The Blacksmith's Apprentice Gay Romance, Fantasy Romance, Futuristic Fantasy
Independent
Dec 12, 2022
Kindle
274
Amazon
Eyck didn’t need anyone.
Eyck lived a good life in South Galetsy. A respected blacksmith, he spent long days making swords for the Border War, and even though he ached by day’s end, the last thing he thought he needed was an apprentice. He had his work and his best friend, Pash, and that was fine.
When Wex showed up on his stoop asking for work, Eyck agreed to take him on—no matter that Wex turned out to be prickly and secretive and an absolute bloody pain in the tail to work with. Well… mostly.
Wex didn’t want anyone.
Wex was tired of just scraping by. A freed slave and ex-convict, Wex was stubbornly determined not to let his breed caste or muteness stop him from carving out a decent life for himself. All he needed was a little help getting there.
Words like “trust”, “love, or even “desire” weren’t part of Wex’s vocabulary, and he didn’t want them to be—those words could enslave just as easily as iron. He was using the blacksmith to learn a skill, nothing more. Problem was, Wex couldn’t get Eyck out of his head.
Reviewed by Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
This was quite a unique story, even a little bizarre but I loved it. The main characters are non-human, tails, fangs, and covered in fur. The color of the fur indicates what breed they are and their standing in society and this story is about Wex, a slave and Eyck a trader. As a Kirman Wex’s standing is obvious to all since his fur is grey and with a stripe in his fur, he is also a half-breed. Eyck is a valued member of society; a creator and when these two males come together, they would change not only their lives but others around them.
Eyck owns his own blacksmith shop and one day he sees a male beating on his slave. Unable to watch what is going on without trying to stop it, Eyck picks up a hammer and insists that the beating stops. When he is asked if he wants to purchase the slave Eyck immediately agrees. Relating to the male he saved that he is no longer a slave.
Wex carries a heavy load, a slave, mute, unable to read or write and now free with no idea what to do with that freedom. Eyck feeds him and offers him a place to sleep but before long Wex runs away.
Months later he returns, tall, strong, and an ex-prisoner now wanting to be Eyck’s apprentice. Wex needs to learn a trade and is using Eyck for that very reason and will leave once he has the knowledge he needs to set off on his own.
Wex begins to have feelings for Eyck but refuses to give into them sending him looking for relief with men who will not only have sex with him but will be rough. Every night he is gone without realizing that Eyck has feelings for him but is afraid of approaching Wex about them fearing he will leave. Wex has suffered unbelievable pain in his past and doesn’t even want Eyck to touch him so wanting sex with him is unimaginable to Eyck.
Eyck and Wex are amazing characters, Wex only able to communicate using sign language and Eyck trying to give comfort and support for a man he is falling for. There are surprises, there is rape, war and bigotry a sad trait that non-humans and humans share. My first book by this author and I will gladly add him to my list of must-read authors.
LGBT/ROMANCE/FANTASY/FUTURISTIC/SCI-FI/ACTION ADVENTURE
