REVIEW: Anything For A Dollar by Todd Gregory!!

"What would you do to make a buck?

They are the objects of desire—dancing on the bar or on boxes at circuit parties, performing for either the video camera or their own webcams, or coming to you for a night of passion at a price.

But they aren’t gods. They are men with needs and desires of their own, fantasy men with fantasies of their own. Some of today’s top writers of gay erotica take on the notion of using your body to make a living—and the result is a collection of erotica so steamy it might burn your hands.

Handle with care!"

While I'm not necessarily into books about people selling themselves for money, not because I'm a prude, but because those books tend to be just a way for the author to write about people having sex, often violent and the story be damned, "Anything For A Dollar" manages to avoid this!

There were a couple of a odd stories that I did not like because they didn't feel authentic and I did not connect with the characters, but for 90% of the book, I really enjoyed everything!

The men in this book are people who are in need to for security and they are willing to have sex or fulfill fetishes for this cash, while struggling with their own inner turmoil that have nothing to do with their need for money. This fact most definitely helped make the characters both more complex and more likeable, because while yes, they often had sex with random guys because they liked the sex, they were also trying to "fix" something within themselves and that's what makes for a good read. The anthology and nearly every story had an actual plot, if not, a message of trust, identity, relationship, pain/pleasure and love.

The stories while having actual plots can get graphic and aggressive and strange, but it is to be expected. If this is not your thing, don't read.

I read the book in about three hours, so buy it and spend a rainy afternoon with it! Its worth the read!

-A

REVIEW: Light by 'Nathan Burgoine!!

"Kieran Quinn is a bit telepathic, a little psychokinetic, and very gay—three things that have gotten him through life perfectly well so far—but when self-styled prophet Wyatt Jackson arrives during Pride Week, things take a violent turn.

Kieran’s powers are somewhat underwhelming but do have a habit of refracting light into spectacular rainbows for him to hide behind. Even so, it’s not long before Kieran is struggling to maintain his own anonymity while battling wits with a handsome cop, getting some flirting in with a hunky leather man, saving some drag queens, and escaping the worst blind date in history. It’s enough to make a fledgling hero want to give up before he even begins.

One thing’s for sure: saving the day has never been so fabulous."

I loved this book!

Action packed, dangerous, sexy, funny and dramatic!

Kieran was a witty and realistic character whose ability to refract light might seem silly to the max, but because of Burgoines' writing skill, it made for not only a pretty rad power, but a terrific usage in the story, and a lot of funny moments!

Wyatt Jackson was creepy as hell! I mean, seriously. I loved this aspect of the book and its clear allusion to Westboro Baptist. The surprise involving Stigmatic Jack, while I did see coming, was still, pretty awesome!

I loved Kierans' relationship with Karen and Miracle Woman and his brother and found them all to be sweet and believable. I liked that they all had their own type of humor too.

Sebastian was a good love interest and totally hot, but I did not like him completely. He was bit too strange.. There was a crazy dire and dangerous moment involving ropes and a van and Sebastian was horny which completely bugged me! He was at times too possessive and aggressive, but I guess(??) that's what Kieran likes/liked... Personally, I was hoping for something with the cop. He was cute and sweet and seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. Maybe in the next book...

... Cus honestly, I can see this becoming a series in lieu of Sookie Stackhouse, which is what Light somewhat reminded me of. And if Sookie can have sex with everyone, why cant Kieran too!!! ;~)))

Highly Recommend!
-A

REVIEW: Strange Angels by Andrea Speed!!

"Death is the family business, and Brendan Connolly is about to come into his legacy. Nobody warned Bren that Dad was a death god, or that someday he’d inherit his powers. So far, falling in love with the angel sent to protect him has been the only good thing to come out of this whole mess.
Bren’s guardian angel, Lorygdarain, knows the aura of a ticking supernatural time bomb when he sees one. Add to that the angel’s first taste of the human emotion called love, and protecting Bren from the god who killed his father could be Dar’s hardest job in an eon.

Snakes, amnesia, and a mysterious god named Bob might not be much of a rescue plan, but one guardian angel can only do so much. With a veritable pantheon on his heels, and the universe hanging in the balance, Bren must learn to lock and load the most dangerous weapon of all: himself."


Unfortunately I did not love this book, though I did like it! Strange Angels by Andrea Speed was strange, but not in the best way, but again, it was good. Bren and Dar are assumingly in love, but I never really felt that or bought it. They had no chemistry and no real romantic scenes together, which I was put off by. I wanted a lot more romance between Bren and his god, but it did not happen. The book mainly focused on Bren going to different worlds on the run as they try to get rid of a bunch of crazed gods who want Bren dead. The book is about this and Bren learning to get abilities under control.

The book has loads of action which was awesome and some interesting and strange characters and good humor, but the book felt more like two friends who liked each other but where too afraid to admit rather than an actual couple and that was frustrating! I wanted more angst to go with the action, but no.. hopefully a sequel will provide this!

I do say, however, you should check it out! Its fun!

-A

REVIEW: In Such Dark Places by Jospeh Caldwell!!

"When a photographer witnesses a violent crime in New York’s Lower East Side, he hunts down the missing camera that may hold answers

Eugene is a midwesterner living in New York, an erstwhile Catholic and not-quite-openly-gay photographer. When a Holy Week pageant in the gritty Lower East Side erupts into a riot, he is sucked into the city’s shadowy depths. While photographing the parade, Eugene has his eye on a handsome teen, but when things turn violent the youth is stabbed and Eugene’s camera is stolen. To find the camera and its precious film, which may provide evidence, Eugene has to become acquainted with a seedy, unfamiliar world, and hold on to his sanity in the process. In Such Dark Places is a thrilling debut novel of awakening and obsession."

In Such Dark Places by Joseph Caldwell, we are introduced to Eugene who is pretty messed up, to be honest. He is gay and Catholic and pretty tortured, which makes for a compelling and at times a both frustrating character and read, but I greatly enjoyed this book for its frank honesty.

The writing is poignant and direct and clean and the prose is truly lovely and lively, despite the fact how moody and lonely Eugene is and therefore the story.

This book is about the near trenches of a depressed man and his near repressed "gay lifestyle" with no true happy ending .. or beginning or middle, just life. I loved it, but if you want something more
hopeful, this is not for you!

--V

REVIEW: The Charioteer by Mary Renault!!

"Mary Renault’s landmark novel about a wounded soldier who returns from the front and must choose between relationships with two very different men

After being wounded at Dunkirk in World War II, Laurie Odell is sent back home to a rural British hospital. Standing out among the orderlies is Andrew, a bright conscientious objector raised as a Quaker. The unspoken romance between the two men is tested when Ralph, a friend of Laurie’s from school, re-enters his life, introducing him into a milieu of jaded, experienced gay men. Will Laurie reconcile himself to Ralph’s embrace, or can he offer Andrew the idealized, Platonic intimacy he yearns for?

This novel has been called one of the foundation stones of gay literary fiction, ranking alongside James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room and Gore Vidal’s The City and the Pillar. Celebrated for its literary brilliance and sincere depiction of complex human emotions, The Charioteer is a stirring and beautifully rendered portrayal of love."

 

The Charioteer is a dreamy, beautiful novel that says so much when it doesn’t say anything. The queer factor of the book is obvious and evident and of course, prominent, but the issue of being ‘gay’ and being labeled as such not only during the time period in which the novel is set, but the time in which Renault’s novel is published, has to be addressed by other means and other words in order for the characters to thrive and the novel to see the light of publication. Renault’s craftsmanship of writing allows her to effortlessly do this in a way that brings the story to a richer and more lavish arena. Some things may go over a readers head, but if you allow yourself to reread or to perhaps read slower and with more care, you will see the artistry in Renaults words choices and characters actions, and plot and prose and everything! Truly, a splendid novel! Romance, society, pressure, the human psyche, homosexuality, sexuality, war, right and wrong and so much more are explored and beautified and creates a wonderful, wonderfully sad and beautiful novel!

Purchase HERE!!

-A

REVIEW: The Crimson Outlaw by Alex Beecroft!

Love is the greatest outlaw of all.

