A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R. W. Day
Publisher: Lethe Press
Genre: GLBT, M/M Romance, Speculative Fiction
Book Purchased by Reviewer
Summary: The Ice fell upon the world nearly a hundred years ago, and if civilization didn’t rightly collapse, it surely staggered and fell ill a while. In the small town of Moline, Virginia, folks struggle to survive, relying on hybrid seed sent by the faraway Dept. of Reintroduction and Agriculture and their own faith in God and hard work. But when a mated pair of dragons starts hunting the countryside, stealing sheep, and attacking children, the townsfolk quickly learn that they don’t have the weapons or the skills to fight off such predators.
David Anderson is a farmer’s son who has explored the world through books. When he meets the new healer in town, Callan Landers, he doesn’t quite know what to make of the strange warmth stealing over him. It’s not until he surprises Callan with another man—and both men are promptly arrested for sodomy—that David finally realizes the truth about his own feelings.
When David and Callan stumble over a secret in a nearby abandoned town, their personal problems fade before government politics and corruption that threaten lives. It seems the dragons aren’t the worst dangers facing Moline.
Jaime's Review: Books that grip me and make me care about the main character right from page one are rare. This is one of those books. Along about chapter two, I wanted to pluck David out of the story and keep him safe and give him all the things he ever wanted in life. Of course, the author had other ideas. She made him work for his Happily Ever After. And he worked. He earned every happy moment, and the struggle was heart wrenching. His love interest, Callan, had just as hard a time. Together, they had hurdles to overcome that seemed impossible. And yet, they managed it, somehow, and came out the other side. For the love story, this is one of the best books I've ever read.
The characters were sympathetic to start with. Life put them through the ringer, and
instead of falling and crumbling under the pressure, they grew, tried harder, did better, and prevailed. David stayed true to what he was taught; to do what was right no matter what the people around him tried to tell him, and it worked out in the end. Callan had to learn to trust, to let the people who love him help him. Through the story, both characters find their inner strength to go it alone, and then manage to find each other.
The plot of this story is billed as speculative fiction, but for the most part, feels much more like historical with some fantasy elements. I'm not sure how much speculation is present. The society that a natural disaster produces in this story is possibly a speculative version of how things might develop, but I would like to think if we were suddenly thrust back into the dark ages, we might be able to retain a bit more open mindedness than what Day has depicted. As for the other elements, the dragons, the government, and the left over technology, the end of the tale of romance came before some of it was adequately explained. Now, maybe there was an original plan for a sequel. There is certainly fodder for another adventure set in this world. I, personally, would love to see what Day does with the remnants of the story she's left open. I think too much of the speculative bits were left hanging to make this a satisfying read for those who are looking for that kind of a story.
Now, I have to say that I read this story because I love gay romance, and the men in this story are just my kind of guys. This was a superb story of love overcoming tremendous odds and finding a way to bring peace and understanding not just to the men involved, but to their entire community, their families, and making their world a little bit better than how they found it.
My Recommendation: If you are looking for speculative fiction, you might be disappointed with this offering. However, if you're looking for a great romance, there is no better book I can recommend. I will remember David and Callan for a long time. They touched my heart as very few romance couples ever have.
Rated 5 Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read by Jaime!
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Publisher: Lethe Press
Genre: GLBT, M/M Romance, Speculative Fiction
Book Purchased by ReviewerSummary: The Ice fell upon the world nearly a hundred years ago, and if civilization didn’t rightly collapse, it surely staggered and fell ill a while. In the small town of Moline, Virginia, folks struggle to survive, relying on hybrid seed sent by the faraway Dept. of Reintroduction and Agriculture and their own faith in God and hard work. But when a mated pair of dragons starts hunting the countryside, stealing sheep, and attacking children, the townsfolk quickly learn that they don’t have the weapons or the skills to fight off such predators.
David Anderson is a farmer’s son who has explored the world through books. When he meets the new healer in town, Callan Landers, he doesn’t quite know what to make of the strange warmth stealing over him. It’s not until he surprises Callan with another man—and both men are promptly arrested for sodomy—that David finally realizes the truth about his own feelings.
When David and Callan stumble over a secret in a nearby abandoned town, their personal problems fade before government politics and corruption that threaten lives. It seems the dragons aren’t the worst dangers facing Moline.
Jaime's Review: Books that grip me and make me care about the main character right from page one are rare. This is one of those books. Along about chapter two, I wanted to pluck David out of the story and keep him safe and give him all the things he ever wanted in life. Of course, the author had other ideas. She made him work for his Happily Ever After. And he worked. He earned every happy moment, and the struggle was heart wrenching. His love interest, Callan, had just as hard a time. Together, they had hurdles to overcome that seemed impossible. And yet, they managed it, somehow, and came out the other side. For the love story, this is one of the best books I've ever read.
The characters were sympathetic to start with. Life put them through the ringer, and
instead of falling and crumbling under the pressure, they grew, tried harder, did better, and prevailed. David stayed true to what he was taught; to do what was right no matter what the people around him tried to tell him, and it worked out in the end. Callan had to learn to trust, to let the people who love him help him. Through the story, both characters find their inner strength to go it alone, and then manage to find each other.The plot of this story is billed as speculative fiction, but for the most part, feels much more like historical with some fantasy elements. I'm not sure how much speculation is present. The society that a natural disaster produces in this story is possibly a speculative version of how things might develop, but I would like to think if we were suddenly thrust back into the dark ages, we might be able to retain a bit more open mindedness than what Day has depicted. As for the other elements, the dragons, the government, and the left over technology, the end of the tale of romance came before some of it was adequately explained. Now, maybe there was an original plan for a sequel. There is certainly fodder for another adventure set in this world. I, personally, would love to see what Day does with the remnants of the story she's left open. I think too much of the speculative bits were left hanging to make this a satisfying read for those who are looking for that kind of a story.
Now, I have to say that I read this story because I love gay romance, and the men in this story are just my kind of guys. This was a superb story of love overcoming tremendous odds and finding a way to bring peace and understanding not just to the men involved, but to their entire community, their families, and making their world a little bit better than how they found it.
My Recommendation: If you are looking for speculative fiction, you might be disappointed with this offering. However, if you're looking for a great romance, there is no better book I can recommend. I will remember David and Callan for a long time. They touched my heart as very few romance couples ever have.
Rated 5 Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read by Jaime!
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