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Monstrous #7
Lor
My role as Moric—ruler of a small and prosperous fiefdom in a quiet corner of the world—has always been painfully dull and stifling.
Until a beautiful, otherworldly creature with pink skin and a mane of golden hair falls through a strange void that has appeared in my guestroom.
And I am instantly captivated by him.
I have never seen anything like him. I have no idea where he came from, and what else is through that unsettling void—another world filled with soft-skinned, defenceless creatures like him? No tails, no horns, no claws, no sharp teeth. Tiny clothing, rounded ears, bright blue eyes. He is fascinating. And I want to keep him.
But I have no idea how my citizens and councillors will react to his presence—to the knowledge that a whole other world exists, and there is a portal to it in my guestroom. As much as I try to keep him my secret, the truth starts to slip out.
And those in my fiefdom who cling desperately onto power do their best to tear us apart. To take him from me.
I won’t let them.
Lor is Book Seven of the Monstrous series, a post-apocalyptic m/m fantasy series that features monsters and human men falling in love. It is best to read the series in order.
Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains non-human genitalia, mentions of a past familial death, grief, depression, attempted murder, depictions of death and violence.
Until a beautiful, otherworldly creature with pink skin and a mane of golden hair falls through a strange void that has appeared in my guestroom.
And I am instantly captivated by him.
I have never seen anything like him. I have no idea where he came from, and what else is through that unsettling void—another world filled with soft-skinned, defenceless creatures like him? No tails, no horns, no claws, no sharp teeth. Tiny clothing, rounded ears, bright blue eyes. He is fascinating. And I want to keep him.
But I have no idea how my citizens and councillors will react to his presence—to the knowledge that a whole other world exists, and there is a portal to it in my guestroom. As much as I try to keep him my secret, the truth starts to slip out.
And those in my fiefdom who cling desperately onto power do their best to tear us apart. To take him from me.
I won’t let them.
Lor is Book Seven of the Monstrous series, a post-apocalyptic m/m fantasy series that features monsters and human men falling in love. It is best to read the series in order.
Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains non-human genitalia, mentions of a past familial death, grief, depression, attempted murder, depictions of death and violence.
619 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 27, 2023
About the author
Lily Mayne
25 books4,505 followersLily Mayne writes what she loves to read: achingly sweet yet gritty romances against unusual backdrops—dark, futuristic, dystopian and more. She currently lives in the UK with her husband and several fluffballs, who like to make a lot of noise while she’s writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 985 reviews
April 28, 2023
Lor is a masterpiece. Think of it as a kind of prequel to Lily Mayne's brilliant Monstrous series.
However, I don't recommend reading this book as a standalone; there are multiple references to characters and plot points you'll miss if you haven't read the preceding six books in order.
This story begins before the monsters flooded the earth, before Danny met Wyn, before the cannibalistic cult and the parasites.
It begins in the woods of a Midwestern children's summer camp when Jugs, a 21-year-old camp counselor, trips and falls straight through a rip in a tree and into a guest room at Lor's palace.
Lor is the Moric of Thinir, the equivalent of a king, while his twin brother, Lyri, is the Verin or general of the king's army. Lor and Lyri are Vints, one of the ruling classes of their world.
Lor and Jugs stole my heart. Lor is anxious and insecure. Thrown into the role of Moric at a young age, before he could even process his beloved mama's passing, Lor goes through the motions every day, but he's withdrawn and lonely, with only his brother and bodyguard as company.
Jugs is the definition of an all-American 80s boy, midriff shirts, blonde hair, and all. Jugs doesn't think he's anything special. His ears stick out; he barely graduated high school; and his own parents don't give a shit if he lives or dies. Jugs is closeted and so alone, but he has the most caring, generous heart.
Being with Lor is the first time Jugs has belonged ... not just somewhere but with someone, TO someone.
Lor has it all: an epic romance (the stuff of dreams and fairy tales); adventure (the tension during the fungus exchange was sky high); political intrigue; racism/classism; murder & greed; pain, grief, joy, longing, desire, despair ... so many feels.
This book made me laugh, but it also made me sob.
The Monstrous world comes alive, and the secondary characters are complex and so damn real.
I loved Lyri most of all (fierce, determined, sassy but so very kind), but I also adored Seis, Gryf, Lilimore (who deserves all the things and then a few more), and Talimuth (whom Moth really needs to meet!).
This is a hefty story at some 600 pages, but I couldn't put it down. I read it in two days and wanted so much more. Talk about a book hangover.
I'll never forget pistachio ice cream, tiny pink shorts, Lor (and eventually the townfolk lol) sporting a mullet, and the way Lor and Jugs came together like lock and key (no judgments, no recriminations, just trust, respect, and the most abiding kind of love).
High-five. Hi. forever.
However, I don't recommend reading this book as a standalone; there are multiple references to characters and plot points you'll miss if you haven't read the preceding six books in order.
This story begins before the monsters flooded the earth, before Danny met Wyn, before the cannibalistic cult and the parasites.
It begins in the woods of a Midwestern children's summer camp when Jugs, a 21-year-old camp counselor, trips and falls straight through a rip in a tree and into a guest room at Lor's palace.
Lor is the Moric of Thinir, the equivalent of a king, while his twin brother, Lyri, is the Verin or general of the king's army. Lor and Lyri are Vints, one of the ruling classes of their world.
Lor and Jugs stole my heart. Lor is anxious and insecure. Thrown into the role of Moric at a young age, before he could even process his beloved mama's passing, Lor goes through the motions every day, but he's withdrawn and lonely, with only his brother and bodyguard as company.
Jugs is the definition of an all-American 80s boy, midriff shirts, blonde hair, and all. Jugs doesn't think he's anything special. His ears stick out; he barely graduated high school; and his own parents don't give a shit if he lives or dies. Jugs is closeted and so alone, but he has the most caring, generous heart.
Being with Lor is the first time Jugs has belonged ... not just somewhere but with someone, TO someone.
Lor has it all: an epic romance (the stuff of dreams and fairy tales); adventure (the tension during the fungus exchange was sky high); political intrigue; racism/classism; murder & greed; pain, grief, joy, longing, desire, despair ... so many feels.
This book made me laugh, but it also made me sob.
The Monstrous world comes alive, and the secondary characters are complex and so damn real.
I loved Lyri most of all (fierce, determined, sassy but so very kind), but I also adored Seis, Gryf, Lilimore (who deserves all the things and then a few more), and Talimuth (whom Moth really needs to meet!).
This is a hefty story at some 600 pages, but I couldn't put it down. I read it in two days and wanted so much more. Talk about a book hangover.
I'll never forget pistachio ice cream, tiny pink shorts, Lor (and eventually the townfolk lol) sporting a mullet, and the way Lor and Jugs came together like lock and key (no judgments, no recriminations, just trust, respect, and the most abiding kind of love).
High-five. Hi. forever.
February 2, 2023
Guess who stayed up until 4 a.m. to read this book despite having classes in the morning?
March 23, 2023
Lor is so close to Moth as my favorite book in the series. To be honest, Lor was pretty much perfection. It had a retro vibe that made this story instantly irresistible, and it was SO romantic. Just insanely swoon-worthy. Lor, you have my heart.
This book feels more delicate and very different than others in the series, which was a bit refreshing. Not that I couldn't read 1,000 books taking place in the dystopian world that Lily Mayne created, but it was fun to read about the royals on the monster planet where all of the beasts came from. But it wasn't just the setting and cast of characters, but the total devotion that Lor had for Jugs. Gahhhh! It melted my jaded little heart. This couple is pure love and fluff and I was HERE for it.
Adored everything about this book. It gives amazing insight into a number of the characters from the other books, and it also is just an incredible story that stands on it's own. Lily Mayne, just take all my stars. This book deserves them all, and a spot on my favorites list.
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This book feels more delicate and very different than others in the series, which was a bit refreshing. Not that I couldn't read 1,000 books taking place in the dystopian world that Lily Mayne created, but it was fun to read about the royals on the monster planet where all of the beasts came from. But it wasn't just the setting and cast of characters, but the total devotion that Lor had for Jugs. Gahhhh! It melted my jaded little heart. This couple is pure love and fluff and I was HERE for it.
Adored everything about this book. It gives amazing insight into a number of the characters from the other books, and it also is just an incredible story that stands on it's own. Lily Mayne, just take all my stars. This book deserves them all, and a spot on my favorites list.
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Want to read
March 1, 2022I understand there's...stuff going on that we'll learn about later on, but I am kinda pissed🙃 I'm still gonna devour the hell out of this when it's released but I will be frowning aggressively the whole time until I am satisfied with whatever the fuck Cat is doing.
December 21, 2023
⭐︎
5+++ Stars and Beyond!
⭐︎
I absolutely fucking adored this to no end.
Thank fucking god Ms. Mayne didn't keep this as a novella. Thank god this is the longest one yet. Because I absolutely adored it and couldn't get enough of it.
It also had me absolutely bawling my eyes out at a certain point and my nose got all stuffy and I felt like shit because I couldn't stop. I can't remember the last time I cried this hard reading a book!
And no worries, there is no major character death...just...almost...and while neither die, it's still fucking devastating what happens. Poor, sweet, adorable Lor. It changes him for good after that. But we get to see his spark come back near the end when Lily *fixes* it and makes it all better! So, at least she made it all better *sobs*
Lor, we heard about mainly in Wyn, the 3.5 novella. He's the Moric of the fiefdom that Wyn and Danny visit.
He also, we come to learn, happens to be the twin brother of Lyri, who was set to be the MC of book 7 instead of book 8.
But I'm glad Ms. Mayne wrote this one first. We get a lot of backstory on Lyri and come to know his character really well. Now all that's left is to get into the meat of Cat's story. Which I'm sure we'll get into in the next book.
There is one scene in this where we potentially meet Cat as a little kid before the monster apocalypse and it was cool to see him if it really is him. It'll be cool it if it was!
But this book focuses on Lor, the slightly older twin and therefore he gets saddled with being Moric - basically the King - of the land in which they preside.
We learn that what Lor and Lyri are, are Vint, and they're dark blue skin indicates their royal lineage. Usually vint's skin is either black or gray.
This book starts 30 years prior to the present day, and about 10 years before the monster apocalypse. So maybe it's 1989 or so, close to 1990.
Jugs aka Michael, is a 21 year old sweetie pie who has rich parents who are completely assholes and don't treat him well. His dad hates that he's gone back to be a camp counselor at the same camp 3 years in a row as an adult, and wishes he'd join his firm instead. But Jugs doesn't want that.
One night he and the other counselors are partying in the woods when he literally stumbles through a small void that's had been growing for months in one of the guest rooms in Lor's hyll - basically a palace.
There's an instant connection between the two, although it's a bit of a rough start because they, of course, don't speak each other's language and Lyri, who is the less soft of the two of them and more prepared to do what is necessary, wants to lock Jugs up in the dungeons to get more info out of him, as who knows if he'll leave and bring an army back with him.
It makes sense, but Jugs is crying almost the whole time, and Jugs just seems scared and Lor, who is a sweetie pie, knows it's wrong to keep him locked up, and lets him go.
So now when Jugs keeps coming back, he's doing it of his own choice. It takes awhile, but Lor is so smitten that he goes to the room almost every night to see if Jugs will come back.
Eventually, Jugs does. Because Lor was sweet and kind to him and let him go. And there's a connection on Jugs' side of thing too. So he comes back, and then comes back again a few weeks after that, and then the two start talking as Jugs starts to visit basically every night, and they start to fall in love.
Especially after Lor is able to get his hand on a special plant that, when eaten, allows people to learn another language easily. So soon enough, Lor and Jugs are able to communicate with more than just hang gestures and facial expressions and such.
This story, being over 600 pages, really took the time to show these two falling in love and it was done beautifully! I was absolutely enraptured by these two and their love story.
And Lor has these big ears that, along with his blushing, move around - kinda like a cat's ears, I imagine - when he's embarrassed or nervous, and he did that a lot around Jugs and it was just so cute!nI had to mention it because it made me internally "aw" whenever he did it - and he did it a lot. It was so damn adorable!
And oohhh boy, once these two start having sex? Damnnn, it was 🔥🔥🔥 and I was loVING it! The chemistry, the romance, the connection, it all came together to culminate in some really steamy sex scenes, especially their first time with full on penetration. Damn, like get me a fan please *whew* so good!
And of course, when the devastation comes - and it will come! - Ms. Mayne decides to hit us hard and keep going for arounnddd 20-ish percent. It sucked up one side and down the other and I had to pause multiple times around my tears!
No, neither MC dies, but one comes close and it is absolutely *heartbreaking*! And the time the other has to go without the other while a way to save them is searched for! But also, the inherent romance in one of the MC's waiting so long for the other. But ohhh the heartbreak while it was happening! I was a sOBBinG mESS! No joke. It was so so mean!
But no worries, the heartbreak is fixed, and our couple gets to have their HEA and I was lIVING for it! So so good. After what they went through, they deserve all the happiness in the world! (I also hope now that all our precious human/monster couples are in the monster world, that Lor and Jugs will be told about sharing their life forces with each other? So Jugs can live as long as Lor will? I assume that is what will happen. I mean, it better ;)).
Just, ALL the damn stars for this AMAZING book. It was PERFECTION. Even with Ms. Mayne trying to tear my heart out and basically succeeding! I was riveted from page one and couldn't put it down unless for sleep.
I'm so excited for Lyri now. Can't wait to find out what Lyri was up to all those years before he met Cat - how Lyri got captured in the first place. How Cat got captured, how the fighting ring place got abandoned, what Cat and Lyri were up to in New York, etc. I'm so pumped!
Just....read this. While it's necessary to get a lot of Lyri's backstory, it's also just amazing for the sake of being Lor and Jug's love story, which was AH-MAZING. I'm still reeling after finishing this masterpiece of a book.
ALL the thumbs up from me! HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended! 😍🥰😘
My Ratings for the Monstrous Series:
🔆 Soul Eater: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Edin: 4.5 Stars (my review)
🔆 The Rycke: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Wyn: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Gloam: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Moth: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Seraph: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 A Monstrous Christmas in the Camp: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Lor: 5 stars
🔆 Lyri: TBR
I absolutely fucking adored this to no end.
Thank fucking god Ms. Mayne didn't keep this as a novella. Thank god this is the longest one yet. Because I absolutely adored it and couldn't get enough of it.
It also had me absolutely bawling my eyes out at a certain point and my nose got all stuffy and I felt like shit because I couldn't stop. I can't remember the last time I cried this hard reading a book!
And no worries, there is no major character death...just...almost...and while neither die, it's still fucking devastating what happens. Poor, sweet, adorable Lor. It changes him for good after that. But we get to see his spark come back near the end when Lily *fixes* it and makes it all better! So, at least she made it all better *sobs*
Lor, we heard about mainly in Wyn, the 3.5 novella. He's the Moric of the fiefdom that Wyn and Danny visit.
He also, we come to learn, happens to be the twin brother of Lyri, who was set to be the MC of book 7 instead of book 8.
But I'm glad Ms. Mayne wrote this one first. We get a lot of backstory on Lyri and come to know his character really well. Now all that's left is to get into the meat of Cat's story. Which I'm sure we'll get into in the next book.
There is one scene in this where we potentially meet Cat as a little kid before the monster apocalypse and it was cool to see him if it really is him. It'll be cool it if it was!
But this book focuses on Lor, the slightly older twin and therefore he gets saddled with being Moric - basically the King - of the land in which they preside.
We learn that what Lor and Lyri are, are Vint, and they're dark blue skin indicates their royal lineage. Usually vint's skin is either black or gray.
This book starts 30 years prior to the present day, and about 10 years before the monster apocalypse. So maybe it's 1989 or so, close to 1990.
Jugs aka Michael, is a 21 year old sweetie pie who has rich parents who are completely assholes and don't treat him well. His dad hates that he's gone back to be a camp counselor at the same camp 3 years in a row as an adult, and wishes he'd join his firm instead. But Jugs doesn't want that.
One night he and the other counselors are partying in the woods when he literally stumbles through a small void that's had been growing for months in one of the guest rooms in Lor's hyll - basically a palace.
There's an instant connection between the two, although it's a bit of a rough start because they, of course, don't speak each other's language and Lyri, who is the less soft of the two of them and more prepared to do what is necessary, wants to lock Jugs up in the dungeons to get more info out of him, as who knows if he'll leave and bring an army back with him.
It makes sense, but Jugs is crying almost the whole time, and Jugs just seems scared and Lor, who is a sweetie pie, knows it's wrong to keep him locked up, and lets him go.
So now when Jugs keeps coming back, he's doing it of his own choice. It takes awhile, but Lor is so smitten that he goes to the room almost every night to see if Jugs will come back.
Eventually, Jugs does. Because Lor was sweet and kind to him and let him go. And there's a connection on Jugs' side of thing too. So he comes back, and then comes back again a few weeks after that, and then the two start talking as Jugs starts to visit basically every night, and they start to fall in love.
Especially after Lor is able to get his hand on a special plant that, when eaten, allows people to learn another language easily. So soon enough, Lor and Jugs are able to communicate with more than just hang gestures and facial expressions and such.
This story, being over 600 pages, really took the time to show these two falling in love and it was done beautifully! I was absolutely enraptured by these two and their love story.
And Lor has these big ears that, along with his blushing, move around - kinda like a cat's ears, I imagine - when he's embarrassed or nervous, and he did that a lot around Jugs and it was just so cute!nI had to mention it because it made me internally "aw" whenever he did it - and he did it a lot. It was so damn adorable!
And oohhh boy, once these two start having sex? Damnnn, it was 🔥🔥🔥 and I was loVING it! The chemistry, the romance, the connection, it all came together to culminate in some really steamy sex scenes, especially their first time with full on penetration. Damn, like get me a fan please *whew* so good!
And of course, when the devastation comes - and it will come! - Ms. Mayne decides to hit us hard and keep going for arounnddd 20-ish percent. It sucked up one side and down the other and I had to pause multiple times around my tears!
No, neither MC dies, but one comes close and it is absolutely *heartbreaking*! And the time the other has to go without the other while a way to save them is searched for! But also, the inherent romance in one of the MC's waiting so long for the other. But ohhh the heartbreak while it was happening! I was a sOBBinG mESS! No joke. It was so so mean!
But no worries, the heartbreak is fixed, and our couple gets to have their HEA and I was lIVING for it! So so good. After what they went through, they deserve all the happiness in the world! (I also hope now that all our precious human/monster couples are in the monster world, that Lor and Jugs will be told about sharing their life forces with each other? So Jugs can live as long as Lor will? I assume that is what will happen. I mean, it better ;)).
Just, ALL the damn stars for this AMAZING book. It was PERFECTION. Even with Ms. Mayne trying to tear my heart out and basically succeeding! I was riveted from page one and couldn't put it down unless for sleep.
I'm so excited for Lyri now. Can't wait to find out what Lyri was up to all those years before he met Cat - how Lyri got captured in the first place. How Cat got captured, how the fighting ring place got abandoned, what Cat and Lyri were up to in New York, etc. I'm so pumped!
Just....read this. While it's necessary to get a lot of Lyri's backstory, it's also just amazing for the sake of being Lor and Jug's love story, which was AH-MAZING. I'm still reeling after finishing this masterpiece of a book.
ALL the thumbs up from me! HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended! 😍🥰😘
My Ratings for the Monstrous Series:
🔆 Soul Eater: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Edin: 4.5 Stars (my review)
🔆 The Rycke: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Wyn: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Gloam: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Moth: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Seraph: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 A Monstrous Christmas in the Camp: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Lor: 5 stars
🔆 Lyri: TBR
May 20, 2024
I thought it was so cool that the first half of this book took place before the rip opened, I was not expecting to be taken back in time. I absolutely love Lor!! He’s so precious. And his interest in the human world was so sweet, the way he kept ‘rare’ ‘meaningful’ treasures (like a chip bag.) I also liked Jugs, he was so intrigued by this new realm he happened to stumble into and so ready to tell Lor everything about his world. But falling in love with them both just made this book all the more heart wrenching 😭. I knew it was going to be sad because that has been the recurring theme lately with the last books. But this for me has to be the saddest one yet!! It just kept going and going and going. And each time I could feel pieces of my heart just break away. However, as crushing as it was, that also just made the happy ending all the more better and relieving. 🥲
January 30, 2023
I was not prepared for this!!!! I don't think I stopped crying between 60 and 88%!! So glad this became a full story because the characters were just so good
Lor and Jugs 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Really appreciated the 80s references and I feel like I understand the monster world so much better now too.
This was just amazing (a tad too long but still more than worthy of 5 stars). I liked how it was set only in the monster world and the mentions of the other monsters and Wyn's cameo just made the story world feel more rounded.
Literally can't complain about anything - except how much my eyes hurt from the crying! I think there's only two other books that have made me cry as hard as this, and they were Wrath by Ella James, and Head Above Water by CE Ricci.
I am SO excited to read Lyri and see where he and Cat have been!
Lor and Jugs 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Really appreciated the 80s references and I feel like I understand the monster world so much better now too.
This was just amazing (a tad too long but still more than worthy of 5 stars). I liked how it was set only in the monster world and the mentions of the other monsters and Wyn's cameo just made the story world feel more rounded.
Literally can't complain about anything - except how much my eyes hurt from the crying! I think there's only two other books that have made me cry as hard as this, and they were Wrath by Ella James, and Head Above Water by CE Ricci.
I am SO excited to read Lyri and see where he and Cat have been!
January 23, 2023
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.***
Lor is a masterpiece. It is a love story that is filled with so much heart, devotion, obsession, and adoration. Between the perfect worldbuilding and its two adorably sweet heroes, I could not put this story down. Lor and Jug's love story is one filled with devotion and curiosity. They look and sound different from one another, but once they interact you can easily tell how uniquely special they are to one another.
The relationship between Jugs and Lor is one that is so sincere, adorable, funny, and heartfelt. They both go on a journey after finding one another. A journey that includes heartbreak, sadness, and immense joy. This story answers many questions regarding how the monsters entered our world but also leaves many more questions.
Overall I enjoyed the characters and their relationships with each other. Lor is a ruler that is kind, considerate, and genuinely wants to help his people. Jugs is a young adult who is trying to find direction in his life, before literally stumbling into a world far different from his own. Together they grow and learn from one another while falling helplessly in love.
Lor is a love story that caught me completely by surprise at the depth of the feelings between Jugs and Lor. Their love story is beyond complicated, but their longing for one another never stops. At times their HEA appeared impossible, but I knew this author wouldn't leave our lovable heroes hanging.
Overall Lor is a fantastic entry to this series. This story has everything. A beautiful love story, with a great cast of characters, a wonderful expansion on established lore, and fun cameos. I cannot get enough of this series and the ending makes me so excited for the next one. That teaser was perfect!!!
Lor is a masterpiece. It is a love story that is filled with so much heart, devotion, obsession, and adoration. Between the perfect worldbuilding and its two adorably sweet heroes, I could not put this story down. Lor and Jug's love story is one filled with devotion and curiosity. They look and sound different from one another, but once they interact you can easily tell how uniquely special they are to one another.
The relationship between Jugs and Lor is one that is so sincere, adorable, funny, and heartfelt. They both go on a journey after finding one another. A journey that includes heartbreak, sadness, and immense joy. This story answers many questions regarding how the monsters entered our world but also leaves many more questions.
Overall I enjoyed the characters and their relationships with each other. Lor is a ruler that is kind, considerate, and genuinely wants to help his people. Jugs is a young adult who is trying to find direction in his life, before literally stumbling into a world far different from his own. Together they grow and learn from one another while falling helplessly in love.
Lor is a love story that caught me completely by surprise at the depth of the feelings between Jugs and Lor. Their love story is beyond complicated, but their longing for one another never stops. At times their HEA appeared impossible, but I knew this author wouldn't leave our lovable heroes hanging.
Overall Lor is a fantastic entry to this series. This story has everything. A beautiful love story, with a great cast of characters, a wonderful expansion on established lore, and fun cameos. I cannot get enough of this series and the ending makes me so excited for the next one. That teaser was perfect!!!
