Interesting, the only thing I remember from this book is that it had nothing to do with deer or dragons, but what else was there…
So here's another book that I don't remember anything about. Shade!

While the narrator did a good job, the book itself and the writing style didn’t really connect with me. It seemed to try hard to be relevant to themes of today but didn’t achieve it in a natural way. Not for me.

I was not able to finish this one, and it did not keep my interest. I tried picking it up multiple times but decided to give up. This one wasn’t for me.

⭐️

I admit I DNF this one at almost 40%. I truly wanted to like this book despite putting it off for so long, but it just did not vibe with me. I really DO think that the narrator did an amazing job with the audiobook and did keep me engaged enough to last this long, but the story itself... I just could not care for it. When a romance happens what seems to be off screen and already started at the start of the book? I just didn't have any attachment to it or the characters. It felt really hard to keep engaged with it, and when you add religion or a religious character it becomes even more off putting for me. I do appreciate the chance to have given it a shot and try the book, I had strong hopes that I would still enjoy it despite the reviews I first saw coming in on it.

I was quite literally blessed to be an ARC reader for The Dear and the Dragon by Piper CJ & let me tell you I fell wholly in LOVE with this story and these characters. The way in which Piper CJ seamlessly blends modernity, mythos, & the utter relatability of the MC, Marlow, makes the suspension of disbelief normally required for the Fantasy genre easy to cast aside. I may not have lived Marlow’s life & many aliases, but I sure as hell understand the woman. I was immediately drawn in with the intrigue & spice offered up in the beginning chapters & it only got better from there. The Deer and the Dragon turns Heaven, Hell, & all the other pantheons on their head, & Marlow’s life with them. Somehow, in the middle of it all, Marlow finds herself surrounded by Heaven, Hell, & the Nordic pantheon’s finest thirst traps. Once again Piper CJ has ruined my life by writing the most perfect partner(s) anyone could ever hope to have in this lifetime or the next. I may never recover. I also truly appreciated Piper CJ’s beautifully nuanced representation of bisexuality, found family, and the realities of living with anxiety and other mental illnesses. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat through action, intrigue, & plenty of spice, then look no further than The Deer and the Dragon. The narration was lovely & truly added to the experience!

I adore Piper Cj and everything she writes, and this was no exception! The story was gripping from the beginning, full of angst and tension and it just hooks you right in. The characters were complex and fascinating to read and learn more about. I cannot wait for the sequel. The audiobook was excellent as well, I really enjoyed listening to it!

The world building by Piper CJ always leaves me wanting more! I am so excited for the next book! It can’t come soon enough!

This type of story isn’t usually up my alley, but is was actually a ok and for the most part, immersive story about magic, drama, politics and romance.

There was an abundance of lore to pull from, the could have deepened the emotional connection between the main characters, and while the pacing faltered a couple times, I liked the characters growth and the LGBTQ+ representation. Fauna was my GIRL or nymph or whatever lol.

Now to get to the ending. I didn’t love it. The main characters getting dosed towards the end left us with the most frustrating and unreliable narrator, I felt like with the FMC being on a substance and not knowing the full plan before it happened leading to what seems to be a very non-consensual sexual encounter, which then leads to her basically being water boarded and thrown around while trying to recover from the substance, only to still not be able to give anything reliable to the plot, was sooooo frustrating and completely turned me off from this book. I don’t think I will be checking out the second book in this series. 2.5 ⭐️‘s

Thank you to the Author Piper C.J. For writing this book, and to the Narrator Luna Rey for her work as well.

Big thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for my no cost copy of “The Deer and the Dragon”.

"The Deer and the Dragon" by Piper CJ is an enchanting start to the No Other Gods series. Narrated by Luna Rey, the audiobook captivates with a compelling blend of fantasy and adventure that pulls you right into its rich world.

Rey’s narration is engaging, effectively bringing the characters and their emotions to life. The plot unfolds with intriguing twists, and the character development is strong, making it easy to become invested in their journeys.

I’d rate this audiobook 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a fantastic beginning to what promises to be an exciting series, perfect for fans of fantasy. Thank you to NetGalley for my copy; all opinions are my own!

#NetGalley #PiperCJ #TheDeerAndTheDragon #NoOtherGods #TantorAudio

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, Tantor Media Inc., Sourcebooks, Bloombooks Publishing Inc., Piper C.J., and Luna Rey (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of The Deer and the Dragon in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: The title The Deer and the Dragon is more symbolic than anything. This isn't a dragon fantasy romance, if that is what you seek. On another note, this novel is for an adult audience with adult themes and scenes. I would say it is "low spice," for those expecting something more erotic. There is a great deal of religious push by the narrator's parent, and there are many dealings with both angels and demons. The series title, No Other Gods, implies the existence of multiple deities, though there isn't room in Marlow's life for more than one, and that would be the Prince of Hell.

