Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Pine Outrider
SERIES: Heroes of Melowynn
AUTHOR: V.L. Locey
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 265 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 23, 2026
BLURB:
A quest for a prince. A bond neither expected. A love that defies the oldest elven magic.
Beiro Vahorn, known to the small band of druidic scouts he rides with as the Pine Outrider, has come to a painful the man that he has been infatuated with since he joined the royal exploratory committee has fallen in love with another. When the shy, sharp-eyed archer is called back from his current assignment, he’s sent on a monumental quest to find a long-lost prince of Melowynn. Tasked to cross the mighty Witherhorn Mountains to locate the king’s brother, he finds himself working with a dwarven sellsword.
Asdren Grimmane knows the dark underbelly of the mountains better than most know their own faces. He’s rough, loud, and more than willing to bend a rule or twenty to get his pay. The battle-worn dwarf long ago traded hearthlight for the road. Once a decorated warrior, now a mercenary with too many scars and not enough years ahead, he carries his honor like an old wound—painful but never forgotten. Their alliance begins in frost and friction, but the deeper they journey—through underground passes, forgotten dwarven ruins, and the whispers of ancient gods—the harder it becomes for Beiro to deny the pull between them.
As the hunt for the lost prince twists into a peril that could unravel the balance of nature itself, Beiro and Asdren must decide what they’re willing to their vows, their kingdoms…or each other.
The Pine Outrider is the second novel in the Heroes of Melowynn M/M romantasy trilogy and is filled with magic, peril, and devotion, featuring an age gap, opposites attract medium burn dynamic, elemental druidic magicks, a seasoned mercenary and a virginal scout, and a love that could root deep enough to change the world.
REVIEW:
Note: This series is tied to a previous duology, The Crowns of Melowynn. While not required, this book contains spoilers for those books and also the previous book in this series.
I’m loving these romantasy books from V.L Locey. The world is fantastic and the magick is very cool. I love Beiro for so many things. But his ability to “talk” to the animals is one of the best. The two MCs are so different and at first I couldn’t see how they would actually mesh – especially given Beiro’s unrequited crush on Pasil (MC from previous book). They couldn’t be more different. Beiro, a serious druid elf and Asdren, a mercenary and battle hardened dwarf hardly seem like a love match; however, the more time they spend together on a difficult journey searching for a missing possible prince, the more they seem to find themselves drawn together. There is of course plenty of danger and treacherous obstacles to overcome. The other dwarves in the party provide some interesting perspectives and humour as well. As with the previous book in this series, our MCs are tasked with a quest that takes them through many landscapes and terrains – some of which are quite challenging. There are other creatures who try to get in their way as well.
I don’t want to spoil the story because there is so much to discover here and there are surprises that I loved. I feel like this author can write something compelling no matter the genre. I am loving these two related series which is really saying something because Fantasy is not necessarily my favorite but everything I’ve read from V.L. Locey has me coming back for more. Highly recommended especially for fantasy fans.
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