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Light
Kieran Quinn is a bit telepathic, a little psychokinetic, and very gay—three things that have gotten him through life perfectly well so far—but when self-styled prophet Wyatt Jackson arrives during Pride Week, things take a violent turn.
Kieran’s powers are somewhat underwhelming but do have a habit of refracting light into spectacular rainbows for him to hide behind. Even so, it’s not long before Kieran is struggling to maintain his own anonymity while battling wits with a handsome cop, getting some flirting in with a hunky leather man, saving some drag queens, and escaping the worst blind date in history. It’s enough to make a fledgling hero want to give up before he even begins.
One thing’s for sure: saving the day has never been so fabulous.
Kieran’s powers are somewhat underwhelming but do have a habit of refracting light into spectacular rainbows for him to hide behind. Even so, it’s not long before Kieran is struggling to maintain his own anonymity while battling wits with a handsome cop, getting some flirting in with a hunky leather man, saving some drag queens, and escaping the worst blind date in history. It’s enough to make a fledgling hero want to give up before he even begins.
One thing’s for sure: saving the day has never been so fabulous.
264 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2013
10 people are currently reading
775 people want to read
About the author
'Nathan Burgoine
50 books461 followers'Nathan Burgoine grew up a reader and studied literature in university while making a living as a bookseller. His first published short story was "Heart" in the collection Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction. Since then, he has had dozens of short stories published, and despite being "the tall queer guy who writes mosly shorter queer fictions" novels have happened between the novellas and short stories.
A cat lover, 'Nathan managed to fall in love and marry Daniel, who is a confirmed dog person. Their ongoing "cat or dog?" détente ended with the rescue and adoption of huskies. They live in Ottawa, Canada, where socialized health care and gay marriage have yet to cause the sky to cave in.
You can find 'Nathan on the web at nathanburgoine.com.
A cat lover, 'Nathan managed to fall in love and marry Daniel, who is a confirmed dog person. Their ongoing "cat or dog?" détente ended with the rescue and adoption of huskies. They live in Ottawa, Canada, where socialized health care and gay marriage have yet to cause the sky to cave in.
You can find 'Nathan on the web at nathanburgoine.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
October 31, 2013
**4.5 stars**
This book should be way, way more popular. It deserves a cult following, honestly. And ignore that cover... it makes the book seem too mature. It is really fresher and lighter than that. This book is the whole package- edited well, a great story, and really, really funny.
I read a lot of paranormals and they often can feel tired or cheesy. This was paranormal romance done right. In fact, it reminded me a bit of "PsyCop" (<---- huge complement!) in terms of the world-building and the element of mystery in the story.
I think the thing that struck me the most about this one was how unexpectedly funny it was.
I managed to swallow and swig some chai before he returned, a steaming cup of black coffee in one hand and a bagel in the other, without cream cheese or jam or even any butter, which made me wonder if he was an alien or something and cost him a point.
Justin bit his dry unbuttered bagel. I watched to see if he's implode but he seemed to survive. Weird. I guess some people have invulnerable stomachs or something.
The Kieran's voice was one that I immediately smitten with. I found him to be adorable and relatable... his character and his actions just made perfect sense to me. And I am crazy about the love interest. I think that they had great chemistry. This brings me to my only real gripe- the lack of sex content. Maybe it's just me, but I would have appreciated some very, very, very detailed descriptions of those two men in action.
This book was a great blend of action, romance, and a nice sneak-peak into Ottawa's Pride scene. Any paranormal lover should give this a try.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
This book should be way, way more popular. It deserves a cult following, honestly. And ignore that cover... it makes the book seem too mature. It is really fresher and lighter than that. This book is the whole package- edited well, a great story, and really, really funny.
I read a lot of paranormals and they often can feel tired or cheesy. This was paranormal romance done right. In fact, it reminded me a bit of "PsyCop" (<---- huge complement!) in terms of the world-building and the element of mystery in the story.
I think the thing that struck me the most about this one was how unexpectedly funny it was.
I managed to swallow and swig some chai before he returned, a steaming cup of black coffee in one hand and a bagel in the other, without cream cheese or jam or even any butter, which made me wonder if he was an alien or something and cost him a point.
Justin bit his dry unbuttered bagel. I watched to see if he's implode but he seemed to survive. Weird. I guess some people have invulnerable stomachs or something.
The Kieran's voice was one that I immediately smitten with. I found him to be adorable and relatable... his character and his actions just made perfect sense to me. And I am crazy about the love interest. I think that they had great chemistry. This brings me to my only real gripe- the lack of sex content. Maybe it's just me, but I would have appreciated some very, very, very detailed descriptions of those two men in action.
This book was a great blend of action, romance, and a nice sneak-peak into Ottawa's Pride scene. Any paranormal lover should give this a try.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
September 26, 2014
a mixed bag. which is also on fire.
some good scenes, with tenderness and humor and pathos—but they were overshadowed, for me, by a tendency to blunder into irritating imbalance.
in other words, i liked parts of it, but then i always got annoyed.
little problems with the prose—suggestions of slut-shaming, various unnecessary details—combined with a truly unflattering characterization of the MC as a vapidly judgmental twat who couldn't think his way out of a wet paper bag.
the plot was clumsy, and the resolution annoying. the MC rubbed me the wrong way. the villain was a caricature, and the love interest a meathead placeholder of no real distinction.
fade-to-black sex, and random characters who served no purpose other than as window dressing, and my face was set in grim lines of unhappiness by 60 percent.
small tweaks here or there would have made this an unblemished romp; instead, the tiny missteps compounded, turning me into a ball of hate and forcing me to direct my ire at the author's name, which—just, you know, fuck off.
'nathan? really?
with the apostrophe and everything? really.
as in, joh-nathan? really?!
really.
some good scenes, with tenderness and humor and pathos—but they were overshadowed, for me, by a tendency to blunder into irritating imbalance.
in other words, i liked parts of it, but then i always got annoyed.
little problems with the prose—suggestions of slut-shaming, various unnecessary details—combined with a truly unflattering characterization of the MC as a vapidly judgmental twat who couldn't think his way out of a wet paper bag.
the plot was clumsy, and the resolution annoying. the MC rubbed me the wrong way. the villain was a caricature, and the love interest a meathead placeholder of no real distinction.
fade-to-black sex, and random characters who served no purpose other than as window dressing, and my face was set in grim lines of unhappiness by 60 percent.
small tweaks here or there would have made this an unblemished romp; instead, the tiny missteps compounded, turning me into a ball of hate and forcing me to direct my ire at the author's name, which—just, you know, fuck off.
'nathan? really?
with the apostrophe and everything? really.
as in, joh-nathan? really?!
really.
October 10, 2015
A gay massage-therapist-turned-superhero named Rainbow Man uses his technicolor mindrays to save Ottawa Pride from evil Telekinetic Westboro Baptist types with the help of drag queens and leather daddies!
It sounds like the campiest of all campflagrations, something John Waters dreamt up after dropping acid. But Light ended up nothing like that: it's a sweet, low-key, often hilarious tale of Pride Week that most of the time felt far more like a contemporary than a superhero story thanks to its thorough grounding in its Ottawa setting--both the physical locale and the specifics of the city's Pride Week. The effect is disarming and fresh, much like the hero/narrator, Kieran, who until then had mostly used his telekinesis to turn off his alarm clock or summon his cell phone and whose telepathy, far from feeling like a superpower, is mostly a nuisance as it forces him to "overhear" the snarky mental opinions of his blind date from hell. (99% of the time he uses it to communicate with his cat.)
My one reservation was with Sebastien--he is sexy and likable enough, but he ended up feeling more like a compendium of attractive traits than a fully realized human being. It was too bad since the book's secondary characters were all otherwise fleshed out and nuanced, giving the book an inhabited feel that enhanced the overall, if somewhat paradoxical, realism. That being said, the book didn't read like a romance; if there was a love affair, it was with Ottawa Pride itself, the events, the personalities, the community, and underlying it all, the meaning of it.
And like the hero's use of rainbow rays to take down Bible-abusing bigots, it's a beautiful thing to behold.
It sounds like the campiest of all campflagrations, something John Waters dreamt up after dropping acid. But Light ended up nothing like that: it's a sweet, low-key, often hilarious tale of Pride Week that most of the time felt far more like a contemporary than a superhero story thanks to its thorough grounding in its Ottawa setting--both the physical locale and the specifics of the city's Pride Week. The effect is disarming and fresh, much like the hero/narrator, Kieran, who until then had mostly used his telekinesis to turn off his alarm clock or summon his cell phone and whose telepathy, far from feeling like a superpower, is mostly a nuisance as it forces him to "overhear" the snarky mental opinions of his blind date from hell. (99% of the time he uses it to communicate with his cat.)
My one reservation was with Sebastien--he is sexy and likable enough, but he ended up feeling more like a compendium of attractive traits than a fully realized human being. It was too bad since the book's secondary characters were all otherwise fleshed out and nuanced, giving the book an inhabited feel that enhanced the overall, if somewhat paradoxical, realism. That being said, the book didn't read like a romance; if there was a love affair, it was with Ottawa Pride itself, the events, the personalities, the community, and underlying it all, the meaning of it.
And like the hero's use of rainbow rays to take down Bible-abusing bigots, it's a beautiful thing to behold.
February 13, 2015
3.25 stars!
!SPOILERS!
Okay. This one is tricky to rate because some elements in it are fantastic, and others are a little silly.
SCORE BOARD:
in true Kieran fashion
+ 5 points: amazing characters. amazing. their personalities shone through brighter than any discoball in the sky
+ 3 points: hilarious. witty, unique, hilarious main characters
+ 3 points: unique world building. it's like x-men. *ponders* yes, it's essentially x-men
+ 5 points: BIG HOT LEATHER FRENCH-CANADIAN DADDY? yes fucking please.
+ 3 points: great way to integrate pets into the story and make them their own characters with real personalities
+ 1 point: it's actually more like if x-men and psycop had a love-baby
- 5 points: stereotypical "yo hey bitch" female best friend. all conversations between MC and BFF are essentially "ho" "skank" "love ya" "love ya more" "double whipped latte with an extra shot of espresso?" "bitch, you know it". not every friendship between a gay man and a straight female has to have this kind of dialogue. it just doesn't.
- 3 points: kieran is a little bit of a bitch in the sense of... on his one week off from work, he stops by his work every day to get his "hey bitch ho" bestie a coffee.
- 3 points: so kieran hides his psychokinetic abilities his whole life. then one day is all "ah, fuck it" and jumps in head first playing the role of ametuer discoball cop... sneaking around and trying to foil evil mastermind plans... why? for the sake of PRIDE! it just seemed a little... cheesy
- 1 point: again to reiterate the kind of... stupidity (but I don't think kieran is stupid OR annoying... just the choices he made were questionable) of the things kieran did. he kept putting himself in the line of danger when he had:
a) no real power (lets be honest)
b) had his ass handed to him at least a hundred times by the bad guy
c) only planned to slow this guy down until pride was over... and then what? you think the psycho will be like, "well, fuck. prides over, so there are no more queers to hate on. time to give up my evil ways!" chances are he'd just start blowing up some gay clubs or something
- 1000 points: NO ON PAGE SEX. You give me a hot, big, muscular, FRENCH-CANADIAN LEATHER DADDY... and no... on page... sex??? how could you, Nathan. how could you?
+ 1001 points: even without the sex, sebastien was super-duper dreamy
all in all, i'd recommend this. overlook some of the plot problems, and yes, some of the grammatical problems (el(l)iot flip-flopped from being elliot to being eliot a few times) and you'll still have a sexy story with a unique premise, and quite honestly some FANTASTIC characters.
(cliche 'hey bitch' bestie not included)
!SPOILERS!
Okay. This one is tricky to rate because some elements in it are fantastic, and others are a little silly.
SCORE BOARD:
in true Kieran fashion
+ 5 points: amazing characters. amazing. their personalities shone through brighter than any discoball in the sky
+ 3 points: hilarious. witty, unique, hilarious main characters
+ 3 points: unique world building. it's like x-men. *ponders* yes, it's essentially x-men
+ 5 points: BIG HOT LEATHER FRENCH-CANADIAN DADDY? yes fucking please.
+ 3 points: great way to integrate pets into the story and make them their own characters with real personalities
+ 1 point: it's actually more like if x-men and psycop had a love-baby
- 5 points: stereotypical "yo hey bitch" female best friend. all conversations between MC and BFF are essentially "ho" "skank" "love ya" "love ya more" "double whipped latte with an extra shot of espresso?" "bitch, you know it". not every friendship between a gay man and a straight female has to have this kind of dialogue. it just doesn't.
- 3 points: kieran is a little bit of a bitch in the sense of... on his one week off from work, he stops by his work every day to get his "hey bitch ho" bestie a coffee.
- 3 points: so kieran hides his psychokinetic abilities his whole life. then one day is all "ah, fuck it" and jumps in head first playing the role of ametuer discoball cop... sneaking around and trying to foil evil mastermind plans... why? for the sake of PRIDE! it just seemed a little... cheesy
- 1 point: again to reiterate the kind of... stupidity (but I don't think kieran is stupid OR annoying... just the choices he made were questionable) of the things kieran did. he kept putting himself in the line of danger when he had:
a) no real power (lets be honest)
b) had his ass handed to him at least a hundred times by the bad guy
c) only planned to slow this guy down until pride was over... and then what? you think the psycho will be like, "well, fuck. prides over, so there are no more queers to hate on. time to give up my evil ways!" chances are he'd just start blowing up some gay clubs or something
- 1000 points: NO ON PAGE SEX. You give me a hot, big, muscular, FRENCH-CANADIAN LEATHER DADDY... and no... on page... sex??? how could you, Nathan. how could you?
+ 1001 points: even without the sex, sebastien was super-duper dreamy
all in all, i'd recommend this. overlook some of the plot problems, and yes, some of the grammatical problems (el(l)iot flip-flopped from being elliot to being eliot a few times) and you'll still have a sexy story with a unique premise, and quite honestly some FANTASTIC characters.
(cliche 'hey bitch' bestie not included)
Read
February 12, 2022Edit: February 11th, 2022: Bold Strokes Books is having a Valentine's Day sale of 15% off e-books on their webstore of romance (and romance-including) titles until February 14th, 2022 at 11:59pm EDT. This includes 'Light'!
This will take you right to 'Light' on their webstore. (The sale is also good on the paperback, too!)
Hey folks! It's me, the author, being all authory.
I never thought I'd write a novel. Seriously, I'm a short story man, through and through, and a lover of the novella format, and there was no way I was going to write a novel. Ever. Especially not while working full-time, and and and...
My editor, on the other hand, didn't accept my excuses. And there was this one kinda-sorta superhero story idea I had that I couldn't fit into a short story. I pitched it. He accepted. And three years later, there was Light.
And I was convinced I was done with novels.
Ha.
I'll never give up my short fiction first-love, that's for sure. And there will always be novellas and short fiction planned and waiting for a good home. But it turns out writing novels isn't impossible.
And some stories don't fit in short pieces.
Anyway. I hope you enjoy this, my first foray into a novel. It's in first person, but the character isn't me. I point that out as now and then reviews tend to blur that a bit, and there's some 'the author seems to think' stuff out there that just isn't true—the character thinks it. I often disagree. Kieran is written very specifically to be a specific guy. In many ways (heck, in most ways) he's not like me. His support network is different, his family is different, his notions on problems and solutions are nothing like mine, his faith is especially not me, his squeamishness about non-monogamy, his ideas about what "masculine" is..? Very not me.
And on and on. He's a product of his own, fictional life.
He also gets to be a telepath and a telekinetic, which—sigh—is also something I don't get to be.
That's probably a good thing, though. It's probable I would find myself tempted into being far less a hero than Kieran tries to be.
This will take you right to 'Light' on their webstore. (The sale is also good on the paperback, too!)
Hey folks! It's me, the author, being all authory.
I never thought I'd write a novel. Seriously, I'm a short story man, through and through, and a lover of the novella format, and there was no way I was going to write a novel. Ever. Especially not while working full-time, and and and...
My editor, on the other hand, didn't accept my excuses. And there was this one kinda-sorta superhero story idea I had that I couldn't fit into a short story. I pitched it. He accepted. And three years later, there was Light.
And I was convinced I was done with novels.
Ha.
I'll never give up my short fiction first-love, that's for sure. And there will always be novellas and short fiction planned and waiting for a good home. But it turns out writing novels isn't impossible.
And some stories don't fit in short pieces.
Anyway. I hope you enjoy this, my first foray into a novel. It's in first person, but the character isn't me. I point that out as now and then reviews tend to blur that a bit, and there's some 'the author seems to think' stuff out there that just isn't true—the character thinks it. I often disagree. Kieran is written very specifically to be a specific guy. In many ways (heck, in most ways) he's not like me. His support network is different, his family is different, his notions on problems and solutions are nothing like mine, his faith is especially not me, his squeamishness about non-monogamy, his ideas about what "masculine" is..? Very not me.
And on and on. He's a product of his own, fictional life.
He also gets to be a telepath and a telekinetic, which—sigh—is also something I don't get to be.
That's probably a good thing, though. It's probable I would find myself tempted into being far less a hero than Kieran tries to be.
September 16, 2013
I received a copy of this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this story. The plot was engaging, and I appreciated that there wasn't a love triangle. I loved the tone, and mood of the story. The writing style was nice, and fit the mood of the story really well.
The characters were well drawn, and interesting. I liked that Kieran never felt too dark, or angsty. It made for a refreshing change from many stories of this genre. It was nice seeing that Kieran wasn't the toughest or most powerful character around. It made him more relatable, and I liked Miracle Woman. I was surprised by how much I liked love interest. He was far from the controlling jerk characters of his ilk tend to be, and I loved seeing the connection between the two of them grow. I liked the secondary cast. There might have been some interesting characters, but they felt like people instead of stereotypes.
It was nice to see a woman with such strength, and character. The ending was well done, and a bit unexpected. I liked that things didn't play out exactly how or why I expected early in the book. A fun read.
I really enjoyed this story. The plot was engaging, and I appreciated that there wasn't a love triangle. I loved the tone, and mood of the story. The writing style was nice, and fit the mood of the story really well.
The characters were well drawn, and interesting. I liked that Kieran never felt too dark, or angsty. It made for a refreshing change from many stories of this genre. It was nice seeing that Kieran wasn't the toughest or most powerful character around. It made him more relatable, and I liked Miracle Woman. I was surprised by how much I liked love interest. He was far from the controlling jerk characters of his ilk tend to be, and I loved seeing the connection between the two of them grow. I liked the secondary cast. There might have been some interesting characters, but they felt like people instead of stereotypes.
It was nice to see a woman with such strength, and character. The ending was well done, and a bit unexpected. I liked that things didn't play out exactly how or why I expected early in the book. A fun read.
April 11, 2015
It was an enjoyable, light and funny read. Not something that will stay with you for a long time, but charming and delightful enough to keep your attention throughout the story or to satisfy a critical reader.
I probably would have liked it more if I had read it in one sitting, without interruptions, and probably even much more if I'd considered myself a paranormal genre-lover.
If you're a paranormal fan and looking for something easy and funny, if you like pets in your books and have nothing against a hunky leather man, if you need a HEA, then you shouldn't miss this one.
July 9, 2017
'Nathan Burgoine Ruined My Weekend
So Saturdays and Sundays are kind of sacred to me. My workweek is filled with high demands and equally high expectations. It’s enough to make me cast a grateful prayer to the heavens and beat a fast retreat home when Friday night rolls around.
Weekends are a time with my partner and taking our dogs on long walks to make up for the short ones we cram in during the week. They’re time with friends. They’re time to use my bike for something other than commuting back and forth to work. They’re time to catch up on the shameful number of shows crowding our DVR each fall when the new season starts.
However, this particular Saturday morning, I started reading 'Nathan Burgoine’s LIGHT. I expected to begin it during the weekend and read it over the next week or so when I had time, a chapter before bed or in the morning while I drank my coffee. But Mr. Burgoine had other ideas.
Before I knew it, I was immersed in his world of psychokinesis & telepathy and couldn’t seem to pull myself away. Every few hours I kept making excuses to sneak off and read another chapter or two, or three…
His first person narrative was so engaging, so delightfully charming that I couldn’t seem to wipe a stupid grin off my face. Sometimes I even heard someone in the room bark out a laugh, only to realize a moment later it was me. Kieran is exactly the kind of guy you want to have superpowers. He’s self-effacing, sweet, and just geeky enough to make his powers cool. Like Spiderman-Cool.
He’s pitted against a gay man’s nightmare, a bible-thumping evangelist nicknamed Stigmatic Jack. It’s Pride Week in Ottawa, and Stigmatic Jack has brought his flock to town to show the out and proud gay population the evil of their ways. Things go from bad to worse when Kieran realizes Stigmatic Jack has telekinetic powers of his own. Each time Kieran battles his nemesis the stakes get higher, the battles larger, and the descriptions richer – so much so that in the final confrontation I swear I could hear the shattered glass tinkle as it hit the street. Seriously, the climax of this book would be so cool on the big screen, and as origin stories go, this one is pretty dang awesome.
But the wonderful thing about Burgoine’s writing is that the characters and their relationships aren’t sacrificed for the plot and the action. He spends the time getting to know Kieran, his brother, his best friend, his potential love interest(s), and a blind date that keeps showing up in all the wrong places. I genuinely cared for these people and was cheering for them the entire way through the book.
This year I’ve been following 'Nathan’s Short Stories 365 Blog on Red Room (if you haven’t checked it out, I recommend you do so – if your wallet can afford it, that is). In his blog he’s mentioned how comfortable he is with short fiction and what a departure writing something the length of LIGHT was for him. If that’s so, I certainly couldn’t tell. While I’ve always enjoyed his short stories, I felt like this gave his talents even more of an opportunity to shine. The subtlety and innuendo he had the time to develop, the running jokes and wonderful insights he nurtured – well, let’s just say they scored him more than a couple of points.
So it’s Sunday evening, 'Nathan. Tomorrow the work week begins, and all I can say is, “Thanks.” Thanks for the cold shoulders I’m getting from my dogs (no ‘friend, friend, play?’ here). Thanks for the dust collecting on my bike. Thanks for the questions from my partner, worried why I’ve been off by myself so much this weekend. And thanks for the groaning of my DVR, which I fear may explode at any minute.
It was totally worth it.
So Saturdays and Sundays are kind of sacred to me. My workweek is filled with high demands and equally high expectations. It’s enough to make me cast a grateful prayer to the heavens and beat a fast retreat home when Friday night rolls around.
Weekends are a time with my partner and taking our dogs on long walks to make up for the short ones we cram in during the week. They’re time with friends. They’re time to use my bike for something other than commuting back and forth to work. They’re time to catch up on the shameful number of shows crowding our DVR each fall when the new season starts.
However, this particular Saturday morning, I started reading 'Nathan Burgoine’s LIGHT. I expected to begin it during the weekend and read it over the next week or so when I had time, a chapter before bed or in the morning while I drank my coffee. But Mr. Burgoine had other ideas.
Before I knew it, I was immersed in his world of psychokinesis & telepathy and couldn’t seem to pull myself away. Every few hours I kept making excuses to sneak off and read another chapter or two, or three…
His first person narrative was so engaging, so delightfully charming that I couldn’t seem to wipe a stupid grin off my face. Sometimes I even heard someone in the room bark out a laugh, only to realize a moment later it was me. Kieran is exactly the kind of guy you want to have superpowers. He’s self-effacing, sweet, and just geeky enough to make his powers cool. Like Spiderman-Cool.
He’s pitted against a gay man’s nightmare, a bible-thumping evangelist nicknamed Stigmatic Jack. It’s Pride Week in Ottawa, and Stigmatic Jack has brought his flock to town to show the out and proud gay population the evil of their ways. Things go from bad to worse when Kieran realizes Stigmatic Jack has telekinetic powers of his own. Each time Kieran battles his nemesis the stakes get higher, the battles larger, and the descriptions richer – so much so that in the final confrontation I swear I could hear the shattered glass tinkle as it hit the street. Seriously, the climax of this book would be so cool on the big screen, and as origin stories go, this one is pretty dang awesome.
But the wonderful thing about Burgoine’s writing is that the characters and their relationships aren’t sacrificed for the plot and the action. He spends the time getting to know Kieran, his brother, his best friend, his potential love interest(s), and a blind date that keeps showing up in all the wrong places. I genuinely cared for these people and was cheering for them the entire way through the book.
This year I’ve been following 'Nathan’s Short Stories 365 Blog on Red Room (if you haven’t checked it out, I recommend you do so – if your wallet can afford it, that is). In his blog he’s mentioned how comfortable he is with short fiction and what a departure writing something the length of LIGHT was for him. If that’s so, I certainly couldn’t tell. While I’ve always enjoyed his short stories, I felt like this gave his talents even more of an opportunity to shine. The subtlety and innuendo he had the time to develop, the running jokes and wonderful insights he nurtured – well, let’s just say they scored him more than a couple of points.
So it’s Sunday evening, 'Nathan. Tomorrow the work week begins, and all I can say is, “Thanks.” Thanks for the cold shoulders I’m getting from my dogs (no ‘friend, friend, play?’ here). Thanks for the dust collecting on my bike. Thanks for the questions from my partner, worried why I’ve been off by myself so much this weekend. And thanks for the groaning of my DVR, which I fear may explode at any minute.
It was totally worth it.
October 1, 2020
Kieran Quinn has known he was telekinetic since he was ten, but hid it from everyone but his late mother. There are other super-powered people around, but they mostly keep a low-profile after the first to make his identity public was immediately murdered. Some of them try to help in emergencies, but there are no spandex and capes superheroes in this story.
Kieran works as a massage therapist. His minor telepathic ability lets him figure out where clients are hurting, and his telekinesis lets him fix the pain. He's content to use his power in this small beneficial manner (and to entertain his cat) until a religious fanatic with powers much stronger than Kieran's shows up at Pride to slice up participants and get publicity for his self-created church.
Can Kieran keep his community safe while also hiding his identity from the public, the police, his family, his bossy best friend, and that hot French-Canadian Leather Daddy who seems possibly interested in him?
Kieran works as a massage therapist. His minor telepathic ability lets him figure out where clients are hurting, and his telekinesis lets him fix the pain. He's content to use his power in this small beneficial manner (and to entertain his cat) until a religious fanatic with powers much stronger than Kieran's shows up at Pride to slice up participants and get publicity for his self-created church.
Can Kieran keep his community safe while also hiding his identity from the public, the police, his family, his bossy best friend, and that hot French-Canadian Leather Daddy who seems possibly interested in him?
September 3, 2020
This is a fun and quick read.
Though, I am a bit sour I spent 9$ for it. I think I've been spoiled by KU. But this book just didn't have enough depth or emotional reaction out of me in order to justify its high price to myself.
Two things that shine in this story:
The telekinesis, that was very cool and in depth exploration through the eyes of the MC and the villain.
The setting. The entire plot evolves around Pride Week in Ottawa and the religious zealots that are out to destroy it.
The romance is where it's lacking. They have chemistry. ish. But there is no real relationship development. Everything happens quite fast. The I love you's are well... out of the blue. I just didn't feel the romance.
This succeeded as a story about a boy that has powers. It succeeded as a story about Pride.
Not so much as a story about a boy who falls in love.
So meh, not sure this is an author I'll be revisiting unless the books end up on KU. I just can't justify the price tag for a light, fluffy, entertaining and forgettable read. 🤷🏽♀️Obviously, personal problem here.
Though, I am a bit sour I spent 9$ for it. I think I've been spoiled by KU. But this book just didn't have enough depth or emotional reaction out of me in order to justify its high price to myself.
Two things that shine in this story:
The telekinesis, that was very cool and in depth exploration through the eyes of the MC and the villain.
The setting. The entire plot evolves around Pride Week in Ottawa and the religious zealots that are out to destroy it.
The romance is where it's lacking. They have chemistry. ish. But there is no real relationship development. Everything happens quite fast. The I love you's are well... out of the blue. I just didn't feel the romance.
This succeeded as a story about a boy that has powers. It succeeded as a story about Pride.
Not so much as a story about a boy who falls in love.
So meh, not sure this is an author I'll be revisiting unless the books end up on KU. I just can't justify the price tag for a light, fluffy, entertaining and forgettable read. 🤷🏽♀️Obviously, personal problem here.
March 24, 2016
Massage therapist Kieran Quinn has hidden his telepathic and psychokinetic gifts since he was ten years old, but when a madman begins threatening the safety of Ottawa's Pride Week attendees, he puts his anonymity into jeopardy to help his fellow LGBT* brethren, at great cost to himself. Luckily though he gets to meet the love of his life along the way.
Funny, entertaining, with some interesting world building...I'm really glad I picked this up. I enjoyed the action moments, and the romance (even if the sexy times are fade to black - I didn't mind, really), and the obvious love of Ottawa's Pride Week. Sure, there are some niggling moments, mainly for me the resolution of the plot was handled in a really glaringly obvious way leaving me shaking my head at Kieran's utter obtuseness. But on the whole I really thoroughly enjoyed the story and flipped through the pages quickly.
If you enjoy paranormal stories you should definitely give this a try.
Galley copy of Light provided by Publisher in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
**At the time of this review Light is selling for $9.99 - now while this was a great read, I would recommend seeing if you can get it from your local library first before plunking down that kind of cheddar.**
Funny, entertaining, with some interesting world building...I'm really glad I picked this up. I enjoyed the action moments, and the romance (even if the sexy times are fade to black - I didn't mind, really), and the obvious love of Ottawa's Pride Week. Sure, there are some niggling moments, mainly for me the resolution of the plot was handled in a really glaringly obvious way leaving me shaking my head at Kieran's utter obtuseness. But on the whole I really thoroughly enjoyed the story and flipped through the pages quickly.
If you enjoy paranormal stories you should definitely give this a try.
Galley copy of Light provided by Publisher in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
**At the time of this review Light is selling for $9.99 - now while this was a great read, I would recommend seeing if you can get it from your local library first before plunking down that kind of cheddar.**
November 5, 2013
This book was fun! It’s the second time in a row I used that word in a review, and it’s the second time in a row it’s for a book from a publisher (Bold Strokes Books) I have poor luck with! I want to say “used to have poor luck with” here but let’s not jinx it.
+ the hero
The hero was both a big negative and a big positive. Kieran was a big negative because he acted recklessly a handful of times, and I had half a mind to label him TSTL. He deliberately put himself in danger with little preparation. For example, one does not walk brazenly into a cult on their turf to snoop and then expect to quietly walk back out after one is finished snooping. Keiran did this not once, but twice. Both times, no disguise.
Second to Kieran’s poor sense of danger was his poor sense of discretion. The guy revealed his super-self too easily to other characters after so many years of hiding it ever since he promised his mother on her death bed to keep it a secret as a child. He was very fortunate those characters were genuinely good guys and trustworthy.
Kieran was a big positive because he took the time and effort to practice his superpowers and test the limit of what he could do. Not only that, he beseeched advice from Miracle Woman, an experienced superhero. It was one of those few times where Kieran acted perfectly sensibly. I didn’t expect it; half of it was because Kieran could be so frivolous sometimes and half of it was because super-people in superhero fictions, the many that I have read, rarely explore and practice their power.
I loved how proactive Kieran was. Kieran knew full well that to protect people, he would have to do more than simply just be there to stop whatever disaster there may be. Through online research and old-school snooping, he chased the villains. He searched for their weakness. He used his superpower ingeniously. He also warned the appropriate people.
In short, the guy was a character of contradictions. Sometime he could be so stupid, sometime he could be so smart. I actively liked and disliked him.
+ the other characters
As for the other characters, specifically the good guys, I liked all of them. I liked Karen, Kieran’s pushy female best friend, and Callum, Kieran’s overprotective older brother. I loved the fact that Kieran came from a nice religious Irish family, and that there was none of this disowning-because-gay crap.
Easter, Kieran’s cat, was so adorable and one of the nicest fictional cats I ever met. Hell, I think Easter is the only nice fictional cat I ever met. His cuteness rivaled Pilot’s, Sebastien’s pet dog. I loved how in the story all dogs helplessly love super-people.
+ the villains
I don’t care for books where the villains are homophobes because it touches too much of reality for me to be comfortable with. I don’t like being reminded while I’m reading for fun that there are bigots. I already get that from reading the news on a daily basis, thank you very much. Thus, I was very grateful that the book treated the homophobic villains like common criminals and not like something special the reader must explore in-depth and get close to face-to-face. They were bad guys who were going to hurt people, and that was all the reader needed to know.
+ the romance
Free spirit twink meets benevolent bear. The chemistry between Kieran and Sebastien was ooh la la. They matched so perfectly, and kind of kinky! The two needed to make out more. I took off zero point for this, but it would have been nice if there were smut instead fade-to-black. Just saying.
I also liked the small plotline of a romance between Karen and Callum, Kieran’s best friend and brother, respectively. It’s nice when minor characters are allowed to find their own happiness.
+ the ending
The ending was a bit cheesy. I didn’t think it was necessary how Kieran suddenly decided to officially play superhero, the operative word being “play.” I thought Kieran should have given more thought, some serious heavy-heavy thought, about what it would mean to be a superhero as a person would when they take on a dangerous job, like a police officer or a firefighter.
That said, the ending was very gratifying, if excessive on the saccharine. The bigots got their due, and the good guys got their festival. The book was a mood booster.
Conclusion
I rate Light 3-stars for I liked it. The book was fun, amusing, and lighthearted, considering who the villains were and the themes that were presented. I really liked how there was a direct connection between acceptance of LGBT people and acceptance of super-people, and that it all comes down to acceptance, period. While the ending was completely resolved, it would be marvelous if Light have a sequel.
+ the hero
The hero was both a big negative and a big positive. Kieran was a big negative because he acted recklessly a handful of times, and I had half a mind to label him TSTL. He deliberately put himself in danger with little preparation. For example, one does not walk brazenly into a cult on their turf to snoop and then expect to quietly walk back out after one is finished snooping. Keiran did this not once, but twice. Both times, no disguise.
Second to Kieran’s poor sense of danger was his poor sense of discretion. The guy revealed his super-self too easily to other characters after so many years of hiding it ever since he promised his mother on her death bed to keep it a secret as a child. He was very fortunate those characters were genuinely good guys and trustworthy.
Kieran was a big positive because he took the time and effort to practice his superpowers and test the limit of what he could do. Not only that, he beseeched advice from Miracle Woman, an experienced superhero. It was one of those few times where Kieran acted perfectly sensibly. I didn’t expect it; half of it was because Kieran could be so frivolous sometimes and half of it was because super-people in superhero fictions, the many that I have read, rarely explore and practice their power.
I loved how proactive Kieran was. Kieran knew full well that to protect people, he would have to do more than simply just be there to stop whatever disaster there may be. Through online research and old-school snooping, he chased the villains. He searched for their weakness. He used his superpower ingeniously. He also warned the appropriate people.
In short, the guy was a character of contradictions. Sometime he could be so stupid, sometime he could be so smart. I actively liked and disliked him.
+ the other characters
As for the other characters, specifically the good guys, I liked all of them. I liked Karen, Kieran’s pushy female best friend, and Callum, Kieran’s overprotective older brother. I loved the fact that Kieran came from a nice religious Irish family, and that there was none of this disowning-because-gay crap.
Easter, Kieran’s cat, was so adorable and one of the nicest fictional cats I ever met. Hell, I think Easter is the only nice fictional cat I ever met. His cuteness rivaled Pilot’s, Sebastien’s pet dog. I loved how in the story all dogs helplessly love super-people.
+ the villains
I don’t care for books where the villains are homophobes because it touches too much of reality for me to be comfortable with. I don’t like being reminded while I’m reading for fun that there are bigots. I already get that from reading the news on a daily basis, thank you very much. Thus, I was very grateful that the book treated the homophobic villains like common criminals and not like something special the reader must explore in-depth and get close to face-to-face. They were bad guys who were going to hurt people, and that was all the reader needed to know.
+ the romance
Free spirit twink meets benevolent bear. The chemistry between Kieran and Sebastien was ooh la la. They matched so perfectly, and kind of kinky! The two needed to make out more. I took off zero point for this, but it would have been nice if there were smut instead fade-to-black. Just saying.
I also liked the small plotline of a romance between Karen and Callum, Kieran’s best friend and brother, respectively. It’s nice when minor characters are allowed to find their own happiness.
+ the ending
The ending was a bit cheesy. I didn’t think it was necessary how Kieran suddenly decided to officially play superhero, the operative word being “play.” I thought Kieran should have given more thought, some serious heavy-heavy thought, about what it would mean to be a superhero as a person would when they take on a dangerous job, like a police officer or a firefighter.
That said, the ending was very gratifying, if excessive on the saccharine. The bigots got their due, and the good guys got their festival. The book was a mood booster.
Conclusion
I rate Light 3-stars for I liked it. The book was fun, amusing, and lighthearted, considering who the villains were and the themes that were presented. I really liked how there was a direct connection between acceptance of LGBT people and acceptance of super-people, and that it all comes down to acceptance, period. While the ending was completely resolved, it would be marvelous if Light have a sequel.
September 25, 2013
4.5 stars Review written for The Blog of Sid Love
What a refreshing read. This was a fabulous paranormal story that takes place in Canada during Pride week. Kieran is a really funny young gay masseuse who takes a week of vacation to enjoy all that Pride week has to offer.
Kieran is also Telekinetic with a side of Telepathy. He has grown up with it but mostly practices his skills with the help of his cat, Easter, by moving his toys around the room to play with him. Every time he uses his Telekinetic powers, he produces light in various forms.
Also attending the Pride events are a bunch of bigoted haters led by a crazy televangelist (Kieran named him “Stigmatic Jack”) protesting everything gay. Unfortunately, Stigmatic Jack also appears to be Telekinetic as he injures people attending the events. Kieran uses his powers to thwart the evildoers and protect his fellow Pride attendees by creating a brilliant light show. This brought on the poll to give him the name “Rainbow Man,” which Kieran absolutely hated. After this first incident, Kieran goes to the aid of sexy leather daddy, Sebastien, one of the Pride coordinators, who was injured in the attack.
Kieran’s co-worker, Karen, who is a fabulously sassy character, continually tried to set Kieran up on blind dates, but this pretty much stopped once Kieran met Sebastien. The two really hit it off, but some fun flirting takes place before they ever take things all the way, and even then, the sex is mostly off screen. Have to say that my smutty side was hoping for more in this regard, but this was such a sweet story with enough commentary that I was able to use my own imagination when needed. He ends up sharing his secret with Sebastien, and it strengthened my sense of what a great guy Sebastien really is and how much I liked him with Kieran.
So, Kieran spends the rest of Pride week attempting to counteract Stigmatic Jack before he does any real damage to people. He doesn’t have the best control of his powers, often chastising himself for not practicing and honing the skills more as he grew up. Sebastien ends up helping him in different ways, and there is a nice twist I wasn’t quite expecting where Stigmatic Jack is concerned.
This is such an enjoyable paranormal story, with a hint of romance, sex and love. There are some nice side characters, although I never quite understood Miracle Woman, another Telekinetic who Kieran frequently meets in astral form. I kept expecting her to come out of hiding to help Kieran. The story is funny at times, moves along at a nice pace and was quick to read. I recommend to those looking for a different kind of paranormal. I’ll definitely be checking out more stories from this author.
June 4, 2015
Light, colourful story set in Pride week. The main character makes pretty rainbows appear! It's an enjoyable read (though there's one hell of a price for the ebook!), interesting and witty; but it did feel under-developed in some areas. The book just missed being fantastic.
Some great characters yet it threatened to become the Keiran and Karen show with others often underused. The love interest Sebastien sounded hot and was appealing, but their romance was practically an afterthought. I mean why tease us with a such a sexy love interest then not deliver the sex? But worse Keiran was distracted, stopping make-out-time for plot thoughts then returning to the kissing. Wow, doesn't make anything melt that!
Karen was a bit much. I'll meet work friends for coffee when I'm on hols, but there is no way in this universe I'd be popping into work with that coffee. Holidays mean NOT going to work. Girl needs to buy her own damn coffee!
Also Miracle woman came from nowhere in the sudden astral plane and didn't get explained, I kept expecting to meet her. The powers did confuse me in how common they were, how well known in society... Keiran's powers were described as refracting light and it was often more technical than visual.
The big plot was not about saving the world but the right to enjoy Pride. A more human undertaking for an understated hero. The villain was pure panto and the 'twist' obvious. There was a lot of fun in the naming the hero polls and Kieran's horror at the choices.
The book has personality and a lot of potential; I really liked it as I was reading it, though nothing jumped out and stayed with me. Overall it was about letting your colours out and having fun. Then Pride week over, and it's back to work. On to the next book.
Some great characters yet it threatened to become the Keiran and Karen show with others often underused. The love interest Sebastien sounded hot and was appealing, but their romance was practically an afterthought. I mean why tease us with a such a sexy love interest then not deliver the sex? But worse Keiran was distracted, stopping make-out-time for plot thoughts then returning to the kissing. Wow, doesn't make anything melt that!
Karen was a bit much. I'll meet work friends for coffee when I'm on hols, but there is no way in this universe I'd be popping into work with that coffee. Holidays mean NOT going to work. Girl needs to buy her own damn coffee!
Also Miracle woman came from nowhere in the sudden astral plane and didn't get explained, I kept expecting to meet her. The powers did confuse me in how common they were, how well known in society... Keiran's powers were described as refracting light and it was often more technical than visual.
The big plot was not about saving the world but the right to enjoy Pride. A more human undertaking for an understated hero. The villain was pure panto and the 'twist' obvious. There was a lot of fun in the naming the hero polls and Kieran's horror at the choices.
The book has personality and a lot of potential; I really liked it as I was reading it, though nothing jumped out and stayed with me. Overall it was about letting your colours out and having fun. Then Pride week over, and it's back to work. On to the next book.
September 25, 2017
Incredibly fun!! Nathan Burgoine can seriously throw down a great tale. I read this in one sitting. It was entertaining, funny, creative and full of wonder.
Don't be fooled by the cover, this story is anything but dark. Yes, there's a villain, and people get hurt, but it's very lighthearted aside from the hate spewing religious crazies in the book (villains).
Loved it. Wish this series could somehow continue, but this standalone was divine all on its own!
Don't be fooled by the cover, this story is anything but dark. Yes, there's a villain, and people get hurt, but it's very lighthearted aside from the hate spewing religious crazies in the book (villains).
Loved it. Wish this series could somehow continue, but this standalone was divine all on its own!
December 11, 2013
3,5 stars
Review here
or here
http://ilhem.booklikes.com/post/72648...
Review here
or here
http://ilhem.booklikes.com/post/72648...
April 19, 2016
"Well Holy Cow Batman, did you see that?"
"Why no Robin, I didn't I was blinded by the Light!"
Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. This book was a total surprise. I really had no idea what to expect. It was recommended to me by the lovely Heather. Thanks Heather.
It was fun, I adored characters especially Kieran and Easter, Sebastien and Pilot and of course Karen. I loved that it was set in Ottawa, Canada's capital. Having been there several times just helped to make this story more vivid for me.
There's not a lot that I feel I can say about the story without giving away what seem to me to be pretty serious spoilers. So I'll try and do this by saying it was an incredibly enjoyable read, I would recommend to anyone wanting to just relax with a good book. Having said that I will also add that I found there to be an underlying thread speaking to diversity and the fact that sometimes the things that truly make a person different aren't things that are readily seen. The nice thing was none of this was done in a preachy way and it may not have even been intended by the author. In which case I tip my hat to him for unknowingly weaving such a wonderful reminder into his story that sometimes what we see or think we see isn't always what is or at least not all of what is.
For those who read my updates, I will also add hard as it is I do forgive the error that was made in regard to Canadian currency, yes, I am referring to the poor much maligned Toonie, that's right the correct spelling is Toonie as in Loonie (that's our dollar coin) only with a 'T'. In the scheme of things it seemed a fair trade one fun, enjoyable story in exchange for one spelling error. The world hasn't ended so I'm good with that.
"Why no Robin, I didn't I was blinded by the Light!"
Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. This book was a total surprise. I really had no idea what to expect. It was recommended to me by the lovely Heather. Thanks Heather.
It was fun, I adored characters especially Kieran and Easter, Sebastien and Pilot and of course Karen. I loved that it was set in Ottawa, Canada's capital. Having been there several times just helped to make this story more vivid for me.
There's not a lot that I feel I can say about the story without giving away what seem to me to be pretty serious spoilers. So I'll try and do this by saying it was an incredibly enjoyable read, I would recommend to anyone wanting to just relax with a good book. Having said that I will also add that I found there to be an underlying thread speaking to diversity and the fact that sometimes the things that truly make a person different aren't things that are readily seen. The nice thing was none of this was done in a preachy way and it may not have even been intended by the author. In which case I tip my hat to him for unknowingly weaving such a wonderful reminder into his story that sometimes what we see or think we see isn't always what is or at least not all of what is.
For those who read my updates, I will also add hard as it is I do forgive the error that was made in regard to Canadian currency, yes, I am referring to the poor much maligned Toonie, that's right the correct spelling is Toonie as in Loonie (that's our dollar coin) only with a 'T'. In the scheme of things it seemed a fair trade one fun, enjoyable story in exchange for one spelling error. The world hasn't ended so I'm good with that.
![Profile Image for Kimberly [Come Hither Books].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1302906251i%2F3912669.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 5, 2016
An enjoyable, light superhero story that was a lot of fun to read. With an openly gay and proud main character and events taking place over the course of Pride Week, it will find a welcome home with readers looking for LGBT characters, especially in science fiction and fantasy.
Characters are well-developed and multi-layered, and it's easy to root for them to find happiness. The romance isn't the driving force of the book, but it's a strong and satisfying element in the mix of good vs. evil, character, and setting.
Light also works as a fun take on superheroes that will satisfy fans of the genre. Kieran has kept his powers a secret his entire life, and it takes an act of violence right in front of him to make him use his powers. But acting the hero in public is still a different thing than telling his friends and family. To defeat the bad guy and save the community he loves, Kieran will have to risk exposure and come clean.
It's a solid superhero story with a reluctant hero and a villain founded on intolerance and hatred. But it's also willing to have fun, as with Kieran's ongoing mortification at the names he's given by the press and the internet contest to choose his moniker. (His final choice is perfect, and a nice way to tie off the story.)
Personally, I was 100% sold a few chapters in. Kieran has telepathy, you see, and he uses it to send his cat mental images of being scratched under the chin so she purrs and heads over. Telekinesis? Perfect for floating mousie around the house for a game of chase. This is totally what I'd do with my superhero powers, if you were wondering.
Characters are well-developed and multi-layered, and it's easy to root for them to find happiness. The romance isn't the driving force of the book, but it's a strong and satisfying element in the mix of good vs. evil, character, and setting.
Light also works as a fun take on superheroes that will satisfy fans of the genre. Kieran has kept his powers a secret his entire life, and it takes an act of violence right in front of him to make him use his powers. But acting the hero in public is still a different thing than telling his friends and family. To defeat the bad guy and save the community he loves, Kieran will have to risk exposure and come clean.
It's a solid superhero story with a reluctant hero and a villain founded on intolerance and hatred. But it's also willing to have fun, as with Kieran's ongoing mortification at the names he's given by the press and the internet contest to choose his moniker. (His final choice is perfect, and a nice way to tie off the story.)
Personally, I was 100% sold a few chapters in. Kieran has telepathy, you see, and he uses it to send his cat mental images of being scratched under the chin so she purrs and heads over. Telekinesis? Perfect for floating mousie around the house for a game of chase. This is totally what I'd do with my superhero powers, if you were wondering.
October 31, 2013
I'm making it my mission to get this book into as many hands as I can.
This is such a wonderful story! I loved reading it. (It certainly made waiting in the airport bearable.) I quickly grew fond of Kieran and his sense of humor. His inner monolog is fabulous...and I love his reaction to events.
When I finished reading this, my first thought was, "I hope Burgoine writes another novel about these two, because I want to see them again." I defy anyone to not enjoy meeting these characters, especially Pilot. (Whose voice I image sounds a lot like the Abominable Snowman from the Bugs Bunny cartoon.)
I enjoyed the fact that the romantic aspect of this novel was more "sweet" than "hot & spicy." I have read a few of Burgoine's short stories where he certainly brings the heat, but this story appeals to my inner sappy romantic.
Even if I hadn't been stuck in an airport when I read this, I wouldn't have been able to put this book down. If you start reading this, you better be sure you have a block of time to spend because you will get pulled into the story.
This is also the first book I've read that I cheered at the end of the acknowledgements.
Footnote: Many of you may know a "loonie" is a Canadian dollar coin. What you may not know is that a "twoney" is a Canadian two dollar coin. It isn't a typo...it's what they call it. *grin*
This is such a wonderful story! I loved reading it. (It certainly made waiting in the airport bearable.) I quickly grew fond of Kieran and his sense of humor. His inner monolog is fabulous...and I love his reaction to events.
When I finished reading this, my first thought was, "I hope Burgoine writes another novel about these two, because I want to see them again." I defy anyone to not enjoy meeting these characters, especially Pilot. (Whose voice I image sounds a lot like the Abominable Snowman from the Bugs Bunny cartoon.)
I enjoyed the fact that the romantic aspect of this novel was more "sweet" than "hot & spicy." I have read a few of Burgoine's short stories where he certainly brings the heat, but this story appeals to my inner sappy romantic.
Even if I hadn't been stuck in an airport when I read this, I wouldn't have been able to put this book down. If you start reading this, you better be sure you have a block of time to spend because you will get pulled into the story.
This is also the first book I've read that I cheered at the end of the acknowledgements.
Footnote: Many of you may know a "loonie" is a Canadian dollar coin. What you may not know is that a "twoney" is a Canadian two dollar coin. It isn't a typo...it's what they call it. *grin*
January 25, 2019
Lighthearted without being silly and romantic without being sappy, the tone of this book is perfect. I enjoyed the heck out of it, and now regret all the time it spent languishing on my TBR.
March 8, 2017
What a seriously awesome read, I'd definitely classify Light by Nathan Burgoine as one of the best UF/Paranormal books I've read this year, pushing it very easily into my top 5 of both genre's.
The mix of other genre's feature highly too and contribute greatly to what makes this book pop.. You know the saying don't judge a book by it's cover, well some people still do, even though it's subconscious, I don't think this cover helps aid this book in its cause even though I don't mind it, it just feels wrong for this book.
Light is a very clever, well written and quite a smart psychological thriller which I was not expecting at all, but let me tell you that just made it better and it's a wild ride. It keeps up a good pace and holds your attention throughout its entirety. It pushes you to the edge of your seat constantly and back again for a breather, right until the end, it becomes quite relentless.
With great characters and the rotation of genre's, Nathan Burgoine good guys and bad guys are two stereo types that "can" both cop a lot of shit in my country, especially religious zealots (a VERY high number of Evangelistic types of Christians in Australia are in the closet over here as they get publicly shunned and ridiculed, even in the work place, except for Catholic's and Anglican's) as do the LGBT community. I wouldnt normally write about something like this in a review but I found it fascinating.
Light is a very apt title for this novel as it's literally flooded this book full of it. Not to mention a very quick wit then add the fast paced action. I can also see this book has the potential to become a M/M all time must read. It's dry sense of humour is hilarious and infectious but it's not all puppies and roses either, nobody goes for horse rides on the beach at dusk either.
Canadian/ Irishman Kieran Quinn is a little lost and is constantly being set up on blind dates by his best friend, he's a bit of a lost soul until a nasty incident occurs and he's left helping an injured, leather clad love interest who he meets on vacation, one very sexy French-Canadian/ Sebastien LaRoche to finally deal with his powers. The book is set during Pride Week festivities in Ottawa, Canada. It has a strong and quirky plot that will have you laughing out loud especially due to Drag Queens dropping outrageous one-liner's but they're known for that.
The mix of other genre's feature highly too and contribute greatly to what makes this book pop.. You know the saying don't judge a book by it's cover, well some people still do, even though it's subconscious, I don't think this cover helps aid this book in its cause even though I don't mind it, it just feels wrong for this book.
Light is a very clever, well written and quite a smart psychological thriller which I was not expecting at all, but let me tell you that just made it better and it's a wild ride. It keeps up a good pace and holds your attention throughout its entirety. It pushes you to the edge of your seat constantly and back again for a breather, right until the end, it becomes quite relentless.
With great characters and the rotation of genre's, Nathan Burgoine good guys and bad guys are two stereo types that "can" both cop a lot of shit in my country, especially religious zealots (a VERY high number of Evangelistic types of Christians in Australia are in the closet over here as they get publicly shunned and ridiculed, even in the work place, except for Catholic's and Anglican's) as do the LGBT community. I wouldnt normally write about something like this in a review but I found it fascinating.
Light is a very apt title for this novel as it's literally flooded this book full of it. Not to mention a very quick wit then add the fast paced action. I can also see this book has the potential to become a M/M all time must read. It's dry sense of humour is hilarious and infectious but it's not all puppies and roses either, nobody goes for horse rides on the beach at dusk either.
Canadian/ Irishman Kieran Quinn is a little lost and is constantly being set up on blind dates by his best friend, he's a bit of a lost soul until a nasty incident occurs and he's left helping an injured, leather clad love interest who he meets on vacation, one very sexy French-Canadian/ Sebastien LaRoche to finally deal with his powers. The book is set during Pride Week festivities in Ottawa, Canada. It has a strong and quirky plot that will have you laughing out loud especially due to Drag Queens dropping outrageous one-liner's but they're known for that.
October 12, 2013
4.5 stars
Full review can be found at On Top Down Under Book Reviews.
What a fun book. Telekinesis, drag queens, a leather guy, a cute cat, a very friendly dog, a funny best friend and two very lovable main characters. Throw in Gay Pride Week, a psychotic preacher and his misguided followers and you can't go wrong with this book. The characters are a blast. The story is very entertaining from the very first page. I laughed quite a bit. I cringed once or twice. In the end, I was very glad I read the book. Highly recommended.
This book was provided by Net Galley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Full review can be found at On Top Down Under Book Reviews.
What a fun book. Telekinesis, drag queens, a leather guy, a cute cat, a very friendly dog, a funny best friend and two very lovable main characters. Throw in Gay Pride Week, a psychotic preacher and his misguided followers and you can't go wrong with this book. The characters are a blast. The story is very entertaining from the very first page. I laughed quite a bit. I cringed once or twice. In the end, I was very glad I read the book. Highly recommended.
This book was provided by Net Galley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 5, 2016
4.5 stars, and I absolutely loved this! There's not a thing I can tell you without spoiling, but it's so worth the time to find out what happens. The characters were fun and had great personality and I was tremendously entertained, as well as being interested in the ...uummm...."mystery" of what was happening during Ottawa's Pride Week .
If I were to complain about anything, it would be the lack of steam here. There's little to no sex and a good bit of it is off-page but I enjoyed the story enough that I honestly didn't mind. I think I might have found a new favorite author. I can't wait to read his next book!
If I were to complain about anything, it would be the lack of steam here. There's little to no sex and a good bit of it is off-page but I enjoyed the story enough that I honestly didn't mind. I think I might have found a new favorite author. I can't wait to read his next book!
February 3, 2016
So, this was completely different!! Part paranormal, part superhero story and part romance with sexy french-canadian leather man. I thought it was a fun and entertaining story. Also, since there seem to be so few romances set in Canada, I really appreciated the fact it was set in Ottawa. Brief synopsis: dangerous, antigay, evangelical pastor starts protesting Pride Week and the hero, a psychokinetic massage therapist, appears to be the only one who can save the day.
April 24, 2015
The cover doesn't match this story at all. It's actually a funny and light read, with a likable MC, some suspense and intriguing psychic stuff thrown in.
I would gladly read a sequel of this.
I would gladly read a sequel of this.
March 12, 2016
'1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal'.
'“The other sound, Stigmatic Jack, was a cacophony that seemed to be coming from farther downtown."
I really liked this story and this surprised me.
I usually avoid stories with mad or bad religious leaders because I think they get far too much air time in gay literature and in real life, but I really enjoyed this story. The main character was just so endearing and sort of bold in a 'reluctant hero' kind of way.
This is the first time I am reading a complete novel by this author. I have read a short mystery story by him which also had paranormal aspects and so I was pleased to find this full length novel. I really enjoyed the pace of the story and the way it held my interest.
Kieran becomes an unknown hero when he saves people from a telekinetic attack which is led by a local anti gay preacher. Kieran has always hidden his powers but now he is forced to act in broad daylight to save people. This of course challenges him to strengthen his gifts and discover more about his powers. In doing so he realises that there are many other people out there with similar powers many of them hiding their powers and others using their powers for personal gain (Mr Mad Bad).
So Keiran stumbles into this 'hero' role which brings him into contact with hot leatherman Sebastien, but also brings him into the path of people who wield their powers for darkness and destruction, and then the struggle begins as Keiran tries his best to find the baddies and prevent them from carrying out a massacre.
I enjoyed the mix of urban fantasy, humour, romance and suspense as Keiran begins to realise that he is not the only one around with telepathic powers and that they can be used for both good or ill, and sometimes they can be used entirely in ignorance. I liked the way the story illustrates benign powers as beautiful harmonic music and evil powers as discordant and harsh sounds. It kind of complements the biblical illustrations of love.
Very thoughtful
This is an enjoyable story and easy to read in the sense that the words just flow so easily and are just enjoyable. The story strikes a lovely balance between humour and gravity, and I found myself chuckling at some of the antics Keiran gets up to, cheering him on in his battles and hoping that everything would work out in the end.
And it did!
The hero is a hero until the end but not in a predictable way. The baddies get theirs (good riddance) and there is all kinds of love in the air.
This is thoroughly enjoyable urban fantasy with a nice romance. A great story to kick off the weekend with.
I would love a sequel.
'“The other sound, Stigmatic Jack, was a cacophony that seemed to be coming from farther downtown."
I really liked this story and this surprised me.
I usually avoid stories with mad or bad religious leaders because I think they get far too much air time in gay literature and in real life, but I really enjoyed this story. The main character was just so endearing and sort of bold in a 'reluctant hero' kind of way.
This is the first time I am reading a complete novel by this author. I have read a short mystery story by him which also had paranormal aspects and so I was pleased to find this full length novel. I really enjoyed the pace of the story and the way it held my interest.
Kieran becomes an unknown hero when he saves people from a telekinetic attack which is led by a local anti gay preacher. Kieran has always hidden his powers but now he is forced to act in broad daylight to save people. This of course challenges him to strengthen his gifts and discover more about his powers. In doing so he realises that there are many other people out there with similar powers many of them hiding their powers and others using their powers for personal gain (Mr Mad Bad).
So Keiran stumbles into this 'hero' role which brings him into contact with hot leatherman Sebastien, but also brings him into the path of people who wield their powers for darkness and destruction, and then the struggle begins as Keiran tries his best to find the baddies and prevent them from carrying out a massacre.
I enjoyed the mix of urban fantasy, humour, romance and suspense as Keiran begins to realise that he is not the only one around with telepathic powers and that they can be used for both good or ill, and sometimes they can be used entirely in ignorance. I liked the way the story illustrates benign powers as beautiful harmonic music and evil powers as discordant and harsh sounds. It kind of complements the biblical illustrations of love.
Very thoughtful
This is an enjoyable story and easy to read in the sense that the words just flow so easily and are just enjoyable. The story strikes a lovely balance between humour and gravity, and I found myself chuckling at some of the antics Keiran gets up to, cheering him on in his battles and hoping that everything would work out in the end.
And it did!
The hero is a hero until the end but not in a predictable way. The baddies get theirs (good riddance) and there is all kinds of love in the air.
This is thoroughly enjoyable urban fantasy with a nice romance. A great story to kick off the weekend with.
I would love a sequel.
August 26, 2013
4-4.5 Stars. Goodreads really should look into half stars. This book was so much fun. I mean it. Fun x40andahalf. Kieran is a massage therapist by day and accidental super hero... by day and night when he uses is telekinetic powers to save the LGBT citizen of Ottawa from a villain with similar capabilities.
This is Burgione's first full length novel. I've inhaled this book in one day. I haven't done that in a while. The pacing is excellent. The plot is excellent. I mean a gay guy uses his powers to say other LGBT folks and pride week from an evil asshole. It's pretty cool. There's also a romantic subplot that made me giggle like an idiot. And a lovable dog. Pretty much, Burgione gave me everything I wanted in this book. The writing is so vivid that Light became a piece I instantly wanted to see on film. It's good.
My only issue and why you're seeing that 4-4.5 up there and not 5 came from the character Miracle Woman. She comes across as a magical negro. I think she would have been better served if she was white and maybe he'd made Karen, Kieran's best friend who has more of a fleshed out life, black. I have no doubt in my mind that Miracle Woman is an awesome character, but her actions and motivations missed key points in the black experience that lend to the appearance of the magical negro. Pretty much we don't go around helping white people. In this case I know there was no malicious intent on the part of the author, but I bristled every time she popped up.
That said, I am jazzed for Burgione's next piece. Jazzed I say.
This is Burgione's first full length novel. I've inhaled this book in one day. I haven't done that in a while. The pacing is excellent. The plot is excellent. I mean a gay guy uses his powers to say other LGBT folks and pride week from an evil asshole. It's pretty cool. There's also a romantic subplot that made me giggle like an idiot. And a lovable dog. Pretty much, Burgione gave me everything I wanted in this book. The writing is so vivid that Light became a piece I instantly wanted to see on film. It's good.
My only issue and why you're seeing that 4-4.5 up there and not 5 came from the character Miracle Woman. She comes across as a magical negro. I think she would have been better served if she was white and maybe he'd made Karen, Kieran's best friend who has more of a fleshed out life, black. I have no doubt in my mind that Miracle Woman is an awesome character, but her actions and motivations missed key points in the black experience that lend to the appearance of the magical negro. Pretty much we don't go around helping white people. In this case I know there was no malicious intent on the part of the author, but I bristled every time she popped up.
That said, I am jazzed for Burgione's next piece. Jazzed I say.
November 14, 2013
It's Gay Pride week in Ottawa, Canada, and Kieran Quinn has arranged his vacation accordingly so he can attend as many events as possible. It's a good thing, too, because his psychokinetic powers are suddenly very much required. Stigmatic Jack, a preacher, and his followers have shown up to protest - no big surprise to the gay community - but the unexpected carnage is definitely new. Psychic as well as psychokinetic, Kieran hears the chilling voice commanding the horrible, psychokinetic acts of violence, and is pretty sure that it ain't God giving the orders.
Kieran's special ability of bending light allows him to blind and foil the attackers, but also earns him a fan following. Suddenly 'Rainbow Man' is all the online buzz, much to Kieran's dismay (he prefers the name 'Prism'). Determined to stop any further attacks, Kieran volunteers to help out with Pride activities and keep his eyes open for trouble. Maybe he's got eyes for Pride volunteer and recent 'walking wounded', Sebastian, too. Maybe Sebastian is his own brand of trouble, but Kieran is willing to take a chance.
Equal parts adventure and romance, this book offered generous servings of comedy, romance, and suspense. Kieran is a quirky and endearing hero - one that is hopefully only making his debut in Light. We Need a Hero!
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I registered this book at Bookcrossing.com
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1...
Kieran's special ability of bending light allows him to blind and foil the attackers, but also earns him a fan following. Suddenly 'Rainbow Man' is all the online buzz, much to Kieran's dismay (he prefers the name 'Prism'). Determined to stop any further attacks, Kieran volunteers to help out with Pride activities and keep his eyes open for trouble. Maybe he's got eyes for Pride volunteer and recent 'walking wounded', Sebastian, too. Maybe Sebastian is his own brand of trouble, but Kieran is willing to take a chance.
Equal parts adventure and romance, this book offered generous servings of comedy, romance, and suspense. Kieran is a quirky and endearing hero - one that is hopefully only making his debut in Light. We Need a Hero!
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I registered this book at Bookcrossing.com
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1...
September 11, 2013
Gay Pride in Canada with a super hero that bends light. This book was fun, cute and sweet without being overly sexual as so many M/M book tend to be these days. The main character,Kieran, is so cute, and I truly enjoyed the secondary cast of characters. This book was well written and edited. It kept me completely entertained.
The book even surprised me with the twist at the end. I love that in a book.
Received reviewer copy from NetGalley.
The book even surprised me with the twist at the end. I love that in a book.
Received reviewer copy from NetGalley.
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