Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
In the notorious Five Points slum of 1870’s Manhattan, Galen ‘the Mongoose’ Driscol steps out of jail and back into the arms of his transgendered lover, Wira Boruta. When Galen tells Wira that he’s tracked down the man who tried to kill them as children, Wira is unwilling to listen, and pleads with Galen to forget the past, and live only for the future ... their future.

Only Galen doesn’t forget, nor does he forgive. He doesn’t give a second thought about exacting justice, but justice has a price, and it’s come to collect from the one person Galen loves most ...

BOOK REVIEW:
Gadarene by Tina Anderson and C.B. Potts met and exceeded my expectations. The story effortlessly merges the genres of horror, paranormal and historical. And at the heart of it, Gadarene is also a romance.

The setting of the story is established early on when Galen is released from jail, and he takes a leisurely walk back to his mother's house. Slum life is painted vividly and it's clear that Galen, and everyone else he knows, does not live a life of luxury. Galen's mother is a prostitute, and so is Wira, Galen's lover. Galen himself is a hitman hired by various members of two rival gangs called Long Coats and Top Hats.

The prose has a smooth style that fits with the story. Galen and his friends are poor hitmen and prostitutes and they talk like poor hitmen and prostitutes. Wira has a Polish accent, though he was born in America, and his W's sound like V's. I appreciate the attention to details like that. But Wira slips up too often, and that makes me wonder whether the authors were careless or whether Wira can control how thick his accent is.

Galen can be ruthless, and he doesn't hesitate to kill, even when he's not officially "working." It's that part of him that wants to take revenge on Him, the man who tried to kill Galen and Wira when they were younger. Wira is more practical and tells him to let go of the past. Galen doesn't want to worry Wira so he tells Wira that it's all forgotten. Despite Galen's tough exterior, all things Wira turn him into a softie. He even pulls Wira out of his unpleasant profession of giving blowjobs.

The love between Galen and Wira is obvious and touching, however that's not all there is to the story. Gadarene is bloody and gory, and unsettling enough to give you nightmares. But I hope that doesn't stop anyone from reading, because you would be missing a terrific story.

The cover art and layout alone make this book worth a second glance. Font choices were beautiful and appropriate, and the cover and back complimented perfectly what was inside. There is little to criticize about Gadarene; it comes as close to perfection as possible.

I'm grateful to the authors for producing a top-notch work, and I'll look forward to their future projects. If you're looking for something unconventional, Gadarene is highly recommended.

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