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Cruel Shifterverse #1
Psycho Shifters
Fight like a girl...or a shifter of lore.
After growing up with nothing, I've finally found my path to freedom: I'm a shifter, an elite soldier who transforms into a monster.
All I have to do is survive.
I didn't count on my three 6'5 roommates. Covered in tattoos, jeweled, and horned, these are like no men I've ever dealt with before.
They don't think I belong.
They don't think I'm strong enough for war.
They don't think I can fight.
I'm about to prove them wrong.
The only problem, can I survive them discovering the secrets of my past? In the battle for life and death, everyone is so much more than they seem.
Jax, Ascher, and Cobra are going to be devastated when they discover my truth...just wait until they see my shifted form.
This is a dark paranormal reverse harem bully romance. Not for the faint of heart – this story is about three psycho alpha shifters and the girl who stands her ground.
❥ Slow Burn
❥ Heat level: High (spicy MMM + MMFM scenes)
❥ Reverse Harem and a new take on the Omegaverse. Dark and bloody, yet also humorous, we love unhealthy coping mechanisms. Potential triggers.
After growing up with nothing, I've finally found my path to freedom: I'm a shifter, an elite soldier who transforms into a monster.
All I have to do is survive.
I didn't count on my three 6'5 roommates. Covered in tattoos, jeweled, and horned, these are like no men I've ever dealt with before.
They don't think I belong.
They don't think I'm strong enough for war.
They don't think I can fight.
I'm about to prove them wrong.
The only problem, can I survive them discovering the secrets of my past? In the battle for life and death, everyone is so much more than they seem.
Jax, Ascher, and Cobra are going to be devastated when they discover my truth...just wait until they see my shifted form.
This is a dark paranormal reverse harem bully romance. Not for the faint of heart – this story is about three psycho alpha shifters and the girl who stands her ground.
❥ Slow Burn
❥ Heat level: High (spicy MMM + MMFM scenes)
❥ Reverse Harem and a new take on the Omegaverse. Dark and bloody, yet also humorous, we love unhealthy coping mechanisms. Potential triggers.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2022
About the author
Jasmine Mas
10 books3,587 followersJasmine Mas is an Amazon and Barnes & Noble top 5 bestselling author of romantasy. A former D1 athlete with a classical studies degree from Georgetown University, and a law degree, she now spends all her free time writing romance books that make her laugh.
She lives with her husband and fluffy cat in Florida.
If you want access to early chapter releases and ARC opportunities, sign up for her newsletter at blog.jasminemasbooks.com. Follow her on goodreads, and hang out with her on TikTok/Instagram at @jasminemasbooks.
She lives with her husband and fluffy cat in Florida.
If you want access to early chapter releases and ARC opportunities, sign up for her newsletter at blog.jasminemasbooks.com. Follow her on goodreads, and hang out with her on TikTok/Instagram at @jasminemasbooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,276 reviews
November 7, 2022
when people say “why don’t we see the characters go to the toilet in fantasy books? when do they manage to go to the toilet? where is the realism?”
this is why:
some things should remain a ✨mystery✨
all while her three sexy, supernatural roommates are in the next room and can likely hear her bowels shaking the whole bathroom.
this is why:
While I sat on the toilet, my intestines screamed in agony as I suffered ballistic diarrhea.
some things should remain a ✨mystery✨
all while her three sexy, supernatural roommates are in the next room and can likely hear her bowels shaking the whole bathroom.
April 12, 2022
Oh boy. Where to begin.
There are only a certain number of times I can read that the FMC is “small”, “short”(the FMC is “five and a half feet tall), “like a little girl (FMC is 20 years old), “scrawny”, “ugly”, “scarred”, “weak”, “breakable”, “a lowly servant”, etc. ESPECIALLY if those are the only words used to describe her, like no variations of those words, exactly those words. I read the word “gorgeous” to describe one of the LIs, a whopping THREE TIMES in 2 sentences.
I swear if I read another 20 something year old female main character either refer to herself, or her love interests refer to her, as “a little girl”, I’m going to scream.
The repetition is killing me. And I should have DNFed. But my stubborn ass was holding out (in hindsight useless) hope that it could get better.
2 of the 3 love interests were good. Probably the only characters I enjoyed, and who’s POVs were actually some what pleasant to read. The third love interest? Here’s my first reaction to him.
“Great. Here’s another Male Love Interest/Male Main Character who calls ALL women except, you guessed it, the FMC “sluts”. *insert eye roll here* “
As for the FMC? Her POV chapters were BRUTAL to read through, and what I mean by that is her inner monologue was one of the worst I have ever read. The repetition, as I mentioned before, the childlike mentality, and overall “I’m actually not like other girls because I’m small, ugly, and weak” got old VERY QUICK.
Well, if you have made it this far in this review you’re probably wondering why I kept going. If you sift through all the not so good parts in the book (and trust me there’s a lot to sift through) the premise was actually interesting. There was some potential that I HOPED would get better, but alas I was wrong. The chance to make Sadie a bad ass MC, but unfortunately the execution was quite poor.
I have never wanted to DNF a book past 90% than this book. I figured I had gotten through the bulk of the not good parts, again I WAS PROVEN WRONG. It had me considering DNFing although I had made it this far.
Now, that I have finished the book and saw the high praise, reviews, and ratings, I am VERY confused. It’s as if we read the different books.
Anyway, 1 star, it was not a good time, and I’m sad for the wasted potential, will not be continuing with the series. The possibility of picking something else up by this author is also very low.
There are only a certain number of times I can read that the FMC is “small”, “short”(the FMC is “five and a half feet tall), “like a little girl (FMC is 20 years old), “scrawny”, “ugly”, “scarred”, “weak”, “breakable”, “a lowly servant”, etc. ESPECIALLY if those are the only words used to describe her, like no variations of those words, exactly those words. I read the word “gorgeous” to describe one of the LIs, a whopping THREE TIMES in 2 sentences.
I swear if I read another 20 something year old female main character either refer to herself, or her love interests refer to her, as “a little girl”, I’m going to scream.
The repetition is killing me. And I should have DNFed. But my stubborn ass was holding out (in hindsight useless) hope that it could get better.
2 of the 3 love interests were good. Probably the only characters I enjoyed, and who’s POVs were actually some what pleasant to read. The third love interest? Here’s my first reaction to him.
“Great. Here’s another Male Love Interest/Male Main Character who calls ALL women except, you guessed it, the FMC “sluts”. *insert eye roll here* “
As for the FMC? Her POV chapters were BRUTAL to read through, and what I mean by that is her inner monologue was one of the worst I have ever read. The repetition, as I mentioned before, the childlike mentality, and overall “I’m actually not like other girls because I’m small, ugly, and weak” got old VERY QUICK.
Well, if you have made it this far in this review you’re probably wondering why I kept going. If you sift through all the not so good parts in the book (and trust me there’s a lot to sift through) the premise was actually interesting. There was some potential that I HOPED would get better, but alas I was wrong. The chance to make Sadie a bad ass MC, but unfortunately the execution was quite poor.
I have never wanted to DNF a book past 90% than this book. I figured I had gotten through the bulk of the not good parts, again I WAS PROVEN WRONG. It had me considering DNFing although I had made it this far.
Now, that I have finished the book and saw the high praise, reviews, and ratings, I am VERY confused. It’s as if we read the different books.
Anyway, 1 star, it was not a good time, and I’m sad for the wasted potential, will not be continuing with the series. The possibility of picking something else up by this author is also very low.
September 25, 2022
SO weird but SO addictive.
Will be reading the next. Unsure as to why.
Will be reading the next. Unsure as to why.
