In the Spotlight: Elizabeth A. Lynn

The Book: In the province of Ippa, the twin sons of Kojiro, the Black Dragon, contended using sorcery and fire to decide which of them would rule their father's kingdom. After his brother's death, Karadur - who has inherited his dangerous father's shape-changing gift - becomes the master of Dragon's County. Torn between the need to continue his line and a fear of his own perilous nature, Karadur has so far remained unwed and childless. But an encounter with Maia Unamira di Sorvino now leads him to make other choices...Meanwhile, her outlaw brother, Treion the Bastard, is terrorising the nearby countryside. His motive being vengeance against the one who drove his mother and sister from their home. When Treion is finally captured, it is Karadur who must decide his punishment. It should rightly be death - but Maia loves her brother...

Amazon: Dragon's Treasure
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Pan Macmillan (April 15, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0330355589
ISBN-13: 978-0330355582

The Author: Elizabeth A. Lynn (born 1946) is a US writer most known for fantasy and to a lesser extent science fiction. She is particularly known for being one of the first writers in science fiction or fantasy to introduce gay and lesbian characters; in honor of Lynn, the GLBT bookstore "A Different Light" took its name from her novel.

Elizabeth Lynn is an openly lesbian science fiction and fantasy writer who has written numerous works featuring positive gay protagonists. Her Chronicles of Tornor novels (1979-80), the first book of which, Watchtower, won the World Fantasy Award, were among the first fantasy novels to have gay relationships as an unremarkable part of the cultural background, and included explicit and sympathetic depictions of same-sex love. The other books in this series are The Dancers of Arun (1979); and Northern Girl (1980) - this third novel is of particular lesbian interest.

Lynn's early science fiction novels were similarly ground-breaking in their treatment of sexual themes. In The Sardonyx Net (1981), one of the primary characters is a sexual sadist. Her SF novel A Different Light (1978) featured a same-sex relationship between two men, and inspired the name of the LGBT bookstore and chain "A Different Light". The magical lesbian tale "The Woman Who Loved the Moon" also won a World Fantasy Award and is the title story in Lynn's The Woman Who Loved the Moon collection along with other gay speculative fiction stories. Both these novels featured the science fiction concept hyperspace.

Lynn more recently began a new fantasy series, again featuring gay relationships: Dragon's Winter (1998) and Dragon's Treasure (2004). (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_A._Lynn)

Top Gay Novels List (*)

First Decade (2000-2009): http://www.elisarolle.com/ramblings/top_100_gay_novels_2.htm

Second Decade (2010-2019): http://www.elisarolle.com/ramblings/top_100_gay_novels_2.2.htm

*only one title per author, only print books released after January 1, 2000.

Note: I remember to my friends that guest reviews of the above listed books (the top 100 Gay Novels) are welcome, just send them to me and I will post with full credits to the reviewer.

Other titles not in the top 100 list: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/top50MM

Fair Game by Josh Lanyon

It’s strange since Carina Press is actually a romance publisher, but I think Fair Game is the less “romance” among the novels by Josh Lanyon I read; now, there is a love story in it, but really, the lion share in the plot is to the mystery/thriller. Elliot Mills, former FBI agent and currently a college professor, is investigating on the disappearance of a student, who happens to be a family friends’s son. That former lover Tucker Lance is the FBI agent in charge of the investigation it’s not a plus to Elliot’s eyes.

When I said the mystery is more important of the romance, I don’t want to give the impression the romance is not good. I actually liked how real both Elliot than Tucker seemed; when Elliot was forced to leave the FBI, Tucker was not really sympathetic, and the reason was purely egoistic: Elliot leaving meant less chances for them to continue with their story, or also losing what little they had in common, aside for their job, Elliot and Tucker were at the opposite, and Tucker had the wrong idea only their job was bounding them. On the other hand, Elliot was stubborn, and not ready, or willingly, to listen to Tucker’s explanation, once he realized what mistake he did. Elliot is a little of a primadonna, and being attacked by Tucker was something he didn’t forgive easily; when he was down, he wanted for people to commiserate him, to tell him how unfair was the fate, that he didn’t deserve it… he didn’t want for someone else to be miserable, to steal his spotlight in hell, and Tucker was.

But now, months later, both of them are ready to admit they were wrong, and while Tucker is able to say the words, Elliot perhaps prefers to prove them with facts; it’s easier to commit with his body than with his words. Maybe since, words are harder to hide or deny.

Amazon Kindle: Fair Game
Publisher: Carina Press (August 1, 2010)

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle