Stygian's Honor (Breed Book 27)

Humor, action, love and sarcasm what else do you need?! Stygian is just the kind of characters I love. Not to mantion that he has humor and sarcasm, it's really rare among wolves. I guess Jonas has his part here :).
And of course the wining part in this book is Jonas's song! I had a histerical laught around ten minutes. Plot of this book is really well written, it's not too complicated but neither it's easy to guess. Also Jonas, Dog and Loki were mantioned here, it's really enough for me :). You will enjoy this book without a doubt.

I was somewhat disappointed in Lora Leigh's last few books. However this one has her back at the top of her game. Can't wait for the next book in this series. Way to go Lora Leigh, you are still the best.

ONE OF THE BEST BREED STORIES. ONCE I STARTED THE STORY I HAD DIFFICULTY PUTTING THE BOOK DOWN TO GET THINGS DONE IN MY LIFE. THE STORY TOTALLY TOOK ME OVER.
I CAN NOT WAIT FOR MORE STORIES AND ALL OF THE BREED STORIES ARE TOLD.

The outcome is exactly what you expect, but the journey to get there is still a trip worth taking. This also sets the stage I think for other avenues to explore in the series. Old secrets revealed, the book is a needed stepping stone in the series. A very good read though, also-the romance just as hot and the bad guys still as evil as ever!

lora leighs books are all so stimilating & interesting, very dramatic & very sexy too, she writes with feeling & makes you want to never put the book down & when its finishedyou are disappointed& want the story to continue, a very good author, lorraine quattrone

I am a fan of this series. My favorite, Elizabeth's wolf, introduced Cassie to the series. My least favorites, a tie between Wolfe's Hope and Styx's Storm were difficult to read. Wolfe's Hope, IMHO, had ethical and moral issues. Styx's story was painful, his character deserved better. The rest of the series falls somewhere between these two. This installment is rather high on the list.

I was very disappointed with both Styx's story and Navarro's story. I did enjoy other recent installments including Primal kiss, An inconvenient mate and to a lesser extent Lawe's story. With this new installment, I was a bit leary, since there was such a range of like and dislike with the most recent installments. I am glad I read it, I was pleasantly surprised.

Pros for me:
I like a strong heroine. Both hero and heroine are flawed, they work through their pasts and come together at the end. You have to admire their ability to survive. Hot sex scenes, but limited to a concise few pages were a breath of fresh air. No skipping minutiae to get on with it. I like the Navajo storyline arc and how some of the Breed community fit into the Nation as well. The suspense was there (kind of rolling suspense, up and down, but still an enjoyable plot). I like revisiting some of the previous mated couples.

cons:
editing...if you have read the series you understand, time frames are an issue. Amber's sudden aging is an issue. That along with some other editing issues continue to be a problem.
Though Amber is a lovable character, her storyline is played out. It seems time to move on to other arcs...for example, the winged breeds, Dane, Ely and Jackal(?), Rule, the story behind Dog and his team-which may lead to Cassie?, Brim and Ashley (?). An update on the older hybrid children, how they are faring in the public school? There is so much more material to explore to get any more bogged down with this arc. Maybe more than one set of Mates per book? or novellas? I actually prefer the novellas. With the exception of Wolfe's Hope, the novellas tend to be my favorites.

I would recommend this installment of the series. I enjoyed this one.

The story is fast paced and exciting. Whne you are resading the book it draws you in just as if you were part of the storyStygian's Honor (Breeds)

I love the Breed series, and how all the intricate and what would seem annoying details in another book make this series a must read for me. I know some of you won't like this book because it will seem that the story isn't clear, and if that's the case you need to go back and read the previous two books for it to make sense. The story is actually quite enthralling. For a book to go into such detail, and spread out among several characters and how they interact in these last three books is amazing. Not many authors can make that happen.

For those of you who are just now looking to read a book in the Breeds series don't start here, go back a few books if not to the first one as they all interconnect in a way that seems impossible but you won't regret it.

The other bonuses of reading a Lora Leigh book are as always the hot intense and passionate love scenes. They are not the "wham-bam-thank you-mam" scenes. Her writing makes what is impossible seem like you could run down to the local bar and pick up a man with the same traits for your self! If that was possible please sign me up for any of the Breeds!

