The Last Grand Master
Author:
Andrew
Q. Gordon
Publisher:
Dreamspinner
Press
American
release date: January
31, 2013
Format/Genre/Length:
Novel/M/M
Sc-Fi Fantasy Romance/344 pages
Overall
Personal Rating: ★★★★★
When a god deigns to personally request
your assistance in a matter of some importance, is there any other answer than
yes? Honorus appears before Prince Farrell to ask for his help on behalf of his
sister, the goddess Lenore. Do what she asks, he instructs Farrell, and oh, by
the way, you’ll also find your mate. Is that added incentive, or what?
Farrell is the Prince of Haven, but much
more than that, he is the Last Grand Master, a most powerful wizard, despite
his fairly tender years. Haven is a place of refuge for those who have fled
before the tyranny and evil that is Meglar – emperor and wizard and all-round
bad guy. Farrell has been training all his life to take on Meglar, and while he
has the love of his people, he has yet to find the one special love that all
people yearn for. Honorus sends a messenger in the form of the unicorn, Queen
Nerti, and the adventure begins! When
Farrell first meets the Muchari warrior, Miceral, he secretly wishes that the
handsome man is his intended love, for he is incredibly good-looking. But such
things don’t happen to little guys like him. Or do they?
The Last Grand Master is a sci-fi fantasy
in the grand tradition of Anne McCaffrey, Neil Gaiman, and Terry Brooks,
combined with a m/m romance that will leave you cheering for the love between
the two main characters, Farrell and Miceral. Gordon has woven for us a complex
world where magic is the norm, and wizards are a part of everyday life. I especially enjoy the way he explains the
spells as Farrell performs them. He doesn’t simply throw them out there and say
this is what happened. He makes them understandable in a realistic way—supposing
these things were possible, of course. He makes it easy to believe that they
are.
The story is told through Farrell’s eyes.
He hasn’t had an easy life. Farrell isn’t even his real name. His family has
been destroyed by the maniacal Meglar, leaving him alone in the world. It’s
only natural that he wishes to prevent the evil wizard from hurting anyone
else. Farrell is also a realist, and in the real world people must die. He
doesn’t hesitate to destroy those that ally themselves with Meglar, and he
doesn’t hesitate to throw himself into the thick of any fray.
Gordon writes with a charming and beguiling
voice, and you quickly find yourself caring about Farrell, and the people he
loves. The characters are well-written, and the plot is both creative and
intriguing. While the love between Farrell and Miceral is quite strong, Andrew
takes you up to the point where the lovemaking begins and then draws the
curtain. While I enjoy explicit sex as much as the next person, I didn’t find
the lack of it detracted in any way from my enjoyment of this book. The
emotions are there, and that’s what counts. You can always use your imagination
to fill in the blanks.
The Last Grand Master is an epic tale and
one I highly recommend. The good news is that there will be more of this
series, and I can’t wait to read them. Inside this book, you will find
adventure, humor, romance, action, drama, sci-fi and fantasy, intricately woven
into an amazingly fantastic tale.
When magic is the great equalizer, even a
nerdish wizard can find true love!
Awesome review! I really enjoyed this story, having read it in many of it's formats. I'm so glad Andy was able to get it published.
ReplyDeleteCia is given a shout out in the book for helping me get it into print. You've both been super supportive and helpful. If the Six are generous, they'll give me a chance to repay you both. [Figured I'd try to slip that in :)
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