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Book Review: With a Kiss, by Kim Dare

When Liam Bates volunteered to visit lonely patients at his local hospital, he expected them to be able to talk back when he chatted to them. But, when he’s assigned to visit a comatose man, he soon finds himself spilling out his whole life story in an effort to fill the silence. It’s not long before the peace and comfort he finds in the man’s hospital room becomes Liam’s refuge from an increasingly hostile world. Vampire Marcus Corrigan has been trapped inside his paralysed body for over three years, unable to communicate with anyone. The chatty young man who visits … Read more

Review: Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders

Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders by Samuel R. Delany reviewed by J. Comer As a fan of Samuel R. Delany’s works and as a teacher who has assigned one of his memoirs to classes, I was pleased to see this novel. Readers may know of his Dhalgren, Delany’s 1973 novel, or of Stars in My Pockets Like Grains of Sand, a story which affected me deeply. As his earlier work did, this novel challenges its readers. Readers of Delany may well be familiar with pornography, and perhaps with the strange “anti-pornography” which Delany invented in works such … Read more

Book Review: Assimilation, Love & Other Oddities, by Lyn Gala

Ondry and Liam have settled into a good life, but their trading is still tied up with humans, and humans are always messy. When political changes at the human base lead Ondry to attempt a difficult trade, the pair find themselves entangled in human affairs. Liam wants to help the people he left and the worlds being torn apart. He also wants to serve Ondry with not only the pleasures of the nest but also by bringing human profits. Ondry has no hope of understanding human psychology in general, he only knows that he will hold onto his palteia with … Read more

New YA Sci Fi Novel Features Gay Character

IN THE SEA of female-centric young adult novels filling bookstores around the world, Proxy definitely stands out. Written by American author Alex London, Proxy is a sci-fi novel featuring two lead male characters — and one of them happens to be gay. The book narrates the friendship that is formed between Knox, a “patron” who gets everything he wants and his “proxy,” Syd, who takes all the consequences and punishments of his actions. “I did not want to write a ‘gay’ book, or even a book about that relationship. It was just a fact of life. I wanted to write … Read more

Review: City of Monsters by Andrea Speed

Another ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords.com review (crosspost)   Rating: 4 stars out of 5 Hunter Burrows used to be an insurance investigator on Earth. But something happened 6 months ago and Hunter ended up a shifter of unknown species who was transported to Nightshade, a literal city of monsters in a near-Earth dimension called Dev. Nightshade is filled with vampires, weres of all types, zombies, reverse tooth fairies, and yes, even Yetis. Left somewhat amnesiac by the transition between dimensions, Hunter learns that having a job is high priority and becomes a finder for a fee. Since Hunter doesn’t know what type of … Read more

Powerless by S.A. McAuley (The Borders War #3)

I don’t know if any of this group is familiar with S.A. McAuley’s Borders War series.  It has become one of my favorites with wonderful world building, a dystopian society made worse by the manner in which their  guns function.  Plus two main characters whose loyalties  will keep you guessing.Here is my review of the latest in the series. Melanie Rating: 5 stars out of 5 He was built to be invincible. Merq Grayson and Armise Darcan return to the States, their mission to assassinate the remaining Committee members unfinished. Why? The President of the Revolution is in need of … Read more

Review: Voodoo ‘n’ Vice (Galactic Alliance #3) by K.C. Burn

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 In his anger and obedience to fleet rules and regulations, fleet captain Gideon Arcturus makes a serious error in judgement regarding the Ankyros Ambassador and his lover. The repercussions from that disastrous event finds Gideon banished to Elora Ki, the compost heap of the galaxy. Disgraced and demoted, Gideon is now a subordinate to a man he viewed as an inferior and considered an embarrassment to his wealthy and influential father. Gideon’s last romantic entanglement was a nasty set up by a rival officer that almost cost him everything. But during a visit to … Read more

Book Review: The Starving Years

This book review is more centered on the author than the book. I love Jordan Castillo Price. She “bends the rules” of gay romantic fiction. But I couldn’t help but think as I read this great book, that this wasn’t a romance. I’d hesitate to say if it was super explicit or not. It was gay science fiction for sure, but I probably wouldn’t label it MMM, or even MMM Romance. Why does this bother me? This labeling? Good question. I think that this labeling possibly affects Price’s image and her work. She’s on the edge of these genres (science … Read more

Review: Noble Metals by L.A. Witt

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5 When Robert Belton and his brothers left home to make their fortune in the Klondike gold fields, they never imagined where their gold fever and poor judgement would take them. Amid betrayals and gambling debts, only Robert is left to survive in Seattle and he does so by becoming a prostitute. Robert hopes to save enough money to make it over the Chilkoot Trail into the Yukon and join the hunt for gold. Dr. John Fauth is on sabbatical from his teaching post at the university in Chicago. Dr. Fauth carries a precious machine … Read more

Review: Noble Metals by L.A. Witt

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5 Steampunk Historical When Robert Belton and his brothers left home to make their fortune in the Klondike gold fields, they never imagined where their gold fever and poor judgement would take them. Amid betrayals and gambling debts, only Robert is left to survive in Seattle and he does so by becoming a prostitute. Robert hopes to save enough money to make it over the Chilkoot Trail into the Yukon and join the hunt for gold. Dr. John Fauth is on sabbatical from his teaching post at the university in Chicago. Dr. Fauth carries a … Read more