This story is a continuance of Wyatt looking for 2 missing girls the genetics council experimented on to try and save his own daughters life. The realization of finding those girls and how they came to be hidden in Navajo country is amazing and you can't put the book down. I can't wait for the next two books which will surly give you more answers to the questions this book brought up and of course the need for many frozen drinks to cool you down after reading the many sex scenes!

So grab this book and have fun!

This book was a mess from beginning to end. Lora Leigh and her breed series has lost its way and shows no signs of finding its way back to the rich, colorful, sexy story telling of the early breed books.

The heroine, Liza/Honor, is boring and I wouldn't mind if she was shot by an enemy. The hero, Stygian, is ok but somehow not appealing.

The story line is silly at best and didn't hold my interest.

The time line is off and what's up with Jonas' kid? First she was growling and purring, now she has fevers, is in pain and is 2 years old? When did that happen? What happened to the breed scientists? There was one scene in the book where they appeared then nothing. Whey were they there, are they taking care of the kid?

The Navaho Nation was a disappointment. They wimped out against Jonas? Doesn't sound like the bada@# nation that was described in Lawe's Justice.

Lora Leigh has lost her breed mojo. Girl, I'll pick up this series when it comes back.

Spoilers ahead-----
I generally enjoy Lora Leigh's Breed series but there are some books that are better than others. This one is not the best. Not the worst but definitely towards the bottom. I mostly agree with the other reviewers about the weird time gaps, a lot of characters running around and a very abrupt ending.

My main problem is that I really started to get bored and frustrated with the story (or lack there of). Several chapters were basically the same - the Navajo Nation and the Breeds come together to viciously argue over helping Jonas's daughter, everyone stomps off, Stygian and Liza have sex, Liza says she'll be destroyed; repeat. The whole while we all know that Liza is really Honor and everyone everyone else is stupid for not seeing it.

My second problem is that everyone claims that they would do anything to help the little girl....except, well, admit that Liza is Honor. Including Jonas. He knows who she is but doesn't say it out loud, he just hopes that the mating heat will take care of it. The mating heat seems to be the magically cure for any issues that need to be resolved and I'm getting tired of it.

Thirdly, I'm so bored with all of the sex scenes that I'm starting to *gasp* skip over them. They're all the same and there seem to be more sex scenes than actual story. And the story that we do have does not advance very far. By the end, we're almost at the point where we started.

I'd suggest you not waste your time with this book and wait until Ms. Leigh writes the book where all four survivors are found. I'm sure she'll rehash everything in that book, anyway. Hopefully, we'll all still care by then.

There was nothing about liza I liked. and for Stygian to keep after her was so unbelievable and just plain sad. In honesty with her attitude and hatefulness he should have done what dog said he would do instead of taking a mate - take a bullet to the head. I know that is a horrid thing to say but I just could not stand even one thing about her! and for a big tuff breed to go MY MATE crazy, was just so not believable. Not for her thats for sure. I grab up Lora's books and read them in a day because I can't put them down. But I had to make myself read this book. this one took me 3 1/2 days to read. I kept telling myself, its got to get better! It didn't. This is by far the worst book in this series. The whole book was a let down big time. And I can NOT believe I'm saying this, there were to many boring sex scenes. after awhile I just flipped pages until it was over. same thing over and over.

I will not say this is the last book I buy of Lora's because I will buy the next one I will always give Authors another chance. because some times they have hurried to get it wrote or life in general has thrown in a wrench in their daily lives to get them side tracked. and that can (I'm sure)have something to do with it at times. I hope the next book is back to par though. Cause moneys tight these days and who can afford to be blowing it on books thats only worth ONE STAR? NOT ME.

Twenty-seventh in the Breeds paranormal romance series revolving around a genetically altered people struggling to survive. The couple focus is on Stygian Black and Liza Johnson.

My Take
It's been a number of books so far and I still haven't grasped why the Navajo refuse to open up the database of DNA profiles. I really don't understand why it's such a big deal. Supposedly the Navajo want to help their people and the Breed DNA is part Navajo.

This was a clumsy effort. It reads more like Leigh wanted to get this done but couldn't be bothered to smoothly put clues in place. Instead it's more of a bludgeon over the head and big rocks dropped into place every once in a while.

One of those bludgeons is the stupid attitude that Liza takes towards her former friends: Isabelle and Megan. So they married Breeds. So what? That automatically makes them the enemy? Liza and her friends sound like brainwashed idiots in this. Of course, in some respects I can't blame them when Jonas and company refuse to tell any truths about why they want the Navajo DNA database.

Liza and her friends already know what the Council does to people and Breeds. Arghhh, I just hate it when authors can't be bothered to put some effort into making the story believable. This was infuriating.

Liza claims she'll never get involved or kiss a Breed, so, naturally, she's all over Stygian. A hot romance that would have been greatly improved if I wasn't so busy gagging over how clumsy and inept the writing was.

Leigh keeps going on and on about the information that is in Liza's computer. How the chiefs of the Six insisted on her having that information. What we never find out is why. Then the whole agonizing bit that Liza tortures us with over who she really is and how she'd help if she could. Oh whine, o' woe is me, o' gag me... A lame way to produce some drama when the most drama was whether I'd make it to the toilet in time.

The best I can say about this story is that we do discover Honor Roberts' whereabouts with a good idea of where Fawn is located. Obviously, Leigh is planning Fawn's story soon so we can be dragged kicking and screaming through that potential catastrophe. Oh, and Leigh provides a new way to turn a woman on. Not my cuppa tea, but then...

I really would have preferred that Leigh write this as a short story. For the great leap of progress made, there really was very little information provided. Just a lot of yammering over the same agonies over and over and over and over and...Are you getting the picture??

The Story
The prologue repeats events in Lawe's Justice (Breeds, #26) and bringing us up to speed a bit.

The attack on Liza provides Stygian the opportunity to move in on Liza. It's a push-me/pull-me set of circumstances with the Council trying to kidnap Liza, the Breeds trying to get information to save Amber, and the girls' parents terrified that the truth will out.

Meantime Stygian too is caught in a tug-of-war between Jonas and his desperation to keep his daughter alive and the loyalty he feels to his mate.

The Characters
Liza Johnson is the daughter of Audi, the Nation's chief of security, and Jane Johnson. She works overtly for Ray Martinez and covertly for the Navajo Covert Law Enforcement Division led by Deputy Cullen Maverick. Reever Jacobs is NCLED's communications and electronic guru. Steven Jacobs, Reever's brother, and Klah Hunter are the men close to Liza.

Claire and Chelsea Martinez are Liza's housemates and cousins. Ray Running Wolf Martinez is the Nation president and Claire's dismissive father. Terran Martinez.

Stygian Black, a Wolf Breed, was named by his mother Nera before she managed to escape with her newborn daughter.

Diane Broen is mated to Lawe Justice. The enemy as far as the Navajo are concerned. John Malcolm is a member of Diane's team and he's brought four Coyotes on this snatch-and-grab: Dog (who seems to have a separate agenda he's cooking up), Loki, Mutt, and Mongrel. Megan Fields Arness is mated to Braden. Rule Breaker makes an appearance. Isabelle is mated to Malachi. Cavalier is a new Breed introduced into the series.

Jonas Wyatt is mated to Rachel Broen whose daughter, Amber, Jonas has taken as his own. He's also director of the Bureau of Breed Affairs.
Ashley and Emma Truing, Chimera Broussard, and Shiloh Gage are Coyotes who have been helping to train Liza, Chelsea, and Claire.

Dash Sinclair, a Wolf Breed, is bringing his daughter, Cassie, to the Nation when Stygian asks for her.

Gideon Cross is a rogue Breed. His only aim is to kill Tawnya Corrigan, Honor Roberts, and Judd for what he sees as a betrayal.

Honor Roberts is the missing daughter of General Roberts, who joined the Genetic Council to have access to their knowledge. The girls--Tawnya Corrigan had infant AIDS with only weeks to live and an Honor dying from leukemia--hooked up in the Council labs. Two Bengal tiger Breeds, Judd and Gideon Cross, who is very clever, were the other half of their group.

The Genetics Council tortured into creation a mélange of animal and human DNA to create the Breeds. Living beings who were taught they were not worthy of existence. Never received love. Until Callan Lyons broke the news of their existence.

