Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Fluke and the Faithless Father

SERIES: The Fantastic Fluke Book 2

AUTHOR: Sam Burns

PUBLISHER: Self-published

RELEASE DATE: February 11, 2021

LENGTH: 286 pages

BLURB: 

After escaping a murderer and resurrecting his boyfriend, Sage figures he deserves a little time to recover.

Unfortunately, life is rarely fair.

So instead of a break, he gets to deal with a magical law enforcement rookie asking uncomfortable questions about his brush with death. The quaesitor is acting downright suspicious. Or is it suspiciously?

Things go from awkward to dangerous when the man who murdered Sage’s mother is released from prison, and soon after there’s a break-in at the bookstore. The situation escalates so fast that Sage is afraid he’s going to end up with whiplash. Or worse, end up dead. He wanted a break, but not a permanent one.

Fluke and the Faithless Father is a direct sequel to The Fantastic Fluke, and should not be read first. It is an ~85k word novel that follows the continuing adventures of Sage, Fluke, Gideon, and their whole family, found and otherwise.

REVIEW: 

I. Loved. This. Book.  Refreshingly different.  Sharply written.  Endearing characters.  Captivating plot.  Found family.  Beautiful romance.  Plus, a furry, foxy friend/familiar named Fluke.  What more could you want?

I’m going to go against the grain here in terms of this review and not tell you very much about Fluke and the Faithless Father, Book 2 in The Fantastic Fluke series by Sam Burns.  Obviously, to keep it spoiler-free, but more importantly, because the magic of this story is multiplied if you let it unfold organically without much prior knowledge.  I read Fluke and the Faithless Father with no expectations or information about the story (other than the first book and the blurb), and very much felt like I was revealing something special with every page I turned – like uncovering a precious gem where you least expected to find it.  And that’s what this is:  a gem of a story.

So what do you need to know Fluke and the Faithless Father?  A few things:

1) It is not a standalone.  

In The Fantastic Fluke, Book 1 of the series (also an excellent read), we meet Sage, the confused, overwhelmed mage in denial, Fluke, Sage’s saucy, spirited fox familiar, and Gideon, a disgruntled, sleep-deprived ghost.  They all work together to protect Sage from a group of magical zealots that want him dead.  

Fluke and the Faithless Father is a direct sequel to The Fantastic Fluke.  Sage, Gideon and Fluke are back, as well as Sage’s BFF Beez, his Grandmother Iris, and we meet some new characters as well.  The storyline from The Fantastic Fluke continues and is expanded here.  You cannot read Fluke and the Faithless Father without the foundation from Book 1.  (And really, why would you want to anyway?  Book 1 is fabulous.)  

2) It is a fantasy romance, with emphasis on the fantasy aspect.  

Sam Burns describes herself as a writer of stories that mix fantasy and romance.  That description is completely apt in relation to The Fantastic Fluke series.  Book 1 includes a good dose of magic and fantasy, but also focuses on the development of the relationship and romance between Sage and Gideon, his magical ghost mentor.

Fluke and the Faithless Father is much heavier on the magic, the action surrounding the conspiracy against Sage (and other mages like him), and even has some suspense as well.  The romance takes a back seat, although it is still very much present, just in a different form.  Rather than seeing the formation of a couple, we see Sage and Gideon in an established relationship, and it is indeed a thing to behold.  Ms. Burns weaves it into the addictive storyline seamlessly.

3) There is some violence on page.  Sex too.  (OK, maybe the latter didn’t require an advisory.  That’s what we romance readers are here for after all.)

The violence in Fluke and the Faithless Father is similar to what was in Book 1.  I’d classify it as your typical action/adventure type violence.  It’s not extensive, nor is it gratuitous.  It makes sense in context.  Nothing struck me as particularly triggering.  And yes, there’s also sex.  Sweet and steamy, although minimal in context.

And perhaps most importantly:

4)  You will not be able to put it down.  

This book and series are amazing.  Creative premise, colorful characters.  The writing is terrific.  Incisive, witty, descriptive and clever.  Ms. Burns succeeds in conveying emotional content with impact without weighing down the narrative.  The snark and humor are an excellent counterpoint to the seriousness of the events on page.  Ms. Burns’ development of the found family connections and the love and loyalty between all the characters, but in particular Sage and Fluke (love Fluke!!), is exceptional.

🦊  🦊  🦊

I cannot recommend The Fantastic Fluke series and Fluke and the Faithless Father, in particular, enough.  It’s a bit different from your typical M/M romance, but so very worth the read.  If you haven’t read The Fantastic Fluke, run, do not walk, to your e-reader and download it asap.  Then, once you finish it, roll immediately over to this story.  Luckily, it seems this series is not done, and I personally can’t wait for the next installment. 

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

Amazon