Kinked Blog Tour - Review & Giveaway
Kinked by Thea Harrison
Elder Races #6
Two opponents must confront the cause of their obsessive fury in the latest Novel of the Elder Races…
As a harpy, Sentinel Aryal is accustomed to dealing with hate, but Sentinel Quentin Caeravorn manages to inspire in her a burning ire unlike anything she’s ever known. Aryal believes the new Sentinel to be a criminal, and vows to take him out as soon as the opportunity arises. But the harpy’s incessant wrath has pushed Quentin to the limit, and forces him to make a deadly vow of his own.
To put an end to the conflict, Dragos, Lord of the Wyr, sends them on a reconnaissance mission to the Elven land of Numenlaur. Forced to work together, Aryal and Quentin’s mutual antagonism escalates. Each fight draws forth more passion—culminating in an explosively sexual confrontation. But when their quest reveals real danger, Aryal and Quentin must resolve their differences in ways beyond the physical, before the entire Wyr is threatened.
For the past two years Aryal has been investigating Quentin, becoming a constant thorn in his side. She knows he's dirty, she just can't prove it. So when he wins a position to be a fellow Sentinel for Dragos, the two keep clashing like firecrackers. So much so that they are banished from the city and sent out on a mission to the Elven lands and told to resolve their differences or they both were done. Both think the assignment will be torture but as they start working with one another they realize that underneath all that hatred, there's actually a fierce attraction as well. But can they move past all the resentment or will they kill one another first?
To say that I've been looking forward to this book would be an understatement. Enemies to lovers is my absolute favorite trope, and you honestly couldn't get much more enemies than Aryal and Quentin. There's just something to be said about the sparks that fly with the tension, both sexual and otherwise. And boy was that tension flying in KINKED. You never knew whether they were going to brawl or just start getting down and dirty right then and there, and I honestly loved it. Unfortunately about halfway through the book that delicious tension really started to wane, much to my disappointment. Actually the transition from their weird hate/sexual attraction to being in love was rather abrupt if you ask me. I mean they have these somewhat sort of dominance games going on, (which were HOT), and there was all this set up as they bargain and walked circles around each other. But then as soon as their feelings started to show, all of that dominance stuff went out the window, and left me feeling a bit disappointed. I just really loved the push and pull between them, and was pretty bummed to have that fizzle out. Don't get me wrong, I realized that their relationship had to grow, I just was sorry to see all that awesome tension fizzle so far down, and wished it would have continued throughout.
The plot behind KINKED was the perfect complement to the romance in my opinion. It was interesting and fast paced enough to keep me more than entertained, but it didn't overshadow the relationship between Aryal and Quentin. But even so, I loved how their journey started out as just an excuse to get the pair of them out of everyone's hair while also helping out the Elves who have been so devastated. Of course in true Thea Harrison style things do not stay so simple, and I really loved the path she took with things.
I have to say other than my frustration at the change of "style" in the romance, KINKED was almost perfect. I really loved every minute of it, and it only further cemented my love for this series. Honestly, the only thing that would make these even better would be if the wait between each new installment was less than a year. So, all in all, fans of the Elder Races will be more than pleased with this latest installment as it includes all of the elements that have built this series to be what it is. From romance to danger, action to smoking hot smexiness, KINKED is not to be missed!
(Received a copy from the publisher)
Rating:
Pre-order:
Other Reviews:
The Window Seat on a Rainy Day
Cocktails and Books
Previous Books:
1. Dragon Bound
2. Storm's Heart
3. Serpent's Kiss
4. Oracle's Moon
5. Lord's Fall
Q: What is one of your favorite Myths/legends to write about?
A: When I started to write my reply to this question, I realized it wasn’t going to be a simple or easy answer! I’ve had so much fun with the world building in the Elder Races series. It’s almost impossible to pick just one.
I really enjoyed taking the Oracle of Delphi and putting it into a modern context for Oracle’s Moon. When I turned my attention to the witches’ demesne in Louisville, I wanted to make sure it felt as rich and developed as the rest of the world building I’d done for the other demesnes and mythological creatures. That story was fun for a lot of reasons, because I also really enjoyed building the Djinn society based on Middle Eastern legends.
Another favorite has been developing the Elves, in Lord’s Fall and continued in Kinked. And a third was when I created my own version of Vampyres in Serpent’s Kiss. I have two more Vampyre stories that I’m dying to tell. When I get excited about a story, it’s hard to wait for the right time to tell it!
Q: You've been gifted (or cursed) with the ability to shift into another form by a witch. What kind of shifter are you and why? (All creatures, including mythological, apply.)
A: Awesome question! I think I have two answers for that one. If it was a gift, then I think it would have to be something winged and strong. I think there’s something to be said for being as fearless as a harpy, although I’m quite sure I wouldn’t win any popularity contests!
If the ability was a curse and meant to be nasty, the witch would probably turn me into my phobia—a spider! That would be the meanest, nastiest thing anybody could ever do to me!
Q: Since Aryal is a harpy and considered an immortal Wyr, how did you approach her character development in order to make her believable and someone that readers can identify with?
A: I’ll be honest, I was worried about writing Aryal. I really didn’t want to compromise her identity. Aryal has strong emotions but no real morals in the abstract sense, no true compulsion to do what is right for its own sake. She’s abrasive and dangerous… And I had to figure out how to also make her sympathetic.
My first decision was to not be in a hurry to write her story. I wanted to take the time to show her character from a couple of different points of view. The reader first sees Aryal from Pia’s perspective in Dragon Bound, but then in Storm’s Heart I was able to show Aryal from Tricks’ point of view, someone who loved her. I also wanted to make sure that humor came into the mix. Still, the real test came when I sat down and actually started writing Kinked. Then I had to get close enough to her to write her as a main POV character. It helped that I had so many established relationships and characters to work with—such as Grym, Dragos and Graydon—and the world-building in place. With that in place, I could concentrate on developing Aryal herself. I’m very grateful to my editor Cindy Hwang for providing such a supportive platform to write Kinked.
Q: Do you have an Elder Race Bible to help keep your facts start? If not, how the heck do you keep your facts start?
A: So far I’ve had two things in my favor—I’ve got a bit of a freakish memory for detail when it comes to writing, and I also have fantastic beta readers who are good at spotting issues. Still, the world has become big and complicated enough that I’ve got someone working on a series bible right now. It’s over a hundred pages by now and should be done by the end of the year.
Q: Who was the harder character to write Aryal or Quentin and why?
Neither character was as hard as I had feared they would be when I started Kinked. Still, Quentin was easier. I felt more confident writing his character, and I felt the stakes were pretty high on getting Aryal’s character right.
Q: Was there anything about Aryal that surprised you as her story unfolded?
A: I think I probably had the same experience as a writer that several readers have had so far in reading the book—I was surprised at how much I ended up liking and enjoying her. I wouldn’t want to rush out and befriend a real-life Aryal, but I think she’s pretty cool between the pages, and I’m really looking forward to writing more about her.
Q: In the event of an apocalypses (zombie, alien, solar flare or 4 horsemen) which of your characters would you like to team up with?
A: I would absolutely like to team up with Dragos—as long as I was someone he valued, otherwise he might ditch me in a heartbeat.
Q: What is next for the Elder Race series?
A: I’m now contracted for books 7-9, so I’m writing Graydon’s story which will be released around August of 2014. The main characters have also been decided for books 8 and 9, and I’m eager to get to those stories!
I also wrote a self-published project, a novella entitled Dragos Takes A Holiday, which releases November 25th. I loved spending time with Dragos and Pia, and their little son Peanut gets his POV debut.
It’s been a pleasure to visit with you. Thanks for having me!
Author info:
She took a break from writing to collect a couple of graduate degrees and a grown child. She experienced waitressing as a teenager, has worked as an activist for a non-profit consumer rights organization, has been a receptionist, an office manager, a penniless graduate student, a director of development and research, and a single mom. Her graduate degrees are in Philanthropic Studies and Library Information Science, but her first love has always been writing fiction.
Her paranormal Elder Races series began May 3, 2011 with Dragon Bound, which won RT Book Review’s Book of the Year Award, and the Romance Writer’s of America RITA in the paranormal romance category.
All five of her full length novels in the Elder Races series have won Top Picks from RT Book Reviews. Book two in the series, Storm’s Heart, and book four, Oracle’s Moon, hit the USA Today bestseller’s list, while book three, Serpent’s Kiss, hit the New York Times extended bestseller list. Her fifth book, Lord’s Fall, hit both the USA Today and the New York Times extended lists.
She adores animals and currently resides with two small dogs that have very large personalities.
