I purchased a paperback copy of Kasia Bacon‘s Twenty-one Arrow Salute some time ago. I’m not sure why it’s sat unattended for so long.
Verhan Tŭrryés of Black Mountain is a handful.
Freshly enlisted in the Highland Regiment, he does all he can to steer clear of responsibility and commitment. Just not his cup of mead, that. Loose of tongue and even looser of morals, he rarely misses an opportunity to get into trouble—and into the other archers’ knickers, too.
In a unit composed almost entirely of Dark Elves, Hernan Seinnés, with his green eyes and auburn hair, is an outsider. When Verhan, up the creek again, is blackmailed into helping Hernan, he never expects to fall for him. But during the long hours spent training Hernan for the Honour Guard, feelings strike the Highlander right in the heart—and with the force of an arrow.
Unversed in relationships, Verhan finally plucks up enough courage to tell Hernan how he feels, only to drive the Asirhwӱnian away instead. If Verhan can swallow his pride, he might get one last chance to show Hernan what he means to him—and maybe this time he can hit the mark.
I had this marked as READ in my Calibre file, but hadn’t written a review for it. Which left me in an uncertain space. Had I read it? Yes…no…maybe. In the end, I decided to either read it or re-read it. And I’m glad I did. I so love Bacon’s use of feels, sarcasm, and characterization. But so many of her works are too short for me. (Just a personal preference kind of thing.) This is a bit longer, but still full of all the character, feeling, and wit I adore in her shorter works. (In fact, it’s longer, so it has more even.) I’m so happy to have read it…for the first time or not. 
Other Reviews:
https://thenovelapproachreviews.com/review-twenty-one-arrow-salute-by-kasia-bacon/
