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The Calm Before
The elven city-state of Airgead abounds with modern, magic-based technology, but has not overcome its antiquated views of race and class. Riagan refused to let such outdated views stop him in his climb from the streets all the way to the top of society—but that climb has brought more than a few enemies with it.
Seduced by Riagan at a party, Elisedd soon realizes he's just one more pawn, one more toy, and he refuses to be hurt ever again. But try as he might, he cannot seem to escape Riagan's hold, and instead finds himself dragged deeper into a world of passion, scheming, and a growing anger that threatens to tear Airgead apart...
Seduced by Riagan at a party, Elisedd soon realizes he's just one more pawn, one more toy, and he refuses to be hurt ever again. But try as he might, he cannot seem to escape Riagan's hold, and instead finds himself dragged deeper into a world of passion, scheming, and a growing anger that threatens to tear Airgead apart...
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2014
3 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Neena Jaydon
9 books37 followersNeena Jaydon teaches writing and Japanese, edits and tutors, and writes LGBTQIA2S romantic SF/F fiction. Her attempts to write are often limited by a house full of outrageously cute rabbits, an internet full of intriguing stuff, and an ongoing attempt to learn to roller skate.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 3, 2014
5 stars out of 5
If you read the book blurb above (especially its vague last sentence about the “growing anger”) and your first reaction is, “So what?”—don’t let it stop you from buying this exciting, complex, and unusual thriller, which is far better than it sounds. The action takes place in the elven kingdom of Airgead, but this is not an ethereal place like Lothlórien from the Lord of the Rings movies. Instead, it feels much more like Detroit with its urban decay, ghettos, and vast divide between the rich and the poor – with a touch of Wall Street or Silicon Valley in its cutthroat corporate maneuvering to claim emerging technology.
Here, the elves are the ruthless overlords and capitalist robber-barons that use the human underclass as an expendable work-force. Physically, the elves look and act somewhat Tolkien-esque: they are human-sized with pointed ears, refined features, a stoic demeanor, and a superior attitude. (But there are also rugged, thuggish elves such as Riagan, some of whom are pierced and tattooed, and there is a crude Street Elvish dialect.) Here, the humans have no civil rights whatsoever, not even to receive a birth certificate or advanced education, which has caused many to immigrate to neighboring human nations. The humans can earn some serious money by meeting the elves’ sexual appetites as prostitutes, but marriage between elf and human is unheard-of and half-breeds are rare and not welcome among humans or elves.
The world-building in The Calm Before is amazing and intricate, and the story takes a daring risk (and shows real skill) in how it conveys its alien concepts. Instead of stopping the action periodically to stuff the reader with big chunks of info-dump, the story gives glimpses of context in the characters’ minds as they encounter things already familiar to them such as argent elves, gilt elves, and scorched elves that the reader will eventually piece together. At first, this made me nervous because I wasn’t getting all the answers right away, and I wouldn’t have minded a convenient glossary in back, but I just highlighted the terms and kept them in mind as the story continued to fill me in through the ongoing action.
The story is told in alternating third-person viewpoints (mostly Riagan and Elisedd with input from a few supporting characters.) The first scene introduces Riagan, a large aggressive elf who has clawed his way up from poor beginnings in his single-minded drive for power. He blackmails an older elf from the aristocracy to obtain a mine that may make his fortune. The next scene shows Elisedd, a vulnerable and debt-ridden human who is comforted by his best friend Fife (a very strong supporting character) in the aftermath of yet another drunken romantic rejection. Here I worried that Riagan might be too avaricious and Elisedd might be too much of a loser, but I kept reading because I said I’d review the book – and I’m glad I did. The next scene when Riagan and Elisedd meet at a swanky party (with Elisedd part of the hired help) hooked me into the book, and it just kept getting better and better.
Elisedd has a complicated family secret, and Riagan’s maneuverings to gain his mine awaken some deadly opponents, and all this creates a strong thriller plot with the “growing anger” of the blurb actually a powder-keg situation of imminent rioting and anarchy poised to break out in the human ghettos. Awesome! Almost immediately, Elisedd establishes himself as a character of great integrity and inner strength despite his youthful inexperience and insecurity. His coming-of-age experience couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Riagan, on the other hand, had me worried through ninety percent of the book despite his warmth and charisma because he kept lashing out at others or doing something exploitative that proved he viewed everyone as pawns to manipulate. But because of all this when his redemption comes at the book’s emotional climax in Chapter 14, it is incredibly rewarding for the reader. Both main characters change and grow through the book, refining themselves through their ordeals but also bringing out the best in each other.
Overall, The Calm Before is an unusual mix of fantasy-contemporary romance with two strong and complicated characters who are a great match for each other. Neither overpowers the other and their romance with all its power struggles, uncertainties, hot chemistry, and passionate emotion is at the center of an exciting thriller plot. This was so much fun to read that I’d like to read the author’s backlist now, and I totally want to read her future books. I very highly recommend The Calm Before. (I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an honest review.)
If you read the book blurb above (especially its vague last sentence about the “growing anger”) and your first reaction is, “So what?”—don’t let it stop you from buying this exciting, complex, and unusual thriller, which is far better than it sounds. The action takes place in the elven kingdom of Airgead, but this is not an ethereal place like Lothlórien from the Lord of the Rings movies. Instead, it feels much more like Detroit with its urban decay, ghettos, and vast divide between the rich and the poor – with a touch of Wall Street or Silicon Valley in its cutthroat corporate maneuvering to claim emerging technology.
Here, the elves are the ruthless overlords and capitalist robber-barons that use the human underclass as an expendable work-force. Physically, the elves look and act somewhat Tolkien-esque: they are human-sized with pointed ears, refined features, a stoic demeanor, and a superior attitude. (But there are also rugged, thuggish elves such as Riagan, some of whom are pierced and tattooed, and there is a crude Street Elvish dialect.) Here, the humans have no civil rights whatsoever, not even to receive a birth certificate or advanced education, which has caused many to immigrate to neighboring human nations. The humans can earn some serious money by meeting the elves’ sexual appetites as prostitutes, but marriage between elf and human is unheard-of and half-breeds are rare and not welcome among humans or elves.
The world-building in The Calm Before is amazing and intricate, and the story takes a daring risk (and shows real skill) in how it conveys its alien concepts. Instead of stopping the action periodically to stuff the reader with big chunks of info-dump, the story gives glimpses of context in the characters’ minds as they encounter things already familiar to them such as argent elves, gilt elves, and scorched elves that the reader will eventually piece together. At first, this made me nervous because I wasn’t getting all the answers right away, and I wouldn’t have minded a convenient glossary in back, but I just highlighted the terms and kept them in mind as the story continued to fill me in through the ongoing action.
The story is told in alternating third-person viewpoints (mostly Riagan and Elisedd with input from a few supporting characters.) The first scene introduces Riagan, a large aggressive elf who has clawed his way up from poor beginnings in his single-minded drive for power. He blackmails an older elf from the aristocracy to obtain a mine that may make his fortune. The next scene shows Elisedd, a vulnerable and debt-ridden human who is comforted by his best friend Fife (a very strong supporting character) in the aftermath of yet another drunken romantic rejection. Here I worried that Riagan might be too avaricious and Elisedd might be too much of a loser, but I kept reading because I said I’d review the book – and I’m glad I did. The next scene when Riagan and Elisedd meet at a swanky party (with Elisedd part of the hired help) hooked me into the book, and it just kept getting better and better.
Elisedd has a complicated family secret, and Riagan’s maneuverings to gain his mine awaken some deadly opponents, and all this creates a strong thriller plot with the “growing anger” of the blurb actually a powder-keg situation of imminent rioting and anarchy poised to break out in the human ghettos. Awesome! Almost immediately, Elisedd establishes himself as a character of great integrity and inner strength despite his youthful inexperience and insecurity. His coming-of-age experience couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Riagan, on the other hand, had me worried through ninety percent of the book despite his warmth and charisma because he kept lashing out at others or doing something exploitative that proved he viewed everyone as pawns to manipulate. But because of all this when his redemption comes at the book’s emotional climax in Chapter 14, it is incredibly rewarding for the reader. Both main characters change and grow through the book, refining themselves through their ordeals but also bringing out the best in each other.
Overall, The Calm Before is an unusual mix of fantasy-contemporary romance with two strong and complicated characters who are a great match for each other. Neither overpowers the other and their romance with all its power struggles, uncertainties, hot chemistry, and passionate emotion is at the center of an exciting thriller plot. This was so much fun to read that I’d like to read the author’s backlist now, and I totally want to read her future books. I very highly recommend The Calm Before. (I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an honest review.)
February 23, 2014
An intriguing, slow-reveal, slow burn romantic thriller set in a world in which elves are the ruling race and humans are the lowly peons. Some really interesting themes; race, class, corporate greed -give the story a dark, dystopian feel. The fact that it's set in a fantasy world is almost irrelevant.
Eladio's thoughtful review has some great insights on the characters.
Good writing, great tension between the two MCs and some fascinating world building by Neena Jaydon whose
is firmly ensconced in my 'best of 2012' shelf. Ms Jaydon is one to watch.
Eladio's thoughtful review has some great insights on the characters.
Good writing, great tension between the two MCs and some fascinating world building by Neena Jaydon whose
is firmly ensconced in my 'best of 2012' shelf. Ms Jaydon is one to watch.
July 31, 2015
Wow, I had some wrong expectations about this book!! I thought it was going to be some sort of elven, magicky, sword-and-dagger style fantasy. Instead, The Calm Before - while harbouring elves and magic and I think some knives are mentioned - is a book about politics, about ancient ideas about race, about a human revolt after being repressed for too long, and it's about business. The technology is modern-ish, and some new devices were described that were imaginative and awesome (the wristscroll! I want that wristscroll!!!).
So, yes, really not what I expected. The problem was, I was actually looking FORWARD to an elven, magicky, sword-and-dagger style fantasy. Maybe that's one of the reasons why it took me a while to get into this story. But then, at about 40 percent maybe, it clicked and I was drawn in. And I really enjoyed this!!
It's intelligently written with main characters that definitely surf the gray area of not-really-good, but not-really-evil either. And as the story goes on, they learn a thing or two, and might even make themselves a little bit more comfortable on the good side. I.e., my kind of characters :-D
...although there is someone in here named Cairbre. And while I agree with my GR friend M that this seems awfully hard to pronounce, her saying that she reads Carebear instead every time was slightly problematic. Because from then on that's ALL I could read whenever that character was mentioned. Carebear here and Carebear there. Thanks very much, M!! *gg*
I think a little bit more editing would have done this story some good. I really enjoy Neena Jaydon's writing (I LOVED her Storms and Stars), but here I noticed word repetitions quite often (words used in one sentence and then used again in the next, that sort of thing). And while I don't mind that every now and then, there were too many here, and it bothered me sometimes.
Nevertheless, this is a good fantasy story, just go in with the right kind of expectations - or none at all (I find that this usually helps) :-D
Recommended!
So, yes, really not what I expected. The problem was, I was actually looking FORWARD to an elven, magicky, sword-and-dagger style fantasy. Maybe that's one of the reasons why it took me a while to get into this story. But then, at about 40 percent maybe, it clicked and I was drawn in. And I really enjoyed this!!
It's intelligently written with main characters that definitely surf the gray area of not-really-good, but not-really-evil either. And as the story goes on, they learn a thing or two, and might even make themselves a little bit more comfortable on the good side. I.e., my kind of characters :-D
...although there is someone in here named Cairbre. And while I agree with my GR friend M that this seems awfully hard to pronounce, her saying that she reads Carebear instead every time was slightly problematic. Because from then on that's ALL I could read whenever that character was mentioned. Carebear here and Carebear there. Thanks very much, M!! *gg*
I think a little bit more editing would have done this story some good. I really enjoy Neena Jaydon's writing (I LOVED her Storms and Stars), but here I noticed word repetitions quite often (words used in one sentence and then used again in the next, that sort of thing). And while I don't mind that every now and then, there were too many here, and it bothered me sometimes.
Nevertheless, this is a good fantasy story, just go in with the right kind of expectations - or none at all (I find that this usually helps) :-D
Recommended!
March 28, 2014
Take the world we know, shift and twirl it a bit and you might get the elven world of Airgead. I was expecting a more traditional fantasy, with elves, swords and sorcery, but intstead it reads more like a different universe of our known world. There are elves and magic, but there are also technologies we know such as cars, electricity and television.
Riagan is an elf who worked his way up from the gutter to be the head of a large corporation and he takes no nonsense from anyone.
