Under the Midnight Sun

by Lore Graham

The eldest son of Thunderhill's warrior-kings, Otto Johanson lives for battle but has forsaken love since the death of his partner three years ago. Still when the Midsummer festivities bring nomadic reindeer herders back to town, Otto can't help but notice the handsome, if sullen, Lukas.

Tension rises between them during the annual tournament, but when a terrible attack devastates Thunderhill, Otto and Lukas must put aside their burgeoning rivalry to embark on a dangerous quest that may be the town's only hope of survival.

Genres: Romance, Historical, M M Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBT, Fantasy, Magic

105 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 15, 2018

About the author

Lore Graham is a queer author who lives in Massachusetts. Ze writes sci fi and fantasy romance, poetry, and rpg settings.

Lore is passionate about spectacular worlds and queer characters.

Outside of writing, Lore enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with zir cat.

Lore's poetry has been published in Strange Horizons and Liminality.

Reviews

[* A Reader Obsessed * · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Hearts

Truly a well thought out novella bridging history, fantasy, and magic!

If you like the show Vikings, then I don’t think there will be any problem gobbling this up. Who can say no to a Ragnar-like character who’s a heartbroken warrior prince that doesn’t want to write off love but is still grieving? Not me!

Otto is well respected and next in line to the throne of his clan, and for every Midsummer, their nomad allies join them in celebration and friendly competition to show off their prowess and various skills for bragging rights. When Otto spots newcomer Lukas, he doesn’t quite know what to think of the surly warrior, and these two clash immediately. However, the festivities are cut short when they’re attacked by the fierce magical fiend Ursa Magnus (yes, it’s basically a giant blood thirsty bear) and Otto knows he must hunt it down and kill it instead of waiting for the beast to return to wreck even greater havoc.

Thus, the mission begins as Otto, along with clan sorcerers and volunteer warriors (including Lukas), set off in search of the terrible creature. Slowly, Otto and Lukas get to know each other better and a burgeoning respect starts to grow between them as they face difficult challenges and sad sacrifices. These men are hardened, they know loss and death and pain, yet bravely forge on to live only to fight another day. Survival of the fittest is the ultimate at play here so it would also behoove them to act on their feelings and grab what little happiness and warmth they can glean from a world hell bent on testing their mortality from every angle.

Why this garners such a high rating is because my interest never flagged, and I loved this story’s setting of harsh survival in a Nordic context. This was fast paced, blending an impossible quest and how two men, who definitely got off on the wrong foot, slowly open their hearts up to each other - all the while bringing the action, hurt comfort, and the sexy with a very satisfying conclusion. Well done Lore Graham. This was a wonderful win!

Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley

A pretty solid story, if a bit on the short side. I know what you're thinking, 'well you knew how long it was before you started reading it', but some authors can tell a complete and well rounded story in a hundred pages and some need a little bit more time. This was an example of the later but it was still a fun read and definitely an interesting base for what could be a larger universe.

It's set in a fantasy world that seems to be loosely based on Vikings but where people generally form poly-amorous marriages of two men and a varying number of women. I would have liked this aspect of the culture to be explained more in depth but it was kind of just there to set up the fact that same sex couples are accepted in this world. Most of the plot centers more on finding and killing the bear, although there are a few steamy scenes and overall I was happy with the balance of plot and romance. Overall a pretty decent short read.

[Lore Graham]

CONTENT WARNINGS available below:


Short version:

Explicit sexual content; graphic violence (fantasy-typical); animal death.




Long version:

A few scenes of explicit sex. Several scenes involving violence, including a couple of gory moments, a minor character being maimed in battle, and some secondary character deaths. Animal death (primarily reindeer) and violence towards animal-like monsters, but (specific spoiler) the dogs do not die!

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky to get an e-arc of this book through netgalley.

Under the midnight sun is a fast paced novella with LGBTQA+ and viking themes.
I was intrigued by the cover and the name.
In the beginning we were introduced to a lot of characters, and I'll be honest and say that put me off in the beginning. I put the book down and decided it would just be a book I didn't finish. Two days ago I decided to sit down and give it another try. Once past the introduction I found myself sucked into an universe I couldn't wait to explore.
I was a little sad when I found out we wouldn't learn more about some of the characters we were introduced to in the beginning, and I would have liked to know more about the different people on their adventure, not just Otto and Lukas.
I would also like to know more about the different gods, and how/if they're workshipped. The monsters would also be amazing to learn more about, and I feel more like this is an introduction to this universe than the only book where we explore it.
I really enjoyed this book, and it's one I can see myself re-reading at some point. The only thing is that I wish we had gotten the chance to explore this universe and its inhabitants further.
I really enjoyed Lore's writing style, and I will definitely find more of zirs books to read them as well!

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

I’m a sucker for great world building and Graham does a fantastic job in this novella. It feels familiar in a way similar to Norse mythology, but the author gives it a twist all its own. I loved the world the author created, and was completely immersed within it. Reindeer as mounts, small communities and big cities, same-sex partnerships being the norm, and women fighting alongside men. It’s completely believable in this author’s hands, and wonderfully done.

Otto is our narrator, and I loved how real he felt. He’s got flaws, sure, but he’s a good and kind man who wants the best for his people. Knowing he’ll take up the mantle of king someday soon, he’s done his best to prepare for the role. He knows that means taking a spouse as well, though his heart is still hurting from his loss. At first, he and Lukas do not get along, and Lukas’s standoffish behavior is part of the problem. But both men have their reasons, and as he gets to know Lukas, the reader does as well.

Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.

[Kristel (hungryandhappy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed it with all the myths and likeable characters, it felt rushed. Too many things unexplained. Too many things just happened, just like that. The steamy scenes were a bit weird to read; there aren't many penises synonymous and the ones used sounded funny in that explicit context. They made me laugh, breaking the atmosphere of a promising naughty scene.

The book was too short. I think that with some adjustments and some more chapter between some scenes, this could be a great book. A solid 4-star, maybe even 5! It has a lot of potential but I feel it was left unfulfilled.

The love story, as sweet as it was, felt forced when it began. I loved how Otto was starting to feel his heart longing for someone after being in mourning for three years, but then things just happened. Not many words said and they were already madly and nakedly in love. It felt weird given how grumpy and borderline rude Lukas was to Otto from the beginning.

Loved their freedom of loving whoever they wanted, and the society not having problems with who you decided to be with. It was refreshing not witnessing the usual hiding ones attraction because it's forbidden or illegal or looked as unnatural. Felt good.

It was an enjoyable book, if short, that I didn't want to put down even if it was somewhat predictable so it didn't make me worry about the characters' wellbeing. Still, I'm glad I requested this book and read it.

[Andria Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley after requesting it based on it’s title. The title was intriguing to me, and the cover was interesting as well. I wasn’t expecting an lgbt fantasy with Norse mythology however. It was a pleasant surprise, and a lovely read as well.

The book was a bit short, with only about eight or nine chapters, I flew through it with ease. The characters were likable, the storyline was interesting, but I wished there was more. Granted, I didn’t really need more for the story to be complete, but I just wished that there was a bit more in general, because it just felt like a really fast read and I wanted it to last longer.

That being my only complaint, really, I found that the writing style of this book is almost lyrical. The characters are quite vivid, and I really liked Otto most of all, he was an fascinating character from the start. I do hope that there’s a sequel to this, though I’m not holding my breathe if there isn’t.

I give this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 for a beautiful short novel that left me feeling lost in another world for a few enjoyable hours.

{Review also posted on Amazon and my blog.}

[L Cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting novella. I appreciate the attempt for Nordic mythology of sorts. This may not be for everyone because it is short, but also somewhat slow as far as the development goes between Otto and Lukas.

The world had a lot of detail and more that I thought was interesting. I just don't have the same appreciation for novellas as I do fill novels because of little things like that. It's an interesting and arguably rich world story wise, but because it's a novella, there's not much depth, seemingly, to the story.

I wish it were longer or perhaps a series and ,more detailed in the next.

[Sahar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too short ! The world created by the author is so rich and interesting and only needs to be more flushed out. The story develops too quickly and we don't even have the time to get attached to the characters that it's already over.
I wish the author took the time to lengthen it to give it more depth. I feel like it has the potential to be an epic story.

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this story probably didn’t quite have me on the edge of my seat, it’s rich mythos and descriptions still make for an enjoyable read. If you’re looking for lighter fantasy read with some m/m in it, you might want to give this one a try!

Check out my full review on Fiction Cove

[Meg Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Elaine White · Rating 5 out of 5]

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

Under the Midnight Sun, by Lore Graham
★★★★★
105 Pages
POV: 3rd person, one character
Content Warning: depictions of violence and death, mentions of lovers lost during battle


I absolutely loved this! It's been a while since I read a really good Viking story, and this was exactly what I'd hoped it would be, when I first read the blurb and requested it from Netgalley.

The worldbuilding is spot on – it's obvious right from the start that this is a Viking-esque world, what the politics and living conditions are like, and who the central characters are – and it's well written in a way that brings balance between showing/telling, description and dialogue. I loved that it was clear from the start – with two Kings and Otto's brother having married another man – that this was a world that accepted gay relationships as the norm. While there was little information about how the females functioned in the world, I appreciated the equality women were afforded, that they all seemed happy and were accepted as warriors and mages, just as equally as they were accepted as mothers. There was an overall sense that this was a world of acceptance and appreciation.

The use of modern dialogue and speech patterns in a historical book would normally drive me batty, but it felt natural here. Perhaps because of the writing style and word choices of the main writing, but also because of the realism of the characters.

There was a lot to love about this book. There was a lot of diversity with the characters, who were all individuals and interesting in their own way. I cared about Otto as a central character immediately, and was intrigued by Lukas from the start, while the secondary characters all had a purpose. I felt it had the right level of worldbuilding for the story, that the writing style was perfect for me, and there was a good, intriguing, well paced plot that kept me interested all the way through. The chemistry between the central couple was clear and a slow burn that meant the adventure aspect of the plot could shine. All in all, while I loved all of this about the book, it was the characters and their journey that sucked me into the story and kept me hooked from page one to the end. I felt connected to the two central characters and wanted to see them get their happily ever after. I'll definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

~

Favourite Quotes

“something told Otto there were caves and catacombs beneath Lukas's modest, stony exterior.”

[Ceillie Simkiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read my full review here!

[Smote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this was an enjoyable read, though I did feel that it was largely a vehicle to write smut. I would have appreciated more attention to some of the details like more clearly defining the women's relationships as well or the biases against warriors and healers being one and the same. I loved the development of the relationship though and the respect being earned for listening and responsibility instead of just respect because of nobility.

(Weirder side complaint but for smut writing, it felt very modern, particularly the use of arsehole in an otherwise Vikings-esque fantasy world. Kind of took me out of the world a bit).