Reviewed by Vicki
SERIES REVIEW: Venomous Mates
AUTHOR: Jackie Nacht
PUBLISHER: Extasy Books
BOOK ONE TITLE: Intoxicated by the King Cobra 
LENGTH: 75 pages
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REVIEW:
Yes! A whole new world to explore.
This is the start to a new series for me, I’ve read Jackie’s Paranormal Dentistry series and loved them. They are humorous and light, this series is dark. It’s a post apocalyptic world, something happened seventy-five years earlier that did one of three things to all humans on earth: death, toxic infection (venoms), or non-infection (anti-venoms). Venoms have been infected by the toxin, and take on the characteristics of a venomous creature. They are by far the most populous group, they are in control, but fighting amongst themselves, dividing land in to territories. This book is set in Venom City, which is split in to four territories. Constant fighting seems to occur between the respective groups. In to this world we fall….
Kalder’s line has been infected with king cobra venom, he’s a big bad-ass snake, leading his band of venoms in their small part of Venom City. We find him as he and his crew are torturing information out of a couple of enemies. Kalder’s brother had been killed and he’d like to know who ordered it. They all get nice and bloody!
Reese, the other half of this romance, is a human unaffected by the toxin. An anti-venom as his type are called. Not many survive, they are pretty weak and are hunted by the venoms. Reese and three others are banded together trying to survive. They are moving, trying to find a new location that might provide better food and shelter. Reese decides to head in to Venom City to look for food. He encounters Kalder.
This sets up the meeting of mates. Venom and anti-venom.
It’s a short book, with a small plot, but it’s set in a big, dark world. And it’s very cool. Part of me wants to say I wish it had been longer, but the other part of me thinks it’s just fine as a series of short stories with quick little plots. I liked this one a lot and I’m looking forward to reading the others.
I like Jackie’s writing style, she comes up with great characters, both the light ones in the Paranormal Dentistry series, and the much darker ones in this series. I loved the descriptions of the venoms, Kalder has a hood, a mohawk, scales and a forked tongue. There are mates in this one, so we skip right past the courtship phase and go straight to sex and I love you’s. I’m ok with that!
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BOOK TWO TITLE: The Sting of the Death Stalker Scorpion 
LENGTH: 72 pages
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Since Leif started to come around, Wilder has always been there to help. While Wilder is known as ruthless, Leif sees past that to the gentle venom that takes care of him daily.
When betrayal happens, Leif and Wilder will have to run with their friends. However, things are unexpected in the wild and new allies are found.
REVIEW:
In this book we continue the bigger story or the fight for survival of a band of men…. venom and anti -venom. They find out that a rival group from another territory is about to head in and wipe them out. They know they don’t have enough loyal men to hold their territory, and now with addition of their mates, it might be best to run. Kalder is reluctant at first but agrees and they head out.
The couple that are featured in this book are Wilder, the death stalker scorpion, and Leif, one of the humans that came for sanctuary with Reese. Wilder is a big cool dude, with a tail! I have to admit I got off track at moments trying to figure out how the whole tail thing worked. It is mentioned at times, he has trouble showering at one point because his tail won’t fit in the shower stall, but other times he does things like take his pants off. Seems easy, but where does his tail go? Is it above his pants? Do they need to be altered? You can see where my weirdo brain went…. Anyway! I like Wilder and Leif as a couple, Leif is still pretty sick from years of starvation, and Wilder is very caring of him.
So they all take off out of Venom City and end up meeting some friends, and a big revelation is made, leading us on in the series. We also get a couple of new characters for the anti-venom men to mate with.
I’m loving this series! Yes, they are short, but I like them! It feels like weekly installments of a television show, an hour long bit of entertainment.
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BOOK THREE TITLE: Pursued by the Wandering Spider 
LENGTH: 75 pages
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This wandering spider will pursue his mate, knowing he’s walking into the very heart of danger.
Boone has kept it no secret that he wants Julius for his own. Hell, he’s pursued the guy relentlessly from the moment he saw an assassin lying in wait to harm Julius. Now, Boone has one mission, to go with his friend, TL, and unite the fire ants to their cause of getting loved ones and Mission Territory back. However, there’s no way Boone will leave his mate, knowing that even at the hive, Julius could be taken from him. So, now, he will have no choice but to bring the man he loves into the heart of danger.
REVIEW:
Now we are getting some real action… The territory war continues, with more being drawn in to it. The folks from Mission Territory have found friends, a hive and more anti-venoms, but need even more help. Julius, one of the four anti-venoms that we met in the first book has found his mate in the form of Boone, an obnoxious wandering spider.
