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Pyromancer

Book Review of Pyromancer, by Amanda Young

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PyromancerI downloaded a copy of Amanda Young‘s Pyromancer in March of this year, when it was free.

Description from Goodreads:
Christian Ryder is cursed with pyromancy, a deadly ability he has difficulty controlling. Having hurt lovers in the past, he has sworn off personal attachments. 

Tanner O’Bannon is broke and desperate. The recent loss of his father has thrown Tanner into a tailspin of debt he can’t afford to pay. Working as a rent boy allows him to pay the mortgage and his college tuition, but it’s burning away his soul in the process. 

Through the machinations of an escort agency these men are thrown together. Smoldering embers of desire fan the flames of love, but will it be enough to make Christian overcome his fear of love, or to save Tanner from the fire?

Review:
The writing here is actually pretty good. The language is perfectly readable and though the editing is a little rough, it’s not overly distracting. Plus, the characters are likable. However, the story itself is a bit of a flop. It’s a shame too, because I think it has a lot of potential that just isn’t developed.

To start with, the pyromancy didn’t seem to have anything to do with anything. In the beginning we’re told this is a huge problem in Christian’s life and it keeps him from being able to live normally. Then, for 90% of the book he goes about life just fine, with no ill effects from the pyromancy at all. In fact, it’s not even mentioned for the vast majority of the book.

This pattern of telling the reader that a character is unable or unwilling to do something and then having them blithely turn around and do it is repeated several times in the book. In fact, it was so prevalent that the whole book felt compromised by it. In a very real sense the plot is based on the stated fact that Christian can’t have close ties to anyone and then he falls for the first person he sees, develops deep feelings for them and nothing bad happens. And we’re not led to believe this was a mistaken belief on Christians part, but a departure from past events. I have to ask why.

To complicate this compromised feeling, the world isn’t at all defined. The reader is never told how or why Christian can control fire, or if anyone else can.

Lastly, and completely a personal pet peeve, but the author uses ‘his lover’ to describe the characters during emotional scenes and I thought that distanced them to the point I couldn’t wholly connect. And, even worse, Tanner is referred to as ‘the kid’ for a lot of the book, especially during sex scenes. Sorry, I get a little wigged out by that. I know ‘the kid’ in question is 20 to Christian’s 32, but it still makes me a little twitchy.

All in all, it was an ok read, but not more.

Book Review of In the Absence of Light, by Adrienne Wilder

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In the Absence of LIghtI borrowed Adrienne Wilder‘s In the Absence of Light through Amazon Prime.

Description from Goodreads:
For years Grant Kessler has smuggled goods from one end of the world to the next. When business turns in a direction Grant isn’t willing to follow he decides to retire and by all appearances he settles down in a nowhere town called Durstrand. But his real plan is to wait a few years and let the FBI lose interest, then move on to the distant coastal life he’s always dreamed of. 

Severely autistic, Morgan cannot look people in the eye, tell left from right, and has uncontrolled tics. Yet he’s beaten every obstacle life has thrown his way. And when Grant Kessler moves into town Morgan isn’t a bit shy in letting the man know how much he wants him. 

While the attraction is mutual, Grant pushes Morgan away. Like the rest of the world he can’t see past Morgan’s odd behaviors. 

Then Morgan shows Grant how light lets you see but it also leaves you blind. And once Grant opens his eyes, he loses his heart to the beautiful enigma of a man who changes the course of his life.

Review:
A short review for this one. I loved it. It wasn’t perfect. It seemed a little long. The editing could use a bit more work. The prose occasionally got a little too purple. It strained credulity at times and the town of Durstrand was like Mayberry on crack. But I adored every minute of reading this book. It made me laugh and it gave me feelz. I appreciated that Grant was a little older, at 36, than the average romance hero and, though I don’t know enough about autism to know if it’s a realistic portrayal or not, I adored Morgan. I REALLY hope there is a sequel about Jeff in Miami. There really wasn’t any reason to tag some of the last chapter on if there isn’t one at least planned.

Book Review of The Soldier’s Scoundrel, by Cat Sebastian

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The Soldier's scoundrelI purchased a copy of Cat Sebastian‘s The Soldier’s Scoundrel. It was the buddy read in one of my favorite online groups.

Description from Goodreads:
A scoundrel who lives in the shadows
 
Jack Turner grew up in the darkness of London’s slums, born into a life of crime and willing to do anything to keep his belly full and his siblings safe. Now he uses the tricks and schemes of the underworld to help those who need the kind of assistance only a scoundrel can provide. His distrust of the nobility runs deep and his services do not extend to the gorgeous high-born soldier who personifies everything Jack will never be.  
 
A soldier untarnished by vice 
 
After the chaos of war, Oliver Rivington craves the safe predictability of a gentleman’s life-one that doesn’t include sparring with a ne’er-do-well who flouts the law at every turn. But Jack tempts Oliver like no other man has before. Soon his yearning for the unapologetic criminal is only matched by Jack’s pleasure in watching his genteel polish crumble every time they’re together.  
 
Two men only meant for each other

Review:
Really lovely, I thought. I enjoyed the way Oliver and Jack rubbed each-other the wrong way (when they weren’t rubbing each-other the right way). I enjoyed the way Oliver was almost boyish in his straight forward, goal-oriented pursuit of Jack and the way Jack enjoyed it despite himself. I liked that Jack was a bit older than the average romance hero and I liked the close friendships between the sister and her ‘companion.’

I did think the book a little too long, or at least longer than what seems to be the average for such books. The mystery especially seemed to take forever to come to a head. And, after all Jack’s protests about social position, I thought the ending didn’t adequately address how they were going to make their HEA work. But the writing was lovely. There was humor and feelz. I’m looking forward to reading more of Sebastian’s work.

On a side note: I understand the cover is a mimicry of the het historical romances Avon has published in the past (bodice rippers especially, I think), but I hate it. Do with that what you will.