Reviewed by Stephen K
TITLE: Red Hood
AUTHOR: Zanne Suter
PUBLISHER: Evernight Publishing
LENGTH: 188 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 28th 2021
BLURB:
The only rule is to be home before dark.
As a Red Hood, Janson was raised with this warning, since male pleasure workers are often the chosen prey of the creature that hunts the nighttime streets. When a former bart grants Janson an apprenticeship, he has a chance to escape the dangers of being a Hood. There, he meets Owein, a charming young man with secrets of his own.
On the night Janson is forced to brave the dark to save his sister, he finds the creature that has been terrifying the community for so long. Instead of certain death, the creature woos Janson with gifts, protecting him when those from the everyday world become aggressive. Janson never expected to have one suitor, much less two. They both have their flaws, but which one will have his back when he becomes the hunted?
REVIEW:
Trigger warnings: Slavery, BDSM, non-con sex, prostitution, bestiality
This re-imagined fairy tale is really grim and NOT in a light, happy go lucky, M/M fantasy way. Though I was expecting a gritty Sci-fi/fantasy themed tale, this one was so bleak at several points, that I felt it necessary to set it aside and read something lighter. (including a book about a man dying of terminal cancer) That said, once the world is crafted, this is a compelling tale and one does see a ray of hope that may lead to a happy ending.
This novel had me thinking of what life might have been like on some of the Star Wars Empire’s worlds. If Tatooine had had more rainfall, it might have been like this. Here we have an evil empire of sorts. Galactic overlords have riven the planet’s native’s of their rights. Technology exists only among the rich. The poor have it worse than the those living in the Roman empire, but with gas-light level technology. Life is short, brutal, and often, next to hopeless. Janson, our main character is a sex worker, one of the few jobs open to native inhabitants that isn’t immediately life threatening. But there’s also a “creature” killing young men after dark… and it seems somehow fixated on our Janson.
The sex here is less graphic than some of what I’ve been reading lately, and it’s certainly less prurient. But, even with a plot this dark, it’s not entirely “fade to black.” However, this is still a romance and there is a hopeful ending. Love will out.
The mystery does draw one in and the story is fascinating, if one can get past the grim nature of Red Hoods’ daily existence. If you’re looking for something a bit “darker than Dexter” and “tenser than True Blood” then this tale might well be of interest.
RATING: 
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