Tag Archives: lgbtq

bitterwood

Book Review of Bitterwood, by Rowan Speedwell

BitterwoodI received a copy of Bitterwood, by Rowan Speedwell from Netgalley.

Description from Goodreads:
Outrunning a winter storm in the north, Captain Faran of the King’s Guard leads his men and a young mage named Meric to shelter at Bitterwood Manor, the ancestral home of the Daenes. Faran and his troops have been searching for weeks for a mysterious, lion-like beast that reportedly haunts the uncharted northern woods. For Meric, finding that prophesied cat is a matter of life and death.

Though Faran is deeply focused on their mission, the enigmatic Joss Daene, Lord of Bitterwood, fascinates him. Strong and proud, Joss is everything Faran wants in a lover. More, if he were honest. But Joss belongs to Bitterwood, and Faran to his duty.

Together they will need to brave the oldest, darkest part of the Bitterwood in the coldest, deepest snows of winter to find the legendary cat. But time is running out—for Meric, for the kingdom, and for Faran and Joss’s fledgling love.

Review:
This was a cute, sweet story of little depth but plenty of ‘aww’ moments. For flat out feel-goods this is worth picking up. If you’re looking for fleshed out characters or significant plotting, maybe not so much. I thought everyone was just a little too goody-goody to be taken seriously. Everyone was kind, considerate, generous, and instantly in love. Again, it was sweet and I enjoyed it, but it’s not to be taken seriously.

I was however thrilled to see that the mystery of the Daene cat didn’t work out the way I expected and a surprise is always a nice thing to find. Similarly, I liked that the mature, softer around the middle people got a love story too. That is a rare thing. So, for those who like prioritize heart and flowers over twisty plots, this will likely be a winner.

Documenting light

Book Review of Documenting Light, by EE Ottoman

Documenting LightI bought a copy of Documenting Light, by EE Ottoman.

Description from Goodreads:
If you look for yourself in the past and see nothing, how do you know who you are? How do you know that you are supposed to be here?

When Wyatt brings an unidentified photograph to the local historical society, he hopes staff historian Grayson will tell him more about the people in the picture. The subjects in the mysterious photograph sit side by side, their hands close but not touching. One is dark, the other fair. Both wear men’s suits.

Were they friends? Lovers? Business partners? Curiosity drives Grayson and Wyatt to dig deep for information, and the more they learn, the more they begin to wonder — about the photograph, and about themselves.

Grayson has lost his way. He misses the family and friends who anchored him before his transition and the confidence that drove him as a high-achieving graduate student. Wyatt lives in a similar limbo, caring for an ill mother, worrying about money, unsure how and when he might be able to express his nonbinary gender publicly. The growing attraction between Wyatt and Grayson is terrifying — and incredibly exciting.

As Grayson and Wyatt discover the power of love to provide them with safety and comfort in the present, they find new ways to write the unwritten history of their own lives and the lives of people like them. With sympathy and cutting insight, Ottoman offers a tour de force exploration of contemporary trans identity.

Review:
I devoured this thing! It arrived with the afternoon post, about 3:30pm and I finished before going to sleep. I hardly set it down long enough to eat dinner and put the kiddos to bed.

Grayson and Wyatt make an incredibly cute, though painfully awkward couple. They and their budding relationship are sweat and slow to boil. There’s sex, but it’s not the point. These are two people learning to love and accept each-other and themselves.

It’s not a flashy plot, but it’s darned effective. And some of this is affected by the importance of the mundane. They must make tea, cook dinner and wash dishes a dozen times in the course of the book. And while I felt that repetition, I also recognized that this was two people living life. Meals get made, laundry gets washed, carpets need vacuuming. People fall in love and find new purposes in life. Who needs billionaires bad boys or alien, monkey, space pirates for that?

I did think some of the book’s themes were telegraphed a little too aggressively, eclipsing the story in favor of the occasionally didactic message. But more often than not it managed to find the right balance and the writing is just beautiful.

As an aside, have I mentioned how much I love ordering physical books from Brain Mill? The book geek in me gets all sorts of breathless. The first editions are always lovely, with color embellishments and come signed.

EE Ottoman signature


What I’m drinking: Bigelow Classic Oolong. This is currently my favorite oolong tea, with a depth I’ve not found in other oolongs. I keep claiming that I’m going to take a bag into on of my local tea shops, either Traveling Tea or The London Tea Merchant, ask them to brew it up and recommend a fancy loose-leave version. In the mean time, I think I might be keeping Bigelow in business going through as many boxes as I do. That, by the way, is my favorite mug; all crooked and oddly glazed. I love it.

Lineage

Book Review of Lineage (Masters of the Lines #1), by Angela Fiddler

LineageI downloaded Lineage, by Angela Fiddler (aka Barbara Geiger) from Amazon. It was, and still is, free.

Description from Goodreads:
Love didn’t just kick you when it were down; it staked you out and turned you into a vampire. Not that Vision was bitter. His ex-lover taught him nothing lasts forever, while his ex-master taught him to submit and the fine art of not resisting silk restraints. In exchange, Vision let both of them keep their heads. He considered it a fair trade-off. 

Now Vision is a master, but still finds himself wanting to be on his knees. 

Enter Hanz. He’s just a driver, but he knows what Vision wants and how to make it sting the way Vision likes most. 

Vision won’t be fooled again. Sure, Hanz is sweet. The respect feels genuine, and, what’s worse, he honestly seems to love Vision. Older, wiser masters counsel Vision against Hanz. And, of course, they’re right. Hanz does have something to hide.And, as if on cue, along comes Vision’s ex-lover, the cause of and solution to being kicked, staked, and vamped. Vision is caught again, and this time not with ropes and silk. Now if he can only keep his neck and his heart intact…

Review:
Did I read a different book than everyone else? Because this has pretty good reviews, but I thought it was a bloomin’ hot mess! Half of it is in flashbacks, which honestly is better written than the scenes in the present, but better isn’t good. There is no interaction between Vision and Hanz before a single aborted sex scene and them deciding they were in love forever. None you guys! There was far too much sex. It cluttered up the already choppy narrative, but more than that it was utterly random. Like people standing in a hallway and one suddenly dropping to his knees to blow the other. What? Why?

The book is labeled #1, but there is obviously history somewhere and I REALLY felt the lack of it. The world isn’t explained. Vampires tapping ley lines, cool, but why? How? Is that what makes you a Master? Why don’t male and female vampires interact? Are they all gay? Why did Bethany need Hanz’s sister’s blood to turn him? What is a talent and how do you get one? No idea.

There are plot holes. Vampires need to be released from their previous masters, but Vision was never released from his. So, how’s that work? Plot points aren’t explained. Vision is the only master with two territories. I know where one came from. Where did he get the second? No idea. Vision is supposed to have betrayed all his masters. How? No idea.

Then, the whole thing ended by introducing a new character and a cliffhanger. Really? Yeah, I wasn’t happy with this one.