Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
Edor, Lys and Tywyll continue to work hard to make their land and home better as winter turns to spring. They're focused on keeping the spring floods from their home, building channels so the water reaches their fields instead. They also continue to learn more about Cynar, the Novigi they found during the winter, who comes in very useful for keeping their farm secret from passersby.

Varas has not forgotten Edor and his two helpers though and he shows up, making demands in return for not giving away the secret of their existence to the Salters. Edor and Cynar refuse to give Varas what he wants, fighting against the Salters who come to take their land, which helps the two grow closer every day. Can they keep their little farm, and family, afloat?

BOOK REVIEW:
Both revelations and intimations continue in the third installment of Lee Benoit's intriguing Servant of the Seasons tale.

We begin to learn more about the mystical "Novigi," catching tiny bits of their history as told by them and others. We learn more about the sad and disturbing condition of the world in which the story occurs; and as well we learn about the fragile possibility of the world's recovery that the primary characters are nurturing.

We begin to learn more about the enigmatic Cynar ~ a Novigi who is completely unlike the established protagonists Tywlyll and Lys ~ and about the new wistful attention Cynar is receiving from Edor, whose Novigi nickname "Méco" has become much more suitable and natural.

We also meet the despicable though all-too-real Varas, who has not overlooked the positive changes brought on the landscape by Edor, Lys and Tywyll.

The story overall is remarkable and Benoit's writing remains engaging and easily approachable. While the story's few graphic moments of erotica still seem out of place, there are also very charming and satisfying "fade-to-black" moments, such as the last two lines of one section:

"Will you refuse me?"

He didn't.

Considering all of this, the works in this series still fall regularly between "good" and "great," and this time I'm comfortable rounding up.

Recommended reading for anyone who enjoys thoughtful science fiction and who won't raise their eyebrows too much at some overt male-on-male sexuality.

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