“On his tenth birthday, Connor trips over a sleeping wizard”… “On his eleventh birrhday, he follows his dad to Mack’s”… “On his twelfth birthday, Connor“On his tenth birthday, Connor trips over a sleeping wizard”… “On his eleventh birrhday, he follows his dad to Mack’s”… “On his twelfth birthday, Connor bakes a cake with his mother.” “Mom dies on Connor’s thirteenth birthday.” …and so on.
These are the beginning phrases of each chapter in this book. The way the story is written is rhythmical. It has a lyrical structure around a central theme. The theme is Connor’s birthday. We follow Connor’s life from his tenth birthday when something important and magical happened in his life until his 23rd birthday where the circle is complete. If I could be allowed, I would actually consider the whole book as the first chapter of Connor and Yates’ story. Because new adventures could come after this book and time is not an issue for either of these two men. They could have centuries in front of them to develop their relationship and their magic.
This is a May-December romance story where a young apprentice falls in love with his wizard teacher who is over 200 years old. Don’t be alarmed! The wizard looks like 30 years old for the whole duration of the book and he is good looking. And wise. And magical. It is logical for a young magical boy to feel respect and admiration for his trainer at first. Later on, when Connor is a teenager he feels interest and lust, but Yates keeps his distance.
The relationship of the teenager boy with his teacher is treated consciously by the author. The wizard will never take advantage of him and his curiosity. Connor will be 18 before something sexual will happen between them which will end rabidly because the old wizard will feel the wrongness of the act.
Many years apart will pass, until they become lovers. And these years will be full of wanton, desperation, loneliness, abandonment, betrayal. Connor will have to mature and have experiences before he takes the chance to try again. He will have to realize how important is magic in his life, how important is Yates. And then he will have to convince Yates not to abandon him again.
There is symbolic language in the book which does not overpower the central love story: - The dealing with the pain: the ritual of the bodies’ burial found at the shore by Yates, the accurate replication of Connor’s mothers recipes, the efforts for the resurrection of the beloved dead. - The dealing with the lost love: Connor getting drunk, finding other lovers - The denial: the invisible wall that Yates creates around his ship, Yates being invisible during Connor’s birthday. - The destiny: they meet every time on his birthday even if they are apart the rest of the time. - The time for change: The fire which almost burns the ship, the storm that takes away the ship. - The acceptance and the fighting for happiness: The kraken attacks and almost kills Connor and Yates realizes what is important for him - Asking for love and forgiveness: The birthday cake Yates offers and he keeps making for Connor - Growing up: Learning about magic and how beautiful things can turn nasty if you don’t know what you are doing.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It is certainly different to the books I have read with similar themes. The author has her own writing style and her ideas are balanced between prose and lyricism. This is definitely not your usual PNR romance. I recommend the book, if you wish to try something different and out of the ordinary MM paranormal romance books.
(I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review)...more