Who Cannot See

Title: Who Cannot See

Author: BA Tortuga

Publisher: Torquere Press

Publisher URL: www.torquerepress.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-61040-823-3

Genre: {M/M} Western; Paranormal; Short Story

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Rose Nymph

Blaze doesn’t think he can last the night. He’s on the run, having narrowly escaped a hanging for sleeping with another man. The branch snapped, saving his neck from the same fate, but he has been seriously injured and can’t even get a drop of liquid down his throat. The cold night is drawing in. He must keep moving forward or the posse will catch up to him and finish the job. He thinks his eyes are deceiving him when he spies a large house up ahead. He just needs shelter for the night...

The moment Edmund finds the poor, stricken Blaze huddled in his barn, all he feels is the need to protect, to heal, and to love. Edmund has been a vampire for longer than he can remember. He has no interest in the petty quarrels of humans, but there is just something about Blaze. Edmund may have lost his sight, but there is an instant connection with the man that he cherishes. He can see the good in him, but Blaze has been called a sinner for so long now, Edmund worries that Blaze is actually starting to believe it. It pains Edmund to see doubt clouding Blaze’s mind. He is starting to fear that it is not the posse that poses a threat to their happiness, but the demons within.

Who Can Not See is a short story that packs in some very cool ideas and interesting characters. I found the connection between Edmund and Blaze very interesting. I felt myself getting caught up in the joy Edmund experienced by being able to see through Blaze’s eyes. Blaze is a sweet man, instantly likable. Their physical connection is explored thoroughly, and there are some very erotic scenes as their mental and physical connections merge into one.

The threat of the posse out to end Blaze’s life was always in the back of my mind as I followed Edmund & Blaze’s exploration of their connection. I felt this, and the ultimate conclusion of the story was written particularly well, as it emphasised the seriousness of the mental damage Blaze has suffered as well as the physical. The characters had an impact on me and I am left with questions that make me want to explore them more, most noticeably, that of how Edmund lost his sight and came to be in the situation he is when we meet him. I also enjoyed the hints of more to come with some interesting supporting characters. Although I read this as a single story, it can also be found in the publishing company’s anthology Eternally Dark. If you are a fan of the genres, I recommend checking out both.

America Coming

Title: America Coming
Author: Ken Potter
Publisher: Devine Destines
Publisher URL: http://www.devinedestinies.com/
ISBN: N/A
Genre: {M/F} Contemporary; Short Story
Rating: 1.5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Rose Nymph

Sometimes, in order to figure out where we are going, we must look back to where we have come from. They say we are all the sum of our experiences. As two people head out on a journey that awakens memories of long ago, they have the chance to contemplate all that they are and take the opportunity to decide on their future.

America Coming is a thirteen page story that seems to encompass the spirit of an age as two people try to find their place in a society that they have grown up alongside. Unfortunately, I am not at all sure if this is what the author is trying to portray, as I was confused by a lot of what was happening, but that is what it seemed to be about to me. As the main character lets the reader in on his memories of a brief meeting with Bobby Kennedy as a child; a memory that sets the scene for his present day journey into the unknown, I am left with little warmth for the character. The negative descriptions of the people he observed as a boy that day were, to me, unnecessary and left an unpleasant taste in my mouth that stayed throughout. Also, there were hints of him being unable to commit to a relationship with his companion because of being too focused on his own development to let somebody else in, which I feel could have been explored more. By the end, it is a shame to say that I wasn’t sure what conclusions the characters had made from their journey, or what was in store for them in the future. Maybe that was the point.