amreading – Page 3 – A. L. Lester

#Amreading

This week a lovely debut mm novella set in Eastern Europe by K. C. Carmine, a sweet fantasy mm novella by R. Cooper and a mmf poly thriller by Layla Reyne.

Whispers in the Woods by K. C. Carmine

I loved this mm novella (and the paperback cover is gorgeous!) set in Eastern Europe in the first decade of the 21st Century. The setting is an un-named post-communist country with endemic prejudice toward the LGBTQ+ community. Humanity is also prejudiced toward the recently out-in-public fae community, who when they first became widely known about suffered from terrible prejudice and eventually a campaign of medical suppression. The parallels between the two minority communities are not dissimilar. I liked the world building. The different fae–tree shifters, a selfie, a chap with snakes around his head–are all really interesting. And I loved the contrast between the prejudice and/or acceptance humans showed these different species contrasted with the tolerance/ intolerance they show the queer community.

The love story between Tomek and Robert was a sweet, gentle river that flowed through the world. I hope there’ll be more stories forthcoming. I recommend it.

What We May Be by Layla Reyne

I really enjoyed this first-in-a-new-series by Layla Reyne. It’s a contemporary second chance romance, written from the POV of Sean, a FBI agent who’s come back to his small town after ten years to investigate a series of murders based around Shakespearean tragedies–little quotes are left with the bodies. His exes are a detective (Charlotte) and a literature professor (Trevor). When he left them, their romantic relationship couldn’t sustain itself and they’re now best friends.

I found that bit a bit hicky…to me, poly relationships shouldn’t depend on each other to sustain themselves. However, YMMV. And the murder plot, the suspense and the characterisation let me put that aside, regardless. There are no bad guys here, just three hurt people who still have feelings for each other being given a second chance amid a terrible killing spree. The murder investigation is definitely weighted as heavily as the romance and it was all seamlessly interwoven. Between the emotional suspense and the murder-mystery suspense I was on edge all the time I was reading. And I had real trouble working out who the killer was!

A Heaven to Reach For by R. Cooper

A short, sweet little story set in an alt-medieval world. There’s tension between an undefined ‘church’ and traditional festivals. I loved the whole concept of the festival where blue flowers indicate you’re up for kisses or more. Owin, an older, slightly embittered guardsman, is in love with Maschi, a younger priest. Maschi returns his feelings, but Owin doesn’t realise. The story is a short, sweet resolution to their pining. As usual there’s wonderful world-building and I’d happily return to this universe.

Am Reading

This week I’ve been reading two touch-of-sff romances with trans characters by J. R. Hart and Jem Zero and a short gay novella playing with memory by Nathan Burgoine.

Miss Claus by J. R. Hart

This is a wonderful, light, Christmassy book with brilliant world building and very good pacing. The North Pole is a business, a huge industrial complex, an employer of thousands. But it’s also a small town, with politics and potlucks and pettiness alongside family and friendships and living your best life. It’s so well drawn. It’s every small town based around one big employer you’ve ever been to, except alongside all that, there’s Christmas magic.

For me, a lot of that magic was intimately tied up in the main character Kristin, Santa Claus’ daughter. She’s a shoo-in for his job when he retires as per the family tradition…until she’s not. The story follows her shock, her devastation, and then her building confidence in her suitability for the job despite the ‘traditionalist’ members of the town council being against her. They are against her twice, once because she’s a woman and once because she’s trans.

I cried at various points during the story, partly because Kris is so well characterised. Her words of kindness to a trans child and their parent are beautifully set down and were one of my sobbing points. Her journey from self-doubt to self-confidence was a joy to follow. All the characters are well rounded and it was simply a pleasure to spend time with them.

Also you will need cookies as you read this. Don’t question this. Simply accept it and get them ready before you sit down to with this excellent book.

Home Within Skin by Jem Zero

I came upon this book from a GR rec and it didn’t disappoint. I loved the premise…here’s our world…but aliens turned up in 2004. Humans don’t like them much and treat them as second class citizens. I liked the way the alien Rrhi culture was drip-fed into the story rather than info-dumped. And I think the stab at depicting how humanity would treat an alien species who had to leave their home planet and turn up on Earth asking for help is pretty accurate. Humans are so disappointing, generally.

I very much liked the human MC, Jax, a disabled, homeless trans twenty-something man with so many issues he needs a wheelbarrow to carry them round in. The story is told from his POV, but in second person, which I often find difficult but in this case worked well for me. It felt like I was experiencing his life alongside him, because that this is how he inhabits the world, keeping it at a distance.

Some bits of the story…Jax’s distress, his inability to allow himself to be anything less than utterly self-reliant because he is so afraid of being let down, his reactions to kindness…are heart-rending. But his gradual unfolding, his journey to get to a place that’s okay, not perfect, not a fairytale happy ending, but simply okay, is really engaging.

I loved Sei-vész, his alien boyfriend…a practical and kind person who happens to have tentacles, horns, very non-human sex organs and green skin. The relationship between them was beautifully drawn. I thought the contrast between Jax, so uncomfortable in his own human body, and Jax’s reaction to Sei-vész, so alien to Jax and yet someone Jax accepted unconditionally where he couldn’t accept himself was achingly well depicted.

Basically, if you like stories with messy protagonists trying to get their lives together, alien sex bit and a happy ending, you should read this.

In Memoriam by Nathan Burgoine

I really liked this novella. I can’t write about it properly without spoilers I don’t think. But it reminded me quite strongly of the film Memento in the way it plays with time and memory. I couldn’t put it down, I was so invested in the main character’s story. I started off with one understanding of him and his life and by the time I got to the end that was all turned around like a Moibus Strip or an Esher drawing. I really enjoyed it.

That’s all for this time!

Am Reading

This week, a climate-driven dystopia by Premee Mohamed, a spooky gay romance by Isabelle Adler and a murder mystery with a background gay romance by C. S. Poe.

The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed

Wonderful novella set in a world ravaged by climate breakdown. Millions have died. Those remaining scrape out an existence in the remaining cities, spinning fibre out of reclaimed plastic bags, getting their protein from eggs twice a week, scavenging through what once was in the Back Then, about eighty years ago, as far as I could work out. A percentage of people are infected with Cad, a sort of symbiote that can manipulate its host in a limited sort of way…through fear or excessive caution to improve survival. Our hero is Reid, a young woman who has been contacted by one of the domes, centres where knowledge and tech is supposed to have survived. She’s offered a place at the University. But it’s days travel away. And no-one ever comes back.

I’ve read Premee Mohamed’s Apple Tree Throne and loved both her writing and storytelling. Similarly this…it’s delicate and thoughtful and the worldbuilding and attention to detail is beautiful. Reid’s world is completely believable. The shadow of ours hangs over it–its a howl against what we’ve already done to our descendants as well as a fantastic story. It’s a beautiful dystopia, with hope. Recommend.

The House on Druid Lake by Isabelle Adler

This is kind of a cosy mystery and also a Halloween story, which I find counter-intuitive but turns out not to be at all. Oliver’s a bit of a mess–his last relationship was abusive and he’s moved from Florida to Baltimore for a new job and a fresh start. He moves into a flat in an interesting old house, sight unseen except for the photos in the listing on the internet. The very attractive landlord is a bit odd as are the rest of the tenants. It was such a set-up…creaky old house, mysterious tenants…I loved it and immediately began working out what particular kind of entity each person was. The house turns out to be the target of an unscrupulous developer and Oliver and his new landlord have to outwit them. Nym, the landlord, has his own secrets and hang-ups and I found their relationship development satisfying and well-rounded. There are some pleasingly inexplicable little bits…I don’t like my magic systems to be spoon-fed to me and they were little loose threads independent of the main story that gave me things to ponder on once I’d finished. It’s a very happy book and I recommend it. Also, I love the cover!

Madison Square Murders by C. S. Poe

This is the opener of a new series by C. S. Poe. Everett is a desperately unhappy cold case detective who’s marriage is on the rocks, in part because a traumatic brain injury means he has memory issues. He can’t remember small things–he has to write everything down. Big things, he can’t forget.

A body found in the roots of a tree in the eponymous Madison Square Park begins a professional partnership with facial reconstruction artist Ira that soon turns into something more. Ira makes his interest in Everett clear, not realising he’s married. Both the emotional plot and the murder plot are complex and very well drawn. I love Poe’s stories and the way her characters often have disabilities they are living with as best they can. Disabled people live fulfilling lives centred around things other than dealing with their disability; and her writing embraces this. I’m looking forward to the next in the Memento Mori series.

Elizabeth Noble: The Vampire Guard

Let’s welcome Elizabeth Noble to the blog today with the age-old truth ‘Vampires are cool!’ She’s here to talk about The Vampire Guard series and its myth and background.

The Vampire Guard Book 1 -- Codename Jackrabbit by Elizabeth Noble

Thank you, A. L. Lester, for having me in Lester Tower today! (You are most welcome, any time!)

Vampires are cool. And they make awesome spies!

Since vampires live very long lives, that offers many avenues of character exploration. That’s my favorite thing about vampires. The characters have accumulated different skills over the decades and that really broadens what sort of story can be told.

Since, in this world, the vampires heal extremely quickly they’re almost super-hero like. They’re capable of surviving where a human might be killed. Then there’s the fact of their superior hearing, speed and strength.

The Vampire Guard is a spin-off from a paranormal romance/urban fantasy series, The Sleepless City, I wrote with Anne Barwell. As we developed our series we wanted our vampires, and werewolves, to be different.

The Vampire Guard Book 1 -- Quarry -- by Elizabeth Noble

These vampires don’t hunt humans and all vampires begin life as a human so as a group it’s in their best interest to preserve humans. One purpose of The Vampire Guard is to protect humanity and those who can’t protect themselves. While some of the characters are centuries old, they’ve adapted to changing times, some are proud of that ability! A poor farmer from the 1700s becomes a mercenary, musician then a detective with a degree in law. A boy born to nobility lives a life as a pirate, fur trapper then art thief! Another was a rabbi and Nazi resistance fighter, and yet another a humble seamstress turned international diplomate and spy. The list goes on! The Vampire Guard is multi-cultural and international and each character’s name and attitude matches their culture and time of origin.