Elisedd is half-human, half-elf and is ostracised by both worlds. Elves are the ruling power and humans are mostly seen as an expendable workforce in mines and industries, or as prostitutes for the elves.
At an elven party, after seducing Elisedd, he tries to pay him, mistaking him for one of the human rent-a-lads Riagan often dallies with. Hurt and angry, Elisedd vows he wants nothing more to do with the stuck-up elf, but things don't work out that way.
The world building in the novel is very good, you get a feel for the places and the politics and the writing flows well. Elissedd and Riagan are both well-drawn characters and at first I liked Elisedd more than Riagan, he just seemed nicer somehow. As the book progresses though you get to hear a bit more about Riagan's life and the things that shaped him into the man he is and you can understand his reticence in not wanting his heart to get involved.
It reads as part thriller, part romance and both parts melded together seamlessly. We have corrupt politicians, humans revolting and family secrets laid bare. There are a couple of love scenes in the book, written very sensually, almost lyrical in a way. The romance didn't seem rushed, not counting that first night. You had the sense Riagan and Elisedd were taking their time and trying to suss each other out.
I did enjoy the book, but I am still a little disappointed that it wasn't the traditional sort of fantasy I expected, but that's my expectation rather than any fault of the book. It reads more like Urban Fantasy, so if you like that, you'll enjoy this. I like my magical fantasies withoout cars and electricity, but that's just me. It just seems strange to me to read a book about elves who work in an office and drive cars :)
It's a well written, well told story with characters you care about.
Complimentary copy supplied by publisher for purposes of a review.
Riagan is an elf who worked his way up from the gutter to be the head of a large corporation and he takes no nonsense from anyone.
Elisedd is half-human, half-elf and is ostracised by both worlds. Elves are the ruling power and humans are mostly seen as an expendable workforce in mines and industries, or as prostitutes for the elves.
At an elven party, after seducing Elisedd, he tries to pay him, mistaking him for one of the human rent-a-lads Riagan often dallies with. Hurt and angry, Elisedd vows he wants nothing more to do with the stuck-up elf, but things don't work out that way.
The world building in the novel is very good, you get a feel for the places and the politics and the writing flows well. Elissedd and Riagan are both well-drawn characters and at first I liked Elisedd more than Riagan, he just seemed nicer somehow. As the book progresses though you get to hear a bit more about Riagan's life and the things that shaped him into the man he is and you can understand his reticence in not wanting his heart to get involved.
It reads as part thriller, part romance and both parts melded together seamlessly. We have corrupt politicians, humans revolting and family secrets laid bare. There are a couple of love scenes in the book, written very sensually, almost lyrical in a way. The romance didn't seem rushed, not counting that first night. You had the sense Riagan and Elisedd were taking their time and trying to suss each other out.
I did enjoy the book, but I am still a little disappointed that it wasn't the traditional sort of fantasy I expected, but that's my expectation rather than any fault of the book. It reads more like Urban Fantasy, so if you like that, you'll enjoy this. I like my magical fantasies withoout cars and electricity, but that's just me. It just seems strange to me to read a book about elves who work in an office and drive cars :)
It's a well written, well told story with characters you care about.
Complimentary copy supplied by publisher for purposes of a review.
April 27, 2014
The book is btw 3 and 4 stars,maybe 3.8 XD,didnt like so much the moder setting and the plot sometimes,but the story btw Raigan and Elisedd is really good and i love them both.
Elisedd and Riagan met at a party,where the half-elf is working as waiter,a job is friend Fife,who is a rent-a-lad found for him.At that party they have an encounter in the storage room,Riagan thinks he's a rent -a-lad and and at the same time Elisedd doesnt understand it,but after when the older elf gives u money and a card and walks away he starts to make 2+2.
From that episode all evolves.The young half-elf goes to the older one to give back the money,here sees Fife who is one of Riagan's occasional lovers,his friend is surprised to see him here.Riagan
doesnt understand at first why the young man(he still doesnt know is hal-elf)is giving back the money,when he understands he gets intrigued and offers him a job,to accompany him to a lake house for a business trip.Elisedd at starts refuses and walks away,but after when the elf comes at his apartment,he's almost forced to go with him.He gets dragged in the car when he tries to defend the elf from some men fighting him.At the lake house they have their first time together,and both experience the aura overlap,Riagan doesnt undrstand how is possible,bcs with human is never happened,and at the same time legend says that the aura overlap is supposedly to prove real love.
When his father kidnaps his secretary,Rigan and the half-elf work together to free him,also Fife the younger elf best friend is in danger.Rigan is strong and mean with a lot of peple,he did all was possible to get where he is now,but whenhe sees Elisedd hurt and in danger of being killed he does all he can to free the Half-Assed elf,or so he calls him bcs he has a strange personality not too shy,not too bold,strubborn but cooperative.
There's a fight and Elisedd runs towards the woods to keep the others far from Fife and Raigan,at the same time the elf gets stabbed,and his men have to restrain him,to stop their stubborn boss to go find the younger elf.(he finally understood he is half-elf).
Later they'll find the young elf in an house in the woods and Raigan will carry him to the car,also if he was still recovering from he stab.
When Raigan goes to his apartment he finds Fife,they had made an appointment some weeks ago,so he let's the human in and they sit on a couch.The human starts to tease him,to get on with his job as a rent-a-lad,but the elf says "It's not working,Fife."
The young man then answers him saying to take care of Elisedd.Raigen laughs,bcs how does the your half-elf fit in all of this?,but then finally he understands,maybe if the one teasing was Elisedd,it would have worked.
When Elisedd and Rigan talk again they are interrupted by a bird message,one from Ailis,in which the elf says if Raigan was still with Elisedd and if not to give him his number to contact him.Raigan gets jealous and a lot too XD,but when finally he understands that those two are brother and sister he feel like an idiot.
{...R:"You're always like a tidal wave.".............."Crash right over me and carry me away.Ever
since the second we met."....}
{....E:"I don't know why everything's different with you.I've been with other elves,and it was
never-I nevr-..." }
{...R:"Normally i like hurting others,you know." E:"But not me."......R:"Not you."....}
After that Elisedd will say to Raigan that he loves him,and after he thinks was too soon.
{....E:" I said it,didn't I,"....."Way too soon."....R:"I don't know."......"We're both in new
territory.Everybody else's rules might not work for us.".......}
In the end of the book,when Elisedd life is in danger and Raigan father offers him or the life of his lover or to give up all he has and worked for,Raigan doesnt have ever to think,gives all up and goes to get his "sweet har luck" or so Fife called him also if he after said he was worth it all.
In the epilogue,they're happy and live together now,Elisedd works like mediator btw human and royal elves.When the half-assed finds out Raigan gave up all for him he asks why, Raigan answers:
{...."And I'd do it again"....."Even if you walked out that door and never come back,I'd do it
again."....}
{...."I didn't love a thing"....}
Pratically also if he still didnt say the words to the younger elf,all he does makes all see how he loves the half-elf and Elisedd understands he loves him.
Elisedd and Riagan met at a party,where the half-elf is working as waiter,a job is friend Fife,who is a rent-a-lad found for him.At that party they have an encounter in the storage room,Riagan thinks he's a rent -a-lad and and at the same time Elisedd doesnt understand it,but after when the older elf gives u money and a card and walks away he starts to make 2+2.
From that episode all evolves.The young half-elf goes to the older one to give back the money,here sees Fife who is one of Riagan's occasional lovers,his friend is surprised to see him here.Riagan
doesnt understand at first why the young man(he still doesnt know is hal-elf)is giving back the money,when he understands he gets intrigued and offers him a job,to accompany him to a lake house for a business trip.Elisedd at starts refuses and walks away,but after when the elf comes at his apartment,he's almost forced to go with him.He gets dragged in the car when he tries to defend the elf from some men fighting him.At the lake house they have their first time together,and both experience the aura overlap,Riagan doesnt undrstand how is possible,bcs with human is never happened,and at the same time legend says that the aura overlap is supposedly to prove real love.
When his father kidnaps his secretary,Rigan and the half-elf work together to free him,also Fife the younger elf best friend is in danger.Rigan is strong and mean with a lot of peple,he did all was possible to get where he is now,but whenhe sees Elisedd hurt and in danger of being killed he does all he can to free the Half-Assed elf,or so he calls him bcs he has a strange personality not too shy,not too bold,strubborn but cooperative.
There's a fight and Elisedd runs towards the woods to keep the others far from Fife and Raigan,at the same time the elf gets stabbed,and his men have to restrain him,to stop their stubborn boss to go find the younger elf.(he finally understood he is half-elf).
Later they'll find the young elf in an house in the woods and Raigan will carry him to the car,also if he was still recovering from he stab.
When Raigan goes to his apartment he finds Fife,they had made an appointment some weeks ago,so he let's the human in and they sit on a couch.The human starts to tease him,to get on with his job as a rent-a-lad,but the elf says "It's not working,Fife."
The young man then answers him saying to take care of Elisedd.Raigen laughs,bcs how does the your half-elf fit in all of this?,but then finally he understands,maybe if the one teasing was Elisedd,it would have worked.
When Elisedd and Rigan talk again they are interrupted by a bird message,one from Ailis,in which the elf says if Raigan was still with Elisedd and if not to give him his number to contact him.Raigan gets jealous and a lot too XD,but when finally he understands that those two are brother and sister he feel like an idiot.
{...R:"You're always like a tidal wave.".............."Crash right over me and carry me away.Ever
since the second we met."....}
{....E:"I don't know why everything's different with you.I've been with other elves,and it was
never-I nevr-..." }
{...R:"Normally i like hurting others,you know." E:"But not me."......R:"Not you."....}
After that Elisedd will say to Raigan that he loves him,and after he thinks was too soon.
{....E:" I said it,didn't I,"....."Way too soon."....R:"I don't know."......"We're both in new
territory.Everybody else's rules might not work for us.".......}
In the end of the book,when Elisedd life is in danger and Raigan father offers him or the life of his lover or to give up all he has and worked for,Raigan doesnt have ever to think,gives all up and goes to get his "sweet har luck" or so Fife called him also if he after said he was worth it all.
In the epilogue,they're happy and live together now,Elisedd works like mediator btw human and royal elves.When the half-assed finds out Raigan gave up all for him he asks why, Raigan answers:
{...."And I'd do it again"....."Even if you walked out that door and never come back,I'd do it
again."....}
{...."I didn't love a thing"....}
Pratically also if he still didnt say the words to the younger elf,all he does makes all see how he loves the half-elf and Elisedd understands he loves him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2015
This is a story outside my normal scope for reading fantasy. I did quite enjoy it but it took me a while for the story to overcome my thinking about the world building.
I enjoyed the balance of power was with the elves and that humans were the oppressed, but wasn't sure where the 'rest of the world who were watching' were based and what their dynamics were.
Raigan is an elf who has clawed his way up from the gutter. He was mean and moody, but showed his soft side occasionally. He was a bit hot and cold at times but I liked him as an agressive character, out to get what he wanted.
Elisedd is half elf, half human so depised by both. I did find his waffling, woe is me character a bit annoying.
Fife I liked, Elisedd's human friend. And I wanted to know if he and Cairbre continued their truce after the boat house.
Lots of characters. Great imagination.
I enjoyed the balance of power was with the elves and that humans were the oppressed, but wasn't sure where the 'rest of the world who were watching' were based and what their dynamics were.
Raigan is an elf who has clawed his way up from the gutter. He was mean and moody, but showed his soft side occasionally. He was a bit hot and cold at times but I liked him as an agressive character, out to get what he wanted.
Elisedd is half elf, half human so depised by both. I did find his waffling, woe is me character a bit annoying.
Fife I liked, Elisedd's human friend. And I wanted to know if he and Cairbre continued their truce after the boat house.
Lots of characters. Great imagination.
September 8, 2015
I'm not a fantasy reader, but I enjoy a story here and there. For me, this book is a solid four. It's interesting and a bit different from what I read before. I like the class difference between the elves and between the humans.
The author did a good job creating the world and the characters' contrasts. It has some slow parts, but the promise of something more keeps the reader engage.
My only complaint it's that the last twenty percentage of the book felt rush in comparison with the rest of the story. Some details were left for the readers interpretations instead of getting an explicit resolution. Overall a good fantasy story.
----
Received the book from the author as part of the 2015 M/M Romance Group celebration.
The author did a good job creating the world and the characters' contrasts. It has some slow parts, but the promise of something more keeps the reader engage.
My only complaint it's that the last twenty percentage of the book felt rush in comparison with the rest of the story. Some details were left for the readers interpretations instead of getting an explicit resolution. Overall a good fantasy story.
----
Received the book from the author as part of the 2015 M/M Romance Group celebration.
April 7, 2014
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
From my review: "….Neena Jaydon then does justice to such astonishingly rich world with characters just as complex and compelling as the society they live in. Alisedd is a half human half elf, a rare being whose sensibilities and own passions have left him almost an outcast to both races. Alisedd is capable of "passing" as a human, lacking the pointed ears and physiology of the true elf. He longs for love and has remained behind in the city on the verge of social unrest…"
For my full review, visit http://wp.me/p220KL-2cC
For more of my reviews, visit http://ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords...
January 4, 2015
4.5 Stars.
I read this for the Rainbow Awards. If I had purchased it, I probably would have dropped it, the start was so slow. However, I am glad I persevered as it is an incredible story.
Riagan was someone I started to hate at the beginning. He has all of the attributes of an entitled elite and a bully. Elisedd was also someone I didn't particularly care for, letting himself be a victim. After lots of twists, one of them gets a spine and the other realizes that loving someone can be the best and most important thing in their lives.
I thought the setting was very unique and the parallels to us humans on earth, quite realistic.
I read this for the Rainbow Awards. If I had purchased it, I probably would have dropped it, the start was so slow. However, I am glad I persevered as it is an incredible story.
Riagan was someone I started to hate at the beginning. He has all of the attributes of an entitled elite and a bully. Elisedd was also someone I didn't particularly care for, letting himself be a victim. After lots of twists, one of them gets a spine and the other realizes that loving someone can be the best and most important thing in their lives.
I thought the setting was very unique and the parallels to us humans on earth, quite realistic.
September 3, 2015
The world is starting to look like it might spiral out of control, as Elisedd, a half-elf, is caught in the middle of political intrigue that may cost him everything. There's civil unrest in the city that may lead to a full-blown human rebellion against the elven monarchy. Raigan is rich aristocrat elf that Elisedd meets - and if he thought he had problems before, Raigan is personified trouble. A really great book, with lots of danger and thrills that add scrumptious flavor to Elisedd and Raigan's forbidden romance.
September 5, 2014
It wasn't perfect but what is. Sure would like to read more from this world.
December 6, 2015
2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
April 5, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
The Calm Before is a gratifying, though somewhat muddled fantasy about two men who belong together more than either of them realizes. The plot is generally strong and the pacing is solid. Riagan and Elisedd are both intriguing characters, though I feel Riagan’s development is somewhat stronger than Elisedd’s. Both men are hiding secrets about themselves and neither wants to acknowledge the chemistry between them. All of this makes for a bit of cat and mouse set among the more serious problems of civil unrest.
The world building in The Calm Before isn’t the strongest and it seems to be more a combination of modern technology mixed with elven nature. This could have been lot more appealing with just a bit more elaboration. The author does a good job of setting up the conflict between humans and elves and making the strife between them seem believable. Despite a solid plot, there are some uneven moments, especially involving Riagan and his business, all of which make sense but somehow don’t add much to the overall plot.
The Calm Before has a few fantastical elements, but it isn’t a fully developed fantasy, at least in my opinion. That doesn’t make any less entertaining though. The characters are strong and engaging and the plot is established enough to hold the interest of most readers. Consider this one worth reading.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
The Calm Before is a gratifying, though somewhat muddled fantasy about two men who belong together more than either of them realizes. The plot is generally strong and the pacing is solid. Riagan and Elisedd are both intriguing characters, though I feel Riagan’s development is somewhat stronger than Elisedd’s. Both men are hiding secrets about themselves and neither wants to acknowledge the chemistry between them. All of this makes for a bit of cat and mouse set among the more serious problems of civil unrest.
The world building in The Calm Before isn’t the strongest and it seems to be more a combination of modern technology mixed with elven nature. This could have been lot more appealing with just a bit more elaboration. The author does a good job of setting up the conflict between humans and elves and making the strife between them seem believable. Despite a solid plot, there are some uneven moments, especially involving Riagan and his business, all of which make sense but somehow don’t add much to the overall plot.
The Calm Before has a few fantastical elements, but it isn’t a fully developed fantasy, at least in my opinion. That doesn’t make any less entertaining though. The characters are strong and engaging and the plot is established enough to hold the interest of most readers. Consider this one worth reading.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
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