The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks - Josh Lanyon

Twenty-something artist Perry Foster returns home early from weekend in San Francisco to find a dead body in his bathtub. But by the time Perry has got help, the body has gone. Something mysterious is going on at the isolated Alton Estate, and Perry and his fellow housemate 'tall, dark and hostile' former navy SEAL Nick Reno get pulled into investigating the disappearing/reappearing bodies.

After finishing The Dark Tide I found I was still in the mood to read Josh Lanyon. Maybe I was going into Adrien English withdrawal. Anyway I had this particular book on my TBR shelf and I think it was a good one to read after completing the Adrien English books. And this one comes with one of my favourite tropes - a brainy beta paired with an alpha tough guy. It's written in third person with alternating points of view between Nick and Perry, so different to the Adrien English stories which are first person. This gives us a chance to get inside Nick's head as well as Perry's. Though I did find the change from first person to third, a little difficult to get into, to begin with.

Perry did remind me of Adrien in a way, though he's a little more vulnerable and less snarky. I loved the fact that Perry thought he could make the dead body disappear by turning the lift off then on again, though if that had happened it would have been a different kind of story.

One thing I found a little jarring was how Nick's attitude toward Perry changed, especially as we're inside his head. At the beginning of the story he's referring to Perry as 'the queer kid across the hall', initially Nick is very disparaging of Perry. You kind of wonder how these two are ever going to get together - there's an antagonism between them. And yet at the end of Chapter One, Nick is comparing Perry to Bambi. But I like the fact that they go from 'speaking different languages' to finding common ground. Perry goes from being 'the queer kid across the hall' to the 'cute twink' to...

I think it's more interesting (or at least different) to see inside both of the couple's heads. I think it makes you appreciate that there is a little more to Nick than just his abrasive attitude.

"He was mad about the dumb bird, he was mad about the dumb kid, and he was mad that he was being dragged into this mess."

It also allows you to see that Perry has a quiet determination all of his own. Though Nick is not convinced that this is necessarily a good thing.

He (Perry) seemed to have patience to spare; it encouraged kooks in Nick's opinion.

One of my favourite scenes in the book beautifully illustrates this - Nick is determined to teach Perry how to shoot, even though Perry has quite clearly stated that this is something that he doesn't want to do. I really like what is revealed about both characters during this scene, and it's all revealed without telling.

They start out as such complete opposites, Perry is a morning person, Nick is not etc. And it's not that they change, but rather that they find a way to fit - which I think makes for a much more interesting story. Nick is older but not necessarily wiser, and he doesn't always understand what Perry is trying to say.

Nick said..."Nobody can make you do anything you don't want to."
...
Perry said quietly, "People have all kinds of ways of forcing you to do what you don't want to."

Perry is more perceptive than Nick allows for, whereas Nick can be a little insensitive and blunt. I would love to know how their story continues after the book ends.

I'd be grateful for more Josh Lanyon recommendations to help me through my Adrien English withdrawal.

M/M Challenge Review - Bound and Determined by Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow

Blurb.

When Sterling Baker discovers the wonderful world of BDSM, he's ready to literally throw himself at the feet of the spectacular Owen Sawyer, but Owen is unwilling to take on someone so new to the scene—or so he says. Determined to get what he wants, Sterling sets out to convince the doubting Owen that he can be the best sub in the world, the fastest learning, the most obedient.

It's not as easy as he thinks it will be, and things get even more complicated when Sterling realizes that he's fallen in love with Owen. With the stakes that much higher, Sterling's more determined than ever to win Owen over. But now he'll have to convince Owen they can have more than a teacher/student relationship, more than just good kink.

I first read about this on Jenre's Well Read blog. Though I think I've read reviews of it in a couple of other places. I highly recommend you follow the link if you haven't already read Jenre's review as she's far more eloquent than I. :)

What I enjoyed most about this story was the intensity of the interaction between Owen and Sterling and the BDSM was a big part of that. Perhaps more intense and detailed than I've read previously. (With the exception of The Administration Series, but in Bound and Determined there is a clear emotional involvement that develops between the protagonists that exists outside the sex). If you prefer only very light BDSM this may be too strong for you.

I really liked the fact that Sterling didn't feel able to say 'I love you'. (Which may seem a strange thing to say but it gave you such an insight into the two characters). He clearly wanted to but there was almost the sense that he felt if he said it that it would push Owen away, that it was the wrong thing to say, that it wasn't appropriate. When he finally says it you can almost feel the tension that has been building release. And I would rather wait to hear an 'I love you' and believe it, than hear it too soon and have it knock me out of the story. (In fact I'd go so far as to say I'd rather not hear it at all but know that the characters do love each other, than have them say it and it feel fake).

I do agree partly with Jenre that Sterling's father verges on a caricature, we never find out the reasons for his bigotry. Perhaps if we did, he wouldn't have felt quite so two-dimensional. However, having said that, such people do exist in real life, I just wish he could have been developed a little more.

One of the problems I've had with the m/m stories I've read recently (referring to e-books here) is that the length of them hasn't seem to done the stories justice. Too often I've felt dissatisfied with the ending of a story because I felt there was more story to tell. That wasn't the case here. I felt that even though the end is kind of 'in media res', that it was perfect. The relationship developed between the two men, went through a crisis and came out stronger on the other side.

DIK Reading Challenge Review - Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger

Blurb.

"A high school jock and nerd fall in love senior year, only to part after an amazing summer of discovery to attend their respective colleges. They keep in touch at first, but then slowly drift apart.

Flash forward twenty years.

Travis and Craig both have great lives, careers and loves. But something is missing...Travis is the first to figure it out. He's still in love with Craig, and come what may, he's going after the boy who captured his heart, even if it means forsaking his job, making a fool of himself, and entering the great unknown."

This book was one of Tracy's seven DIK picks and I'm so glad I picked this as my first read. I feel this review should come with a warning that there may be gushing involved. I LOVED this book. I think the last time I felt so enthralled (for completely different reasons) was when I was reading The Time Traveller's Wife. And for everyone who's read the blog and knows how much I gushed about that book it should give you an idea of how I feel about this one.

Almost Like Being in Love is an epistolary novel - told in narrative, through letters, checklists, receipts and memos. I must admit until last year (when I read The Color Purple) I'd never read an epistolary novel before. I think the idea of a novel told through letters had always been offputting (the main reason why I've never read Dracula). Luckily reading TCP broadened my horizons and with more than one DIK lady trying to get this book on her list I was intrigued enough to make this my first choice.

The story starts in 1978 and follows Travis and Craig's first meeting and the development of their relationship.

"There's nobody else like him in the whole world. And he thinks that's a handicap!"

Because you get both Travis and Craig's point of view it gives you an insight ito what they think of each other and also lets you know as a reader when they're bullshitting the other. The story then fast forwards twenty years to 1998 where they haven't seen each other for all that intervening time. Whilst Craig is involved in a long term relationship, Travis realizes he only ever really loved one person.

For anyone who thinks that because the novel is not written in a standard format that they won't fall in love with the characters I'd ask them not to worry. At the beginning there is an almost voyeuristic feel as we read newspaper articles, diary entries and other notes and dialogues. Pretty soon you are sucked into the story and falling in love with the characters. I also think there is enough of standard narrative between the memos and articles, that gives you a deeper insight into the characters that might be missed if the novel relied on epistolary techniques alone.

The dialogue and thought processes of the characters are laugh out loud funny. And once again I have a book where I could quote loads of dialogue but will restrict myself to a couple of favourite lines. It was tough to get it down to these two.

"Paralysis comes in many forms. I'd just discovered nine of them."

and

"You once told me that the only thing I needed to know about being a man was that one less sock always comes out of the dryer. You were full of shit."

Okay I admit my favourite line is the one about the vacuum cleaner hose on p. 337 but I'm going to leave you to discover that one for yourself. :)

This is a book that made me laugh, and made me feel good and more optimistic. I know that if ever I'm feeling down in the future I can pull this book off my bookshelf and it will cheer me up. If you're doing the DIK challenge and you haven't yet read Almost Like Being in Love I highly recommend that you make this one of your twelve picks. And if anyone has read The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger I'd love to know if you'd recommend that book as well - though it is already on my wishlist.

M/M Challenge, An Improper Holiday by K.A.Mitchell

Blurb

As second son to an earl, Ian Stanton has always done the proper thing. Obeyed his elders, studied diligently, and dutifully accepted the commission his father purchased for him in the Fifty-Second Infantry Division. The one glaring, shameful, marvelous exception: Nicholas Chatham, heir to the Marquess of Carleigh.

Before Ian took his position in His Majesty’s army, he and Nicky consummated two years of physical and emotional discovery. Their inexperience created painful consequences that led Ian to the conviction that their unnatural desires were never meant to be indulged.

Five years later, wounded in body and plagued by memories of what happened between them, Ian is sent to carry out his older brother’s plans for a political alliance with Nicky’s father. Their sister Charlotte is the bargaining piece.
Nicky never believed that what he and Ian felt for each other was wrong and he has a plan to make things right. Getting Ian to Carleigh is but the first step. Now Nicky has only twelve nights to convince Ian that happiness is not the price of honor and duty, but its reward.

I don't usually read historicals (though nowadays if I do they are most likely to be m/m) but I saw the review of this on Review by Jessewave and a couple of other places as well. And it was getting such good reviews that I thought I'd give it a go.

I'm very glad I did. For a couple of reasons in particular.

Sometimes I'd like a little bit more reality in my love scenes. Generally (eek, I hate to use that word but...) m/f romances are more guilty of the fireworks, butterflies, shooting stars that accompanies the first love scene. In m/m romances it's usually much clearer and I think more sensual that the partners have to discover each others bodies. What we have in An Improper Holiday is dealing with the consequences (for want of a better word) when the first encounter goes disastrously wrong.

What I liked very much was that it was Nicky who was clear that he wanted a relationship with Ian, and Ian who was the more reluctant of the pair. Completely in keeping with his character, Ian took on more responsibility for what happened.

I also loved the relationship between Ian, Nicky and Charlotte. Surprisingly it's because of this that I've dropped a grade (conversely it's almost a good thing). I wanted the story to be longer. I wanted to know how things were going to progress. (Hopefully not spoiling anything here). Probably the remit of the story - covering the twelve holiday days - didn't allow it. But I couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed that it ended where it did. I wanted more. I wanted to know how things were going to work out in the longer term.

I also hope that there will be a sequel for another reason - the debauched Julian Lewes, object of Ian's jealousy.

Nicky was never sure whether he could believe everything Julian said. “You are incorrigible.”
“And why not? I possess the three things guaranteed to make life pleasant: wealth, power and a big cock.”

At one point Nicky says to him (paraphrasing) that one day he (Julian) will fall in love and he will laugh to see him fall into the abyss. That's a book I am very much looking forward to reading, reformed rakes are one of my favourite character types. :)

M/M Challenge, The Elegant Corpse by A. M. Riley

Blurb

Detective Roger Corso is open about his sexual orientation. He's less forthcoming about his leather lifestyle. There's only so much his coworkers can take. He thinks he's doing a pretty good job of keeping it covert, but then something happen that changes his mind.

Someone delivers an elegantly clothed corpse to his home. His couch to be precise. And that corpse is carrying a leather flogger. Roger's taking that personally.

Additional distraction comes in the form of the victim's younger brother Sean. He's annoying. Knows something about the murder he's not telling. Wants something from Roger--and is everything Roger ever wanted. But before he can make Sean his, he's going to have to solve the mystery of the elegant corpse.

I liked this. The mystery was intriguing - though I admit I did work out who'd done it before the reveal. (Those hours of watching CSI, Law & Order and Cold Case paid off.) What I especially liked were the characters. We discovered them through the story, through Roger's observations.

Roger is slightly OCD but that's never hammered over our heads. We pick it up through his mannerisms. I love the way he reacts against Sean's chaos.

“Who was that jerk off?” asked Sean. He was sitting in Roger’s chair, one foot propped on his desk.
“Why are you here?” “How did you talk them into letting you in here?” and “Get your feet off my desk.” All warred for prominence in Roger’s brain, so his mouth opened and nothing came out.

I love opposites attract stories.

The other thing I really enjoyed about this story was that Roger had a female partner who was a character in her own right. She wasn't just there as a cipher.

Mary Anne. “I love you dearly, Roger, but I don’t want you having kinky sex in my house, okay?”

This story does have BDSM so if that's not your thing this is probably one you should avoid. But the scenes felt like part of the building of the relationship and there is a clean delineation between the love scenes between Roger and Sean, and the sadism used by the murderer.

If I had any niggles it would be with the editing in one particular part and why I have dropped a grade. Roger is coming to terms with the fact that he's moving on from the death of his previous lover Patrick. (Patrick died five years earlier). A dream sequence is ruined because Patrick's name is switched with that of another character - Peter. I think in such an important part of the story the incorrect name should really have been picked up in the editing.

Sean was also a little hyper in some parts.

I also wish that the story could have been longer. But that's a good thing. :)

(Challenges M/M - 1/20+, 52 books in 52 weeks - 1/52)

Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price

This is a story I probably wouldn't have picked up if it hadn't been chosen as a pick for the m/m book group. And I am so glad it was chosen otherwise I would have missed out on a real treat.

Blurb.

Ten years ago, the Human Hemovore Virus blazed through the world, and left the few victims who survived unable to eat, allergic to sunlight and craving the taste of blood.

Mark Jensen used to think V-positives were incredibly sexy with their pale, flawless skin and taut, lean bodies. Not anymore. Not since he’s been stuck procuring under-the-counter feline blood for his control-freak boss, Jonathan Varga. Why cat blood? Mark has never dared to ask.

It’s not as if he’s usually at a loss for words. He can dish an insult and follow it with a snap as quick as you can say “Miss Thang”. But one look at Jonathan’s black-as-sin gypsy eyes, and Mark’s objections drain away.

So he endures their strange, endless routine: Jonathan hiding in his studio, painting solid black canvases. Mark hurling insults as he buffs the office to a shine with antiviral wipes and maps out the mysterious “routes” he’s required to drive.

Then a blurb in Art in America unleashes a chain of events neither of them saw coming. As secrets of Jonathan’s past come to light, it becomes clear all his precautions weren’t nearly enough.

This story is set in an alternate universe where sufferers of the HHV virus (yes I know that's virus virus) who survive the four stages of the disease become technically what we'd call vampires. They live a very long time and have to drink blood (and lots of oil) to survive.

The story is told from Mark's point of view and I loved him. As a character he reminded me somewhat of Adrien English though more solid (I always imagine Adrien as being quite slight physically). He has a very snarky inner voice and a self-deprecating sense of a humour, a combination which I am a complete sucker for.

Damn it. Where had I been while my body was hurtling towards forty?

Possibly my favourite line in the book. :)

Jonathan remains something of an enigma, which for me worked very well. We only know as much as Mark knows, and Jonathan especially for the first part of the book keeps part of himself back from Mark.

I thought the world-building was incredibly well-realized. You got a real sense that HHV was a terrible disease, that only a lucky few were able to 'survive', and once they became vampires they carried the continual possibility of infecting someone else. Someone else who may not be as 'lucky' to turn into a vampire. The day-to-day practicalities of caring for and being a vampire were an integral part of the story - getting blood, being careful not to pass the disease on, staying out of the sunlight. And not in a cheesy vampire movie way, but a mundane 'this is something I'd have to do for the rest of my immortal life way'. Immortality may sound like an attractive option but when your bagged blood supply fills with clots are you still going to think it's romantic?

If I had any quibbles it would be that I wished we'd had a strong sexual scene between Mark and Jonathan, something more than what happens at the end. All the way through I felt like we were building to a climax but that we never quite reached a peak. (Thanks must go here to Diane who pointed me in the direction of.Jordan Castillo Price's website where there is an alternate sexy ending. Please read Hemovore first as the alt-ending has spoilers).

I am so glad I picked this story up. And I will definitely be checking out Jordan Castillo Price's backlist. I hope at some point in the future there might be another visit to the Hemovore universe.

Mind Fuck by Manna Francis

Mind Fuck is the first book in the Administration Series by Manna Francis. Set in the future dystopia of New London it concerns the investigation into a series of suspicious deaths that might be corporate sabotage. It's also follows the developing 'relationship' between Val Toreth, interrogator for the Administration and sadist, and Keir Warrick, corporate executive and masochist.

As the tagline says - "There are no bad guys or good guys. There are only better guys and worse guys." Warrick being one of the better guys and Toreth being one of the worse guys. It's a world where dissent is dealt with through 're-education' and those lucky enough to have corporate status can live a relatively nice life as long as they keep the party line.

Told mainly from the point of view of Toreth, this allows us an incredible insight into his perspective. What you don't appreciate here (until you've read the later stories and then come back and re-read this one) is how multilayered the characters are. As readers we really only scratch the surface here, each book, each story takes you deeper into the world.

Manna Francis is a brilliant writer (excuse the bias) she makes you side with Toreth, appreciate how compelling he is as a character, yet at the same time she doesn't hide what he is. He's a sociopath (this is explored in more detail in later books), he interrogates people for a living (including torture), he'll virtually screw anything with a pulse, he uses people unapologetically but there is something about him that fascinates. Toreth is perhaps not as clever as Warrick on an intellectual level (Warrick is a genius after all) but he has a survival instinct that rivals a cornered wolf.

Keir Warrick is less well defined. We learn he is calm, self-controlled and precise and perhaps prefers to play the game with the deck stacked in his favour. One of the things that maybe pulls Toreth towards Warrick is that occasionally the other man surprises him. That he is unpredictable.

Mind Fuck might at first seem quite a provocative title. But it actually has multiple meanings. As well as being slang for the psychoprogramming department (the department responsible for reeducation), it sums up the initial relationship between Warrick and Toreth. And Toreth says to Warrick in their first conversation together.

"I fuck minds."

Warrick however is not easily intimidated - perhaps part of what attracts Toreth - and his corporation is developing a form of virtual reality known as the Sim, so he later responds:-

"Come and experience the future of mind fucking..."

This continues...

"...you told me you rape minds."
"I said, 'I fuck minds,' I think you'll find."
Warrick shrugged. "It's all in the inflection, really."

This is quite a good example of how their relationship is one of shifting power dynamics and oneupmanship. Toreth himself doesn't see, or doesn't want to see how attached (not the right word but I can't think of a better one) he is to Warrick. As readers we see this more through the eyes of other characters - Marian

Toreth was manipulative and dangerous, and Warrick understood him perfectly.

and Toreth's admin Sara.

This is not a romance. It is erotic. It is the story of the beginnings of a relationship between two people. By relationship I mean an interaction which has the potential to become something more. It's probably the best book I've read this year and I fear my review has not done it justice. I love the Administration Series and hope there will be many more books to come.

* I think this has to be the most times I've used the word fuck in a review.

Mind F*ck by Manna Francis - So Far

.

There are no bad guys or good guys.
There are only better guys and worse guys

This will be the second time I've read this book, but the first where I'm reading it with an eye to writing a review.

This was just one of those books that I never thought I'd be able to write a review that would justify what a great book I think it is. (Did that make sense?) Anyway I'm going to give it a go.

Manna Francis has written an amazingly detailed story set in a future dystopia. With one of the most fascinating characters I've read about - Val Toreth, he being one of the 'worse guys' from the tagline.

I picked this book up again after it was mentioned on Wave's blog, so expect the review at some point this week. Anyone have any objections to me not asterisking out the 'u'? Only I think I'll probably slip up at some point anyway.

Hero by Perry Moore

Hero tells the story of Thom, a secret teenage superhero, as he struggles to grow up, deal with his powers, his relationship with his father and find out who he really is and what he stands for.

This has been one of my favourite books of the year so far. Fast paced and emotional the story pulls you in from the first page. And whilst the character types will be familiar to anyone with only the barest familiarity with the superhero genre - healer, precog, strongman etc. - seeing the story through Thom's eyes shows it to us from a different perspective.

Now I think this is YA, but I am not 100% positive, maybe the older end of YA? My copy has 'not suitable for younger readers' printed on the back. There is strong swearing and sexual situations though nothing overtly graphic.

Anyhoo. I picked this up after it was recommended on several blogs, I believe it was Kris who described it as fan-fucking-tastic. Told in the first person, from Thom's point of view, for me the story works best when it deals with the relationships he has with those close to him - his father, Goran, Ruth. Initially the style is very stream of conciousness and backtracks when Thom realizes he has left an important part of the story out. It's realistically written and we share Thom's experiences with him. Some of them absolutely cringeworthy and probably familiar to most of us who hated high school.

He and his father seem to communicate on different wavelengths, no one understands him, and on top of everything he likes guys rather than girls.

