Draw One in the Dark

Shifter Series, Book 1

De: Sarah A. Hoyt

Narrado por: Kim Niemi

Every one of us has the beast inside. But for Kyrie Smith, the beast is no metaphor. Since she was 15, when she first shape-shifted into a savage black panther, Kyrie has questioned her humanity and moved from town to town, searching for a way to feel human again.

Kyrie's lonely life changes forever while waitressing at a cheap diner. Investigating screams from the parking lot, Kyrie stumbles upon a blood-spattered dragon crouching over a mangled human corpse. The dragon changes back into her coworker, Tom, naked, dazed, and unable to remember how he got there.

Thrust into a world of shape-shifting dragons, giant cats, and other beasts waging a secret war behind humanity's back, Kyrie may find the answers she seeks - with help from Tom, a mythical object called the Pearl of Heaven, and her own inner beast.

©2006, 2013 Sarah A. Hoyt (P)2020 Tantor

Better than I remember

I read this a long time ago and I got the audiobook last year sometime, now I'm listening to it again and and I forgot how how good it is. This is a truly unique Book about shifters.

Dragon's, Dragon's and More Dragons

I wasn't sure about a book about dragons, but I enjoy shifters, so gave it a chance.

I really like Tom and Kyrie, Keith, Edward and Rafael. Good Character development.

Hoping for another installment in this story....Even though was not listed as a YA book, but it clearly is. Still enjoyed, but in general, usually avoid the YA books.

Narrator was okay, Took only a chapter to get to the point where I didn't notice it was being narrated, I just focused on the characters.

Good listen

When my wife (romance) and I (action) get a kick out of the same book, it’s a win. Keep them coming. The Voice actor rocks!

Starts Alright, Gets Better, Ends on a High Note

Fair warning, this review and rating is for the entire trilogy, not just for Draw One in the Dark.

If you're a fan of Urban Fantasy, the series is definitely worth checking out. Action, interesting twists and mystery, romance, the whole nine yards. It's not groundbreaking, but it's definitely fun. Kept me entertained, anyway. Book two is pretty darn good, and Noah's Boy comes out of the gates running.

Two things to note, though. First, Draw One in the Dark is a bit rough. I think it's one of Hoyt's early works. But it suffers a bit from word choice and sentence structure. Trust me, it gets better. And the story is interesting enough to make up for it. Secondly, the first book has the feel of YA. By that I mean young characters, teen romance, and some overly contrived situations. That mostly goes away in book two. And despite all that, the first book stands up pretty well.

I'd give Draw One in the Dark 3.5 stars on its own. But, again, review and rating are for the series and as a trilogy they pull it up to to a mid 4 star, and might as will give it 5 since the other two deserve those stars. So if you have some spare credits or are just looking for some fun UF to pass the time, give the series a chance.

Oh, and Kim Nemi did an excellent job narrating. From a quick glance at her prior work she's mostly non-fiction, but I really hope to hear more from her soon.

Not just another YA love triangle

While parts of this felt like your average shifter romance, far more of it was fresh and interesting.
Let’s start with the emphasis on mystery that develops slowly, with some excellent misdirects.
Then there’s the cast of characters that’ll ensure this doesn’t end up your average urban fantasy featuring that one white Gary Stu, or than one white (and snarky) Mary Sue. The new thing I liked best was bug-shifters and toxins, or pheromones, or whatever that green stuff was (oh yeah, the green fairy twisted things up nicely).

In the final analysis, this ran a little long and was a little clunky, but this was unique and fun and sex free, even if beetle dust induced lust gave us too many scenes where she obsesses over tight pants or bare chests. There’s a solid team of shifters and humans with excellent backstories to build on. I have wishlisted the next two.