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hibkei's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it!
This was such a joy to read. The most outstanding aspect being the way that Adares and Rus related to each other. Their ease and real friendship were a delight. They were so easy to root for and the world around them was so beautifully crafted by the author.
This is the kind of book I'd be happy to reread and enjoy all over again.
This was such a joy to read. The most outstanding aspect being the way that Adares and Rus related to each other. Their ease and real friendship were a delight. They were so easy to root for and the world around them was so beautifully crafted by the author.
This is the kind of book I'd be happy to reread and enjoy all over again.
jamiereadthis's review against another edition
4.0
And a new contender emerges for my favorites list of ’19. A sneak attack, this one. I would have been content with the first half of the story— the story I expected— but then the second half happened, and I had that tight-chest feeling, delighted, absolutely sucked in, staying up way past my bedtime to find out what next. These guys made me laugh. And hope. And care. Any book that transports me that much has got to go in the list.
susanscribs's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a while to get into this book, primarily because it was difficult at first to reconcile the ancient setting (fantasy version of Britain during the fall of the Roman Empire) with the very contemporary dialogue of the two MCs. But once I got into the flow, I really enjoyed it. Adares and Rus are technically enemies, but from the first scene when they save either other's lives in the aftermath of deadly battle, they work together to survive. They are friends first for long time, primarily due to Rus' position as a chaste holy man in his kingdom, but that just makes the love story better because the sexual tension builds with every interaction. The romance is both sweet and saucy (Rus has tattoos EVERYWHERE), and it isn't difficult to believe that the men are in love after only a few days together. The HEA lost a few sparkle points when Adares admitted he couldn't remain faithful if they weren't living in the same city , but overall a very enjoyable read. I hope the author will continue to explore this genre.
terriaminute's review against another edition
1.0
I'm abandoning this early on. Too slow for me, too much dry dialogue.
danceswithlife's review against another edition
While I enjoyed the novel in this universe, this shorter story couldn't keep my attention.
goodbyepuckpie's review against another edition
4.0
This was really charming. It's very exposition-heavy, especially to start with, but somehow pulls that off in a way that made me want to keep reading even more.
kjcharles's review against another edition
This was absolutely delightful. Set in an alt-Mediterranean sort of world, with a Germanicish tribe at war with Greekish colonisers. Rus, a fighting priest, digs out a trapped fallen soldier from the aftermath of a battle, without realising the warrior he's saving is the enemy. Adares, who is more an administrator, then saves Rus from his poisoned arrow wound, and the two hole up in a temple to recuperate, falling in love on the way.
It's beautifully written (and very well edited, which makes a glorious change), with fascinating worldbuilding that supports the characters, a lovely romance that manages to be both moving and unsentimental, and lots of chewy and intriguing thoughts. Plus, it pulls off the rare trick of making you feel better about people. There's no villain per se: the problem is human stupidity and obduracy, but this is one of those books that believes people can learn and do better, and makes the reader believe it too.
I read it in a sitting and enjoyed every minute. And how nice to have a historical set in the long past, too. Highly recommended, off to get more by this author.
It's beautifully written (and very well edited, which makes a glorious change), with fascinating worldbuilding that supports the characters, a lovely romance that manages to be both moving and unsentimental, and lots of chewy and intriguing thoughts. Plus, it pulls off the rare trick of making you feel better about people. There's no villain per se: the problem is human stupidity and obduracy, but this is one of those books that believes people can learn and do better, and makes the reader believe it too.
I read it in a sitting and enjoyed every minute. And how nice to have a historical set in the long past, too. Highly recommended, off to get more by this author.
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