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saphirablue 's review for:
Nor Iron Bars a Cage
by Kaje Harper
Wow. This is one of the best stories I've ever read. Just, wow.
I don't know where to start. The story? The characters? The world? Everything is just so good.
I'm in love with the characters. Lyon and Tobin are awesome and Xan and King Faro are wonderful supporting characters.
Lyon and his ordeal just about broke my heart. But, I love that you can see from the first moment on how strong he is and that he won't give up (even when he thinks that he gave up) and keeps going on when everybody else would think that now the point has come where he finally breaks.
And Tobin? *swoons* Wonderful friend and later lover. I love that he sees how strong Lyon is and doesn't give up believing in him. That he is there when Lyon has nightmares, flashbacks and hyper viligence and that he is there when Lyon is laughing and having a good time. Supports and loves him in the good and the bad times...
I think that this is the most realistic portrayal of PTSD and its "symptoms" and how it effects people that I've ever read (as far as someone who doesn't have to deal with it can say). I love, love, love that Lyon wasn't suddenly alright when Tobin showed up as a friend and later as a lover. That even though Lyon trusted Tobin not everything was good and over and suddenly no effects of the PTSD were there anymore. On the contrary, we see that love doesn't magically erase PTSD and that there is no healing sex/cock (as much as we sometimes hope and wish for it and flee into books/fics in order to have love and sex conquer it).
Also, the portrayal of what Lyon is and isn't able to do due to his hurt hand was realistic too.
That being said - I almost didn't read the story due to the warning for self harm and I almost stopped when Lyon started to "play" with the knife and started cutting himself. I kept on reading because of the good writting and because I already liked Lyon as a character very much and I don't regret it (that the self harm part was very short and then only mentioned but never graphical shown again helped).
The world was great. Sorcerer being able to summon ghosts. Magic and knowledge being lost. Wonderful. The story itself with the danger of an invasion, the secret tunnel, the summoning of Xan and everything else - great! It was thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat and I really enjoyed reading these parts as well.
All in all - a great "short" story.
I don't know where to start. The story? The characters? The world? Everything is just so good.
I'm in love with the characters. Lyon and Tobin are awesome and Xan and King Faro are wonderful supporting characters.
Lyon and his ordeal just about broke my heart. But, I love that you can see from the first moment on how strong he is and that he won't give up (even when he thinks that he gave up) and keeps going on when everybody else would think that now the point has come where he finally breaks.
And Tobin? *swoons* Wonderful friend and later lover. I love that he sees how strong Lyon is and doesn't give up believing in him. That he is there when Lyon has nightmares, flashbacks and hyper viligence and that he is there when Lyon is laughing and having a good time. Supports and loves him in the good and the bad times...
I think that this is the most realistic portrayal of PTSD and its "symptoms" and how it effects people that I've ever read (as far as someone who doesn't have to deal with it can say). I love, love, love that Lyon wasn't suddenly alright when Tobin showed up as a friend and later as a lover. That even though Lyon trusted Tobin not everything was good and over and suddenly no effects of the PTSD were there anymore. On the contrary, we see that love doesn't magically erase PTSD and that there is no healing sex/cock (as much as we sometimes hope and wish for it and flee into books/fics in order to have love and sex conquer it).
Also, the portrayal of what Lyon is and isn't able to do due to his hurt hand was realistic too.
That being said - I almost didn't read the story due to the warning for self harm and I almost stopped when Lyon started to "play" with the knife and started cutting himself. I kept on reading because of the good writting and because I already liked Lyon as a character very much and I don't regret it (that the self harm part was very short and then only mentioned but never graphical shown again helped).
The world was great. Sorcerer being able to summon ghosts. Magic and knowledge being lost. Wonderful. The story itself with the danger of an invasion, the secret tunnel, the summoning of Xan and everything else - great! It was thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat and I really enjoyed reading these parts as well.
All in all - a great "short" story.