Master of Hounds: Book 2 (30-DAY AUDIOBOOK RENTAL, LGBT)

So this story is the best thing ever to read about! The details are just amazing and the fractured love yeah its great

3.5While this was a fair continuation of Caius's and Decian's story, I've found that middle books in trilogies are more like bridges between the first and last book and therefore don't contain quite the same fire. That holds true with this one. It would still an easy, interesting read with an exciting finale, but the plot was more like a side quest, and I didn't feel as much chemistry between the love interests.While there're no details, this review is a little overall spoilery, so read at your own risk.MASTER OF HOUNDS: BOOK 2 **Triggers Warnings at the bottom of the review**The plot is split between Caius dealing with his assassination schemes and Decian learning more about who he is and how to control his shifting. While these are very important elements, the latter is somewhat rushed, and the former is stretched into a side-quest subplot, which does, thankfully, force Caius and Decian to work out their problems. More notes on that later.While all of this was going on, the thicker plot of the lunge for power and upheaval of the "pagans" versus the monarchy was mostly pushed into the background. There were several elements shadowing, but Caius and Decian had their own problems to work out, leaving this more exciting turmoil as alarming but somewhat distant news raging in the city streets. I would have like for all of this to be more at the forefront of the story, and with all the buildup in book one, I kind of expected it to be. But I digress.Caius and Decian. I loved them. Almost more apart than together in this one. I loved getting to see from Decian's point of view. Caius is just a fantastic character, gruff and tired and absolutely pummeled, torn between doing something to stabilize the kingdom he once loved and running away to some place quiet.Considering Caius's past with shifters, I expected the intensity of their reunion and slightly forced proximity to burn hot and angsty. While there, it was much less dramatic than I thought it would be, and honestly Caius moved past it far more quickly than I thought he would.Regardless, when Caius finally got the chance to sleep, actually sleep, peacefully, my heart ached for him.As before, the cast of side characters was spectacular, especially for an average-sized book. Since I listened to the audiobook, I don't think I can accurately spell their names or do them justice. However, I will say, that Celine was just as great as in the first book, and I was pleasantly surprised by the continued good-nature of Caius's friend (Alio?) and actually wondered if he was going to get his own trilogy, something I would be very open to.Altogether, while I would have liked a couple elements of this continuation to be different and a bit more fiery, it's a good story that continued the tale of two fascinating characters in a dark and scary world. I already have MASTER OF HOUNDS: BOOK 3 downloaded, and I'm excited to continue their tale!MASTER OF HOUNDS: BOOK 2 **Trigger Warnings**~A joke about committing suicide (completely meant as a joke; no darkness behind it)~Slavery~Deaths~Violence~Blood~Societal homophobia~Religious oppression (only one religion allowed by the government)~Torture~Past injuries/current injuries~Police violence on peaceful protestors (or as similar a comparison as you can get in a fantasy world)~Kidnapped children with implied physical a

... then the "good guys" started torturing someone. Which (a) instantly makes them not the good guys, so who cares what happens in the book after that; (b) makes them stupid and the author a crummy deviser of plot. Torture victims will say anything to make their torturers stop -- this is well established and well known and *throws hands up in despair* it is past time for authors to stop using it as a plot device.Book ruined, returned for refund.

The book is filled of drama, intrigue, and some heat. But it should not have been a three part series. Book two is a waaayy too short . But is a good read.

The middle book in a trilogy tends to suffer from summarization and little plot or character development. This one avoids these shortcomings.The events from book #1 are well integrated and not relegated to long-winded repetitions; the MC do change and the plot advances with evolving new characters.

The middle installment of this trilogy focuses much more on the plot and character development aspects of this story rather than the romance. Intrigue and danger abound as Caius realizes that someone from inside the palace is targeting his life and that the country’s current religious upheaval is entwined with the upcoming fight for the next heir. Caius spends most of this book tired, sick, injured, or all three as he deals with a complete shift of his worldview on multiple levels and is immediately thrust back in close quarters with the man he might be able to love—if that man didn’t represent so much of what Caius hates.Except hate and fear are also closely entwined in Caius’ heart, and the longer he and Decian work together, the more he understands that perhaps his initial assumptions are flawed. On Decian’s side, he never asked for pretty much any of what now makes his life extraordinary, but at least he tries to accept it better than Caius. Throughout the action of this book, Steffan manages a realistic reconciliation arc between the two men. There is no immediate forgiveness, and sometimes the physical gets ahead of the mental, but a happily ever after might be in sight (if everyone survives that long).Though some allies are collected on both sides of the greater divide, Caius remains very much on his own side. As tensions grow in the city, he’ll have to balance his duty with his desire for peace. The ending of this book does not end on an action-based cliffhanger but instead on a perfect twist that will have a tremendous impact on the conclusion of this epic trilogy.

I read the first book and was excited to get to this one. Its both frustrating and inspiring to be left hanging at the end. I need book 3

My review is written voluntarily after listening to the audio version of this book.This is the second book in this trilogy and it picks up from where the first book left off, all the characters are familiar and need no introduction but the plot only moves on a little further. At the end of the last book, Caius discovered that Decian, his lover, was a shapeshifter and didn't reach very well to the news. In fact, he abandoned him with no money and nowhere to go.Whilst Caius is recovering from his injuries someone is stirring up trouble and causing riots in the city, the faction being blamed are innocent - who is behind the plot? Will Caius and Decian be able to work things out? Will they be able to halt the plot? But most surprisingly of all is a discovery made about Decian in the final minutes of the book.I now have to wait for the third and final book to find out the answers.This book like the first is narrated by Cornell Collins who does a very good job with it.

This book had more adventure and the characters were fleshed out a bit more. The romance part of it is still boring and disappointing.