January 29, 2023
This book was really good! I really loved Lor and getting a book set in the monster world was really fun as well.
But this book was way too long for me. There is so much world building, back story, and info on monster politics it was just a lot. Easily could have had 200 pages trimmed down and been a five star book.
But this book was way too long for me. There is so much world building, back story, and info on monster politics it was just a lot. Easily could have had 200 pages trimmed down and been a five star book.
May 11, 2023
Lor was very different than the previous books which all follow a similar format. Monster meets human, they go on a little road trip, face danger, fall in love and the story is told from the human's POV. In Lor, we get alternating POV's (loved that) throughout and there is no road trip happening. The love story takes place inside of a room or two and then something happens that I was absolutely NOT expecting that nearly broke my heart. Anyhow, it's a little slow in points but I loved it anyway, Lor + Jugs were so sweet and devoted. I can't wait for Lyri's story.
November 10, 2024
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
Jugs was always gentle with me—well, until he was buried deep inside me. Then the pleasure got too much, and he fucked me so hard and fast that I could do nothing but take it.
2nd read review:
I finally got around to listening to the audiobook. I kept putting it off because I knew it was gonna hurt my feelings all over again, and I didn’t know if audio would make it worse or slightly better. I still don’t really know, lol. I love Lor and Jugs so much. It’s just a beautiful and moving love story.
A tear rolled down his flushed cheek as his mouth trembled. “I’m scared, Lor.”
___________________________________
This series has been my favorite series basically since I read Soul Eater, and it has been reconfirmed as such with every new book. There’s just something magical about the writing and world Lily Mayne has created.
I’m not gonna write as much as I usually do, but here’s a summary of my experience:
grinning - smiling - worried - crying - crying more - how am I still crying? - make it stop - I need fluids - smiling while crying - smiling - grinning end scene
I’m literally exhausted after reading this, but it was so flippin’ good. Lor is the sweetest character ever, and Jugs is definitely one of my favorite human characters in the Monstrous series. I can’t wait for the day Jugs interacts with Danny. Can y’all imagine?! It’s going to be absolutely glorious.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Historical (80s)
Monster romance
Size difference
Mullet
Short shorts and crop tops
Royalty
Tearjerker
Political themes
Slow burn
Virgin MC
Language barrier
Accidental universe-hopping
Virgin x2
Lots of piercings
Stranger Things with less horror and more cock
Thick thighs save lives
First times
Multiple orgasms
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Themes of oppression and prejudice
Death of parent (past)
Alcohol consumption
MC held captive
Feelings of grief
Explicit sexual content
Neglectful parents
Mention of SC being high
Themes of fascism
Themes of oppression of a race
Non-human genitalia
Severely ill MC
MC poisoned
Toxic masculinity (MC’s parent)
Medical professionals dismissing MC’s health issues
Murder of parent (past)
MC placed in induced coma
Grief and guilt
Mentions of gun violence (off page)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No, but
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Monster romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 21 and
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 619
Happy ending: Yes
Crouching over the creature’s body, he leaned down and tapped it on the spine. “Come on then, beast, do your worst.” “Gittovmee!” it screeched, frantically wriggling on the floor again. “Omigawd, omigawd, mgunadye.”
“Sow those wild oats, you know? Or, I mean, not so wild, if you’re in a committed relationship. Sow those committed oats, my man.”
“Oh wow,” he breathed, reaching up and brushing his fingers over the tiny hoops in my nipples, making my belly clench. “These are so hot.” They felt a normal temperature to me, but I stayed quiet as I glanced down to follow his gaze.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
Jugs was always gentle with me—well, until he was buried deep inside me. Then the pleasure got too much, and he fucked me so hard and fast that I could do nothing but take it.
2nd read review:
I finally got around to listening to the audiobook. I kept putting it off because I knew it was gonna hurt my feelings all over again, and I didn’t know if audio would make it worse or slightly better. I still don’t really know, lol. I love Lor and Jugs so much. It’s just a beautiful and moving love story.
A tear rolled down his flushed cheek as his mouth trembled. “I’m scared, Lor.”
___________________________________
This series has been my favorite series basically since I read Soul Eater, and it has been reconfirmed as such with every new book. There’s just something magical about the writing and world Lily Mayne has created.
I’m not gonna write as much as I usually do, but here’s a summary of my experience:
grinning - smiling - worried - crying - crying more - how am I still crying? - make it stop - I need fluids - smiling while crying - smiling - grinning end scene
I’m literally exhausted after reading this, but it was so flippin’ good. Lor is the sweetest character ever, and Jugs is definitely one of my favorite human characters in the Monstrous series. I can’t wait for the day Jugs interacts with Danny. Can y’all imagine?! It’s going to be absolutely glorious.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Historical (80s)
Monster romance
Size difference
Mullet
Short shorts and crop tops
Royalty
Tearjerker
Political themes
Slow burn
Virgin MC
Language barrier
Accidental universe-hopping
Virgin x2
Lots of piercings
Stranger Things with less horror and more cock
Thick thighs save lives
First times
Multiple orgasms
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Themes of oppression and prejudice
Death of parent (past)
Alcohol consumption
MC held captive
Feelings of grief
Explicit sexual content
Neglectful parents
Mention of SC being high
Themes of fascism
Themes of oppression of a race
Non-human genitalia
Severely ill MC
MC poisoned
Toxic masculinity (MC’s parent)
Medical professionals dismissing MC’s health issues
Murder of parent (past)
MC placed in induced coma
Grief and guilt
Mentions of gun violence (off page)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No, but
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Monster romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 21 and
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 619
Happy ending: Yes
Crouching over the creature’s body, he leaned down and tapped it on the spine. “Come on then, beast, do your worst.” “Gittovmee!” it screeched, frantically wriggling on the floor again. “Omigawd, omigawd, mgunadye.”
“Sow those wild oats, you know? Or, I mean, not so wild, if you’re in a committed relationship. Sow those committed oats, my man.”
“Oh wow,” he breathed, reaching up and brushing his fingers over the tiny hoops in my nipples, making my belly clench. “These are so hot.” They felt a normal temperature to me, but I stayed quiet as I glanced down to follow his gaze.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
May 22, 2024
5/5⭐ 4/5🌶️ 3/5😱 5/5😍 4/5🎧
This book left me with the world's biggest book series hangover. SEND HELP 💙
I LOVED this!
Lyoorrrr has my heart.
What an amazing (almost) finishing touch to the otherwise objective perfection of a book series!
I will be gushing, and not taking any (serious) criticism on this book, so this will be a generally raving review.
Let's get into it!
The story takes us to where it all started, a.k.a. the first rip in the fabric between our world and the world of 'monsters', happening somewhere in the 1980's. Jugs, an all-american cutie pie with a mullet wearing very short pink shorts and a crop top is a counselor at a summer camp, when during an evening of some light beer drinking he walks off for a pee, trips, falls and literally tumbles into ANOTHER WORLD!
Where does he fall to you ask? Why, into the 'palace' - hyll of Lor, the 'king' - Moric - of Thinir, a fiefdom in this other world / planet / parallel universe. Lor is a vint - species of being who are humanoid, smaller than people, with dark blue skin, big pointed ears, intricate long silver hair designs and piercings everywhere. He and his twin, Lyri, are at the moment in the guest room of the hyll, trying to figure out what in the hell this humming VOID is when Jugs flops through and scares the bejeezus out of everyone there. Lor speaks vint, Jugs speaks english. They don't understand each other, and everyone thinks each other a scary, ununderstood and threatening presence.
And so they meet, and the story takes off. Basically, this is the story of Jugs and Lor (oh my god are they amazing together!) but also the story of how the Monster Apocalypse on Earth / human plane of existence - started. I will list just some things here because i don't want to spoil anything! one note, you have to read this in order, because the end of this book will make so much more sense!
🧝♀️Lor and Jugs are absolute opposites but boy do they attract! this is somewhat instalusty but i don't care.
🧝♀️Monsters, again, are so much sweeter and nicer than humans! I mean, Lor is the sweetest most dear man, and he LOVES Jugs, oh my god, that just flows off the page and you can taste it.
🧝♀️Lor's ears twitch when he is embarrassed, emotional, and that is just 🥹
🧝♀️First times for everyone! They are both virgins, and the embark on the intimacy discovery journey together, as well as Jugs' exploration of Lor's anatomy, which is... different.
🧝♀️Lor doesn't understand the concept of homophobia. Like, he doesn't grasp why another person would care what gender is the object of your desire. 🥹
🧝♀️Jugs ALWAYS comes back to Lor, even if you think he never will - this is important, because there is a massive chuck of this book where the angst was piling on higher and higher and basically the only thing keeping me sane was the knowledge that this book has a HEA!
🧝♀️Lor is vain (by nature, all vints are, and not in the annoying privileged way humans can be, but in the cutest way) so he dresses up for Jugs and it's HOT.
🧝♀️The found family, not just with all the other couples of human / monster pairings who we have met in books 1 through 6, but the Vints. Oh my god they are the loveliest. Except for the Council. They can Fuck right the fuck off.
🧝♀️This is still Monster Erotica so there is A LOT of spice, but i would say it pales a little in comparison to the other books, and i'm not mad about it.
Basically what i'm saying is, run, don't walk to this series and finish it with Lor.
Audio is again done by Michael Lesley, and while i loved his Jugs and Lor, i am a little apprehensive about the haggy crackling voice of Lyri. Maybe it will grow on me?
Lyri is next and final, and i can't wait, and i know i'm going to cry like a baby when it's over.
All my Monstrous reviews:
Soul Eater - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Edin - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Rycke - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gloam - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Moth – ♾️⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐♾️
Seraph – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lor – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lyri - TBR
This book left me with the world's biggest book series hangover. SEND HELP 💙
I LOVED this!
Lyoorrrr has my heart.
What an amazing (almost) finishing touch to the otherwise objective perfection of a book series!
I will be gushing, and not taking any (serious) criticism on this book, so this will be a generally raving review.
Let's get into it!
The story takes us to where it all started, a.k.a. the first rip in the fabric between our world and the world of 'monsters', happening somewhere in the 1980's. Jugs, an all-american cutie pie with a mullet wearing very short pink shorts and a crop top is a counselor at a summer camp, when during an evening of some light beer drinking he walks off for a pee, trips, falls and literally tumbles into ANOTHER WORLD!
Where does he fall to you ask? Why, into the 'palace' - hyll of Lor, the 'king' - Moric - of Thinir, a fiefdom in this other world / planet / parallel universe. Lor is a vint - species of being who are humanoid, smaller than people, with dark blue skin, big pointed ears, intricate long silver hair designs and piercings everywhere. He and his twin, Lyri, are at the moment in the guest room of the hyll, trying to figure out what in the hell this humming VOID is when Jugs flops through and scares the bejeezus out of everyone there. Lor speaks vint, Jugs speaks english. They don't understand each other, and everyone thinks each other a scary, ununderstood and threatening presence.
And so they meet, and the story takes off. Basically, this is the story of Jugs and Lor (oh my god are they amazing together!) but also the story of how the Monster Apocalypse on Earth / human plane of existence - started. I will list just some things here because i don't want to spoil anything! one note, you have to read this in order, because the end of this book will make so much more sense!
🧝♀️Lor and Jugs are absolute opposites but boy do they attract! this is somewhat instalusty but i don't care.
🧝♀️Monsters, again, are so much sweeter and nicer than humans! I mean, Lor is the sweetest most dear man, and he LOVES Jugs, oh my god, that just flows off the page and you can taste it.
🧝♀️Lor's ears twitch when he is embarrassed, emotional, and that is just 🥹
🧝♀️First times for everyone! They are both virgins, and the embark on the intimacy discovery journey together, as well as Jugs' exploration of Lor's anatomy, which is... different.
🧝♀️Lor doesn't understand the concept of homophobia. Like, he doesn't grasp why another person would care what gender is the object of your desire. 🥹
🧝♀️Jugs ALWAYS comes back to Lor, even if you think he never will - this is important, because there is a massive chuck of this book where the angst was piling on higher and higher and basically the only thing keeping me sane was the knowledge that this book has a HEA!
🧝♀️Lor is vain (by nature, all vints are, and not in the annoying privileged way humans can be, but in the cutest way) so he dresses up for Jugs and it's HOT.
