Shiv Crew (Rune Alexander Book 1)

Re-reviewed after reading again. I had to write an appropriate review instead of one written hastily, books later.

OMG Wow! What a great start to an amazing new Urban Fantasy series. Shiv Crew will suck you in, chew you up, then spit you out an emotional, but happy wreck. Rune Alexander is one badass chick that I want in my corner. She leads her crew of men to do the jobs only they can do, police the Others in their city. Through betrayal, heartache, finding loved ones and loosing them, and finding herself; Rune grows with her men by her side.

Laken Cane is a phenomenal author. Her storyline will grab you and her expertise at writing will hold you until the end. Her writing makes you feel as if you are watching the crew in action, standing there watching the punches and shivs fly. The character building is astounding, you can almost watch the changes in Rune as the story goes along. Miss Cane has written an exceptional story.

KEEP WRITING LAKEN!!

This is an Urban Fantasy with a few dark elements. Those elements are not too descriptive but are there. As for sex, it is not prominently written, but there is a scene with the dark elements that also has intimate touches. I would not let my teenager read this.

Assassins Reading and Reviewing group

This was my original review:
A good start to a new Urban Fantasy series with a female lead. Very good writing and in depth characters. Cane is a great author and there are many twists and turns and lots of suspense in this book.
I forgot to write my review before I finished reading book 2 so this will have to be short. After all, I have book 3 to read.

Keep Writing!

I love when an author takes on the paranormal world and turns it on its head. This book, the first in a series, is a breath of fresh air! I could not believe how fast I became enamored with Rune Alexander's world. This book is as addictive as all the great paranormal books can be. I measure most paranormal books against one of my favorites, Black Dagger Brotherhood, and this one holds its own.
In this book, we are introduced to Rune Alexander, leader of the Shiv crew. She is a part of law enforcement that deals with others, she protects the humans from Others that want to hurt them. The Others encompass all "monsters". Vampires, Shifters, Warewolves, Trolls, Ghouls, the list is endless. She is a part of one cog of the cops that deals with other worldly beings. But, little do her teammates completely know, she is a part Other. She was adopted by great parents, so she doesn't know exactly what she is. All she does know is that somehow, she killed her parents. She sees herself as an abomination, one part her and one part her monster. The only thing that keeps her going is having her boss, Jeremy, beat her to within an inch of her life. It is a twisted relationship, because he gets off on hurting her badly. The only two things that save her are her otherness and her sweet assistant Ellis. Ellis brings her blood to consume and it heals her wounds. She thinks nothing will ever make her better, and quickly, she has her world turned upside down. Someone high up is blackmailing the Other groups and killing a lot of them. Rune realizes, with the help from the only people she can trust (her team) that something big is happening and she has to save them all. There are quite a few additions plots and twists through this book that make you unable to put this book down. Will Rune find the truth and stop the evil in time? Will she learn who she is? Are her adopted parents not dead? These and more make this an amazing introduction to an ever incredible world and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

SCRU - Spiritgrove's Criminal Recovery Unit - or Shiv Crew is the name of the group whose main duty is to protect the humans against the Others (Supernaturals), whose crew consist only of 3 super hot and elite fighters, namely Z, Jack and Race..... Then there's Ellis, the assistant to the head of Shiv Crew... And, the head of Shiv Crew, Rune Alexander.

Rune is not only fighting monsters outside, she is also fighting her own demons inside, making her feel unstable and damaged.... and there are only two people who knew her struggles... her lover who helps her deal with said demons by hurting her... and Ellis who helps fix her after. It is really rather sad and shocking.

On their mission to hunt down that Others who are kidnapping humans... they later realized that everything was not what it seems. That in fact, a human was torturing the supernatural groups in her City. And she, and her crew, must break the rules and begin to protect the Others from the humans.

You know how you can tell that it's going to be a good book? When it brings you straight to the action scene from the beginning. And you know how you can say it is well written? When it was so easy to fall into the story and connect with ALL the interesting characters in the book. I love that! I need that!

Rune makes a perfect hero or heroine. ;) A great leader... She is passionate with all her crew and her job, very powerful, smart, confident and just amazing. To start with, I didn't like how she was not accepting who she is, but she showed character growth as she listens to the people who cares for her.

I am my monster.
My monster is me.

I fell in love with all her crew.... They make such great group dynamic... I can feel the intensity on how much they care and will do everything to protect each other. Ellis specially. He is the heart of them all. Then there's the new Shiv Crew members, Levi and Demi (lol on the name btw), and then there's Lexi, a blind Other who is special. And last, there is Strad Matheson or as Rune calls him, Berserker, because he is calm and quite on the outside but inside something is just waiting to explode and Rune is scared of him and she doesn't scare easily. And his character turnout was definitely surprising!

Oh, and there's this ghoul, Gunnar, who I thought was funny.

It's fast-paced, action-packed with full on suspense and surprises. The highlight or highlights of the book was stunning with a full blown action mixed with such intense emotions which brought me to tears. It was just crazy good!

There is still a lot of unanswered questions in the end though. But it's a perfect start of an urban fantasy paranormal series. With great world building.

I know I didn't mention romance, because, well, there's none. And I didn't feel it was needed for now... so I appreciate the fact that the author didn't go there. But it doesn't mean there wasn't a hint of one and I'm leaning on Strad. He seems like the perfect alpha for someone like Rune. And he did save her twice here! And I kinda find their intensity hot.

I would recommend this book even though it took a minute before it caught hold of me. If you aren't impressed with the first few chapters, keep going. If it doesn't hook you by about half way to three quarters of the way through, then you can probably give up. I was hooked.

Be warned, it might have triggers for some people. There is some abuse. The book can be graphic at times and while it doesn't get into sexual details, it describes enough that I would say it is a 16+ read. I wondered for a minute if I was getting into an S&M book, but it really is not. It is more emotionally complex than I expected. Of course, there are extremely cheesy moments where the complexity drops and everything flows more simply than real life, but that just makes this book a guilty pleasure. The mixture is perfect for those who enjoy new adult paranormal urban fantasy with some fight.

In Spiritgrove, Ohio, humans and Others coexist, but not peacefully. Each group is wary of the other and many times for good reason. Others get a bad rap from humans; there are many humans who look upon Others as something unnatural that needs to be eradicated without question. Some humans tolerate them, but the amount of people who look upon Others as "people" are few and far between. Humans have their police inside the Spiritgrove law enforcement agency. Also within the agency are two divisions who specialize in anything supernatural and Other - RISC is the main branch with SCRU falling beneath. Rune Alexander is the leader of SCRU, who have been given the nickname Shiv Crew because of their preference for the shiv.

Rune is a tough girl; as the female leader of a group of men, she'd better be. Her men are strong, loyal, fierce and require the same traits from a leader. Which Rune delivers and does so quite well. Rune also hides a secret - as the leader of a group of humans sworn to protect other humans against the Others, being only half-human really puts her in a bind. She keeps her secret closely guarded being that not only would most of the law enforcement team frown upon letting an Other in, but they most certainly wouldn't let an Other work in a division that polices Others. Yes, Rune is half-Other. What that half is is a mystery even to her. She doesn't let this little fact prevent her from protecting the humans and at times, she even feels disgust towards the monsters. That all changes when a human is wreaking havoc in the supernatural community. Rune and her team step in to help and investigate, and things definitely change with her feelings towards Others as a whole.

I have to say, I'm quite impressed with this first book in the Rune Alexander series. I am normally so very hesitant to even browse through the "lesser known" (or even new) authors because it's really hit or miss these days when it seems like everyone has published a book. That's great that everyone nearly has, but sometimes it's really difficult to find a gem among the many (and sometimes not very good) offerings out there. Laken Cane turned out to be a gem. While there are some things in her story that are kind of been there/done that, she really shined in her characterization. She was able to make Rune balanced, which I appreciate. She was tough, but not unbelievably so. She was also so conflicted, not only with her status of half-Other, but with her views on Others in general. Rune was mostly tolerant with the Others, oftentimes sympathetic, but there were days when she though ridding the world of Others would be the best course of action. There was a lot of character growth on her part just within this first book, so I really look forward to seeing what she does with her newfound sense of understanding in the books to come.

All in all, so very glad this was recommended to me. The only bummer is there wasn't any lovin, but all signs point to some romance in the future. I will certainly find out because I plan to continue the series to see where Rune and Cane take readers next :)

This book was AWESOME!!!!!!! It moved at a fast pace, had characters that were completely fleshed out, had mystery, friendship, love, and an incredible story plot. And let's not forget all the strife between the Humans, and the "Others". Which is what they call all the vampires, werewolves, berserkers, and all the other incredible monsters of this world. I can't recommend reading this story enough. Just make sure you've done everything that you need to do that day before you pick it up. Because you'll get so into the book that you won't get another thing done until you've finished it!!! ;) I know I sure didn't. Lol God bless, Melody

This was such an amazing book! It grabbed my attention right from the start and I couldn't put it down. Cane's imagery is so vivid and detailed it kept me captivated. I love reading books with strong female leads and Rune is on the top of that list. She leads an elite group of warriors and is more fierce then all of them combined. I think all of those under her command have interesting and unique back stories and hope to find out more about each of them as I go through the series. I will definitely follow this series of books. I can't wait to start the next one! If you're looking for an amazing paranormal read you have to read this!!

I am so excited a found this series! Truly Awesome! For those of you who love Rachel Morgan (The Hollows), Cat (Night Huntress) and Kate Daniels ... You need to meet Rune Alexander!! And her Crew. I love a badass strong female lead and Rune wont let you down. Book 1 Shiv Crew Rune is trying to come to peace with who she is... What she is... This book introduces you to her coworkers - SHIV Crew.
These books have so many feels!! Loved This Series!!

I became enchanted. Shiv Crew and Rune were so wonderful. I read this book to the point of distraction. Dinner, oh yeah, I was supposed to feed my family. Ordered pizza, kept reading. It has been a great journey. As each book unfolds, New and better development of characters and plot lines. Great starter, now let's get reading.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

We meet Rune and her crew, Jake, Raze, Z, Ellis, Levi, Denim and Lex who protect the humans from Others (non-humans). We spend the whole book trying to figure out who the bad guys are and it turns out the bad guys are the good guys and the good guys are the bad guys... what?! Yes it was a little confusing but along the way things begin to make sense and with every new chapter your love and admiration for Rune and her crew will grow I guarantee it. The most interesting part was finding out what Rune is, there are hints during the story but we don't get definite answers until near the end of the book. A really fun book if you're interested in paranormal, mystery and a hint of romance.

This book was amazing! Thoroughly entertaining, action packed, and well paced. My attention never once deviated from the story because it was THAT intriguing. I loved ALL the characters (even the supporting ones) which I almost NEVER say. I don't know if it's just me, but this series seems vaguely similar to the Anita Blake series (without all the sex). There is a possible romance/love interest, but only just enough for good measure. Not enough romance to actually categorize this book as a "romantic" or "romance" novel.

If I had to complain about anything at all, i have to say that the heroine's CONSTANT use of the word "baby" when referring to anyone on her team very much annoyed me. I only say that because for some reason the author felt the need to use the word "baby" in the story so excessively that it almost rivaled the use of the word "the" (and okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration, but you catch my drift). Usually something like this wouldn't bother me, but as you continue to read the books throughout the series, the usage of the word "baby" is honestly almost on every other page. It's absolutely ridiculous.

Other than that complaint, I found nothing else other than an amazing story. Definitely check this series out if you haven't already.

Good story line really enjoyed reading about Rune and her crew. Not too much focus on sex which I like with a little romantic side. Can be read as a stand alone even though it's a series. Wish the swear words were not so much but all in all I enjoyed the booked.

Once I began, I couldn't put it down. Imaginative, intelligent, appealing and a none stop ride. I love how this book begins with changes yet to come. It's well written and attention getting. The characters grab your attention and hold it. Each one of Shrivcrew gains a foothold in the readers heart.

After reading book one, I immediatly purchased the rest in the series and read them back to back. Yes, they are that good! My only complaint is that I now have to wait on book six. Reminds me of the Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton, before it became all porn and no plot. Also, fans of John Conroe's Demon Accords series will want to check this series out. My new urban fantasy favorite author: Laken Cane. And to that author, I say, thankyou, and write faster!!!

Love this series! I'm currently starting book 4. These books are intense action and violence so if you like all hearts, flowers, and happy princesses you might want to go elsewhere. Me, I like a less than perfect leading lady that kicks ass.

The Rune Alexander series is an entertaining young adult supernatural series. I'll read the rest of the series. I think all of us to some extent can relate to Rune's internal struggle with something we've done or thought at some point in our lives and we would do well by our own personal growth to learn to accept that our lives are not defined by any single event, thought or action.

Monster and me, all one person equals Rune. A protector and leader. I don't even know where to begin but I was hooked and couldn't put my kindle down if I tried. An elite force of cops dedicated to serve and protect all, humans and others.

I like strong women, and that's exactly what Rune is. When first confronted with how she dealt with that darkness I recoiled... I almost decided that this wasn't the kind of story I was into... But as with the other reviews I decided to give Rune a chance to grow and grow she did. Her crew are her family, each one is loveable and fierce in their own way. As she comes to accept herself and that she is worthy of the love of others, she becomes even more badass and I can't wait to see where her next story takes her.

I like strong women, and that's exactly what Rune is. When first confronted with how she dealt with that darkness I recoiled... I almost decided that this wasn't the kind of story I was into... But as with the other reviews I decided to give Rune a chance to grow and grow she did. Her crew are her family, each one is loveable and fierce in their own way. As she comes to accept herself and that she is worthy of the love of others, she becomes even more badass and I can't wait to see where her next story takes her.

Kindle unlimited book. I'm on the fence with this book. I'm not sure what has me hesitating giving this book a good review. I believe part of my dilemma is the beating Rune allows herself to receive but part of it is also a lack of depth with the main characters. I liked the overall storyline and the fight scenes, but the book lacks.