Review: Hunger Pains: True Love Bites
by Joy Demorra (@thebibliosphere)
(cross posted from andorabrokaw.com)
In a world of dwindling hope, love has never mattered more…
Medically retired army officer Nathaniel lost a lot in an unpopular war, including hearing in one ear, a most of the mobility in one shoulder, the ability to get through a day without pain, and the power of transforming into a wolf.
When a friend suggests he take a job in law enforcement on an island full of vampires, he laughs it off. Until he realizes that would be better than continuing to live with his parents.
Then he meets Vlad, a brooding hero with high levels of ADHD, an intense drive to make life better for his people, and an inescapable sexiness that means suddenly an island full of vampires is exactly where Nathaniel wants to be.
Meanwhile, a mysterious illness is killing the trees that keep magic alive in their world. As the guardian of the world trees, Ursula rushes to diagnose and stop the problem before magic vanishes, but will she be able to do it in time? And will Vlad’s botany hobby prove more useful than he could have imagined?
Love the idea of a book combining the previous four things.
Like polyamorous potential in a series.
Wish to support independent LGBTQ+ fiction.
This Is the Austen-Pratchett Collaboration I Should Have Known I Needed
When the narrative introduced Nathaniel’s new staff, my first thought was, “What are these people? The Ankh-Morpork City Watch?” When one of them turned out to be named Corporal Hobbs, I yelled, “Yes!”
Just a little while later, I met Kitty Collins and her sisters. And cheered again because, yeah, they’d walked in straight out of Austen.
I wasn’t even remotely surprised to visit the author’s website later and learn we share two of our favorite authors.
Ursula has a much smaller part in the novel than Nathaniel and Vlad. While they’re busy getting to know each other, she’s traveling around the world worrying about the poisoned magic trees. But when she finally meets the others, I didn’t spot any red flags in her interactions with them. There was a little more insta-attraction than I tend to fancy, but she responded well to the boys’ flirting style and the chemistry didn’t feel too manufactured.
I wouldn’t actually call the three characters a triad at the conclusion of the book, but it’s pretty clear that’s the direction things are heading. Nathaniel and Vlad are solidly together, and both are openly flirting with Ursula in front of each other. She even kisses one of them while the other smiles about it, but I’ve forgotten which one!
Honestly, I didn’t feel like we got to know Ursula very well. I almost forgot she was there in the fortnight between finishing the book and writing this. But I expect her to be fleshed out in the next book of the series.
Yes, this is meant to be the first book in a series. Although the immediate problem is solved by the end, getting the guys closer to Ursula isn’t the only thing readers are left wanting to see a resolution for. The novel stands alone well enough, but one can certainly tell there’s supposed to be a continuation.
When will the continuation be? I wish I could tell you. So does the author. Unfortunately, she has a long list of health issues that are making Book 2 extra challenging for her to write. I wish her the best and support her taking care of herself.
There are two additional stories in the universe available. I haven’t read either though as they say they’re set ‘during the events of Book 2’ and I feel I’d rather wait until the entire book is out. (I’m unclear if they’ll be repeated in it or just happen at the same time. But either way, I’d like to wait.)
Cozy/Intense Scale: (0-5)
I give this a 3. The world needs saving, but it’s a long term project. And kissing must occur, but it can take its time.
Spice Level: (0-5) Optional?
There are two versions of this book: ‘Flirting with Fangs’ and ‘Fluff and Fangs’ Editions. The red covered Flirting with Fangs edition has, I’m told, detailed sex scenes. Meanwhile the version I read, the Fluff and Fangs Edition is a lower heat rendering that includes kissing, cuddling, and discussions of intimacy, but not the sex itself.
Even in the low-heat version, there’s a lot of tension. And a remarkably sweet scene in which the guys discuss desires and boundaries.
I would mark the lower-spice version at 3.
Both male leads are bi/pansexual with complimenting dom/sub leanings. Vlad is ADHD as anything and Nathaniel suffers from hearing loss, limited motion in one arm, chronic pain, PTSD, and impaired transformation abilities stemming from injuries sustained from a silver bullet.
Vlad starts the book with an abusive lover (I cheered out loud when he dumped her, earning myself an annoyed look from my cat.) He also has a highly toxic relationship with his father, who appears to be an inherently awful person and I’m curious if the next book will give him more depth. Additionally, he has a history of depression-provoked alcohol abuse.
Nathaniel’s disabilities are all the results of his Army service. While we don’t get detailed flashbacks, the battle he was injured in does get described in loose terms.
More information and a lot of purchase links for both editions of the novel are on the author’s website.
