Comments on: TBR Challenge Review: Dragon Slayer Virgin, Game Hell Whore, by Kathleen O’Reilly

By: RfP

RfP — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:24:21 +0000

I agree, that revelation of his betrayal is dramatic. At the same time, I didn’t feel that the characters’ motivations quite added up until I read about Clay’s childhood (his genuine savagery) and Elena and Clay’s early relationship (his bookish side and her always-suspicious nature).

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:38:06 +0000

Type your comment here@RfP: I can see that, and it;s a story I want to read.

But you know what? The moment she thinks to herself “You bit me” — putting the missing pieces into place for the reader who has maybe guessed but not known that history — in Bitten was one of the finest dramatic moments in my reading of romance literature.

By: RfP

RfP — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:34:23 +0000

The Bitten prequels are important backstory. I believe the story JMC mentions is about to be published in Tales of the Otherworld. Clay's early history is already out in Men of the Otherworld.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:43:11 +0000

@jmc: I would love to read that prequel. Thanks for the info!

By: jmc

jmc — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:30:54 +0000

Bitten’s Clay as a virgin hero: he’s no longer a virgin in that book, but in the formerly free, prequel novella, he is/was a virgin. It’s been taken down for editing and proper publication in an antho, but the story of Elena & Clay meeting showed them both as damaged individuals who were both virgins.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:27:22 +0000

@Tumperkin: I wish I could send it to you, but it's on my Kindle. Grrr. ebooks!! @willaful: I suspected that. @Rosario: I know. I used to think it was a bit pompous when reviewers wrote things like I did ("It's her first book and it shows"), but after reading O'Reilly's 2008-9 categories, it is just so obvious that she wasn't as polished a writer in 2001.

By: Rosario

Rosario — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:30:15 +0000

I read this one some years ago and I really, really wanted to like it. I loved the idea of the plot and virgin heroes are totally my thing. But the writing drove me mad. Very, very clunky.

By: willaful

willaful — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:52:49 +0000

By no means the only error on that list.

By: Tumperkin

Tumperkin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:04:06 +0000

Right now she could be carrying his child. The child of a dragon slayer.

Oh wow. Self-aggrandising pomposity is delightful enough but when you add in the mythical aspect, it takes on a slightly unhinged quality that makes it all the sweeter.

Tempted to read this, actually.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:59:05 +0000

I’m hardly a member of the historical accuracy brigade, but your review was certainly….interesting. Yeah, let’s go with that. Interesting.

But like Sayuri (and you) I can’t seem to say no to a virgin hero and semi-outcast, no-nonesense heroine. For that particular trope, I’ll read just about any wacky, crazy plot an author can dream up

And yeah, this one is buried, somewhere, in the TBR. I have a friend who read it eons ago (oh. like back when it was first published) who loved it – hence, I bought it.