Rainbow Awards: Best Gay Historical
And the Rainbow Award goes to:
1) Alan Chin - The Lonely War (Zumaya Publications)
This is a very demanding but oh-so-rewarding book. While I don't know if I would read it again--at 303 pages which included some rough passages I'd rather not experience again--I can honestly say that this is a book that deserves to be read by fans of m/m who want a more realistic angle OR maybe something that is slightly off-center. It's a brilliant novel. One I'm happy I got the chance to immerse myself in. --Luce
This, I have to say, was the Jewel in the Crown of my Rainbow Award books. It was an EXCELLENT read. It kept me rapt and I can honestly say, that I never, ever, not once, knew what would happen next - but when whatever it was unfolded, I believed it. This, for me, represents very good quality writing. It is not predictable, it is realistic, emotionally engaging, engrossing and very well written. A truly worthy contender for the top spot in this category in my opinion. --Rosie
Andrew Waters, son of an American diplomat and a Chinese mother, already has two strikes against him when he joins the crew of the USS Pilgrim not long after Pearl Harbor--his mixed heritage and his pacifism. He never expects he will fall in love with his handsome commanding officer. The crew of the Pilgrim is captured and sent to the notorious Changi POW camp. The man Andrew loves will die without proper medical treatment. To save his life, Andrew makes a choice that could destroy not just his future but his life.
2) Donald Hardy - Lovers' Knot (Running Press)
My first historical and surprisingly great w/ mystery and paranormal aspects to it. Thanks for this - who knows how long I would have gone without reading a historical if it weren't for your contest! : ) --Ethan D.
This was a wondefully told story-and for the M/M genre it rises well above most. The characters were well developed and quite real (important), the setting was marvellous, and the story was one that will not only keep you interested but will linger. I loved the supernatural element and all that went with it. A nice big thumbs up for this one. Love the Cover TOO!!! --Robert
Jonathan Williams has inherited Trevaglan Farm from a distant relative. With his best friend, Alayne, in tow, Jonathan returns to the estate to take possession, meet the current staff, and generally learn what it’s like to live as the landed gentry now. He’d only been there once before, fourteen years earlier. But that was a different time, he’s a different person now, determined to put that experience out of his mind and his heart….The locals agree that Jonathan is indeed different from the lost young man he was that long ago summer, when he arrived at the farm for a stay after his mother died. Back then the hot summer days were filled with sunshine, the nearby ocean, and a new friend, Nat. Jonathan and the farmhand had quickly grown close, Jonathan needing comfort in the wake of his grief, and Nat basking in the peace and love he didn’t have at home.But that was also a summer of rumors and strange happenings in the surrounding countryside, romantic triangles and wronged lovers. Tempers would flare like a summer lightning storm, and ebb just as quickly. By the summer’s end, one young man was dead, and another haunted for life.Now Jonathan is determined to start anew. Until he starts seeing the ghost of his former friend everywhere he looks. Until mementos of that summer idyll reappear. Until Alayne’s life is in danger. Until the town’s resident witch tells Jonathan that ghosts are real. And this one is tied to Jonathan unto death…
3) George Gardiner - The Hadrian Enigma (GMP Editions)
I have never read anything by this author so was a little worried. however i enjoyed both the storyline and characters and will be looking for more books by this author in the future. --Lyne
Overall a very good effort. Thorough research, an interesting a plausible resolution to an age old mystery. There were no short cuts taken, the work was full bodied, interesting, full of facts and very well done. --Rosie
LUST. LOVE. REVENGE. COMING-OUT. An emperor's search for love destroys the very person he most adores. Crime/mystery/romance historical fiction based upon real events and characters of pagan Rome. Set two centuries before Rome's recognition of Christians, it is an era of intrigue, torrid relations, raging ambition, wild sensuality, & unconventional love. Caesar Hadrian's 'favorite' is found one dawn beneath the waters of the River Nile. Is it a prank gone wrong, a suicide, murder, or something far more sinister? Barrister & historian, Suetonius Tranquillus, & his courtesan companion Surisca are allowed two days to uncover the truth on pain of penalty. They discover more than they bargained for ...
Honorable Mention:
4) M. Kei - Pirates of the Narrow Seas 1: The Salle Rovers (Lulu Press / Bristlecone Pine Press)
5) K.A. Mitchell - An Improper Holiday (Samhain Publishing)
6) Charlie Cochrane - Lessons in Trust (Samhain Publishing)
7-tie) Johnny Miles - Casa Rodrigo (Loose Id)
Ruth Sims - Counterpoint (Dreamspinner Press)
9) Jane Elliot - End of Trail (Manifold Press)
10) Fae Sutherland & Marguerite Labbe - Lotus in the Wild (Dreamspinner Press)