Between States: Beneath A Yankee Sky by J.M. Snyder
In this excellent second installment in J.M. Snyder’s Between States series, Brance and Caleb are struggling to survive in the wild, hiding their true nature as deserters and werecats from everyone and everything . When trappers approach their little patch of the woods, Brance struggles to determine the best course of action. Should they run as far as possible? Should they try to talk to the men? Should they stay and try to survive until the full moon is gone?
This story has the deep focus on nature and amazing perspective that I loved about Under A Confederate Moon. Unlike the first book, this story takes a close look at the rougher, crueler side of nature and mankind. This is not a relaxing story. I can imagine it surprised many readers. The feel of this story is in many ways the opposite of the feel of the first book. Where the first book evoked feelings of freedom, power, happiness and the beauty of nature, this book features hunger, pain, sadness, frustration and helplessness. The emotions are vivid, dramatic and no less beautiful for their darkness. While it was, at times, hard to read about the reality of Brance and Caleb’s life, it was easy to see how much they love each other and how important they are to one another.
Once again, J.M. managed to surprise me by taking a risk and writing a love story that is real, powerful and oh so right for the characters, even if it doesn’t fit the “formula” many readers might have expected. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to read the next chapter in Brance and Caleb’s life. Pick this one up when you are looking for an impactful, beautiful story with a nice dose of angst.
Between States Series:
Under A Confederate Moon - http://boylove-addict.livejournal.com/9698.html
Beneath A Yankee Sky
A More Perfect Union
More information about the Between States series in J.M. Snyder’s website:
http://jmsnyder.net/books/bstates/index.html