Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary Ebook Box Set Mature M/M
JCP Books, LLC
March 22, 2015
216
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild
To preface this review, I am going to explain what I am reviewing. If you have read any of JCP’s books, you know every piece is completely different. If you are reading the Psy Cops Series, it is only similar with ‘continuing characters with a continuing story.’ Channeling Morpheus follows no genre. It is paranormal, vampires, thriller, horror and romance. See? Ms. Price has set up individual short stories or novellas and put them into a Boxed Set containing five of the stories called Payback, Vertigo, Manikin, Tainted, and Rebirth.
Payback: In this first of the series, we meet Michael ‘the hunter’ in a bar, waiting for his hook-up date. Michael is a beautiful Goth boy, who lost his best friend, Scary Mary, to a Vampire. He has wooden stakes hidden and a satchel holding garlic and other killing vampire essentials after searching and finally finding a place where Mary’s vampire prowls. Michael catches Wild Bill’s eye, and the hunter tries to shake Bill while waiting for the Vamp. Finally, he has to settle for taking both Bill and the Vamp back to his room as a threesome. Great story and character intro.
Vertigo: In the part two continuation, the story is told in Wild Bills POV. After meeting Michael, vampire Bill sees how young and innocent Michael actually is. Michael has taken it upon himself to be the ‘Champion’ of killing all the bad vampires in the world, but Michael deems Wild Bill a good vamp. Now that Michael has finished this first mission, he can relax before he starts his quest. Bill realizes he is not getting any younger; the hopelessness of being alone forever grows within. He is seduced by Michael and is left by him, fair is fair, that’s payback for what he did in book one.
Manikin: It is now evident Michael and Wild Bill cannot stay away from each other.We have learned that Michael has seen some really horrible things, he has been shunned by his family for being gay and is very lonely. We have learned Bill was on a hook up from hell and awoke to be ‘the undead,’ yet he tries to keep a semblance of humanity to the way he lives. What would be so terrible if they were in a relationship?
Tainted: Our two have been together for quite a while now, living out of their van or a cheap hotel room. The older Wild Bill is worried for his young lover. Michael has lost weight, is painfully thin, and Bill actually offers sex to make the young Michael eat. He feels that with how they are being so careful, vampirism is slowly claiming Michael. There is no doubt they are together, a couple, yet Michael is still shy to show his gayness in public, yet not afraid to show he is with a vampire.
Rebirth: In this story, the lack of friends or family is the focus. Traveling and not being able to trust and not having a haven in a storm is trying for both of them. So Michael brings Bill home to his family to try and find if the prodigal son will be welcomed. It was poignant and tender for us to see Michael’s family’s reaction. Gay or not, coming home to go to college meant more to Mom and Dad. The reunion was a fiasco, so scratching that idea, their second brainstorm is about a compound mixed with vamps and humans living harmoniously together. Will that work? Not to spoil this part for you, read the bloody conclusion for yourself.
Finally, I must include that I have left out one particular part of the theme that is totally the glue throughout these stories, and that is the sex between these two lovers. Some authors write these scenes and throw them into their stories hodgepodge with no rhyme or reason. There are ‘many’ sexual scenes in this story, maybe over the top for some readers. I must say for these two it fits. This is their way of showing feelings and actually the love they feel for each other that can’t be verbalized. There is no way they would say ‘no’ to each other because their relationship thrives on how they are together sexually. This part of their relationship is who they are.
This is a truly remarkable read. Take the time to treat yourself to it! And get ready, Ms. Price has more coming!