Thom is finding his place in the world and finding out that having super powers doesn't necessarily make it any easier. He's finding out you have to make your own place and be prepared to fight for it - and not necessarily with your fists. He has to 'wake up' and realize that life is something to be lived and that not everything can be achieved without experiencing pain. Okay, I don't mean to make it sound completely angst-ridden because actually a lot of it is very funny, Thom has a very self-depracating sense of humor. Possibly my favourite line:-

"Aim for his nads!" Ruth screamed. Aim for his nads with what? My strong sense of integrity?

What I like most about the story is the relationship between Thom and his father. Maybe because my own dad died very recently but some of this hit close to home. Thom has to deal with the fact that his father is somewhat homophobic, but Thom is not (initially) in a position to know the problems and prejudices that his father has to deal with on a day to day basis.

One of the most interesting things about the book for me - was how it highlights how our parents can live separate lives that we aren't even aware of. How the biggest thing they may have to deal with in a day is not that we pranged the car or broke the home computer but that they lost their job or that their best friend died. I think this will be a future comfort read for me and a book that I highly recommend.

I'm not sure Perry Moore will make it as my breakout author for 2009 after all there are still six months to go, but Hero will definitely be ranking in my top 5 books of the year.

Zero at the Bone - Jane Seville

When Jack Francisco returns to his safe house to find a hitman waiting for him, the last thing he expects is that the man won't go ahead with his assignment. But that's exactly what the man known as D proceeds to do. Instead the two of them end up on the run together, pursued by killers hired by the men who want Jack dead and other unknown enemies. Against the odds the two of them build a relationship, but what will happen when the danger is over and they then have to return to their lives.

I'd been loking forward to reading this ever since I read the review on Wave's site, I think I also caught a review on either Kris's or Jenre's blog as well.

D is something of an anti-hero, at least at the beginning of the book. He's a man who lives to his own set of rules. One of the things I liked most about this book was that we (as readers) get to meet both of the protagonists before they meet each other. And we also appreciate more (I think) the moment when their lives collide.

There was a man sitting in his living room, looking at him.

What I loved most about this scene was how we get into Jack's mind and how he starts channelling the film 2001. :)And I love the banter between them.

...He sighed. "I'm starting to see words like 'accessory' and 'accomplice' floating around my head."
D barely reacted. "How about 'dead on arrival'? Ya like that better?"

This is a real opposites attract story. Each man fulfills in the other something that is missing in himself. I've read in a couple of places that readers didn't like D, that they found him remote. But one of the things I liked was seeing Jack break through D's reserve. How D changes Jack, but also how Jack changes D.

So much of this story would be spoiled if I gave details. But D's relationship with X, left me hoping that X will make appearances in future books, or maybe in a book of their own.

As regards the epilogue. Much has been written about whether or not to read it and before I started reading the book I had kind of decided that I wouldn't. But having got to the end I couldn't resist. I appreciate the comments about multiple endings as I thought there were two places where the story could have ended before it did and that it would have felt resolved. The epilogue itself does feel like an excerpt for the next book, rather than wrapping up this story. It feels more like a pause before the next story starts. However, having said that, I did enjoy the sneak peek into Jack and D's life in the future.

And if like me you can't resist the sneak peek, there are some short Jack and D stories available on Jane Seville's website that are well worth checking out whilst we wait for the next book. I hope we don't have too long to wait.

Stay the Night by Lynn Viehl

The seventh and final book in the Darkyn series, I feel like I have been waiting for this one forever. Mainly, because for some bizarre reason the UK release date kept being put back! Or was that only happening to me?

Anyway, as always we have a multi-stranded plot here, the three main plots are the Kyn Lord Robin of Locksley's romance with Chris Renshaw, a fiendish plot to assassinate the high lords of the Darkyn and the culmination of Michael and Alex's story. As always the story is packed with plot and nothing is superfluous. One thing I've learnt from reading Lynn Viehl's stories is that even things which might not seem important at the time may come to have greater relevance later. I'd never dismiss anything as irrelevant.

Now for anyone who hasn't yet read the book or read any reviews, there may be slight spoilers below.

I admit before I started reading I was curious as to how Lynn Viehl was going to wrap up the Darkyn series in this book. There was one plot point in particular I was really interested in seeing developed. The answer (for me) was that she didn't wrap up the series (as such). What she did was bring Michael and Alex's story to a satisfying conclusion. I think you can tell here, that I found Robin's story slightly overshadowed. As for the plot point I wanted, it was only hinted at. My hope is that the story of the shadow prince will continue in the new Kyndred series. As well as the ongoing war with the Brethren, and perhaps some more information on the jardin wars.

Unlike many authors whose stories I'm often able to anticipate, Lynn Viehl always seem to take the story in a direction I wouldn't have thought of. Here it's through the continuation of Luisa's storyline. Finally we're getting a clearer idea of how she fits into the Darkyn world. But such a brief glimpse. :sigh:

Just in case I've made it sound like Chris and Robin were more of a subplot. I did enjoy the development of their relationship. Robin's Kyn power is the ability to charm any human he touches, unfortunately it's a talent that Chris is immune to. Which leades to some incredibly snappy, sarcastic banter between the two of them. Robin has to learn to rely on his natural charisma to get what he wants, rather than his supernatural ability.

Do you bring all your women here?
Only you. I keep my other women in the harem on the third floor.

I love how Rob is bewildered by the fact that Chris isn't in awe of him and doesn't worship at the altar of his masculinity. He can't help but respond to her pricks and snipes, and because of this it makes it so easy for Chris to manipulate him.

