Dragon’s Kiss

Title: Dragon’s Kiss
Author: Ally Blue
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Fantasy M/M, Sci fi
Length: short story (44 PDF pages)
Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Summary Review: Which is worse? Giving up on love and watching the man you’re beginning to care about executed, or leaving everything you know for an uncertain and difficult future? Two men, one tough decision.

THE BLURB

In a future ruled by superstition and fear, wanting the wrong man can be deadly.

A Mother Earth story.

The rules governing a Pack-Brother’s existence are simple. Love your Brothers. Protect each other and your Tribe with your life. Seek sex only within the bonds of Brotherhood, or your life is forfeit. The laws are harsh, but fair. Or so Bear has always thought. Then he and his Brother Lynx capture a stranger in the Carwin Tribe’s outlying lands—Dragon, a Brother from a distant Pack, banished from his Tribe for the crime of challenging things he shouldn’t.

Dragon intrigues Bear from the start, and not just because of his exotic beauty. Interest in the decadent old world is discouraged in this post-Change society. Dragon is the first person Bear’s ever known, other than himself, who’s curious about the vanished past. That kinship sparks a forbidden attraction between them. An attraction which is, if they give in to it, punishable by death.

In the space of a day, everything Bear was raised to believe is called into question, and he must make a life-changing decision—follow the law, or follow his heart.

THE REVIEW

Dragon’s Kiss is the first of a 2-book series by Ally Blue, set in a post-apocalyptic world where the rules are restrictive and deadly if you dared disobey.  Bear was pretty comfortable with his current life even though sometimes the rules governing their society were difficult for someone like him. He and his Brother Lynx loved each other, and the fact that they had sex whenever they wanted to was an added benefit. However Bear wanted more. He wanted to explore and find out about the past – the world before the Change. But this was forbidden and even talking about it could get him thrown out of his Tribe or killed. Lynx didn’t understand Bear’s craving for knowledge even though he was his closest friend, so Bear could only dream and hope.

One day when they were patrolling the forest away from the Carwin Tribe’s land they discovered a naked intruder, a Pack member from another Tribe who had apparently been banished and left to die, with no clothes or water. He revealed his name, Dragon, and Bear and Lynx were all set to take him back with them, even knowing that his likely fate was not going to have a good outcome. However, after tying him up, Bear felt the pull of a strong attraction to their captive which he knew he would have to ignore because the Tribe’s laws forbade him from having sex with someone who was not one of them. But Dragon was not to be denied and Bear had to make the most important decision of his life in the few hours before he and Lynx were due to return home. Not helping was his proximity to Dragon and he knew that the wrong move could result in both their deaths.

Based on this first installment, I can’t wait for Shenandoah the sequel. If I had one disappointment with Dragon’s Kiss it was that the pace was a bit slower than I expected and there were no ‘action’ sequences other than with Dragon who was no mean fighter. However I get the feeling that the sequel, which is novel length, is a much different book as Bear and Dragon search for Shenandoah, a mythical place which just might turn out to be real.

I liked the characterizations, with Bear as the alpha in the relationship although Dragon was quite feisty. The other character who I thought was three dimensional was Lynx, Bear’s Brother and lover. The bond between Bear and Dragon was also well done. I loved the world building which was extensive for such a short book and didn’t detract from the importance of Bear’s and Dragon’s short relationship, but instead was integrated into it and gave it a lot of authenticity. One scene which I thought was very steamy was where Bear washed Dragon’s hair and other body parts – talk about water sports. H-o-t!  A well crafted story that whets the appetite for the sequel. Definitely recommended.

Shenandoah is available from Samhain Publishing on August 31