2015 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Barren by Anna Hedley

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Barren by Anna Hedley
Gay Fantasy
Paperback: 578 pages
Publisher: Less Than Three Press (October 8, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1620044390
ISBN-13: 978-1620044391
Amazon: Barren
Amazon Kindle: Barren

All the women of Yarn have died. King Daniel sends out his twelfth best warrior, Blair. But having learned from the first eleven that warriors aren't to be trusted, he orders Ren, scholar and advisor, to go with him. Blair thinks the Amorphous, a race of formless and seemingly omniscient beings, know more about the death of the women than they're saying. Ren suspects Blair's prejudices are skewing his judgment, and they're looking in the wrong place. If they're going to solve the mystery and set Yarn right, it's going to take understanding on both their parts.


Huge plot, deftly handled. Imaginative yet real characters who grew as they faced the issues within the story. I wouldn't say it's a romance, per se, but a fantasy/paranormal with subplots of romance. Just what I like. I will watch out for more of Anna's writing.

Very creative and original. Twists and turns that kept the story moving clear arc to story with an unpredictable ending. The romance was clearly secondary to the plot but in this case it worked. Excellent detail in brings this fictional world to life
Very diverse with excellent development. I really cared for each character as the story progressed. I think my favorite was Eli. Only negative was that the story got a bit wordy. Good use of language, showing, and imagery.