A small group, including Boone and Julius head off to recruit more help, and finally we get to see Boone and Julius together. Julius tries to resist the spider, but of course he can’t! Just about the point that I was getting annoyed with Julius for being so stubborn, they work it out and we get some sexy times…
Help is found, a battle is fought, some new characters are introduced, and we are on to the next book!
I am loving this series!
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BOOK FOUR TITLE: The Strike of the Diamondback
LENGTH: 66 pages
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Two years ago, TL came across his fire-ant mate, Rio. Duty kept them apart, and they were only able to love each other from afar.
When Striker escapes the tortures of the anti-venom pack, running into the wild, he didn’t expect to encounter his mate. However, he is a shell of his former self, broken from the abuse done to him.
Rio saved TL once, and when his TL comes to ask for help, Rio finds himself shocked that the venom he’s always loved is holding their mate, a mate they’ll have to heal together.
Authors Note: The first half of this book overlaps in timeline to Pursued by the Wandering Spider. For better reading enjoyment, it is best the series be read in order. Thank you.
REVIEW:
The battle continues…. The big plot of this book is the continuation of the running battle these guys have been fighting. The original group from book one has many allies now, and are gathering together to take the battle to the bad group that has taken over the Mission Territory in Venom City. There is some action in this book, as they are defending themselves, and the good guys kick some serious ass!
On the personal side, we have TL the spider wasp, Rio the fire ant, and Striker, the diamondback. Rio and TL have been mates for a couple of years, we get a nice flashback to see how they meet, but they can’t be together much. They are from very different communities, Rio is a leader in his fire ant colony, and TL’s job is to go search for abandoned venom and anti-venom and bring them back to hive for care. They make it work, but it’s hard to be apart. So they are reunited in the middle of this war, and find they actually have a third mate! Striker has been held captive in Venom City by the bad guys, and tortured mercilessly, after his parents are killed and he is captured. He gets away, is found by our good guys, and TL realizes what he is. He’s really damaged, both physically and emotionally and has a hard time working through his issues.
I am so loving this series! I love the damaged Striker, and the care that TL and Rio show him. I have to admit to getting distracted by wings in this book, TL has them, but they aren’t talked about much. I wondered what he did with his wings while having sex…. yes, my brain went there! But seriously, it’s a book about mutant human animal insect people, I have already suspended my reality, what are some wings between lovers?
Loved it!
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BOOK FIVE TITLE: The Spur of the Platypus
LENGTH: 62 pages
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Don’t mess with the mate of a platypus, or you’ll feel the pain of his venom.
Flex had no idea that when a friend that he presumed dead, would come to his beach, not only with an army, but his mate. Flex’s life is forever changed, when he has to fight his instincts to protect his mate, Prescott, when the anti-venom can stand on his own.
With Mission Territory being taken back, the two will have to travel back, facing dangers, while having to figure out how two opposites can make a mating work as a territory war continues.
REVIEW:
I had no idea platypuses were venomous! They have spurs? How cool is that!?
This book finally gives us Prescott’s mate! He goes back to the first book, with the group of four anti-venom humans that have been pairing up with their mates. Prescott is the older of the group of four, and was their protector. He’s had a hard time letting go of that job, accepting that the others have mates now.
In the last book, the large army of good venoms heads to Venom City to fight for their territory. Before they go in, they leave their young and their anti-venom folks with a group of platypuses, for protection. The leader of this group is Flex. Flex and Prescott are both shocked to discover they are mates! Flex is a cocky jerk, snarky and a bit carefree. He is instantly in love/lust with Prescott, who is not particularly impressed by Flex.
They flirt, snark, spend some time apart, are reunited and attempt to have sex several times, eventually accepting fate and one another. In the overall plo, we are given cool new characters, another battle, and the continuation of this story. Big things are happening, alliances are formed and a mission planned for the future.
Damn, this is the last book that is out! I am really liking this series! I will say that I noticed some editing issues in this one… not enough to ruin the story, but more than I saw in the other books. I’m sad I have to wait for more books!
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OVERALL REVIEW:
I loved these short books, they are like a weekly TV show. Short and fast paced, with great characters and an interesting story. Jackie’s writing is so different with these books, they are much darker than the Paranormal Dentistry books, and I like that. I like that she can cover light and funny, and dark and action packed.
I look forward to more of these!
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