Since these are espionage/thriller stories, The Vampire Guard employs high-tech tools during their missions. The characters use a combination of natural vampire (and werewolf) enhancements and technology to stay one step ahead of the bad guys. They don’t rely solely on their speed and acute hearing, however. At their disposal is cutting edge technology such as special holograph equipment allowing them to ‘see’ another vampire on camera. The Vampire Guard motto is Where legend and myth meet science and technology. Each book demonstrates that motto in different and exciting ways.

The Vampire Guard isn’t all vampires. Humans and werewolves have joined their ranks. A requirement for recruitment (you don’t join, you’re invited) is all the vampires are soulbonded. Since they can soulbond with humans and werewolves the skill set of the organization is tripled! This soulbonding makes each pair more than the sum of their parts and gives them powerful advantages as field operatives. It gives them abilities and attributes they might not otherwise have access to, such as empathically sensing their partner, or being impervious to vampire mind-control known as thrall.

In general, The Vampire Guard isn’t a romance, though there are couples, all established. The focus of the series is on a brotherhood of found family, friendships, and how four men come together and mesh as a team despite past histories, personal conflicts, and differing ideologies. Each member has unique skills: hacker, scientist, thief, soldier. They’re a well-oiled, snarky, and sometimes, deadly group of protectors and you’d better hope they never come for you!

Welcome to The Vampire Guard, where legend and myth meet science and technology...

Vampires and werewolves live long lives. The Sleepless City saga might have ended but the story continues…

Vampires make the best spies. Throw a smart-mouthed werewolf in with three vampires, mix well, and The Vampire Guard’s newest team is bound to become one of their greatest assets. Super spies with a full range of skills. Warrior, hacker, thief, and scientist. They get in, do the job and get out before the bad guys ever know what hit them.

They employ a combination of supernatural powers and cutting-edge technology to hunt down terrorists, thieves, biological weapons… and sometimes even their fellow vampires and werewolves. An eclectic organization comprised of individuals with diverse personalities, backgrounds, and abilities, this guard has bite—and they’re not afraid to use it.

Codename Jackrabbit (Book #1) – Quarry (Book #2) – The Series

#AmReading

This week, two gay romances, one fantasy, one contemporary, and a contemporary fantasy story with roots set deep in English myth.

Seducing the Sorcerer by Lee Welch

Cover, Seducing the Sorcerer, Lee Welch.

There’s a magic horse that eats eiderdowns. That’s all you should need to know in order to one-click this book. Go and get it now. Immediately.

Other than that…it’s just as beautifully written as Lee Welch’s previous books. The characters are complex and well drawn–Fenn, who’s POV we follow–is an older character in his mid-forties and has fallen on hard times. He’s at the end of his rope when he gets swindled by a farmer he does some work for and is paid with a sackcloth horse. After that his life gets extremely weird.

I loved this whole premise. Fenn is just such a good character. He’s likeable, he’s realistic in that he tries to do the right thing and doesn’t always quite manage it. He makes assumptions and he acts on the spur of the moment and he is tired of fighting for things. He’s also seriously freaked out by magic. The world-building is wonderful–the magic system is there in the background and we pick it up as we go along rather than it being spoon-fed to us. This is my bag, as you are probably aware. The slow-burn romance between Fenn and Morgrim the sorcerer is very well paced and there are political machinations going on behind the scenes that gradually become clear to both the reader and Fenn. I loved their relationship dynamic. Hard recommend!

The Salisbury Key by Harper Fox (audio)

Cover, audiobook, Harper Fox, The Salisbury Key

There’s a lot of pain in this story. Warnings for suicide, grief and the trauma that falls out from them. It’s a long time since I read it and because the audio is much slower than I read myself, I think the grief had much more impact on me. Dan is devastated when his older partner kills himself, and sets himself to find out why through the haze of emotion and guilt he’s surrounded by. He meets a young soldier, Rain, who he has an instant connection with and together they open a can of worms containing biological weapons and evil. It’s a bit of an odd mixture with the archaeology thread, but it works really well and it’s a favourite of mine. The narration is perfect. I loved Rain’s voice in particular. Recommend.

The Green Man’s Heir by Juliet E. McKenna

I came across this via a twitter rec and it’s glorious. The MC is the son of a dryad and a human. He can see supernatural creatures but is not one himself…dryad’s sons are long lived and heal easily, but only their daughters are actual dryads. Our hero, Dan, is an itinerant carpenter, vaguely searching for other men like him–he wants to learn how they cope with living in a modern age of computer ID and registration when they don’t age as swiftly as humans. He has dreams that he interprets as messages from the Green Man, guiding him here and there across the country. In Derbyshire, he stumbles onto a murder that turns out to have a supernatural element and becomes involved with a local estate that has a dragon problem. This is a first in series and I’m about to begin the second. It’s lovely writing…rooted in the countryside and in English myth with likeable, rich characters that kept me turning the pages. Highly recommend.

That’s it for this week!