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Gold Warrior #2
Twisted Brand
Sequel to The Gold Warrior
No longer a revered Gold Warrior, Maen is a disgraced soldier, held in suspicion despite his role in winning the Queenship of Aza City for his Mistress, Seleste. Returned alive from his captivity by the rebel Exiles, his reward was to be cast out from his position, his brave loyalty dismissed. He remains an unwilling thrall to the new Queen while his heart mourns the memory of Dax, the young Bronzeman he helped escape from a sentence of death.
When Maen is put under the guard of the arrogant Gold Warrior Zander and given the thankless task of preparing a Royal History, they both join up with the lively scribe Kiel. The youngster's bold curiosity initiates a chain of events that will change their world and that of the City forever. Maen's own discoveries will cast a new and shocking light on the Royal history and stir revolution in both citizens and rebels. And he will finally return to the Exile camp to face the one thing that can make him choose desire over duty.
No longer a revered Gold Warrior, Maen is a disgraced soldier, held in suspicion despite his role in winning the Queenship of Aza City for his Mistress, Seleste. Returned alive from his captivity by the rebel Exiles, his reward was to be cast out from his position, his brave loyalty dismissed. He remains an unwilling thrall to the new Queen while his heart mourns the memory of Dax, the young Bronzeman he helped escape from a sentence of death.
When Maen is put under the guard of the arrogant Gold Warrior Zander and given the thankless task of preparing a Royal History, they both join up with the lively scribe Kiel. The youngster's bold curiosity initiates a chain of events that will change their world and that of the City forever. Maen's own discoveries will cast a new and shocking light on the Royal history and stir revolution in both citizens and rebels. And he will finally return to the Exile camp to face the one thing that can make him choose desire over duty.
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First published June 1, 2008
62 people want to read
About the author
Clare London
148 books435 followersClare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.
Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.
All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!
Clare also writes as Stella Shaw and launched a new series of rent boy romances in 2021.
Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.
All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!
Clare also writes as Stella Shaw and launched a new series of rent boy romances in 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 27, 2022
Summary: This novel takes up where Gold Warrior left off, following Mean through his daily life in thrall to the new Queen Seleste. She has saved his life but found she cannot have his heart. He still belongs to Dax even though he believes his beloved Bronzeman has been killed in a raid against the City.
In an effort to bring some meaning to the empty disaster that has become his life, Maen accepts Seleste's commission to oversee the writing of her history. He is put under the guard of her best Gold Warrior, Zander and discovers an intellectual equal in the young, enthusiastic scribe, Kiel to whom the task of writing the history falls.
Kiel opens up a whole new world to the two men but it is up to them to unite and save that world, and each other, or to accept Seleste's ultimate rule over their lives, and deaths, forever.
My review: Every once in a while a book comes along that I almost can't bear to keep reading, but that won't let me put it down. To me, that's the sign of a really good book. One in which the tension is so high I'm too nervous to keep reading but too engrossed to stop. Twisted Brand is one of those books. If it has a flaw, I suppose it can be argued that the pace is just short of breakneck. The actual action is encompassed mostly in scorching sex scenes, but this book isn't about rock 'em sock 'em battles (though there are a few of those). It is an emotional journey for Maen to become fully the man he was meant to be, and that journey isn't an easy one.
I guess that's what I like about it so much. The characters are very easy to like despite their flaws. London has managed to create a world peopled with characters whose struggles are easy to sympathise with. Even the antagonists are understandable, if not always likeable.
Some things that bothered me in the first book; the lack of tangible world building, and the numerous open-ended storylines, have been alleviated here. A great deal of thought went into the history behind the society, and that has paid off in this volume. This book has drawn all the plot lines to a satisfactory conclusion while still leaving room for the reader to imagine a future substantially different from the present she left us in. This story is over, but there are so clearly many stories that are just beginning. This author has grown over just two volumes and my only question now is will there be a third? I can see the possibility.
My recommendation: This isn't a stand alone book, but both Gold Warrior and Twisted Brand are well worth the cover price. I give both together a recommended read.
In an effort to bring some meaning to the empty disaster that has become his life, Maen accepts Seleste's commission to oversee the writing of her history. He is put under the guard of her best Gold Warrior, Zander and discovers an intellectual equal in the young, enthusiastic scribe, Kiel to whom the task of writing the history falls.
Kiel opens up a whole new world to the two men but it is up to them to unite and save that world, and each other, or to accept Seleste's ultimate rule over their lives, and deaths, forever.
My review: Every once in a while a book comes along that I almost can't bear to keep reading, but that won't let me put it down. To me, that's the sign of a really good book. One in which the tension is so high I'm too nervous to keep reading but too engrossed to stop. Twisted Brand is one of those books. If it has a flaw, I suppose it can be argued that the pace is just short of breakneck. The actual action is encompassed mostly in scorching sex scenes, but this book isn't about rock 'em sock 'em battles (though there are a few of those). It is an emotional journey for Maen to become fully the man he was meant to be, and that journey isn't an easy one.
I guess that's what I like about it so much. The characters are very easy to like despite their flaws. London has managed to create a world peopled with characters whose struggles are easy to sympathise with. Even the antagonists are understandable, if not always likeable.
Some things that bothered me in the first book; the lack of tangible world building, and the numerous open-ended storylines, have been alleviated here. A great deal of thought went into the history behind the society, and that has paid off in this volume. This book has drawn all the plot lines to a satisfactory conclusion while still leaving room for the reader to imagine a future substantially different from the present she left us in. This story is over, but there are so clearly many stories that are just beginning. This author has grown over just two volumes and my only question now is will there be a third? I can see the possibility.
My recommendation: This isn't a stand alone book, but both Gold Warrior and Twisted Brand are well worth the cover price. I give both together a recommended read.
June 15, 2009
I like books that leave me feeling satisfied. Especially books that I can walk away from happy, knowing things are going to be right in the the book’s universe. London delivers on all of the above in this release, the sequel to The Gold Warrior. I love how deftly she handles the main character’s angst and confusion with the stoicism befitting a warrior, albeit a disgraced and fallen warrior.
Since Maen is now working for the new Queen, both in bed and as a servant, he has little time to think about his lost love, Dax, but missing Dax colors his every move. Queen Seleste knows this and it infuriates her, as she wants all of Maen completely devoted to her.
When tales of Dax’s death reach Maen, he’s crushed. One of the things that has kept him going in his new role, stripped of any glory he may have had, was the knowledge that Dax was out there, alive, somewhere.
During this time, Maen befriends a young scribe, Kiel. Kiel is smart, blindingly so, and has more than book knowledge up his sleeve. What Kiel uncovers has the makings to unravel their society as they know it.
Don’t feel too bad for Maen; things will manage to work out for him. He’s our hero, don’t forget, and he’s more clever than anyone gives him credit for. Well, except for Dax and Kiel.
I always enjoy London’s writing. She’s able to spin a story that sucks you in and makes you feel along with the characters. I’m still afraid that there is a contingent of fans who are going to avoid these books because there are some descriptions of the straight sex in them. Now, I know we’re all here for the boysmut, but sometimes het sex is needed to develop the plot. Get over it. Reading it won’t kill you, I promise.
You know, we’ve had a few of the authors archived over here at BND go pro, and I’m always happy when that happens, but never more so when it comes to London. I’ve loved her work for years and I could not be more please to know she’s getting the recognition that she deserves!
Since Maen is now working for the new Queen, both in bed and as a servant, he has little time to think about his lost love, Dax, but missing Dax colors his every move. Queen Seleste knows this and it infuriates her, as she wants all of Maen completely devoted to her.
When tales of Dax’s death reach Maen, he’s crushed. One of the things that has kept him going in his new role, stripped of any glory he may have had, was the knowledge that Dax was out there, alive, somewhere.
During this time, Maen befriends a young scribe, Kiel. Kiel is smart, blindingly so, and has more than book knowledge up his sleeve. What Kiel uncovers has the makings to unravel their society as they know it.
Don’t feel too bad for Maen; things will manage to work out for him. He’s our hero, don’t forget, and he’s more clever than anyone gives him credit for. Well, except for Dax and Kiel.
I always enjoy London’s writing. She’s able to spin a story that sucks you in and makes you feel along with the characters. I’m still afraid that there is a contingent of fans who are going to avoid these books because there are some descriptions of the straight sex in them. Now, I know we’re all here for the boysmut, but sometimes het sex is needed to develop the plot. Get over it. Reading it won’t kill you, I promise.
You know, we’ve had a few of the authors archived over here at BND go pro, and I’m always happy when that happens, but never more so when it comes to London. I’ve loved her work for years and I could not be more please to know she’s getting the recognition that she deserves!
March 22, 2009
I loved this sequel, we see a gradual progression in Maen from a man who has half of his soul missing, to one who gradually works out that the society he has been so devoted to, was actually founded by and saved by a man before the women took over. There were also no divisions between people, no hierarchy, everyone was equal. He doesn't shy away from the information this time and in the end, reunited with Dax, he gets the truth out to everyone and we see that change will take place.
An unputdownable read, I highly recommend it.
An unputdownable read, I highly recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2011
Оч. хорошо. Хотя тут как-то больше проявляется то ли авторская мизогиния, то ли ее увлеченность красивым переустройством общества, для чего всенепременно надо принизить роль женщин в тамошнем обществе. Хотя казалось бы - описывает матриархат.
December 6, 2015
4.5 stars rounded up.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews