Losing Ground

by Sasha L. Miller

Carter Bellwood's family has Earth-claimed the Bellwood territory for generations and they've always had an excess of Earth energy to back it up. Until Carter, whose energy is barely a fraction of that his mother has. But he's the only Earth wizard in his generation and set to inherit the territory—if there's anything left of it. The territory is being ravaged by a disease that kills all plant life it comes into contact with. They can't cure it, can barely contain it, can only watch as their territory turns into a barren landscape.

Then a new Earth wizard shows up. Tai is everything Carter is not when it comes to the strength of his magic, and more importantly he knows how to cure the disease. But he's also terrified and clearly on the run from something, and Carter's not sure Tai's help is worth the risk of him trying to stake his own claim on the territory—or the risk that whatever he's running from finds him...

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Romance, Magic, Urban Fantasy, LGBT, Contemporary

140 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2015

About the author

Sasha L. Miller spends most of her time writing, reading, or playing with all things website design. She loves telling stories, especially romance, because there’s nothing better than giving people their happily ever afters. When not writing, she spends time cooking, harassing her roommates, and playing with her cats.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bit of a miss for me. It wasn't bad, but I thought it was forgettable. I couldn't connect with the characters at all and I wasn't convinced by their burgeoning romance.

The ending was very anti-climatic. I kept expecting something else to happen, something the characters missed or a new threat...but no. It was just over and I was really disappointed by the sudden letdown. Also, the book was non-explicit up until the ending when the author tacked on an epilogue for the sole purpose of giving the readers a sex scene. It felt clunky and I would have rather had a completely non-explicit book or one where the characters had sex within the main section of the book. This just made it seem like an afterthought.

It was a mildly interesting novella and would be good for those who want to read a short book about magic and romance.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me a review copy.

[Book Gannet · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a contemporary modern world setting, complete with cars and cellphones, this fantasy novella sets magic amidst everyday life.

I enjoyed this story, it’s a nice easy read. However, I think I would have liked a bit more world-building concerning the magic. Carter and Tai might be Earth wizards but they don’t seem to have any affinity with their element. It would also have been nice to have seen or learned a little more about the other types of wizards around them and what they could do. I would also have liked to have known more about the diseases than they just kill things.

The pacing is pretty slow too. For most of the book nothing happens. Carter meets Tai, they start to cure the disease, there are some time jumps, they spend lots of time together and they help Carter’s sister move house, but it’s not until the last few chapters that any answers about Tai are revealed. The romance is also very tentative, with Tai blushing a lot while Carter reminds himself of why he doesn’t date Earth wizards, not that it matters, ’cause Tai doesn’t like him like that.

Then comes the epilogue, which contains an unexpected sex scene, which feels very much tacked on the end because someone suggested it should be there, rather than because the story needed it. Normally I’m the last person to complain about extra sex scenes, but this one felt really out of place. It didn’t fit in with how Tai had acted throughout the book and how shy and tentative he’d been. They barely even got together by the end of the book, so the sudden leap into the epilogue didn’t quite work for me.

On the whole, though, I liked this. It didn’t blow me away, but it’s got a nice touch of magic, a friendly, slow-building romance and some likable characters. In all it’s okay.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm beginning to really like Sasha L. Miller. I've only read this one and The Errant Prince, but from what I've seen, she writes solid, sweet romances that stays away from the overdone tropes and stereotypes of the romance genre. And this book was definitely no exception!

This is set in a modern-day equivalent world, with elemental wizards/witches owning certain territories. The summary gives a very accurate description of what you're in store for, so I won't rehash that. It was a sweet romance, although it tended to focus more on the plot at times while the romance became understated. However, the action in the story kept me turning the page and kept the story suspenseful and intriguing. I loved learning about the world Miller has created and the politics of it, even if she didn't go into it overmuch.

There is explicit content, but it's only in the epilogue, so if you don't like that you can easily skip it.

A longer review from me will be coming soon, via A Drop of Romeo

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will again refer to my friend's Pete's review over here.

I did like the lack on insta-love/insta-lust here. Carter and Tai were definitely friends first, especially since Tai was a bit reluctant to open up initially, being on the run and everything. But like Pete said, some parts felt too winded -- especially when explaining about the magic / spell / ward making -- that my eyes started to glaze over and lost my connection to the book. I guess while it was also not insta-love but it also failed to fully engage me in the romance part.

Nice but no cigar.

[Jaylee]

This book was just boring. The worldbuilding was sorely lacking (did these people not have jobs? was magic well-known to the population? are there other groups with territories?), the characters too (HOW. OLD. ARE. THEY. i don't understand). There was no conflict? A guy shows up. There's some mystery about him. But uh. I got 42% in and nothing really happened. They healed some trees. Made pancakes. I just got bored? Idek how to star this?

[Deeze · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story, but I also felt I'd missed something.

There was no real world building to this. Rather we are just thrown in without the benefit of a previous book setting the scene.

I enjoyed the story but felt it lost momentum in the middle. The romance side was very light too. A slow build is something I enjoy but I like to at least see why they are falling for each other. I'm afraid I never felt any spark with these two.

[A Drop of Romeo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is only the second book I've read from Sasha L. Miller, but I'm really beginning to like her. Both books have been unique, including the storylines and the surroundings, and she's stayed away from the cliches of the m/m romance genre. HOORAY! Not much upsets me more than a story that I feel like I've read a thousand times before.

Losing Ground is set in a world like ours, yet different - it's modern, but it's broken up into territories which are owned by wizards or witches. There wasn't too much world-building past that, but since it wasn't an overly long or complicated story, it didn't need it. The magic is elemental, and the story is told from the POV of earth wizard Carter Bellwood. He is set to inherit the territory once his ailing mother passes, but his powers are comparatively quite weak and they are both struggling to rid their territory of the disease that is killing all plant life. When super-strong earth wizard Tai enters their territory, Carter thinks he's found the solution. But Tai is running from something and might not stick around, despite the friendship developing between the two men.

I guess you could class this as a 'slow romance', but I'd prefer to call it realistic. They become friends first, and it takes a while for Tai to lower his guard enough to let Carter in. It develops from there into a romance that was sweet and understated. The main action comes from the two men fighting the disease and Tai's past catching up to him, so it stayed interesting, suspenseful and intriguing throughout.

I felt like Miller did a great job at creating an urban fantasy world, but I would've liked to have seen a bit more romantic development between the two. It took a backseat to the action for most of it, and I think the story as a whole could've benefited from one or two extra scenes of just Tai and Carter, without the plot intruding. Other than that, it made for a lovely, easy read that didn't disappoint.

Reviewed for A Drop of Romeo

[Shymsal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carter Bellwood is the son and heir of an Earth Wizard who controls a territory that has been in their family for generations. But the territory is dying. All of the plants have caught a disease that neither he nor his mother know how to cure. When Carter investigates an odd power surge he meets Tai, a mysterious young man with a strong magic and dark secrets.

This short but sweet fantasy m/m romance is an engaging afternoon's read despite some weaknesses in its execution. The romance is definitely a plus. I liked that Carter and Tai connect as friends first with deeper feelings growing over time. Carter's family, and how both of the men interact with them, really help to flesh the characters out.

Unlike other contemporary fantasies, Losing Ground's plot flows along at a slow, rolling pace, but that suits the gentle domestic nature of the story. The denouement, while satisfying, could have been more powerful and the admittedly rather explicit epilogue seemed tacked on.

A couple of other things didn't work for me. I never got a clear sense of what the different types of wizards could do (elemental concepts aside). For example, Earth Wizards seemed to control plants, but controlling the earth itself didn't seem to be part of their portfolio. Fire and Air Wizards are mentioned, but they never used their magic. Also, the state of the world and its power structure seemed incompatible -- non-magical modern tech and modern social structures lead by small groups of mages using rule of force.

That said, I did enjoy this short novel and would like to see more of this author's work. I received this work from Netgalley.

[amomentsilence · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/4 Stars from me!

I honest to goodness enjoyed this story.

I found the world-building satisfying enough, although I would have liked more of it.

The pacing was good, a little slow at times, but still okay. I actually didn't find this story boring like some readers did. It was actually kind of refreshing actually to see a real "slice of life" kinda story revolving around earth elementals that didn't involve them fighting monsters or being warrior elves or being super badass or anything like that. Just... regular folk who take care of their territories, people, and land.

There was just enough intrigue about who Tai was and his mysterious power tho keep the story from getting truly boring or dragged out. (Although I do wish had been explained as to WHY...)

Plus the friendship and relationship between Tai and Carter was worth it. Much more believable than some of these insta-love situations M/M books are so often guilty of.

So yeah. That's my take on it. Definitely one I'll revisit at a later date to see how I still feel about it. For now? I'm loving it.

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fast easy little fantasy. I loved the magic and the little mystery surrounding Tai and I especially loved Carter and Tai’s relationship. Tai is hiding but from what? Carter’s family territory is under attack, everything is dying but who is responsible? The mystery in this story is a good one but my favorite thing is the relationship between Tai and Carter. Tai is sweet and somewhat naïve. He has more magical power than he knows what to do with until Carter comes along and asks for Tai’s help in repairing whatever it is that’s destroying the land. Carter is the perfect leading man for Tai, he’s patient, loving and very protective. Sasha L. Miller has written two very special characters that I would have loved to read a lot more about.

The pacing was good and I liked the writing style, I can’t say anything was missing. By the end everything was answered but it ended way too fast for me, I would have loved to see a whole lot more…..maybe a sequel?

[Pete W · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt longer than the page count suggest, perhaps because the pacing was rather slow. Some part felt down right unnecessary long winded for some strange reason.

It wasn't bad over all but it was like driving over uneven road. Instead of a smooth read it felt bumpy and strangely unsteady. I liked that it wasn't insta-love or even lust. Both MCs had their own issues to deal with, Tai more than Carter for sure.

However, the bad guy's behavior made me wonder. What Linden did should have been illegal. I am surprise that there was no governing body for the wizards here. Since Linden's behavior could effect the entire population had they been in a crop growing community. I wonder why Linden wasn't *taken out back to be dealt with*.

It was an ok read. Not quite memorable but ok. I did like the cover though.

[Pépin Pomme · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good. The magic was great, so was the plot, and the main character (bisexual PoC!) as very lovable. I loved the world building, and the little, cute family scenes.
The only thing I was disappointed in was the past of Tai. I was expecting something better (well, worse for him, but better constructed).
But really, it's worth it, with such a plot and such sweet characters

[Ashokanspring · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute modern fantasy story in a non urban setting. Main characters and side cast were likable in my opinion. Some fun use of elemental magic in the story and most relationships and dynamics were written very believably.

[Nix Buttons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't call this a romance, the focus was more on the build-up of their friendship. And the plot was weak, as in there wasn't really a plot. Don't get me wrong, I still liked it, very sweet. It's just that I would have liked either more romance or more plot.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Losing Ground
Author: Sasha Miller
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
ISBN: 9781620044889
Buy Link: http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/boo...
Reviewer: Teresa - Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Carter Bellwood's family has Earth-claimed the Bellwood territory for generations and they've always had an excess of Earth energy to back it up. Until Carter, whose energy is barely a fraction of that his mother has. But he's the only Earth wizard in his generation and set to inherit the territory—if there's anything left of it. The territory is being ravaged by a disease that kills all plant life it comes into contact with. They can't cure it, can barely contain it, can only watch as their territory turns into a barren landscape.

Then a new Earth wizard shows up. Tai is everything Carter is not when it comes to the strength of his magic, and more importantly he knows how to cure the disease. But he's also terrified and clearly on the run from something, and Carter's not sure Tai's help is worth the risk of him trying to stake his own claim on the territory—or the risk that whatever he's running from finds him...

Summary:

This was a wonderful alternate universe story where the world was inhabited with different types of wizards who controlled areas of land. Carter's family had managed their land for generations. Even though Carter's powers were very limited he was next in line when his mother decided to retire. Carter's abilities to create wards around their land and commune with the land was fascinating. Tai's appearance was initially a concern until Carter met and immediately felt connection to him in spite of Tai's refusal to reveal his past. Tai's immense abilities to heal the natural world around him allowed him to help Carter's family heal the damage that was killing all the plant life and gave him something to give back after they welcomed him to their community. The growing relationship between Tai and Carter was beautiful as they explored their differences as their lives unfolded.

[Seregil · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars because it was strangely boring. It had an awesome setting: the heir of the magic territory is not powerful enough, while most of his mother's power was used to contain a disease that was spreading among every plant and then a mysterious but very strong mage comes into town and effortlessly deals with the issues. The outsider is very strong in magic, but looks and acts as a victim and stirs the heirs protective instincts.
This all sounds very thrilling, but it was actually sooo slow at times, with long scenes of them simply moving furniture or making pancakes or other random little things. They did build up the atmosphere but it was a rather dragging.

I'd have loved a bit of switch in the POV because I couldn't really understand or empathize with Tai in various instances and couldn't feel much of the budding romance. There were hints here and there, but I would have preferred less scenes of Carter and his nephew and more along the lines of him teaching Tai to shield himself from other magic users and maybe working a spell together (so that you can see how they have build the trust since they first met). Tai basically gives Carter free reign in using him by the end, but I didn't recall Carter telling him that he'd only do that if Tai learns how to shield himself (so he could be safe). Carter didn't have the best relationship history so I can only hope he'll act responsibly with Tai's trust.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I got the message that Losing Ground was ready for download, my first thought was, I don't remember ordering this. But I'm glad I did, because it turns out to be a sweet and well-written urban fantasy story.

Carter observes near the end that the resolution of their problem seemed almost anticlimactic. And maybe it was in a classical sense, but I liked that. I liked that the story's climax didn't rely on a huge magical fight: Carter told Linden to go, and when he wouldn't, Carter called the cops and had him hauled out of the territory in handcuffs. No magical heroics, no Carter and Tai trying to save the day all by their lonesome. They assessed their strengths and weaknesses, asked for help where appropriate, and fixed the danged problem. I wish more stories were resolved by the characters acting like actual grownups.

A couple parts dragged a little--I could've used less picnic scene and less painting scene--and I was quite startled to learn, in the last full chapter, that Carter's skin was "too dark to show off a flush," as, unless I missed something major, there was no previous indication that he was a person of color. I mean, I'm super glad he was, but that seems like something Miller should've mentioned much earlier in the game.

Still, a very enjoyable read overall.

[Alysa H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant little romance, the kind in which author Miller (and publisher Less Than Three Press) seem to specialize. In this iteration, "Earth wizards" Carter and Tai spend the entire short novel building up trust and friendship, and if I hadn't known going in that there would be romance, I would have thought it was completely platonic. (It's actually not until the Epilogue that these boys get Together-together, and anything R-rated ensues, which might be jarring for some readers.)

This is set in a world that seems very like our own, except with a few wizards with affinities for specific elements (Earth, Fire, etc.), and these wizards control territories, like feudal lords. I don't really get the magic system, as it isn't elaborated upon or used in any way other than to have Carter, Tai, and Carter's family bond over healing plants and trees that have been blighted by some sort of sickness. Cute, but there's some world-building opportunity wasted.

I liked that Carter and his family were people of color. It's not really stated outright, but it's plain from a few small details. M/M romances of this kind -- especially with wizards! -- tend to be super white. So, yay for that.


** I received a Review Copy of this book via NetGalley **

[Chiara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho fatto davvero fatica, con questo libro.
L’idea alla base è meravigliosa, ha tutto quello che in un romanzo mi interessa - magia, un contesto vagamente dispotico/crepuscolare, la promessa di una romance tutt’altro che banale - ma nonostante questo non sono riuscita a farmi prendere.
Ho trovato il ritmo della narrazione lento, la scrittura pesante e difficile da digerire: le pagine non scorrevano mai, più leggevo e meno mi sembrava di progredire. Non so per quale motivo, non so se sia stata una mia carenza di attenzione o se ci fosse qualcosa che effettivamente non mi sconfinferava, ma proprio non ce l’ho fatta a farmelo piacere.
Le due stelle sono tutte per l’idea alla base, assolutamente meravigliosa, e la copertina, decisamente superlativa. Il resto, meh. Non fa per me.

Grazie a Netgallery per avermi concesso una copia, in cambio della mia onesta - ma questa volta stringata - opinione.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carter and his mother Rebekah are Earth Wizards trying to protect the territory they live in. A disease is spreading throughout the area, killing all the plants and trees. The Wizards feel a power surge and Carter goes to investigate. He discovers the mysterious Tai, another Earth Wizard, who is even more powerful than mother and son.

This story was a bit slow moving for me. The writing was great, but the story dragged in areas. I did enjoy the growing friendship between Carter and Tai. With that said, the epilogue was a shocker because the rest of the story was not as graphic. It could have worked without the one-time sex scene.

While the Wizard World was creative, it was chaotic and confusing in parts. The suspense party of the story worked well, even though it dragged. All in all, this was an ok story that left me not wanting more.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Shakera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book that I have read by Sasha L. Miller and I truly enjoy her writing. This book was a bit slow paced, but I didn't mind that. I truly enjoyed the development of friendship between Carter and Tai as they try to save and cure the disease that is taking over Bellwood's territory. The epilogue was a bit graphic considering the rest of the book was PG-13. I'd give this a 3.5 rating overall. I do look forward to reading more by Ms. Miller.

[H.V. Corbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modern-day urban fantasy is usually not my thing, but as a fan of Miller, I gave this book a shot. I'm really glad I did. I like the way it's shown that Tai slowly goes from a frightened stranger to an integral part of the town. He really starts depending on Carter, as much as Carter is similarly depending on Tai to save his beloved 'seven generation strong' Bellwood territory. Carter is a weaker mage but still defends Tai when trouble arises. A really 'safe and secure feeling' type romance.

[Acquafortis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt this book as if it lacked profundity. I wish that the characters were developed more. Yes there was magic but how was the magic articulated in that particular world? The alchemy between the two protagonists was a bit dull. No spark.