Liviania’s review of House of Stone by Vaughn R. Dermot
Gay urban fantasy released by Samhain 22 Jun 2010

In a time when I seem to be frustrated by blurbs more often than not, since they’re usually confusing or give half the book away, the Samhain blurbs are usually entertaining.  House of Stone caught my attention by being about a Fae noble in charge of a slum.  It sounded fun, playing with the expectations of a novel starring a gay faery.  For the most part, House of Stone lived up to that expectation.

The opening scene made me worry about what I was getting into.  It starts with Richard Fireman, the aforementioned Fae noble, working as a porn star.  The scene wasn’t badly written, which kept me going, but it felt like Vaughn R. Dermot was trying hard to be shocking.   Also, Richard acts like a jerk, which isn’t the best introduction to the character.  That does give him something to overcome.

Dermot does develop an interesting mythology throughout House of Stone.  Richard works as a porn star because the Fae are “living dreams” and survive off of the dreams of mortals.  Therefore, they boost those dreams by being patrons of the various arts.  Since Richard is a viscount of the bad part of town, the booming artistic business is porn.  The Fae also don’t get along with demons, who tend to be hard to kill without a magic sword.  But the only way for Richard to get his sword working again may be to kill the demon who killed his father . . . who was supposed to already be dead.

In addition to decent world building, there is character development.  Richard is charming, despite his entitlement, and having to get up and work hard at something instead of just coasting along brings out the better parts of his character.  Simaron, his servant, seems like a pushover at first.  But he’s been keeping secrets, and becomes more and more willing to speak his mind as Richard matures.

The plot is fairly labyrinthine, particularly compared to the other Samhain novels I’ve read.  It works though.  Every revelation makes sense, even if some are awfully convenient.  The weakest parts could have been those involving Richard’s new wife, Jen, since most of the twists involving her are the most obvious.  Those parts tend to work since Jen, while not a dynamic character, is a fun one to read about.  She’s smart and loyal, and turns out to be a better match than Richard could’ve hoped for.

House of Stone is silly at times.  But Dermot keeps things light enough to acknowledge that things are silly and should be that way without veering into hipster irony.  It was fun afternoon reading.  House of Stone seems to be the first book in a series, and I look forward to reading Richard’s continuing adventures.

Grade: B

Summary:
Welcome to the City, where gods run nightclubs, goblins hire out as mercs, sorcerers work their
magic, the Fae hold court over every neighborhood…and humanity is blissfully ignorant of it all.
For minor Fae noble Richard Stone, life is going well. He has a decent fiefdom (okay, it’s a slum), a
budding acting career (okay, so it’s porn), and one of only five magical swords in the City. An arranged
marriage is barely a blip on his worry meter—until his family blade loses its magic. The shame of it puts
his noble standing in jeopardy.
To regain his status, Richard needs help. Fortunately, his new bride is a sidhe knight and his servant
Simaron has, er, his back. Together they embark on a quest to find the demon who slew his father,
investigate a conspiracy that goes to the highest echelons of Fae nobility, and discover a secret family
legacy that could ruin his House.
All while keeping up appearances to a society that demands perfection. And they say a noble’s life is
easy…
Warning: This book contains explicit gay sex, not-so-explicit gay sex, explicitly implied gay sex,
routine breaking of the fourth wall, occasional bouts of Pearl Jam fanboy-ism, and plot. Side effects include
confusion and headaches, and are best avoided by reading the pages therein in numerical order.

Read an excerpt here.

Liviania’s review of Rage: A Love Story by Julie Anne Peters
LGBTQ Young Adult released by Knopf Books for Young Readers 8 Sept 09

Julie Anne Peters is known for writing novels about LGBTQ teens.  While the main characters of Rage are lesbian or bisexual, it’s not a focus of the story.  Johanna and Reeve are both out and comfortable with their sexuality, though every once in awhile someone says something derogatory to one of them.  The focus, instead, is on their emotional issues caused by unstable family life.

I’ve read books about abusive relationships before.  Alex Flinn’s Breathing Underwater is an excellent look into the head of an abuser, and her Diva an equally interesting portrait of the girl recovering from the relationship and beginning new ones.  Sarah Dessen’s Dreamland is an equally compelling look at a girl and why she would stay with the guy abusing her.  Rage plays with the formula by making Johanna not an ordinary girl fighting to stay with her abuser, but a girl who was severely damaged before she even entered the relationship.

When the book begins, Johanna has been fantasizing about Reeve as an escape to her life.  Her mother and father are dead; her sister stayed at college while she cared for their dying mother.  At the crucial point when she needed Tessa’s support, her sister said nothing.  With that trust broken, the only person she can rely on is her best friend Novak.  But Novak’s dating a scummy guy, and pretty soon her relationship with Johanna is on the rocks.  And Johanna’s fantasy relationship is about to become a reality.

Reeve had an abusive father, and now she’s left with her druggie mother and abusive uncle.  She also has to care for her autistic twin brother.  She’s grown up with only Robbie’s love, and she’s best at using people.  She isn’t the classic abuser, trying to keep Johanna under her thumb.  Reeve wants to push Johanna away because she understands the relationship isn’t healthy.  I half expected Johanna to erupt into a rage of her own, the psychopath upset that the reality isn’t her ideal.

Despite being almost 300 pages, Rage felt a little thin.  Rage is a psychological novel, and there’s little going on aside from a series of interconnected relationships.  It’s in Johanna’s point of view, but I still found her the most opaque character.  I understand her on a logical level, but not an emotional one.  (It’s hard to explain.) However, the supporting cast helps out by being engaging.  I can’t help but wish for more of Novak in the novel.  She’s a magnetic presence, even when her actions are repulsive.

Rage can be enjoyed even by those who dislike lesbian content.  The only actual sex scene is done subtly, and Johanna’s (explicit) fantasies are clearly marked by heading and italics.  For those who have been in abusive relationships, Rage may contain triggers.  Other than that, it’s extremely interesting on a psychological level.  But for those who prefer plot-driven fiction to character-driven, it might not be the best choice.  I have not read Peters before, but I would be willing to try one of her other novels out based on Rage. (Edit: Just looked at the author bio and I know I’ve read Define “Normal.” But it’s been a long time and I remember nothing.)  She seems to have a strong understanding of the way teenagers really act, always a bonus in YA novels.

Grade: B

Summary:
Johanna is steadfast, patient, reliable; the go-to girl, the one everyone can count on. But always being there for others can’t give Johanna everything she needs—it can’t give her Reeve Hartt.

Reeve is fierce, beautiful, wounded, elusive; a flame that draws Johanna’s fluttering moth. Johanna is determined to get her, against all advice, and to help her, against all reason. But love isn’t always reasonable, right?

In the precarious place where attraction and need collide, a teenager experiences the dark side of a first love, and struggles to find her way into a new light.
Read an excerpt here.