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The Orcadian Novels #1
Body of Water
The #1 Kindle Gay Fiction Best Seller, Body of Water, is the first novel in the Orcadian Trilogy, and 1 of 10 books long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize for a first book which explores the LGBT experience:
“Fear the water.”
Leven has never forgotten his mother’s terrible warning. So how can he explain his strange attraction to water, his powerful sensitivity to it, his extraordinary ability to swim as though possessed?
Water is Leven’s natural element.
And it’s water that takes the one he loves and destroys everything he’s ever called his own.
Set on the Orkney Islands in the mysterious realm of Selkie mythology, Leven’s story of lost identity, lost love, and the search for redemption leads him from London to a terrifying meeting with the dark and volatile man who will change his heart forever.
Something in the water is coming for Leven.
But can a man born of chaos ever calm the storm?
“Fear the water.”
Leven has never forgotten his mother’s terrible warning. So how can he explain his strange attraction to water, his powerful sensitivity to it, his extraordinary ability to swim as though possessed?
Water is Leven’s natural element.
And it’s water that takes the one he loves and destroys everything he’s ever called his own.
Set on the Orkney Islands in the mysterious realm of Selkie mythology, Leven’s story of lost identity, lost love, and the search for redemption leads him from London to a terrifying meeting with the dark and volatile man who will change his heart forever.
Something in the water is coming for Leven.
But can a man born of chaos ever calm the storm?
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 13, 2011
3 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
About the author
Stuart Wakefield
14 books72 followersStuart is an author and book coach who writes about men who love men. He has been published by Dreamspinner Press and Vine Leaves Press, and his latest novel, Behind the Seams, was a BookLife Prize Fiction Contest Semifinalist.
Stuart holds an MA in Professional Writing and lives in the UK with his husband, pets and too many action figures for a man his age.
Stuart holds an MA in Professional Writing and lives in the UK with his husband, pets and too many action figures for a man his age.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 28, 2011
I found this book quite interesting. It is not like the novels I normally read and I do not feel it is likely to change my reading habits but that is the joy of Goodreads. It is that indulging the opportunity to explore new writers and genres some of which become new addictions and others which engender the hand at the horizontal gently tipping to left and right whilst saying 'ehm?'.
Wakefield's novel started as what I would guess is a typical churned out story of young gay man angst and fury complete with saintly adoptive parents, in denial boyfriend, boyfriend's fag hag sister and aggressively homophobic boyfriend's father. If it had continued in that vein I may have lost the will to continue with it and indeed I have to say that as first part was just an extended intro to the main plot it seemed superfluous in its detail. The rejection of Leven by Shaun and the relationship Leven had with Shaun's sister did not really contribute to the actual story unless to point out how lonely and rejected he felt but that many pages dedicated to such a simple fact seemed extreme and smacked of padding.
The story opens out once he arrives on the island of his birth and his meeting with the various characters linked to his strange conception and history. The writing was a bit breathless and jumpy and there were lots of chapters which finished with blatant tension. You know the type of thing On opening the door he was horrified by what he saw or before he could, blah blah happened or but then it all changed with a terrifying crash. Lazy writing I think where it is artificially creating a tension which should rise naturally from the story. Here it doesn't very naturally. Nevertheless it could have been quite an interesting plot if a little confused. Mythical creatures and monsters abound and there is a sinister darkness which looms over the whole situation. Truths are uncovered and betrayals and cruelties exposed but under it all lies, for me, a dissatisfaction that facts and figures seem to be drawn out of the hat to move plot along to its denoument but these facts seem to be jammed on to the story without them rising from the facts already given. Its like a murder mystery where the murderer is uncovered by a piece of evidence introduced by the writer at the last minute which only the sleuth and not even the reader had seen or heard.
One aspect of the novel which I did find surprisingly lovely is the rather beautiful account of the growing love between Leven and Dom , his father's seeming manservant. The developing of their relationship and the uncovering of Dom's identity and his role in the whole story is quite touching and well written. One caveat to this is the way they are both supposedly so achingly beautiful and also so well enowed in the nether regions. This is fantasy of the worst order. Surely if we are grown up enough to read this type of book we should be grown up enough to be able to envisage love growing between two people who actually are just normal looking. Its this need to encase every hero, heroine or whoever in crashingly astounding abnormal beauty which cheapens and impoverishes a genuine attempt at expressing love in its fullest sense.
Wakefield's novel started as what I would guess is a typical churned out story of young gay man angst and fury complete with saintly adoptive parents, in denial boyfriend, boyfriend's fag hag sister and aggressively homophobic boyfriend's father. If it had continued in that vein I may have lost the will to continue with it and indeed I have to say that as first part was just an extended intro to the main plot it seemed superfluous in its detail. The rejection of Leven by Shaun and the relationship Leven had with Shaun's sister did not really contribute to the actual story unless to point out how lonely and rejected he felt but that many pages dedicated to such a simple fact seemed extreme and smacked of padding.
The story opens out once he arrives on the island of his birth and his meeting with the various characters linked to his strange conception and history. The writing was a bit breathless and jumpy and there were lots of chapters which finished with blatant tension. You know the type of thing On opening the door he was horrified by what he saw or before he could, blah blah happened or but then it all changed with a terrifying crash. Lazy writing I think where it is artificially creating a tension which should rise naturally from the story. Here it doesn't very naturally. Nevertheless it could have been quite an interesting plot if a little confused. Mythical creatures and monsters abound and there is a sinister darkness which looms over the whole situation. Truths are uncovered and betrayals and cruelties exposed but under it all lies, for me, a dissatisfaction that facts and figures seem to be drawn out of the hat to move plot along to its denoument but these facts seem to be jammed on to the story without them rising from the facts already given. Its like a murder mystery where the murderer is uncovered by a piece of evidence introduced by the writer at the last minute which only the sleuth and not even the reader had seen or heard.
One aspect of the novel which I did find surprisingly lovely is the rather beautiful account of the growing love between Leven and Dom , his father's seeming manservant. The developing of their relationship and the uncovering of Dom's identity and his role in the whole story is quite touching and well written. One caveat to this is the way they are both supposedly so achingly beautiful and also so well enowed in the nether regions. This is fantasy of the worst order. Surely if we are grown up enough to read this type of book we should be grown up enough to be able to envisage love growing between two people who actually are just normal looking. Its this need to encase every hero, heroine or whoever in crashingly astounding abnormal beauty which cheapens and impoverishes a genuine attempt at expressing love in its fullest sense.
January 4, 2012
Some reviews here have commented that the mix of fantasy and reality threw them. The book combines scottish mythical super-beings with the very prosaic angst of a gay schoolboy lusting after his neighbour. Sorry, folks, but I didn't have a problem with that at all. Stuart Wakefield's first novel is original, exciting, romantic and adventurous and the characters, while not described for us in much detail, come alive and make their presence felt. Several of the minor characters seem to have more to give, maybe they'll play a part in parts two and three of the series (both in production as I write).
The universe that Stuart builds for this story is very different from anything I've come across before, a remarkable achievement for an over-populated genre. I loved exploring the implications of such things as the significance of water to the storyline. There were plenty of episodes which another writer might have lingered on for longer in order to make the most of for instance the hero discovering he had a supernatural power, but Wakefield gallops onwards to the next scene leaving the reader struggling to keep up. The whole story is told at breakneck pace worthy of the best efforts of Hollywood. Come to think of it, it'd make a great movie...!
I met Stuart at the UK Meet and can report that in real life he's a really nice guy, despite the blood and guts in his writing(!).
I can't recommend this book highly enough - it's simply splendid, and I can't wait to read the next books in the series.
The universe that Stuart builds for this story is very different from anything I've come across before, a remarkable achievement for an over-populated genre. I loved exploring the implications of such things as the significance of water to the storyline. There were plenty of episodes which another writer might have lingered on for longer in order to make the most of for instance the hero discovering he had a supernatural power, but Wakefield gallops onwards to the next scene leaving the reader struggling to keep up. The whole story is told at breakneck pace worthy of the best efforts of Hollywood. Come to think of it, it'd make a great movie...!
I met Stuart at the UK Meet and can report that in real life he's a really nice guy, despite the blood and guts in his writing(!).
I can't recommend this book highly enough - it's simply splendid, and I can't wait to read the next books in the series.
August 15, 2022
Yeah, yeah, I know it's weird to review my own book, but I had to read it in preparation for finishing the third book in the trilogy.
Here's what I learned:
1. "2009 Stuart" didn't know what he was doing. He'd written the book during NaNoWriMo, then put it aside, only getting it back out in 2011 when he decided to edit it for seven months, then self-publishing it.
2. He didn't work with an editor or book coach, and boy does it show. The structure is okay-ish, but he could have done so much better in terms of pacing - it's all very rushed and comes over as something of a fever dream.
3. His story timeline was all over the place. He's just made a long list of dates and times so he can fix them all during the rewrite.
4. "2012 Stuart" got VERY lucky with being long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize. It sold over 11k copies, but very few people went on to read Memory of Water (which is a real shame because he DID work with an editor on that one, and structurally it's a much better book).
5. "2022 Stuart" cringed a lot during this reread because he now has an MA in Professional Writing as well as years of experience as a book coach. When he compares it to Behind the Seams, it's like they were written by different people.
6. Despite all the problems with the book, "2022 Stuart" has a soft spot for the characters and ideas, and he can see what he was trying to achieve - and he knows he'll do much better in the rewrite.
So that's it - three stars. It's not the worst book, and it's not the best book. It's okay, and that's... okay.
Here's what I learned:
1. "2009 Stuart" didn't know what he was doing. He'd written the book during NaNoWriMo, then put it aside, only getting it back out in 2011 when he decided to edit it for seven months, then self-publishing it.
2. He didn't work with an editor or book coach, and boy does it show. The structure is okay-ish, but he could have done so much better in terms of pacing - it's all very rushed and comes over as something of a fever dream.
3. His story timeline was all over the place. He's just made a long list of dates and times so he can fix them all during the rewrite.
4. "2012 Stuart" got VERY lucky with being long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize. It sold over 11k copies, but very few people went on to read Memory of Water (which is a real shame because he DID work with an editor on that one, and structurally it's a much better book).
5. "2022 Stuart" cringed a lot during this reread because he now has an MA in Professional Writing as well as years of experience as a book coach. When he compares it to Behind the Seams, it's like they were written by different people.
6. Despite all the problems with the book, "2022 Stuart" has a soft spot for the characters and ideas, and he can see what he was trying to achieve - and he knows he'll do much better in the rewrite.
So that's it - three stars. It's not the worst book, and it's not the best book. It's okay, and that's... okay.
August 22, 2011
I really enjoyed Body of Water. The first half, set in London, was a great way to get to know the character of Leven and understand how he was the way he was. The second part set in the Orkney islands was fantastic. The atmosphere that Stuart Wakefield created with his writing was vivid and striking, I could feel the isolation and coldness of the place within me. I particularly loved the Scottish legends that were an integral part of the story, it's not everyday that you get to read about selkies and fin-men and I loved it.
I loved Dom and as soon as I was introduced to this mysterious character I was dying to know what was going on with him, and hoping beyond hope that he and Leven would get together.
Great read overall and can't wait for the next book.
I loved Dom and as soon as I was introduced to this mysterious character I was dying to know what was going on with him, and hoping beyond hope that he and Leven would get together.
Great read overall and can't wait for the next book.
December 7, 2013
This is, by far, one of the most scatter-shot, confusing, patchwork stories I have ever read. I almost feel like each chapter - sometimes not even that - was written by a different author. A bunch of shit happens, but it's all thrown together kind of at random and awkwardly cobbled together by virtue of proximity.
Either that or it was a NaNoWriMo story, which is probably the only way to explain why the author keeps going even when it seems like xe has absolutely no idea where xe is going either.
The author tried to create an epic, I think, but couldn't quite keep track of all the parts, figure out how to slot things together, or even create a single coherent pieces, leaving it a series of possibly epic disparate parts that don't quite slot together.
The more you read, the more it falls apart. There's pretty much no consistency in characterization. At all. The focus/scope changes many, many times. All over the place. If I wasn't manic-depressive before, this book might drive me to it. That or schizophrenia. How else could I possibly hope to "keep up" with this story?
I probably had more specific quibbles, but alas, I was reading this one my phone, so I didn't comment in a Notepad file as I read.
Also, the first part of the blurb pisses me off. Don't tell me what to think of a fucking book. That's my unalienable right to form my own fucking opinions on a fucking book. Don't even implicitly tell me what I ought to think of a book.
Luckily for this story, I didn't see the blurb until just now, after finishing. However, I doubt reading that annoying bit at the beginning of the blurb would have harmed my opinion of this story much, as it was already pretty bad to begin with.
Either that or it was a NaNoWriMo story, which is probably the only way to explain why the author keeps going even when it seems like xe has absolutely no idea where xe is going either.
The author tried to create an epic, I think, but couldn't quite keep track of all the parts, figure out how to slot things together, or even create a single coherent pieces, leaving it a series of possibly epic disparate parts that don't quite slot together.
The more you read, the more it falls apart. There's pretty much no consistency in characterization. At all. The focus/scope changes many, many times. All over the place. If I wasn't manic-depressive before, this book might drive me to it. That or schizophrenia. How else could I possibly hope to "keep up" with this story?
I probably had more specific quibbles, but alas, I was reading this one my phone, so I didn't comment in a Notepad file as I read.
Also, the first part of the blurb pisses me off. Don't tell me what to think of a fucking book. That's my unalienable right to form my own fucking opinions on a fucking book. Don't even implicitly tell me what I ought to think of a book.
Luckily for this story, I didn't see the blurb until just now, after finishing. However, I doubt reading that annoying bit at the beginning of the blurb would have harmed my opinion of this story much, as it was already pretty bad to begin with.
Read
May 25, 2012Part of the blurb reads: "Thrown together with the handsome but volatile Dom, a series of strange and terrifying encounters lead Leven to the reason the rule existed."
We don't meet Dom until the halfway point, so huge spoiler when Lev is hooking up with Shaun in the first half of the book. Oh, and at the 50% point, nothing terrifying has occurred unless you count having to read dialogue out loud to figure out "accents".
The prologue caught my attention, but as is the bane of prologues, the story has yet to really circle around to that teaser.
I gave it a good try, longer than I usually do since it came recommended by other m/m readers, but I can't get into the story.
(DNF: 50% read)
EDIT: Went back and finished reading. My overall impression hasn't changed. Some additional quick bullet points:
* Spelling words strangely to indicate accents is very, very distracting. I started thinking of the MC as a buoy because of the spelling of boy as beuy. Using Ah as I knocked me out of the story every time. It was a struggle to read.
* The whole first half of the story didn't apply to the second half. The first half is the MC falling for and then pining after a neighbor. The whole second half was about the MC looking for answers about his parents and why he's different.
* While the paranormal aspect had some potential, since I wasn't into the story because of the other things mentioned I couldn't suspend disbelief for the rest.
Sorry to say I simply didn't enjoy it. Once again, a story many of my fellow GoodReaders love fell short for me.
We don't meet Dom until the halfway point, so huge spoiler when Lev is hooking up with Shaun in the first half of the book. Oh, and at the 50% point, nothing terrifying has occurred unless you count having to read dialogue out loud to figure out "accents".
The prologue caught my attention, but as is the bane of prologues, the story has yet to really circle around to that teaser.
I gave it a good try, longer than I usually do since it came recommended by other m/m readers, but I can't get into the story.
EDIT: Went back and finished reading. My overall impression hasn't changed. Some additional quick bullet points:
* Spelling words strangely to indicate accents is very, very distracting. I started thinking of the MC as a buoy because of the spelling of boy as beuy. Using Ah as I knocked me out of the story every time. It was a struggle to read.
* The whole first half of the story didn't apply to the second half. The first half is the MC falling for and then pining after a neighbor. The whole second half was about the MC looking for answers about his parents and why he's different.
* While the paranormal aspect had some potential, since I wasn't into the story because of the other things mentioned I couldn't suspend disbelief for the rest.
Sorry to say I simply didn't enjoy it. Once again, a story many of my fellow GoodReaders love fell short for me.
November 5, 2011
3.5 stars
Good premise, as I do love tales involving Celtic myths, however, as much as I liked the characters, the story didn't entirely hang together for me. And I really wanted to love it after all the rave reviews I've read!
There were a number of instances in the book that threw me out of the story while I pondered what had happened. Two that spring to mind are: Shaun giving a blow job but not swallowing but then talking. So what happened to it? Then there was a scene where Dom pulls Leven out of a cave and then suddenly Dom is running across the sand to Leven.
In summary, an interesting read but I doubt I will read the sequel.
Good premise, as I do love tales involving Celtic myths, however, as much as I liked the characters, the story didn't entirely hang together for me. And I really wanted to love it after all the rave reviews I've read!
There were a number of instances in the book that threw me out of the story while I pondered what had happened. Two that spring to mind are: Shaun giving a blow job but not swallowing but then talking. So what happened to it? Then there was a scene where Dom pulls Leven out of a cave and then suddenly Dom is running across the sand to Leven.
In summary, an interesting read but I doubt I will read the sequel.
August 14, 2011
Take one angry young man who is trying to understand who and what he is and combine it with the dark, mystical legends of the Orkney islands. Yes, it is an unusual combination but it's one that works brilliantly due to the strength of the characters and the author's excellent story telling ability. The book is fast paced and absorbing. The story contains anger, violence, love, friendship, despair and hope - and I'm genuinely looking forward to the next in the series!
August 18, 2013
What a disappointment. I think the main issue with this story is that it seems to be a badly-worded first draft. It feels disjointed. Few of the characters' emotions are plausible. The descriptions of people and events are inadequate which makes it unsatisfying and, at times, frustrating. There seem to be quite a few novels in this series. Are they all churned out without much thought? I won't be reading more to find out.
December 5, 2011
Хорошая задумка, но очень плохое исполнение. Повествование рассыпается на куски, такое впечатление, что автора взял и выпустил под одной обложкой два несвязанных между собой рассказа про одного и того же героя.
Была бы интересная история, если бы первой части не было вообще, а во второй убраны промахи с логикой и выправлен язык.
Была бы интересная история, если бы первой части не было вообще, а во второй убраны промахи с логикой и выправлен язык.
November 13, 2014
Very intriguing story. My first Selkie story and I enjoyed it ;)
March 26, 2019
Old sea legends intertwine with Leven’s real life, and the boy finally knows the truth about himself and his family.
As much as I love to find fantasy mixed with reality in a book, Body of Water was a bit too stretched to be realistic. The story develops often in a confusing way, Leven has quite a few moments in which he inexplicably suddenly knows what to do and how to behave - not believable. His relationship with his two lovers happen too fast, as well as his friendship with Beth. How is an acquaintance of two days considered best friend for life? It doesn’t happen this way.
As much as I love to find fantasy mixed with reality in a book, Body of Water was a bit too stretched to be realistic. The story develops often in a confusing way, Leven has quite a few moments in which he inexplicably suddenly knows what to do and how to behave - not believable. His relationship with his two lovers happen too fast, as well as his friendship with Beth. How is an acquaintance of two days considered best friend for life? It doesn’t happen this way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2020
This story was interesting, but nothing special.
August 26, 2011
A lot was packed into a fairly short novel without it seeming rushed or too 'busy'. It is a well written blend of contemporary and dark paranormal themes spread between London and Orkney.
The main character Leven grows up in London, finding a foster home where he is accepted and understood after several years of mismatches and childrens' homes. He isn't always a very nice person at first as he acts up with his foster parents in a very understandable attempt to push them away before they decide to send him back. It takes a long time before he learns to trust and love them, which adds to the depth and realism of the character.
Just when Leven is starting to open up, his world is shaken by a cowardly boyfriend and then his foster mother is diagnosed with cancer just when he is coming to terms with the boyfriend disaster. Severely depressed by the death of his Mum he accepts an invitation to visit his 'real' father in Orkney.
Leven struggles to adapt to Orkney, the Orcadians and the myths and legends of his birth place. He gets answers to many questions, some he had never thought of asking. The answers are not all reassuring or even pleasant and his real parents turn out to be something of a shock.
The main character Leven grows up in London, finding a foster home where he is accepted and understood after several years of mismatches and childrens' homes. He isn't always a very nice person at first as he acts up with his foster parents in a very understandable attempt to push them away before they decide to send him back. It takes a long time before he learns to trust and love them, which adds to the depth and realism of the character.
Just when Leven is starting to open up, his world is shaken by a cowardly boyfriend and then his foster mother is diagnosed with cancer just when he is coming to terms with the boyfriend disaster. Severely depressed by the death of his Mum he accepts an invitation to visit his 'real' father in Orkney.
Leven struggles to adapt to Orkney, the Orcadians and the myths and legends of his birth place. He gets answers to many questions, some he had never thought of asking. The answers are not all reassuring or even pleasant and his real parents turn out to be something of a shock.
January 29, 2015
Genre M/M Paranormal
MC1 Leven
MC2 Dom
Storyline
Leven grew up being told to stay away from water, but not why. When he's a teen he meets Shaun & quickly falls in love with him; but when he & Shaun are caught trysting by Shaun's father, Leven is kicked out of Shaun's home & he's no longer allowed to visit him or Shaun's sister. Then his adoptive mother dies & Leven gets a letter from the man he believes is his bio dad asking him to travel to Scotland to visit. This is where he meets Dom & quickly finds out nothing in his life has been true.
Conflict
First there's the estrangement from Shaun & Shaun's sister. Then when Leven gets to the Orkneys in Scotland, he finds out that the man he believes is his bio dad is not well-liked & is basically blackmailing Dom into serving him.
My Thoughts
Not a horrible book, but not a terrific one either. Thankfully it was free & I read it for a challenge. So now it's one more out of my TBR. I don't know that I'm intrigued enough by the storyline to read the next in the series, perhaps if it was also offered free . . .
MC1 Leven
MC2 Dom
Storyline
Leven grew up being told to stay away from water, but not why. When he's a teen he meets Shaun & quickly falls in love with him; but when he & Shaun are caught trysting by Shaun's father, Leven is kicked out of Shaun's home & he's no longer allowed to visit him or Shaun's sister. Then his adoptive mother dies & Leven gets a letter from the man he believes is his bio dad asking him to travel to Scotland to visit. This is where he meets Dom & quickly finds out nothing in his life has been true.
Conflict
First there's the estrangement from Shaun & Shaun's sister. Then when Leven gets to the Orkneys in Scotland, he finds out that the man he believes is his bio dad is not well-liked & is basically blackmailing Dom into serving him.
My Thoughts
Not a horrible book, but not a terrific one either. Thankfully it was free & I read it for a challenge. So now it's one more out of my TBR. I don't know that I'm intrigued enough by the storyline to read the next in the series, perhaps if it was also offered free . . .
August 26, 2012
This is a fantastic book which never falters. Brought it purely based on the reviews, small description and the cover! Read the first few pages on here and thought what the hell.. its cheap.
I'm not going to give a review on what happens..you can read the other reviews or just buy the book. All I'm going to say is this :
I'm addicted to this book and am so happy to know there's going to be another one. I could probably read this book every week for the rest of my life and still get shocked/angry/annoyed/sad/amused and overjoyed by what happens.
The book is small compared to what i usually read but the author describes everything so well that you feel it goes on forever (in a good way).
As for the cost.. its great because its cheap..but really it shouldn't be. The price for this book is crazy it should be so much more but it is what it is.
Some people may not agree with my addiction to this book but if like me you have any sort of vivid imagination.. you will see so much more than just words.
If your looking for a sweet strange amusing and saucy book.. its right here.
Enjoy
I'm not going to give a review on what happens..you can read the other reviews or just buy the book. All I'm going to say is this :
I'm addicted to this book and am so happy to know there's going to be another one. I could probably read this book every week for the rest of my life and still get shocked/angry/annoyed/sad/amused and overjoyed by what happens.
The book is small compared to what i usually read but the author describes everything so well that you feel it goes on forever (in a good way).
As for the cost.. its great because its cheap..but really it shouldn't be. The price for this book is crazy it should be so much more but it is what it is.
Some people may not agree with my addiction to this book but if like me you have any sort of vivid imagination.. you will see so much more than just words.
If your looking for a sweet strange amusing and saucy book.. its right here.
Enjoy
September 11, 2011
Stuart Wakefield's debut novel is a stonking good read on several levels. The tangled emotions of the adolescent hero are drawn very well and I love that Stuart has allowed secondary characters to grow and develop as well, rather than just be the back drop against which the hero can shine.
Leven, the hero, has a rough time throughout most of the story. Initially, it's very much a contemporary tale with something a little uncanny working away behind it. Later, when the scene moves to Orkney, the paranormal aspects reign. Some of this is seriously creepy!
I read the first Smashwords release and there were a few typos and some continuity issues, but I understand that those were ironed out for the later issue.
Well done, Stuart. I'm looking forward to the next one.
Leven, the hero, has a rough time throughout most of the story. Initially, it's very much a contemporary tale with something a little uncanny working away behind it. Later, when the scene moves to Orkney, the paranormal aspects reign. Some of this is seriously creepy!
I read the first Smashwords release and there were a few typos and some continuity issues, but I understand that those were ironed out for the later issue.
Well done, Stuart. I'm looking forward to the next one.
April 10, 2012
i knew this was going to be special but I didn't quite expect it to be as different as it is. I was enthralled from beginning to end. What starts out as a young man's coming out story in dificult circumstanes ends up in mystical landscapes and timeless legends in the seas off the Orkney islands. Stuart had created a JK Rowling type of character who accepts his destiny despite not understanding initially what his life is all about. The book also illustrates how a book that features the love affair between two men can speak to the universal themes that everyone is aware of - the need to protect and nurture the one we love and the strength of overcoming resistance when love crossed between two very different worlds. Well done, Stuart! I loved it!
September 4, 2011
*4.5 stars*
Captivating - this was a really breathless read I found hard to put down. I'll admit, I was occasionally confused about how much time was passing and what exactly was going on, but the energy carried me on regardless.
Stuart Wakefield has a great way with words and has created a compelling fantasy world here. Recommended to anyone with an interest in fantasy adventures, and who likes them dark and Scottish!
Captivating - this was a really breathless read I found hard to put down. I'll admit, I was occasionally confused about how much time was passing and what exactly was going on, but the energy carried me on regardless.
Stuart Wakefield has a great way with words and has created a compelling fantasy world here. Recommended to anyone with an interest in fantasy adventures, and who likes them dark and Scottish!
August 3, 2012
3.5
What I love about challenges is picking up books that were never on your radar...like this enjoyable book. The story interweaves urban setting and Scottish mythology to create a unique and interesting story. Sometimes there is a lot happening and some disjointed moments in the story, but that pales in comparison to the overall. This was a unique read for me and I enjoyed it. The last part of the book was full throttle and I loved Leven and Dom. Anxiously await book two.
What I love about challenges is picking up books that were never on your radar...like this enjoyable book. The story interweaves urban setting and Scottish mythology to create a unique and interesting story. Sometimes there is a lot happening and some disjointed moments in the story, but that pales in comparison to the overall. This was a unique read for me and I enjoyed it. The last part of the book was full throttle and I loved Leven and Dom. Anxiously await book two.
July 22, 2013
I haven't read any stories like this as a m/m romance. I thought that was what made it so cool. At some points I was getting annoyed by Leven because his prejudice self wouldn't give Dom a chance. But then I just shrugged it off because it wasn't so bad and the mystery of the Island kept me from thinking much about the characters. It was a great read and I really hope I can find more stories like this.
November 28, 2014
Very sweet and strange
Though there were times I wasn't sure I wanted to continue to read, I kept having to come back. It's not the kind of book I normally read. The pacing is off-putting at times, and perhaps because it's not my usual genre, I wasn't always sure where the story was going. Lastly,the end seemn both rushed and incomplete. I still don't understand the Shaun thing. But all in all I enjoyed it and recommend it.
Though there were times I wasn't sure I wanted to continue to read, I kept having to come back. It's not the kind of book I normally read. The pacing is off-putting at times, and perhaps because it's not my usual genre, I wasn't always sure where the story was going. Lastly,the end seemn both rushed and incomplete. I still don't understand the Shaun thing. But all in all I enjoyed it and recommend it.
May 25, 2012
Sadly compelling a love story that takes you from the heartache of a teen romance into the strange world of magic, Scottish kelpies and sea creatures. Spanning the pain of loss, the misery of heartache and the feeling of loss. This story is captivating enough to over look certain more graphic elements.
January 15, 2013
I really don't know what to say about this book. It started very good and all the riddles and questions really kept me going on, but everything ended too soon and too quick and left me with more questions than answers. While many parts were great others were confusing. I don't know if I'll read the second book.
August 29, 2011
This story is based around Orkney myths and legends and was ingenious in its combining real life and fantasy. I would have given it 5 stars but for the difficulty of reading quasi-scottish text as in the novel 'Trainspotting'.
Definitely a must read for fans of M/M Fantasy novels.
Definitely a must read for fans of M/M Fantasy novels.
January 16, 2012
The beginning was slow. After I was done with the book, I realized that the second part of the book would have been done just nicely even without the first few chapters, guess the first few chapters spoilt it for me because I was not expecting the book to become more indulging in the fairy tale.
October 19, 2011
I got lost a number of times & struggled with this one when we got to the Scottish folklore type stuff at the midway point. It did pull together for a decent enough ending.
December 4, 2011
A dark mythic love story told with some powerful imagery and a real sense of place. Quite wonderful!
February 26, 2012
3.5 stars
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