Book Review ~ Warders Volume One by Mary Calmes
Title: Warders Volume One
Series: Warders
Author: Mary Calmes
Release Date: December 28, 2016
Category: Paranormal: Angels/Demons, Anthology
Pages: TBD
Most humans live in blissful ignorance, never dreaming of the frightening surprises and paranormal danger that lurks in the night. Most… but not all. These few who stand against the darkness are the Warders, men who fight demons and square off against all kinds of creatures from the pit with only their brothers-in-arms and their lovers—their Hearths—to strengthen them in the unending battle of good versus evil.
His Hearth
Tooth & Nail
Heart in Hand
Warders Volume One and Warders Volume Two previously published in paperback by Dreamspinner Press, June 2012.
His Hearth (July 2010), Tooth & Nail (November 2010), Heart in Hand (May 2011) were previously published individually in eBook format by Dreamspinner Press.
3 Stars!
While I love Mary Calmes and I love Paranormal books I'm not quite sure that I am a fan of Warder's Volume 1. I've held off on reading this series for quite a while but when I saw it presented like this I thought I'd give it a try. Unfortunately, things didn't go the way I thought and I've found myself struggling to connect with the stories as well as the characters. The more I pushed myself, the more I found it hard to completely follow the storylines.
His Hearth
Julian finds the man he's dating cheating on him with another man. Instead of confronting him, he just walks away and decides not to look back. At a celebratory dinner for a promotion he and his best friend are getting, he runs into Ryan Dean. While Ryan seems completely out of Julian's league, he finds himself the object of his affection. Unbeknownst to Julian, Ryan Dean is a Warder and he wants Julian but there are a lot of reasons it could end up disastrous. His life is not at all normal and Julian may or may not fit in it.
I was once again faced with a character who was just too much like Jory/Stef from previous books. I'm not sure if it's me or the characters but it's all I see when I look at scenes of Julian. While, yes, I absolutely adore Jory and Stef, it just doesn't fit Julian and the plot here, at least not in my opinion.
As for the story, I wanted more. I'm all about a great romance or a sexy erotic tale but I just felt like the story I was expecting to read would focus a lot more on the demon slaying and the Warder's life. Instead, it's more of a sexy story about Julian and Ryan who just happens to be a Warder.
Tooth and Nail
Malic doesn't believe that he will ever do the love thing. While Ryan may be content having Julian hold his heart, Malic despises the idea. When he ends up coming to the rescue of Dylan, an angel on the floor of a restroom who's been assaulted, he starts feeling things he doesn't want to. He's determined to keep Dylan at arm's length no matter what but it becomes apparent that he won't be able to push him away.
We get more story and more action from the second Warders' story but ultimately I wasn't a fan of either character. I knew from the get-go that I wasn't going to like Malic. His attitude turned me off pretty fast and I never really found myself changing my opinion of him. After a while, his stubbornness and walls got to be nerve wrecking and I found myself bored with it.
Heart in Hand
I was once again faced with a character who was just too much like Jory/Stef from previous books. I'm not sure if it's me or the characters but it's all I see when I look at scenes of Julian. While, yes, I absolutely adore Jory and Stef, it just doesn't fit Julian and the plot here, at least not in my opinion.
As for the story, I wanted more. I'm all about a great romance or a sexy erotic tale but I just felt like the story I was expecting to read would focus a lot more on the demon slaying and the Warder's life. Instead, it's more of a sexy story about Julian and Ryan who just happens to be a Warder.
Tooth and Nail
Malic doesn't believe that he will ever do the love thing. While Ryan may be content having Julian hold his heart, Malic despises the idea. When he ends up coming to the rescue of Dylan, an angel on the floor of a restroom who's been assaulted, he starts feeling things he doesn't want to. He's determined to keep Dylan at arm's length no matter what but it becomes apparent that he won't be able to push him away.
We get more story and more action from the second Warders' story but ultimately I wasn't a fan of either character. I knew from the get-go that I wasn't going to like Malic. His attitude turned me off pretty fast and I never really found myself changing my opinion of him. After a while, his stubbornness and walls got to be nerve wrecking and I found myself bored with it.
Heart in Hand
Simon has fallen in love with Leith a Warder and has never been happier but the last thing he wants to do is add to the weight Leith bears fighting demons. When they are forced to spend time apart it tests their relationship in ways Simon could never imagine.
Again I found myself struggling to get through this one. It didn't help that we are introduced to Simon's crazy ex who seems like he would be a problem throughout the story, but really had nothing to do with the plot. It was a scene we could have done without, in all honesty.
I'm also just finding myself not very enthralled with this particular world. It's more fantasy than I generally enjoy and I think too short to truly seduce me with the detailed and vibrant picture painted of a fantasy world filled with the "things that go bump in the night". As a Mary Calmes fan, I appreciate her unique quirky characters and stories so I will definitely keep trying her books. I Just find this particular series is not for me.
*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*
Again I found myself struggling to get through this one. It didn't help that we are introduced to Simon's crazy ex who seems like he would be a problem throughout the story, but really had nothing to do with the plot. It was a scene we could have done without, in all honesty.
I'm also just finding myself not very enthralled with this particular world. It's more fantasy than I generally enjoy and I think too short to truly seduce me with the detailed and vibrant picture painted of a fantasy world filled with the "things that go bump in the night". As a Mary Calmes fan, I appreciate her unique quirky characters and stories so I will definitely keep trying her books. I Just find this particular series is not for me.
*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*
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