If he left this room without throttling her, Robin thought, it would be a miracle.

A little more on my thoughts about the conclusion to Michael and Alex's story. We've followed this relationship over the course of seven books. But this is where Alex finally acknowledges and accepts her place among the Darkyn.

The Darkyn were her people now, and she had to start taking care of them.

Alex finally reveals to Richard how the American Darkyn have been able to turn humans into Darkyn after centuries of the Kyn being unable to - and so the Kyndred story begins.

One other thing I must mention is how we find out more about Phillipe in this book. And Lynn Viehl shows how to weave a m/m subplot into a story. It doesn't have to be a big production and drama, it can just be what it is.

This story was very much like catching up with a large dysfunctional family you are particularly fond of. It doesn't seem to matter which Lynn Viehl story I read I am always left wanting more. And I look forward to the new series with great anticipation.

A Note in the Margin by Isabelle Rowan

John McCann has been told by his doctor that he needs to have a 'sea change' in his life, if he ever wants to get rid of his migraines. So John decides to take a year out from the rat race to manage a bookstore - Margins. Whilst there, he meets David - a homeless man - who comes in to the store to read the second hand books. John's initial prejudices are eroded away as he comes to know David and he has to question exactly what he wants out of his life and who he wants to share it with.

As mentioned in the preview review :), I found this a little difficult to get into. I didn't settle into the story straight away. However, this is one of those storys that draws you in without you realizing it and I predict this may be one of my future comfort reads. Before you know it (well p52) you are pulled into the world of the Margins book shop and the characters there. (This is where I admit I'm a sucker for stories set in bookshops, lol.)

At the start of the story, John is almost an everyman character, he represents the majority of people and their attitudes to the homeless. However, in coming in to contact with David, John has to deal with things he might otherwise not have had to and also he has to confront a lot of things about himself that he might not have wished to acknowledge.

David is understandably not as easy a character to get to know. We learn about him as John does, and at the end of the story John knows there is still much that he doesn't know about the man he's fallen in love with, but he knows he's got the time to find it all out. Unlike John we have the luxury of being able to see into David's head and hear his thoughts.

Maybe some lessons can be unlearned and survival is more than staying warm?

I love the way Isabelle Rowan develops her characters gradually and with lots of subtle touches.

He didn't open his eyes when Jamie asked him if he was okay and flinched away from Jamie's hand on his hair.

I like that the author took her time in developing the relationship between John and David and didn't rush it. She makes it clear that it's two steps forward and one step (or in some instances two or three steps) back. John and the reader learn that it's not just going to be a case of giving David food and a warm place to stay, the baggage he comes with is more complex than that.

Although there are other characters in the story, notably Jamie the bookshop assistant and Barbara who volunteers at the homeless shelter. This story is very much focused on David and John.

There is lots of other stuff that happens here, but I don't want to go into too much detail and spoil the story. If I had a problem at all it was the point of view shifts. I personally prefer to stick with one character for a large chunk of time. Whereas Isabelle Rowan seems to favour a constantly shifting point of view which is sometimes dizzying.

There's a sense at the end that John and David still have a long way to go, but you also feel that they'll get there. This is only the end of the beginning.

I just want to add that if this is the quality of material that Dreamspinner Press are publishing I will definitely be looking for more from them in the future.

A Note in the Margin by Isabelle Rowan - Story so Far

Currently on page 118/263. First the blurb:-

John McCann, a man who judges life by the tally of an accounts ledger, has a supreme goal in life: To achieve, live, and enjoy the rarified executive lifestyle. But he's encountered one problem:

The migraines are going to continue to get worse unless you make some major changes in your lifestyle. What you need is a 'sea change'… Perhaps buy a nice little business in the country, settle down, something easier to occupy your time…

While John knows the doctor is right, he just can't resign from the job he's fought so hard for. He decides the sacrifice of taking a year's leave of absence won't interfere too much with his plans, and so he finds himself running Margins, a cozy little bookstore, with the help of the former owner's son, Jamie. John expects to put in his year, get his stress under control, and then get back to business.

What John doesn't expect is how Margins and its denizens draw him in, particularly the quiet, disheveled man who takes refuge in the old leather chair in the second-hand book section. John's plans for an unattached year of simple business crumble when he meets David and is forced to reevaluate life, love and what he really wants from both. John and David are forced to come to terms with their pasts as they struggle to determine what possible future they might build together.

I've read reviews for this book in a couple of places (Wave's Blog) and was really looking forward to reading it. Especially as I've discovered that Dreamspinner press titles are available in the UK from the Book Depository.

So I was initially a little disappointed that the story didn't grab me from page 1 and have me wanting to devour it. However, my faith in Wave was not misplaced :). For me this was a story that I had to settle into, it pulls you in to the world gradually and by page 50 I can see what the other reviewers loved about the story. I'm now halfway through and very much looking forward to finding out how the story ends and if David and John can have some kind of happy ending.

A Dangerous Thing by Josh Lanyon

The second Adrien English mystery and I think possibly my favourite in the series so far. So be warned this review may gush. A Dangerous Thing takes place a couple of months after Fatal Shadows.

