei's youth where he meets Mihail. Mihail knows what Andrei is but his identity is a secret; apart from the fact that he's a human. they betray their kind to keep their friendship that blossoms into something more, but when fate comes calling, Andrei has to sacrifice their bond and flees. for years they remain separated, but fate is a fickle thing and Mihail is thrust into his path once more.
Mihail is a hunter and the son of the antagonist that plagued Vasil and Mason in the previous book. when the two realize how deeply entwined they are in each other's destinies, Mihail has to make a choice even though Andrei's mind has been made up since they met.
We were two monsters on opposite ends of the spectrum. Two things destined to oppose each other. Why had we ever thought we could come together without tearing everything apart? “I know what it is now,” I said quietly, managing to drag myself to my feet even though my human body felt foreign. “Our story. It’s a tragedy.”
i think Joel gave such healthy doses of conflict in each book, it's hard to hate on this one even though three years pass before our main characters see each other again. it's not done for the angst, it feels integral and necessary because boys needed to become men and understand the gravity of their choices as it pertained to not just each other, but their families too. even though Vasil and Mason were best friends, i think Andrei and Mihail had a stronger draw between them.
i'm not a fan of a mean mmc, though. the whole bullying thing didn't appeal to me in the first one and it didn't appeal to me in this one, even though the flavor of the hatred was different. Mihail vows and threatens to kill Andrei so many times, i was relieved that Joel made him be the one to profess love first. Andrei acted it, but Mihail was the first to say the words and thank god for that cos it made it easier to forgive how fucking dumb i thought he was when he was parading himself around as bait for his hunter family.
We belonged to both of those worlds, and fully to neither. Fully to no one and nothing but each other.
this review is definitely all over the place because it took me two days to read it and i've had thoughts throughout but didn't make any comprehensive outline so whatever it's an old book idc. anyway this little trilogy was better than i expected going into it and it's found a place in my neat little shelf of favorites. if you like alpha/omega, werewolf anything– this will hit so hard. it's not like the standard fated mates trope that i'm used to reading from books like it. the plot in the second and third book are actually so good, it helped enhance the romance that much more. so cheers 🥂
we met Andrei in the first book as Nicolae's nearly-feral ward. Jack became his dad and even though Nicolae remained just Nicolae, both are fathers to him making Mason and Ellie his siblings in everything but blood. in the second book, he was a teenager with a special bond with Vasil, Mason's mate. Vasil was the one responsible for tracking him down when he'd disappear from the pack at night. having essentially seen him grow up, Andrei is easily my favorite character of the series.
the start of the book brings us back to Andrei's youth where he meets Mihail. Mihail knows what Andrei is but his identity is a secret; apart from the fact that he's a human. they betray their kind to keep their friendship that blossoms into something more, but when fate comes calling, Andrei has to sacrifice their bond and flees. for years they remain separated, but fate is a fickle thing and Mihail is thrust into his path once more.
Mihail is a hunter and the son of the antagonist that plagued Vasil and Mason in the previous book. when the two realize how deeply entwined they are in each other's destinies, Mihail has to make a choice even though Andrei's mind has been made up since they met.
We were two monsters on opposite ends of the spectrum. Two things destined to oppose each other. Why had we ever thought we could come together without tearing everything apart? “I know what it is now,” I said quietly, managing to drag myself to my feet even though my human body felt foreign. “Our story. It’s a tragedy.”
i think Joel gave such healthy doses of conflict in each book, it's hard to hate on this one even though three years pass before our main characters see each other again. it's not done for the angst, it feels integral and necessary because boys needed to become men and understand the gravity of their choices as it pertained to not just each other, but their families too. even though Vasil and Mason were best friends, i think Andrei and Mihail had a stronger draw between them.
i'm not a fan of a mean mmc, though. the whole bullying thing didn't appeal to me in the first one and it didn't appeal to me in this one, even though the flavor of the hatred was different. Mihail vows and threatens to kill Andrei so many times, i was relieved that Joel made him be the one to profess love first. Andrei acted it, but Mihail was the first to say the words and thank god for that cos it made it easier to forgive how fucking dumb i thought he was when he was parading himself around as bait for his hunter family.
We belonged to both of those worlds, and fully to neither. Fully to no one and nothing but each other.
this review is definitely all over the place because it took me two days to read it and i've had thoughts throughout but didn't make any comprehensive outline so whatever it's an old book idc. anyway this little trilogy was better than i expected going into it and it's found a place in my neat little shelf of favorites. if you like alpha/omega, werewolf anything– this will hit so hard. it's not like the standard fated mates trope that i'm used to reading from books like it. the plot in the second and third book are actually so good, it helped enhance the romance that much more. so cheers 🥂
January 29, 2021
The first book had Andrei, a little boy who was traumatized so he got stuck in his wolf form, he was a secondary character but I felt for him and Chella also wanted to know his story so we decided to buddyread this one too. 🤭❤
It was better than the first one and the second one of the series (thanks Chella for your sacrifice with that one), it was darker, more heavy with a depressing vibe but it made more sense than the others, that's why the four stars. Of course, all of this the author threw away in the last 90% or so, by changing the character's personalities wich was disappointing, but I was expecting it no surprises there.
At the beginning I didn't understand much nor did I like the characters, but they grew on me and I could power through. There were still actions that I didn't understand and eye roll moments but this book felt like an improvement, so kudos to that. It was short, had an interesting storyline and even though I felt the sex scenes were superficial, it was entertaining enough.
