reviews_and_ramblings | 2009 Rainbow Awards: Best Writing Style

And the Rainbow Award goes to:

1) A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day, Lethe Press

The Ice fell upon the world nearly a hundred years ago, and if civilization didn't rightly collapse, it surely staggered and fell ill a while. In the small town of Moline, Virginia, folks struggle to survive, relying on hybrid seed sent by the faraway Department of Reintroduction and Agriculture and their own faith in God and hard work. But when a mated pair of dragons starts hunting the countryside, stealing sheep, and attacking children, the townsfolk quickly learn that they don t have the weapons or the skills to fight off such predators. David Anderson is a farmer's son who has explored the world through books. When he meets the new healer in town, Callan Landers, he doesn't quite know what to make of the strange warmth stealing over him. It's not until he surprises Callan with another man and both men are promptly arrested for sodomy that David finally realizes the truth about his own feelings. When David and Callan stumble over a secret in a nearby abandoned town, their personal problems fade before government politics and corruption that threaten lives. It seems the dragons aren t the worst dangers facing Moline.

2) Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen, Lethe Press

New York City, 1919. His career as a concert pianist ended by a war injury, Sutton Albright returns to college, only to be expelled after a scandalous affair with a teacher. Unable to face his family, Sutton heads to Manhattan with no plans and little money in his pocket but with a desire to call his life his own. Jack Bailey lost his parents to influenza and now hopes to save the family novelty shop by advertising on the radio, a medium barely more than a novelty, itself. His nights are spent in a careless and debauched romp through the gayer sections of Manhattan. When these two men cross paths, despite a world of differences separating them, their attraction cannot be denied. Sutton finds himself drawn to the piano, playing for Jack. But can his music heal them both, or will sudden prosperity jeopardize their chance at love?

3) Angels of the Deep by Kirby Crow, MLR Press

"It´s, hands-down, the best m/m book I´ve read (I haven´t read many of them, admittedly, but this was absolutely amazing). The poetic language, the well-chosen setting/flashbacks, it quite literally created a completely new world. The journey of discovery Beck goes through is amazing and creepy and beautiful. This would easily stand up with the very best in urban fantasy/horror. A total master piece." Aleksandr Voinov

"This book was an engrossing read but one that really needed to be concentrated on. It has such depth and deeper meaning that to try and read it quickly is to not get the best out of it. The second reading was the one that cemented in my mind, just how much the author has thought of all the 'little things' as well as the broader picture. For that reason, I have awarded this incredibly high marks, I know, but I honestly believe that the world building, characterisation and writing style warrant it. The world building was vivid, and very imaginative. The characterisation was also very well done. Mastema, Beckett, Sean/Tamiel were all given depth, Catherine too. I found the writing very tight. No noticeable errors and it flowed easily. It was very descriptive without being excessively so. Thoroughly well done." Rosie

Becket Merriday is on the trail of a killer who is murdering beautiful young men in the small town of Irenic. What he discovers an ancient race of immortal beings hunted by an incredibly powerful adversary: the angel Mastema. Soon, Beck and his partner, Sean Logan, find themselves at the center of a deadly supernatural war.