Review: Some slight changes in the characters from the first story, but overall I liked this one better
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 9, 2011
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.Rating: 7/10PROS:- Angel is much less childlike in this story than in the previous one. He's still immature at times, but I thought of him more as a bratty adult sub than an actual child, which was how I viewed him when I read Angel and the Assassin. He shows a level of courage and fortitude toward the end of this book that I would admire in any character; compared to his behavior in the first book, he's very impressive in this one.- There's quite a bit more about Kael's background in this volume, and it's easier to see why he goes so jelly-kneed around Angel when you see instances of similar emotional vulnerability from Kael's past.- We also get a lot more insight into Angel's character by hearing about his childhood. This helped me to understand his juvenile behavior--as well as the core of strength in him--much better.- The relationship depicted in these books is different than those depicted in many other BDSM romances in that the men's relationship is not exclusive sexually. I'm not a particular fan of that facet of the relationship, but I do like that Angel and Kael are both secure enough in their feelings for each other than they can play with other people and not have to deal with overwhelming jealousy afterwards.CONS:- The writing isn't bad, but there's quite a bit of unnecessary telling and repetition. Here's an example: Kael is teaching a class and has asked for a volunteer. No one speaks up except Angel, who performs the task perfectly, and then there's this: "Every hand went up. Angel had shamed them into doing their job." It's obvious from the first sentence that the other characters have been shamed into doing their jobs. We don't need to be TOLD that.- The plot outside of the romance is decent enough, but for some reason it just didn't grab me and hold on. I was far more interested in Angel than Kael, so the scenes in which Kael was off on his own, Angel still at home, didn't hold my attention too well.Overall comments: There's a tendency toward melodrama in the characters' actions here, but it didn't seem as extreme to me as it was in the first book. This one's toned down a bit from its predecessor, and I liked it more as a result. I don't think you have to have read the first one in order to enjoy the story here; if you HAVE read the first one, though, be prepared for some small changes in the characters' actions and personalities. Kael is more emotional (which leads to volatility and irrational behavior), and Angel is more mature.