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Bareback: A Werewolf’s Tale
Alex lives in Wren, Pennsylvania—a small, conservative town with little to offer a young gay man. Wren doesn’t cater to minorities of any kind, let alone a group openly scorned by the community. So when Alex meets Morgan and finds himself the object of the handsome foreigner’s affections, he willingly tumbles head-first into a passionate, animalistic, and careless affair. Meanwhile, people are dying, victims of a wild animal that has supposedly wandered into town from the surrounding national forest. After a weekend of untrammeled lovemaking, Morgan disappears, and Alex becomes deathly ill. He is convinced he’s contracted a fatal venereal disease. Only after Alex has languished for days does his mysterious lover resurface. Alex discovers that he has indeed been infected, though not in any way he could have he is now a werewolf. Who else but his lover, a ruthless man/wolf, could be responsible for the deaths that are terrorizing the community? Bareback presents a new breed of lycanthrope, a thinking creature as sexual as it is savage.
122 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2012
14 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Skye
48 books9 followersJoshua Skye is the author of the fantasy adventure, "Xerxes Canyon." He works primarily within the horror, fantasy, and erotica genres, often combining elements from each. His short stories appear in anthologies from STARbooks Press, As Publications, and Knightwatch Press. His work has also appeared in periodicals such as Blood and Lullabies.
He lives in rural Pennsylvania with his partner of fifteen years, Ray, and their seven-year-old son, Syrian. They share a historic Folk Victorian home with their pets Gypsy, Gizmo, and Bella, as well as a few spiders and ghosts.
He lives in rural Pennsylvania with his partner of fifteen years, Ray, and their seven-year-old son, Syrian. They share a historic Folk Victorian home with their pets Gypsy, Gizmo, and Bella, as well as a few spiders and ghosts.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 24, 2014
Joshua Skye’s is the story of Alex, who lives in a small conservative town in Pennsylvania, which is just no place for a proud gay man. So it’s a surprise when he meets and quickly falls for Morgan, a British man who is new in town.
But as soon as Alex sleeps with Morgan, he regrets it. Morgan persuaded him to do it bareback and now Alex is getting sick…. Meanwhile, townsfolk are turning up slaughtered, apparently the victims of some sort of wild animal. Soon, Alex can’t deny the fantastical and dangerous turn his life has taken.
Joshua Skye loves his horror and fans of the genre will appreciate the references to many horror favorites. Bareback: A Werewolf’s Tale actually reminds me of a combination of Gary Brandner’s The Howling and Stephen King’s Cycle of the Werewolf. While it’s a social exploration of the conflicts between gay men and conservatives, the novella is also a fast-paced, suspenseful horror tale topped by some great explicit sex scenes and a beautifully written werewolf transformation from the rarely described perspective of the man turning.
But as soon as Alex sleeps with Morgan, he regrets it. Morgan persuaded him to do it bareback and now Alex is getting sick…. Meanwhile, townsfolk are turning up slaughtered, apparently the victims of some sort of wild animal. Soon, Alex can’t deny the fantastical and dangerous turn his life has taken.
Joshua Skye loves his horror and fans of the genre will appreciate the references to many horror favorites. Bareback: A Werewolf’s Tale actually reminds me of a combination of Gary Brandner’s The Howling and Stephen King’s Cycle of the Werewolf. While it’s a social exploration of the conflicts between gay men and conservatives, the novella is also a fast-paced, suspenseful horror tale topped by some great explicit sex scenes and a beautifully written werewolf transformation from the rarely described perspective of the man turning.
July 23, 2013
This novel frustrated me greatly--and this is a very blunt review. Be forewarned.
So, I thought the best way to do this might be a sort of point/counterpoint. (Bear with me--I promise to never try this again if you and I hate the format by the end.)
Point: There was at the heart of this novella the beginning of a very good romance story. Alex and Morgan had great potential to become a couple that you would want to cheer on--see succeed and watch grow. The two young men were likeable characters--and I found myself wanting to know more about them. There was a heat in their encounters, a spark that you could feel in the text and Alex's lust for Morgan was palpable.
Counterpoint: Unfortunately the beginning sputtered out too soon and so the main characters never seemed to develop. In fact, by the end of this story, you knew little else other than the fact that both men hated the town of Wren, as well as most of the people living there and they were leaving as quickly as possible. Their sex was fierce, I think they liked one another, they had obviously mated, and, well, that's about it. Huh. Not much else to say.
Point: Werewolves as a genre are often overdone and campy. Not so with this rendition of their story. While traditional aspects of what we know about shapeshifters from other novels were hinted at, these creatures developed by Joshua Skye were uniquely different. More half man and half wolf yet with the potential to be all or either. They had a keen awareness of their sense of self--never giving over to their animal tendencies completely. They were, as a result more compelling to read about and more than once I wish they had more page time.
Counterpoint: What? Are these wolves or men with overactive hair growth and long tongues? The descriptors used to show Alex's transformation from man into beast were really exciting--almost painful to read because there was all kinds of bone snapping and spine jutting and long tongue lolling. But then he shifted to this man beast thing and I got totally confused--was he a wolf?? A half wolf/half man hybrid? In need of a good shave? I just was so lost.
Point: The story had amazing potential. It was very suspenseful at parts--was it really Morgan killing these people or some other unknown beast? When Noni, Alex's sister is stalked and attacked by the wolf-like beast my heart was in my throat and I was running with her--trying to escape. The secondary characters were interesting, but undeveloped. Yet was it Kyle who alluded to having both a girl and boyfriend? And the naughty office affair between two long suffering spouses who were both trapped in separate thankless marriages was very interesting. There were many avenues that this novella chose to venture down and each had great possibilities.
Counterpoint: Storyline? What storyline. Many times this seemed to be a series of vignettes tied loosely together with very little connecting interaction. We were in the story listening to employees discuss the fact that no one wanted to go to a company picnic and then all of a sudden this guy Kyle remarks that neither his boyfriend or girlfriend would want to attend. Wait. What did I miss? Four paragraphs before this the author was standing on his soapbox yelling about religion and how most of the town were bigoted religious fanatics. Mind you--I agreed with most of this rant--but it was endless and if Kyle is part of a menage this certainly isn't Mayberry, USA.
Then we switch to a scene where an older male employee is going down on a secretary--an older, buxomy, secretary--(think your grandmother). Shudder. What is going on here? Who are they and why am I watching a m/f sex scene in the middle of an M/M romance?
Each time I thought I had a handle on where this novella was going, another strange side story would yank me right out of the flow and leave me just absolutely frustrated.
Point: This story had some very important things to say about organized religion, it's false and bigoted doctrine, and it's propensity to spread hate. Bareback also had critical analysis of the current political environment, it's blatant marginalizing of gay rights and it's obvious repression of free speech. I think this author made some very valid and reasonable assertions and exposed the hate mongering that is an earmark of the conservative right.
Counterpoint: I get it. I do. You really did not have to wax prosaic every few pages on the ills of society. I lost the story--it became a mere addendum to your political views. Please--you have to learn to reign yourself and your views in a bit. They are important--most definitely but this is not a Poli-Sci term paper, it is a paranormal romance novel--just tell the story!
And that is why this novella, Bareback: A Werewolf's Tale is only a 2 star rating. The story got lost, the political and religious critique was indulgent and so many nice plot elements as well as characters were never fully developed. I think this writer has great potential but this was not his finest hour. He bears watching does Joshua Skye, that is for sure.
So, I thought the best way to do this might be a sort of point/counterpoint. (Bear with me--I promise to never try this again if you and I hate the format by the end.)
Point: There was at the heart of this novella the beginning of a very good romance story. Alex and Morgan had great potential to become a couple that you would want to cheer on--see succeed and watch grow. The two young men were likeable characters--and I found myself wanting to know more about them. There was a heat in their encounters, a spark that you could feel in the text and Alex's lust for Morgan was palpable.
Counterpoint: Unfortunately the beginning sputtered out too soon and so the main characters never seemed to develop. In fact, by the end of this story, you knew little else other than the fact that both men hated the town of Wren, as well as most of the people living there and they were leaving as quickly as possible. Their sex was fierce, I think they liked one another, they had obviously mated, and, well, that's about it. Huh. Not much else to say.
Point: Werewolves as a genre are often overdone and campy. Not so with this rendition of their story. While traditional aspects of what we know about shapeshifters from other novels were hinted at, these creatures developed by Joshua Skye were uniquely different. More half man and half wolf yet with the potential to be all or either. They had a keen awareness of their sense of self--never giving over to their animal tendencies completely. They were, as a result more compelling to read about and more than once I wish they had more page time.
Counterpoint: What? Are these wolves or men with overactive hair growth and long tongues? The descriptors used to show Alex's transformation from man into beast were really exciting--almost painful to read because there was all kinds of bone snapping and spine jutting and long tongue lolling. But then he shifted to this man beast thing and I got totally confused--was he a wolf?? A half wolf/half man hybrid? In need of a good shave? I just was so lost.