April 10, 2022
ok wow, this was bad. like real bad. i have no idea how it has such a high rating.
the idea and premise was interesting. it really had some promise! but the writing was terrible, all the characters fluctuated between totally intolerable and intolerable. none of them fleshed out, i had no connection to anyone.
too many times FMC is described to have vomit trickling out of her mouth?
and this is not a bully romance. this is an abusive roomate story. i think we are all going way too far with the bully shit, because honestly it was foul and awful to read, and actually embarrassing. who calls someone pathetic? is that American?
anyway, please keep some braincells and dont read this. theres no plot, no arch, no nothing.
the idea and premise was interesting. it really had some promise! but the writing was terrible, all the characters fluctuated between totally intolerable and intolerable. none of them fleshed out, i had no connection to anyone.
too many times FMC is described to have vomit trickling out of her mouth?
and this is not a bully romance. this is an abusive roomate story. i think we are all going way too far with the bully shit, because honestly it was foul and awful to read, and actually embarrassing. who calls someone pathetic? is that American?
anyway, please keep some braincells and dont read this. theres no plot, no arch, no nothing.
January 30, 2023
"I was never running again.
While I sat on the toilet, my intestines screamed in agony as I suffered ballistic diarrhea." ➡️ relatable but also please don't ever do that again.😍🥰😋
While I sat on the toilet, my intestines screamed in agony as I suffered ballistic diarrhea." ➡️ relatable but also please don't ever do that again.😍🥰😋
August 16, 2024
I received a copy of this book via BookSirens. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
✅ Addictive book
✅ Omegaverse and shifters
✅ Strong and badass MC
✅ Smut and VERY slow-burn
✅ Hate-to-"I somewhat tolerate you" relationship
✅ Snark and sass
✅ Worldbuilding
✅ Pace and action
✅ Plot
❗️❗️ Kind of cliffhanger
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: mentions of physical and sexual assault
This one is officially on my “guilty pleasure” list. Objectively, this was more of a 4-stars book, but the fact that I was completely sucked in and finished it in a few hours both times I read it justifies giving it a 5 stars rating. It has this addictive quality to it, and I don't even want to try resisting it. I LOVE THIS SERIES.
Sadie and her younger sister Lucinda are orphans. They were abandoned at Dick’s tavern when they were young kids, and while Dick liked Lucinda, he always had something against Sadie, and beat her ofter. Sadie is now 20 years old, full of scars and trauma, and after all those years of being nothing more than Dick’s slave, she finally has an opportunity to leave when she is tested and discovers that she is an alpha. The first female alpha ever. Sadie is then forced to train with 3 other alphas and to take part in a war against the fae Queen who wants the shifters' lands. If the war and fae monsters do not kill her first, it might very well be the 3 gorgeous, but hateful alphas she now has to live with.
I like this new take on the shifters and Omegaverse. There is the usual classification of Alpha, Betas, and Omegas, with the Alphas being the leaders and war generals, the Betas being the enforcers and the Omegas being the rarest type of shifters. There are also nulls who are another category, they are the "regular" humans. There is a little twist though: the alphas can shift into a beast form that varies for each person. The alphas and omegas are also immortal, while the betas have an extended life span and the nulls have a regular life span.
There is also more than one realm, the two main realms in this book are the Shifter realm and the Fae realm. They are connected together by a few portals, and those portals are the places where the soldiers and alpha generals are situated because it's where the fae monsters enter the shifter realm to wreak havoc.
Sadie is an awesome main character. She is so strong, resilient, and determined! It was impressive to see what she went through and how she remained strong and determined to have others respect her. She has her down moments, but she is not one to let others step on her toes, and she also has very colorful language when she is pissed (but she knows how to pick her battles and when to just let go and ignore others). She is snarky and I adored her strength and her interactions with the alphas. She takes no shit from them, and she does not care if they are happy or not with her, she does what she wants now that she is finally free from Dick.
It was a good mix of a badass main character that can hold her own, but that also ends up being in dire situations where she needs the alpha to help or rescue her. Just enough to bring out the protective (and also possessive) side of the alphas. They don't want anything to do with her, and they don't want her to remain at the compound, yet they don't want her to be on her own, and they go crazy and become aggressive if someone else touches her or shows her affection. They will have to man up and admit that they maybe care for her a little, or let her go on with her life as she sees fit.
Sadie definitely had a tough start with the other alphas. First of all, they don't believe that she is truly an alpha since there has never been a female alpha before, and even when they realize that she is not lying, they clearly let her know that they don't give a shit about her and think that she is a useless girl. The dynamic between the four of them actually reminded me of the dynamic between Lilah and the pack members in Pack Darling: Part One, and that's probably one of the reasons why I finished this book in one sitting. I just love this mix of snark, angst, and strong-willed characters. Maybe I would enjoy bully romance after all? 🤔
Three alphas are already at the compound Sadie is sent to: Jax, Ascher, and Cobra.
Jax is the leader, the biggest, but also the calmest of the three. He is still a jerk with Sadie, but he actually gives her a chance to prove herself every once in a while and does not openly despise her... At least not as openly as the others.
Ascher is the newest member of the alpha trio, and he does not like Sadie. At all. All he does is bring her down and insult her, but at the same time, he is clearly obsessed with her and does not know how to deal with it.
Cobra is the usual grumpy one that does not accept the girl and blatantly shows his disgust and hatred. Somehow there is almost always one like that in the reverse-harem series I've read. I have to say though that he is probably the most complex of the three alphas, and even though he is cold as f*ck and an ass with Sadie, he's the one I liked the most. He is an interesting character, and he kept me on my toes because I never knew what to expect from him. He is also clearly obsessed with Sadie, and actually believes in her enough to let her fight against the fae monsters, but at the same time, he is the one who seems to hate her the most. As I said, very complex, but an interesting character that I hope to see more in the next book.
This series will definitely be a slow-burn, as there is no insta-love or insta-lust AT ALL. Sure the guys are insanely hot, and they are a little obsessed with Sadie, but they are all a long way from being on friendly terms. Jax and Cobra were already involved in a romantic relationship before Sadie came into the picture, so this might become something that is more a polyamorous relationship than a reverse-harem one? Honestly, I would not mind it at all as I think that Cobra and Jax are a good fit together.
There is some explicit smut (some FFM, MM, and MF), but it's not the most explicit book I've read. There will most probably be more smut in the following books as this is a slow burn, and the guys are just starting to tolerate Sadie, but I can't wait for more heat and spice between them all.
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✅ Addictive book
✅ Omegaverse and shifters
✅ Strong and badass MC
✅ Smut and VERY slow-burn
✅ Hate-to-"I somewhat tolerate you" relationship
✅ Snark and sass
✅ Worldbuilding
✅ Pace and action
✅ Plot
❗️❗️ Kind of cliffhanger
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: mentions of physical and sexual assault
This one is officially on my “guilty pleasure” list. Objectively, this was more of a 4-stars book, but the fact that I was completely sucked in and finished it in a few hours both times I read it justifies giving it a 5 stars rating. It has this addictive quality to it, and I don't even want to try resisting it. I LOVE THIS SERIES.
The shifter realm was a cold, barren place. It felt even colder and more miserable when you were two null servants under a beta’s thumb.
It was a tale as old as time. The servant on her knees, covered in blood, with the master enraged above her.
But I always liked the darker books—where the servant killed the master and bathed in his blood.
Sadie and her younger sister Lucinda are orphans. They were abandoned at Dick’s tavern when they were young kids, and while Dick liked Lucinda, he always had something against Sadie, and beat her ofter. Sadie is now 20 years old, full of scars and trauma, and after all those years of being nothing more than Dick’s slave, she finally has an opportunity to leave when she is tested and discovers that she is an alpha. The first female alpha ever. Sadie is then forced to train with 3 other alphas and to take part in a war against the fae Queen who wants the shifters' lands. If the war and fae monsters do not kill her first, it might very well be the 3 gorgeous, but hateful alphas she now has to live with.
The shifter realm had two classifications of people.
In the bottom tier were null shifters, who were unimpressive and made up the majority of the population. The realm had about fifty thousand people, and 99 percent of them were nulls.
That was us.
In contrast, the top tier consisted of ABOs.
Betas were the most common ABO. They were the realm’s soldiers. Stronger and faster than nulls, they had extended lifetimes but couldn’t shift. Dick was one of them.
Alphas were the coolest ABOs. They were the realm’s war generals, huge and immortal, and each one shifted into a unique beast of lore.
Finally, omegas were highly revered and immortal. They shifted into small, harmless creatures, but stories said they were physically perfect and alphas were obsessed with them.
I like this new take on the shifters and Omegaverse. There is the usual classification of Alpha, Betas, and Omegas, with the Alphas being the leaders and war generals, the Betas being the enforcers and the Omegas being the rarest type of shifters. There are also nulls who are another category, they are the "regular" humans. There is a little twist though: the alphas can shift into a beast form that varies for each person. The alphas and omegas are also immortal, while the betas have an extended life span and the nulls have a regular life span.
There is also more than one realm, the two main realms in this book are the Shifter realm and the Fae realm. They are connected together by a few portals, and those portals are the places where the soldiers and alpha generals are situated because it's where the fae monsters enter the shifter realm to wreak havoc.
I’d dealt with Dick my whole life. There was no room left in my miserable existence for bullies.
New life motto: anyone who bullied me was getting shanked.
Hard.
Sadie is an awesome main character. She is so strong, resilient, and determined! It was impressive to see what she went through and how she remained strong and determined to have others respect her. She has her down moments, but she is not one to let others step on her toes, and she also has very colorful language when she is pissed (but she knows how to pick her battles and when to just let go and ignore others). She is snarky and I adored her strength and her interactions with the alphas. She takes no shit from them, and she does not care if they are happy or not with her, she does what she wants now that she is finally free from Dick.
It was a good mix of a badass main character that can hold her own, but that also ends up being in dire situations where she needs the alpha to help or rescue her. Just enough to bring out the protective (and also possessive) side of the alphas. They don't want anything to do with her, and they don't want her to remain at the compound, yet they don't want her to be on her own, and they go crazy and become aggressive if someone else touches her or shows her affection. They will have to man up and admit that they maybe care for her a little, or let her go on with her life as she sees fit.
“I find it hard to believe you aren’t some spy for the fae queen. She’s been known to use her enchantments to play tricks and trap alphas.” Ascher cut at his steak savagely.
Rage bubbled inside my chest, and I had to forcibly swallow it down. I didn’t give a single flying shit about the queen, the war, or other shifters.
I was a lowly servant.
As a servant, they gave me zero rights in the realm, but then they just dropped me off at a portal and expected me to fight for them? They were disgusting.
I let my hatred show on my face. “I hate the fae queen and shifters equally. Why would I take sides?”
Sadie definitely had a tough start with the other alphas. First of all, they don't believe that she is truly an alpha since there has never been a female alpha before, and even when they realize that she is not lying, they clearly let her know that they don't give a shit about her and think that she is a useless girl. The dynamic between the four of them actually reminded me of the dynamic between Lilah and the pack members in Pack Darling: Part One, and that's probably one of the reasons why I finished this book in one sitting. I just love this mix of snark, angst, and strong-willed characters. Maybe I would enjoy bully romance after all? 🤔
Apparently, the horned man was named Ascher.
Also apparently, this new man had eaten his twin in the womb. There was no other possible way someone could be so massive.
Three alphas are already at the compound Sadie is sent to: Jax, Ascher, and Cobra.
Jax is the leader, the biggest, but also the calmest of the three. He is still a jerk with Sadie, but he actually gives her a chance to prove herself every once in a while and does not openly despise her... At least not as openly as the others.
Ascher is the newest member of the alpha trio, and he does not like Sadie. At all. All he does is bring her down and insult her, but at the same time, he is clearly obsessed with her and does not know how to deal with it.
He just stared back at me with his soulless eyes. Either Cobra had been born cruel or he had been hurt very badly.
Cobra is the usual grumpy one that does not accept the girl and blatantly shows his disgust and hatred. Somehow there is almost always one like that in the reverse-harem series I've read. I have to say though that he is probably the most complex of the three alphas, and even though he is cold as f*ck and an ass with Sadie, he's the one I liked the most. He is an interesting character, and he kept me on my toes because I never knew what to expect from him. He is also clearly obsessed with Sadie, and actually believes in her enough to let her fight against the fae monsters, but at the same time, he is the one who seems to hate her the most. As I said, very complex, but an interesting character that I hope to see more in the next book.
It was still weird to me. Cobra was clearly unhinged, Ascher was a hothead, and I had a homicidal voice inside my head. Jax was the calmest and least terrifying of all of us.
Anyone could see they were perfect for each other, two sides of the same coin. Both loyal and protective, yet one was calm and kind, while the other was psychotic and evil.
Opposites really did attract.
This series will definitely be a slow-burn, as there is no insta-love or insta-lust AT ALL. Sure the guys are insanely hot, and they are a little obsessed with Sadie, but they are all a long way from being on friendly terms. Jax and Cobra were already involved in a romantic relationship before Sadie came into the picture, so this might become something that is more a polyamorous relationship than a reverse-harem one? Honestly, I would not mind it at all as I think that Cobra and Jax are a good fit together.
There is some explicit smut (some FFM, MM, and MF), but it's not the most explicit book I've read. There will most probably be more smut in the following books as this is a slow burn, and the guys are just starting to tolerate Sadie, but I can't wait for more heat and spice between them all.
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April 1, 2022
Confused on high ratings?
Dnf. I really wanted to like this. Between the high ratings, and intriguing blurb, I couldn't wait to dive right into this read. What I read so far at 37% I was not impressed. Lets put aside the disjointed storyline for a min, and zero in on our H and the alphas who I'm guessing become the love interest. I'm overly confused about our H, she seems so strong at first, just bidding her time. with her upbringing, and all she's been through. I was ready for a women who was done with the crap life had given her, and was ready to burn the world down. I didn't get that. Somehow after leaving her prison, she some what is now weaker, having to throw up, scared, heaving. Feeling embarrassed by herself? She's tough here and there, then resorts back to being this sad scared women! I hated it! And if that wasn't bad enough, she's smelling and thinking about how gorgeous her new ass+++ bullies are. And let me tell you, they are completely hostile right off the bat. And while this is going on, the storyline is just all around a joke, its like the author put the least care into world building, and any real back stories? there are some of the cheesiest catchphrases I've heard. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't get through any of this.
Dnf. I really wanted to like this. Between the high ratings, and intriguing blurb, I couldn't wait to dive right into this read. What I read so far at 37% I was not impressed. Lets put aside the disjointed storyline for a min, and zero in on our H and the alphas who I'm guessing become the love interest. I'm overly confused about our H, she seems so strong at first, just bidding her time. with her upbringing, and all she's been through. I was ready for a women who was done with the crap life had given her, and was ready to burn the world down. I didn't get that. Somehow after leaving her prison, she some what is now weaker, having to throw up, scared, heaving. Feeling embarrassed by herself? She's tough here and there, then resorts back to being this sad scared women! I hated it! And if that wasn't bad enough, she's smelling and thinking about how gorgeous her new ass+++ bullies are. And let me tell you, they are completely hostile right off the bat. And while this is going on, the storyline is just all around a joke, its like the author put the least care into world building, and any real back stories? there are some of the cheesiest catchphrases I've heard. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't get through any of this.
October 14, 2022
TLDR: This book is mysoginistic, transphobic and feeds into the stigma around mental illness. I absolutely do not recommend it.
I was sucked in by a few quotes on booktok, despite my hesitancy due to the use of "psycho" in the title.
Unfortunately, the problematic title was definitely a sign for the way this book would go and I kind of wish I had listened to my gut instinct.
I finished this because I was honestly quite sucked in and I couldn't sleep so 🤷♀️ (that said the plot wasn't actually *good*, it was just addicting.)
That said, the plot was absolutely not good enough to cover up the incredibly problematic content in this book.
The word psycho comes up 21 times over the course of this book. Using psycho as an insult is incredibly damaging towards those with mental illness and only adds to the stigma.
The word sl*t is used 18 times in the *three* chapters from one of the MMCs POV, including sentences like this:
I tried to remind myself that sl*ts were just distractions to be f*cked and discarded.
Sadie was definitely a princess and not a slut.
I mean, come ON. This was unacceptable. And it just kept going. Honestly, Ascher's POV made me want to vomit. The misogyny was staggering.
On top of that, one of our other MMCs also hates women. His hatred of women stems from years of abuse at the hands of a woman and he does not sink to derogatory language so that's.....good I guess. Pretty low bar to clear, though. His POV was full of things like
This was why I hated women. They were all liars.
Then, of course, our FMC.
- She is not like other girls
- She's incredibly tiny - she has "such a small waist" and the guys alternate between being concerned for her welfare and lusting over her malnourished frame.
- she's constantly viewed as weak
- the only time she is strong is when she turns off her emotions and goes "numb" which I initially thought was a good metaphor for dissociation but now I'm thinking it may have just been an excuse to make her a badass for like two chapters and a damsel in distress for the rest of the book.
- she is referred to as a little girl on more than one occasion (gag)
Potential spoilers ahead:
There is an incredibly transphobic plot twist towards the end that was simply unacceptable and quite frankly, unnecessary. I don't know why the author felt the need to make things play out the way they did, when this could have easily been done without the transphobia. This doesn't happen until the very end, so you dedicate all of this time to this incredibly offensive book just to be hit with an even more offensive plot twist.
spoilers over
Overall, don't read this book. The only reason I finished was because of ✨️ insomnia ✨️ and I really regret it.
Note: I read a fair amount of dark romance and this review is not a reflection of the darkness or any dark romance-esque tropes. It is important to note that while the line may be blurred in the genre, dark romance does not give you the right to write anything you want, such as downright offensive and harmful content like what is included in this book.
I was sucked in by a few quotes on booktok, despite my hesitancy due to the use of "psycho" in the title.
Unfortunately, the problematic title was definitely a sign for the way this book would go and I kind of wish I had listened to my gut instinct.
I finished this because I was honestly quite sucked in and I couldn't sleep so 🤷♀️ (that said the plot wasn't actually *good*, it was just addicting.)
That said, the plot was absolutely not good enough to cover up the incredibly problematic content in this book.
The word psycho comes up 21 times over the course of this book. Using psycho as an insult is incredibly damaging towards those with mental illness and only adds to the stigma.
The word sl*t is used 18 times in the *three* chapters from one of the MMCs POV, including sentences like this:
I tried to remind myself that sl*ts were just distractions to be f*cked and discarded.
Sadie was definitely a princess and not a slut.
I mean, come ON. This was unacceptable. And it just kept going. Honestly, Ascher's POV made me want to vomit. The misogyny was staggering.
On top of that, one of our other MMCs also hates women. His hatred of women stems from years of abuse at the hands of a woman and he does not sink to derogatory language so that's.....good I guess. Pretty low bar to clear, though. His POV was full of things like
This was why I hated women. They were all liars.
Then, of course, our FMC.
- She is not like other girls
- She's incredibly tiny - she has "such a small waist" and the guys alternate between being concerned for her welfare and lusting over her malnourished frame.
- she's constantly viewed as weak
- the only time she is strong is when she turns off her emotions and goes "numb" which I initially thought was a good metaphor for dissociation but now I'm thinking it may have just been an excuse to make her a badass for like two chapters and a damsel in distress for the rest of the book.
- she is referred to as a little girl on more than one occasion (gag)
Potential spoilers ahead:
There is an incredibly transphobic plot twist towards the end that was simply unacceptable and quite frankly, unnecessary. I don't know why the author felt the need to make things play out the way they did, when this could have easily been done without the transphobia. This doesn't happen until the very end, so you dedicate all of this time to this incredibly offensive book just to be hit with an even more offensive plot twist.
spoilers over
Overall, don't read this book. The only reason I finished was because of ✨️ insomnia ✨️ and I really regret it.
Note: I read a fair amount of dark romance and this review is not a reflection of the darkness or any dark romance-esque tropes. It is important to note that while the line may be blurred in the genre, dark romance does not give you the right to write anything you want, such as downright offensive and harmful content like what is included in this book.
March 30, 2024
this was so bad I am going to continue reading just for the laughs
September 22, 2022
the whole time I was thinking this could use some editing, only to find out this actually was edited...
September 22, 2024
“Emotional support? It’s much healthier to repress emotions and ignore red flags.”
Sadie is me. pretty sure in another life I would be a Sadie. Minus the harem and the power, and the whole thing with Dick (the character, not the body part) but probably everything else.
She's so aware of her weaknesses, makes fun of herself constantly, has a good dose of insecurity, hates her depressing life, recognizes that she's miserable af but just rolls with it, and she sucks at running.
I use that to describe myself and my life daily.
I actually dnf-ed the book twice. I just couldn't get past the first few chapters. the writing hurt my soul. But I desperately wanted to read Psycho Academy and didn't want to miss out on the lore.
So I switched to audio and forced myself to keep it playing all day. I made sure it was the only form of entertainment available to me. My airpods were FIGHTING for their lives that day.
Turned out I didn't really have to force myself because before I knew it I finished it.
This book was HIGHLY entertaining. Listening to it helped me ignore the *questionable* writing and *questionable* world building and *questionable* lore and it allowed me to enjoy the thing I love the most in the world: romance.
And the romance was ROMANCING. And by that I mean dear god were the guys so MEAN to her lmao (this is a bully academy romance so I expected it)
The guys were a little stupid. This is where I recognize that this book has a lot of flaws. I found it hilarious that they accepted Ascher into their tight little group just a year ago, (probably because he was a man) but were so suspicious of Sadie. They thought she was a spy.
But Sadie was the first female alpha ever. She had white hair, she was tiny especially compared to all these jumbo-sized alphas and betas. She stood out like a damn sore thumb. If they did send a spy, wouldn't they send someone a little less noticeable?
Like, maybe, fucking Ascher?
But I wasn't here for the plot. I was here for the laughs and the stupid romance and stupid possessive alphas and this book DELIVEREDDD.
*THAT* Jax pov chapter?????
⤷ “The little alpha was a fucking survivor, and I would ensure no one ever hurt her again.”
Yeah you better not, motherfucker. His pov chapter was SO satisfying to read 😩 now I'm just waiting for my man Cobra and Ascher 😌
**also gonna add this here for anyone who's hesitant to read this because of the avg rating and are looking for reviews with assurances. bc I had the same problem for a while (I almost always have bad experiences with books with avg rating below 4)
let me just say I've read way worse omegaverse/pnr academy RH books than this and they all have high ratings (like, I'm talking 4.10 above). this one is so much better than most of those 😭
so idk I think it's worth giving a try, just lower your expectations and remember you're here for the fun lol
June 20, 2023
oh it was so bad, but it was so fun
toxic men will never be hot sorry not sorry
toxic men will never be hot sorry not sorry
July 18, 2023
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
This was good. I've been in a weird mood (yes I keep mentioning that I know) so maybe this was just what I was in the mood for? I liked that even though it's a reverse harem the story was in the forefront. The men came second always. I liked some (Jax) better than others (Cobra). I didn't see the betrayal coming which was interesting. I'm reading the next book as we speak. We'll see if I get through it before my brain simply decides that I must read something else *shrugs*
This was good. I've been in a weird mood (yes I keep mentioning that I know) so maybe this was just what I was in the mood for? I liked that even though it's a reverse harem the story was in the forefront. The men came second always. I liked some (Jax) better than others (Cobra). I didn't see the betrayal coming which was interesting. I'm reading the next book as we speak. We'll see if I get through it before my brain simply decides that I must read something else *shrugs*
April 4, 2023
O.M.G. New series obsession alert! I’m not going to lie, I started reading this pretty late and couldn’t stop until 4:30 in the morning! (Fortunately it was a weekend!) I absolutely LOVED this book. It has it all. A creative and dynamic magical world with realms and warriors and magic. It has three handsome, tough alpha shifters for the heroine to gradually fall for. It even has adorable animals and lovable sidekicks to root for. But most of all, it has a tough heroine who’s been run through the wringer way too many times. She’s strong emotionally, but not physically. When she finds out that she’s not a “null”, but an alpha, she’s sure that the sacred lake has made a mistake. But she’s brought to the portal to protect the shifterverse against the fae that are invading.
This is a why choose romance, where she has three love interests (I think), but it’s a slow burn, which I personally love with why choose romances. Most of the chapters are from the heroine’s point of view, but we also get one or two scenes from the three male alpha shifters’ POVs, just enough to whet my appetite and let us know who they are and that they all have secrets of their own…
This is the first in a trilogy and I’m so freaking excited to dive into the next. 5+++ stars!
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2023: This book fulfills the "A book by a first-time author."
This is a why choose romance, where she has three love interests (I think), but it’s a slow burn, which I personally love with why choose romances. Most of the chapters are from the heroine’s point of view, but we also get one or two scenes from the three male alpha shifters’ POVs, just enough to whet my appetite and let us know who they are and that they all have secrets of their own…
This is the first in a trilogy and I’m so freaking excited to dive into the next. 5+++ stars!
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2023: This book fulfills the "A book by a first-time author."
November 26, 2022
I was going through one of the worst reading slumps of 2022 and this book was the only thing that managed to pull me out of it.
It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s a fun, fast read with an interesting enough plot, without being too heavy. With a likable main character and hot alpha shifters.
That cliffhanger was fantastic and I need the next book right now.
It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s a fun, fast read with an interesting enough plot, without being too heavy. With a likable main character and hot alpha shifters.
That cliffhanger was fantastic and I need the next book right now.
July 20, 2022
DNFing this at 54%. i tried but i just cant do it anymore. like i really can't.
it's SO bad.
i'm honestly so confused as to how this has over a 2.5 avg rating let alone over 4??? how is that possible?
the writing was just so bad. the characters are unlikeable at best and two dimensional and predictable and misogynist and boring.
the constant repetition of certain words and phrases is really un-immersive and is like a factory reset to your brain while reading. eventually i was just waiting for the next time i was going to be forced to read the word 'sluts' or 'homicidal killing machine'.
ascher and cobra portray your classic women are objects to be used and a man that got hurt by a girl 500000 years ago so he hates all women tropes, respectively. when the execution is this poor and basic it adds nothing to the plot other than a couple brainless, sexist men in a story that is 3/4th's men and marketed to women. not sure how that one makes sense.
main character sadie is constantly contradicting herself and is inconsistent in all aspects. the 'omg she's so different from other girls i need to protect her and fuck her' storyline is even worse and some how more insulting when the MC is actually hardly different and arguably dull.
if i could give this like a half star i would but i can't. the only reason it would get a half and not a zero is because i managed to get through roughly 150 pages in a day so it gets .5 of a brownie point for that.
so glad to have this bad book weight off my chest. i was DREADING having to finish reading this, i don't really DNF books often.
serves me right for taking book recs from tiktok. i've learned my lesson.
it's SO bad.
i'm honestly so confused as to how this has over a 2.5 avg rating let alone over 4??? how is that possible?
the writing was just so bad. the characters are unlikeable at best and two dimensional and predictable and misogynist and boring.
the constant repetition of certain words and phrases is really un-immersive and is like a factory reset to your brain while reading. eventually i was just waiting for the next time i was going to be forced to read the word 'sluts' or 'homicidal killing machine'.
ascher and cobra portray your classic women are objects to be used and a man that got hurt by a girl 500000 years ago so he hates all women tropes, respectively. when the execution is this poor and basic it adds nothing to the plot other than a couple brainless, sexist men in a story that is 3/4th's men and marketed to women. not sure how that one makes sense.
main character sadie is constantly contradicting herself and is inconsistent in all aspects. the 'omg she's so different from other girls i need to protect her and fuck her' storyline is even worse and some how more insulting when the MC is actually hardly different and arguably dull.
if i could give this like a half star i would but i can't. the only reason it would get a half and not a zero is because i managed to get through roughly 150 pages in a day so it gets .5 of a brownie point for that.
so glad to have this bad book weight off my chest. i was DREADING having to finish reading this, i don't really DNF books often.
serves me right for taking book recs from tiktok. i've learned my lesson.
April 26, 2023
**I decided to come back to this series and give it another try. Skimming through this first book as a quick re-read did seem better than when I originally read it. Not sure if my mood was better for it or what but I'm actually excited now to move on with the series.**
The premise to this was pretty interesting and it kept me reading but overall I didn't like the book all that much. It seemed all over the place at times and somehow there was so much going during some scenes that it actually felt like nothing was happening. At least nothing that was actually moving the story forward.
As for the character I didn't really know any of them enough to even say that I liked them. The only character that actually had some fleshing out was Sadie and even her all I knew was the she was an ugly, abused servant. Which was mentioned many times.
I may continue with the series since the cliffhanger did leave me with some questions that I want answered but I also wouldn't be surprised if I end up forgetting about it by the time the other books are out.
The premise to this was pretty interesting and it kept me reading but overall I didn't like the book all that much. It seemed all over the place at times and somehow there was so much going during some scenes that it actually felt like nothing was happening. At least nothing that was actually moving the story forward.
As for the character I didn't really know any of them enough to even say that I liked them. The only character that actually had some fleshing out was Sadie and even her all I knew was the she was an ugly, abused servant. Which was mentioned many times.
I may continue with the series since the cliffhanger did leave me with some questions that I want answered but I also wouldn't be surprised if I end up forgetting about it by the time the other books are out.
November 9, 2022
The high ratings are a joke…right? Everyone is gonna suddenly come out and say “hahaha gotchya, we don’t actually like it”….right?!
This is one of the worst books I’ve read. I don’t expect smut books to have top tier writing, but I don’t expect to not be cringing so badly I have to restrain myself from chucking my device across the room. The number of times “the numb” was used to make her seem so bad ass and dark was ridiculous. If I had to read “five and a half feet tall”, “small”, or “numb” one more time I might have lost my ever loving sh*t. To be completely honest it seems like this book was written and published with no editing and very little thought actually put into it. The premise was great, but that’s about the only thing good about it.
DNF’d at 19%.
This is one of the worst books I’ve read. I don’t expect smut books to have top tier writing, but I don’t expect to not be cringing so badly I have to restrain myself from chucking my device across the room. The number of times “the numb” was used to make her seem so bad ass and dark was ridiculous. If I had to read “five and a half feet tall”, “small”, or “numb” one more time I might have lost my ever loving sh*t. To be completely honest it seems like this book was written and published with no editing and very little thought actually put into it. The premise was great, but that’s about the only thing good about it.
DNF’d at 19%.
November 7, 2022
Umm. I almost don't want to give this 3 stars; more like 2 or 2.5stars. This was just a really strange book. Like I really don't understand why it's got the rating it does.
I have whiplash. Sadie has sooo many personalities. I feel like the author couldn't decide on how she wanted her MC to be and just changed it up every chapter.
They were the worst love interests I've read about in a long time. Ascher was deplorable and irredeemable. He literally referred to all women as sluts. It was just gross. Jax was lame and Cobra switched personalities as much as Sadie. Even the bestie Aran was ick.
This was beyond juvenile. Every interaction was painful, cringeworthy and blurgh. It was a very creative story but subpar writing and terrible execution. Disappointed.
I have whiplash. Sadie has sooo many personalities. I feel like the author couldn't decide on how she wanted her MC to be and just changed it up every chapter.
They were the worst love interests I've read about in a long time. Ascher was deplorable and irredeemable. He literally referred to all women as sluts. It was just gross. Jax was lame and Cobra switched personalities as much as Sadie. Even the bestie Aran was ick.
This was beyond juvenile. Every interaction was painful, cringeworthy and blurgh. It was a very creative story but subpar writing and terrible execution. Disappointed.
July 27, 2023
2.5 stars
booktok is the queen of bamboozling me, it should be a crime for a book to be so overhyped and have NOTHING. the start of the book promised MMFM and the author lied so 💩
the book had some funny moments but here’s some collective trauma (once again):
𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘵, 𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘩𝘦𝘢.
“𝘎𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘸,” 𝘈𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥.
“𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘴. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦!” 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮.
i mean there were plenty of funny moments bw the characters but i wanted SOMETHING ELSE 😒
the guys r also insanely huge and imo ugly … cus tell me how 6’5 men who r as wide as mountains can be attractive? what they need is a mf diet 😬
booktok is the queen of bamboozling me, it should be a crime for a book to be so overhyped and have NOTHING. the start of the book promised MMFM and the author lied so 💩
the book had some funny moments but here’s some collective trauma (once again):
𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘵, 𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘩𝘦𝘢.
“𝘎𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘸,” 𝘈𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥.
“𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘴. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦!” 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮.
i mean there were plenty of funny moments bw the characters but i wanted SOMETHING ELSE 😒
the guys r also insanely huge and imo ugly … cus tell me how 6’5 men who r as wide as mountains can be attractive? what they need is a mf diet 😬
July 21, 2023
Genre: Dark Paranormal, RH, Omegaverse, Fantasy, NA
Tropes: reverse harem, shifters, fae, mild bully romance, war, slow-burn, forced proximity
Series: Cruel Shifterverese #1
Cliffhanger: Yes
Trigger Warnings: death, violence, torture, references to physical and sexual assault, beatings, child abuse
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐
Spice: 2.5/5 🌶
“Blood and ice will fall the lie,
Color and white to break the queen,
Heir and friend join and tie,
A reborn quad the fates foreseen.”
This book was extremely catchy and it was a quick read. It's by no means perfect: the writing style is rough around the edges and sometimes the action is unnaturally fast, but it has a lot of potential, cool characters and an overall believable story.
》》The Plot《《
"My stomach pinched, and I thought back to the little rats at the tavern.
I hoped they would be okay without me. They were going to miss their momma.
Yes, I had proclaimed myself the mother of rats."
Sadie lives in the shifter world, working as a lowly servant for a Beta; a Beta who, all of Sadie's life, has cruelly abused her. So, when she gets tested for her shifter abilities and it's discovered she's an Alpha, suddenly her life changes: she gets dropped at Portal Number 3, an important training and fighting center in the war against the Fae Queen and the fae realm.
So now, Sadie's problems are on a completely different level: fighting lessons and training sessions, transforming and using her Alpha skills and, of course, surviving the three super hot but unhinged Alpha shifters she has to live with.
》》Characters and Relationships《《
"Sure, Cobra was gorgeous, and Ascher was tantalizing with his horns and tattoos, but Jax was handsome and the strongest."
I love the uniqueness of each character and the fact that they all have a signature trait that's just sooo them.
🐯 Sadie
"Today I was going to play it cool.
What would numb Sadie do?"
She's a pretty cool female MC,but the way the word 'scrawny' kept being used in the first quarter of the book drove me crazy. I like 'the numb' very much and I'm curious to see more about her development.
🐻 Jax
"The man had dark skin. Long braids hung to his biceps, and hundreds of chains and gold trinkets dangled from them.
The chains twinkled in the icy wind and blew around his waist.
He also had bars of gold through his ears, and a gold nose ring decorated his wide nose.
High cheekbones, plush lips, and stunning gray eyes completed the handsome picture."
He's such a big person. In all senses of the expression. I appreciated the fact that he's the calm one, that brings balance and ration in this wild mix.
🐍 Cobra
"Holy shit.
He was gorgeous.
He looked like an ancient statue of a marble hero, and his skin was so pale that his light-turquoise veins sparkled.
An inky swath of hair fell around his eyes—a deep emerald that was darker and more vibrant than the coniferous trees in the forest behind him.
The horned god’s features were so harsh they were intimidating, but this pale god was classically handsome.
He was like a statue of the sun god, like a painting of an angel from the rumored god realm, like an annoying bastard who thought he was hot shit."
I've heard a lot of descriptions of beautiful male characters in fantasy series, but it's the first one that has a male with jems on his skin, instead of tattoos. And I'm fascinated. He's clearly unhinged and I love his mysterious past and the 'I'm not speaking to any female but you' attitude.
🦬 Ascher
"Massive onyx horns jutted out from a bed of shaggy gold hair. They were large and thick, and curled atop his head.
The tattooed, horned god leaned over and shook my arm.
Up close, his features were arresting: severe cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and slashing amber eyes that glared at me.
Yep, the horned man was terrifying.
My gut screamed at me to punch him in the throat and run for my life because no man should be so large, handsome, and cool-looking."
It wouldn't be a complete RH without a tattooed male, would it? Well, Ascher is here to fulfill that expectation and I think he has all the boxes checked ✔️
🐯🔷️Sadie and Aran
“So how has the shifter realm hurt you?” I asked him.
Instead of sadness like I had expected, Aran’s turquoise eyes danced with humor.
Some people were broken by bad circumstances. Others embraced their shitty lots and used it to terrorize the world. He was definitely in the latter category, and I aspired to be like that.
That's definitely the friendship we needed. It's not as well defined as I would have liked, but I love Aran’s character and I have huge expectations from the next book from him. I like the dynamic between them, especially the scenes from the party and when Aran shows his skills at fashion - just like a fairy godmother.
🐍🐻Cobra and Jax
"Then, six years ago, I’d been assigned to portal three at the same time Cobra was.
We’d bonded immediately and were successful together. He was the icy bite to my calm leadership.
It was a bonus that Cobra liked men and found my large frame attractive.
I would have to be blind and dumb to not be into him. He was physically the most beautiful man I had ever seen.
When we’d discovered Cobra couldn’t wrestle control back from his beast unless he was sexually aroused, our fate had been sealed.
There was nothing that could keep us apart from each other. We’d become a two-man unit, in every sense of the words.
Our fates were intertwined."
The MM romance I wasn't expecting to find in a reverse harem. But here it is, serving up the spice while we're waiting for ths actual RH to begin. The two of them are literally the Yin to each other’s Yang.
》》Favorite Scenes《《
🐯 Sadie discovering she's an Alpha
🐻🐍🦬 Meeting Jax, Cobra and Ascher
⚔️ The first fighting session
🐯🦬🐍🐻 Moving in with the guys
🐯 The transformation
🐯🔷️ Befriending Aran
🐯🐍🐻 Sadie, walking in on Jax and Cobra
🍴Cobra having Cranberry sauce
"For a second, a potent scent of cranberries reached my nose, and my heart jumped with excitement.
The princess was in the room.
I looked up and whipped my head around, trying to find her, then groaned with frustration when I saw Cobra had fucking cranberry sauce on his plate.
This had to be an all-time low. I’d just gotten aroused over a fucking side dish.
I had lost my mind."
🐯Jax saving Sadie
🔷️🐯Aran taking Sadie to get pampered
🐱The kitten
“What makes you so sure Jax will let me keep him if it’s against the rules?”
“Hm, maybe because he stares at you twenty-four seven and literally growls like a wild bear whenever I touch you.” Aran rolled his eyes like I was being dumb. “Especially after the attack. Sadie, the man stopped training the other day to give you a fucking bread roll because he said you looked hungry.”
🎉 The party
🐍🐯The closet scene with Cobra and Sadie
Tropes: reverse harem, shifters, fae, mild bully romance, war, slow-burn, forced proximity
Series: Cruel Shifterverese #1
Cliffhanger: Yes
Trigger Warnings: death, violence, torture, references to physical and sexual assault, beatings, child abuse
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐
Spice: 2.5/5 🌶
“Blood and ice will fall the lie,
Color and white to break the queen,
Heir and friend join and tie,
A reborn quad the fates foreseen.”
This book was extremely catchy and it was a quick read. It's by no means perfect: the writing style is rough around the edges and sometimes the action is unnaturally fast, but it has a lot of potential, cool characters and an overall believable story.
》》The Plot《《
"My stomach pinched, and I thought back to the little rats at the tavern.
I hoped they would be okay without me. They were going to miss their momma.
Yes, I had proclaimed myself the mother of rats."
Sadie lives in the shifter world, working as a lowly servant for a Beta; a Beta who, all of Sadie's life, has cruelly abused her. So, when she gets tested for her shifter abilities and it's discovered she's an Alpha, suddenly her life changes: she gets dropped at Portal Number 3, an important training and fighting center in the war against the Fae Queen and the fae realm.
So now, Sadie's problems are on a completely different level: fighting lessons and training sessions, transforming and using her Alpha skills and, of course, surviving the three super hot but unhinged Alpha shifters she has to live with.
》》Characters and Relationships《《
"Sure, Cobra was gorgeous, and Ascher was tantalizing with his horns and tattoos, but Jax was handsome and the strongest."
I love the uniqueness of each character and the fact that they all have a signature trait that's just sooo them.
🐯 Sadie
"Today I was going to play it cool.
What would numb Sadie do?"
She's a pretty cool female MC,but the way the word 'scrawny' kept being used in the first quarter of the book drove me crazy. I like 'the numb' very much and I'm curious to see more about her development.
🐻 Jax
"The man had dark skin. Long braids hung to his biceps, and hundreds of chains and gold trinkets dangled from them.
The chains twinkled in the icy wind and blew around his waist.
He also had bars of gold through his ears, and a gold nose ring decorated his wide nose.
High cheekbones, plush lips, and stunning gray eyes completed the handsome picture."
He's such a big person. In all senses of the expression. I appreciated the fact that he's the calm one, that brings balance and ration in this wild mix.
🐍 Cobra
"Holy shit.
He was gorgeous.
He looked like an ancient statue of a marble hero, and his skin was so pale that his light-turquoise veins sparkled.
An inky swath of hair fell around his eyes—a deep emerald that was darker and more vibrant than the coniferous trees in the forest behind him.
The horned god’s features were so harsh they were intimidating, but this pale god was classically handsome.
He was like a statue of the sun god, like a painting of an angel from the rumored god realm, like an annoying bastard who thought he was hot shit."
I've heard a lot of descriptions of beautiful male characters in fantasy series, but it's the first one that has a male with jems on his skin, instead of tattoos. And I'm fascinated. He's clearly unhinged and I love his mysterious past and the 'I'm not speaking to any female but you' attitude.
🦬 Ascher
"Massive onyx horns jutted out from a bed of shaggy gold hair. They were large and thick, and curled atop his head.
The tattooed, horned god leaned over and shook my arm.
Up close, his features were arresting: severe cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and slashing amber eyes that glared at me.
Yep, the horned man was terrifying.
My gut screamed at me to punch him in the throat and run for my life because no man should be so large, handsome, and cool-looking."
It wouldn't be a complete RH without a tattooed male, would it? Well, Ascher is here to fulfill that expectation and I think he has all the boxes checked ✔️
🐯🔷️Sadie and Aran
“So how has the shifter realm hurt you?” I asked him.
Instead of sadness like I had expected, Aran’s turquoise eyes danced with humor.
Some people were broken by bad circumstances. Others embraced their shitty lots and used it to terrorize the world. He was definitely in the latter category, and I aspired to be like that.
That's definitely the friendship we needed. It's not as well defined as I would have liked, but I love Aran’s character and I have huge expectations from the next book from him. I like the dynamic between them, especially the scenes from the party and when Aran shows his skills at fashion - just like a fairy godmother.
🐍🐻Cobra and Jax
"Then, six years ago, I’d been assigned to portal three at the same time Cobra was.
We’d bonded immediately and were successful together. He was the icy bite to my calm leadership.
It was a bonus that Cobra liked men and found my large frame attractive.
I would have to be blind and dumb to not be into him. He was physically the most beautiful man I had ever seen.
When we’d discovered Cobra couldn’t wrestle control back from his beast unless he was sexually aroused, our fate had been sealed.
There was nothing that could keep us apart from each other. We’d become a two-man unit, in every sense of the words.
Our fates were intertwined."
The MM romance I wasn't expecting to find in a reverse harem. But here it is, serving up the spice while we're waiting for ths actual RH to begin. The two of them are literally the Yin to each other’s Yang.
》》Favorite Scenes《《
🐯 Sadie discovering she's an Alpha
🐻🐍🦬 Meeting Jax, Cobra and Ascher
⚔️ The first fighting session
🐯🦬🐍🐻 Moving in with the guys
🐯 The transformation
🐯🔷️ Befriending Aran
🐯🐍🐻 Sadie, walking in on Jax and Cobra
🍴Cobra having Cranberry sauce
"For a second, a potent scent of cranberries reached my nose, and my heart jumped with excitement.
The princess was in the room.
I looked up and whipped my head around, trying to find her, then groaned with frustration when I saw Cobra had fucking cranberry sauce on his plate.
This had to be an all-time low. I’d just gotten aroused over a fucking side dish.
I had lost my mind."
🐯Jax saving Sadie
🔷️🐯Aran taking Sadie to get pampered
🐱The kitten
“What makes you so sure Jax will let me keep him if it’s against the rules?”
“Hm, maybe because he stares at you twenty-four seven and literally growls like a wild bear whenever I touch you.” Aran rolled his eyes like I was being dumb. “Especially after the attack. Sadie, the man stopped training the other day to give you a fucking bread roll because he said you looked hungry.”
🎉 The party
🐍🐯The closet scene with Cobra and Sadie
September 1, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
✅Strong FMC with a sharp tounge, self deprecating humor and bad bitch vibes
✅3 Alpha MMC that had me swooning every other page
✅MMM/MF scenes
✅Shapeshifters / Fae
🆗 Worldbuilding
🆗Overall storyline
So this book was addictive, funny and entrataining. I loved Sadie humor and general personality and all the boys vibes are on point.
It´s an easy spicy read (even though I hope the spice will increese in book 2).
It´s perfect to come out of a reading slump if you like why choose poliamory fantasy books.
Definitely recommend.
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
✅Strong FMC with a sharp tounge, self deprecating humor and bad bitch vibes
✅3 Alpha MMC that had me swooning every other page
✅MMM/MF scenes
✅Shapeshifters / Fae
🆗 Worldbuilding
🆗Overall storyline
So this book was addictive, funny and entrataining. I loved Sadie humor and general personality and all the boys vibes are on point.
It´s an easy spicy read (even though I hope the spice will increese in book 2).
It´s perfect to come out of a reading slump if you like why choose poliamory fantasy books.
Definitely recommend.
September 24, 2024
audio: 3.5 stars (why no male narrators? Also, Sadie is supposed to have this raspy voice but the narrator did not deliver on that front AT ALL. I found the narration average and could have been a lot better.)
plot: 3.5 stars
overall: 3.5 stars
This was a solid entry to a series. It isn't great but it also isn't bad at all. I think managing expectations is important going into this book; it's an RH shifter fantasy romance you know so like just have fun with it😂
What I liked:
- Sadie was a great fmc. She was funny, sarcastic, vulnerable yet strong and didn't take shit from 3 huge alphas. Her inner thoughts were very funny and relatable 😅
- the plot was interesting (you can tell it will get progressively better in the next books, hopefully😅🤞) and the action sequences were fun.
- the alphas were hot, they each had a distinct personality and a different dynamic with Sadie.
- not too much spice, which I appreciated. I think I would have completely lost interest if it were too spicy too fast.
- the writing was fun and easy to follow.
What I didn't like:
- the worldbuilding was fine, could be better.
- we didn't get enough from the alphas pov; their povs were few and far between.
- I think it was a bit too short for a fantasy imo. I felt like I didn't get time to connect with the characters, especially the alphas.
- the constant mentioning of how tiny she was and how huge they were😂 that isn't something that usually deters me from a book, I can overlook it but damn ok we get it😂
That being said, I will most definitely continue the series. It does end on a cliffhanger and Sadie is really funny 😂
plot: 3.5 stars
overall: 3.5 stars
This was a solid entry to a series. It isn't great but it also isn't bad at all. I think managing expectations is important going into this book; it's an RH shifter fantasy romance you know so like just have fun with it😂
What I liked:
- Sadie was a great fmc. She was funny, sarcastic, vulnerable yet strong and didn't take shit from 3 huge alphas. Her inner thoughts were very funny and relatable 😅
- the plot was interesting (you can tell it will get progressively better in the next books, hopefully😅🤞) and the action sequences were fun.
- the alphas were hot, they each had a distinct personality and a different dynamic with Sadie.
- not too much spice, which I appreciated. I think I would have completely lost interest if it were too spicy too fast.
- the writing was fun and easy to follow.
What I didn't like:
- the worldbuilding was fine, could be better.
- we didn't get enough from the alphas pov; their povs were few and far between.
- I think it was a bit too short for a fantasy imo. I felt like I didn't get time to connect with the characters, especially the alphas.
- the constant mentioning of how tiny she was and how huge they were😂 that isn't something that usually deters me from a book, I can overlook it but damn ok we get it😂
That being said, I will most definitely continue the series. It does end on a cliffhanger and Sadie is really funny 😂
March 25, 2024
4 stars
Loved this book so much. Excited to see what happens next
Loved this book so much. Excited to see what happens next
January 14, 2023
back in my fantasy girl era ok 💃🏻
this is pretty dark in some parts so check warnings but this was such a good start to the series.
it’s a mix of omegaverse and fantasy and sadie presents as the first female alpha ever and gets taken from her old realm where she lived as a servant to a new realm where she gets to room with 3 alphas who are not thrilled she’s there and don’t quite believe her story.
all three heroes are v hot and giving “we hate you but also no one else is allowed to touch you” energy
this book had one small spice scene with the heroine and one between the alphas but the tension was 10/10 and hopefully we get more in the next books since this one ends on a big cliffhanger
bonus points for this being a very accessible fantasy. the world building isn’t super confusing and it’s easy to pick things up since there’s still some human world elements.
this is pretty dark in some parts so check warnings but this was such a good start to the series.
it’s a mix of omegaverse and fantasy and sadie presents as the first female alpha ever and gets taken from her old realm where she lived as a servant to a new realm where she gets to room with 3 alphas who are not thrilled she’s there and don’t quite believe her story.
all three heroes are v hot and giving “we hate you but also no one else is allowed to touch you” energy
this book had one small spice scene with the heroine and one between the alphas but the tension was 10/10 and hopefully we get more in the next books since this one ends on a big cliffhanger
bonus points for this being a very accessible fantasy. the world building isn’t super confusing and it’s easy to pick things up since there’s still some human world elements.
June 14, 2023
This book is so bad but so good at the same time. The storyline makes no sense, it jumps between being written by a horny 14 year old and horny millenial, the world just like im so confused about what exists and what doesn't like why do they have phones. But there are some really funny lines in here but i dont know if im laughing at it or with it. The smut is nothing special and so rapey at the start. And omfg stfu about the mc being a smol lil 5'2 wiw bbaaabwwyyyu shes so smallll and not like other girls and yeah all other girls are sluts and whores and show their boobs like i dont think theres a single normal girl except her sister like wtf alot of internalised mysoginy.
November 1, 2022
BASIC FACTS:
Pages: #1: 330 #2: 408
My rating: 4stars
Genre: rh, fantasy, shifter, fae
Protagonist Ages: 20 and much older.
Pacing: okay
Plot Rating: 4
The Review is about Psycho Shifters and Psycho Fae.
I loved Sadie’s inner dialogues with herself and with the numb. They really are hilarious. The Alpha guy are all kind of broken. The only normal one seems to be Jax but he worries about all the woman in his life, all the time.
Both books are funny and very entertaining.
The Characters: Names and descriptions of the persons
Summery Psycho Shifter: detailed, lot’s of spoiler
Summery Psycho Fae: detailed, lot’s of spoiler
Pages: #1: 330 #2: 408
My rating: 4stars
Genre: rh, fantasy, shifter, fae
Protagonist Ages: 20 and much older.
Pacing: okay
Plot Rating: 4
The Review is about Psycho Shifters and Psycho Fae.
I loved Sadie’s inner dialogues with herself and with the numb. They really are hilarious. The Alpha guy are all kind of broken. The only normal one seems to be Jax but he worries about all the woman in his life, all the time.
Both books are funny and very entertaining.
The Characters: Names and descriptions of the persons
Summery Psycho Shifter: detailed, lot’s of spoiler
Summery Psycho Fae: detailed, lot’s of spoiler
September 6, 2024
New discovery: I‘m into reverse harems
May 10, 2022
A little bit intriguing, a lot a bit of a hot mess. There isn’t any flow in this book. It jumps from one scene to the next and nothing builds. If you read the first five chapters and the last five chapters you would be freaking shocked that they all came from the same book. You need to be a trusting reader to enjoy this because you’re at the authors whim. Don’t expect anything to make sense. Foreshadow? Pssh, yeah right! Motif? Nope. Hell even an overall theme is missing here. The first half of this book reads like some twisted omegaverse version of Hunger Games which I was totally digging but, man, that second half was so convoluted and the lack of direction was really frustrating. The author has some interesting fantasy/sci fi-ish ideas and I think this is a debut novel, which is why I threw on an extra star, so with time and some more focus I could see her writing getting so much better. I think she got lost in this. There’s so much going on: multiple realms, the omegaverse stuff, the syndicate, the “capital” people, the fantasy stuff, multiple characters who all have hidden identities and secrets, fae magic, shifter magic, portals, etc etc. It’s a lot!!
March 24, 2022
I was in a reading slump nothing could hold my attention till I got the Arc for this book. I was hooked needing to know more. The lore was different to most shifter novels I’ve read before. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series and damn that cliff hanger came out left field.
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