Xu

Title: Xu
Author: AJ Llewellyn
Publisher: Amber Allure
Genre: Paranormal/Contemporary M/M
Length: Novella (123 PDF pages)
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

A guest review by Tj

Summary Review: A beautifully written character study, romance, and sports themed book that evoked such wonderful images, smells and tastes that I felt like I was on vacation in Hawaii.

The Blurb: Fight or flight? This has always been the way of Lindo Santiago’s life, and he has always chosen to fight. He has prepared for world championship boxing glory his entire career. From the Mexican slums to the hard streets of Hollywood, he gave it everything. Lindo thought he was ready until his world title shot arrived and almost killed him. Now, forced to retire by the California State Athletic Commission, he has defied the odds by surviving a three-month coma and severe brain injury.

Forced to choose a new path, to live a different life, Lindo is certain he can do it, with the help of Xu, a mysterious spirit force of a man who emerged in the darkest days of Lindo’s coma. Xu and Lindo’s homosexuality are his biggest secrets. Encouraged to take his first vacation ever, Lindo flies to Honolulu where Xu becomes more potent, yet more mysterious. Signs are everywhere that Lindo must choose between love and death, and he also must decide whether to enter into a relationship with a hot local, Turner Cypriano. But if he does, what will that mean for Xu?

The Review: The blurb for Xu caught my eye. I love sports themed books, and Xu did not disappoint. In fact it truly grabbed me from the first and I wanted to just read it in one sitting. There is enough detail of the boxing world to keep sports fans interested, but not so much as to turn off non fans. There is also spiritualism and romance all taking place on a beautifully depicted  island paradise.

The opening scene for Xu takes place in a conference room where we learn that Lindo “Quickfire” Santiago is being interviewed by the California State Athletic Commission, which oversees boxing matches and specifically the WBC sanctioned fight where Lindo was almost killed and ended up in a coma for 2 months. These scenes are very emotional and I felt myself tear up as Lindo describes the events leading up to the fight and what little he remembers prior to sinking into a coma. Immediately after this meeting, and at the urging of his doctor, Lindo is off on a month long Hawaiian  vacation to recuperate and figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

As we get to know Lindo, we discover that he has a secret. Lindo calls him Xu, a spiritual being who came to him when he was in the coma and held him, loved him and guided him back to the world of the living when everyone had given up. Lindo doesn’t know if Xu will be able to come to him now that he is out in the world again, and especially now that he is far away. Xu is an intriguing being that remains in the background throughout the book, coming in and out of contact with Lindo at various points. I loved Xu’s true purpose and how the author reveals it near the end of the book.

We as reviewers have often complained that some authors just don’t take advantage of the setting for a story. That’s not the case here. I must compliment AJ Llewellyn on his depiction of Hawaii. Not only do readers get a full sense of location, we get the sights, the sounds, and a real flavor for not just the touristy parts of Hawaii, but more interestingly the native towns. There are also wonderful descriptions of the foods that Lindo samples along the way that make one want to hop the next plane.

Now of course there is a love story developing in this beautiful paradise. Lindo is on a journey of healing and discovering who he wants to be now, and the men he meets help guide him through. After a brief one night fling, Lindo meets Turner, who initially rejects any kind of relationship with a tourist. But over time, Turner decides that Lindo is different and they embark on an affair that is hot and passionate, and at the core sweet and loving. you will not be disappointed by the romance, nor the HEA.

The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star book, was that for me, Turner remained somewhat of an enigma. We know a little about his family and that he doesn’t like to date non natives, but a little more insight into his thoughts, feelings and emotions would have made for a stronger love story with Lindo. Despite that small failing, I really recommend Xu with it’s beautifully rendered locale, interesting characters, intriguing spiritualism, and of course the romance. Very well done indeed.