Book Title: If Wishes Were Horses
Author: Sarah Leslie
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publisher URL: http://samhainpublishing.com/
ISBN: 1-60504-058-4
Genre: Gay Fantasy Romance
Nymph Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymph Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
As a Forge Master, Alaric is a metal artisan, capable of crafting items of both beauty and death and members of his craft are supposed to be considered neutral in any military conflict. This doesn’t save him from attack and near death, leaving him both physically and emotionally scarred. So scarred that his refuses to see or talk to his lover and betrothed, Lord Valerian, Captain of the Queen’s guard. Already concerned about the differences in their station, he now sees his injuries as an even bigger hurdle in their relationship and refuses to see him. Alaric’s friend, Lily, is afraid the two lovers won’t work out their problems and sets out to play matchmaker at the Queen’s Reconciliation Ball. Everyone is to be granted one wish, and she hopes that chance will once again pull the wounded lovers back together. If real life was only that easy.
If Wishes Were Horses by Sarah Leslie is the first release in the Land of the Fey series, and hopefully only the first of many stores set in this creative fantasy world. In this new series, Ms. Leslie has managed to skillfully incorporate many of the creatures normally found in a Fey-based fantasy world and done it in a way that makes it interesting and believable. I just wish the story had been longer.
In some ways, Lily is the catalyst for this tale, but the love between Alaric and Valerian is its angst-ridden backbone. These two were perfect for each other until Alaric allowed his fear and disgust with his horrific battle scars to drive a wedge between himself and his lover. He’s a wounded soul whose pain and self-loathing pulls at the heart-strings, and I kept wishing he’d give Valerian a chance to show his love and tenderness, scars and all. Their connection is special and I loved finding that Valerian wasn’t fooled by the wish granted to Alaric by the wish fairy at the beginning of the Reconciliation Ball. Their love and passion, when they come together, is nearly as hot as the fire burning in Alaric’s metal forge.
The secondary characters in this tale are interesting on their own. This is especially true of Lily and Raven, and I look forward to the next book in the series which I believe, deal with these two individuals.
Author: Sarah Leslie
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publisher URL: http://samhainpublishing.com/
ISBN: 1-60504-058-4
Genre: Gay Fantasy Romance
Nymph Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymph Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
As a Forge Master, Alaric is a metal artisan, capable of crafting items of both beauty and death and members of his craft are supposed to be considered neutral in any military conflict. This doesn’t save him from attack and near death, leaving him both physically and emotionally scarred. So scarred that his refuses to see or talk to his lover and betrothed, Lord Valerian, Captain of the Queen’s guard. Already concerned about the differences in their station, he now sees his injuries as an even bigger hurdle in their relationship and refuses to see him. Alaric’s friend, Lily, is afraid the two lovers won’t work out their problems and sets out to play matchmaker at the Queen’s Reconciliation Ball. Everyone is to be granted one wish, and she hopes that chance will once again pull the wounded lovers back together. If real life was only that easy.
If Wishes Were Horses by Sarah Leslie is the first release in the Land of the Fey series, and hopefully only the first of many stores set in this creative fantasy world. In this new series, Ms. Leslie has managed to skillfully incorporate many of the creatures normally found in a Fey-based fantasy world and done it in a way that makes it interesting and believable. I just wish the story had been longer.
In some ways, Lily is the catalyst for this tale, but the love between Alaric and Valerian is its angst-ridden backbone. These two were perfect for each other until Alaric allowed his fear and disgust with his horrific battle scars to drive a wedge between himself and his lover. He’s a wounded soul whose pain and self-loathing pulls at the heart-strings, and I kept wishing he’d give Valerian a chance to show his love and tenderness, scars and all. Their connection is special and I loved finding that Valerian wasn’t fooled by the wish granted to Alaric by the wish fairy at the beginning of the Reconciliation Ball. Their love and passion, when they come together, is nearly as hot as the fire burning in Alaric’s metal forge.
The secondary characters in this tale are interesting on their own. This is especially true of Lily and Raven, and I look forward to the next book in the series which I believe, deal with these two individuals.
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