Bishop to Knight One: Diviner's Game, Book 1

Naiads value their daughters above all else, the sons are cast aside or often face worse situations. Deejay, the abandoned son of a Naiad has made it his life mission to take and raise the sons of his sisters, to protect them and keep them safe from the horrors of the world they were born into. When his sister drops of the sons of her deceased boyfriend things do not go according to plan. Matt did not expect to move into the home of a man he never met before, he did not expect to learn that he and his younger brother were members of the non-human community, he did not expect to catch feelings for the man who takes in kids of all ages and backgrounds no questions asked, and he especially did not think he would be fighting for his life against bigger forcers working against him. Deejay and Matt are put to the test as they fight to keep their family out of danger. Will they come out on top or are they pawns in a much bigger game? Bishop to Knight One is the first book in the Diviner’s Game Trilogy and the first full length book that I have read by Jennifer Cody. Being familiar to their novella series Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees I was excited to read more of thier works. I was worried that I would not like a book that was longer than the short chaotic ones I have come to love from them but I should not have been worried. Jennifer Cody was able to build up this world that is appealing to the reader is so many ways, with unique charters and a story line that is consistent and…

Not sure of the reason for the chess reference as a title for the book, but it's still an enjoyable read. There are good guys, bad guys, and babies; the only thing missing is a dog, lol. This isn't a knock against the story. I am moving on to the next in the series because I am intrigued by the relationship between Gage and Loki but back to this book. The Maledict and the Obsidite Reaper are a great couple with incredible chemistry. I love "The Maledict's" ability to curse things and people. The story is light with a bit of heaviness. 2 stand out typos, "a steak of amusement" and " a tin of slave".

Diviner’s Game Series and Shattered Pawns Series by Jennifer Cody These series set in the same universe with a crossover of characters from book to book were just what I needed to focus my scattered brain this week. The world and characters are engaging. The detail of world building is unusual for a paranormal fated mates story. The extent to which the world and its rules and laws are explained make it richer and maybe longer than than usual fated mates stories. The focus on each developing relationship doesn’t preclude a multitude of secondary characters and the level of action is comparable to a brisk action movie. Each book in the series adds to the tapestry of events, giving us a very detailed picture of the story from different perspectives. I was slightly put off by the presentation of the female naiads as evil sexists with no lingering affection for any of their male children—it seemed that such attitudes might be on a spectrum differing from family to family and that some female naiads might be worthwhile people despite their culture. Also, the age difference and economic imbalance between Matt and Deejay in the first book gave me some qualms, despite the fated mates aspect of their relationship and the fact that Matt’s actually considered a biological adult by the paranormal community. I enjoyed the characters in the first book, but felt that some of the character’s actions were obscurely motivated. In book two, new information is revealed, explaining some of this,…

I absolutely loved this story! It's dual POV between Matt and Deejay and both men are fairly complex. The world building is incredibly detailed and well done and all the characters really add to this. There's lot of interesting species and magic and I liked the way the story came together. If you're a fan of fantasy at all, I think this one will really grab your attention. These DEFINITELY need to read the others as they all build on each other. The only drawback was at times Deejay could be a bit hasty and short sided and I didn't like how he treated Tio. I know it's one of his character flaws, but I felt Tio got a bit shafted. Tio has an overly in your face kind of personality is definitely my type of character and I was totally rooting for him. Matt is the super sweet, grounded, family centered man and the perfect balance to Deejay. There's so much to this world that I can't wait to unpack and I'm already starting to dive into the the next one!

When I tried to read an earlier edition of this book, I didn’t get very far. A few months later, I read other books by this author and fell in love with her creativity and writing style. So, when I found out she had released a revised version of this book, I knew I had to give it a second chance. Though it does have some lingering editorial issues, none of the elements that bugged me the first time around remained. I ended up binge-reading this entire trilogy in a single weekend, and I loved every moment of it. Cody solidly roots her worldbuilding for this universe in a few basic tenets that still result in a lot of seeming bureaucracy. However, what makes it all so complicated is also what makes it so intriguing and fun. Deejay and Matt are good men to their core, but it’s important to note that they are not human men. The non-human world is particularly violent, despite the guidelines that seem to define the violence rather than mitigate it, and Deejay and Matt are very much part of that world. But their moments of magical and physical violence always stem from protecting their family, especially the children they have claimed as their own. This shared connection is what leads to their developing relationship, which is both sweet and spicy in appropriate turns. The external storyline that envelops them as their relationship evolves is also deliciously twisty. These two heroes are protagonists in their own lives, obviously, but I started to get the impression that they’re…