🧝♀️The found family, not just with all the other couples of human / monster pairings who we have met in books 1 through 6, but the Vints. Oh my god they are the loveliest. Except for the Council. They can Fuck right the fuck off.
🧝♀️This is still Monster Erotica so there is A LOT of spice, but i would say it pales a little in comparison to the other books, and i'm not mad about it.
Basically what i'm saying is, run, don't walk to this series and finish it with Lor.
Audio is again done by Michael Lesley, and while i loved his Jugs and Lor, i am a little apprehensive about the haggy crackling voice of Lyri. Maybe it will grow on me?
Lyri is next and final, and i can't wait, and i know i'm going to cry like a baby when it's over.
All my Monstrous reviews:
Soul Eater - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Edin - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Rycke - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gloam - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Moth – ♾️⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐♾️
Seraph – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lor – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lyri - TBR
January 4, 2024
“Ara, give me wisdom.
Hag, give me courage.
Mabs, please don’t let me die a terrible death at the hands of this mysterious otherwordly creature.”.
Llevo posponiendo esta reseña un tiempo; quería esperar para ver si superaba esta novela y poder hacerla en condiciones. Sin embargo, no ha sido el caso. Nada más hacerme el esquema ya estaba de nuevo emocionada y sentimental.
“I had finally found someone who made my chest flutter with sweeet breathless anticipation, and he was a mysterious being from anocher world”.
Esta autora, Lily Mayne la conocí de casualidad hace ya año y medio por su novela Soul Eater, una novela que me parecía bastante light y extravagante. Lo que no sabía es que la saga me iba a enganchar y gustarme tanto que me puse al día en menos de mes y medio. Además, que en esta novela se nota que ha mejorado como escritora y eso es otro plus para mí.
“I’ll be home soon, Lor”.
Esta séptima novela, sin embargo, salió en enero de 2023 y yo no quería leerlo hasta haber leído todos los relatos del resto de personajes antes de adentrarme a Lor. Buena y mala idea al mismo tiempo. Buena porque me ha encantado algunos de los relatos, mala porque mis expectativas con Lor subían cada vez más.
“Thank you for waiting for me”.
Cuando me armé de valor (sí porque la ansiedad de esta novela para mí era inmensa) y empecé a leerlo, la novela no me duró dos telediarios a pesar de cantidad de páginas: lloré, reí y me emocioné de mala manera, hasta el punto de acabar la novela de madrugada y maldecir a todo a mi alrededor porque necesitaba más y me estaba dando una resaca lectora de mil demonios.
“But you kept my heart safe in here”.
Ahora en cuanto a la novela me gustaría decir un par de cosas:
Los personajes han sido un amor, demasiado tiernos para no amarlos, sobre todo Lor y el amor hacia Jugs. Además, siento que están mucho mejor escritos que sus anteriores novelas, siento que tienen más de trasfondo.
“I’ve never been happier than when I’m with you, Lor”.
El argumento puede quedarse un poco suelto en algunas partes, sin embargo, la autora consigue engancharte como el resto de sus libros.
Por último, pero no por ellos menos importante, el final me ha dejado con muy buen sabor de boca y con ganas de más, sin embargo, lo bueno se hace esperar y lo único que puedo dejar ahora es una buena reseña para esta autora que ha hecho un buen trabajo.
“You’re perfect, Lor”.
Hag, give me courage.
Mabs, please don’t let me die a terrible death at the hands of this mysterious otherwordly creature.”.
Llevo posponiendo esta reseña un tiempo; quería esperar para ver si superaba esta novela y poder hacerla en condiciones. Sin embargo, no ha sido el caso. Nada más hacerme el esquema ya estaba de nuevo emocionada y sentimental.
“I had finally found someone who made my chest flutter with sweeet breathless anticipation, and he was a mysterious being from anocher world”.
Esta autora, Lily Mayne la conocí de casualidad hace ya año y medio por su novela Soul Eater, una novela que me parecía bastante light y extravagante. Lo que no sabía es que la saga me iba a enganchar y gustarme tanto que me puse al día en menos de mes y medio. Además, que en esta novela se nota que ha mejorado como escritora y eso es otro plus para mí.
“I’ll be home soon, Lor”.
Esta séptima novela, sin embargo, salió en enero de 2023 y yo no quería leerlo hasta haber leído todos los relatos del resto de personajes antes de adentrarme a Lor. Buena y mala idea al mismo tiempo. Buena porque me ha encantado algunos de los relatos, mala porque mis expectativas con Lor subían cada vez más.
“Thank you for waiting for me”.
Cuando me armé de valor (sí porque la ansiedad de esta novela para mí era inmensa) y empecé a leerlo, la novela no me duró dos telediarios a pesar de cantidad de páginas: lloré, reí y me emocioné de mala manera, hasta el punto de acabar la novela de madrugada y maldecir a todo a mi alrededor porque necesitaba más y me estaba dando una resaca lectora de mil demonios.
“But you kept my heart safe in here”.
Ahora en cuanto a la novela me gustaría decir un par de cosas:
Los personajes han sido un amor, demasiado tiernos para no amarlos, sobre todo Lor y el amor hacia Jugs. Además, siento que están mucho mejor escritos que sus anteriores novelas, siento que tienen más de trasfondo.
“I’ve never been happier than when I’m with you, Lor”.
El argumento puede quedarse un poco suelto en algunas partes, sin embargo, la autora consigue engancharte como el resto de sus libros.
Por último, pero no por ellos menos importante, el final me ha dejado con muy buen sabor de boca y con ganas de más, sin embargo, lo bueno se hace esperar y lo único que puedo dejar ahora es una buena reseña para esta autora que ha hecho un buen trabajo.
“You’re perfect, Lor”.
January 30, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
BR with my girl Cass
I’m actually pretty fucking pissed about this book.
The emotions that erupted in the final quarter gave you no choice but to love these guys. You were rooting for them and loving every steamy moment.
The highs were the biggest highs, unfortunately they were about as easy as finding a needle in a haystack.
There was a ton of world building, I know readers that love this but I’m not one of them. If that was the only issue, I’d could’ve overlooked it. But then it got yo be redundant, not only characters repeating what happened in the prior chapter but same characters repeating stuff over and over again.
Way too much unnecessary background information, like yeah give me pertinent information but do it and move on, don’t paint me a freaking mural.
For most of the book I found Lor and Jugs on the dull side, I wasn’t really rooting for them until the final quarter.
Lyri was a stand out, if anything this book built him and his book up. Especially with that ending. So, I’m still excited for the next one.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
BR with my girl Cass
I’m actually pretty fucking pissed about this book.
The emotions that erupted in the final quarter gave you no choice but to love these guys. You were rooting for them and loving every steamy moment.
The highs were the biggest highs, unfortunately they were about as easy as finding a needle in a haystack.
There was a ton of world building, I know readers that love this but I’m not one of them. If that was the only issue, I’d could’ve overlooked it. But then it got yo be redundant, not only characters repeating what happened in the prior chapter but same characters repeating stuff over and over again.
Way too much unnecessary background information, like yeah give me pertinent information but do it and move on, don’t paint me a freaking mural.
For most of the book I found Lor and Jugs on the dull side, I wasn’t really rooting for them until the final quarter.
Lyri was a stand out, if anything this book built him and his book up. Especially with that ending. So, I’m still excited for the next one.
April 2, 2024
First and most of all... THAT COVER! INSTA LOVE AND INSTA LUST!!!!🥵
Well, how to proceed now? And no doubt Goodreads should increase the number of stars we can give certain books to ♾️, because this one deserved it!
We are on book 7 and I just ask the Mabs never to end! With so many characters, so many details, new worlds, creatures, and landscapes, and always crafted so perfectly that it even hurts! Lily's mind should be studied because nothing, absolutely NOTHING was forgotten!
There are so many emotions in this book that it's tricky to describe without sounding like I'm wildly babbling like a fangirl (guilty) 😍
Lor and Jugs (FYI, Juggs has an entirely different meaning 👀) are the most perfect cinnamon rolls Lily has ever written. Extra bonus points for this book Lor because we learn the timeline of the opening of tears, until the end of Seraph, which gave even more depth to this whole series.
The story and emotions Step by step:
• The impact of the 1st encounter and Lor choosing to release Jugs because it was wrong to have someone who did nothing be locked up, just because it was different 🫶
• Jugs chose to go back to see the Lor he couldn't stop thinking about.🫠
• Jugs moved to another city to be closer to Lor…It's too much for my heart.🥲
• They learn to communicate with each other.🥹
• The love-filled, eye-lashing friendship they develop😍
• The kissing💋
• The walkman with cassettes 📼
• Pistachio ice cream and other treasures 🍨🥤🍪
• Overload of lust and desire 🔮🔥❤️🔥🧨🥵🌶️💣🌋💦🎇🎆
• Secret passages 🚪🗝️
• Adorn yourself with sparkling chains 📿💍👑
• Poisoning ;(🫗
• The culprits and betrayal of the council... 👿
• Jugs saying goodbye to everything and everyone… and specilly Lor,It broke my heart….💔❤️🩹
��� Coma induction😴
• The changes to Thinir and new friendships with the Saliks 🏅🎖️
• 10 years and the suffering of Lor…painfull... 😢😩😑
• The cure… almost there?! and more amazing characters...🥺
• Lor is finally the Moric he always imagined himself to be… He transforms her city and makes it fair and honest! 💙
• Opening of tears across the world and passing of monsters to the side of humans 🕳️
• Guest room tear closure by the humans
• Lyri goes in search of answers and to receive a space for humans who seek refuge in the world of monsters.⚔️
• 20 years and Lyri's absence (poor Lor is empty and alone, just like us when reading)😢😩😑😢😩😑
• 30 years… seriously Lily? 30 years???? For Mabs sake! 😢😩😑😢😩😑😢😩😑😢😩😑😢😩😑
• Fuckin Finally, Lilimar gets the cure with the help of Seis (total tenderness)💙💕💞💓💗💖💘💝
• "Missed you so much"… They couldn't stop touching and kissing… And of course Jugs, Of course Lor waits for you, you are his person forever!♾️☺️
• The shock, as well as the much-needed catharsis 😭😭😭
• The most incredible cameo I've ever read. Wyn is the best thing Lily has ever created! When Seis pulled out that notebook and read it, it definitely made me like our old emo Telyth even more.🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
• 1 year later, almost total perfection… but not complete because we are without Lyri 💙⚔️
• The most epic ending EVER 😱😱😱😱🤯🤯🤯🤯
• The return of Lyri and Cat (ahhhhhhhahahahahaha Seraph’s scream) and some couples of humans and their monsters (oh yeah, the fucking trip is finally here!!!!!!!) 🥳🎉🪩🎊
These two deserve the 2 worlds for everything they've been through and survived! 💙💖
I received this book from author Lily Mayne and this is my honest opinion 🖤
Well, how to proceed now? And no doubt Goodreads should increase the number of stars we can give certain books to ♾️, because this one deserved it!
We are on book 7 and I just ask the Mabs never to end! With so many characters, so many details, new worlds, creatures, and landscapes, and always crafted so perfectly that it even hurts! Lily's mind should be studied because nothing, absolutely NOTHING was forgotten!
There are so many emotions in this book that it's tricky to describe without sounding like I'm wildly babbling like a fangirl (guilty) 😍
Lor and Jugs (FYI, Juggs has an entirely different meaning 👀) are the most perfect cinnamon rolls Lily has ever written. Extra bonus points for this book Lor because we learn the timeline of the opening of tears, until the end of Seraph, which gave even more depth to this whole series.
The story and emotions Step by step:
• The impact of the 1st encounter and Lor choosing to release Jugs because it was wrong to have someone who did nothing be locked up, just because it was different 🫶
• Jugs chose to go back to see the Lor he couldn't stop thinking about.🫠
• Jugs moved to another city to be closer to Lor…It's too much for my heart.🥲
• They learn to communicate with each other.🥹
• The love-filled, eye-lashing friendship they develop😍
• The kissing💋
• The walkman with cassettes 📼
• Pistachio ice cream and other treasures 🍨🥤🍪
• Overload of lust and desire 🔮🔥❤️🔥🧨🥵🌶️💣🌋💦🎇🎆
• Secret passages 🚪🗝️
• Adorn yourself with sparkling chains 📿💍👑
• Poisoning ;(🫗
• The culprits and betrayal of the council... 👿
• Jugs saying goodbye to everything and everyone… and specilly Lor,It broke my heart….💔❤️🩹
��� Coma induction😴
• The changes to Thinir and new friendships with the Saliks 🏅🎖️
• 10 years and the suffering of Lor…painfull... 😢😩😑
• The cure… almost there?! and more amazing characters...🥺
• Lor is finally the Moric he always imagined himself to be… He transforms her city and makes it fair and honest! 💙
• Opening of tears across the world and passing of monsters to the side of humans 🕳️
• Guest room tear closure by the humans
• Lyri goes in search of answers and to receive a space for humans who seek refuge in the world of monsters.⚔️
• 20 years and Lyri's absence (poor Lor is empty and alone, just like us when reading)😢😩😑😢😩😑
• 30 years… seriously Lily? 30 years???? For Mabs sake! 😢😩😑😢😩😑😢😩😑😢😩😑😢😩😑
• Fuckin Finally, Lilimar gets the cure with the help of Seis (total tenderness)💙💕💞💓💗💖💘💝
• "Missed you so much"… They couldn't stop touching and kissing… And of course Jugs, Of course Lor waits for you, you are his person forever!♾️☺️
• The shock, as well as the much-needed catharsis 😭😭😭
• The most incredible cameo I've ever read. Wyn is the best thing Lily has ever created! When Seis pulled out that notebook and read it, it definitely made me like our old emo Telyth even more.🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
• 1 year later, almost total perfection… but not complete because we are without Lyri 💙⚔️
• The most epic ending EVER 😱😱😱😱🤯🤯🤯🤯
• The return of Lyri and Cat (ahhhhhhhahahahahaha Seraph’s scream) and some couples of humans and their monsters (oh yeah, the fucking trip is finally here!!!!!!!) 🥳🎉🪩🎊
These two deserve the 2 worlds for everything they've been through and survived! 💙💖
I received this book from author Lily Mayne and this is my honest opinion 🖤
June 6, 2024
The next person who tries to high-five me better bring a fuckin' mop because I will instantly liquefy into a puddle of tears.
Alright Lily, time to spill the beans. What fucking deal-with-the-devil did you make in order to wield the power to make me go from feeling the deepest, most agonizing pain to the most incandescent joy imaginable in the span of pages? Cause, as pre-nami weed Lor would say, Hoh-lee sheet.
JUST WHEN I THOUGHT no Monstrous character could get any more adorable, we get the literal two cutest motherfuckers I have ever seen in my thirty years (*sobs* iykyk) of life. I'd have to run a more formal study but I'd hypothesize that every time one of them so much as smiles, somewhere in the world (or otherworld) a puppy wags its tail for the first time.
The very thought of Lor & Jugs meeting our OG sunshine-cinnamon-roll-baby-boy Danny fills me with so much happiness, I'm pretty sure I could poop rainbows and butterflies if I tried hard enough.
With the way this book ended, I very much anticipate the need for a grippy sock vacation after Lyri's book comes out because I will be in hysterics.
Alright Lily, time to spill the beans. What fucking deal-with-the-devil did you make in order to wield the power to make me go from feeling the deepest, most agonizing pain to the most incandescent joy imaginable in the span of pages? Cause, as pre-nami weed Lor would say, Hoh-lee sheet.
JUST WHEN I THOUGHT no Monstrous character could get any more adorable, we get the literal two cutest motherfuckers I have ever seen in my thirty years (*sobs* iykyk) of life. I'd have to run a more formal study but I'd hypothesize that every time one of them so much as smiles, somewhere in the world (or otherworld) a puppy wags its tail for the first time.
The very thought of Lor & Jugs meeting our OG sunshine-cinnamon-roll-baby-boy Danny fills me with so much happiness, I'm pretty sure I could poop rainbows and butterflies if I tried hard enough.
With the way this book ended, I very much anticipate the need for a grippy sock vacation after Lyri's book comes out because I will be in hysterics.
January 26, 2023
"I didn’t think it was chance. I thought we were always meant to meet, despite being different species and living in different worlds. I thought… I thought something had brought us together. And I wasn’t going to let him go."
(Note: Lor is not a standalone and you should read the previous books in the series to fully appreciate Lily's work.)
Lily Mayne, you've done it again! Lor is book 7 in Lily's fantastic Monstrous series, and this sees us taking a detour from camp life and the couples that we know and love (although we DO get cameo visits including from someone we have heard LOTS about, late in the book) to visit a distant part of the monstrous world beyond the tear, Thinir, where Lor is the young Moric (the ruler of the fiefdom) and Lyri is his twin brother and Verin (the General of his armies), and where all is not what it seems.
Firstly, Lor's council seems to have way too much control since Lor and Lyri's mother (and previous Moric) died, not to mention the strange rumblings and rumours coming from the area where the Salyik live, of poor treatment and discrimination.
And then there's the very strange matter of the piece of 'black dust' that had appeared in a guest bed chamber, which seemed to act like a vacuum and was growing steadily bigger each day, until over time it had become a tear between the dimensions of the worlds.
Not to mention that one day, a wholly strange looking being fell through the tear, from 'somewhere other' and turned Lor's entire world upside down...
This is an epic love story, set across 30 years, between Lor and his human Michael 'Jugs' Pyne. It is a beautifully written, nuanced, angsty, upbeat, soul-crushing, steamy, delightful story, which links the previous 6 books with the time before the tear, before the monsters came through to the human world.
Be prepared to experience the full gamut of emotions until you finally reach the hard won HEA.
Ughhhh, I loved it!
All the stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(Note: Lor is not a standalone and you should read the previous books in the series to fully appreciate Lily's work.)
Lily Mayne, you've done it again! Lor is book 7 in Lily's fantastic Monstrous series, and this sees us taking a detour from camp life and the couples that we know and love (although we DO get cameo visits including from someone we have heard LOTS about, late in the book) to visit a distant part of the monstrous world beyond the tear, Thinir, where Lor is the young Moric (the ruler of the fiefdom) and Lyri is his twin brother and Verin (the General of his armies), and where all is not what it seems.
Firstly, Lor's council seems to have way too much control since Lor and Lyri's mother (and previous Moric) died, not to mention the strange rumblings and rumours coming from the area where the Salyik live, of poor treatment and discrimination.
And then there's the very strange matter of the piece of 'black dust' that had appeared in a guest bed chamber, which seemed to act like a vacuum and was growing steadily bigger each day, until over time it had become a tear between the dimensions of the worlds.
Not to mention that one day, a wholly strange looking being fell through the tear, from 'somewhere other' and turned Lor's entire world upside down...
This is an epic love story, set across 30 years, between Lor and his human Michael 'Jugs' Pyne. It is a beautifully written, nuanced, angsty, upbeat, soul-crushing, steamy, delightful story, which links the previous 6 books with the time before the tear, before the monsters came through to the human world.
Be prepared to experience the full gamut of emotions until you finally reach the hard won HEA.
Ughhhh, I loved it!
All the stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
April 28, 2023
I knew I would like this book from the moment I read the Goodreads summary and oh my Lor’d (I’m sorry, I had to), this and Moth have to be my favorite books in the Monstrous series - I absolutely lovedddd it and have re-read it a few times now.
I usually love characters that are opposites (i.e., Charlie/Moth, Danny/Wyn) but Lor and Jugs’ innocent, earnest, and kind personalities were so sweet and heartbreaking. Even though I knew this had a HEA, I sometimes wondered how it was going to work out - this reading experience was truly such a ride. I cried during the last 35-40% and I even had to put the book down a few times because I was getting so emotional. I adored Lor, I just wanted to hug him for the majority of the book.
There are so many things I loved about the book, but here are a few (warning: spoilers ahead) :
- Lor and Jugs trying to understand each other in the beginning; I took for granted that some monsters speak a different language than humans
- Their high-fives
- Their secret meet ups and sharing snacks from their worlds
- Lor’s ear twitches
- Lor’s unconditional love for Jugs and the fact that he would do absolutely anything and everything for him
- Depiction of grief during Jugs’ deep sleep period and how Lor wasn’t sure how to live his life because he felt stuck (he was holding out hope for a cure but also trying to be a ruler and move on as best he could); and despite everything, all his actions were with Jugs in mind
- Aside from his royal title, Lor felt relatable and almost human-like in many ways - he didn’t have exceptional supernatural abilities which was refreshing
- The incredible support system that Lor had - Seis, Gryf, Lilimar (who is the ultimate MVP), and of course Lyri would do anything for him (i.e., going on impossible missions like to the Crepis Flats??)
This will definitely continue to be a re-read for me and I’m excited to see more of Lor and Jugs in Lyri’s book!
I usually love characters that are opposites (i.e., Charlie/Moth, Danny/Wyn) but Lor and Jugs’ innocent, earnest, and kind personalities were so sweet and heartbreaking. Even though I knew this had a HEA, I sometimes wondered how it was going to work out - this reading experience was truly such a ride. I cried during the last 35-40% and I even had to put the book down a few times because I was getting so emotional. I adored Lor, I just wanted to hug him for the majority of the book.
There are so many things I loved about the book, but here are a few (warning: spoilers ahead) :
- Lor and Jugs trying to understand each other in the beginning; I took for granted that some monsters speak a different language than humans
- Their high-fives
- Their secret meet ups and sharing snacks from their worlds
- Lor’s ear twitches
- Lor’s unconditional love for Jugs and the fact that he would do absolutely anything and everything for him
- Depiction of grief during Jugs’ deep sleep period and how Lor wasn’t sure how to live his life because he felt stuck (he was holding out hope for a cure but also trying to be a ruler and move on as best he could); and despite everything, all his actions were with Jugs in mind
- Aside from his royal title, Lor felt relatable and almost human-like in many ways - he didn’t have exceptional supernatural abilities which was refreshing
- The incredible support system that Lor had - Seis, Gryf, Lilimar (who is the ultimate MVP), and of course Lyri would do anything for him (i.e., going on impossible missions like to the Crepis Flats??)
This will definitely continue to be a re-read for me and I’m excited to see more of Lor and Jugs in Lyri’s book!
January 26, 2023
I read this about a week ago and had to taken some time to digest it before I could come back and write a review. While this isn't my favorite in the series (I find I'm very, very loyal to first books) I found this to definitely be the most emotional book of the series. I struggled at first with the flip back 25ish years to the 80s, but once the initial shock wore off I found that I really loved learning about the monster world from the "monster's" POV (which is rare in Lily books).
This is the story of two sweeties with tragic pasts who find each other and build the most loving, accepting relationship with one another. I don't want to really spoil anything, so I won't get into too deep of detail here, but truly this book was heart-warming at times and then heart-wrenching at others. Less monstrous, compared to the previous book, Seraph, but no less beautiful of a tale.
This is the story of two sweeties with tragic pasts who find each other and build the most loving, accepting relationship with one another. I don't want to really spoil anything, so I won't get into too deep of detail here, but truly this book was heart-warming at times and then heart-wrenching at others. Less monstrous, compared to the previous book, Seraph, but no less beautiful of a tale.
April 15, 2023
If I know, one thing is that Lily Mayne never misses. She really knows how to make you fall in love with these new characters. This book turned me into an absolute wreck, I couldn’t even read because I was crying so much .
But it’s all worth it in the end 💕 can’t wait for Lyri in December!
But it’s all worth it in the end 💕 can’t wait for Lyri in December!
April 4, 2024
i am both broken and whole, i’m not a crier but when i tell you i SOBBED so hard i couldn’t see the words through my tears. anyway, read it.
January 13, 2023
The final left me wanting to eat alive the next volume, but it's not a cliffhanger.
This new book is an essential and beautiful prequel for the saga where you discover the story of Lor, previously mentionned in the novella Wyn as the Moric of the monster country. Welcome to the 80s and embark for a long long melancolic and sweet journey in the monster world.
Without bad jokes, there is a lot of lore, and it's amazing.
I loved learning how monsters people discovered and lived the tearings in the sky, you get to know the world before the actual monster invasion and it gives a fresh views on the events and monsters of the previous books.
Once again, Lily manages to unleash her story beautifuly and with skills. I love how the 80s was rendered with the works on the lights, colors and language without us actually going there. I thought Seraph was the cutest book of the saga but this one is even more! Lor and Jugs are the sweetest pair ever, i love them so much, they are so soft and lovely. I loved Lyri too, it's such a joy to think the next volume will be dedicated to him, a strong and adventurous character.
The pace of the next book will probably be very different. In here we take the time, at a slow pace, to discover. And that pace married beautifully with how youthfull and innocent those new characters were. I loved learning with Lor how to be a Moric, that he was so vulnerable but also so strong. It was really refreshing. Lor makes me think of Danny, in a way that he kinda cannot be "tainted" and bad even tho he went throught so much hardships. Jugs is a shinny product of his time and he's amazing with his mullet, crop top and good nature. I loved learning all about the traditions of the vint and discovering new monsters. And I wanna say i personnally love low angst relationships the most and i'm spoiled everytime in that part with these books. But talking about angst, mama, take your tissus with you guys because it will broke your heart then put it back together again, and it's all worth it to the HEA.
AND YOU GET CAMEOS GUYS. It made everything better after crying so much.
That book was very melancolic and joyfull to me, very pure in what it transmitted.
It was less about action than the previous ones, but more about character build and grow.
If you love low angst relationships, moderate angst plot but HEA, sweet and magical love and a refreshing wind on the saga, you'll love Lor, and i think it's an amazing introduction to the next events too.
ARC provided in exchange of an honest opinion.
This new book is an essential and beautiful prequel for the saga where you discover the story of Lor, previously mentionned in the novella Wyn as the Moric of the monster country. Welcome to the 80s and embark for a long long melancolic and sweet journey in the monster world.
Without bad jokes, there is a lot of lore, and it's amazing.
I loved learning how monsters people discovered and lived the tearings in the sky, you get to know the world before the actual monster invasion and it gives a fresh views on the events and monsters of the previous books.
Once again, Lily manages to unleash her story beautifuly and with skills. I love how the 80s was rendered with the works on the lights, colors and language without us actually going there. I thought Seraph was the cutest book of the saga but this one is even more! Lor and Jugs are the sweetest pair ever, i love them so much, they are so soft and lovely. I loved Lyri too, it's such a joy to think the next volume will be dedicated to him, a strong and adventurous character.
The pace of the next book will probably be very different. In here we take the time, at a slow pace, to discover. And that pace married beautifully with how youthfull and innocent those new characters were. I loved learning with Lor how to be a Moric, that he was so vulnerable but also so strong. It was really refreshing. Lor makes me think of Danny, in a way that he kinda cannot be "tainted" and bad even tho he went throught so much hardships. Jugs is a shinny product of his time and he's amazing with his mullet, crop top and good nature. I loved learning all about the traditions of the vint and discovering new monsters. And I wanna say i personnally love low angst relationships the most and i'm spoiled everytime in that part with these books. But talking about angst, mama, take your tissus with you guys because it will broke your heart then put it back together again, and it's all worth it to the HEA.
AND YOU GET CAMEOS GUYS. It made everything better after crying so much.
That book was very melancolic and joyfull to me, very pure in what it transmitted.
It was less about action than the previous ones, but more about character build and grow.
If you love low angst relationships, moderate angst plot but HEA, sweet and magical love and a refreshing wind on the saga, you'll love Lor, and i think it's an amazing introduction to the next events too.
ARC provided in exchange of an honest opinion.
April 13, 2023
Look away if you love this book. I review honestly.
DNF; TOD 8%
Rating: 1 star.
In brief: Ridiculous. The author started to go really off track with book 6, this one took the series right off the cliff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review:
Are you kidding me?? There is no way I can go on for 619 PAGES of this.
I am SO. BORED.
And, this has one of my pet peeves - crazy made up random words for things that make no sense. Since we know basically nothing about this world, there is no context for anything, so all these words for our everyday items - bread, drinks, etc - are of course foreign... but they have the distinct stench of randomness to them that I just can't shake. There's a reason writers who fully invent a language for their characters to use stand out... and it's very noticeable to me when that is NOT the case.
But ok ok I guess I could overlook that - IF the characters were interesting.
I'm sorry, they're not. Lor is ... fine. But I need WAY more than fine.
I decided to DNF just after we met Jugs. He seems like a cutie. But... my impression is that he's young and a little whiny and I just... I'm sorry I'm NOT INTERESTED. I love characters like Hunter, or Danny if they're going to be a little softer and sweeter...
So I'm just... I'm out. This is now the second Lily Mayne book I've DNF'd now (though I did pick Seraph back up and force myself to slog to the end).
At best this should have been a spinoff series. Going back 30 years does not continue a story arc. And yes I know that this jumps ahead some at some point (I quickly skimmed some reviews to see if I could get a rough idea of what was coming in an attempt to be able to get something out of this...) but I cannot handle waiting til 60% for something to happen.
What I want as someone who has read every book in this series: to know more about the world where Gloam came from, more about the role of the military with the collectors, more about the two characters who Wyn and Danny went to visit for their in Wyn.
Since it looks like book 8 seems like it's more about this timeline/part of this world... I'm probably not going to bother.
IDK I'm just annoyed and disappointed. Gloam and Edin were SO GOOD that my expectations are very high for this author and I hold her to a high standard. I just expect more 🤷🏼♀️.
My experience with the series so far:
Book 1: Soul Eater (Wyn & Danny) 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book 2: Edin (Edin & Hunter) 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book 3: The Rycke (Aury & Gage) 🌟🌟🌟
Book 3.5: Wyn(Wyn & Danny) 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book 4: Gloam (Gloam & Adam) 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book 5: Moth (Moth & Charlie) 🌟🌟🌟
Book 6: Seraph (Seraph & Lilac) 🌟 // Almost DNF // series wrecker
Book 7: Lor (Lor & Jugs) 🌟 // DNF; final nail in the coffin of the series
Book 8: Lyri (Cat & Lyri) Upcoming - won't bother with it
DNF; TOD 8%
Rating: 1 star.
In brief: Ridiculous. The author started to go really off track with book 6, this one took the series right off the cliff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review:
Are you kidding me?? There is no way I can go on for 619 PAGES of this.
I am SO. BORED.
And, this has one of my pet peeves - crazy made up random words for things that make no sense. Since we know basically nothing about this world, there is no context for anything, so all these words for our everyday items - bread, drinks, etc - are of course foreign... but they have the distinct stench of randomness to them that I just can't shake. There's a reason writers who fully invent a language for their characters to use stand out... and it's very noticeable to me when that is NOT the case.
But ok ok I guess I could overlook that - IF the characters were interesting.
I'm sorry, they're not. Lor is ... fine. But I need WAY more than fine.
I decided to DNF just after we met Jugs. He seems like a cutie. But... my impression is that he's young and a little whiny and I just... I'm sorry I'm NOT INTERESTED. I love characters like Hunter, or Danny if they're going to be a little softer and sweeter...
So I'm just... I'm out. This is now the second Lily Mayne book I've DNF'd now (though I did pick Seraph back up and force myself to slog to the end).
At best this should have been a spinoff series. Going back 30 years does not continue a story arc. And yes I know that this jumps ahead some at some point (I quickly skimmed some reviews to see if I could get a rough idea of what was coming in an attempt to be able to get something out of this...) but I cannot handle waiting til 60% for something to happen.
What I want as someone who has read every book in this series: to know more about the world where Gloam came from, more about the role of the military with the collectors, more about the two characters who Wyn and Danny went to visit for their in Wyn.
Since it looks like book 8 seems like it's more about this timeline/part of this world... I'm probably not going to bother.
IDK I'm just annoyed and disappointed. Gloam and Edin were SO GOOD that my expectations are very high for this author and I hold her to a high standard. I just expect more 🤷🏼♀️.
My experience with the series so far:
Book 1: Soul Eater (Wyn & Danny) 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book 2: Edin (Edin & Hunter) 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book 3: The Rycke (Aury & Gage) 🌟🌟🌟
Book 3.5: Wyn(Wyn & Danny) 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book 4: Gloam (Gloam & Adam) 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book 5: Moth (Moth & Charlie) 🌟🌟🌟
Book 6: Seraph (Seraph & Lilac) 🌟 // Almost DNF // series wrecker
Book 7: Lor (Lor & Jugs) 🌟 // DNF; final nail in the coffin of the series
Book 8: Lyri (Cat & Lyri) Upcoming - won't bother with it
January 20, 2023
Diverse and amazing series
If you haven’t read the previous books yet, and somehow don’t want to start with the first book, so far this is the only book you can read without the others!
I’m amazed by how Lily Mayne’s every book in this series can be so different. Lor is more like fantasy, than the previous books, which are post apocalyptic. And it went from cute and sweet to utterly gripping, intense and sad.
There is no other author who can write the beginning of the romantic relationship as
gentle, tentative and affectionate as Lily, then turn the story around the biggest suffering and hopelessness.
⁃ Part of a series but can read as standalone!
⁃ Fantasy setting
⁃ Rich word building
⁃ Diverse characters
⁃ Set in the ‘80s AND a different world
⁃ High heat
⁃ Virgin characters
⁃ Cute and sweet marshmallow MCs
⁃ Tender love
⁃ Different cultures
⁃ Time lapses and character development
⁃ Couldn’t put it down
⁃ Best HEA
⁃ Why is it ended I wanted more
“I asked Lilimar to pierce my lip. To show the world that there was one person—a single person out there—who was mine, who I would never speak ill of, who would be the only one to ever feel the touch of my mouth.”
And of course our favourites are make their appearance:)
““What in Ara’s name is a human doing here?” Lor croaked. “And with the telyth?””
I can’t recommend this series enough, my absolute favourite in every aspect and I’m so thankful for the artists who make the characters come alive for us!
I received Lor’s ARC by the Author and this is my honest review.
If you haven’t read the previous books yet, and somehow don’t want to start with the first book, so far this is the only book you can read without the others!
I’m amazed by how Lily Mayne’s every book in this series can be so different. Lor is more like fantasy, than the previous books, which are post apocalyptic. And it went from cute and sweet to utterly gripping, intense and sad.
There is no other author who can write the beginning of the romantic relationship as
gentle, tentative and affectionate as Lily, then turn the story around the biggest suffering and hopelessness.
⁃ Part of a series but can read as standalone!
⁃ Fantasy setting
⁃ Rich word building
⁃ Diverse characters
⁃ Set in the ‘80s AND a different world
⁃ High heat
⁃ Virgin characters
⁃ Cute and sweet marshmallow MCs
⁃ Tender love
⁃ Different cultures
⁃ Time lapses and character development
⁃ Couldn’t put it down
⁃ Best HEA
⁃ Why is it ended I wanted more
“I asked Lilimar to pierce my lip. To show the world that there was one person—a single person out there—who was mine, who I would never speak ill of, who would be the only one to ever feel the touch of my mouth.”
And of course our favourites are make their appearance:)
““What in Ara’s name is a human doing here?” Lor croaked. “And with the telyth?””
I can’t recommend this series enough, my absolute favourite in every aspect and I’m so thankful for the artists who make the characters come alive for us!
I received Lor’s ARC by the Author and this is my honest review.
September 2, 2023
So I finished this book a few days ago. I wanted to let it settle a bit and get my thoughts together because I loved it so much! I love this whole series, it's just so good! A few notes I made while reading on things I really enjoyed were: 1. The timeline the story was being told in. I thought it was kool it started in the 80s ten years prior to the monster invasion in the mortal world until the present time. 2. How cute Lor and Jugs were when first meeting trying/ learning to communicate. 3. I liked the progression of Lor and Jug's friendship to relationship, it was all the feels!! Speaking of feels, this book got really sad for a time. I really felt Lor's pain and longing as well as desperation and hopelessness. The ending was everything, I finally felt at peace after all that trauma lol It really sets up the next book in an awesome way. Can't wait for it! I definitely recommend this book and series, it's amazing!
January 29, 2023
While I love this world and this series, this book wasn’t for me. The tone and plot arc differ greatly from the rest of the series and neither the plot nor the characters felt as fleshed out.
It’s unfortunate, because there’s a lot potential in this book, and I wanted to love it!
The premise of the book is that Lor, a vint from the monster world who was orphaned and thus crowned Moric (or king) quite young, meets Jugs, a cute camp counsellor with 1980s himbo vibes, who accidentally fell through a tear in the worlds on his way through the forest.
Unlike the rest of the books in this series, this one is set in the monster world instead of the human world, which gives Lor (the book) a different vibe than the books set in the human world. However, the characters are bound to a few rooms in a palace for most of the book, which makes the draw of a book set in the monster world less appealing.
**Mild spoilers ahead**
For a 600+ page book, there isn’t much character development. Poor Jugs plays Sleeping Beauty for a good chunk of the book, which makes him feel a bit more like a plot device than a full character. Lor gets to evolve a bit, but his development is minimal and narrated more than shown throughout the years. Of all the characters, Lor’s brother, Lyri, was the most interesting. He seemed to have some fire within in him and not always do what was expected of him.
The political intrigue was also simplistic for a book of this length. For a series where a camp of thirty people has complex politics to have such simple politics in a fiefdom was disappointing. I love fantasy novels with political plots. What makes a political plot interesting is the tension of not knowing who is involved, how the suspected parties will be drawn out, and how the hero will confront and vanquish the suspect. However, this book had corrupt politicians who were replaced early, and then things slowly got better. This may be how the world works, but it doesn’t make for a compelling narrative.
While this book provides backstory and context for the rest of the series, I don’t believe that background will be necessary for my enjoyment going forward.
With all of that said, I’m excited for Lor’s brother Lyri’s book. I’m hopeful that Cat and Lyri will have an interesting story.
It’s unfortunate, because there’s a lot potential in this book, and I wanted to love it!
The premise of the book is that Lor, a vint from the monster world who was orphaned and thus crowned Moric (or king) quite young, meets Jugs, a cute camp counsellor with 1980s himbo vibes, who accidentally fell through a tear in the worlds on his way through the forest.
Unlike the rest of the books in this series, this one is set in the monster world instead of the human world, which gives Lor (the book) a different vibe than the books set in the human world. However, the characters are bound to a few rooms in a palace for most of the book, which makes the draw of a book set in the monster world less appealing.
**Mild spoilers ahead**
For a 600+ page book, there isn’t much character development. Poor Jugs plays Sleeping Beauty for a good chunk of the book, which makes him feel a bit more like a plot device than a full character. Lor gets to evolve a bit, but his development is minimal and narrated more than shown throughout the years. Of all the characters, Lor’s brother, Lyri, was the most interesting. He seemed to have some fire within in him and not always do what was expected of him.
The political intrigue was also simplistic for a book of this length. For a series where a camp of thirty people has complex politics to have such simple politics in a fiefdom was disappointing. I love fantasy novels with political plots. What makes a political plot interesting is the tension of not knowing who is involved, how the suspected parties will be drawn out, and how the hero will confront and vanquish the suspect. However, this book had corrupt politicians who were replaced early, and then things slowly got better. This may be how the world works, but it doesn’t make for a compelling narrative.
While this book provides backstory and context for the rest of the series, I don’t believe that background will be necessary for my enjoyment going forward.
With all of that said, I’m excited for Lor’s brother Lyri’s book. I’m hopeful that Cat and Lyri will have an interesting story.
Want to read
September 9, 2022release this now, please 👀
October 7, 2023
I feel like this book beat me up and then kissed me better
March 13, 2024
MM Romance
Pre Apocalypse
Monster/Human
Emotional as Hell
Spicy
This one took me a minute to digest. The journey this book takes you on is an emotional one for sure. One that broke my heart and put it back together, but it took its sweet ass time doing it!
In this book we travel back in time to the story of Lor and Jugs, who experience what we can only assume is one of the first tears between the two worlds. What follows is a beautiful love story and 600 pages of angst, steam, sweet love and just about any other emotion you can imagine. There’s not much I can say without spoiling, and I really feel going in blind, not knowing what’s happening is best. I wasn’t sure I’d make it though but I did 😂
This is definitely my favorite series ever. I’ve never had the urge to reread a series but I have no doubt I will this one.
Pre Apocalypse
Monster/Human
Emotional as Hell
Spicy
This one took me a minute to digest. The journey this book takes you on is an emotional one for sure. One that broke my heart and put it back together, but it took its sweet ass time doing it!
In this book we travel back in time to the story of Lor and Jugs, who experience what we can only assume is one of the first tears between the two worlds. What follows is a beautiful love story and 600 pages of angst, steam, sweet love and just about any other emotion you can imagine. There’s not much I can say without spoiling, and I really feel going in blind, not knowing what’s happening is best. I wasn’t sure I’d make it though but I did 😂
This is definitely my favorite series ever. I’ve never had the urge to reread a series but I have no doubt I will this one.
November 2, 2024
4.8/5 ⭐️s - You guys are probably tired of me raving about this series, but honestly, every book in Monstrous is so, so good—and Lor is no exception!
The author + the series as a whole:
Almost caught up with the series (just one novella to go!), I feel it’s only right to talk about the author, Lily, because she's genuinely brilliant, and her brain should probably be studied. This woman has me completely hooked—if I’ve got £20 left in my bank account, you better believe I’m spending every last penny on her books.
Now, according to Lily, each book in the Monstrous series can be read as a standalone, but personally, I don’t think it works that way (except for Lor, which is set in a whole different world and timeline). This series is the perfect butterfly effect in action, and it’s incredible to read. Like, if Wyn hadn’t met Danny and set all those captured monsters free, the Nebraska base would still be up and running, which means Hunter wouldn’t run into Edin, Charlie wouldn’t get kidnapped and meet Cat, so there’d be no rescue mission with Moth, and Aury would still be chained up and never meet Ghost. Because of all this, Mary the monster captor wouldn’t have brought Gloam to the raider camp, Gloam and Rig wouldn’t have crossed paths, and if they hadn’t met, then Rig wouldn’t have brought Seraph back to the raider camp, so he and Lilac would never meet. And that’s just scratching the surface!
Lily’s crafted each book so that characters pop up long before they even get their own story, so you’re already invested in them before their book even arrives. Plus, she brings back characters from previous books in the newer ones, so you just get deeper into each storyline, and soon enough, you’re in love with everyone. The fact that Wyn appears in Lor’s book (book 6) and Lor in Wyn’s novella (book 3.5) at the same moment, but from different perspectives, is just genius. It’s like bumping into your primary school teacher at the grocery store a decade later—mind-blowing.
Lily’s world-building is complex but flows so smoothly. It starts simple but gradually reveals layers of secrets, hooking you into the story in a way that never gets old, just makes you crave more!
Anyway… let's get back to Lor's book!
The plot:
"I'm just… some weird dude from another world who fell into your big palace one day." - yep, this sums it up!
So this book is set a decade before there are tears between the monster and human worlds—basically, before Wyn meets Danny and sets everything in motion. We’re in the 1980s, when Jugs, a totally normal human, accidentally falls through a tear and ends up in the guest room of Lor, the Moric (aka king), in an entirely different world. They’re drawn to each other from the start, and their story unfolds over 30 years. It’s the most beautiful but tragic romance I’ve read.
⚠️Alright, buckle up, cause the next part is spoiler central! (reminder: my reviews are basically just my personal diary - just me ranting and raving!)⚠️
Characters + my thoughts
👑Lor
I absolutely adore Lor. He’s the sweetest monster, but his story is tragic, and I felt every bit of that sadness alongside him. He was just a teenager suddenly forced into a big role he wasn’t ready for, responsible for an entire kingdom. Lor is soft and gentle, a stickler for rules, and so nervous to take control because he doesn’t want to mess things up. Honestly, I could see myself in him. He’s a good person, but he’s unaware of a lot of what’s going on in his kingdom and lets the council handle it, since that’s “just how things have always been.” Even though he technically holds authority over everyone, he lets people berate him:
"They were almost identical, except the one with the beads in his hair looked... less harsh. Like he was the softer and more composed of the pair. And his clothes and hair were far more intricate and detailed than what any of the other monsters were wearing, almost like he was in a position of power, even though he was being berated by his companion.
His character growth is inspiring. The devastating events he faces are what finally push him to step out of his comfort zone and become the leader he’s capable of being but at a high cost:
"I was the Moric, truly now for the first time, doing right by the people in my fiefdom and slowly chipping away at the inequality that had been rife under the former council's rule. But it had cost me everything else
But don't worry, my baby Lor does get his happy ending, and the wait was worth it!
🍦Jugs
Jugs is your typical American cutie pie who, despite his rich family background, has always been neglected by his parents because he doesn’t want to follow in his dad's footsteps. Instead, he’s happy working at a cinema and spending summers working at camp. He’s mostly content with life, but he doesn’t have it all figured out at 21 (and honestly, who does?). Once he meets Lor, everything changes. Lor feels like home, and the more they meet, the more alive Jugs feels.
Their Relationship:
The story is told in dual POV, so we get to see both Jugs' and Lor’s feelings as they unfold, and I was absolutely giggling and kicking my feet. When Jugs first falls through the tear, Lor, Lyri (Lor's twin), and their guards are cautious—understandably so, since none of them have ever seen a creature from another world. They lock Jugs up, unsure of his motives, but Lor, being Lor, feels bad and checks in on him, even sharing his food to show it’s safe:
"Will you… will you share a meal with me?"
Of course, Jugs can’t understand him and won’t eat, so Lor decides to secretly take Jugs back to the tear, where he can return to the human world. They’re intrigued by each other, and once Jugs is back in the human world, he can’t stop thinking about Lor (and vice versa). After a huge argument with his dad, Jugs returns to the tear, where he finds Lor waiting. Their romance starts from there, and it’s adorable—even though they can’t speak each other’s language and communicate mostly by pure determination:
"Aihill cum bek zoon," he said. Mabs, please let that mean he'll visit again.”
After this encounter, Jugs moves out of his parents' house to a city closer to the tear. When his parents find out, they cut him off financially, so he picks up a job working at a small ice cream shop.
On Lor’s side, after Jugs’ second visit, Lor decides to tell Lyri that Jugs returned, and Lyri mentions a special plant that lets you understand any language. Lor doesn’t waste any time—he does everything he can to get his hands on the plants:
"We'd paid the merchant more-much, much more —for a rooted cutting, which Lyri had given to the head gardener to plant in the private gardens so that we would have an endless supply, assuming it could thrive in the conditions here. I didn't care about having an endless supply. I only cared about being able to speak to one otherworlder.”
"Stem of nami weed, stuffing it in my mouth and chewing fast. I couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to speak to him properly, to understand him and him understand me.”
Once Jugs is settled into his new place and job, visiting Lor every night becomes their routine. This is where their romance truly begins, especially now that they can finally communicate and understand each other:
❤️ They share food from each other’s worlds—Lor brings his favorite dessert, and Jugs brings ice cream.
❤️Jugs gifts Lor a music player, which they use to learn each other’s languages.
❤️ They sacrifice sleep to be together, even though Lor has morning duties and Jugs has work.
❤️ They’re both virgins, so they discover things together in the sweetest way.
❤️ They swap earrings to carry pieces of each other everywhere:
"Once he'd handed it to me, I rushed to the mirror to take out the jewel in my left lobe. After sliding in Jugs' hoop, I stared at it. A single flash of gold amid all the silver-and-black metal and muted jewel tones. Now I would carry a piece of him too.
Everything is beautiful for a while, but then, tragedy strikes. Jugs falls seriously ill and goes into a coma an unknown length of time with Lor clinging to hope, waiting each day for Jugs to wake up:
"I haven't really achieved much, but making the decision to come back here, to meet you properly, is the thing I'm most proud of in my life," he told me quietly. "I love you, Lor. I don't regret any of it.
And that... that helps. It helps me accept what" — his breath shuddered out of him-"what's going to happen. It was all worth it. I love you."
Let me backtrack a bit to paint the full picture of how Lily is simply the best. My first introduction to Lor was in Wyn's novella (book 3.5—and a reminder that Lor’s own story is in book 6). I’d totally pegged Lor as a classic, spoiled king. Wyn had mentioned that Lor kept rare, expensive plants in his castle, even though they’re notoriously difficult to grow in his kingdom. When Danny asked why, Wyn chalked it up to Lor wanting to flaunt his wealth, or maybe just a power move.
But now I know the truth—and wow, it floored me. Lor didn’t keep those rare plants to show off. In fact, he couldn’t care less about appearances. He’s been cultivating these rare plants because one of them might be the key to curing Jugs’ illness. He’s been keeping them all this time, hoping against hope that they could bring Jugs back to life. Are you crying? Because I am!
⏳Years pass. Ten. Lor still mourns Jugs every day, talking to him as though he’ll respond:
"You liked my outfit very much." A ghost of a smile played at the corners of my mouth, not really there. I didn't smile much anymore. "I have worn that same outfit for the last five years. There's no need for me to have a new one every year, is there? And anyway, it... it reminds me of you”
⏳After 20 years of Jugs’ coma, new tears start popping up across the monster world, causing chaos. Lor is exhausted and heartbroken, having lost Jugs and now his twin, Lyri, who goes into the human world to negotiate and never returns. Losing Jugs was hard enough, but losing Lyri as well leaves Lor shattered. Still, it’s this pain that ultimately helps him step into his role fully, demanding respect from those who once walked all over him:
"If I did nothing, nothing would change in Thinir. I would still be the weak, useless Moric they had tried so hard to keep me.”
"I was finally a true Moric. Making changes that affected my subjects and my fiefdom for the better. Bringing equality to the people under my rule.”
⏳30 years later—a miracle. Jugs wakes up! For him, it feels like just one night has passed, but Lor’s endured decades of grief. The reunion is everything, and I’ve never felt more relieved for both of them:
"You've w-waited for me this whole time?"
"I would wait my whole life for you, I would wait forever for you, Jugs."
And the joy when Lor and Jugs spot Danny and Wyn in the city —no one has seen humans in the monster world before. When they ask Wyn what the human world is like now, he gives the perfect Wyn response:
"He said, 'No, I'm not fucking interested in meeting the Moric. If I see him or any of his guards anywhere near Danny, I'll rip their spines out. You think I give a shit about that vint just because his skin is blue?''
And the cherry on top: Lyri returns with Cat and the other couples from the human world, reuniting everyone!
I can’t wait for the next book, because all the couples will be in it! I miss them all so much, and honestly, if Lily writes novellas about these characters forever, I’ll be reading them well into my 80s.
Wow, that was long—go me. No more reviews for a few days.
The author + the series as a whole:
Almost caught up with the series (just one novella to go!), I feel it’s only right to talk about the author, Lily, because she's genuinely brilliant, and her brain should probably be studied. This woman has me completely hooked—if I’ve got £20 left in my bank account, you better believe I’m spending every last penny on her books.
Now, according to Lily, each book in the Monstrous series can be read as a standalone, but personally, I don’t think it works that way (except for Lor, which is set in a whole different world and timeline). This series is the perfect butterfly effect in action, and it’s incredible to read. Like, if Wyn hadn’t met Danny and set all those captured monsters free, the Nebraska base would still be up and running, which means Hunter wouldn’t run into Edin, Charlie wouldn’t get kidnapped and meet Cat, so there’d be no rescue mission with Moth, and Aury would still be chained up and never meet Ghost. Because of all this, Mary the monster captor wouldn’t have brought Gloam to the raider camp, Gloam and Rig wouldn’t have crossed paths, and if they hadn’t met, then Rig wouldn’t have brought Seraph back to the raider camp, so he and Lilac would never meet. And that’s just scratching the surface!
Lily’s crafted each book so that characters pop up long before they even get their own story, so you’re already invested in them before their book even arrives. Plus, she brings back characters from previous books in the newer ones, so you just get deeper into each storyline, and soon enough, you’re in love with everyone. The fact that Wyn appears in Lor’s book (book 6) and Lor in Wyn’s novella (book 3.5) at the same moment, but from different perspectives, is just genius. It’s like bumping into your primary school teacher at the grocery store a decade later—mind-blowing.
Lily’s world-building is complex but flows so smoothly. It starts simple but gradually reveals layers of secrets, hooking you into the story in a way that never gets old, just makes you crave more!
Anyway… let's get back to Lor's book!
The plot:
"I'm just… some weird dude from another world who fell into your big palace one day." - yep, this sums it up!
So this book is set a decade before there are tears between the monster and human worlds—basically, before Wyn meets Danny and sets everything in motion. We’re in the 1980s, when Jugs, a totally normal human, accidentally falls through a tear and ends up in the guest room of Lor, the Moric (aka king), in an entirely different world. They’re drawn to each other from the start, and their story unfolds over 30 years. It’s the most beautiful but tragic romance I’ve read.
⚠️Alright, buckle up, cause the next part is spoiler central! (reminder: my reviews are basically just my personal diary - just me ranting and raving!)⚠️
Characters + my thoughts
👑Lor
I absolutely adore Lor. He’s the sweetest monster, but his story is tragic, and I felt every bit of that sadness alongside him. He was just a teenager suddenly forced into a big role he wasn’t ready for, responsible for an entire kingdom. Lor is soft and gentle, a stickler for rules, and so nervous to take control because he doesn’t want to mess things up. Honestly, I could see myself in him. He’s a good person, but he’s unaware of a lot of what’s going on in his kingdom and lets the council handle it, since that’s “just how things have always been.” Even though he technically holds authority over everyone, he lets people berate him:
"They were almost identical, except the one with the beads in his hair looked... less harsh. Like he was the softer and more composed of the pair. And his clothes and hair were far more intricate and detailed than what any of the other monsters were wearing, almost like he was in a position of power, even though he was being berated by his companion.
His character growth is inspiring. The devastating events he faces are what finally push him to step out of his comfort zone and become the leader he’s capable of being but at a high cost:
"I was the Moric, truly now for the first time, doing right by the people in my fiefdom and slowly chipping away at the inequality that had been rife under the former council's rule. But it had cost me everything else
But don't worry, my baby Lor does get his happy ending, and the wait was worth it!
🍦Jugs
Jugs is your typical American cutie pie who, despite his rich family background, has always been neglected by his parents because he doesn’t want to follow in his dad's footsteps. Instead, he’s happy working at a cinema and spending summers working at camp. He’s mostly content with life, but he doesn’t have it all figured out at 21 (and honestly, who does?). Once he meets Lor, everything changes. Lor feels like home, and the more they meet, the more alive Jugs feels.
Their Relationship:
The story is told in dual POV, so we get to see both Jugs' and Lor’s feelings as they unfold, and I was absolutely giggling and kicking my feet. When Jugs first falls through the tear, Lor, Lyri (Lor's twin), and their guards are cautious—understandably so, since none of them have ever seen a creature from another world. They lock Jugs up, unsure of his motives, but Lor, being Lor, feels bad and checks in on him, even sharing his food to show it’s safe:
"Will you… will you share a meal with me?"
Of course, Jugs can’t understand him and won’t eat, so Lor decides to secretly take Jugs back to the tear, where he can return to the human world. They’re intrigued by each other, and once Jugs is back in the human world, he can’t stop thinking about Lor (and vice versa). After a huge argument with his dad, Jugs returns to the tear, where he finds Lor waiting. Their romance starts from there, and it’s adorable—even though they can’t speak each other’s language and communicate mostly by pure determination:
"Aihill cum bek zoon," he said. Mabs, please let that mean he'll visit again.”
After this encounter, Jugs moves out of his parents' house to a city closer to the tear. When his parents find out, they cut him off financially, so he picks up a job working at a small ice cream shop.
On Lor’s side, after Jugs’ second visit, Lor decides to tell Lyri that Jugs returned, and Lyri mentions a special plant that lets you understand any language. Lor doesn’t waste any time—he does everything he can to get his hands on the plants:
"We'd paid the merchant more-much, much more —for a rooted cutting, which Lyri had given to the head gardener to plant in the private gardens so that we would have an endless supply, assuming it could thrive in the conditions here. I didn't care about having an endless supply. I only cared about being able to speak to one otherworlder.”
"Stem of nami weed, stuffing it in my mouth and chewing fast. I couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to speak to him properly, to understand him and him understand me.”
Once Jugs is settled into his new place and job, visiting Lor every night becomes their routine. This is where their romance truly begins, especially now that they can finally communicate and understand each other:
❤️ They share food from each other’s worlds—Lor brings his favorite dessert, and Jugs brings ice cream.
❤️Jugs gifts Lor a music player, which they use to learn each other’s languages.
❤️ They sacrifice sleep to be together, even though Lor has morning duties and Jugs has work.
❤️ They’re both virgins, so they discover things together in the sweetest way.
❤️ They swap earrings to carry pieces of each other everywhere:
"Once he'd handed it to me, I rushed to the mirror to take out the jewel in my left lobe. After sliding in Jugs' hoop, I stared at it. A single flash of gold amid all the silver-and-black metal and muted jewel tones. Now I would carry a piece of him too.
Everything is beautiful for a while, but then, tragedy strikes. Jugs falls seriously ill and goes into a coma an unknown length of time with Lor clinging to hope, waiting each day for Jugs to wake up:
"I haven't really achieved much, but making the decision to come back here, to meet you properly, is the thing I'm most proud of in my life," he told me quietly. "I love you, Lor. I don't regret any of it.
And that... that helps. It helps me accept what" — his breath shuddered out of him-"what's going to happen. It was all worth it. I love you."
Let me backtrack a bit to paint the full picture of how Lily is simply the best. My first introduction to Lor was in Wyn's novella (book 3.5—and a reminder that Lor’s own story is in book 6). I’d totally pegged Lor as a classic, spoiled king. Wyn had mentioned that Lor kept rare, expensive plants in his castle, even though they’re notoriously difficult to grow in his kingdom. When Danny asked why, Wyn chalked it up to Lor wanting to flaunt his wealth, or maybe just a power move.
But now I know the truth—and wow, it floored me. Lor didn’t keep those rare plants to show off. In fact, he couldn’t care less about appearances. He’s been cultivating these rare plants because one of them might be the key to curing Jugs’ illness. He’s been keeping them all this time, hoping against hope that they could bring Jugs back to life. Are you crying? Because I am!
⏳Years pass. Ten. Lor still mourns Jugs every day, talking to him as though he’ll respond:
"You liked my outfit very much." A ghost of a smile played at the corners of my mouth, not really there. I didn't smile much anymore. "I have worn that same outfit for the last five years. There's no need for me to have a new one every year, is there? And anyway, it... it reminds me of you”
⏳After 20 years of Jugs’ coma, new tears start popping up across the monster world, causing chaos. Lor is exhausted and heartbroken, having lost Jugs and now his twin, Lyri, who goes into the human world to negotiate and never returns. Losing Jugs was hard enough, but losing Lyri as well leaves Lor shattered. Still, it’s this pain that ultimately helps him step into his role fully, demanding respect from those who once walked all over him:
"If I did nothing, nothing would change in Thinir. I would still be the weak, useless Moric they had tried so hard to keep me.”
"I was finally a true Moric. Making changes that affected my subjects and my fiefdom for the better. Bringing equality to the people under my rule.”
⏳30 years later—a miracle. Jugs wakes up! For him, it feels like just one night has passed, but Lor’s endured decades of grief. The reunion is everything, and I’ve never felt more relieved for both of them:
"You've w-waited for me this whole time?"
"I would wait my whole life for you, I would wait forever for you, Jugs."
And the joy when Lor and Jugs spot Danny and Wyn in the city —no one has seen humans in the monster world before. When they ask Wyn what the human world is like now, he gives the perfect Wyn response:
"He said, 'No, I'm not fucking interested in meeting the Moric. If I see him or any of his guards anywhere near Danny, I'll rip their spines out. You think I give a shit about that vint just because his skin is blue?''
And the cherry on top: Lyri returns with Cat and the other couples from the human world, reuniting everyone!
I can’t wait for the next book, because all the couples will be in it! I miss them all so much, and honestly, if Lily writes novellas about these characters forever, I’ll be reading them well into my 80s.
Wow, that was long—go me. No more reviews for a few days.
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