Location: United States
Member Since:
March 22, 2018
AJ Hobson
AJ Hobson's favorite authors on Smashwords
Smashwords book reviews by AJ Hobson
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Hybrid Incubator
on Jan. 25, 2020
Hybrid Incubator has really rich world-building that I would love to have more of. The characters end up being vibrant and well-developed. I love them and wish we got to see the stories of some of the periphery characters. Alex is a great lead character, and Dark builds such strong empathy in the reader that moments of the story are made all the more difficult to read. It's such a unique and interesting take on tentacle erotica. ***Content warning there is some non-con and dub-con in this book***
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The Endowment
on Jan. 25, 2020
First, please be mindful of the content warnings and descriptions for this book and series. (Small spoilers in review to follow) The world building and the character development are brilliant. This book is an updated version of a rape-revenge narrative with a demonic twist, and in which the victim of sexual violence becomes a perpetrator of violence. It features significant amounts of both dubious consent and non-consensual sexual interactions. The way Dark writes this novel, though, can create a wild amount of catharsis for the reader around sexual trauma. I found the novel moving, troubling, interesting, and so much more. Again this is a type of dark erotic horror that some folks would struggle with, so read with caution. But the writing, storytelling, characters, concept, and world-building are exceptional. Kendrick, our main character, embodies my favorite type of character: one who is damaged, struggling, and yet still unwilling to surrender to the trauma and who still find his way to not just survival but thriving.
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Colosseum of Lust
on April 03, 2020
First off let me just say whoa! I literally did not move from the first word to the last word while reading this one. This book was absolutely riveting. As usual, Meraki Dark built such compelling characters and demonstrated a masterful sense of world-building. Duncan and Axel are stunning in their complexity and absolute faith in each other. Clearly please heed the content warnings, as this is a very dark book. As with all of this brilliant author’s work, this is about exploring how screwed up our world can be and the bloodletting so many survivors must do on their own to cleanse the festering wounds committed the rampantly toxic treatment of survivors of violence. So often it is battered, bruised, broken, and oppressed folks who tend to the needs and injuries of others who are battered and abused. I see here an indictment of countries and cultures that have allowed economic and social structures that say some people’s wealth and even their entertainment is worth more than other people’s lives and humanity.
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Hell Revised
on May 24, 2020
Book 1 in the Dark Empire series had me riveted (as read it in one sitting), and book 2 was no different. Meraki P. Dark (and his other writing alter egos) is the absolute monarch of unexpected narrative twists. I did not see this one coming at all, but to be honest, I should have. Dark is an expert at those twists but also at making the reader recognize that things are not always what they seem. I really appreciate the characters in this series. Each of them have incredible nuance, and I am looking forward to continuing to see them grow over the course of the series. Duncan is such a brilliant character, and seeing him deal with his new reality while blending his past to create a new future is really excellent. As with all of Dark's works, all sorts of content warnings apply, especially for lots of on-page non-con and dub-con. The series is a cathartic experience of addressing traumas as well as the ways in which these characters--and humans--learn to address and even justify their reactions to that trauma.
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A Nightmare for Your Dream
on July 04, 2020
Another excellent installment in this dark series set in a world of depraved individuals. Please check the content warnings and heed them. This one gives us Dr. Robert Malcolm’s backstory, which I was genuinely not expecting to get a book dedicated to, but I believe will ultimately be important for the last two books of the series. I know I have said this about all of the books by Meraki P. Dark that I have reviewed, but this novel is just so compellingly written. We get to see how Robert is trained to this life and watching his moral center erode in order to survive and meet his goals. Robert is a complicated character that demonstrates we rarely understand the motivations or nature of an individual at first glance. These books demonstrate so much about humans cruelty but also our ability to adapt to even the worst situations. I’m looking forward to seeing how this narrative ends. I also want to know where Hardy is or what became of him. I’m looking forward to see Duncan, Tim, Axel, and the rest of the crew again as well.
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Shifting Power
on Nov. 01, 2020
(no rating)
As with the previous novels in the Dark Empire series, Meraki P. Dark has created such intriguing characters who are dealing with so much trauma. I find this series so utterly compelling. I've read every book in one sitting because they are just so compelling with twists that are at times just so unexpected. This installment feels like a bridge text building to the final novel in the series, but we also get to build even better understanding of the motivations of the characters, which is vital. Content warning for graphic on-page sexual violence and non/dub-con.
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The Doorway
on Nov. 01, 2020
(no rating)
Yet again Meraki P. Dark has demonstrated that he can write a compelling book that I just can't put down. The Lil Harvest series is one that, for me, so clearly shows the way we use art to navigate our traumas and highlight the ways each individual handles the aftermath of trauma. These are dark, gritty novels that center rape-revenge narratives, but they are so well done. The Doorway is such an excellent entrance into this series with Mason/Kendrick and the demon gang having to deal with the scheming of demon politics and old enemies. I really love these characters are evolving over the course of the series, and the way that Meraki P. Dark creates authentic opportunities for growth is exceptional. Content warning for on-page sexual violence and non/dub-con.