Hi there! Today I’m sharing a link to a review I wrote for Joyfully Jay Reviews for a book that came out yesterday. I’ve been reviewing there for a year now, and every now and again I come across books that I just adore and want to share with my readers, too.

For those who are not familiar with Joyfully Jay, the site pretty much exclusively reviews LGBTQ books, with a heavy emphasis on M/M romance.

I’ve chosen TEMPEST by Cari Z, a high fantasy adventure, to share because it knocked my socks off with fantastic world building and a compelling plot.

About TEMPEST by Cari Z:

Love can change a soul. But can it save one life?

Colm Weathercliff is a simple fisherman with an uncanny (some might say preternatural knack) for his trade. He thought leaving his small village to take his father’s ashes to the capital city of Caithmor for a proper burial would be the grandest adventure of his life.

At first, all his hopes seem to be fulfilled. He finds a home where he s accepted without question, the freedom to use his talent to its fullest effect, and love with Nichol, a man with a longing for the sea as powerful as Colm’s.

But Caithmor holds as many dangers as it does attractions. Colm’s greatest secret turns out to be a dark revelation that gets him and his family shunned and changes everything he thought he knew about himself.

The truth about his parentage, his gift, even his physical form could poison his chance for love. And doom both him and Nichol to a gruesome, inescapable fate.

Warning: Contains graphic violence, explicit sex, and scenes of torture that may not be for the faint of heart. These mermen bear no resemblance to those you might have seen in a certain animated film

My entire review can be found here, but these are the highlights:

This is a fantasy and adventure with a romance that grows naturally. I was so intrigued throughout, because the world building is excellent. The elements of magic are considerable, with selkies and mer and curses and priestly charms. I think everyone will know the secret of Colm’s magic from the blurb, but the reveal is so different from my expectations that I was completely blindsided by the next several plot turns. I found the juxtaposition of religion and magic to be unique, with the priests and royalty full practitioners of magic, while even innate magic was forbidden to the regular folk.

It’s an HEA, mostly, and I hope to see another book set in this beautifully-written world.

Interested? You can find TEMPEST on Goodreads, Samhain Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!