Entranced by the Basilisks

I would have liked this book better if Ari wasn't in it. I loved the dynamic between Emilia and Jasper. If he could have just been the fully-fledged basilisk, I would have been perfectly content. I'm all for mmf, but I didn't like the relationship between Jasper and Ari, and Ari's dishonestly made him unattractive the whole time. I also don't think it was a good idea to read this at the same time as reading a Tiffany Roberts book because they are superior in many ways, but I will still read all of Lark's books.

When I finished Ensnared by the Werewolf, which is the novella that preceded this book, I figured it wouldn???t be a bad idea to just keep on going and pick this up next - not least because, usually, these main line novels are more substantial than the novellas in this series, and Ensnared by the Werewolf didn???t have enough meat on its bones to make it a really enjoyable read (at least by my standards).

And once again, this book just proves that the main books of this series are indeed more substantial than the novellas, which I guess just means the novella format is more limiting for Lark. That???s not a totally bad thing; some writers are fantastic at both, but some writers are better at one or the other. I think Lark???s one of those writers who does better when they???ve got room to tell a story, instead of being restricted by the length constraints of a shorter format. 

I also think the longer format helps Lark???s character development, because I really liked this novel???s protagonists. Emilia??? anxiety about unexpected things is something I empathize with because I feel the same way about the curveballs life throws my way. I like routine, I like predictability, I like CONTROL, and Emilia certainly likes those same things too. To read about how her life gets turned completely upside-down and inside-out had me wincing a bit in secondhand anxiety - but it was also nice to read about how she overcame it all. Having her partners helped, of course, but she is the one who pushes herself towards growth, instead of that being an external thing that???s pushed on her.

I???m also very fond of Jasper, again for empathy reasons. In his case, I empathize with his tendency to just...not go for what he wants because he thinks he???s not going to get it anyway. When you get told ???no??? enough times, or hear others tell you that your odds at succeeding at something are nil, you begin to think that it might be better to just not ask, when the odds always seem stacked against you. This is something Jasper has to deal with in the novel: accept that, yes, he CAN accept love and happiness, instead of turning it away because he thinks it???ll turn sour or he???ll lose it anyway. It???s a feeling I???m entirely familiar with, and probably should talk about with my therapist. Jasper himself doesn???t go to a therapist for this, but he does do work on himself throughout the novel to start healing some of this particular issue (though I also personally think that him seeing a therapist would do him a world of good).

Also just to be clear: I say I like these characters because I can empathize with them, but empathy with a character???s situation doesn???t have to be the only reason you like a character. I???ve found characters likeable even if I think they???re terrible people, just because I think they???re interesting. In this case, though, there???s that happy coincidence of being able to empathize with characters while also liking them, which is a nice place to be. 

Ari is the third protagonist of this novel, and while I find him interesting, I???m not as drawn to him as I am to the previous two characters. He???s fun to read about, sure, but I won???t say I empathize with him as much as I do with Emilia and Jasper. Still: he???s fun to read, and he???s a sweetheart for the most part, and he makes a great foil for both Jasper and Emilia.

As for the plot, it???s pretty engaging overall: not too convoluted, and I like the way it handled the ???lies of omission??? angle that most of the plot hinged on. I know some readers out there won???t feel too comfy with that plot point (which is why it???s mentioned in the Content Warnings at the very start of the book), but it isn???t one of my triggers or my squicks, so I enjoyed reading about it, and was mostly happy with the way it was handled.

Another thing that???s interesting about this novel is the way it kind of expands the paranormal world the author???s building for the series. Emilia is a Puerto Rican, Ari???s Persian, and there is a South Asian minor character - which are good steps towards building out the world to encompass more than just the USian city this novel???s set in, but I hope the author pushes this more. I keep thinking about Nalini Singh???s Guild Hunter novels: how they feel ???global??? in terms of characters represented (still crossing my fingers for a SEAsian character in that series though!). It might not be fair to compare Lark with Singh, especially since Singh has several books under her belt and Lark???s only really just starting out in terms of building the world for her books, but I believe Lark has got the chops to really build out this world she???s got going for her books, if she chooses to. 

So overall: this is a pretty good continuation of the series, and sets the groundwork for the next novel to come, as well as for parts of the world being built. The characters are mostly lovable and fun to read about; the plot moves along at a nice fast clip while still feeling relatively substantial; and the sex scenes are nice and spicy. I have hopes regarding where the worldbuilding???s going, but that???s for the long-term. In the short term, this book makes for fun, light reading if that???s what you???re up for, with the promise for more interesting stories further down the line.