As the Crow Flies (Horsfall 3) by Jade Buchanan

[reviews_and_ramblings]

The third story in the Horsfall series is probably the more serious; I almost felt like the author wanted to give credibility to Oliver, the man who, in the previous two books started and developed a relationship with the twin brothers Bayard and Marshall, horse shapeshifters. To do so, at the beginning of this story Oliver is far away from his lover on a work trip; Oliver is a safety consultant and he is conducting an audit on a ski resort. Good part of the book is spend in describing the resort structure and the job plan of Oliver and his colleague Jack.

As soon as Oliver arrives to the resort he notices some strange crows, very big and quite obtrusive, they seem to watch Oliver and every move he does. So it’s not surprise when they reveal to be shapeshifters like Oliver’s lovers, only that their shifted form is that of a crow. They calling themselves Bayard and Marshall’s cousins, but Oliver doesn’t know if he has to believe them, he doesn’t know if they are friends or not.

As I said, for more than half the book, Bayard and Marshall are behind the scene, and all the story is centred on Oliver; then, even when the two men come back, they don’t have “scenes” where they are both together with Oliver almost till the end of the story. So the ménages theme of the story is quite lowlight, and maybe this reflects Oliver’s worries on the matter: Oliver loves both his men, but he has already had trouble to “come out” as gay, and now he fears to let it know that he is in a same-sex relationship not only with a man, but with two of them, and worst, they are even brothers! So yes, in a way, I think that the author’s reluctance is for real Oliver’s reluctance: Oliver is good with having a relationship with Bayard and Marshall when they are on their isolated ranch, but “coming out” (pun intended) in society is all another matter.

So yes, both for the relevance given to Oliver’s job description than for this insight in what it means being in a ménages, the third instalment in the Horsfall series has a bittersweet taste, well paired with the crow nature of the shapeshifters it talks about.

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1267

Series: Horsfall
1) Tail of Two Brothers: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/760355.html
2) Taste Test: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/883324.html
3) As the Crow Flies

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle