Ivory’s Familiars by Montana Ash – A Book Review

Posted January 17, 2019 by Booksandblurbs in Reverse Harem, Reviews, Urban Fantasy / 0 Comments

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Ivory’s Familiars (The Familiars -Book 1)

by Montana Ash
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Fast-burn Urban Fantasy RH

Available on Kindle and in paperback

Cover Art by: Crimson Phoenix Designs

Down and Dirty

Amazing, stand alone RH novel! Put this on your TBR list now!

What is it about?

Cursed, or blessed, to lifetime after lifetime pledged and bound to serve the witches of their Coven, Rohan, Vaughn and Seth are powerful shapeshifting Familiars with no purpose. The Witches of their line are all gone, lost to time and death – though their familiars are still reborn. Thrown together and tied by love, the trio of Panthers have forged new lives, working as an elite team of bodyguards traveling from case to case. Their newest job takes them to a small, out of the way town and to the plain, bar owner who’s found more trouble than she can handle.

Ivory has spent her entire life hiding from a past shrouded in rumor, family pain and tragedy. She hides her shape, her face, her identity… but most importantly, she hides her magic. In order to stay safe, she needs to be as mundane and ‘normal’ as possible. Yet Ivory’s normal, stress-free life falls apart when a dangerous stalker targets her, and starts upping the game.

Thoughts

This story originally appeared in the RH Collection, “Falling For Them Anthology: Volume Three”

I normally don’t go for stand alone RH novels, or even anthologies – but this one changed my mind. It’s a fast burn by nature of its solo act, but it’s bloody well done!

Though you gain insight into Ivory’s past and present very quickly, the mystery that surrounds her, and why she does what she does, is a brewing cauldron that bubbles throughout the pages. Why is she running? Why is she hiding? And who is after her now?

When the trio of incredibly hot familiars darken her doorway, the steam builds rapidly, yet somehow finds a reasonable pace to spread out. They are there to help her and protect her, no matter how compelling they may find her voice or visage – or how appealing Ivory may find all of them. The tension amongst them is palpable, but so is the danger.

In the end, I still have questions, yet I was satisfied with a well told story.

Perspective

Third Person, Multiple POV

Ending Type

HEA (Happily Ever After)

Pros:

Very well edited
Actual character growth
Ivory is strong, but she’s not an amazing badass like in other such takes on the UF RH theme.
The sexual scenes are incredibly hot, with M/M scattered throughout.

Cons:

I have questions!
This book first appeared in an Anthology, and with its HEA ending, the story arch of these characters appears to be over. That said, the cover DOES state ‘Book 1’ – so perhaps we will revisit this world, if not these particular characters, again.
I have questions! Wait… already said that. 🤫

Favorite Lines:

“We’re kissing now? Kissing is allowed? Since when is kissing allowed?”

Verdict

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Put this one on your TBR list or in your Queue soon – it’s fantastic! Definitely worth reading. I have not read any other works by Montana Ash, but I am going to look her up and follow her now. It’s not easy to wrap up a complex story in just one sitting, at least not one that features a ‘Why Choose’ theme and tackles the Shifter dynamic! All in all, I was impressed and I am looking forward to indulging in other worlds created by this talented author.

Have you read this story – or the Anthology? What did you think?

Published: December 29th, 2017

239 pages

Please note, this is a Reverse Harem Novel that features intense sexual content more suited to older audiences, 18+.

If you enjoyed this article, please be sure to check out a few of my other reviews!

Your Turn

What are you reading today? Have any great recommendations for me? I don’t care if the book is new or old, or if the author is famous or fairly unknown – my Kindle needs the love! Drop a comment, let’s talk.