Marlow's Struggle with Reality
Marlow has lived with her family's passed down gift her whole life: the ability to see both angels and demons. This unsettling reality shows that there is truth to calling upon gods, but those whoa re called are not always the ones who return with an answer. Haunted by visions of angels and demons, including a dark figure that has shadowed her throughout her life--from the guise of a fox to a handsomely devilish man--she convinces herself that her experiences are a sign of madness. The fear of embracing her inherited gift, which she perceives as a curse, hangs heavily over her daily musings. However, her life takes a dramatic turn when a fae from the Nordic pantheon reveals that the dark entity she has known is actually the Prince of Hell, who has mysteriously vanished.

Entangled in Myth and War
As Marlow delves deeper into the complexities of her existence as one who has been close to the Prince of Hell all her life, a man she gives the name Caliban, she finds herself ensnared in an ancient conflict among powerful deities from various mythologies. This cosmic battle draws her into a world of legendary figures (some of which may sound familiar to the reader), where the outcome may rest on her shoulders. Amidst the chaos, Marlow also confronts the concept of love, something she has never fully embraced. As she navigates through this perilous landscape, the stakes rise, and her decisions could determine not only her fate, but the fate of the godly beings that have become woven into the tapestry of her existence.

Final Thoughts:
Marlow is also a best-selling fantasy author who uses a pen name. I enjoyed this aspect of the novel as she uses writing as an outlet for what she perceives as madness, yet is inspired by events and occurrences that she actually sees and experiences. Making money off of her own fantasy-reality: what more could she ask fore? Her previous job being a female escort, she certainly has quite a few experiences to work with, though when it comes to romance, she doesn't even have the precision to see her own fall for Caliban, before she accidentally banishes him away....yikes...

I also enjoyed Fauna as a secondary character. She was both irksome and charming at the same time. She offered this guidance to Marlow as she tries to figure out her place in this great godly war she has found herself immersed in.

The writing craft is good. It wasn't overly complicated, nor was it over-simplified. It was just the right blend for a romantasy reader seeking something easy to read. On the other hand, the themes are more complex and some of the ideas being portrayed may take more thought, especially when looking at the character's experiences with both angels and demons and how that affects her as a person in the present compared to the past. Overall, it is a good novel (albeit looong) that any low spice romantasy reader will enjoy.

Oh my gosh, yes! The Deer and the Dragon by Piper C.J. is the amazing first installment in the No Other Gods series. Okay, normally I'm not a fan of fantasy with a big focus on religion but I absolutely love how the author created the religious system for this world. You can really tell how well studied in folklore the author is. This is perfect if you're looking for a fantasy book with gods, angels, and demons. The main character is an absolute badass. The plot is engaging and full of twists. The audiobook is narrated by Luna Rey and her voice is a great fit for it. I can't wait for the next book in this series to release!

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ALC of this book

This is a book that I found hard to get into, the first 20% I did not care about really but after this it picked up a little and was able to keep my interest. Unfortunately, I did not like this book because I felt like with the main character a lot was going on and also the more the book goes on you see that she has been through spiritual, religious and physical abuse in her past and also before its kind of explained you think this woman is insane or has she. Other personality disorders.

The story for me was a mixed bag and I didn't care for her journey really, also I think this was not written great and bounced as fast as it could from scene to scene to keep interested... now do I see this as a read will love YES... I see this as a book that ticks a lot of boxes
*Fantasy
*Dark Atmosphere
*Romance suggested mainly
* Paranormal
* A female Who Acts Love Sick

And Other things as well but I cannot ignore the underlying of what I mentioned above the abuse spiritually. Religiously and hinted at physical abuse ... this is what made me see the story from a new angle and I could not look at it differently afterwards no matter what was done with the story.

I give it 3.5 stars for being a fast read and also for the voice acting being good in the audiobook I listened to for the characters and how it brought the story more to life but is it a book I would recommend to family or friends in my life no but I do recommend it to others and see what u think of it.

(Everyone sees things differently- so you may love it where I couldn't).

I never listened to it because my NetGalley app wasn't working properly. So I had to uninstall it and then all but two of my audio books were gone.

