Both Ways

If you like crashing head first into the thick of a story, whiplash inducing action, foul mouthed, hot headed main characters, and tight, clever language, then this is the book for you.

Danika Karson is a human agent for SPEAR, an elite, anti-Supernatural force that fight vampires, werewolves, fae, gargoyles, etc who become violent or just do crazy shit that is against the law. Excuse the language but that is the tone of this book and I loved every bit of it. And the mc has a cat-size pet dragon that is so ridiculously cool. There’s an intro to a romance with another character who should be off limits to Danika but all it does is make it more intriguing. The ending is satisfying but obviously, there will be more books because there is much story left.

Reviewed by Jules Perez

I love everything about this book especially when vampires are involved...

It had great action scenes and it has great characters, species and ethnic diversity, humour, witty dialogue and a fantastic story.

Reviewed by Aleana Harris

There is so much that I loved about this that I’m not sure I’ll be able to express it all. I’ve never come across the author before so this was a lucky pick. Danika Karson is SPEAR’s (Supernatural Prohibition, Extermination, and Arrest Regiment) top agent and vampire killing machine. They want to promote her but she keeps turning it down. Not all her superiors are fond of her though. The Mayor of Angbec summons her one morning to ask her to find his son for a large sum of money, she’s reluctant because not only is it moonlighting but he’s probably been taken by vampires. As a result of her meddling mother, Danika comes across Rayne, a beautiful vampire who doesn’t seem to know the rules that vampires need to follow.

Not only is this action-packed, it has great characters, species and ethnic diversity, humour, witty dialogue and a fantastic story. Danika has only ever wanted to be a SPEAR agent and taught herself everything she could to make her the best. I loved that she’s black, powerful and that she takes pride in her locs. The society she has to uphold the law in is a complex one with goblins, vampires, werewolves and trolls (as well as others) and they don’t have the same rights or respect as humans do. Dani has to look at what it means to be attracted to a vampire, the very thing that she’s so good at exterminating.

Her stubborn, busy-body mother is constantly on her case with her sister trying to run interference. The family connections were a nice touch because it gave the story some grounding so that it’s not just a paranormal escapade. The actions scenes were riveting and while they’re fairly violent, I find that the death of a vampire in a puddle of black gloop doesn’t have the same effect on me as a human death. That said, if I’ve come to care about the vampire and the relationship, it’s a different story.

I enjoyed the pace and found I really didn’t want to put it down, even to sleep. This is not one of those books where I could confidently guess the direction of the plot. I’d definitely read more by this author especially if there are strong, lesbian leads.

Reviewed by Joc Adamson

I really enjoyed this read!...This is a paranormal/urban fantasy book. This has a slight feel of Keri Arthur’s Riley Jenson’s books or early Anita Blake books but not as gritty. The story is different but it’s that kind of genre except with a lesbian main character.

The main character is Danika, a SPEAR agent that hunts down supernaturals behaving badly. This takes place in the distant future where weres, vamps and many other beings all have certain rights, but some humans are still a bit weary. When Danika is asked by the mayor to do a personal favor, she soon realizes her life will never be the same again.

This book had a lot of entertaining action. Danika is an ass kicker and works hard to do what is right even if she doesn’t always do it in the right way. This book is a decent length but the pace of the action is so good that the pages flew by.

While there is a lot of fighting, shooting, stabbing, and even a battle axe, this book actually has a romance. It’s a conflicting romance because of the difference in the characters backgrounds, but I enjoyed it anyway. The main focus of this book is entertainment but Young knew how to give this potential couple some chemistry. The relationship is still in the beginning stages, but it absolutely made me want more.

I have no idea if Young is planning to make this a series but I can’t see why she wouldn’t. While all the big loose ends are wrapped up and the ending is a good satisfying ending, these characters stories are just beginning. I’m hopefully that this book does well because I really want a sequel!

If you are a paranormal or urban fantasy fan, don’t hesitate to read this. There are just not enough of these kinds of books in lesfic so it was a real pleasure to read. This was a good entertaining read that I was sad to see end. Young just put herself on my radar.

Reviewed by Lex Kent

I really like Both Ways. The book is a variation on what I would call a Shadowrun theme. Preternatural races and monsters mingling with regular humans, magic and supernatural abilities mixing with technology. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, but I was very pleasantly surprised. This is not really a romance, although a romantic attachment develops, but it is a great story combining movie-style action, thrills and danger, and harsh, real, adult storytelling. Very topically, the story also tackles intolerance and “the fear of other”...

Note – the language is British English which fits, and I encourage readers who complain about that to broaden their horizons.

Overall, I love this book and will be in line for the sequel if one arrives. Five stars and Recommended

Reviewed by Sam Alexander