"Vali Florescu, heir to a powerful local boyar, flees his father’s cruelty to seek his fortune in the untamed Carpathian forests. There he expects to fight ferocious bandits and woo fair maidens to prove himself worthy of returning to depose his tyrannical father. But when he is ambushed by Mihai Roscat, the fearsome Crimson Outlaw, he discovers that he’s surprisingly happy to be captured and debauched instead.

Mihai, once an honoured knight, has long sought revenge against Vali’s father, Wadim, who killed his lord and forced him into a life of banditry. Expecting his hostage to be a resentful, spoiled brat, Mihai is unprepared for the boy to switch loyalties, saving the lives of villagers and of Mihai himself during one of Wadim’s raids. Mihai is equally unprepared for the attraction between them to deepen into love.

Vali soon learns that life outside the castle is not the fairy tale he thought, and happy endings must be earned. To free themselves and their people from Wadim’s oppression, Vali and Mihai must forge their love into the spear-point of a revolution and fight for a better world for all."

While a tad short, The Crimson Outlaw tells the story of Mihai and Vali and their eventual run into each other that leads to love.

Mihai is the Crimson Outlaw who Vali is captured by and though they are on opposite sides, Vali eventually see honor and goodness in Mihai while Mihai eventually sees that Vali is not a spoiled brat, but is in fact very brave.

Mihai is was knight who wants justice and he does whatever he needs to get that justice against Vali's evil and abusive father. Vali's father is a bad man, but Vali is innocent and too kind of a soul to fully grasp the evil in his father, but once he realizes that his nice little world is not so nice, he joins Mihai to set things right.

Mihai and Vali's romance while nice and enjoyable was somewhat too fast, but I guess that was because the length of the book. I felt the book could have used about 130 more pages or so, to fully flesh out the world and the characters and make me feel more invested in the world and their lives.

That being said, The Crimson Outlaw was good read that I would not mind seeing a sequel to and I def recommend other people checking it out!

-Atlas

REVIEW: Unhinge the Universe by Alekandr Voinov and L.A. Witt!!

"Give me one fixed point and a long enough lever, and I'll unhinge the universe. — Archimedes

December 1944 – The Battle of the Bulge

SS Lieutenant Hagen Friedrichs is the sole survivor of a party sent to retrieve his brother—and the highly sensitive information he’s carrying—from behind enemy lines. But his daring rescue attempt fails, and Hagen becomes the prisoner.

Allied command has ordered Captain John Nicholls to extract critical intelligence from their new Nazi POW. His secrets could turn the tide of the war, but are they real? John is determined to find out . . . and to shatter the prisoner who killed his lover during the attack on their tiny base. The deeper he digs, though, the more he realizes that the soldier under the SS uniform is just like him: a scared, exhausted young man who’s lost loved ones and just wants to go home.

As captor and captive form an unexpected bond, the lines quickly blur between enemy, friend, and lover. And as horrifying rumors spread from the front lines and American soldiers turn their sights on the SS for vengeance, John may be Hagen’s only hope for survival."

Unhinge the Universe is a realistic WWII drama that hits the marks successfully and splendidly, with its drama, angst, danger, and romance!

I really enjoyed it!

Hagen and John were interesting and complex characters with flaws and strengths and I really liked that about them; they weren't fighting on their sides because it was war and they were drafted, they were fighting because they believed in what they were fighting for which made their struggles and their eventual love for one another much more authentic.

Hagen was fighting for the side he believed was right, Nazis Germany.. He, like the other German soldiers were told that the Americans were evil and sadistic and loved torturing people so he had a hatred for the Allies and wanted to do everything he could to take them down, especially for his brother.. Hagen was sweet and def the more resistant of the two lovers and reading his interactions with John were very nice, as one moment he believed in them and the next, doubted them completely.

John was the more experienced of the two men, specifically sexually, as in he was fully accepting of orientation and in fact had a male lover, that well ... you will have to read to see. I did not know how the authors were going to pull that bit off, but they did it organically and nicely. John cared for Hagen a great deal and put his life and career in jeopardy in order to ensure Hagen's survival, which I really admired about him.

Watching the love build between the two men was very wonderful, especially under the highly extreme and deadly circumstances. The whole will they die, will one die, will they end up together created a great and angst riddled read!

Thoroughly enjoyed & Highly recommend!

-Atlas