Reviewed by Amber
TITLE: Rise: A Gay Fairy Tale
AUTHOR: Keira Andrews and LetaBlake
PUBLISHER: KA Books
LENGTH: 106 pages
BLURB:
What happens when Jack meets a sexy man atop that beanstalk?
Rumors of treasure have long sent fortune hunters clambering up a magic beanstalk to a mysterious castle in the clouds. Survivors told of an evil giant who guards the gold and glittering jewels with savage strength. No sane man would dare risk the climb—but Jack has nothing left to lose. Shunned for his evil red hair and abandoned by his cruel lover, he’s desperate to escape his life.
Rion isn’t a giant, only a man bearing the burden of protecting his family’s legacy. It’s a lonely existence, but he’s duty bound. Then Jack appears, and Rion’s world is turned upside down. After a blazing confrontation, undeniable lust sparks. Isolated in the clouds, Jack and Rion give in to their desire and growing connection. But do they have the courage to let go of the past and follow their dreams?
Soon they must protect the treasure—and each other—from a new threat. And they have everything to lose.
This is a retold fairy tale with a twist. Previously published as Ascending Hearts; this version has been revised and expanded.
REVIEW:
This was such an interesting story on so many levels. Usually I am not interested in historical stories and to be honest I really didn’t know this was one. I knew it was a new take on the classic “Jack and the Beanstalk” story but I thought it’s be contemporary. When I realized it was historical, I wasn’t bothered because I was genuinely enraptured in the story. Knowing that I’ve know this one story my whole life and to have this added little twist, I found it very clever and very genuine.
Jack was an ordinary boy with unordinary hair. His hair was fiery red, which was unlike any other person’s hair in his village. Since it was so different he was immediately shunned from everyone, including his family. People felt his bright red hair was cursed or flawed. He lived most of his life alone, even emotionally shunned from his family. Having had his ex-lover marry his sister and his mother vacates their family home, Jack is beyond lonely. On top of that he is tricked by a local merchant and finds himself in deep debt overnight. Desolate and beyond hope he finds himself thinking of the childhood tale of the beanstalk that leads to an endless fortune. The only problem is the Giant that guards the treasure mercilessly.
Rion has only known one life; up above the clouds at the other end of the beanstalk. His parents have warned him repeatedly about the people at the bottom of the beanstalk. His whole life they have filled his head with tales of atrocities, so that is all he believes.
Hopeless, Jack climbs the beanstalk in search for just enough treasure to get him out of his debt. Naturally, Rion and Jack’s initially meeting is explosive, they fight and things get ugly.
Slowly, their attraction for each other wins over everything else. They seem to both realize, in their world, where being a man attracted to a man was beyond unacceptable, they know they find something special in each other.
This story was pure magic, no pun intended, because there were in fact magical elements. I loved Jack, so much. And Rion was the most perfect knight in shining armor.
This was a very unique, special story. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read it.
RATING: 
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