Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The False Shaman
SERIES: Claimed by the Red Hand
AUTHOR: Jordan Castillo Price
PUBLISHER: JCP Books LLC
LENGTH: 302 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 30, 2025
BLURB:
Being sold into slavery by the brothels was bad enough. Then I was handed over to an orc pretending to be a shaman.
One minute I’m fighting for my life in the hot springs while the old shaman works his magic, the next I’m property of his replacement. But something’s off about Droko—he has the muscles of a warrior, the confidence of a noble, and no idea how to perform even a single ritual.
I should be planning my escape. Instead, I’m teaching this hulking green fraud how to fake his way through ceremonies before we both end up dead. There’s just one the more time we spend hiding in shadowy caves and whispering secrets, the harder it gets to ignore the heat between us.
As ancient prophecies, power struggles, and one very angry honor guard threaten to tear us apart, we’ll need more than clever tricks to survive.
When humans from the civilized lands find themselves claimed by orcs of the fearsome Red Hand clan, passion ignites. These stories weave together clan politics, ancient prophecies, and dangerous adversaries with slow-burn romance. The series follows unlikely heroes as they navigate treachery, cultural clashes, and unexpected attraction in a richly detailed world where survival depends on finding common ground.
– Slow burn
– Medium heat
– Lush worldbuilding
– Forced proximity
– Opposites attract
REVIEW:
Note: This is the second book in this series. Technically it can be read as a standalone I suppose, but the circumstances of both Archie’s relationship with the previous shaman as well as the conflict between the Clan of the Red Hand and Droko’s Two Swords clan.
Archie has arrived at the Clan of the Red Hand and has been taken care of by the shaman after the red hand was spied on Archie who was also near death with illness. The shaman, Taruut, has nursed Archie back to health and keeps saying that he is part of the prophesy that he has foreseen. Archie has no idea what that means but he’s happy to still be alive. He needs to figure out a way to make himself indispensible to the next shaman and stay out of the way Gorgul, the shaman’s guard who has had it out for Archie since he arrived.
Droko is the third son of the chieftan of the Two Swords clan. He’s been betrothed to a woman and he’s looking forward to his marriage. When he arrives home though, he sees his betrothed with his brother, the second son. His mother waves him off and tells him his new duty to the clan is to become the new shaman that has been promised in order to keep the peace with the Clan of the Red Hand after a disastrous battle and betrayal. Droko knows literally nothing about being a shaman, but he knows he has to do his duty.
Droko arrives at the Clan of the Red Hand with Crespash, his goblin slave, dressed somewhat convincingly as a shaman. He feels incredibly vulnerable since before he was a soldier, but shaman don’t carry swords. The shaman’s guards greet him and take him to Taruut’s cave. Again, Droko is shocked – the shaman of his clan lives in some luxury – not in an old cave. There he meets Archie, the human slave of Taruut and he tells Gorgul to free him from the shackles that he’s been delighted to hold Archie in.
Archie is thrilled to be free and he knows that he has got to find a way to escape. He’s tired of being in bondage and not having any control over his own life. Besides, Gorgul is just looking for an excuse to abuse Archie and ultimately get rid of him. Droko can’t control his reactions and he’s clearly interested in Archie – which Archie intends to take full advantage of. Archie has spent too much time reading people when working in the brothels and he needs to make sure he’s got the protection of Droko to work on his plan.
Droko’s first order of business is to find the crypt so that Taruut can be sent on his next journey with all due ceremony. Droko, however, has no idea where the crypt is or how to find it. Crespash and Archie both are trying to help find the crypt. Crespash would love to escape as well, but without Droko’s protection and convincing the Red Hands that he is indeed a shaman, they will all be dead.
Archie finds something that he thinks will help him escape and also build a new life, but he’s got to play his cards and timing right. In the meantime, he acts a cook and food taster for Droko since there is some concern about someone poisoning the new shaman 😉 This gives Archie the excuse he needs to get close to Droko.
Then feelings get involved. There are those who would like to expose Droko for a fake though to gain favor. Archie and Droko will have to work as a team to overcome those who would see them both banished or worse.
So again, this isn’t a traditional romance. There is a very slow burn here. Droko is not experienced and he doesn’t know much about humans. He just knows that physically they are weak. He is really impressed by Archie’s resilience and resourcefulness and bravery. Archie finds himself wanting to help Droko and puts off his “escape” plan in order to make sure Droko is safe. There are some real surprises around what makes a shaman that I didn’t see coming. And of course Archie and Droko finally confess their true feelings 😉 In the end, these two become a true partnership. The world gets more interesting here and there is more unexplained magic. We see characters from the previous book and a glimpse of the new book’s protagonists. Fans of fantasy and slow burn will enjoy this story. Recommended.
RATING: 
BUY LINK:
