Puppy by R. Phoenix

Short Story

A Ripples in the Status Quo Story

Own / E-book

The blurb:

While other vampires glut themselves on the rewards of a world where humans are little more than food or entertainment, Liam has found himself bored with the new status quo. An attempt to alleviate his boredom brings him to Caleb, a man who’s willing to do what it takes to get out of the slums--even if it means becoming something less than human. 

This peek into the Ripples in the Status Quo world is a standalone out of the timeline of the series. 

My thoughts:

This was such a fun read. J

Yes, I did read Puppy and yes, I know the universe the author created here is anything but nice and sweet. And yet….

Let me go back a few steps and admit that I haven’t read any of the other, earlier, Ripples in the Status Quo books. But, since the author assures us Puppy can be read as a stand-alone, I did just that. And it's true. This book reads as a self-contained work. My point is that I have no idea how this story compares to the other books, so I can’t tell you whether Puppy is less dark than its predecessors or whether I’m just twisted that way. J

I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this story. Sure, there are darker aspects to it. When Liam, a vampire, captures Caleb, a mere human, it is not as if Caleb has any choice when it comes to what happens next. And what happens next is deeply humiliating, occasionally painful and not nice at all. The thing is, Caleb likes humiliation. And while he’d prefer it if Liam wasn’t aware of that, there’s not a lot he can do to hide it when he’s constantly naked. Then again, just because Caleb enjoys humiliation doesn't mean he's going to roll over and play dead, and he's not inclined to hide his deviance either. He's a snarky little bugger and I liked him. 

There’s not a whole lot else I want to say about the story itself. Read it, allow it to surprise you, and enjoy it. And, if you think I’m mad for calling it a fun read, please come and let me know.

What I will say is that this book was a pleasure to read. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the story, it was also very well written. Despite this being a short story I got a good feel for who the characters were and how they operated. I also wouldn’t mind spending more time with them and getting to know them even better, so I’m delighted the book concludes with the words: ‘The end (…for now)’.

Further reading:

From light to grey to dark, follow those who test and defy the status quo's subjugation of humans. In a world where the supernatural reign supreme, only love can set off the ripples that could change this depraved world for the better. But will the cost be too high? 

'Bought,' 'Ravel,' and 'Recoil' feature different characters whose lives begin to come together in 'Owned' and 'Temper.' 

Series: 
1. Bought - Jace & Elias. 
2. Ravel - Ashton & Reese. 
3. Recoil - Khaz & Noah. 
4. Owned - Khaz & Noah, Jace & Elias. 
5. Temper - Ashton & Reese, Jace & Elias. 

Standalones: 
Puppy – Liam & Caleb