Point: The story had amazing potential. It was very suspenseful at parts--was it really Morgan killing these people or some other unknown beast? When Noni, Alex's sister is stalked and attacked by the wolf-like beast my heart was in my throat and I was running with her--trying to escape. The secondary characters were interesting, but undeveloped. Yet was it Kyle who alluded to having both a girl and boyfriend? And the naughty office affair between two long suffering spouses who were both trapped in separate thankless marriages was very interesting. There were many avenues that this novella chose to venture down and each had great possibilities.
Counterpoint: Storyline? What storyline. Many times this seemed to be a series of vignettes tied loosely together with very little connecting interaction. We were in the story listening to employees discuss the fact that no one wanted to go to a company picnic and then all of a sudden this guy Kyle remarks that neither his boyfriend or girlfriend would want to attend. Wait. What did I miss? Four paragraphs before this the author was standing on his soapbox yelling about religion and how most of the town were bigoted religious fanatics. Mind you--I agreed with most of this rant--but it was endless and if Kyle is part of a menage this certainly isn't Mayberry, USA.
Then we switch to a scene where an older male employee is going down on a secretary--an older, buxomy, secretary--(think your grandmother). Shudder. What is going on here? Who are they and why am I watching a m/f sex scene in the middle of an M/M romance?
Each time I thought I had a handle on where this novella was going, another strange side story would yank me right out of the flow and leave me just absolutely frustrated.
Point: This story had some very important things to say about organized religion, it's false and bigoted doctrine, and it's propensity to spread hate. Bareback also had critical analysis of the current political environment, it's blatant marginalizing of gay rights and it's obvious repression of free speech. I think this author made some very valid and reasonable assertions and exposed the hate mongering that is an earmark of the conservative right.
Counterpoint: I get it. I do. You really did not have to wax prosaic every few pages on the ills of society. I lost the story--it became a mere addendum to your political views. Please--you have to learn to reign yourself and your views in a bit. They are important--most definitely but this is not a Poli-Sci term paper, it is a paranormal romance novel--just tell the story!
And that is why this novella, Bareback: A Werewolf's Tale is only a 2 star rating. The story got lost, the political and religious critique was indulgent and so many nice plot elements as well as characters were never fully developed. I think this writer has great potential but this was not his finest hour. He bears watching does Joshua Skye, that is for sure.
Read
December 5, 2012More an horror than a romance, I think Bareback is a metaphor for the monsters you can find on your everyday life.
Alex is a small town boy who is swept away one night by a fascinating stranger, and exchange English student who is spending the summer. In comparison to the most mundane Morgan, Alex is really naïve, and so when Morgan asks to have unprotected sex, Alex just trusts his words. Of course it was not a good idea, and days later Alex starts to be ill, and Morgan is just disappeared.
More than the plot that is indeed quite linear and simple, I think the strength of the story lies on its contemporaneity. Alex is an everyday guy, he discusses of movies and politics, truth be told he is really an ordinary guy, just cute enough to catch your eyes, but probably not fated to anything grandeur, if not for his meeting with Morgan.
But I think the metaphor is also on his “bad” decision to have unprotected sex with Morgan, you never really know the person you are having sex with, especially if you met him just that night. In the end Morgan is not “the” monster, but he could have been, and Alex didn’t do anything to protect himself.
Quite traditional werewolf novel, as I said, more an horror than a romance, it seemed like I was reading something out of the late ‘70s or ‘80s.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1603815082/?...
Alex is a small town boy who is swept away one night by a fascinating stranger, and exchange English student who is spending the summer. In comparison to the most mundane Morgan, Alex is really naïve, and so when Morgan asks to have unprotected sex, Alex just trusts his words. Of course it was not a good idea, and days later Alex starts to be ill, and Morgan is just disappeared.
More than the plot that is indeed quite linear and simple, I think the strength of the story lies on its contemporaneity. Alex is an everyday guy, he discusses of movies and politics, truth be told he is really an ordinary guy, just cute enough to catch your eyes, but probably not fated to anything grandeur, if not for his meeting with Morgan.
But I think the metaphor is also on his “bad” decision to have unprotected sex with Morgan, you never really know the person you are having sex with, especially if you met him just that night. In the end Morgan is not “the” monster, but he could have been, and Alex didn’t do anything to protect himself.
Quite traditional werewolf novel, as I said, more an horror than a romance, it seemed like I was reading something out of the late ‘70s or ‘80s.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1603815082/?...
July 16, 2012
I have to admit, this storyline is a bit weird. Maybe because it was partly undeveloped, everything happened to fast. As I reader I didn't connect with the main characters. Even with the story. In overall the story is pulling enough, but something is still missing. I liked Alex even Morgan. The end wasn't completed.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews