Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: A Curse on the Mountain
AUTHOR: Missouri Dalton
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 227 Pages
BLURB:
In the cursed city of Var Eldore, perched on a mountaintop surrounded by a frigid swamp, the rain never stops. Former pleasure slave Myr lives in hiding, trying to stay a step ahead of his captor. But there’s more to Myr than he realizes, and destiny has other plans for him. Soon, he counts soldiers, spies, nobles, and wizards among his allies. Their goal is to oppose the king and those who perpetuate slavery, and fight for the freedom of their land. As they uncover secrets and conspiracies, each more tangled than the last, Myr also discovers he has unique abilities to aid their cause—the Redeemers.
As the strength of the Redeemers grows, so does the number of enemies they must face. Each member of their alliance has his or her own demons to battle, and Myr must confront the truth about himself and become the leader they need. Alongside his lover Ryall and the people who have become his family—as well as some unlikely friends—Myr and the Redeemers must prepare for war. If they fall, the city in the rain will follow.
REVIEW
I really enjoyed this story. It is a true fantasy more than a gay romance. It has gay characters and it has straight characters. No differentiation is made between the two. Both are the norm. This is a mainstream book that I wouldn’t be surprised to see in the sci-fi/fantasy aisle at any book store.
When the book begins, we are introduced to Myr. Myr is currently working in a shop which sells cloth, buttons, and the like to the wealthy women of the city. The city is Var Eldore, a mountain top city that was cursed by a god a thousand years ago. Since then it has rained every single day, all day.
Myr is on the run from the family of his partner, who fell from a cliff when Myr shoved him. He never intended to kill Ryall, who he loved very much. It was a silly argument gone wrong. Before we know it, Myr has been captured by soldiers and marched off to his fate.
But Myr is more than he seems. What follows is a tale of treachery, love and redemption. Myr helps start a group called the Redeemers that, when in motion, become a steamroller towards social change. We have a host of characters, all essential to the story and enough adventures to make this a true fantasy novel. What we don’t have is any graphic sex. If you’re looking for that, this isn’t the book for you. As I said above, this book is more mainstream and will appeal to a far wider market.
But what about the evil King and his henchmen? What about the lost love? Why does this kid Vex keep showing up in the story? And what about the god that started the rain in the first place?
The author wrote a believable story, with interesting and varied characters. I felt the book was well written, and well edited. I was able to picture the characters from their descriptions, and truly enjoyed getting to know them. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. There has to be one, because the author left several wide-open storylines. I recommend this book and will eagerly anticipate the next!
RATING: 
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