🤷🏻♀️❤
It was better than the first one and the second one of the series (thanks Chella for your sacrifice with that one), it was darker, more heavy with a depressing vibe but it made more sense than the others, that's why the four stars. Of course, all of this the author threw away in the last 90% or so, by changing the character's personalities wich was disappointing, but I was expecting it no surprises there.
At the beginning I didn't understand much nor did I like the characters, but they grew on me and I could power through. There were still actions that I didn't understand and eye roll moments but this book felt like an improvement, so kudos to that. It was short, had an interesting storyline and even though I felt the sex scenes were superficial, it was entertaining enough.
🤷🏻♀️❤
August 4, 2021
Why did we have this whole new big showdown/conflict at 89%? Of course you're going to have a rushed ending when you do that. What the hell.
I don't know, man, this one could've been great -- a boy born to hunters, an adopted feral wolf pup combo -- but.. it wasn't. My main issue with this author's writing is inconsistent characterization and this one is no exception. Not just that but hunter dude wavered so hard in both directions, both pre and post a few major emotional (and more..) changes and upheavals, and there was always a quick adjustment, spinning both ways on a dime. I just don't get it.
The writing, however, much like from book one to two, was also a little better in this one. But nothing to write home about. I'm not sure I picked up on as many inconsistencies this time around but we sure did jump around in scene and location. I think maybe that's just the author's thing, though? No clue.
Series over. I won't read from Abernathy again. Glad I had the trial to finally give him a try, though.
I don't know, man, this one could've been great -- a boy born to hunters, an adopted feral wolf pup combo -- but.. it wasn't. My main issue with this author's writing is inconsistent characterization and this one is no exception. Not just that but hunter dude wavered so hard in both directions, both pre and post a few major emotional (and more..) changes and upheavals, and there was always a quick adjustment, spinning both ways on a dime. I just don't get it.
The writing, however, much like from book one to two, was also a little better in this one. But nothing to write home about. I'm not sure I picked up on as many inconsistencies this time around but we sure did jump around in scene and location. I think maybe that's just the author's thing, though? No clue.
Series over. I won't read from Abernathy again. Glad I had the trial to finally give him a try, though.
May 13, 2019
I enjoyed this next book .. lots of angst & emotion. Although it felt a little rushed / messy at times, I still connected with the MCs.
January 30, 2021
As someone whose read book 1 (3 Stars)
Really tried with book 2 ( 1 Star) DNF 49%
Yet still decided to give book 3 a chance because it was part of my buddy read with Rosabel
See her review HERE
I can honestly say I'm baffled on how to review and rate this.
Although all three books are interlaced they feel like part of a different series or maybe even written by different authors. From book 1 to book 3 the characters changed personalities so much I got whiplash.
The world building changed so much between the books I had to double check I wasn't accidentally reading a different series that so happened to have the same character names.
Trigger Warning: Book 3 is NOT a light read. It's gory and dark, depressing and sometimes just unnecessary.
It was BETTER then the previous books BUT such a night and day contrast that I don't know what to think.
I don't think I ever warmed up to Mikhail the way I should have and even less so in the end. There were times when I pitied him but that was as far as it went. I really never bought that he was as gone for Andrei as Andrei was for him. At first I chucked it up to his being human, but when that was no longer an excuse...
There was SO MANY inconsistencies in the book. Some things you can look pass but others annoyed me so much...
Inconsistencies with Omegas: From so rare in book 1, to having enough in book 2 that there's whore houses of them, to being so common by book 3 that there's basically a line of them for Nicolae's pack to pick and choose from. (Mason's mom, Jack, the girl Mason almost married, the girl Andrei almost married to now Andrei himself.)
Inconsistencies with Alpha leaderships. Now an adopted alpha gets a turn at being head of the clan?
With where they live: (How did Mikhail know where he lived? Even if he did how did he throw a pebble from the bottom floor to the top floor of the high rise Andrei and his family lives in?)
How is it so easy for human hunters to come and go with no detection by any of the wolves in their own territories?
And that's just to name a few
The ending we received was so lack luster and just left me feeling... perhaps this gif describes it best:
Since I personally felt like this was better than Book 1
I'll throw in half a star more... so 3.5
Really tried with book 2 ( 1 Star) DNF 49%
Yet still decided to give book 3 a chance because it was part of my buddy read with Rosabel
See her review HERE
I can honestly say I'm baffled on how to review and rate this.
Although all three books are interlaced they feel like part of a different series or maybe even written by different authors. From book 1 to book 3 the characters changed personalities so much I got whiplash.
The world building changed so much between the books I had to double check I wasn't accidentally reading a different series that so happened to have the same character names.
Trigger Warning: Book 3 is NOT a light read. It's gory and dark, depressing and sometimes just unnecessary.
It was BETTER then the previous books BUT such a night and day contrast that I don't know what to think.
I don't think I ever warmed up to Mikhail the way I should have and even less so in the end. There were times when I pitied him but that was as far as it went. I really never bought that he was as gone for Andrei as Andrei was for him. At first I chucked it up to his being human, but when that was no longer an excuse...
There was SO MANY inconsistencies in the book. Some things you can look pass but others annoyed me so much...
Inconsistencies with Omegas: From so rare in book 1, to having enough in book 2 that there's whore houses of them, to being so common by book 3 that there's basically a line of them for Nicolae's pack to pick and choose from. (Mason's mom, Jack, the girl Mason almost married, the girl Andrei almost married to now Andrei himself.)