Adrien is suffering from writer's block and frustrated by his relationship (or lack of relationship) with Jake Riordan he travels to his ranch in California to clear his head. Unfortunately life is never simple for Adrien and on his arrival he finds a dead body in his drive. A body which disappears. When events take a violent turn it will be to Jake that Adrien turns for help.

I think the reason I like this series so much is because of the character of Adrien. I love his inner voice that we as readers get to hear, I love his snarky outer voice (outer voice? lol) There's something about him that just makes you root for him. He is by no means a saint, but he is very human and very real and that is what makes him so appealing. I love the way Josh Lanyon can just put you (as the reader) in the moment with the characters. And I really enjoy the situations he gets his characters into. Jake's reaction to Kevin is priceless.

Maybe this book is my favourite (so far) because the relationship between Jake and Adrien (eventually) warms here. They are away from the constraints of their 'real' lives and are free to just be Jake and Adrien.

"I seem to remember you saying once that a good detective isn't afraid to use his imagination."
"Do you take notes on everything I say?"

I could quote and quote the banter between them in this book - especially their 'this is muscle not fat' conversation, which is an absolute joy to read.

We get to know Jake much better in this book and see that beneath his assured exterior he has some issues, not just with his sexuality but also with getting older. His life has not turned out how he expected. He can't make himself fit with what he thinks he needs, but it doesn't stop him trying. What's very interesting though - for those people who don't like Jake - is to note that he never lies to Adrien. He doesn't lead him on with false promises, he tells Adrien exactly how it is. And Adrien knows who Jake is:

...a homosexual cop buried so deep in the closet he didn't know where to look for himself.

But sometimes it's easy to forget when you find yourself falling.

Lol - and there's also a mystery to solve.

This series always leaves me wanting more, and I have book three ready to go. Only one more book left after that though. At one point in A Dangerous Thing Adrien says

I'm a thirty-something gay man with a dodgy heart. I sell books for a living. Who wants to read about that?

Hopefully more Adrien English books will be coming our way soon.

Fatal Shadows by Josh Lanyon

I'm on a little bit of an Adrien English kick at the moment, as you can probably tell from the sidebar (currently reading Book 2) :)

This is the first in the series and introduces us to Adrien English bookseller and author, who, following the murder of his friend and employee finds he may be next on the killer's list. Subsequent events bring suspicious cop Jake Riordan into his world. And so begins their on again, off again, never actually started relationship. One of the best character dynamics I've read in a long while.

"I re-revised my original opinion. Riordan was indeed an asshole."

Catching up with Adrien is something of a comfort read, even though he's usually up to his ears in murder. He's witty, sarcastic and self-depracating, one of my favourite characters. And the fact is, there is an almost palpable chemistry between Jake and Adrien from their first meeting, even though very little happens between them in this book you are aware of the potential.

"You seem obsessed with my sexuality, Detective."
Something dark and shadowy slid across his eyes. I decided I didn't want to piss him off too much.

The focus in this book is very much on Adrien and the mystery of who killed Robert and why. This gives us the chance to get to know Adrien as a character, the way he thinks, his quirks, his family and his problems.

It's not just Adrien and Jake though, the other secondary characters in the story are equally well written. I particularly like Angus, Adrien's strange new assistant at the book shop.

If I had any complaints at all it would be that at just over 200 pages the story is over far too quickly, but perhaps it is better to be left wanting more?

You may wonder given that I like the series and the characters so much why I've only given this book a B+. It's actually very difficult for me to judge this book on its own without thinking of the other books in the series - perhaps I should have written reviews after each book. Too late now though. As such it is possible I'm being overly harsh in wanting to be fair.

You have to like a first person protagonist, or at least want to know more about them and their world. I love reading about Adrien and can't wait to read the next book in the series. Hopefully there will be many more books to come. :)

A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W.Day

In a sentence this is a cross between The Day (After the Day) After Tomorrow and Reign of Fire with a m/m romance.

Set nearly a hundred years after an apparently worldwide apocalyptic event, A Strong and Sudden Thaw follows the developing relationship between David Anderson a farmer’s son and Callan Landers the new assistant healer in the town of Moline. In a world where homosexuality is a criminal offence, every meeting and encounter is filled with the risk of discovery. It’s through Callan being discovered in the arms of another man that David finally acknowledges the truth about himself. And also how he learns what price he may have to pay as Callan suffers the punishment for his ‘crime’.

But the town of Moline is also under threat from an unexpected source. When livestock and children are attacked by dragons and the government representatives do nothing. It will be up to David and Callan to save the town .

One of my top three favourite books of the year. I loved this book!

Just to address first of all a couple of comments I read on some of the Amazon reviews. (Wanted to check these comments but looks like the book is being re-released at the end of December so the reviews have been pulled. Hope my faulty memory is remembering these comments reasonably okay).

Some reviews state they think it’s unrealistic that the world would regress so quickly following the Ice Age. Having seen a documentary about what would happen if human beings left the world I’m not so sure. Taking into account the huge death toll that’s likely to occur during such events and the fact that I (and I suspect the vast majority of people) don’t know how to fix a generator let alone run a nuclear power station, I don’t find it difficult to believe that the majority of the human race quickly finds itself back in a pre-industrial revolution state. (I’m sure there’s a significant minority that land in roses rather than shit, but this book isn’t about them).

