Arcanum: Vervain by Mychael Black

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Mychael Black has chosen a very touchy subject for this novella and I don’t know if the short length in this case helps or not the author. For sure, since it’s only a novella, the author cannot indulge too much in the regrets and sense of guilty that usually the men involved in the relationship are experiencing due to the illicite nature of the affair.

Jonah is a detective in a special task force working with paranormal crimes. He is still mourning the loss of his brother Riley to the hands of the same criminals he is targeting, vampires. No one seems to understand why Jonah is still so crashed by his bother’s death, even after 10 years. And probably no one can understand since they didn’t know that Jonah felt something more for his younger brother than “only” a brotherly love. No one, neither Riley were aware of Jonah’s feelings, and now Jonah seems unable to let it go and starting living again.

Then, following the clues for yet another murder, Jonah meets Le, a young goth vampire, that is way too much like his brother; to heal and be able to love again, Jonah has to understand that not all vampire are bad, and that he can love again, and maybe being also reciprocated.

I like that the author didn’t let the reader too much hanging and waiting for a some sort of happy ending for Jonah: when Le enters the scene it’s pretty clear that he will be Jonah’s solution against the pain he is suffering. As I like that the illicite relationship between Jonah and Riley is not contrasted but neither simply accepted. More than one person around Jonah, who cares for him, let him know that they don’t understand how he can be in love with his same brother, but they will not judge him. That is probably the only possible attitude, as I have already explained after reading similar books, even if it could be considered with a negative connotation, if the incest is between two brothers (or in any case between two males), for me it’s not the same that between male and female, probably since there is no chance of “breeding”; I will draw a line only if the incest is between parents and sons, that is for sure something I would not read (or like).

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Amazon Kindle: Arcanum: Vervain

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