Inconsistencies with Alpha leaderships. Now an adopted alpha gets a turn at being head of the clan?
With where they live: (How did Mikhail know where he lived? Even if he did how did he throw a pebble from the bottom floor to the top floor of the high rise Andrei and his family lives in?)
How is it so easy for human hunters to come and go with no detection by any of the wolves in their own territories?
And that's just to name a few
The ending we received was so lack luster and just left me feeling... perhaps this gif describes it best:
Since I personally felt like this was better than Book 1
I'll throw in half a star more... so 3.5
August 13, 2021
Andrei sabe que su familia lo ama con fiereza y que hace todo lo posible para aceptarlo como es, pero no lo entienden realmente, solo aquel nino que conocio en una de sus "cacerias" lo acepta y entiende, y su amistad con el es lo unico que mantiene a su bestia tranquila. Pero cuando resulta que este nino es un cazador y ademas uno que juro matarlo la proxima vez que lo viera, el decide cruzar el mundo e intentar tranquilizar a su mounstruo solo cazando a vampiros y lobos que se han vuelto salvajes.
Mihail nacio y fue criado para ser el lider de los cazadores, desde que tiene uso de razon el debe ser el sucesor de su padre, Dominic, pero conoce a Andrei un "principe" entre los lobos, quien le permite ver el otro lado de la moneda y entender que no todos los lobos son malos. Pero una fatidica noche, Andrei lo defiende de sus "hermanos" asesinandolos, y el decide que debe vengarlos y su amistad con Andrei termina y comienza la caceria.
En la lejana ciudad de Brazil Andrei y Mihail se vuelven a encontrar y se dan cuenta que no solo la sed de venganza es lo que los atrae, sino tambien algo mas profundo y poderoso. Seguiran intentando destruirse o intentaran unirse de la manera mas intima posible? Solo el tiempo lo dira.
Este libro cumplio y no cumplio mis expectativas. La historia de ambos personajes fue muy cruda, la forma de describir los sentimientos de cada uno, sobre todo la incomprension y la soledad, te hacen conectarte enseguida con los personajes, la evolucion de la relacion fue logica, la forma que entraron en la trama los otros personajes esta bien manejada, la descripcion de la forma de cazar de los cazadores y la logica detras de su "mision" tambien es entendible.
El problema para mi con este libro, fue la forma como el autor cambia las reglas del universo de un libro para otro, una mitologia que ha hacia sido pulida en el libro pasado, la cambia tanto que te decepciona, por ejemplo, todos los Alfa tienen una forma ma de hombre-lobo que de lobo, es la forma de diferenciar los Alfa, entonces si te dicen que Andrei es Alfa, se supone que tiene esa forma, incluso a comienzo del libro te lo describen de esa manera, pero resulta que tiene "rastros de omega", que es eso???. Y varias cosas por el estilo que provocaron que terminara perdiendole el gusto a la historia.
Siento que si el autor logra definir bien y detalladamente el universo y mitologia sobre la que va a trabajar los libros antes de entrar a escribirlos, las historias serian mucho mas solidas y mucho mas entretenidas. Y con eso no quiero decir que no son buenos algunos "cambios inesperados", pero no tantos cambios y tan dramaticos como los vimos en este libro.
Pero bueno, en fin, es una buena serie para los amantes de los hombres-lobo, y lo mas importante no es MPREG!!
Mihail nacio y fue criado para ser el lider de los cazadores, desde que tiene uso de razon el debe ser el sucesor de su padre, Dominic, pero conoce a Andrei un "principe" entre los lobos, quien le permite ver el otro lado de la moneda y entender que no todos los lobos son malos. Pero una fatidica noche, Andrei lo defiende de sus "hermanos" asesinandolos, y el decide que debe vengarlos y su amistad con Andrei termina y comienza la caceria.
En la lejana ciudad de Brazil Andrei y Mihail se vuelven a encontrar y se dan cuenta que no solo la sed de venganza es lo que los atrae, sino tambien algo mas profundo y poderoso. Seguiran intentando destruirse o intentaran unirse de la manera mas intima posible? Solo el tiempo lo dira.
Este libro cumplio y no cumplio mis expectativas. La historia de ambos personajes fue muy cruda, la forma de describir los sentimientos de cada uno, sobre todo la incomprension y la soledad, te hacen conectarte enseguida con los personajes, la evolucion de la relacion fue logica, la forma que entraron en la trama los otros personajes esta bien manejada, la descripcion de la forma de cazar de los cazadores y la logica detras de su "mision" tambien es entendible.
El problema para mi con este libro, fue la forma como el autor cambia las reglas del universo de un libro para otro, una mitologia que ha hacia sido pulida en el libro pasado, la cambia tanto que te decepciona, por ejemplo, todos los Alfa tienen una forma ma de hombre-lobo que de lobo, es la forma de diferenciar los Alfa, entonces si te dicen que Andrei es Alfa, se supone que tiene esa forma, incluso a comienzo del libro te lo describen de esa manera, pero resulta que tiene "rastros de omega", que es eso???. Y varias cosas por el estilo que provocaron que terminara perdiendole el gusto a la historia.
Siento que si el autor logra definir bien y detalladamente el universo y mitologia sobre la que va a trabajar los libros antes de entrar a escribirlos, las historias serian mucho mas solidas y mucho mas entretenidas. Y con eso no quiero decir que no son buenos algunos "cambios inesperados", pero no tantos cambios y tan dramaticos como los vimos en este libro.
Pero bueno, en fin, es una buena serie para los amantes de los hombres-lobo, y lo mas importante no es MPREG!!
