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Winter
Outwardly happy with his life, inwardly Aster longs for a dom of his someone he can trust with his heart, body, and soul. Then while in Montreal, in the midst of a snowstorm, he meets a mysterious man, Vanor, who seems like a dream come true. He gives Aster the safeword 'winter' and their night together seems made of magic. But over breakfast the next morning, Vanor literally vanishes before his eyes. Shocked and confused, Aster returns helplessly home to Vermont.
Months later, Vanor appears on his balcony, naked and half-frozen, in the midst of a snowstorm. Shortly after, two men appear and snatch Vanor away—with dire threats of punishment if he escapes again, and Aster soon finds himself dragged into a world most humans are not supposed to know exists...
Months later, Vanor appears on his balcony, naked and half-frozen, in the midst of a snowstorm. Shortly after, two men appear and snatch Vanor away—with dire threats of punishment if he escapes again, and Aster soon finds himself dragged into a world most humans are not supposed to know exists...
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2018
3 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
M. Raiya
27 books17 followersM. Raiya is a Vermonter and splits her time between a home in the mountains and a camp on a lake, writing full time when she’s not taking long walks with her dog, swimming, kayaking, or birding, always with a camera in hand. She writes gay paranormal romance. Mostly. Her novel Depth of Return won first place in the 2017 Rainbow Awards in the Gay Paranormal Romance category, and her novel Another Healing was a finalist in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. She has been published by Less Than Three Press, Dreamspinner Press, Changeling Press, and Torquere Press.
Honest reviews are greatly appreciated, and so are comments below or on her website.
Visit her website here: http://mraiya.com/
Sign up for her newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/dEa1lT
Honest reviews are greatly appreciated, and so are comments below or on her website.
Visit her website here: http://mraiya.com/
Sign up for her newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/dEa1lT
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 8, 2018
Absolutely gorgeous! I'm blown away but this author, if they're not new they're new to me and I'm completely enchanted.
Winter is the most original story I've read in ages. I had absolutely no idea what would happen next, which was utterly unusual for me and I wish it would happen more often.
I've got no idea how to even begin to review the characters and the story, and I don't want to ruin anything by doing it wrong. I'm going to have think on it and see if I can do it justice, but the possibility of disclosing some aspect of the story and spoiling anything would be a tragedy.
Till then, please take my word for it? Winter is spectacular!
Winter was provided to me by NetGalley for the purpose of my unbiased review
Winter is the most original story I've read in ages. I had absolutely no idea what would happen next, which was utterly unusual for me and I wish it would happen more often.
I've got no idea how to even begin to review the characters and the story, and I don't want to ruin anything by doing it wrong. I'm going to have think on it and see if I can do it justice, but the possibility of disclosing some aspect of the story and spoiling anything would be a tragedy.
Till then, please take my word for it? Winter is spectacular!
Winter was provided to me by NetGalley for the purpose of my unbiased review
August 16, 2018
I was so excited to read this based on the synopsis, but it wasn't quite the experience it could have been in my opinion. With a mixture of m/m BDSM and paranormal/urban fantasy, there is a lot to fit inside this novella-length book. So it makes sense that elements couldn't quite be expanded upon, many supernatural revelations were taken at face value with convenient and sometimes confusing happenings, and the depths of characters and their relationships couldn't be reached. In which case, maybe this length should be reconsidered. Unfortunately, the result of one-dimensional storytelling negatively impacted this reading experience for me.
On a positive note, the first chapter does a good job at capturing the readers attention (for the exception of a strange try-and-catch-me game inside a D/s scene) and the main character works in a sex shop which provides a setting for a few humor scenes.
Thank you to the following for permitting me access to an advance reader's copy (ARC) of Winter. This generosity did not impact my honesty when rating/reviewing.
Source: NetGalley
Author: M. Raiya
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genres: LGBTQIA, Romance
Pub Date: August 1, 2018
On a positive note, the first chapter does a good job at capturing the readers attention (for the exception of a strange try-and-catch-me game inside a D/s scene) and the main character works in a sex shop which provides a setting for a few humor scenes.
Thank you to the following for permitting me access to an advance reader's copy (ARC) of Winter. This generosity did not impact my honesty when rating/reviewing.
Source: NetGalley
Author: M. Raiya
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genres: LGBTQIA, Romance
Pub Date: August 1, 2018
August 6, 2018
I was disappointed in this one. It had a lot of elements that should have worked for me, but it just didn't land.
The writing style was okay... a bit atmospheric (and could have used tighter editing), but I can embrace stylistic choices if they're executed well. However, I constantly felt like I was missing something. I expected the picture would gradually be filled in and come to life, but it never really did.
The concept of the story was interesting and creative. It had potential. Unfortunately, there was way too much to handle within a novella of this length. Instead of a few elements of quality world-building, backstory, and plot, scores of details were attempted but then either not fleshed out at all or conveniently wrapped up within a paragraph. Also, grand canyon sized plot holes.
Finally, the characters were pretty flat, and the few interesting tidbits about them were told not shown. (Honestly if the MCs had been developed well, I would have been more forgiving of the above gripes.) So yeah, I finished the book a bit agitated and I can't recommend it.
The writing style was okay... a bit atmospheric (and could have used tighter editing), but I can embrace stylistic choices if they're executed well. However, I constantly felt like I was missing something. I expected the picture would gradually be filled in and come to life, but it never really did.
The concept of the story was interesting and creative. It had potential. Unfortunately, there was way too much to handle within a novella of this length. Instead of a few elements of quality world-building, backstory, and plot, scores of details were attempted but then either not fleshed out at all or conveniently wrapped up within a paragraph. Also, grand canyon sized plot holes.
Finally, the characters were pretty flat, and the few interesting tidbits about them were told not shown. (Honestly if the MCs had been developed well, I would have been more forgiving of the above gripes.) So yeah, I finished the book a bit agitated and I can't recommend it.
August 12, 2018
Thank you NetGalley and Less Than Three Press for this ARC.
This is a difficult one to rate.
The author has some mad crazy writing skills...
"Snow still fell, thick and heavy, white and silent with the kind of beauty only found in a deep winter night."
The book possessed an interesting concept...
A race of immortal beings spawned before the Viking era that derive from the five elements of metal, air, earth, sea and fire who live among humans until they are "awakened" and then begin training into their magical being.
The pace of the story is where this fell short with me. The start was all very rushed (even for a paranormal romance). I think had it been paced out a bit more this could have been phenomenal!
The insta-love is always a bit hard to accept for me. It just doesn't seem plausible to fall in love with someone you know nothing about. Lust? Sure, that's instant, but love? That takes time to develop and usually requires some form of informational exchange between the two people above and beyond sexual interests, a first name and knowing which city they live in.
The Intrepid world was very cool existing inside the human realm. I wish that it had been developed a bit more than it was. Very cool concept, I just think it needed more time to come to fruition than the less than 200 pages of this book.
I will be creeping the author's existing library for something more my pace. The potential is there, I just need to find it.
" Not the slightest breath of air moved, so the wet flakes floated down in my flashlight beam as though in slow motion, clumping together, weighing down my limbs, the ground, and me as I walked."
This is a difficult one to rate.
The author has some mad crazy writing skills...
"Snow still fell, thick and heavy, white and silent with the kind of beauty only found in a deep winter night."
The book possessed an interesting concept...
A race of immortal beings spawned before the Viking era that derive from the five elements of metal, air, earth, sea and fire who live among humans until they are "awakened" and then begin training into their magical being.
The pace of the story is where this fell short with me. The start was all very rushed (even for a paranormal romance). I think had it been paced out a bit more this could have been phenomenal!
The insta-love is always a bit hard to accept for me. It just doesn't seem plausible to fall in love with someone you know nothing about. Lust? Sure, that's instant, but love? That takes time to develop and usually requires some form of informational exchange between the two people above and beyond sexual interests, a first name and knowing which city they live in.
The Intrepid world was very cool existing inside the human realm. I wish that it had been developed a bit more than it was. Very cool concept, I just think it needed more time to come to fruition than the less than 200 pages of this book.
I will be creeping the author's existing library for something more my pace. The potential is there, I just need to find it.
" Not the slightest breath of air moved, so the wet flakes floated down in my flashlight beam as though in slow motion, clumping together, weighing down my limbs, the ground, and me as I walked."
September 7, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
M. Raiya writes an intriguing tale, with flowing, sensual prose; intriguing characters; and a unique story.
Aster and Vanor spend one night together and their connection is remarkable for having just met. Vanor is everything Aster has ever wanted; he wants his own Dom, he wants to submit, and he longs for a special connection. He cannot figure out how Vanor is taking charge the way he is, but he’s too caught up in the moment to give it too much thought.
Aster is an interesting character. He overcame bullying in school and now he wears his hair how he wants, wears the clothes he wants, and wearing makeup sometimes is all just part of his appeal. He is now living life on his own terms, but he certainly wants a man of his own. And, Aster is stronger than even he knows, and he is the true hero of the book.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4 stars
M. Raiya writes an intriguing tale, with flowing, sensual prose; intriguing characters; and a unique story.
Aster and Vanor spend one night together and their connection is remarkable for having just met. Vanor is everything Aster has ever wanted; he wants his own Dom, he wants to submit, and he longs for a special connection. He cannot figure out how Vanor is taking charge the way he is, but he’s too caught up in the moment to give it too much thought.
Aster is an interesting character. He overcame bullying in school and now he wears his hair how he wants, wears the clothes he wants, and wearing makeup sometimes is all just part of his appeal. He is now living life on his own terms, but he certainly wants a man of his own. And, Aster is stronger than even he knows, and he is the true hero of the book.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
July 16, 2019
I'm struggling to rate this. I feel it should be more than a 3 star, but I really can't give it more.
This is an interesting book. Starting off, you're not quite sure where it will lead you, and it does take a little bit of time before you get any answers. However, once the answers start coming I would have preferred to get a little more information. The world created was very interesting, I just felt it was lacking a bit. And it seemed to be given in dribs and drabs. Maybe that was done on purpose, but it did make reading the story more difficult. Add to that some editing issues that threw me out and yes, unfortunately that leaves me unable to give a higher rating.
I'll happily read something else by this author though. I just wish this had had another lookover or some different feedback from a beta reader or two.
This is an interesting book. Starting off, you're not quite sure where it will lead you, and it does take a little bit of time before you get any answers. However, once the answers start coming I would have preferred to get a little more information. The world created was very interesting, I just felt it was lacking a bit. And it seemed to be given in dribs and drabs. Maybe that was done on purpose, but it did make reading the story more difficult. Add to that some editing issues that threw me out and yes, unfortunately that leaves me unable to give a higher rating.
I'll happily read something else by this author though. I just wish this had had another lookover or some different feedback from a beta reader or two.
January 28, 2019
Aster is a confident, free spirit who works in a sex shop in Vermont. While on a trip for his boss, in Montreal, he meets Vanor, a mysterious golden-eyed man who fulfills every longing and idea of the perfect Dom that Aster has ever had. Unfortunately, he vanishes into thin air the next day, leaving Aster hurt and confused. His confusion increases exponentially when Vanor appears naked on his balcony in the middle of a snowstorm, as do two other men, only to have them all vanish into the night. After ending up in the ER, Aster finds himself in a new world, faced with the fact that his lover isn’t quite human nor is he free. In order to have his Dom and the future he wants, Aster must shake up this new world, and do so by making an enormous sacrifice.
Fair warning, I LOVE fantasy/sci-fi/magic, etc., and am a huge nerd, so world building is very important to me and plays a significant role in my enjoyment of a story. So, if the world building is shoddy, the rest of the story needs to be very strong for me to ignore it and any inconsistencies. Therefore, read this review/take my rating with a grain of salt. That being said, Winter had potential to be a great read—an intriguing concept, BDSM, and fantasy, all rolled into one. Unfortunately, the delivery fell way short for me. There are enough gems in the writing and Aster’s character that the makings of a cohesive, well-paced and well-structured story are there, which makes it that much more disappointing that they didn’t come together.
Sometimes the writing is lyrical and whimsical, other times it’s clunky; additionally, there are enough grammatical errors such as, “the darkness fell was full of eyes,” (or, in one case, a chopped off sentence) that it was distracting. It also didn’t help that the pacing and dialogue in some scenes are rushed and unbalanced. Some of the scenes felt like they were in such a hurry to introduce some piece of exposition or reach some narrative point that cogent conversations/development weren’t really priorities. Moreover, the magical element just felt lazy. The magical creatures in the story are called Intrepids. What are they, you ask? Well, “there isn’t much to tell,” according to the book.
They are connected to an element (sky, fire, water, metal or earth), and do magic. Some live for centuries, some don’t (couldn’t tell you why). Apparently most Native Americans and some Vikings were Intrepids, and there is a social hierarchy, with Sky Intrepids being at the top, as well as slavery because their society is too old to change. This has “chilling” parallels to “historical Indian culture and the present,” according to Aster’s sociology degree, which only makes sense in the story if you don’t think about it too hard; otherwise, if most Native Americans had magic (and let me tell you, these are some serious magical powers), then their oppression by colonizers doesn’t make sense unless the settlers were mostly Sky Intrepids too??? Things are randomly introduced or slotted into the narrative to serve the story or the social issue, but without adequate coherence, such as some other creatures that may be Intrepids but are different somehow (also unclear), to spice up the story, to make Aster’s boss, Cara, relevant, to have a fun magic action scene that ends in cock cages, as well as the making of rash decisions that basically lead to a sudden training montage, etc.—the story just jumps all over the place and needed a good content editor.
As for the BDSM, it’s as magical and slipshod as everything else. For lack of a better way to put it, Vanor is basically Aster’s soul-dom. Their love and BDSM activities happen with the speed of a werewolf/vampire/supernat mating bond, so almost none of the rules or tenets of actual BDSM apply. Like the magic, it’s there to titillate and add spice and interest to the story. At the end of the day, I can see people enjoying Winter. There is insta-love/insta D/s connections for those who like that. Aster is a decent character with a kind heart, his and Vanor’s relationship “development” is definitely unique, and the D/s inspired kink sprinkled with magic will work for some.
Reviewed by Jovan
Fair warning, I LOVE fantasy/sci-fi/magic, etc., and am a huge nerd, so world building is very important to me and plays a significant role in my enjoyment of a story. So, if the world building is shoddy, the rest of the story needs to be very strong for me to ignore it and any inconsistencies. Therefore, read this review/take my rating with a grain of salt. That being said, Winter had potential to be a great read—an intriguing concept, BDSM, and fantasy, all rolled into one. Unfortunately, the delivery fell way short for me. There are enough gems in the writing and Aster’s character that the makings of a cohesive, well-paced and well-structured story are there, which makes it that much more disappointing that they didn’t come together.
Sometimes the writing is lyrical and whimsical, other times it’s clunky; additionally, there are enough grammatical errors such as, “the darkness fell was full of eyes,” (or, in one case, a chopped off sentence) that it was distracting. It also didn’t help that the pacing and dialogue in some scenes are rushed and unbalanced. Some of the scenes felt like they were in such a hurry to introduce some piece of exposition or reach some narrative point that cogent conversations/development weren’t really priorities. Moreover, the magical element just felt lazy. The magical creatures in the story are called Intrepids. What are they, you ask? Well, “there isn’t much to tell,” according to the book.
They are connected to an element (sky, fire, water, metal or earth), and do magic. Some live for centuries, some don’t (couldn’t tell you why). Apparently most Native Americans and some Vikings were Intrepids, and there is a social hierarchy, with Sky Intrepids being at the top, as well as slavery because their society is too old to change. This has “chilling” parallels to “historical Indian culture and the present,” according to Aster’s sociology degree, which only makes sense in the story if you don’t think about it too hard; otherwise, if most Native Americans had magic (and let me tell you, these are some serious magical powers), then their oppression by colonizers doesn’t make sense unless the settlers were mostly Sky Intrepids too??? Things are randomly introduced or slotted into the narrative to serve the story or the social issue, but without adequate coherence, such as some other creatures that may be Intrepids but are different somehow (also unclear), to spice up the story, to make Aster’s boss, Cara, relevant, to have a fun magic action scene that ends in cock cages, as well as the making of rash decisions that basically lead to a sudden training montage, etc.—the story just jumps all over the place and needed a good content editor.
As for the BDSM, it’s as magical and slipshod as everything else. For lack of a better way to put it, Vanor is basically Aster’s soul-dom. Their love and BDSM activities happen with the speed of a werewolf/vampire/supernat mating bond, so almost none of the rules or tenets of actual BDSM apply. Like the magic, it’s there to titillate and add spice and interest to the story. At the end of the day, I can see people enjoying Winter. There is insta-love/insta D/s connections for those who like that. Aster is a decent character with a kind heart, his and Vanor’s relationship “development” is definitely unique, and the D/s inspired kink sprinkled with magic will work for some.
Reviewed by Jovan
December 31, 2018
I was a little disappointed with this. It was well written but sort of boring and I think that's mainly because I expect too much from this author. I've loved her previous work and I'm sure I'll love the next ones. Probably just my mood.
October 17, 2018
Rating 3/5
This was a really out there book for me. First, I've never read a M/M novel before so that took some getting used to. Then the concept of BDSM felt too rushed for me, especially at the start of the book and how abrupt it all went. The fantasy/paranormal concept of the plot made it a bit interesting but again too rushed. If it was expanded and the pacing slowed down a bit I would have enjoyed the story more.
This was a really out there book for me. First, I've never read a M/M novel before so that took some getting used to. Then the concept of BDSM felt too rushed for me, especially at the start of the book and how abrupt it all went. The fantasy/paranormal concept of the plot made it a bit interesting but again too rushed. If it was expanded and the pacing slowed down a bit I would have enjoyed the story more.
August 2, 2018
Wow. This was original and so so good! I’m not going to give anything away about this book, just go buy it and read it. You’ll have no regrets.
March 5, 2019
Honestly, the similarly rated reviews above did a pretty clear job of explaining my experience with this novella.
There were pockets of writing gems in here, but not enough of them for me. The concept was intriguing, but not necessarily new and exciting.
Aster discovers through a chance meeting on a business trip that his hookup is something more than human, and through that encounter learns that there is more to himself, and the world around him than he previously knew.
Without being too spoilery, what does Aster learn? He learns that there is a subset of the human race called 'Intrepids' that are immortal (basically), and have magical abilities (that differ between each Intrepid), and who are divided into sects based off of the elements.
Cool! Intriguing! Here are the major reasons why this just didn't work for me.
1.) This is a novella, and the ideas presented required far more page space to explain and explore than the length of this story dictated. More than once there were lines like (and I'm paraphrasing) "We don't know why we are, or much about who we are, but we've always been here." Or something to that effect. I'm sorry - but if you have a subset of humans that are basically immortal, someone somewhere is gonna have some pretty detailed history or even theories on how and why this particular group exists - at least as a reader - I kind of expect that. So I was disappointed that I didn't get to know more about Intrepids and where they came from, how they developed, why they were here.
2.) The innumerable spelling mistakes, missing words and extra words in almost every chapter really pulled me out of the story. Again, this could have been a brilliant read for me, but it needed another round (or two) of polish. I thought a few times while reading this that perhaps this could have gone through a good round with a content editor, someone who could help cinch up some of the plot holes, missed out opportunities and use of filtering language.
3.) The readers of Paranormal books are really a well-read and well-versed group when it comes to tropes and themes. This wasn't necessarily a new concept - and that's okay - just give me something to sink my teeth into. Give it a spin or twist, a little dash of unexpectedness to make me intrigued. I found that there were times in this story I had to take my previous knowledge of those tropes and apply it because I wasn't given enough background. Some readers who are not as well versed may have had an extremely difficult time putting it all together.
Lastly, (and I think the length truly did the story a disservice here), more than once Aster, Vanor, and the other characters were faced with difficult challenges that quickly, and far too easily, resolved themselves. I needed more conflict, more strife, and less perfect coincidences.
If you're able to scrape by the editing issues and can gloss over some plot holes, and you like a little BDSM in with your M/M Romance, then this quick read might be a nice way to spend your commute ride home (as long as you're not driving! ;o) ). But if you're out for a detailed new take on existing Paranormal Romance stories, this may not be the book for you.
There were pockets of writing gems in here, but not enough of them for me. The concept was intriguing, but not necessarily new and exciting.
Aster discovers through a chance meeting on a business trip that his hookup is something more than human, and through that encounter learns that there is more to himself, and the world around him than he previously knew.
Without being too spoilery, what does Aster learn? He learns that there is a subset of the human race called 'Intrepids' that are immortal (basically), and have magical abilities (that differ between each Intrepid), and who are divided into sects based off of the elements.
Cool! Intriguing! Here are the major reasons why this just didn't work for me.
1.) This is a novella, and the ideas presented required far more page space to explain and explore than the length of this story dictated. More than once there were lines like (and I'm paraphrasing) "We don't know why we are, or much about who we are, but we've always been here." Or something to that effect. I'm sorry - but if you have a subset of humans that are basically immortal, someone somewhere is gonna have some pretty detailed history or even theories on how and why this particular group exists - at least as a reader - I kind of expect that. So I was disappointed that I didn't get to know more about Intrepids and where they came from, how they developed, why they were here.
2.) The innumerable spelling mistakes, missing words and extra words in almost every chapter really pulled me out of the story. Again, this could have been a brilliant read for me, but it needed another round (or two) of polish. I thought a few times while reading this that perhaps this could have gone through a good round with a content editor, someone who could help cinch up some of the plot holes, missed out opportunities and use of filtering language.
3.) The readers of Paranormal books are really a well-read and well-versed group when it comes to tropes and themes. This wasn't necessarily a new concept - and that's okay - just give me something to sink my teeth into. Give it a spin or twist, a little dash of unexpectedness to make me intrigued. I found that there were times in this story I had to take my previous knowledge of those tropes and apply it because I wasn't given enough background. Some readers who are not as well versed may have had an extremely difficult time putting it all together.
Lastly, (and I think the length truly did the story a disservice here), more than once Aster, Vanor, and the other characters were faced with difficult challenges that quickly, and far too easily, resolved themselves. I needed more conflict, more strife, and less perfect coincidences.
If you're able to scrape by the editing issues and can gloss over some plot holes, and you like a little BDSM in with your M/M Romance, then this quick read might be a nice way to spend your commute ride home (as long as you're not driving! ;o) ). But if you're out for a detailed new take on existing Paranormal Romance stories, this may not be the book for you.
March 4, 2025
2.5 stars
POV: 1st person, past tense
Aster is away from home on a buying trip when he meets a guy and takes him to his hotel room. After some super-safe Dom/sub stuff *sarcasm* (more on that later), Aster is convinced that he has found his Dom. However, when Van disappears the next day, Aster is heartbroken. When Van shows up naked at Aster's house several months later, and then is lead away in handcuffs, Aster thinks something is up. After finding out there is a world that humans don't know about, Aster has some learning to do and some decisions to make.
I liked this. It wasn't knock your socks off, but it was a little different. I did have an issue with Aster going "no, I won't do BDSM stuff with this person I have never met outside of any safe constructs whatsoever because it isn't safe" and then DOING THE THINGS because he trusted the guy. It also felt like there was a LOT packed into a short read, and, as a result, nothing was really a stand out. It kind of felt like a whole bunch of ideas being thrown together as possibilities, and all of them being used at once, instead of maybe being parceled out in a few different books.
I received a copy through Netgalley for honest review.
POV: 1st person, past tense
Aster is away from home on a buying trip when he meets a guy and takes him to his hotel room. After some super-safe Dom/sub stuff *sarcasm* (more on that later), Aster is convinced that he has found his Dom. However, when Van disappears the next day, Aster is heartbroken. When Van shows up naked at Aster's house several months later, and then is lead away in handcuffs, Aster thinks something is up. After finding out there is a world that humans don't know about, Aster has some learning to do and some decisions to make.
I liked this. It wasn't knock your socks off, but it was a little different. I did have an issue with Aster going "no, I won't do BDSM stuff with this person I have never met outside of any safe constructs whatsoever because it isn't safe" and then DOING THE THINGS because he trusted the guy. It also felt like there was a LOT packed into a short read, and, as a result, nothing was really a stand out. It kind of felt like a whole bunch of ideas being thrown together as possibilities, and all of them being used at once, instead of maybe being parceled out in a few different books.
I received a copy through Netgalley for honest review.
November 8, 2019
Title: Winter
Author: M.Raiya
Genre: LGBTQIA Romance
Pages:
Rating :3
Outwardly happy with his life, inwardly Aster longs for a dom of his own: someone he can trust with his heart, body, and soul. Then while in Montreal, in the midst of a snowstorm, he meets a mysterious man, Vanor, who seems like a dream come true. He gives Aster the safe word 'winter' and their night together seems made of magic. But over breakfast the next morning, Vanor literally vanishes before his eyes. Shocked and confused, Aster returns helplessly home to Vermont.
Months later, Vanor appears on his balcony, naked and half-frozen, in the midst of a snowstorm. Shortly after, two men appear and snatch Vanor away—with dire threats of punishment if he escapes again, and Aster soon finds himself dragged into a world most humans are not supposed to know exists
My thoughts
Would I recommend it? Yes, but only to the ones who read these types of books.
Would I read anything else by this author? Yes
First off I should say that this is an LGBT QIA fantasy romance (m/m) and since it does have BDSM in the story it's also an erotic romance, so if you're not into that type of romance then this might not be for you. As for the story itself the author tells an intriguing tale with flowing sensual prose, and intriguing characters. But there were times that the story felt a bit slow, and the world building while the idea was cool in its own way, it felt that there need to be a bit more to it. But overall I did enjoy the story as well as the characters. With that said I want to thank NetGalley for letting me read and review it .
Author: M.Raiya
Genre: LGBTQIA Romance
Pages:
Rating :3
Outwardly happy with his life, inwardly Aster longs for a dom of his own: someone he can trust with his heart, body, and soul. Then while in Montreal, in the midst of a snowstorm, he meets a mysterious man, Vanor, who seems like a dream come true. He gives Aster the safe word 'winter' and their night together seems made of magic. But over breakfast the next morning, Vanor literally vanishes before his eyes. Shocked and confused, Aster returns helplessly home to Vermont.
Months later, Vanor appears on his balcony, naked and half-frozen, in the midst of a snowstorm. Shortly after, two men appear and snatch Vanor away—with dire threats of punishment if he escapes again, and Aster soon finds himself dragged into a world most humans are not supposed to know exists
My thoughts
Would I recommend it? Yes, but only to the ones who read these types of books.
Would I read anything else by this author? Yes
First off I should say that this is an LGBT QIA fantasy romance (m/m) and since it does have BDSM in the story it's also an erotic romance, so if you're not into that type of romance then this might not be for you. As for the story itself the author tells an intriguing tale with flowing sensual prose, and intriguing characters. But there were times that the story felt a bit slow, and the world building while the idea was cool in its own way, it felt that there need to be a bit more to it. But overall I did enjoy the story as well as the characters. With that said I want to thank NetGalley for letting me read and review it .
February 13, 2019
Aster is a confident, free spirit who works in a sex shop in Vermont. While on a trip for his boss, in Montreal, he meets Vanor, a mysterious golden-eyed man who fulfills every longing and idea of the perfect Dom that Aster has ever had. Unfortunately, he vanishes into thin air the next day, leaving Aster hurt and confused. His confusion increases exponentially when Vanor appears naked on his balcony in the middle of a snowstorm, as do two other men, only to have them all vanish into the night. After ending up in the ER, Aster finds himself in a new world, faced with the fact that his lover isn’t quite human nor is he free. In order to have his Dom and the future he wants, Aster must shake up this new world, and do so by making an enormous sacrifice.
Fair warning, I LOVE fantasy/sci-fi/magic, etc., and am a huge nerd, so world building is very important to me and plays a significant role in my enjoyment of a story. So, if the world building is shoddy, the rest of the story needs to be very strong for me to ignore it and any inconsistencies. Therefore, read this review/take my rating with a grain of salt. That being said, Winter had potential to be a great read—an intriguing concept, BDSM, and fantasy, all rolled into one. Unfortunately, the delivery fell way short for me. There are enough gems in the writing and Aster’s character that the makings of a cohesive, well-paced and well-structured story are there, which makes it that much more disappointing that they didn’t come together.
Sometimes the writing is lyrical and whimsical, other times it’s clunky; additionally, there are enough grammatical errors such as, “the darkness fell was full of eyes,” (or, in one case, a chopped off sentence) that it was distracting. It also didn’t help that the pacing and dialogue in some scenes are rushed and unbalanced. Some of the scenes felt like they were in such a hurry to introduce some piece of exposition or reach some narrative point that cogent conversations/ development weren’t really priorities. Moreover, the magical element just felt lazy. The magical creatures in the story are called Intrepids. What are they, you ask? Well, “there isn’t much to tell,” according to the book.
They are connected to an element (sky, fire, water, metal or earth), and do magic. Some live for centuries, some don’t (couldn’t tell you why). Apparently most Native Americans and some Vikings were Intrepids, and there is a social hierarchy, with Sky Intrepids being at the top, as well as slavery because their society is too old to change. This has “chilling” parallels to “historical Indian culture and the present,” according to Aster’s sociology degree, which only makes sense in the story if you don’t think about it too hard; otherwise, if most Native Americans had magic (and let me tell you, these are some serious magical powers), then their oppression by colonizers doesn’t make sense unless the settlers were mostly Sky Intrepids too??? Things are randomly introduced or slotted into the narrative to serve the story or the social issue, but without adequate coherence, such as some other creatures that may be Intrepids but are different somehow (also unclear), to spice up the story, to make Aster’s boss, Cara, relevant, to have a fun magic action scene that ends in cock cages, as well as the making of rash decisions that basically lead to a sudden training montage, etc.—the story just jumps all over the place and needed a good content editor.
As for the BDSM, it’s as magical and slipshod as everything else. For lack of a better way to put it, Vanor is basically Aster’s soul-dom. Their love and BDSM activities happen with the speed of a werewolf/vampire/supernat mating bond, so almost none of the rules or tenets of actual BDSM apply. Like the magic, it’s there to titillate and add spice and interest to the story. At the end of the day, I can see people enjoying Winter. There is insta-love/insta D/s connections for those who like that. Aster is a decent character with a kind heart, his and Vanor’s relationship “development” is definitely unique, and the D/s inspired kink sprinkled with magic will work for some.
Fair warning, I LOVE fantasy/sci-fi/magic, etc., and am a huge nerd, so world building is very important to me and plays a significant role in my enjoyment of a story. So, if the world building is shoddy, the rest of the story needs to be very strong for me to ignore it and any inconsistencies. Therefore, read this review/take my rating with a grain of salt. That being said, Winter had potential to be a great read—an intriguing concept, BDSM, and fantasy, all rolled into one. Unfortunately, the delivery fell way short for me. There are enough gems in the writing and Aster’s character that the makings of a cohesive, well-paced and well-structured story are there, which makes it that much more disappointing that they didn’t come together.
Sometimes the writing is lyrical and whimsical, other times it’s clunky; additionally, there are enough grammatical errors such as, “the darkness fell was full of eyes,” (or, in one case, a chopped off sentence) that it was distracting. It also didn’t help that the pacing and dialogue in some scenes are rushed and unbalanced. Some of the scenes felt like they were in such a hurry to introduce some piece of exposition or reach some narrative point that cogent conversations/ development weren’t really priorities. Moreover, the magical element just felt lazy. The magical creatures in the story are called Intrepids. What are they, you ask? Well, “there isn’t much to tell,” according to the book.
They are connected to an element (sky, fire, water, metal or earth), and do magic. Some live for centuries, some don’t (couldn’t tell you why). Apparently most Native Americans and some Vikings were Intrepids, and there is a social hierarchy, with Sky Intrepids being at the top, as well as slavery because their society is too old to change. This has “chilling” parallels to “historical Indian culture and the present,” according to Aster’s sociology degree, which only makes sense in the story if you don’t think about it too hard; otherwise, if most Native Americans had magic (and let me tell you, these are some serious magical powers), then their oppression by colonizers doesn’t make sense unless the settlers were mostly Sky Intrepids too??? Things are randomly introduced or slotted into the narrative to serve the story or the social issue, but without adequate coherence, such as some other creatures that may be Intrepids but are different somehow (also unclear), to spice up the story, to make Aster’s boss, Cara, relevant, to have a fun magic action scene that ends in cock cages, as well as the making of rash decisions that basically lead to a sudden training montage, etc.—the story just jumps all over the place and needed a good content editor.
As for the BDSM, it’s as magical and slipshod as everything else. For lack of a better way to put it, Vanor is basically Aster’s soul-dom. Their love and BDSM activities happen with the speed of a werewolf/vampire/supernat mating bond, so almost none of the rules or tenets of actual BDSM apply. Like the magic, it’s there to titillate and add spice and interest to the story. At the end of the day, I can see people enjoying Winter. There is insta-love/insta D/s connections for those who like that. Aster is a decent character with a kind heart, his and Vanor’s relationship “development” is definitely unique, and the D/s inspired kink sprinkled with magic will work for some.
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