Review: Coyote’s Creed by Vaughn R. Demont

Title: Coyote's Creed
Author: Vaughn R. Demont
Series: Broken Mirrors #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 10/11/11
Reviewed by: Sara
Summary:

Always have an ace up your sleeve.

Broken Mirrors, Book 1

If con games were taught in high school, Spencer Crain would be on the honor roll. As it is, he’ll be riding the edge of failure to graduation next month. Then Spence gets the news that his long-gone father is not only dead, but was a Coyote, one of three clans of tricksters in the City.

With a near-catatonic mother on his hands, Spence couldn’t care less about the Coyotes’ ongoing feud with the Phouka and the Kitsune -- until it lands on his doorstep. Suddenly he’s thrown headfirst into a dangerous world he knows next-to-nothing about. His only guide is Rourke, dashing King of the Phouka, plus a growing pack of half-siblings, a god, and Fate herself.

As Spence embarks on a journey to learn the Coyote’s creed, the truth about his heritage, and how to handle his growing attraction to Rourke, he wonders when his life turned from TV sitcom to real-life danger zone. And what price must he pay to survive the next roll of the dice...

Warning: Contains PG-13 rated violence, R-rated language and X-rated hotel scenes. Meta-humor, pop-culture humor, utter disregard for the 4th wall abound.

Plot: 5 Stars
This book was my first M/M, and I'll admit that I was a bit hesitant at first. But I soon learned that it was no stranger than when I read my first romance. What drew me to this book originally were the three trickster clans. Of the three, I have only read about kitsune in a few novels, so I was excited for something new. There were tons of twists and turns, along with tricks, as Spencer's mission leads him all over town dealing with all three trickster clans.

Pace: 5 Stars
I read the majority of this novel in one afternoon/evening, which is unheard of for me lately. This was the first Kindle book that I devoured so quickly, and I no longer wonder if I'll be able to devour great e-books like I can devour great print books. There was never a dull moment as Spencer was thrown into the trickster world head first.

Characters: 5 Stars
I'm always looking for a great male main character, because between UF, PNR, and paranormal YA, there are more than enough female leads. Every now and then, I like being in a male character's head. I really enjoyed Spencer as a main character. True, he was young, but dealing with his mother forced him to grow up a bit. At first I thought it was going to be weird between Spencer and Rourke due to the age difference, but the author did a great job of making sure that everything unfolded naturally. Between the three trickster clans, there were plenty of interesting characters that Spencer met along the way, and I can't wait for book two.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
The colors of this cover are what made it stand out while I was browsing the publisher's site. A lot of the others were very bright, but the subtle browns and oranges gave this cover a grungy feel that called to me. I think the cover model was a good choice for Spencer. I really liked the small detail of the "A" and the club on his jacket, since he often conned people using his deck of cards. I also liked how the animal head over his shoulder almost looked etched into the building instead of just floating in the air. The font choices are a bit simple, but the colors tie in to the rest of the cover very well.

Overall: 5 Stars

Disclosure: I purchased with book with a Christmas gift card.