Other comments reference the poor grammar. This I’m sure is intentional, the story is told from David’s point of view. He has common sense but not book learning and therefore doesn’t always use the correct verb or turn of phrase, but I liked this, it kept us firmly inside his head and his feelings. So I'm assuming any comments about the book being poorly edited reference this, and that the reviewers kind of missed the point.

One of the early analogies in the book is about the similarities between a human mob and a flock of sheep. And that sheep are essentially stupid animals. When the chips are down, humans have a tendency to behave like sheep, it takes people/characters with strong conviction to be able to stand against a crowd, even if they know that the crowd is wrong.

"(Pa) says sheep and people are alike, mostly. I don’t know that I agree, but he says I just haven’t lived long enough yet."

I love the way the characters are drawn in the book. You get a very real sense of the individuals and the community in which they live. And I loved the relationship between David and the members of his family. Just from the first few pages you are immediately drawn into the town of Moline. Which although it has a future post-apocalyptic setting, reminded me of the old west.

The thread that holds the story together is the relationship between David and Callan. David who at the beginning doesn’t even know what homosexual (or sodomite) means. But from his first meeting with Callan, he is drawn to the new healer in a way he has never been with anyone else.

"His hair reminded me of sunlight and shadow dancing over a field of wheat, dark in places, light in others, and his eyes were the almost invisible blue of the spring sky."

I love that they come together through books - Huckleberry Finn, Ivanhoe, Lord of the Flies. And how David comes to take what he learns from these books and apply it to the world around him. The loss of individuality and identity that comes from the mob - Lord of the Flies, doing the right thing even if it isn’t the legal thing - Huckleberry Finn. The books and Callan, open him up, start him thinking for himself. He no longer relies on what his elders tell him to be true, he wants to discover his own truth.

If you have never read a m/m book before and want to know a good place to start. I would recommend this book. The love scenes are beautifully written and erotic but not graphic.

"Please. That’s the most erotic word in the English language, you know."

Their relationship progresses slowly and there is a wonderful sense of falling in love for the first time - right before everything goes to shit because of course in this time a man falling in love with another man is a criminal offence and in certain circumstances punishable by death.

You’re aware as you read that something terrible happened to Callan before he came to Moline. Little hints that slip from him. And when we eventually find out what happened - it’s awful and terrible but at the same time it allows him to understand the sacrifices human beings are capable of to save the ones they love.

And then there are the dragons. Someone wants the town of Moline to die and they aren’t too concerned about who gets hurt in the process. Although a lot of the questions raised early in the book are answered by the end and there is a satisfactory conclusion to David and Callan’s story. There’s the feeling that there is more to come. That the story is being told by a much older David. I hope at some point in the future to be able to read the sequel to ASAST, as I don‘t think David and Callan‘s story is quite finished yet. Highly recommended.

Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale

And now for something a little different. I read Wicked Gentlemen during my 9 hour train journey back from Scotland and I loved it. Thanks go out to JenB and MaryM who let me know I could buy the book directly from the publisher - Blind Eye Books.

Wicked Gentlemen takes the form of two novellas. The first - Mr. Sykes and the Firefly - is told from the (first person) point of view of Belimai Sykes. Belimai is a Prodigal, a descendent of demons. A drug addict and investigator who is hired by Captain Harper (an Inquisitor) to help in the investigation of several murders.

The second novella - Captain Harper and the Sixty Second Circle - virtually carries on from where the first leaves off, but is told in third person point of view mainly from Captain Harper's perspective. And I love how little incidents from the first novella, haven't been forgotten in the second.

It would initially seem that these men have nothing in common with each other. Essentially they are on opposite sides of the law, and it would also appear that their beliefs and values are polar opposites. However, despite this, a relationship develops between the pair, and throughout the course of the two novellas they learn to trust each other when all their other beliefs and desires fall away. Belimai is not so far gone that he won't reach out for hope, and Harper isn't quite the perfect Inquisitor he first appears.

Belimai is one of the most intriguing and fascinating characters I have read about in a long time. He's been tortured by the Inquisition, left a drug addict and has an almost palpable air of melancholy. He knows himself well.

I am not a good person. I am naturally inclined to lie. Even my mother had thought so.

But is also possible to see yourself too clearly and be blinded.

From the moment Belimai and Captain Harper meet there is a chemistry between the two of them. The love scenes when they take place on page are brief but beautifully written. Rather it is when the two of them are talking or verbally sparring together that you experience the attraction between them.

"Are you still drunk from last night?" I asked.
"No." Harper smiled. "Having my life threatened always makes me a little giddy."
"Giddy?"
"I have to find my pleasures where I can."

Although I enjoyed both stories almost(!) equally well. I think the first story I liked slightly more. Maybe it's the metaphor of the firefly at the beginning and how that plays through the story. And how we come to understand what's happened to Joan. Also I have a fondness for stories where on a second read through you get something completely different out of the book, because of how your perceptions have changed knowing what's going to happen. Saying that the experiences between Belimai and Harper in the second novella are almost more enjoyable because they know each other so much better. Hmmm. Tough call.

I picked up Wicked Gentlemen after reading several reviews - some on reader blogs, one I think on Dear Author. And I was still slightly preparing myself in case I was disappointed. Instead I've read a book which I know I'll be able to read again and again, and each time be drawn back into the dark world of the Prodigals and the Inquisition. At the end of the two stories, they are complete, you feel satisfied. But I would be more than happy to read more about Belimai, Harper and their friends again, so I hope there are more stories to come.