Readers of this blog might remember how I more-than-occasionally whine about the lack of high-quality SF&F with explicit M/M elements.
Well, since many of the mainstream SF&F publishers are late to the party, it’s a good thing M/M e-rom publishers like Dreamspinner are stepping up and pushing boundaries. I have the honor today of reviewing one of their latest offerings: Rewakening by Amy Rae Durreson.
From the publisher’s blurb: For a thousand years, since their defeat of the Shadow at Eyr, the dragons have slept under the mountains. Now their king, Tarnamell, has woken. Driven mad by loneliness, he hurls himself south until he finds and tries to claim the Alagard Desert. Unfortunately, the desert already has a guardian spirit, and he doesn’t want to share. Amused by the cocky little desert spirit, Tarn retreats, planning to return in human form.
When his caravan enters the desert, however, Alagard is missing. Rumors fly of a dark power, and soon Tarn’s caravan encounters the living dead and an amnesiac mage called Gard.
This is a jewel of a book. As a well-told fantasy tale, it stands comfortably alongside mainstream fantasy works by Tanya Huff, Misty Lackey, Diane Duane, and Lynn Flewelling. Where the latter authors have been constrained in keeping their M/M character relationships somewhat censored, Dreamspinner allows Durreson to cut loose.
The sex scenes are sublimely emotional and joyously filthy. And…drumroll…they have a reason to be part of the actual story. There’s also a rich undercurrent of affection between Tarn and all his chosen mortals. Positive M/M and F/F relationships are celebrated among the supporting characters, helping them become more than cardboard props. Themes of tolerance and intolerance add serious notes to the book without turning it into a polemic.
Durreson’s worldbuilding is far better than I’ve seen in many e-rom ‘fantasy’ novels from authors unfamiliar with the larger fantasy genre. Durreson knows her stuff, but doesn’t waste time proving she can spin overwrought worlds alongside Martin and Tolkien. There’s enough depth and untold history in her universe to satisfy and intrigue me. She’s not afraid to introduce dark fantasy and horror elements, which is refreshing.
The plot is reasonably strong, with one plot twist I saw coming the moment it was foreshadowed – but the way it was revealed was a shock to me. The Big Misunderstanding and the Black Moment, staples of ‘traditional’ romance, are here as well, but handled believably as part of character growth and culture clashes.
I’m hoping this is the first of a series, but I’ll be looking for more works from Amy Rae Durreson and Dreamspinner Press.
Buy links:
Dreamspinner Press http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4598
AllRomance e-books https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-reawakening-1396646-143.html