Silk & Sand

Seth & Raider #1

by Katherine Diane

The only thing worse than trekking across a dangerous desert on a nearly impossible mission? When your guide is intolerable—and irresistible.

Seth spends his days hunting down mystical artifacts. As a Curator for the Arcanum College, that’s his job. But when an arcanist murders a fellow scholar, Seth finds himself assigned instead to a dusty, thirsty, frustrating manhunt. But why him? Because, he’s been told by his superiors, he’s the only Curator sufficiently tenacious and brutal for the job. (Seth resents that.)

When the murderer vanishes at the edge of a deadly desert, Seth finds himself in need of a guide. Unfortunately, the “only one crazy enough” for the job is Raider—a man with an easy grin who is clearly a thief, liar, and rogue. (He also has illegal quicksilver in his veins, and that arcane enhancement positively screams “I’ve done bad things.”) The only thing worse than having to rely on such a reprobate? Finding him irresistibly attractive.

Raider might think the manhunt a foolish endeavor, but he’s delighted by the prospect of breaking past the barriers of the gorgeous, rigidly self-controlled Curator. That kind of intensity needs the right outlet (and Raider has such ideas). But Raider just might be asking for more trouble than he realizes—because he has barriers of his own, and some very dark secrets lurking behind them.

But that’s not the only trouble looming. Because if Seth and Raider can survive their desert journey? Seth’s manhunt will lead them into even greater dangers and mysteries.

Silk & Sand is a high-heat fantasy adventure that will take you to the most exotic locations and into the most twisted secrets. It will lure you in with action, humor, and sizzling tension—and will hook your heart with its emotional intensity and beautiful love. So be prepared to laugh, cry, and stay up all night with these two gorgeous, complicated, irresistible men.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Romance, LGBT, Magic, High Fantasy, Queer

338 pages, Paperback

First published March 7, 2024

About the author

Katherine Diane loves intense, complex heroes and fascinating worlds. She likes her romances a little dark, a little raw, and suffused with erotic realism.

Reviews

[ivanareadsalot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

😍I'm sorry but where are you going with all this desert adventurous hotness?!?!? BECAUSE I AM A FAN OF ALL OF THIS!💓🐎🐪



❤️‍🔥OMG Raider and Seth were chef's kiss fantastic together! the story itself was light, dynamic and fun, the narrative was energetic and exciting and IT ENDED ON A CLIFFY(minor) AND I LEGIT WAILED BECAUSE I WANTED MORE!❤️‍🔥

🪄📖i did not want to stop reading this! IT WAS SUCH A GREAT VIBE!✨

❤️‍🔥once their relationship dynamic evened out and started to FKIN SERVE, it was so intimate and dialed in, i just melted! 🫠

❤️‍🩹 i ADORED how "Serious" Seth took care of the "Rascal" Raider!

❤️‍🔥and i looooved how sweet Raider was, all the while trying to hide his secrets!

🌴i enjoyed everything about the desert atmosphere, Chief Karek and the Sudai caravan, the oasis nights, the action adventure and OFC the steam!!♨️🌶️

⛺I cannot wait for Book #2! This was marvelous, and shout out to my super babe, Brooke who put this on my radar!🧭

⭐Gold Star Win for the first in what promises to be an excellent, sexy adventure series that i simply cannot wait to get more of!😄📜🗝️

[Jay H (Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars✨

This book was EVERYTHING I wanted and more!! 😍 Seth and Raider took me on the wildest, most intense adventure, and I loved every second of it! From the moment they teamed up, it was non-stop excitement, and their chemistry? SO. ON. POINT. 💥💖 I couldn’t get enough of the action, the romance, and all the tension. 😍🔥 This book really had it all, from the epic desert setting to the intense relationship between the two MCs.

Pros:

➣ I LOVE when the LIs go on an adventure together, and this book absolutely nailed that trope!!! 💫 There’s just something about it that makes everything feel more intense, and it totally gave me "one-bed" trope vibes, which I am SO here for. 😏💖

➣ The fantasy world was SO immersive. 🏜️✨ The desert setting was unique and captivating, and the action-packed plot kept me on my toes the whole time. Every chapter felt like a new twist, and I was living for it! 🔥

➣ The pacing was just chef's kiss. There was literally NEVER a dull moment with Seth and Raider once they went on their advnture. Whether they were fighting for their lives or slowly building up their relationship, it was the perfect balance of action and emotion. 😍💥

➣ That cliffhanger ending had me 😱, but thank god I didn’t have to wait for the second book!! 🙌 I was so glad I could dive right into it!

Cons:

➣ There were a lot of sex scenes... like, a LOT. Don’t get me wrong, they were hot AF, but I wouldn’t have minded a little less focus on that and more on other parts of their journey. 😅🔥

➣ The communication issues between Seth and Raider drove me a little crazy at times, but it honestly felt realistic given everything they were going through, so I can’t even be mad about it. 😩💔


Overall, Silk & Sand was such a fantastic read filled with adventure, romance, and some seriously intense moments. If you love fantasy books with epic love stories and non-stop action, this one is for YOU! 💖✨




________________
Pre-Read:

It looks like I'm in my MM fantasy era, and I'm here for it! The only reason I'm reading this book is because of all the love it's received from my favorites, @Brooke and @Ivana. I hope I love it as much as they did! I hope your weekend is going amazing my loves 🥰✨💋

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

— REREAD July 2024 —

Still in love with Seth and Raider’s story, and diving immediately into book two, Silver & Gold.

⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ What a fool he’d been to think he could resist. What a fool he’d been to waste any of the nights he could have spent kissing Raider, touching him, fucking him. ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️

“This is going to be a difficult trip.” Seth snorted. “Are you just now realizing that? We’re a terrible match.”

The stoic, rule-following Seth needs a guide, and who better than the flirtatious, sunshine on the outside but trauma-filled on the inside, Raider?

Silk & Sand was an amazing and immersive fantasy read, from the interesting desert setting, to the action-packed plot. And let’s not forget the explosive, rough and sexy romance.
The tension, the banter, the chemistry. Ugh, these two were so made for each other.

“How many nights have you wanted to fuck me?”
“Every night. Every goddamn night.”

There never seemed to be a dull moment during Seth and Raider’s adventure/mission. When they weren’t fighting sand snakes or trying to survive the desert’s rough conditions, they were connecting, exchanging tender moments, and, yes, being crazy about each other.

“You get some kind of twisted thrill out of seeing me angry.” “I wouldn’t call it twisted. You’re gorgeous when you’re angry. Didn’t you know?”

I love when authors manage to not only make me understand the lore and the world they’re trying to create, but also be completely captivated by it.
I was so into the storytelling and the characters, that the ending, and crime-worthy cliffhanger, came as a total surprise.
I honestly can’t wait to read more of this series. Part two, please come quick.

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

CW and tropes (spoilers):
- Fantasy
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Forced proximity
- Road trip
- Mentions of past experimentation/torture
- Light BDSM (restraints, safeword, rough sex, dominance, choking)
- Strict top/bottom
- Coming untouched scene
- Brief frotting

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was shockingly good and I had such a fantastic time with it.

Seth, the straight laced and serious Curator, who is hunting down a magical fugitive, hires Raider, the handsome happy-go-lucky desert wanderer as his guide.

This had the perfect grumpy/sunshine vibes that I look for and I am sure that this would get marketed as enemies to lovers but this falls more into the category I like to call ‘antagonistic acquaintances to lovers’ 😂.

The author, bless her, gave a very sweet content warning at the start of the book for BDSM elements in Seth and Raiders relationship. I don’t know what it says about where I have spent time on the internet, but I didn’t think it was particularly dark or extreme in content. If anything it was just really hot and also had some really lovely moments of sweet, tender vulnerability and everyone was always very enthusiastic in their consent and participation. I very much enjoyed them both as characters on their own as well as their chemistry together.

Do not make the same mistake I did of thinking this is just a rather spicy little stand alone (which would have been great) but I got to 90% and started feeling suspicious that there was a lot of book to wrap up with the pages that were left and then suddenly THE WHOLE STORY EXPLODED and it turns out there is more books to come. Which I am simultaneously DELIGHTED with but also completely DEVASTATED by because now I have to wait.

I will be eagerly waiting for book two with my grubby little hands as soon as I can. Thank you to GRR for the opportunity to read this ARC. What a blessing 🤌🏻

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was an epic journey through a vast desert with lots of action and adventure.

Seth and Raider make an incredible team and were a joy to read. I am super invested in their burgeoning and complicated relationship. The banter between them was very entertaining.

I can't wait to read the next installment.

[Ariana (mostly offline) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars +++

Reread July 2024
To get ready for the second book release and remind myself of all the details. And I loved it all over again. These two guys need to set aside their fears of losing each other and TALK! That’s for sure.
Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Original review:

Absolutely brilliant.
This new to me author blew me away with two fantastic main characters and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat.

What I loved:

.) highly original and detailed world building. Loved the touches of the paranormal, or the ‘arcane’ as it is called here and all of Seth’s fabulous gadgets! Not even talking about Raider … I would give too much away.

.) The MCs:
Raider and Seth are both deeply complex characters, fabulously explored and developed.

Seth is through and through honest, kind and straightforward, and so so controlled, it almost hurts. To complete his mission – finding a man for murder – is his first and foremost aim, and he is 100% dedicated to it. He doesn’t suffer fools lightly and to start with Raider very much falls into that category.

Raider comes across as an easy-going guy at the beginning, “a feather on the wind”, a rogue who is charming and outgoing. As we go along we learn that there are at least as many layers to his personality as to an onion! Not even talking about the revelations towards the end of the book. Which are massive.

.) First class relationship development
Loved those first meet acerbic word battles, that simmering UST down beneath, the very gradual change from dislike to ok, to like, and then the sex changes everything. For both guys. It’s incredibly well done!
What keeps both of them from a full disclosure of their feelings are Raider’s secrets. Raider can’t talk about them, and Seth knows ‘something’s not quite right, so they don’t talk enough, something that might have avoided some of the hurt towards the end.

.) First class sexual relationship
The want and desire is tangible throughout, the chemistry sky high, and when they start learning each other and how compatible they are in their needs … sizzle all the way!

.) the plot
It’s tense, it’s exciting, it has its twists and turns – simply fabulous! And yes, there is that cliffhanger at the end, and while it’s not massive (but bad enough) I have no idea where it’ll leave Seth and Raider. There are so many questions unanswered, so much to solve, ‘I can’t wait’ doesn’t cover it!

Book 2 should be out in the summer. Finger crossed and I know rereading this beforehand will be a true pleasure again.
Highly recommended.

Did I say that I really love these two guys????😁😉
And that touch of humour that sometimes comes in brackets!

[Iman (hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

This is marketed as high heat romantasy, but it almost felt like the author merely wanted to write porn initially. This book didn’t feel fantastical or romantical at all. Their first sex encounter was hot, and the next ones were okay. It feels overly formulaic, almost as if you’ve read this book a hundred times before.

The romance, their connection, and the world building didn’t blow me away. The transition from frenemies to a full-blown romance felt a bit too sudden, almost non-existent. The delivery of the story was bland and flat, I couldn’t connect to the MCs as a couple and as who they are in the book, Curator and whatever it is.

This book had a strong, hot beginning, but by the time it reached 60% ~ 70% I was bored as hell. I tried waiting until the plot gets better but by the end, it was all COCK, COCK, COCK. Again, I understand high heat, but there’s a difference with porn without plot. You can’t just write porn and add the tiniest plot at 90% of the book and expect people to read the whole duology/series. Book #1 of a series tend to fall out BECAUSE of this.

I’ve read a lot of fantasy books way better than this so I can��t give this any higher.

[✨Meli the bookworm✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth knew himself to be rough and aggressive, but he also loved to be tender. That tenderness scared him almost as much as his aggression. Aggression was dangerous to others. Tenderness was dangerous to Seth.

4.75⭐️

WOWZAAAAAAAAAA

What can I say that Evie and Ivana have not already said?(thanks my loves for putting this one on my radar💗💗) Fabulous, rich and well thought world building (the attention to details was astounding, one of the characters uses a chakram and the author made sure that we knew he also uses a special gauntlet to pull it back/protect his hands because as much as we all watched and loved Xena: Warrior Princess... yes, yes I know, she threw it and caught it by the middle part that apparently had no edge, but come on, one slip and bye bye fingers and that was one of the things that always drove me insane!)

And sure, the banter and interactions between Seth and Raider were ELECTRIC. The smut was SMUTTIN’. BIG TIME!!🥵🥵 But it was the depth and development of the characterizations that made me ABSOLUTELY FERAL; the use of pain and bdsm elements as a mechanism to express one self when dealing with emotions is the hardest thing ever, to cope, silence everything inside your head and submit to someone you can trust was *chef’s kiss.

So, what else can I say? WHERE IS THE REST? WHERE IS THE REST? FOR THE LOVE OF ALL GODS, WHERE IS THE REST?😭
I NEED IT NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just two hot ass men in a hot ass desert makin' me hot 'n bothered.



I FUCKIN' LOVED THIS, lemme tell ya. I loved the world-building, I loved the magic, I loved the characters, I loved the writing, and I would straight-up die for Jasmine the boy dog with the flowery name.



The verbiage was a lot more informal and casual than you usually get with books written in this type of setting but yoooo, I was vibin' with it. Especially cause, if the entire book is written like that, it makes it a-ok to say things like

"Who the fuck cares what's normal? I like your aggression. I like your dick. Give me both of them."

And don't even get me started on the BDSM-lite stuff. Just...*chef's kiss*. The attraction between Seth and Raider starts from the moment they lock eyes and it's all just fire and heat and BURNY BURNY GOODNESS from there.

"This is mine now. Hold the railing."

LIKE, GUYS. HEAR ME OUT: KINKY. ARCANE. HANDCUFFS.



I love that Seth and Raider are complete opposites and yet seem to complement each other so perfectly. Seth sees the world in black & white, Raider sees a world bursting with color. Seth is quick to scowl, Raider is quick to grin. Seth has a stick up his ass, Raider likes Seth's stick up his ass. It's all about balance, really.



I could say more but I think you get it & really, I just wanna go read Silver & Gold, byeeeeeee.

P.S. not that it needs it by any means, but this book gets my horny brown girl stamp of approval.



P.P.S. I literally loved this arc so much, I went and bought physical copies of both Book 1 & 2 before I even finished this one - so that should tell you how much I loved it.

✧While I received a free e-arc from GRR, all thoughts are my own.✧

[Sparkle (Roronoa Zoro’s girl) {in the longest slump🥴} 💜Tortured Reader🤍 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Why the fuck are you still in there?” Seth demanded.

Jumping for joyyyy ahhhh i loved this book so much. I have been in the shittiest slump ever and this book has hopefully saved me🥹(the month has been tough) .
This is a new to me author but i was intrigued about this book because of the desert setting which very much appeals to me in books. Seth and Raider were as perfect as two silly perfect grumpies could be. I was happy with everything and with that ending?? 😰Pheww. I absolutely need book 2 right now but i’m glad my two little fugitives would be going through the storm and their enemies together 😭❤️
Oh and the spice in this book wowwww📈📈🥵. Love me a good mixture of good plot and even better spice🥵🥵

I just want to give this book a big hug rn🥺💜i dare say you were perfect my pretty😘

[V.ya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it’s a mismatch of expectations, but with that kind of cover, I expected a fantasy with a better world building, more action, and certainly better plot. Too bad this one focused more on the romance and sex, which unfortunately led to my boredom. The few “twists” the author prepared wasn’t surprising at all. The lack of communication doesn’t make an interesting push-and-pull. And the abundance of smut scenes became a chore to wade through.

It’s not all bad, though. The desert setting is a plus, and Raider’s condition is unique and the effects well thought. Still, I’m not curious enough to want to read the next book. Maybe someday. Or never.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started very promising. I liked the world we're shown, the characters and the adventure vibe the story had. Seth and Raider were very different from each other but worked well together as a team. At first I thought Raider was part djinn but I was proved wrong when the quicksilver armour made an appearance. I looks like alchemy what makes him what he is. Beacuse given the setting, I thought the story would lean more on magical creatures and such, but instead of that, alchemy was the focus, which I found quite interesting. I liked how the alchemy is woven into many aspects of this world, and how it can be useful or deadly, depending on how it's used.
The travel through the dessert was interesting and it kept the adventurous vibe going. I liked to met with the tribe and learnt about Raider through them. There are hints about the toll the quicksilver is getting on Raider and that what happened to him was against his will, which make things interesting and horrifying at the same time but, once Seth and Raider get together, or better said, once they start to have sex, things deflated for me from there. There's too much sexy times in this book, and I couldn't care less for their dynamics. It was right for the characters, don't get me wrong. It didn't felt forced or out of nowhere, and when I read about sex, my motto is "whatever floats your boat, guys", but, it got tiresome after a while and the scenes started to blend together. Then, after they parted ways with the tribe, I think the story lost some momentum. We still get some interesting revelations, some I was expecting, but they way it was done didn't work for me as it should. We learnt that Raider was the assasin that killed the Emperor years ago, but the circunstances that leaded to that revelation didn't quite felt right. The whole seducing Seth plot from Malik to learnt what he knew about the assasination, Raider and his implication, and the book (which was robbed in a very convenient way, if you ask me) and how they could turn all that into and advantage with the Empress was a bit convulted. All that show of Seth being the one pumping (or not pumping) Raider with the drug while the others waited and then letting Seth roam free without any guards felt a bit too convenient. My friend Ele pointed out that people that powerful think too high on themselves and they didn't give Seth a second thought and left them be after they got the information, and she have a good point, but I still think it was too convenient and made the big revelations anticlimatic and less dramatic than I was lead to believe it was going to be.
I think I would have liked this much more if the story would have gotten an edition that tightened the plot and tone down all those sexy times that didn't really add much to the story. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing bad about characters communicating through sex and growing through it, but at times it was too much. Despite this, I still went right away for the next one. The story is interesting and the world the characters are into very vivid, so, I just needed to know what was going to happen next.

[Jewel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

An interesting beginning to this series. A bit more sex than relationship development, though. Also a cliffy. Wonder when book 2 will be out?

Edit:
Book 2, Silver & Gold, will be out on 25 July 2024! Woot!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read!

Seth and Raider were wonderful characters to follow ❤️ Loved that this was duel POVs.

The last 10% was crazy and then the cliffhanger 😵
thankfully the next book is already out. And I will be reading that after a few spooky books. 😁

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was soooooo good! It has fantasy/steampunk vibes but in a really well-realized desert setting with gorgeous Arabian themes. Our MCs are Seth, a kind of magical treasure hunter in the employ of a university and Raider, a mysterious desert trader. They meet in a small town bordering a vast desert, where Seth has ended up in the course of his duties. After some friction in their first interactions, Raider ends up guiding Seth through the desert, where lots of action and adventure ensues. Although the plot is fantastic, the highlight of this book, for me, was the character development and relationship between these two.

Seth is written as this serious, stern, stubborn human, with a dedication to duty and no time for anything else. Whereas Raider, at first, comes off as a flirty, playful lout who can't take anything seriously at all. Seth finds Raider infuriating, and he's even more upset that he finds him attractive, whereas Raider makes it no secret that he wants Seth. So off into the desert they go, and then the layers peel back. We see Seth softening, and we see Raider, who seems invulnerable at times, start to open up. Both of them mercurial in temper and not great at communicating, they fight a lot, but a lot of that just feels like foreplay. Their sexual dynamic was on fire. It's the kind of unstructured, organic D/s relationship I way prefer over formal BDSM stuff. Raider very much gets off on having Seth be completely in charge, and Seth loves that he gets to pin Raider down but then take care of him afterwards. It was sublime.

The story ends on a cliffhanger, which I don't love, but it also means that we are getting more of these two, and I can 100% get behind that. When we leave them, things between the two are very much up in the air, not even a HFN, so I cannot wait for part 2.

[anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

~ ranting: 4,5 ☆
~ spice: 3 🌶

I'm officially in love with Seth and Raider! I love when I discover an underrated (sadly) author, they definitely deserve more hype.

Raider and Seth's journey through the desert was epic. What was initially just a help, immediately started growing into something more... their relationship development is so well written, all the tension and angst were top tier and the smexy parts??? hot as fuck. This story has the right amount of plot and the perfect amount of smut, trust me.

These two still have a long way to go, there's still a lot of misunderstandings that I hope they can solve in the next book!

“When that happened, Seth had a brief, searing, terrifying realization: that Raider was his perfect conterbalance. He was exactly what Seth needed. He opened pathways that Seth couldn't. He let Seth be himself.”

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silk & Sand, by new-to-me author Katherine Diane, is a high-heat fantasy adventure, involving a murder and a desert manhunt, with two fabulous MMCs - a scholarly curator of magical artifacts and his roguish guide.

What To Expect:

🖤MM fantasy romance
🖤opposites attract
🖤forced proximity
🖤hate to love
🖤dark themes
🖤super spicy times
🖤hurt/comfort
🖤fabulous side characters
🖤grumpy sunshine
🖤action adventure
🖤cliff hanger (book 1/2)

So damn good!

And book 1 in a duology, so no prizes for guessing what I’m diving into next! Silver & Gold come at me!

5 stars! 🌟

[Natasha Niezgoda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this is rad! Two “questors” - one a nomadic warrior with quicksilver armor, the other a train warrior employed by the university. Both are extremely independent. Both find they need one another to complete their quest. Both also find out they’re attracted to one another 😏 And did I mention it’s SO atmospheric!?

The downside, it’s basically 90% inner monologue and maybe one to two lines of dialogue between the two MCs every other page. So the relationship development is very sparse. And you REALLY want this relationship to develop.

I will 100% read book 2, but I just hope there’s a better balance between descriptive language and active voice.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book and the dynamic between the two MCs. The story was very interesting and the steampunk-kinda vibe with the arcane inventions was really cool. The MCs were well rounded and I really loved the spicy parts of the book. I like this author's work and will definitely look for more!

I rated at 3 stars because I think it needed a bit more work in terms of editing and pacing. The pacing was a bit slow at times but I think that's because it took me a long time to get into the book, and I never felt fully immersed in the story. I prefer dual first POV because I find it easier to get invested in the characters when there are full chapters in their POV. Other POVs are fine, they just aren't my preference. I think I will eventually read book 2 because despite these minor little things, overall the writing and concept for the story were strong.

Rating: 3 stars
Angst: 3/5
Steam: 3.5/5

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars for the narration, 3.5 for the story

I enjoyed this fantasy adventure story set in a faux Middle Eastern fantasy world which features Seth, a Curator for the Arcanum College who specialises in hunting down mystical artefacts, and Raider, the borderline crazy rogue he hires to help him navigate the deadly Kesh Desert.

I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers vibe, and the way the laid-back Raider learns to push the more tightly controlled Seth’s buttons and Seth discovers that his desires (he likes it rough and he likes to dominate) don’t make him weird. The worldbuilding is solid and there’s a good plotline in Seth’s search for the fellow archanist who killed another of their number and then absconded with a valuable book, but once the pair of them have knocked boots, the pace slows and we’re subjected to lots of mental lusting and sex scenes which, while well written and which, in some cases, are used to illustrate the growing trust between them, are too frequent, especially in the last half of the book.

The final few chapters, where both men make some truly devastating discoveries and battle a truly terrifying adversary, are gripping and the uncertainty as to how the relationship between Seth and Raider will develop given those discoveries definitely makes me want to find out what happens next.

Casey Jones is a new-to-me narrator but I’m glad I decided to take a chance on listening to him because his performance is very good. His voice is smooth and pleasant to listen to, he uses distinct character voices with lightly applied accents and overall, the narration is nuanced and expressive and hits all the emotional beats of the story. The one real criticism I can make is that he tends to inject lengthy pauses into the narration and that perhaps his delivery is a teeny bit on the slow side, but that didn’t bother me (I always listen at ‘regular’ 1x speed) and I really enjoyed the performance.

I admit that the mixed reviews for the sequel ( Silver & Gold ) are making me a bit wary of jumping into it – but I probably will pick it up at some point because I need to find out how things pan out!

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has a semi-cliffhanger type end, obviously part one of a series. Somewhere I picked up this tidbit and found it helpful, so I let you know, too. That said, this is very, very good. Great characters, well-grounded angst, great worldbuilding. Masterful tension throughout. I took three weeks to read it because I was in no hurry for it to end, you know? Until I got to the last three chapters.

My only quibble is the use of damn and hell in a world with no indication of this type of religion. If you're going to build a wholly separate world, don't ignore the details.

I signed up for the author's newsletter so as to get the next book ASAP.

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Good worldbulding and characterization. I could’ve done with less sex scenes (and that's one of the reasons why I'm rounding down), but the sexual dynamic between Seth and Raider was spot-on and fit their characters and their general dynamic. I wouldn’t categorize it as structured BDSM, but it had some elements to it that I found fitting and I liked how it all felt natural and playful, still perfectly consensual and balanced without them not sitting down to negotiate. The communication issues were a bit frustrating to read about, but entirely realistic and the plot and relationship development had me interested enough to jump immediately into the second book.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cliffhanger was brutal. Definitely reading the next book

A very enjoyable smut romance. You can tell it is an indie pub but that doesnt detract from its solid performance (just don't expect the world).

I also thought while reading this that this is the acceptable way to do speedy love. High sexual attraction leads to more, but you got to be clear what comes first is ATTRACTION not love. Take notes instalove books.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

Silk & Sand is the first book in Katherine Diane’s new Seth & Raider series. I don’t read much fantasy, but something about the blurb just drew me in and I am happy to say that I loved this story. The world building here is engaging, set in a world that feels sort of Middle Eastern, with the descriptions of the dress, food, and locale. Diane brings the world to life, particularly during the harsh trip through the desert. There is a solid sense of place, and while we don’t get a lot of detail into the world of the Arcanum College, the people the men meet and the locations they visit during their journey are well built.

I am a fan of road trip stories and that really is the focus of much of the book, as Seth and Raider travel together. They spend most of the trip just the two of them, which gives them a chance to really get to know one another better. The story starts out with an enemies to lovers vibe, as Raider irritates Seth to no end. There is sort of grumpy/sunshine dynamic between them, as Seth is all about duty and discipline, while Raider is much more easy going and full of life.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Aelfwina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Porn very thinly disguised as a book. The author spends more time on the sexual tension (and descriptions of what each MC would like to do to the other to resolve it) than on plot (there is one, right?) or world-building (it's a desert).

[Amber-Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 75%

It gets two stars, and that’s me being generous on account of its potential. This story could have been so much more than just two dudes fucking their way across a desert, while simultaneously pretending they don’t want to fuck at all (or, when they finally agree they DO want to fuck, disagreeing on HOW they should fuck).

I mean the start was fine - we have arcanum-employed Seth on a mission to track down a murderer, and Raider with his quicksilver and his mysterious past knows his way across the desert, allegedly one of the most dangerous environments this world has to offer and, coincidentally, the exact way Seth needs to go. Good stuff. But the second they enter that desert, none of that matters. The whole focus switches to the sexual aspect of their relationship, to the point of complete and utter absurdity. At one point they’re in a cave system inhabited by bandits AND a giant snake, and somehow they still have time to ponder how much they want to fuck. Seriously, it’s inane. Where’s the world building? What’s up with the arcanum? Why did Seth’s quarry kill a dude? What’s the deal with Raider and his quicksilver? How does this world’s magic even work? Nope, we’re not talking about any of that; here’s more dick.

And so fucking help me, if I ever have to read the world ‘brutal’ in reference to anyone’s genitalia ever again… pick another adjective for the love of god!

[NikNak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.5

Generally quite enjoyable but this mostly a romance. The fantasy element is quite interesting but it’s almost in the background. I feel like there’s a lot more potential there to build on the world and bring just a little more excitement to the story.
I felt a little lull around the 60-80% mark so I was pleasantly surprised that things picked up a little in the end. Certainly enough for me to give book 2 a go.

[Kate V · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 THIS IS EVERYTHING STARS!

Holy cow you guys!

HOLY COW!

This story was incredible. The tension, the “hate” to love, the steam, the world building, the secrets, the character development and the BANTER were top notch. Gold I tell you!

Set in what appears to be the Middle East with a historical fantasy feel, the descriptions and imagery were almost tangible. The slight magic feel to it was compelling and unique and set the stage for an angsty plot and mystery.

Seth is the broody, dark and dominant muscle man that is secretly ooey gooey at his heart center. Raider is the mysterious and carefree enigma with a painful past that he keeps locked down.

These two meet when Seth is on a mission and Raider is the only one that can help him. But if they’re not about to fight, they’re about to f*ck and that dynamic was glorious in this story.

“You think you’re going to hurt me? I hate to break it you, but you don’t have a prayer of hurting me. I assume you’ve been fucking fragile little flowers, but I promise you, that’s not what I am. Anything you can give, I can take—and I want to. And you want it too, so stop being such a damn coward.”

I loved this story so much. The action in here felt so real and the romance was top tier longing and passion. Seth and Raider didn’t feel fake and they acted like true males in the sense that their emotions and feelings were better displayed through action than words. When Seth and Raider finally give in to the lust, it’s explosive!

“If we had fucked, you wouldn’t be asking. You’d feel where my cock had been inside you. You’d feel where my hands had gripped your legs, your ass, your wrists. You’d feel where my teeth had been at your throat.”

This ends on a light cliffhanger but I’m so intrigued for the continuation of their story! Go into this blind. You won’t regret it.

[Catarina Águas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. I devoured it.
Seth was the dominant one and the way he was with Raider, loved it. He tried to resist their tension at first but it was no use.
They fell in love and neither of them wanted it but you can't change what you feel.
Raider had beem somethings we don't know about and I felt so bad for him.
They make a fantastic couple and I can't wait to read the second one in this duet, with that cliffhanger hanging over our heads

[Ash]

I’ll come back. I just lost interest for a bit