Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
For the island inhabitants of Sombar, the end looms near. As a long-dormant volcano stirs to life, the jewel smith Thissol falls in love with Irdun, a handsome young man employed by a high-class brothel in a town whose residents are rapidly fleeing. Will Thissol persuade Irdun to break the contract which binds him in servitude to the House of the Swallows, or will both perish in the coming cataclysm?

BOOK REVIEW:
"House of the Swallows" by L.E. Bryce is an engaging story with interesting characters, tricky situations, and building suspense.

Irdun is a beautiful, young, indentured servant in a whorehouse. He is adept at his trade, and thus is quite popular with the clients. Thissol is a highly skilled jewel smith and frequent client of Irdun's. These two are quite good together; there is a wonderful compatibility both physically and emotionally.

I enjoyed each of these men. Irdun is resigned to his fate. Having been a whore for a while, he has become weary, yet he still has his heart. This is portrayed in a realistic manner. Thissol is attracted to Irdum's beauty and skill, yet he is enamored of the heart he finds beneath the jaded surface. Again, this is shown in a believable way.

Finally, there is Laputi, the owner of the whorehouse and holder of Irdun's contract. He is a bit more of a stereotype, but serves his purpose well.

The plot is a strong one, and moves at a good pace. There is a volcano giving signs of imminent eruption. People are fleeing the island, and Thissol wants to take Irdun and leave. Problems arise because of Irdun's indentured status. Complicating the situation is the fact that if Irdun breaks his contract, he will be arrested and sold as a slave. If Thissol tries to buy the contract he will use up all his money. Of course, Laputi refuses to sell the contract, or acknowledge any danger, despite the crumbling walls of his house. So, there is a great 'catch-22' at the center of this plot.

That the volcano will erupt and completely obliterate the entire island is revealed in passages sprinkled throughout the story of a modern archeologist supervising an excavation on the island. Ultimately, the modern passages don't work as well as the historical ones; but they do help to add suspense. And there is plenty of suspense in this tale.

Overall, a very enjoyable read.

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. However, some books were purchased by the reviewer and not provided for free. For information on how a particular title was obtained, please contact us at reviews@rainbow-reviews.com.