Publisher's Note: The Collector 4: Eight Arms to Hold You contains subject matter that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices and violence.

Wealthy collector and treasure hunter Carson Cordova is a ruthless individual who runs ramshod over anything and anybody he considers in the way of his goals. Even a tribe of giant octopi, acting as if with a collective intellig ence, won't stop him from acquiring the diamond treasure from a ship sunk off Zanzibar in 188O. Popularly known as "Lady Death" because of its refusal to yield its treasures, the ship has meant the death or disappearance of every crew that had dived to it since its initial mishap and sinking. Carson has already discovered the incredible possibility that the octopi are shapeshifters, headquartered on a small unmapped island, and once he destroys the group with explosives, he catches a small wounded survivor, and raises him.

Nearly thirty years later, that young boy, Luke, is now an adult, and still captive to the whims of Carson Cordova, who intends to send him to hunt a precious crystal reputed to grant the possessor's heart's desire. Washing up on Cat Island, Mississippi, during a storm, Luke is rescued by itinerant and penniless Austin Bell, and immediately captures Austin's heart and compassion. Yet the two must battle the entrenched ruthlessness of Carson Cordova if they are to win their way free, individually and together.

Ally Blue demonstrates her special gift with the creation of a taut plot and heroic male protagonists who aren't afraid to experience and to reveal emotional vulnerability. Luke and Austin are imperfect and thus very realistic characters who are almost afraid to trust what destiny has brought them. The secondary characters are also well-constructed, and the addition of the paranormal element will entice many readers as well. The m/m romance thread is touching and heart-warming, and is written in a manner which will find a large number of fans, as Ms. Blue once again tugs on her readers' heartstrings. The Collector 4: Eight Arms to Hold You is a fine addition to The Collector  series {by various authors} and a wonderful introduction to writer Ally Blue.