I’ll admit I didn’t really vibe that much with the narrator for this audiobook, though I really enjoyed the story itself. I’d probably pick up a physical copy instead

4.5 ⭐
spice level - 🌶 (1 pepper, maybe 1.5 peppers: you get two full spicy scenes, one at the beginning and one at the end)

Just a heads up that there are NO dragons in this book but there are themes of Christian fundamentalism, in which "dragons were used as imagery for Satan, Leviathan, Hell, and Evil, in the Hebrew Bible (Job and Isaiah), the New Testament (Revelations), and again throughout the renaissance period, symbolic dragon imagery was prevalent in paintings and iconography as a stand-in for the devil." (I found this on Piper CJ's Instagram)

Marlow is a human sex-worker turned author (and has been very successful because of a certain mmc) who believes she is crazy and banishes the Prince of Hell, Caliban, in order to live a normal life. Well, she wasn't happy with the immense loneliness she faced once he was gone and decides she wants him back. She later finds out that she has actually known Caliban for many human cycles (thousands of years) and they are soul mates (think of Elena and Damon from The Vampire Diaries).

Another beauty that just made this story absolutely wonderful is Fauna. I freakin' love her! I want to see more of her in book two.

At the end of book one, we are left on a cliffhanger, and hopefully we will find out more in The Fox and the Falcon in 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and Piper CJ for the opportunity to listen to an Advanced Listener's Copy (ALC) in exchange for my honest opinion/review. I will be talking about this book more in-depth in a YouTube video, so stay tuned for the link.

Thank you RB Media and Netgalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this one did not work for me at all. The only really nice thing I have to say is that the cover is pretty. Otherwise the writing isn't great, it feels juvenile, with a lot of telling vs showing, the world and characters feel flat, and the elements are so generic, in the nicest way possible- it feels like it was written by someone who spends a lot of their time on the internet. For a book where the romance is such a big plot point, the relationship building happens off screen before the book starts for some reason. Which means we didn't get to see the foundation and I didn't feel any chemistry or the desire to root for them to be together because aside from some flashbacks (in which deep feelings are already expressed) there's nothing there for me to root for.
The worst part for me though was our main character, Marlowe. She's super judgmental and it rubbed me the wrong way. It especially was a little ironic when she was talking about listening to poorly written audiobooks for inspiration because she knows she writes better than those authors….. 👀 the call is coming from inside the house lol. It's been a while since I've disliked a main character this much, not only is she annoying but she's also a b* and rude for no reason to everyone. Caliban tells her he "marked" this dude trying to kill her (basically sentencing him to death) to protect her since he could not physically kill him himself. And it works, his action literally saves her life. And she gets mad at him!! Saying he left her for dead! Like girl, he’s the only reason you got saved, he didn’t personally kill the dude but he's the only reason that other dude saved your ass! The way she reacted to that situation was beyond frustrating and I wanted to reach into the book and shake her. He also told her *multiple times*- don’t send me away if you don’t mean it/ don’t make decisions like that rashly, because if you do, I won’t be allowed to see you. And yet she does just that, saying go away/ never want to see you again/ leave me alone, and the NEXT DAY she's like “he has to come back, I’ve got so much to say to him” and she waits for him, getting pissy that he doesn't come back. When it’s all her fault! I can't believe she has the *audacity* to say that HE's wounding HER. YOU sent him away! How can you be mad when by magic rules he can't disobey your order???? Especially when he told you that beforehand, that whatever you tell him he will do.
And maybe I'd be more lenient if she was only rude to Caliban, but she's nasty to everyone. She calls psychics/ spiritual mediums and then looks down her nose at them for their beliefs when she's the one who contacted them. She calls one stranger and when she picks up thinking Marlowe is their child's daycare, she gets snippy with this stranger (who she's about to ask for a favor mind you) and snarkily asks her if daycare would be videochatting. Just so unnecessarily rude. As a character girlie, I just can’t get over the annoying characters and the rest was generic enough anyways that it didn’t put up much of a fight

Really enjoyed this audiobook. I like the Norse connection (I am a sucker especially for anything Norse mythology related) and the way the story plays out. Also liked the narrator

The Deer and the Dragon by Piper C.J.
5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

Completely captivating and absolutely brilliant, The Deer and the Dragon follows Marlow - a former FS worker and NYT best selling author. Since she was young, she has always had a guardian angel. He has always been right where she needed him until she accidentally banishes him. In order to get him back she must — quite literally — go to hell and back. With a nymph bestie and a cast of supernatural characters, this book will have you hooked from the start and willing to bond a demon in order to obtain book 2.

Read this book if you like:
-Nordic mythology
-god is the bad guy
-Princes of Hell
-demons 🤝 fae 🤝 angels
-original urban fantasy concepts

The Deer and the Dragon is out NOW and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Tantor Audio for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I loved this book, i couldnt stop listening once i started and cant wait to read the next one in the series