First off, if you haven't read the first book DUCK! you really should before reading this one. Magpie would make so much more sense if you did. With that, I really was pleased with this book. I like it almost as much as DUCK!. I was happy to see Everet got his own story. I really like how Everet and Kane had to both work to make the relationship work out. Poor Kane hasn't had the best upbringing. Not just that but people assumed things about him just because he was a magpie. It would take a lot to help boost his self esteem and confidence. Everet has a lot of self confidence but sometimes he questions himself with Kane, if he is doing what is best for him.Kane and Everet end up wanting to make the other happy. Just as they said in the story, a little bit of Everet rubs off on Kane and vise versa. Now, Mr.Hamilton runs the nest. You meet him from the first book. Mr. Hamilton a complete jerk in this book. He got some issues that he needs to sort out. He is spiteful. He comes across as someone who is upset that his complete control is slipping away. Now he has Ori, thw swan and Raynard he has to work along with. He doesn't have final anymore. He decides to take it out on poor Kane. But dont' worry, Kane has supporters that will help him on his way to his new life. I've been involved in kink and BDSM for more years than I like to admit, and Kim Dare is without a doubt one of my favorite kinky writers. Her characters are rich and deep, the stories are complex with beautifully wrought universes, and she really shows the many ways that kink can be done. I appreciate that while her books make BDSM accessible to novices they're also really rewarding to people (like me) who've been involved in the lifestyle for a long time. I love this book in large part because I HATED Kane for the first few chapters. It was a truly masterful (mistress-ful?) mind f*&%- building a character I really detested and didn't feel could ever be redeemed, then peeling back his layers and showing us the terrible, painful things that shaped him. I'm also really enjoying learning about the social structure and the caste-system (for lack of a better word) of the bird shifters- there's actually a lot of interesting social commentary in between the smut. tl;dr- Hot sex, flawed and redeemed heroes, rich universe- can't wait for the next book in this series!
What do You think about Magpie (2012)?
I absolutely ADORE this book. Love both the Avian Shifters books. Sweet twist on shifter/mm romance!
—John
I liked it but less than the previous book. I had sometimes problem keeping reading the story.
—Kimm
I thought Duck! was brilliant, but Magpie's even better. Six stars for truly awesome.
—Abby
