Some more published M/M fiction
As the subject line says, some more published gay fiction under the cut.
Raised by Wolves by W.A. Hoffman
"John Williams, the Viscount of Marsdale, libertine, duelist, dilettante, haphazard philanthropist and philosopher, is asked by his estranged father to start a plantation in Jamaica in 1667. He doesn't realize that he is going to the right island for the wrong reasons until he meets buccaneers and learns he has far more in common with the wild Brethren of the Coast than he does with the nobility of Christendom. Still, he questions joining them and leaving his title and the plantation behind, until he meets Gaston the Ghoul, a mysterious French buccaneer who is purportedly mad. He quickly decides that the freedom of the buccaneer life and even the mere chance of love that a man such as Gaston might offer are better than anything he could ever inherit. But even though Gaston seems intrigued by him, can the crazy Frenchman ever love him?"
A lovely long, thick series. It takes much of the first book for our guys to get together, which is just what I like :). I like my relationships complicated! The only con is the overuse of the "wolves" metaphore. I will definitely read this series again.
Nightrunner by Lynn Flewelling
"When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things-none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be…Luck in the Shadows."
Seregil and Alec are characters that it is very easy to love. The books are fast paced & an easy read, good comfort fics.
The God Eaters (or here, for free) by Jesse Hajicek
"Hajicek has created a work of epic fiction with the God Eaters. Imagine a world not unlike the American Western Frontier of the 1800's--trains, guns, outlaws. Only here, the "Ivainians" are the persecuted minority, instead of Native Americans. In this world, people have Talents (pyrokinesis, empathy, etc.) The Commonwealth is determined to control everyone, especially Talents, with an iron hand. They use the White Watch to do so. Ivainians cannot hold certain jobs that whites can, and they have their Talents "burned" out of them. This is the world of Ash Trine and Keiran Trevarde.
Ash is sent to prison for writing treasonous pamphlets against the heinous actions of the government. Keiran is sent to prison for murder. In prison they are treated as guinea pigs for experiments on their Talents. They are tortured - as prisoners they are considered less than human. Yet, these two unlikely men will escape to confront reincarnated gods battling for supremacy over this world, and the freedom of all people. And maybe find the power to love again. "
I adored this one; I found Jesse's website and now adore his webcomic too. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale
"Belimai Sykes is many things: a Prodigal, the descendant of ancient demons, a creature of dark temptations and rare powers. He is also a man with a brutal past and a dangerous addiction. And Belimai Sykes is the only man Captain William Harper can turn to when faced with a series of grisly murders. But Mr. Sykes does not work for free and the price of Belimai's company will cost Captain Harper far more than his reputation. From the ornate mansions of noblemen, where vivisection and sorcery are hidden beneath a veneer of gold, to the steaming slums of Hells Below, Captain Harper must fight for justice and for his life. His enemies are many and his only ally is a devil he knows too well."
It's "Steampunk", which is a new genre for me. It's bleak, but in a good way. Good world-building, interesting characters, and a fast paced story.
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
"In the highly stratified world of Kushner's nameless old city, the aristocrats living in fine mansions on the Hill settle their differences by sending to the thieves' den of Riverside for swordsmen who will fight to the death for a point of someone else's honor. Young Lord Michael Godwin is so taken by these romantic figures that he studies the art himself until challenged by the best of them. Master of the Sword, Richard St. Vier is picky in his contracts and precise in his killing but he nevertheless becomes embroiled in the nobility's political, social and sexual intrigues. When his lover Alec is kidnapped by Lord Horn, St. Vier must take drastic action. Kushner's authorial voice may be somewhat smug and self-conscious but that suits her subject. Her novel is intelligent, humorous and dramatic, with a fine, malicious feeling for the operation of gossip in a closed society. "
This is a comfort read for me. It hits all my buttons: Richard and Alec don't express their feelings well through words, but when it comes down to it they express themselves quite clearly through actions.
That's all for now... I've moved on to The Slash Pile, so I won't be buying paper books until I've exhausted what I can find online!
Raised by Wolves by W.A. Hoffman
"John Williams, the Viscount of Marsdale, libertine, duelist, dilettante, haphazard philanthropist and philosopher, is asked by his estranged father to start a plantation in Jamaica in 1667. He doesn't realize that he is going to the right island for the wrong reasons until he meets buccaneers and learns he has far more in common with the wild Brethren of the Coast than he does with the nobility of Christendom. Still, he questions joining them and leaving his title and the plantation behind, until he meets Gaston the Ghoul, a mysterious French buccaneer who is purportedly mad. He quickly decides that the freedom of the buccaneer life and even the mere chance of love that a man such as Gaston might offer are better than anything he could ever inherit. But even though Gaston seems intrigued by him, can the crazy Frenchman ever love him?"
A lovely long, thick series. It takes much of the first book for our guys to get together, which is just what I like :). I like my relationships complicated! The only con is the overuse of the "wolves" metaphore. I will definitely read this series again.
Nightrunner by Lynn Flewelling
"When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things-none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be…Luck in the Shadows."
Seregil and Alec are characters that it is very easy to love. The books are fast paced & an easy read, good comfort fics.
The God Eaters (or here, for free) by Jesse Hajicek
"Hajicek has created a work of epic fiction with the God Eaters. Imagine a world not unlike the American Western Frontier of the 1800's--trains, guns, outlaws. Only here, the "Ivainians" are the persecuted minority, instead of Native Americans. In this world, people have Talents (pyrokinesis, empathy, etc.) The Commonwealth is determined to control everyone, especially Talents, with an iron hand. They use the White Watch to do so. Ivainians cannot hold certain jobs that whites can, and they have their Talents "burned" out of them. This is the world of Ash Trine and Keiran Trevarde.
Ash is sent to prison for writing treasonous pamphlets against the heinous actions of the government. Keiran is sent to prison for murder. In prison they are treated as guinea pigs for experiments on their Talents. They are tortured - as prisoners they are considered less than human. Yet, these two unlikely men will escape to confront reincarnated gods battling for supremacy over this world, and the freedom of all people. And maybe find the power to love again. "
I adored this one; I found Jesse's website and now adore his webcomic too. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale
"Belimai Sykes is many things: a Prodigal, the descendant of ancient demons, a creature of dark temptations and rare powers. He is also a man with a brutal past and a dangerous addiction. And Belimai Sykes is the only man Captain William Harper can turn to when faced with a series of grisly murders. But Mr. Sykes does not work for free and the price of Belimai's company will cost Captain Harper far more than his reputation. From the ornate mansions of noblemen, where vivisection and sorcery are hidden beneath a veneer of gold, to the steaming slums of Hells Below, Captain Harper must fight for justice and for his life. His enemies are many and his only ally is a devil he knows too well."
It's "Steampunk", which is a new genre for me. It's bleak, but in a good way. Good world-building, interesting characters, and a fast paced story.
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
"In the highly stratified world of Kushner's nameless old city, the aristocrats living in fine mansions on the Hill settle their differences by sending to the thieves' den of Riverside for swordsmen who will fight to the death for a point of someone else's honor. Young Lord Michael Godwin is so taken by these romantic figures that he studies the art himself until challenged by the best of them. Master of the Sword, Richard St. Vier is picky in his contracts and precise in his killing but he nevertheless becomes embroiled in the nobility's political, social and sexual intrigues. When his lover Alec is kidnapped by Lord Horn, St. Vier must take drastic action. Kushner's authorial voice may be somewhat smug and self-conscious but that suits her subject. Her novel is intelligent, humorous and dramatic, with a fine, malicious feeling for the operation of gossip in a closed society. "
This is a comfort read for me. It hits all my buttons: Richard and Alec don't express their feelings well through words, but when it comes down to it they express themselves quite clearly through actions.
That's all for now... I've moved on to The Slash Pile, so I won't be buying paper books until I've exhausted what I can find online!