Geoffrey Knight not only did it again with The Riddle of the Sands,
he totally blew the series out of the water... or rather, the sands. *grin*
After I finished The Cross of Sins I
didn't see how it would be possible for Geoff to ratchet up not only the tension and action, but to add another steamy and crazy-fun layer of story. But he did it, and he did it marvellously!
As to which of the five of Fathom's Five I like the best, let me just say... "I don't know!"
But I think Jake Stone's leading the pack a bit.
Geoffrey Knight's series has been likened to the Indiana Jones chronicles and the James Bond series, and I agree that there's a very definite similarity. But if you really want to describe the Fathom's Five series, you'd have to have not only a combine Indy and James, you'd have to up the count to 5 gorgeous, sexier-than-sin, talented and otherwise wonderful gay men who know how to live their lives large and very much in charge.
My one complaint? We're left hanging on a few fronts... and I wanna know now! Pretty please???
4½ stars ~ What a rush! I started reading The Cross of Sins late in the afternoon and finished 3½ hours later... I had to stop for dinner, y'know. *grin* But I sure didn't want to put the book down!
With this first book in his Fathom's Five series, Geoffrey Knight has opened up a whole new, exciting and uber-fascinating world.
Talk about heart pounding, non-stop action that takes the reader on a thrill-ride not to be soon forgotten.
If you're into reading stories with sexy men, hot sex and thrilling adventure, then look no further than Geoffrey Knight's The Cross of Sins.
A.J. Ryan - Vampire's Lair: Cairo Catwalk - Eternal Press - November 2009
Book Description:
Love is dangerous. Life is fleeting. And the choices we make can last an Eternity.
On a photo shoot in Cairo, lovelorn American model Nash Sommers harbors a secret lust for his handsome and confident colleague Ryan Thomas. When a drunken evening leads them to Cairo's coolest nightclub, the two young men decide to explore the undiscovered plearsures of their relationship with the inclusion of a third party - a handsome, mysterious young Egyptian who lures them away from the nightclub...
...and into the dark realms of the City of the Dead.
There, deep within a secret tomb, Nash's languishing lust for Ryan will be put to the ultimate test in the presence of a dark and ancient Egyptian vampire, the evil Ramseth. Will the young Americans be seduced by sin? Will passion and pride lead to eternal punishment? Will the one thing Nash desires most be his doom?
Review: I enjoyed Cairo Catwalk even though it was quite different from Miami Moon. The books are related only in so far as they're vampire stories and that there are three different kinds of vampires: Gatherers, Hunters and Healers. Oh and they're extremely erotic too. *grin*
The only thing that I could want? More story, more detail, especially at the end. But I'm still enjoying the writing of A.J. Ryan.
The first book in Mr. Ryan's, to date, 2 book Vampire's Lair series is Miami Moon.
I reviewed this for Dark Diva Reviews (review here) and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to find the second book, Cairo Catwalk.
Well, I ended up buying the print versions because I could not find the ebooks anywhere; but I'm quite pleased to have the books in my hands.
* * * * * *
A.J. Ryan - Vampire's Lair: Miami Moon - Eternal Press - June 2009
Book Description:
In one night, with one bite, one young man will surrender to his destiny.
Some of us are gatherers. Some are hunters. Some are healers.
Jason Cain ran away to Miami not only to escape his past, but to escape his future as well. He left behind a pretty girlfriend, a college education, and a promising career in the shadow of his father, a prominent Chicago surgeon. He also left behind a haunting tragedy, something that stopped him from becoming the man he was destined to be. But all that is about to change. Under the Miami Moon, Jason Cain is about to be chosen to fulfill his destiny—to become a healer.
Drawn into a forbidden world, plucked from the streets of Miami and taken to a mansion filled with danger and debauchery in the middle of a Florida bayou, Jason is about to experience male love, lust and longing like he has never known before. Here, the Vampire Xavier—the muscular, dominant master of his own lair—will give Jason the redemption and healing that he so desperately craves.
The price—his mortality.
Review: This story wasn’t anything like I expected, but I was still struck by the power of it. For most of it, AJ Ryan’s Vampire’s Lair: Miami Moon is extremely erotic and, other than being quite titillating in a really good way, I can’t honestly say that I thought the story was going to go somewhere. But I was wrong!
Jason is a character about whom it is really easy to care. He’s a lost soul, and although he’s made changes in his life, you know that he’s not found any answers. And like so much in life, the answers that he gets are vastly different than he could ever have envisioned.
And yes, while this is listed as horror, it’s not one that’s terrifying. Extremely erotic with graphic language and sex, along with elements of danger and torture, Vampire’s Lair: Miami Moon is a dark story, but there is a promise of so much more just down the corridor... or is there? Mr. Ryan has captured my attention and piqued my curiosity; I definitely want to know more, a lot more.