July 24, 2019
I really enjoyed this trilogy.
This world that Joel Abernathy built here was beautiful. I loved Andreii so much, I was so/so about Mihail. In the beginning of the book, I thought Andreii and Mihail were adorable with their hidden relationship.
As the book progressed, I wasn't a fan of Mihail, I understood he was an emotional teenager at the time of his greatest pain but I didn't like the way he treated Andreii during that time.
I will say this, this book had so many unexpected surprises and reveals that I didn't see coming that it made the story so much more better.
I would recommend this series to all MM lovers.
This world that Joel Abernathy built here was beautiful. I loved Andreii so much, I was so/so about Mihail. In the beginning of the book, I thought Andreii and Mihail were adorable with their hidden relationship.
As the book progressed, I wasn't a fan of Mihail, I understood he was an emotional teenager at the time of his greatest pain but I didn't like the way he treated Andreii during that time.
I will say this, this book had so many unexpected surprises and reveals that I didn't see coming that it made the story so much more better.
I would recommend this series to all MM lovers.
September 24, 2023
Third reread while this isn't my favorite of the series it still gets 5 stars because I said so 😂
Favorite Quotes
------
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
"We were all either hunter or prey. "
Shift is the third book in Joel Abernathy's Flesh and Bone series. It technically can be read as a standalone but there are characters from previous books in it. The book as a whole will mean more if you read the first two books and I highly recommend them because they were two of my top reads of last year.
"He'd always been my sanctuary, and now, he was a raft keeping me a float in choppy water."
Mihail and Andrei are two people living opposite lives. Mihail is a hunter, chasing down and killing inhuman monsters. Andrei holds a wolf inside him that he struggles to control. Somehow these two boys become unlikely friends and live in their own little bubble while together. They form a bond that is shattered as they grow older and secrets they both kept hidden from each other come to light. Mihail and Andrei go from friends to enemies to so much more, as their lives become entwined with each other.
"A kiss was sweeter than a bullet, but in the end, they all resulted in the same thing."
It took me a moment to get back into the Flesh and Bone world but once I did and the story really got moving I was hooked. The romance itself was a slow burn that grew as the characters' connection grew. Mihail and Andrei are both a bit broken inside with unknown and deeply buried pasts. I loved how both Mihail and Andrei grow and change into two different people than they were at the start of the book. Whether they are fighting or being intimate the passion between them is intense.
"Every touch sparked a need I didn't know I had, but once it came into existence, it was insatiable."
Shift was one of my most anticipated reads for this year and it did not disappoint.Once again Joel Abernathy immerses you into a world and family of supernaturals that you can't help but fall in love with. They have a fantastic ability to project the characters feelings and passions and bring a story to life. If you enjoy MM paranormal romances a bit on the darker side than I highly recommend the entire Flesh and Bone series!
"When you loved someone to the point of obsession, their hatred was almost as satisfying as love."
5 star
Favorite Quotes
------
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
"We were all either hunter or prey. "
Shift is the third book in Joel Abernathy's Flesh and Bone series. It technically can be read as a standalone but there are characters from previous books in it. The book as a whole will mean more if you read the first two books and I highly recommend them because they were two of my top reads of last year.
"He'd always been my sanctuary, and now, he was a raft keeping me a float in choppy water."
Mihail and Andrei are two people living opposite lives. Mihail is a hunter, chasing down and killing inhuman monsters. Andrei holds a wolf inside him that he struggles to control. Somehow these two boys become unlikely friends and live in their own little bubble while together. They form a bond that is shattered as they grow older and secrets they both kept hidden from each other come to light. Mihail and Andrei go from friends to enemies to so much more, as their lives become entwined with each other.
"A kiss was sweeter than a bullet, but in the end, they all resulted in the same thing."
It took me a moment to get back into the Flesh and Bone world but once I did and the story really got moving I was hooked. The romance itself was a slow burn that grew as the characters' connection grew. Mihail and Andrei are both a bit broken inside with unknown and deeply buried pasts. I loved how both Mihail and Andrei grow and change into two different people than they were at the start of the book. Whether they are fighting or being intimate the passion between them is intense.
"Every touch sparked a need I didn't know I had, but once it came into existence, it was insatiable."
Shift was one of my most anticipated reads for this year and it did not disappoint.Once again Joel Abernathy immerses you into a world and family of supernaturals that you can't help but fall in love with. They have a fantastic ability to project the characters feelings and passions and bring a story to life. If you enjoy MM paranormal romances a bit on the darker side than I highly recommend the entire Flesh and Bone series!
"When you loved someone to the point of obsession, their hatred was almost as satisfying as love."
5 star
May 5, 2019
3.5 ⭐'s for me. I truly really liked this but the ending for me is what is the hold up for me with a better rating. I'm conflicted with my feelings with the ending, yes Andrei and Mihail got their HEA but I still wasn't a fan of the whole hunting and half-breed concept.
It was quite a surprise how truly intertwined the characters lives were unbeknownst to them!! 😲
I loved how Andrei and Mihail felt the pull to each other early on and how much they protected their forbidden relationship.
All in all this was a really good read for me, I just wish I was happier with the ending. 🤔😉😊
It was quite a surprise how truly intertwined the characters lives were unbeknownst to them!! 😲
I loved how Andrei and Mihail felt the pull to each other early on and how much they protected their forbidden relationship.
All in all this was a really good read for me, I just wish I was happier with the ending. 🤔😉😊
May 3, 2019
3.5 Stars. The third book in the series was another different approach to seeing the wolves and how they live in their world. Much more uncontrolled savagery that is a trainwreck to watch. This book had less plot holes and seemed better plotted than the second book but still had a few that made me scratch my head. And, really, I am not a fan of "heat" tropes in my paranatural shifter stories so that was a bummer.
I liked these two, I liked the outcome, I liked the glimpse of the past characters.
I liked these two, I liked the outcome, I liked the glimpse of the past characters.
July 7, 2023
What happens when an avenging angel runs upon a monster? Will there be salvation or a bloody ending!
A story full of so many missing threads. Some were cut by truma. Others disintegrated into dust. What remains is a story of two lost boys. That made a choice for themselves. One to remember and the other to take on a mantel.
A story full of so many missing threads. Some were cut by truma. Others disintegrated into dust. What remains is a story of two lost boys. That made a choice for themselves. One to remember and the other to take on a mantel.
June 5, 2019
✮4 Stars✮
October 20, 2020
18+- RTC- Very enjoyable
Rating: 3.5 Stars.
Steam: 6 out of 10.
Triggers:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
Rating: 3.5 Stars.
Steam: 6 out of 10.
Triggers:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
January 14, 2023
Ohhh, my favorite out of the three!
Loved the angst, the romance and the ending.
Loved the angst, the romance and the ending.
May 10, 2019
I have been waiting for this book - Shift is the third book in Joel Abernathy's Flesh and Bone series.
Andrei is the little feral pup who Nicolae and Jack adopt in the previous book, his parentage is unknown, his beast is still feral and Andrei is struggling to keep it inside. Mihail is a "hunter" and is used as bait to attract the beasts for his family to exterminate. He encounters Andrei one night in a dark alley and they are strangely drawn to each other and become friends. They meet in secret throughout their childhood and early teens to escape their real lives and be together, until a hunt goes awry - Mihail must pull away and they soon become enemies, which forces Andrei to run.
I struggled a little bit to begin with, I had trouble relating the light-hearted narrative from the previous story around pup Andrei with this vicious, all consuming bipedal horror - the blood and gore was grim. I like dark paranormal, but as times this was just blood, guts and gore. The MC's are a slow-burn and the main interaction isn't until they have been apart for a number of years and Mihail is sent to bring Andrei down.
The twist towards the end of the story was well done in regard to Andrei, but it doesn't really answer his raging lupin and earlier antics. I am still trying to get my head round Milhail's parentage and the purge that he decided to go through - what did this really accomplish?
Overall, it was an entertaining read and once I got over the stilted start, I read the remaining book in one sitting and enjoyed. It is darker than the previous two books, more guts and a tad on the grim side, but there is a fine line between love/hate and the conclusion at the end left me content.
I received a gifted copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
Andrei is the little feral pup who Nicolae and Jack adopt in the previous book, his parentage is unknown, his beast is still feral and Andrei is struggling to keep it inside. Mihail is a "hunter" and is used as bait to attract the beasts for his family to exterminate. He encounters Andrei one night in a dark alley and they are strangely drawn to each other and become friends. They meet in secret throughout their childhood and early teens to escape their real lives and be together, until a hunt goes awry - Mihail must pull away and they soon become enemies, which forces Andrei to run.
I struggled a little bit to begin with, I had trouble relating the light-hearted narrative from the previous story around pup Andrei with this vicious, all consuming bipedal horror - the blood and gore was grim. I like dark paranormal, but as times this was just blood, guts and gore. The MC's are a slow-burn and the main interaction isn't until they have been apart for a number of years and Mihail is sent to bring Andrei down.
The twist towards the end of the story was well done in regard to Andrei, but it doesn't really answer his raging lupin and earlier antics. I am still trying to get my head round Milhail's parentage and the purge that he decided to go through - what did this really accomplish?
Overall, it was an entertaining read and once I got over the stilted start, I read the remaining book in one sitting and enjoyed. It is darker than the previous two books, more guts and a tad on the grim side, but there is a fine line between love/hate and the conclusion at the end left me content.
I received a gifted copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
April 29, 2019
This book is different from the first two, but it is still dark and filled with conflicting emotions and plenty of violence. The characters are well developed, and the writing is smoothly done.
This is the story of Andrei and Mihail. Andrei is the pup Vasel found that was nearly feral, but Nicolae and Jack adopted as Mason and Ellie's alpha brother. When the story picks up, the boys are adolescents. Andrei is not in control of the beast, but Mihail does not seem to be afraid.
Mihail knows a lot more about Andrei and his family than he lets on...with good reason. Because although he has developed feelings for the wolf, he knows one day he will have to do the unthinkable.
Feelings deepen, secrets are revealed, trust is broken, but the monsters rage on. When Andrei is forced to bring Mihail back to the pack, Andrei's entire identity is overturned. Mihail and Andrei must decide what they truly feel toward one another in order to avoid a disastrous situation.
However, when more sinister secrets from the past are made known, an untenable choice is put in front of Mihail. It was from this point on in the story that caused me to drop my rating by a star. I personally did not like the way the storyline unfolded from this point, but that isn't really the problem. So much happened over a wide span of time, but I did not feel that there was enough explanation for the events. This could just be my own personal hang-up, too.
Overall, it was still a great book. I'm not really sure how to describe the romance, other than the MCs were born to be enemies and found common ground.
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review. *
This is the story of Andrei and Mihail. Andrei is the pup Vasel found that was nearly feral, but Nicolae and Jack adopted as Mason and Ellie's alpha brother. When the story picks up, the boys are adolescents. Andrei is not in control of the beast, but Mihail does not seem to be afraid.
Mihail knows a lot more about Andrei and his family than he lets on...with good reason. Because although he has developed feelings for the wolf, he knows one day he will have to do the unthinkable.
Feelings deepen, secrets are revealed, trust is broken, but the monsters rage on. When Andrei is forced to bring Mihail back to the pack, Andrei's entire identity is overturned. Mihail and Andrei must decide what they truly feel toward one another in order to avoid a disastrous situation.
However, when more sinister secrets from the past are made known, an untenable choice is put in front of Mihail. It was from this point on in the story that caused me to drop my rating by a star. I personally did not like the way the storyline unfolded from this point, but that isn't really the problem. So much happened over a wide span of time, but I did not feel that there was enough explanation for the events. This could just be my own personal hang-up, too.
Overall, it was still a great book. I'm not really sure how to describe the romance, other than the MCs were born to be enemies and found common ground.
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review. *
March 10, 2024
I don't expect anyone to understand my attachment to this series. I just enjoyed it a lot. Also a note of the series - the covers are all so pretty I love them. This series is such a nice change from the things I'd been reading lately where the guys navigate romances between hooking up and going on dates and dating and all the complicated nuances of romantic relationships in the human world. This was so different, and complicated feelings while still being so much more simple than the 1000 steps of college dating was exactly what my brain needed.
This book had the same angry, violent romance I enjoyed in the previous books, with another twist to the forbidden romance - Andrei, the youngest Ursache son falls in love with his only friend, Mihail. He doesn't know Mihail is the heir to a hunter clan. They're both each other's escape and more, but when Andrei does something unforgivable, they become enemies and Andrei flees his home. Mihail embraces his legacy as a hunter, while Andrei struggles to keep the bloodthirsty beast inside him under control. When they are reunited three years later, they're different men, but they're still faced with a storm of old, painful feelings ranging from hatred to love.
I love the friends to enemies to lovers so much. I loved the relationship between Andrei and Mihail. Everyone around Andrei has considered him feral, a monster that could only be a danger to the people around him. Even if his family loves him, they don't know how deep his bloodlust runs. Mihail is the son of the man who has hurt Andrei's family, raised to believe the world would be better off without all its monsters and that he was the one that would slay them. Andrei is the exception. Like in the previous books, their feelings are not simple, so many times Mihail is torn apart between his feelings and everything he was taught.
I really really liked the majority of the book up until the end. It's something I've remarked in the other books as well, but I am not a fan of how the author rushes to wrap up the stories - the shift between love-hate to love always feel sudden and a little disconnected to the story, and in this case, the book rushes to cram a plot resolution in the last 10% and it felt weird and while that was an important issue to address.. why do it so late?
Loved to see the characters from the previous books though, even though it still cracks me up to see Nicolae act so soft and be so shocked his sons think he is disappointed in them when he used to be such an ass. His shift still is so weird to me but it is how it is, I guess.
Still loved the development of Andrei and Mihail's friendship, to begrudging enemies to lovers. They're true soulmates who loved in each other despite the anger and the pain and the past. They're obsessed with each other and I love that for them! I just wished the end took its time to deliver instead of being a rushed mess of half-baked revelations and resolution.
(Put in here some of the quotes I liked, there are many more, because this book is angsty and horny and dark in an emo way I missed and I don't care you can judge me but i don't care!!!!!)
“He stared at me in horror, unblinking. I could see the disgust in his eyes, and the love. They were both there, both equal, as conflicting as they were. For the first time, I felt it, too. We were two monsters on opposite ends of the spectrum. Two things destined to oppose each other. Why had we ever thought we could come together without tearing everything apart?
“I know what it is now,” I said quietly, managing to drag myself to my feet even though my human body felt foreign. “Our story. It’s a tragedy.”
This book had the same angry, violent romance I enjoyed in the previous books, with another twist to the forbidden romance - Andrei, the youngest Ursache son falls in love with his only friend, Mihail. He doesn't know Mihail is the heir to a hunter clan. They're both each other's escape and more, but when Andrei does something unforgivable, they become enemies and Andrei flees his home. Mihail embraces his legacy as a hunter, while Andrei struggles to keep the bloodthirsty beast inside him under control. When they are reunited three years later, they're different men, but they're still faced with a storm of old, painful feelings ranging from hatred to love.
“It had been three days since Mihail had woken up and the second time he’d attacked me with every intention to kill. I could see it in his eyes. There was no doubt or hesitation, just pure, burning drive and the fact that I loved him all the more for it was proof that I was still the monster he believed me to be.
When you loved someone to the point of obsession, their hatred was almost as satisfying as love. Or maybe I was just that fucked up. Either way, every glare and attempt at murder was the closest I was ever getting to another kiss, and I savored them.”
I love the friends to enemies to lovers so much. I loved the relationship between Andrei and Mihail. Everyone around Andrei has considered him feral, a monster that could only be a danger to the people around him. Even if his family loves him, they don't know how deep his bloodlust runs. Mihail is the son of the man who has hurt Andrei's family, raised to believe the world would be better off without all its monsters and that he was the one that would slay them. Andrei is the exception. Like in the previous books, their feelings are not simple, so many times Mihail is torn apart between his feelings and everything he was taught.
I really really liked the majority of the book up until the end. It's something I've remarked in the other books as well, but I am not a fan of how the author rushes to wrap up the stories - the shift between love-hate to love always feel sudden and a little disconnected to the story, and in this case, the book rushes to cram a plot resolution in the last 10% and it felt weird and while that was an important issue to address.. why do it so late?
“One final act of betrayal, but I couldn’t stop myself. I loved him too much to do the right thing and being loved by a monster was always a curse.”
Loved to see the characters from the previous books though, even though it still cracks me up to see Nicolae act so soft and be so shocked his sons think he is disappointed in them when he used to be such an ass. His shift still is so weird to me but it is how it is, I guess.
Still loved the development of Andrei and Mihail's friendship, to begrudging enemies to lovers. They're true soulmates who loved in each other despite the anger and the pain and the past. They're obsessed with each other and I love that for them! I just wished the end took its time to deliver instead of being a rushed mess of half-baked revelations and resolution.
(Put in here some of the quotes I liked, there are many more, because this book is angsty and horny and dark in an emo way I missed and I don't care you can judge me but i don't care!!!!!)
June 19, 2019
This is the end of the trilogy.
Andrei imprints on a hunter, Mikhail, at an early age. This is their story.
I am sad to see the series end, but I think it’s run its course.
This was a hard fought HEA. I didn’t know what or how they would come together, though I don’t think either wanted to fight/kill the other.
*ARC provided by LesCourt Services
Andrei imprints on a hunter, Mikhail, at an early age. This is their story.
I am sad to see the series end, but I think it’s run its course.
This was a hard fought HEA. I didn’t know what or how they would come together, though I don’t think either wanted to fight/kill the other.
*ARC provided by LesCourt Services
August 25, 2019
This one started out a bit shaky and messy, and I wasn't entirely sold on the MCs romance at first, mainly because they were still just teenagers when the story began.
But there was a near the middle and after that it became really enjoyable. Andrei's and Mihail's personalities got more distinct (in the beginning I was not able to differentiate between them without first glancing at the chapter titles), some of the messed-up shit that happened in the beginning made more sense. I liked the twists and turns near the end as well, though the very end was a bit of a clusterfuck, too many things happening all at once.
A solid series, with great writing and world-building, interesting characters, hot-as-balls sex scenes and some really funny lines. If you like shifter stories (without MPREG - which I'm very particular about and not exactly fond of) you should give this one a chance!
But there was a near the middle and after that it became really enjoyable. Andrei's and Mihail's personalities got more distinct (in the beginning I was not able to differentiate between them without first glancing at the chapter titles), some of the messed-up shit that happened in the beginning made more sense. I liked the twists and turns near the end as well, though the very end was a bit of a clusterfuck, too many things happening all at once.
A solid series, with great writing and world-building, interesting characters, hot-as-balls sex scenes and some really funny lines. If you like shifter stories (without MPREG - which I'm very particular about and not exactly fond of) you should give this one a chance!
October 1, 2023
"Every breath Mihail took was a betrayal of the rules, my family, my shelf, but it didn't matter, because every second I spent with him felt like a gift."
This whole series was a wild ride and consumed me for days. And while Andrei and Mihail’s book wasn’t my favorite (I had a hard time connecting with them), I loved the world and characters Abernathy created and I’m so happy I gave this series a try. 4 Stars!
"We belonged to both of those worlds, and fully to neither. Fully to no one and nothing but each other."
Special shout-out to my friend Amanda for buddy reading this series with me🖤
This whole series was a wild ride and consumed me for days. And while Andrei and Mihail’s book wasn’t my favorite (I had a hard time connecting with them), I loved the world and characters Abernathy created and I’m so happy I gave this series a try. 4 Stars!
"We belonged to both of those worlds, and fully to neither. Fully to no one and nothing but each other."
Special shout-out to my friend Amanda for buddy reading this series with me🖤
April 3, 2024
Relistened via Hoof&Fang Audio and I’m so happy to be back! I love these characters, and Kirt’s narration is how I originally read the first two books, so it felt right. I feel like it even hit better the second time around. Now I just want to listen to them all again!
Shelved as 'own-but-not-read-yet'
November 25, 2019Thank you Elfonso Northpoleington for this gift. Now I can finish the series, squee! 💋
March 5, 2021
4 stars.
Read
April 12, 2021Nope. I imagined more civilized people and this one's not for me unfortunately.
Read
March 2, 2022
Trigger & Content Warnings
Dismemberment
Torture
Dismemberment
Torture
February 1, 2024
This was my least favorite of the series. I felt like this was a very similar storyline to the last one. Well, more so towards the end. It was almost the same thing except with a different person doing it all. But yet that person was also part of it.
I don't know, I just didn't buy into it with these two. I'm glad this was the last one, because I'm not sure I would've continued with another one.
I don't know, I just didn't buy into it with these two. I'm glad this was the last one, because I'm not sure I would've continued with another one.
March 20, 2021
Really good, if slightly more feral🐺😍
I received this book by the author and This is my honest opinion.
"he smiled and I knew right then what kind of story this was from the way my heart ached even as my fingers itched to become claws and tear him open. It was a tragedy, and he didn’t even know it yet. The ending was laid out in front of me plain as day. It was just a matter of figuring out which one of us was destined to play the villain."
This book was really good, but that's no surprise as this authors stories normally are. I must admit I've been slathering at the mouth to get my mitts on this book since I read a snippet from book 2 bleed which is a hard act to follow on from as this one is my favourite of the series. Andrei a feral who was brought into the pack, who is not quite socially acceptable as he's dangerously close to the wolf within being in charge is maybe one kill away from discovery.
Michail is a Hunter and basically a wolf in sheep clothing luring the supes with his deceptively innocent act. Both stumble on each other and though they are at the opposite ends of the spectrum of what they should avoid they form an unlikely friendship.
I got right into this book as it automatically caught my attention, I must admit this book was a little darker then the previous two due to Andrei being a bit more incline to his baser nature. I did not like the scene at the beginning where a family was killed, it wasn't graphic but the little innocuous scene setting details really brought to life what was happening and though I would of rather not had that happen as it did upset me a bit(I'm a softie) it highlights the author's talent.
I liked that we found out more about Andrei and of his past which was incidentally intwined with michails. This story was both sad and happy and I loved that through the unveiling of secrets and fights that these two unconventional characters got there happy ever after even if it is not the idyllic settling down but it suited both characters down to a tea😀
The cover really suits the book as well
I received this book by the author and This is my honest opinion.
"he smiled and I knew right then what kind of story this was from the way my heart ached even as my fingers itched to become claws and tear him open. It was a tragedy, and he didn’t even know it yet. The ending was laid out in front of me plain as day. It was just a matter of figuring out which one of us was destined to play the villain."
This book was really good, but that's no surprise as this authors stories normally are. I must admit I've been slathering at the mouth to get my mitts on this book since I read a snippet from book 2 bleed which is a hard act to follow on from as this one is my favourite of the series. Andrei a feral who was brought into the pack, who is not quite socially acceptable as he's dangerously close to the wolf within being in charge is maybe one kill away from discovery.
Michail is a Hunter and basically a wolf in sheep clothing luring the supes with his deceptively innocent act. Both stumble on each other and though they are at the opposite ends of the spectrum of what they should avoid they form an unlikely friendship.
I got right into this book as it automatically caught my attention, I must admit this book was a little darker then the previous two due to Andrei being a bit more incline to his baser nature. I did not like the scene at the beginning where a family was killed, it wasn't graphic but the little innocuous scene setting details really brought to life what was happening and though I would of rather not had that happen as it did upset me a bit(I'm a softie) it highlights the author's talent.
I liked that we found out more about Andrei and of his past which was incidentally intwined with michails. This story was both sad and happy and I loved that through the unveiling of secrets and fights that these two unconventional characters got there happy ever after even if it is not the idyllic settling down but it suited both characters down to a tea😀
The cover really suits the book as well
June 18, 2021
I enjoyed this book even though I did think it was a tad rushed at the end.
Trigger warnings for violence, torture, and dismemberment.
I went into the book kind of hesitant to read it, because we’ve known Andrei since he was a child in the first book so I was like, eww are we going to have to deal with sex scenes now?
I think the way the story was handled made it less creepy? lol The story does start from a young Andrei and Mihail and we stay with them for awhile as we see them growing up as friends, the wolf and the hunter. For about a third of this book, this feels a bit middle grade/YA, before we get a time jump to when the two are older.
This book is still quite brutal and heartbreaking and just really all the feels. There’s one shocking revelation that has quite an impact on the storyline and connects quite significantly with the second book.
I’ve been looking forward to the audiobook but it appears there’s no audiobook forthcoming? It’s been forever and a day since this book came out and no news of any audiobook for this last book in the series for some reason.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Andrei and Mihail’s story.
Trigger warnings for violence, torture, and dismemberment.
I went into the book kind of hesitant to read it, because we’ve known Andrei since he was a child in the first book so I was like, eww are we going to have to deal with sex scenes now?
I think the way the story was handled made it less creepy? lol The story does start from a young Andrei and Mihail and we stay with them for awhile as we see them growing up as friends, the wolf and the hunter. For about a third of this book, this feels a bit middle grade/YA, before we get a time jump to when the two are older.
This book is still quite brutal and heartbreaking and just really all the feels. There’s one shocking revelation that has quite an impact on the storyline and connects quite significantly with the second book.
I’ve been looking forward to the audiobook but it appears there’s no audiobook forthcoming? It’s been forever and a day since this book came out and no news of any audiobook for this last book in the series for some reason.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Andrei and Mihail’s story.
June 8, 2019
2.5 stars
*crickets*
Yeahhh, I didn't enjoy this one that much.
I've read the previous 2 books basically a year ago, and oh boy did I forget everything about them, and was so confused with the main characters and how they were connected to the previous ones.
The first 100 pages were CONFUSING ME A LOT, and I was just reading for the sake of it. Then the next 100 were way better was enjoying it alot, and then the last 100 pages appeared and I lost all my interest. Why do things have to connect somehow (Mihail and Andrei didn't need to have all those connections from the past to be an angsty couple, god) .
If there is going to be more books, not sure if I'm going to read them. This one was quite boring, didn't connect with the main characters, and the ending was RUSHED.
*crickets*
Yeahhh, I didn't enjoy this one that much.
I've read the previous 2 books basically a year ago, and oh boy did I forget everything about them, and was so confused with the main characters and how they were connected to the previous ones.
The first 100 pages were CONFUSING ME A LOT, and I was just reading for the sake of it. Then the next 100 were way better was enjoying it alot, and then the last 100 pages appeared and I lost all my interest. Why do things have to connect somehow (Mihail and Andrei didn't need to have all those connections from the past to be an angsty couple, god) .
If there is going to be more books, not sure if I'm going to read them. This one was quite boring, didn't connect with the main characters, and the ending was RUSHED.
May 21, 2019
4.5 stars
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