The Cover
The cover finds a ghost-like wolf emerging from the lovely warmth of the brownish gray background. It's Stygian's nude, very defined torso and arms we see, his thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his jeans, casually tugging the waistband down. I do like the tattoo he has on his left bicep.

The title is the battle that Stygian fights. Loyalty to his mate, saving the life of a suffering little girl. What price Stygian's Honor?

Certainly not her best work. And since it ended unresolved apparently there's more to come. However, this is my last Lora Leigh Breed book purchase. She peaked years ago. Now it's just a franchise. I didn't read all 130+ reviews so I'm not sure if it was mentioned before but in chapter six Stygian tells Liza his mother died in the labs. In chapter 13 he tells her his mother escaped the labs with her newborn daughter - his sister. And then near the end of the book Cassie see's that Stygian is "haunted" by a carmel color skinned women who radiates "pain like a blanket, heavy and hot." Sounds like Stygian's mom may actually be dead after all. (Not that it made a diff in this story - just one of the fragments.)

The story is fragmented and there are inconsistencies like the one mentioned above. It makes me wonder about who's actually writing the Breed series. Is it a group effort that involves collaboration between Lora Leigh and "assistants" or are they being written in full by different writers using the "Lora Leigh" brand? After you've read a few of these books you start to notice that the erotic scenes are all the same. Literally verbatim from one book to the next. They probably have them set up as cataloged blurbs that you fit into the story as needed.

The best part of the book is the dedication page. It's a page and a half of proverbs on love. "Love isn't always kind. It isn't always gentle. It's rarely soft, and it never makes allowances for those who are weak." or "Listen to your heart, but also remember you have a brain for a reason." I'm keeping the dedication page and donating the book to Good Will.

This novel was ultra-bad. I resented having to read it to learn the revelations that would be important to understand before reading the next Breed novel in the Series. So I made myself read to Ch. 10 and gave myself permission to read only the last four chapters. Nothing made sense in this book b/c the author herself hadn't determined a direction. This novel is about the mating of Liza Johnson. Less than 1% of this novel offers any character development info on Claire.

I enjoyed Rule Breaker (book after this one) so much (5 STARS) that I made myself return to this book and read the chapters I skipped. What a waste of time that was!!! Feel free to skip this book entirely; however, the best bits, which are few, are the scenes in which Dane, Jonas, Dog, and/or other entertaining heros & villains are scheming, manipulating each other, and roaring w/rage.

Amber's pain, others' empathy, and literally her voice are included in the novel. Wanting to bear witness to her struggle is not a good enough reason to read the book. Sorry. Is she a significant part of the book? Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that finding a cure for her malady is the impetus for every Breeds' actions. No, in that she's physically only in 2 or 3 scenes.

What would be the most important Amber info to note if you skip this book and miss her scenes? She's 2yrs old and can babytalk.

I didn't write the book but I feel like I owe you an apology anyway.

Title: Stygian's Honor

Series: The Breeds bk 27

Author: Lora Leigh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

The Breeds return--in Lora Leigh's breathtaking new novel of animal instincts and human desire...

Window Rock, Arizona, is the last known location of Honor Roberts, who vanished when she was just thirteen. It was her only sanctuary from the Breed research that would surely have ended in her death--one such insidious experiment should, indeed, have killed her. That she lived is both a miracle--and a great mystery.

Stygian's mission is to find Honor Roberts, no matter the cost. Now, with the help of Liza Johnson, assistant to the chief of the Navajo Nation, he is closer than ever to his goal. But will the discovery of Honor Roberts mean the destruction of the mating heat that has developed between Stygian and Liza?

I finished this book and all I could think was I don't want this story to end. I think I may have enjoyed this book more than the last but I love the whole series. I suspect that Gideon's book is next, so hopefully they will resolve some things. Maybe we can finally go back and have some resolution about Cassie Sinclair.

I was really enjoyed the main characters and their relationship together. Neither of them acted pig-headed and they both seemed to have an even power balance in the relationship. The hero, Stygian, actually sides with the heroine, Liza, over Jonas and his machinations! That is practically unheard of given that the Breeds.

The mystery surrounding Liza's character was pretty obvious from the beginning, which took away some of the suspense, but the specifics of the `why' and `how' of it all was a mystery to me until it was spelled out. I liked that this book picked up right at the end of Lawe's Justice, but it does make it harder to read if you haven't already read that one. So be warned. The plots are tightly connected.

Stygian was more accepting of the danger his mate could face than most of the other Breeds we've seen so far. Liza's an agent who is more than capable of surviving on her own and he knows it. It felt like there was an equal give and take between them.

Dog and his crew are back which is always a good thing. Something interesting develops on that front and I'm very curious to see what that means and how it will play out in the coming books. Are we possibly headed toward a book featuring Dog? I've been wanting to see that for quite a while but I'd take a Loki book too.

As you all know I'm a huge Lora Leigh Fan and I would recommend the breed series though to get the full understanding of what's happening they should be read as a series not stand alone's.

Favorite Quote:

"You're a virgin." It sounded like an accusation.

Liza blinked up at him half tempted to laugh. "What do you want, apologies?"

Grade A+
Review By: Helen

[...]

thats who i blame for the decline of this series! all these past few books have been about them trying to find a cure for amber, they have been extreme bullies and emotional manipulators. i dont think i have ever disliked a fictional baby so much, to the point that i wish she could be written right out of the books. jonas ad rachels book was so boring and their romance lacked spark, passion etc(i mean she just gave birth three months before to another mans child) so why must their drama be dragged thru all the other couples books!¿ also can u please find a cure for mating heat ms leigh, just so your females can have some choice and control over their vaginas. please make jonas go away in pain, his desperation is starting to ring a false note. really looking forward to cassie and dogs story!! i have faith that u wont make jonas, rachel and amber the focal point of that story. and please dont turn cassie into a vagina controlled wimp once she gets the first kiss...u have really built our expectations for her book!

enough said ... except props to one reviewer who suggested simply waiting until the fourth of the honor, faith, judd, gideon book installment - agreed. perhaps with that book leigh will consider writing a book with a plot that advances the overall story, and stop wasting her readers' time, so that they can stop wasting their money on the drivel she writes... i'm just sayin'

I made the mistake of buying the series after reading that "Stygian's Honor" was on the NY Times Bestselling List. What a total waste of money.

Please don't get me wrong. I enjoy reading these fantasy romance novels. I totally love these series of romance novels: "New Species" (by Laurann Dohner), "Dark Hunter" (by Sherrilyn Kenyon), "Dragon Kin" (by G. A. Aiken)...to name a few.

But, these 27 books are truly boring. It seems that the chapters almost all end with repetitious sex scenes. By the 4th book, I began skipping the sex scenes. Oh wait, character development ? Why have witty banter and character development when you can just read about the same, boring repetitive sex scene ? Don't get me wrong...a good description of hanky-panky is always welcome...but, please also make sure that the characters in the story are interesting. It felt as if the boring sex scenes were at least half of each book. :(

It really does seem that Ms. Leigh used the same 2 or 3 templates for conversations and sex scenes between the 54 main characters. BORING !!

Spoilers may be revealed. Synopsis on blurb is the basis of story

While this didnt reveal anything that new to me, I, like many fans hang on in hopes of seeing Cassie mated and of course to find out the mate for Dog. I understand that the mating heat has changed but Liza, the heroine, starting the heat without a fluid exchange was different and not explained by Leigh. I was annoyed that Liza is very clear that if the mating heat rumors are true then Stygian needs to tell her so she can know if she wants to bother with a relationship-he completely ignores her reasonable request and kisses her to stimulate the mating heat. This didnt endear me to the hero and neither did some other things he did.

Timing-This was supposed to start right after Lawe's Justice but there is movie magic involved with Amber's aging and other timeline gaps that dont make sense. The two mating heat expert doctors arrive(cant recall there names) but we dont see any signs of anyone taking the time to sit with Liza and explain the heat to her or start her on the drugs.

Next what bothered me is that Stygian's Honor pushes forth a whole new cast of characters and breeds that readers have never seen before and the manipulations are all over the place. With Jonas initially it was amusing, now in this he just seems ruthless and uncaring of anyone getting hurt if it saves Amber. Rachel seems quite ok with sacrificing someone elses child and safety as long as her child is fine. Dog also has a secret agenda but you dont know why and I found myself almost not caring.

BUT aside from all that, I read it in one sitting. Gobbled up any mention of Cassie and turned a blind eye to the glaring errors and obvious timeline issues. I still find myself wondering whatever happened to the winged breed? Are we forgetting them and are the other breeds even going to mention what happened to them? And more important does this mean Liza/Honor is a breed, because it was never addressed though its obvious that she would be one if she's Honor? Did they file her canines along with the other stuff they did to disguise her appearance? More questions as usual at the end of these now.

Reviewed by Francesca & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

I have to be honest here... I read the book, I sat and thought about it. Then I walked away from writing this review for a couple of days because I wanted all my feelings to fall back and settle down and here's how I feel now.

When you run a series for 27 books you have to know that what keeps readers interested is not JUST reading about yet another couple in the world they've grown to love. There has to be more. When I finished reading STYGIAN'S HONOR I actually thought that this book had completely missed the mark on giving me that. Then on second thought I guess there was a good story, actually maybe even a better plot than in the previous book. But I have two major issues with STYGIAN'S HONOR and the reasons why I think I enjoyed the last book more than this one.

The characters...

I really haven't had the chance to care one way or another about Stygian. He's the typical overprotective breed and quite frankly, I've read that before. There was nothing that really stood out about him amongst a sea of other breeds. Well, maybe except for the fact that he's awesome at dirty talk.

Then there's the heroine, who actually annoyed me to pieces for most of the book. Then her back story comes along and yes, maybe she stops being so whiny, and she's tolerable. But again, her character is not all that memorable, even though there is a crazy twist at the end which I'm hoping will set a different tone and new adventures for the future of the series.

The plot...

OK ok ok it was interesting. And I may be the only one that feels this way but I am actually getting tired of the "save Jonas' daughter" plot. I think it's being dragged and I wish there was a resolution for it already. I need something to finally happen so that we can move on to something else.

What ever happened to...

I find the choice in couples lately to be a bit strange. We are getting books about breeds we've barely even heard of when we are still missing important stories, like Dr. Eli and Cassie. At this point, I don't think Cassie can possibly be too young still, right?

Miss Congeniality...

I love Cassie, don't get me wrong. But I find it so unrealistic when every time her character is needed in a book for some random breed that she has this special bond with them, they always have inside jokes and she's just their BFF almost. It happened again with Stygian and somehow it didn't ring true.

Gideon Cross...

Seriously, am I the only catching these things? Gideon was introduced in LAWE'S JUSTICE and we learn more about his character in this book. I have a feeling he might be the next book, since it would seem the logical progression of the general story. And I like him well enough. But has no one else notice that his name is exactly the same as Sylvia Day's hero in BARED TO YOU?

Overall...

This wasn't a bad book. It was pretty hot because, well, it's Lora Leigh. I just really need to start seeing some tying up of loose ends, fresh stories and a HEA for the characters I've already come to love without introducing a million new ones. I wish we had the magic of DAWN'S AWAKENING or even LION'S HEAT back.

*ARC provided by publisher

Stygian's Honor has a beginning and ending and nothing much new in between. I call these last few books fillers. There about a fairly unknown Breed with a slow and at times boring plot. The last good book in this series in my opinion was Lion's Heat. After that book the series went downhill fast. They have lost their flare, passion, and excitement. Leigh knows her fans are waiting for certain stories to be written and I guess writing and releasing sub-par books to keep her fans buying is alright. The scenes and lines are repetitive and "what have you done to me" line is driving me nuts. I love Jonas and good thing his over bearing personality was part of this book. This addition to the Breed's series was just an ok read for me.

I stopped buying these books a few titles back, but keep picking them up at the library to finish the series/story. However, the storyline doesn't seem to be going anywhere very fast.

The same story with different names, over and over isn't worth $8 - especially considering the kindle is the SAME price as the paperback... What the heck is THAT?!?!

Complete and utter profit markup for the publishers and the distributors, considering that then don't have to pay for the paper or the binding. I am SO disgusted by publishing companies for charging the these prices for ebooks! THANK GOD FOR LIBRARIES!!

Obviously, I love the Breeds series or I wouldn't have waited so impatiently and read so eagerly, the 27th book, Stygian's Honor. However, I must admit that I was disappointed this time. No matter how good you are at writing sex scenes (and Lora Leigh is an expert), there are only so many ways you can describe graphic and explicit sex even if the sex is fantastic and mind-blowing. This book had far too much space devoted to sex scenes -- that were very repetitious -- and not enough devoted to furthering the story. In fact, after the first three or four sex scenes that ran on for pages, I found myself skimming them which is very unusual for me. I was also disappointed at how little the story of being able to save Amber was advanced by the end of the book.

I hope that the next book is about Gideon and his mate (you will know who she is by the end of the book, but I don't want to spoil anything) and will, at the very least, have Gideon, Judd, Honor and Fawn working together to save Amber.

I don't want to give a wrong impression because I did enjoy reading this book and I'm glad that I bought it; I just think there were a lot of lost opportunities that would have made this book really great. You should definitely read this book because it does contain important information and I'm sure you will enjoy it.

STYGIAN'S HONOR (Breeds #27) by Lora Leigh

STYGIAN'S HONOR is the 27th storyline and August 2012 release in Lora Leigh's BREEDS series focusing on a government experiment that went horribly wrong. Trying to create the ultimate warrior, the scientists combined animal DNA with human embryos resulting in a species that has been feared and tortured since their inception. Stygian's Honor reveals the truth behind a series of dead and missing children, and the identities they have been forced to undertake.

Jonas Wyatt (Breeds Director) knows that the answer to his daughter's pain and recovery is held within the minds of four Breeds long thought to be dead or on the run. And with that knowledge also came the realization that the same four were unaware of the secrets that were buried deep in their minds by the same people who claimed to love them and protect. Hoping to recover the information that could save his daughter, Jonas embarks on a one-man mission that could very well destroy the lives of anyone who interfered including the people who worked for him and the Navajo Nation.

Liza Johnson's memories were not her own. As the mating heat burned, the flashbacks and pain increased until she was no longer one person but two. And along with Stygian's love and protection, came the knowledge that the Breeds and the Navajo Nation, may very well have destroyed the person she was. And 12 years earlier, the life she once knew was changed for the life she now led, and only the Navajo Nation knew the truth to her identity and `death'.

Stygian Black has been searching for Honor Roberts and Fawn Corrigan, but little did he know that the person who would one day be his mate, is the same person who would lead him directly to Honor Roberts. Stygian has known that Liza is his mate for some time. His fierce need to protect and guard only increased with the mating heat between he and his mate. But Liza's refusal to accept that she was a Breed mate would force Stygian to compromise his integrity for the woman that was made especially for him. Placing them both in danger, several attempts on Liza's life would coincide with her exposure to Stygian and the Breeds. But when the Navajo Nation Elders, along with her parents, were called in for questioning, Liza knew that the secrets they refused to reveal would change her life forever.

Throughout Stygian's Honor another storyline is slow to build. Gideon Cross is still searching for the Breed family that he would die to protect, and Jonas Wyatt will reveal the true nature of Gideon's supposed Feral Fever. The identity of the remaining 2 missing children from the earlier experiments will come into question, but not before another Breed mate is revealed, and with that, another potential twist in the cure for Jonas Wyatt's child. The revelation of Liza's true identity will also unravel the mystery to another missing child.

STYGIAN'S HONOR is another welcome storyline in Lora Leigh's BREED series if only because it brings us closer to the truth. Still working on discovering the link between Amber's decline and Philip Brackenmore's experimental DNA altering drugs, SH brings the reader another step closer to learning the true extent of one man's evil designs. Lora includes many references to her previous storyline characters, both mated and not, including Dog, Loki, Cassie, Dash, Malachi, Rachel, Fawn and Judd. There is another sub-plot developing with Dog and his crew, but at this point, there is only conjecture as to the nature of their plans.

The relationship between Liza and Stygian was slow to build, as Liza continued to ignore her feelings and the heat building between she and her mate. As a reader looking from the outside, we wonder why Liza is refusing to acknowledge the Breed mating heat, but as a human, we would probably act the same way if we were to be put into such a position. Annoying as Liza is, Stygian will eventually find the mate he has always wanted, and Liza will fall in love with the only man meant for her.

