What do you think?
Rate this book
Heretic
Synopsis: Born in poverty, discrimination and fear. . . .
the fires that forged Luther throughout his young life were none too kind. Now a man hardened and angered by the trials he’s faced, his many years serving active combat in the navy of his proud nation, and finally the loss of a lover and comrade-in-arms, Luther faces imprisonment and a possible death sentence for the crime of heresy.
The charge. . . loving another man.
Now the desperation of a noble family and the grave situation of one young woman may be his salvation. But to embrace it and pursue a future he has only ever dreamed of, Luther must learn to become a part of their world. . . a world of intrigue, dark secrets, courtesans, religious zealotry and assassination.
Luther is a man accustomed to fighting his way through life. But sometimes, with love and family on the line, a battle waged by the sword can have terrible repercussions. And the secret which threatened to destroy Luther his entire life could land all of those he loves in shackles beside him.
9 years before the events of ‘Red Lantern’, Luther Denholme’s story begins
Written and illustrated by Rukis
the fires that forged Luther throughout his young life were none too kind. Now a man hardened and angered by the trials he’s faced, his many years serving active combat in the navy of his proud nation, and finally the loss of a lover and comrade-in-arms, Luther faces imprisonment and a possible death sentence for the crime of heresy.
The charge. . . loving another man.
Now the desperation of a noble family and the grave situation of one young woman may be his salvation. But to embrace it and pursue a future he has only ever dreamed of, Luther must learn to become a part of their world. . . a world of intrigue, dark secrets, courtesans, religious zealotry and assassination.
Luther is a man accustomed to fighting his way through life. But sometimes, with love and family on the line, a battle waged by the sword can have terrible repercussions. And the secret which threatened to destroy Luther his entire life could land all of those he loves in shackles beside him.
9 years before the events of ‘Red Lantern’, Luther Denholme’s story begins
Written and illustrated by Rukis
- GenresLGBT
356 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
6 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 1, 2014
Five stars plus!!
What a fantastic book!!!
I think this must be the best furry book that I have ever read.
SOME SPOILERS Ahead
Heretic is a fantastic gay furry swashbuckling adventure and a must for fans of the author/illustrator Rukis and for those following the graphic novel Red Lantern series.
This book, which also has illustrations, is set nine years before the events in Red Lantern: The Crimson Divine
In this story we meet the main character Luther on the deck of a ship as he cradles his dying lover Admiral Klaus Richter in his arms. With his dying breath and surrounded by other crew members, Klaus confesses his love for Luther, but in doing so he condemns Luther to jail and suffering. Their same sex relationship is forbidden in their country - Amuresca - but Klaus in the throes of death has inadvertently outed Luther in front of all the crew members.
And so begins the story. Luther is then cast into prison and tortured as a means of punishment for his homosexuality and as a way of ensuring that he keeps quiet and doesn't sully the Admiral's reputation.
Amuresca is a country in which class, society and religion hold sway. 'Polite society' and religious dogma are used to ensure the privileged classes remain privileged, and that everyone knows both their place and what is accepted of them. It is a society that is riven by hypocrisy, gender discrimination and stilted societal mores. To transgress this way of being is to be branded a heretic.
Luther is pretty much seen as being a heretic because not only does he desire men, he is also from the lowest class in society - cattle dogs. But Luther is courageous and able to view his place in society with a critical eye. His job in the navy provides him with the freedom of the open seas and freedom from a repressive society, and he revels in this and in the love of Admiral Klaus until Klaus is killed aboard their ship by raiders.
Luther bears the torture and pain of jail and the loss of Klaus until one day surprising reprieve comes in the form of an offer from a pedigree family. If Luther marries the pregnant daughter of Admiral Lucius Denholme then not only will he gain his freedom, he will also eventually inherit the Admiral's fleet.
The Admiral's daughter Delilah is pregnant due to rape and she has no choice but to marry the father (the nobleman who raped her) or face life as an outcast from society. If she marries someone else then both her and her pups are saved. Luther is that someone who has nothing to lose and everything to gain by this marriage. Luther agrees to this because by marrying her he saves himself and neither he nor Delilah are looking for intimacy or love and romance. Having said this Luther is a radical and impetuous in the way he refuses to be cowed by society or church, he believes in justice and so challenges the rapist to a duel.
As time passes Luther finds another kind of love and acceptance through his arrangement with Delilah even though his relationship with his wife is platonic and non-sexual. Luther realises for the first time in his life that he has a family: a wife, a father - in -law and children. He manages to embrace this situation, even more so when his father - in - law arranges for a male courtesan to join the household. This courtesan Mikhael helps Luther cope with his desire for sexual intimacy, all with the approval of Delilah and the silence of the household. This is one of the hypocrisy's of Amurescan society. The pedigree families can flaunt the societal norms of the day as long as it is done so in private and without the knowledge of the church. And so life continues but everything is put in jeopardy when the church somehow gets wind of Luther's past. Luther then finds that he must strive to protect his newly formed family from others who would threaten them and ruin the future of his adopted children.
The story is brilliant in the way it depicts a canine society bound by norms and values similar to the Regency period. Luther is a brilliant character; intelligent, charismatic, fearless and determined he refuses to be cowed by societal norms and lives for the sea and his family but he is quite prepared to give up everything to protect them. He also recognises his own vulnerability in the attraction he has for Mikhael. Luther is also impulsive and quite snarky and always has a retort when others try to suppress him. He embraces the opportunity of pedigree life whilst seeing the truth in the hypocrisy of Amurescan society life. All of this makes the story engaging and draws the reader into the adventure.
The writing is excellent and makes the story vivid and the fact that this is anthropomorphic (furry) fiction adds to this. Although the characters are very human, the descriptions and mannerisms of the characters are clearly those of animals, giving the story a kind of fantasy and historical feel. Having said this I was puzzled about the horses and why they didn't speak. All the other animals - dogs, wolves, mice, rats, foxes, badgers - all spoke and behaved in human ways, but not the horses who remained as animals. Maybe this is because they were the mode of transport but in any case it is still an excellent portrayal of a repressive and class ridden society.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I really liked Luther. The story provides the back story to the events in the graphic novel series which can be followed on line and it was all the more enriching for me because I have read those. The story has a great way of providing tense moments without spilling over into angst but this doesn't reduce the complexities that Luther has to grapple with.Rukis the author is not only a talented artist, she is also a talented writer. I enjoyed the world building and the way the reader is drawn into a society which stifles its inhabitants, giving privilege to the elite and powerful few. Of course this is a kind of parody of some societies today where women are seen as second class citizens and gay people are criminalised. I read this story with delight and relief. Delight at a wonderful story full of courage and adventure, relief that I have never had to live in a society riven by class or caste.
I also think this is a great book for people who haven't yet tried anthropomorphic fiction (furry fiction). The book can be ordered through Furplanet Production and the graphic novel (Red Lantern) can be ordered at Amazon US or read on line.
Red Lantern: Book 1 Crimson Divine - http://www.rukiscroax.com/redlantern/
Rukis - http://www.furaffinity.net/user/rukis
What a fantastic book!!!
I think this must be the best furry book that I have ever read.
SOME SPOILERS Ahead
Heretic is a fantastic gay furry swashbuckling adventure and a must for fans of the author/illustrator Rukis and for those following the graphic novel Red Lantern series.
This book, which also has illustrations, is set nine years before the events in Red Lantern: The Crimson Divine
In this story we meet the main character Luther on the deck of a ship as he cradles his dying lover Admiral Klaus Richter in his arms. With his dying breath and surrounded by other crew members, Klaus confesses his love for Luther, but in doing so he condemns Luther to jail and suffering. Their same sex relationship is forbidden in their country - Amuresca - but Klaus in the throes of death has inadvertently outed Luther in front of all the crew members.
And so begins the story. Luther is then cast into prison and tortured as a means of punishment for his homosexuality and as a way of ensuring that he keeps quiet and doesn't sully the Admiral's reputation.
Amuresca is a country in which class, society and religion hold sway. 'Polite society' and religious dogma are used to ensure the privileged classes remain privileged, and that everyone knows both their place and what is accepted of them. It is a society that is riven by hypocrisy, gender discrimination and stilted societal mores. To transgress this way of being is to be branded a heretic.
Luther is pretty much seen as being a heretic because not only does he desire men, he is also from the lowest class in society - cattle dogs. But Luther is courageous and able to view his place in society with a critical eye. His job in the navy provides him with the freedom of the open seas and freedom from a repressive society, and he revels in this and in the love of Admiral Klaus until Klaus is killed aboard their ship by raiders.
Luther bears the torture and pain of jail and the loss of Klaus until one day surprising reprieve comes in the form of an offer from a pedigree family. If Luther marries the pregnant daughter of Admiral Lucius Denholme then not only will he gain his freedom, he will also eventually inherit the Admiral's fleet.
The Admiral's daughter Delilah is pregnant due to rape and she has no choice but to marry the father (the nobleman who raped her) or face life as an outcast from society. If she marries someone else then both her and her pups are saved. Luther is that someone who has nothing to lose and everything to gain by this marriage. Luther agrees to this because by marrying her he saves himself and neither he nor Delilah are looking for intimacy or love and romance. Having said this Luther is a radical and impetuous in the way he refuses to be cowed by society or church, he believes in justice and so challenges the rapist to a duel.
As time passes Luther finds another kind of love and acceptance through his arrangement with Delilah even though his relationship with his wife is platonic and non-sexual. Luther realises for the first time in his life that he has a family: a wife, a father - in -law and children. He manages to embrace this situation, even more so when his father - in - law arranges for a male courtesan to join the household. This courtesan Mikhael helps Luther cope with his desire for sexual intimacy, all with the approval of Delilah and the silence of the household. This is one of the hypocrisy's of Amurescan society. The pedigree families can flaunt the societal norms of the day as long as it is done so in private and without the knowledge of the church. And so life continues but everything is put in jeopardy when the church somehow gets wind of Luther's past. Luther then finds that he must strive to protect his newly formed family from others who would threaten them and ruin the future of his adopted children.
The story is brilliant in the way it depicts a canine society bound by norms and values similar to the Regency period. Luther is a brilliant character; intelligent, charismatic, fearless and determined he refuses to be cowed by societal norms and lives for the sea and his family but he is quite prepared to give up everything to protect them. He also recognises his own vulnerability in the attraction he has for Mikhael. Luther is also impulsive and quite snarky and always has a retort when others try to suppress him. He embraces the opportunity of pedigree life whilst seeing the truth in the hypocrisy of Amurescan society life. All of this makes the story engaging and draws the reader into the adventure.
The writing is excellent and makes the story vivid and the fact that this is anthropomorphic (furry) fiction adds to this. Although the characters are very human, the descriptions and mannerisms of the characters are clearly those of animals, giving the story a kind of fantasy and historical feel. Having said this I was puzzled about the horses and why they didn't speak. All the other animals - dogs, wolves, mice, rats, foxes, badgers - all spoke and behaved in human ways, but not the horses who remained as animals. Maybe this is because they were the mode of transport but in any case it is still an excellent portrayal of a repressive and class ridden society.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I really liked Luther. The story provides the back story to the events in the graphic novel series which can be followed on line and it was all the more enriching for me because I have read those. The story has a great way of providing tense moments without spilling over into angst but this doesn't reduce the complexities that Luther has to grapple with.Rukis the author is not only a talented artist, she is also a talented writer. I enjoyed the world building and the way the reader is drawn into a society which stifles its inhabitants, giving privilege to the elite and powerful few. Of course this is a kind of parody of some societies today where women are seen as second class citizens and gay people are criminalised. I read this story with delight and relief. Delight at a wonderful story full of courage and adventure, relief that I have never had to live in a society riven by class or caste.
I also think this is a great book for people who haven't yet tried anthropomorphic fiction (furry fiction). The book can be ordered through Furplanet Production and the graphic novel (Red Lantern) can be ordered at Amazon US or read on line.
Red Lantern: Book 1 Crimson Divine - http://www.rukiscroax.com/redlantern/
Rukis - http://www.furaffinity.net/user/rukis
August 2, 2016
Probably more like a 4.5, but I didn't feel like it should be marked as low as a 4.
Having not read Red Lantern before, this wasn't so much a prequel for me, as I knew nothing about any of these characters. And yet I wasn't ever truly confused about anything, so it stands as a good starting point for new readers to the series.
I think at times the narrative can be a bit jumpy, and the passing of time isn't always made clear, hence the deduction of the half star. And while it was all in 1st person, there was one unusual section that was told third person, only a few paragraphs long. That was an unusual addition that only seemed to be there for a single piece of witty dialogue.
Having not read Red Lantern before, this wasn't so much a prequel for me, as I knew nothing about any of these characters. And yet I wasn't ever truly confused about anything, so it stands as a good starting point for new readers to the series.
I think at times the narrative can be a bit jumpy, and the passing of time isn't always made clear, hence the deduction of the half star. And while it was all in 1st person, there was one unusual section that was told third person, only a few paragraphs long. That was an unusual addition that only seemed to be there for a single piece of witty dialogue.
April 17, 2020
Heretic was a novel that grew to be so much more than I could ever have expected from it! It follows the story of Luther, who finds himself in an arranged marriage with a woman in a much higher ranking than him. Despite the way he is at the beginning of the story- bitter, angry, hurt- it was a delight to see him grow and learn to love again. Luther’s relationship with Delilah was one of my favorite aspects of the story, as it just became more and more wholesome as the book went on.
I really liked Luther as a character, and it was interesting to get a better picture of Amurescan society in the Red Lantern universe. I look forward to seeing more of this character in the graphic novel, Red Lantern.
I really liked Luther as a character, and it was interesting to get a better picture of Amurescan society in the Red Lantern universe. I look forward to seeing more of this character in the graphic novel, Red Lantern.
May 17, 2014
The best book I've ever read? YES
So I ordered this book during the end of February and it shipped to my house for the beginning of the March Break. Needless to say I was finished it after 3 days. The storyline is amazing and the character development and dialogue is some of the best I've ever read.
I also love how the book dives deep into our modern society about Gay/same sex relationships. It really does its job in putting you in a position where you are agreeing and rooting for the main character. Seriously! Luther is amazing and he has such a great sense of conviction and he knows who he is. The themes in the story are so well delivered that alone makes it worth reading again and again.
Most likely the best book I've ever experienced and I've already got my friends hooked into this wonderful community.
So I ordered this book during the end of February and it shipped to my house for the beginning of the March Break. Needless to say I was finished it after 3 days. The storyline is amazing and the character development and dialogue is some of the best I've ever read.
I also love how the book dives deep into our modern society about Gay/same sex relationships. It really does its job in putting you in a position where you are agreeing and rooting for the main character. Seriously! Luther is amazing and he has such a great sense of conviction and he knows who he is. The themes in the story are so well delivered that alone makes it worth reading again and again.
Most likely the best book I've ever experienced and I've already got my friends hooked into this wonderful community.
August 13, 2020
This is a very powerful story, unique among anthropomorphic stories. Luther is hardly a role model, but he's uniquely authentic, deeply passionate, and capable of great self-sacrifice; he has to navigate a world of affluent , arrogant "pure-breeds", as an only chance to escape the lethal persecutions of a deeply homophobic society. On top of that, he is to have a wife, a lovely, brilliant, victimized woman, who is as chained to a fate dictated by a hypocritical, merciless society as he is. Together they may be able to escape some of these unfair burdens and shed light on the injustices that pervade every level of society. Scheming, madness, revenge, justice - this book is thematically very powerful.
June 16, 2018
Interesting, entertaining and relatable. I picked up this story expecting only something mildly amusing, and ended up devouring it on my free time. The characters are fun and complicated, the consequences of their actions haunt them but that only mades them more real. I also loved the world the story was set in, with all its complications and similarities to our world. It is certainly a nice book to read that is not too heavy or that requires a lot of background to understand.
September 7, 2025
Captivating! My second Rukis and I'm just as impressed by their work as I was the first. It's written in a casual but well-established voice, with all the twists & turns of the story hitting exactly where they're intended to. A bit violent, and deeply emotional & touching - each of which helps to bring out the other a bit more.
December 6, 2018
My first introduction to Rukis' fantastic Red Lantern world, and after reading I immediately looked for more. Fleshed out characters with great arcs together with the equally great artwork will draw you into this story!
October 29, 2017
Its a really AMAZING book.
May 9, 2019
AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING
This book deserves all the praise it has and more. Everything was so much fun. The characters were real and the plot and story intertwined masterfully.
This book deserves all the praise it has and more. Everything was so much fun. The characters were real and the plot and story intertwined masterfully.
October 30, 2024
You might like this book if you're interested in:
1) An extremely interesting protagonist with an impressive 1st-person character voice
2) Themes of family/found family, oppression against women and gay men, and how messed up a noble class can be
3) Extremely interesting worldbuilding inspired by historical fiction
4) A furry fic that more than stands up to the quality and complexity of popular books outside the fandom
First person books are a hard thing to get right. I've found that good ones can be especially hard to come by because they either tend to lack the character voice necessary to separate protagonist from author, or they don't create an interesting enough voice for the reader to want to engage with. Rukis does not have that problem in the slightest. Heretic features one of the most interesting protagonists struggling through one of the most interesting worlds in furry fiction. This book is a triumph of character development and an essential read for fans of anthro lit.
Luther is a brash and angry character driven by pure frustration at the injustices that plague him for his sexuality. He faces a problem that most characters in Rukis's Red Lantern universe seem to have: being unable to live the life they want to live. The poor guy just wants to sail the seas and love another man, but the world is cruel and punishes him mercilessly for it, thrusting him into a life he didn't choose. That theme is very well executed throughout most of the novel. It makes the character about as sympathetic as possible and instantly draws the reader to him. With the addition of a wonderfully-written voice, Luther is definitely a character worth reading about.
And yet, Luther isn't the only standout character in the book. He soon meets Delilah, who needs his help to avoid certain consequences of a grave injustice that has been dealt to her. Delilah is in many ways just as complicated as Luther, experiencing classist and sexist struggles that keep her from living the life she wants to live as well. The mutual support that Luther and Delilah show each other through this shared struggle is incredible. It is a wildly interesting and complex relationship that I can't gush about more, made even more genuine by its basis in historical precedent, where gay men and women would live together and sometimes marry to cover for one another's identities.
Characters aside, this is also just an excellent story. If you've read the graphic novel Red Lantern, you know the kind of person the main character, Luther, one day becomes. That knowledge does make the story a bit more intriguing, as naturally you want to know how he went from the aggressive and frustrated prisoner we see at the beginning of the book to the badass captain we see in Red Lantern. However, it is very much not required to have read Red Lantern to enjoy this book. The story is quite standalone all the way through, so don't let it's connection to other material drive you away from such an incredible read. Heck, it's even arguable that this book should be read before Red Lantern.
The storybeats hit like a truck in this thing. The drama Luther experiences in his life feels real and believable rather than contrived or over the top, which is again helped by the story's inspiration from historical fiction. This guy has one of the most eventful lives of ups and downs imaginable, yet it never feels improbable, which is a hard thing to avoid especially with brash characters doing first person narration.
I do have one issue with this book. The messaging at the end might be a bit problematic, depending on how you look at it. I'm comforted by the fact that this book is not the end of Luther's story, but I still find the conclusions he comes to and preaches to the reader a bit disturbing. I certainly don't think this was intended by the author, of course, as family and conformity is a very complex topic in the queer community. You'll have to read to find out what I'm talking about about and see if you agree.
Regardless of my unease about the ending (which I hope will make you more intrigued to read the book rather than driven away), I'd slot this book in as one of the quintessential furry fiction reads. It absolutely rocks. If you're looking for some furry fiction with more complexity, this is a fantastic place to start.
1) An extremely interesting protagonist with an impressive 1st-person character voice
2) Themes of family/found family, oppression against women and gay men, and how messed up a noble class can be
3) Extremely interesting worldbuilding inspired by historical fiction
4) A furry fic that more than stands up to the quality and complexity of popular books outside the fandom
First person books are a hard thing to get right. I've found that good ones can be especially hard to come by because they either tend to lack the character voice necessary to separate protagonist from author, or they don't create an interesting enough voice for the reader to want to engage with. Rukis does not have that problem in the slightest. Heretic features one of the most interesting protagonists struggling through one of the most interesting worlds in furry fiction. This book is a triumph of character development and an essential read for fans of anthro lit.
Luther is a brash and angry character driven by pure frustration at the injustices that plague him for his sexuality. He faces a problem that most characters in Rukis's Red Lantern universe seem to have: being unable to live the life they want to live. The poor guy just wants to sail the seas and love another man, but the world is cruel and punishes him mercilessly for it, thrusting him into a life he didn't choose. That theme is very well executed throughout most of the novel. It makes the character about as sympathetic as possible and instantly draws the reader to him. With the addition of a wonderfully-written voice, Luther is definitely a character worth reading about.
And yet, Luther isn't the only standout character in the book. He soon meets Delilah, who needs his help to avoid certain consequences of a grave injustice that has been dealt to her. Delilah is in many ways just as complicated as Luther, experiencing classist and sexist struggles that keep her from living the life she wants to live as well. The mutual support that Luther and Delilah show each other through this shared struggle is incredible. It is a wildly interesting and complex relationship that I can't gush about more, made even more genuine by its basis in historical precedent, where gay men and women would live together and sometimes marry to cover for one another's identities.
Characters aside, this is also just an excellent story. If you've read the graphic novel Red Lantern, you know the kind of person the main character, Luther, one day becomes. That knowledge does make the story a bit more intriguing, as naturally you want to know how he went from the aggressive and frustrated prisoner we see at the beginning of the book to the badass captain we see in Red Lantern. However, it is very much not required to have read Red Lantern to enjoy this book. The story is quite standalone all the way through, so don't let it's connection to other material drive you away from such an incredible read. Heck, it's even arguable that this book should be read before Red Lantern.
The storybeats hit like a truck in this thing. The drama Luther experiences in his life feels real and believable rather than contrived or over the top, which is again helped by the story's inspiration from historical fiction. This guy has one of the most eventful lives of ups and downs imaginable, yet it never feels improbable, which is a hard thing to avoid especially with brash characters doing first person narration.
I do have one issue with this book. The messaging at the end might be a bit problematic, depending on how you look at it. I'm comforted by the fact that this book is not the end of Luther's story, but I still find the conclusions he comes to and preaches to the reader a bit disturbing. I certainly don't think this was intended by the author, of course, as family and conformity is a very complex topic in the queer community. You'll have to read to find out what I'm talking about about and see if you agree.
Regardless of my unease about the ending (which I hope will make you more intrigued to read the book rather than driven away), I'd slot this book in as one of the quintessential furry fiction reads. It absolutely rocks. If you're looking for some furry fiction with more complexity, this is a fantastic place to start.
August 31, 2019
Brief updated review (re-read August 2019): Keeping the rating at 4 stars because it's not quite 5, but re-reading this novel was a delight. Perhaps I was overly critical before but the character development in this book as well as its interesting world really shines through any minor gripes I may have about the writing style.
-----
Rukis's Heretic is a solid, full-length furry novel. It's hard, at least for me, to keep myself from comparing it to Kyell Gold's Volle series - mostly because of the similar setting and main conflict that both novels share.
Heretic suffers in this comparison. I don't think that Rukis's writing is quite up to par with Kyell's, and the story just frankly did not quite grab at me the same way Kyell's writing almost always does. The awkward, consistent use of all-caps in dialogue to signify yelling/shouting in this book also breaks up the flow of reading the novel itself. Another issue I had was with the disjointed skipping of particular scenes (especially the more explicit ones) with minimal warning to the reader. Oftentimes I found myself having to go back a paragraph or two in these instances to make sure I hadn't missed anything since I was confused where the scene had gone.
The plot structure is also rather dark and violent overall which I was not a fan of, personally. In particular, I was not a fan of how most of the plot lines resolved at the end of the book (I am much more of a happily-ever-after sort of person; another reason why I prefer Kyell's books).
Nevertheless, I do think this book conveys some important messages and I always enjoyed the parts where the reader is able to see the turmoil inside Luther (the protagonist)'s mind. Although I think world-building and conflict development in the book are not particularly strong, Rukis does excel at character development in this book.
A solid, if unexceptional, furry novel without major faults deserves four stars in my book! I will be reading more of Rukis's later works (Heretic was one of her earlier novels) and will be looking for improvement.
-----
Rukis's Heretic is a solid, full-length furry novel. It's hard, at least for me, to keep myself from comparing it to Kyell Gold's Volle series - mostly because of the similar setting and main conflict that both novels share.
Heretic suffers in this comparison. I don't think that Rukis's writing is quite up to par with Kyell's, and the story just frankly did not quite grab at me the same way Kyell's writing almost always does. The awkward, consistent use of all-caps in dialogue to signify yelling/shouting in this book also breaks up the flow of reading the novel itself. Another issue I had was with the disjointed skipping of particular scenes (especially the more explicit ones) with minimal warning to the reader. Oftentimes I found myself having to go back a paragraph or two in these instances to make sure I hadn't missed anything since I was confused where the scene had gone.
The plot structure is also rather dark and violent overall which I was not a fan of, personally. In particular, I was not a fan of how most of the plot lines resolved at the end of the book (I am much more of a happily-ever-after sort of person; another reason why I prefer Kyell's books).
Nevertheless, I do think this book conveys some important messages and I always enjoyed the parts where the reader is able to see the turmoil inside Luther (the protagonist)'s mind. Although I think world-building and conflict development in the book are not particularly strong, Rukis does excel at character development in this book.
A solid, if unexceptional, furry novel without major faults deserves four stars in my book! I will be reading more of Rukis's later works (Heretic was one of her earlier novels) and will be looking for improvement.
July 28, 2014
DISCLAIMER: I wrote this review based on the version that the writer made available for free online rather than the commercially available book.
Writing well is hard. Drawing well is hard. I admit to often feeling a bit (?) jealous of those who manage either. Rukis, as far as my opinion goes, manages both with this story.
Quite generally, I have no valid complaints about this book besides the typos, and I bet (hope?) those were fixed in the commercial version. All in all, a better read than I had expected, especially for a first novel, and especially knowing that the version I read was originally posted online as the chapters were written, without the benefit of prior editing (as far as I know). I guess I'll now have to start paying attention to Rukis's written works more.
Writing well is hard. Drawing well is hard. I admit to often feeling a bit (?) jealous of those who manage either. Rukis, as far as my opinion goes, manages both with this story.
Quite generally, I have no valid complaints about this book besides the typos, and I bet (hope?) those were fixed in the commercial version. All in all, a better read than I had expected, especially for a first novel, and especially knowing that the version I read was originally posted online as the chapters were written, without the benefit of prior editing (as far as I know). I guess I'll now have to start paying attention to Rukis's written works more.
October 11, 2016
This book...
even halfway through I knew it's going to be my new favorite novel. The characters were so well developed, the decisions they made felt so right (even the bad ones, controversally); how the characters developed; the world they live in; the hardships they went through; the conclusions and many, many lessons learned and values gained from this novel - I cannot even comprehend all of it at once.
I am not one who has an abundant amount of writing on his shelves, and I cannot say I have yet learned all lessons in life that shape me, but if a book makes me tear up four times within just a few hundred pages, if the story of Heretic makes me feel so complete, then I feel confident enough to say this is one of the most beautiful works of furry fiction that I have ever read.
Thank you Rukis for writing this. This story is a part of me now.
even halfway through I knew it's going to be my new favorite novel. The characters were so well developed, the decisions they made felt so right (even the bad ones, controversally); how the characters developed; the world they live in; the hardships they went through; the conclusions and many, many lessons learned and values gained from this novel - I cannot even comprehend all of it at once.
I am not one who has an abundant amount of writing on his shelves, and I cannot say I have yet learned all lessons in life that shape me, but if a book makes me tear up four times within just a few hundred pages, if the story of Heretic makes me feel so complete, then I feel confident enough to say this is one of the most beautiful works of furry fiction that I have ever read.
Thank you Rukis for writing this. This story is a part of me now.
July 21, 2020
Now *this* is a novel...
Pain, anger, joy, beauty, tragedy... This book has them all. The story of a gay individual in an almost Victorian society who finds himself an unlikely home is not an entirely unique one, but the way this is told definitely is. It isn't an easy book to read, as there are astonishingly dark and angry parts (justified as far as I can tell), but it is completely impossible to out down.
Be ready for the heartache, but don't forget the joys. And the love. This book is amazing. <3
Pain, anger, joy, beauty, tragedy... This book has them all. The story of a gay individual in an almost Victorian society who finds himself an unlikely home is not an entirely unique one, but the way this is told definitely is. It isn't an easy book to read, as there are astonishingly dark and angry parts (justified as far as I can tell), but it is completely impossible to out down.
Be ready for the heartache, but don't forget the joys. And the love. This book is amazing. <3
February 3, 2015
One of the best pieces of anthropomorphic writing to date. It has a very well intricate setting, emotionally complex, and follows the tribulations of one of the most surprisingly well developed characters I was able to relate to. Definitely a must-read for those in "the Fandom".
January 14, 2020
Amazing is not enough to express this book! Although at first, it seemed to be predictable with the gay agenda set in circa XVIIIth century, it surely took the best course possible, with all the spins and sometimes even abstruse themes it gives a lot to dwell on.
July 14, 2015
I have always loved her art work since I've discovered it. I this case the story she put with it was a wonderful prequel to the graphic novel series I started by her. Can't get enough.
February 20, 2016
Pinga cabron
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews