Review: Very Unique
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 1, 2013
I'll admit that it was the mention of a cockatrice in the description that reeled me in. What is a cockatrice, I wondered. I had to look it up. Turns out it is a mythological creature, a dragon on two legs with the head of a rooster. Huh. Okay, yeah, you got me. I had to look at images, too. I mean, it sounded just a little bit strange. But, Cam is anything but strange. Shy, protective, loyal, vulnerable, sexy and smart, yes. Strange? No. And Dylan? He's the guy you root for because he so deserves every good thing imaginable.Dylan is a throw-away, although no longer a boy at the age of twenty-three. He's been used and abused his entire life, struggling now to stay clean and do the best he can. When he tries to help a starving dog and gets beaten down by three guys, he figures it's just how his luck rolls. Saved by a young man and brought to his home, Dylan is only thinking of one night. Just one night to be warm, to sleep in a bed, to take a shower, and get some decent food. Unbeknownst to him, he's walked into something more than just one night.Cam got the call. The supernatural call to find and help someone. For this is what he does. He protects and cares for the weak and the innocent, even though it's a complete anomaly for his kind. Cockatrice instincts are always to lead them to treasure, but not Cam's. He feels the call to help people, because, in his mind, what else is a horror like him good for? He's been trained his whole life to be a fighter, a killer. He doesn't know why he didn't leave Dylan after helping him. He takes him home, feeds him, cleans him up, all the while knowing to associate with a human is forbidden. But, Cam can't help himself. Something in Dylan calls to him, to the beast inside. However, his brethren have only one calling and that is to the church and the monks, the brothers. To wish to be human is considered sacrilege.Interestingly enough, it was Cam whom I totally fell for. He came across as real even though he wasn't human whereas Dylan came across a little manipulative in the beginning. This was such a variation on any type of paranormal story that I've read before. This involved mythology and religion in a unique and extremely interesting way. Not to mention, the love story between Cam and Dylan was different, but still good.  Even better were the truths that were revealed by the brothers in the end and what that meant for Cameron and Dylan.I was surprised to discover that I really liked this story. Surprised because it started out a little slow for me and it took me a bit to become invested in the characters and the plot. The author did a great job with introducing a world that is truly unique and I'd like to experience more of it. There were some serious twists and turns that came out of the blue but that made the story better because not once was I bored. A great read!NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews