2015 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Seventh by Rachel White

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Seventh by Rachel White
Gay Fantasy Romance
Paperback: 168 pages
Publisher: Less Than Three Press (June 24, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1620045575
ISBN-13: 978-1620045572
Amazon: Seventh
Amazon Kindle: Seventh

Hynd leads a lonely life, suffering the lingering effects of a debilitating illness and rejected by most of society because of it. He has spent most of a decade investigating the disappearance of the Seventh Dragoons, content to immerse himself in the frustrating search and the book he is writing about it. When his sister comes to him about a handsome man eager to meet him, Hynd can scarcely believe his luck, unable to recall the last time somebody wanted to be near him and did not fear or revile him for his illness. But Julius has come only to see Hynd's research, hoping to learn what happened to the Seventh and prove that his great-grandfather was not a traitor. And while an assistant in his research is not what Hynd had hoped for, it's better than nothing. And maybe between the two of them the mystery of the Seventh can at last be put to rest...


I loved this story. Hynd is such an unusual hero. His deformed appearance stood in stark opposition to Julius's handsomeness. But they have much in common. Their relationship felt natural, moving at a slow but steady pace. They grew to respect one another before falling in love. And I fell in love right along with them. The author's voice was compelling and strong, and her narrative reflected the beauty of the written word.

I loved this story, was drawn into it very quickly, and read in on sitting as I couldn't put it down.  I thought the characters and their world were very well drawn, and the relationship felt very natural and realistic. Loved the mystery of the Seventh and the way it was finally solved.

This story of an alternate England and a search for historical truth by a disfigured man shunned by society is brilliantly told. It even has an HEA which I totally believed!