Corruption / Clay White / Creature

3.5 stars

Love the cover. I really liked the characters and wish the story was much longer so I could get to know them better.

This is a collection of three stories that are set in the same alternate-universe Earth and include some of the same characters. In each story, one character has ties to a secret government agency, The Bureau, that investigates supernatural crimes. Overall, these stories are dark and focus a lot on the evil humans are capable of. So, content warning for rape (although there's nothing overly explicit) and violence. This isn't my favorite Kim Fielding book, but urban fantasy isn't my favorite genre.

Also, one of the reasons I have read a lot of this author's books is that I really like the way she writes female side characters - as three-dimensional people - and that her characters generally treat and talk about women the same way. There aren't any important female characters in any of these stories, which is okay. But I really disliked the way a major character (the agents' boss) talked about women. I understand that his offhand remarks are appropriate to the time period, and perhaps his misogyny also serves to show that he is morally gray. But his attitude made me cringe.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joel Leslie, and he did a great job, as always. I especially liked the voices he chose for the main characters in Creature.

1. Corruption - 3 stars. In the 1940s, a Bureau agent who is half-human and half-angel falls in love with a demon. It's kind of an insta-love story, without all that much development. I guess that Charles is a Dom and the demon is a natural submissive, but the story doesn't really come out and state that. I liked it, though. These characters show up in the other two stories.

2. Clay White - 2.5 stars. An ex-agent falls in love with a vampire and they investigate a mystery. This story takes place in the present day and it's written in first person. I think the author was aiming for a noir feel. Maybe she didn't succeed or maybe it just isn't my thing, but this was my least favorite of the three.

3. Creature - 4.5 stars. In 1950, a prospective Bureau agent is tasked with investigating a Frankenstein-like scientist, and he falls in love with a man who is (more or less) a sentient zombie. This one is novella-length and my favorite of the three. The human character, Harry, thinks of himself as stupid; although I don't think he truly does lack intelligence, this story feels like a good portrait of a man who sees himself that way. The romance feels pretty natural, but it creeps me out a little bit, because John has never interacted with any human other than Harry. Still, their connection is very emotional, exactly what they both need, and I enjoyed the story.