Stygian's Honor by Lora Leigh
Paranormal Romance -Aug 7th, 2012
4 stars

As the latest in the Breed series, fans will not want to miss this book as it appears to bring an entirely new story line with new characters to watch for in upcoming books.

In this story, the life a young girl hangs in the balance. The Breeds must try to find a mysterious woman named Honor Roberts. Honor was a young girl who was experimented on and who may hold the key to the 'cure.' But Stygian is distracted by a lovely young woman named Liza Johnson. She is being hunted by their enemies and he wants to know why. He also discovers that she is his one mate. If only she would admit it! As he tries to seduce her, he finds that she maybe more than she appears.

Hot love and a Breed set on dominating a woman who keeps trying to deny him makes for an exciting and intense romance. Stygian and Liza have very steamy chemistry and I liked how feisty Liza was. Stygian is often frustrated by Liza's ability to resist him and make him 'work' for her! But Liza has many secrets that even she is not aware of which make this story interesting. I particularly liked Liza's capable character as often the heroines in the Breed series don't seem quite as strong as their mates. She is a good match for Stygian. Liza is part of an undercover team and has many skills of her own and friends who will back her up. She doesn't need to depend on Stygian. But I did find some sections of the story seemed to drag and did not have the fast pace I have been used to in most of Lora Leigh's books.

While not one of my favorites in the Breed series is does bring in new questions and leads the Breeds in a new direction that will sure to make future books intriguing. Another steamy paranormal romance from Lora Leigh.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

1. Too many poorly written love scenes with overused language. 2. Bad plotting. 3. Too many grammatical errors. 4. Poor character development. 5. Abrupt ending. 6. Poor Liza/Honor, anal sex with a giant penis.

Lora Leigh hooked me with her breed series years ago and I snatch them up right away when new ones come out. Stygian's Honor was exactly what I expect and wanted from a great breed book. Alpha Male, strong female and great sex with a lot of back story and intrigue trying to figure out what is happening next.

I eagerly await the next book, hoping it is Gideon's story although I am still waiting for Dr. Eliana's too, either way I know I will thoroughly enjoy the read.

Couple of years ago I discovered this writer who could bring characters to life and tell a story that had me spell bound. I can say I have read all the breed stories to date, yes some were a little stronger in the story line.Still The plot thickens, characters are still delevolping, and the search goes on. But what a great escape to get envolved in. This story had me going back and really remembering Megan and Brady's book and yes I would read a couple of pages and have to go back and read them again (senior moment). As I try to place the characters together and figure out whats going on (bad to do that while I'm reading -mind games with author oh well) This book shows what a man will go through for his family,what a woman will do for her best friend, and what a man will do to protect the woman he loves. Of course there is plenty of other action going on to so give this book a try and see where it takes you.

Jonas Wyatt the Lion Breed rescue his soul mate Rachel's baby daughter Amber from Philip Brandenmore who injected the infant with an unknown elixir. Though Amber is Devon's biological child, Jonas considers her his offspring ever since he knew she recognized his voice while she was in the womb. He vowed to find the antidote to the experimental drug that is killing his baby (see Lion's Heat).

Jonas believes only locating two women who survived injection by Brandenmore Research with similar toxin is the only hope for his Amber. With help from the Navajo Nation's Liza Johnson, Wolf Breed Stygian Black searches for the missing Honor Roberts and Fawn Corrigan who both vanished several years ago. Stygian starts his search for Honor who was last seen when she was a young teen in Window Rock, Arizona. However he also senses the Navaho and their agent conceal something important from him, but he remains resolute in finding either of the females while refusing his recognition that Liza is his breed mate until after Amber is saved.

This is an exciting Breed romantic suspense urban fantasy as Jonas sets the tone with his willingness to do anything to save the life of his child but also vows no one involved in those horrific experiments will live if Amber dies. The thrilling storyline is filled with twists as individuals find themselves yanked in opposite directions by people they care about. Lora Leigh continues to provide quality thrillers.

Harriet Klausner

Did anyone edit this book? The flow and verbage is exhausting and confusing. Obscure details are thrown in, dozens of new characters are introduced...I can't keep up. It's becoming painful to read each next page.