Genre: Paranormal, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Tony
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About The Book
Agent Poe loves being part of the Agency—an organization devoted to protecting shapeshifters—and he especially loves his mate of only a couple of months, Nordik, the nigh immortal master bear shifter. He has the best of both worlds—the man he loves and the job he loves. But when Nordik reveals he’s ready to rejoin society and accompany Poe on his missions, Poe must take the next step and make them a full partnership.
After the Agency intercepts a message from Arcas, the leader of the Knights of the Dawn—a cult bent on the annihilation of shifters—meant for his followers, their job gets a whole lot harder. The Knights don’t bother keeping their activities hidden anymore, stretching the Agency’s resources thinner than ever.
After a near-fatal mission almost costs Poe his life, Nordik insists on a break for both of them. They visit Poe’s family in Ireland and learn that true danger lies not without, but within. There’s no greater betrayal than that of a loved one.
Second Edition with revised text.
The Review
Kindred Truths is centred on Agent Poe and master shifter Nordik, and the problems faced by a couple trying to find time for themselves in the face of the Knights and their nastiness. Poe is fighting the good fight and doesn’t know how to stop. Nordik wants to keep him safe, which often puts him at odds with Poe.
Nordik has an idea how he can achieve that, which leads to some adjustment for Poe. It works until Poe gets injured and is forced to go on leave. He takes Nordik to meet his family, which has very mixed results. It also provides a new development in the part bird shifters play in the continuing story.
We get to spend time with agents and family, which provides some great relaxed interludes. Agent Oenghus is obviously introduced here for some future plotline, as he seems to have a big secret. I suspect its revelation will not be good for him, the Agency and the rest of the world.
When I read this, I was reminded of the first Captain America film in the way the story jumped from conflict to conflict.
Poe is more like a pocket-sized Captain America than the Poe depicted on the cover. He is more muscular than that guy, surely. I’m not sure I like Poe that much, but I respect him and his single mindedness. If something is wrong, it’s wrong. Nothing changes that, as you will find in this book.
There was a sense of menace throughout the story, with the possibility of enemies stepping out of shadows wherever Poe goes. When Poe is involved, that’s a given.
For my taste, a bit less sex and this would be perfect. Read them if they’re your thing, but don’t miss out on the action scenes, those are good. I also liked the Irish sequence and meeting Poe’s family – his dad’s a Viking dwarf for heaven’s sake. It explains a lot!
The Reviewer
Tony is an Englishman living amongst the Welsh and the Other Folk in the mountains of Wales. He lives with his partner of thirty-six years, four dogs, two ponies, various birds, and his bees. He is a retired lecturer and a writer of no renown but that doesn’t stop him enjoying what he used to think of as ‘sensible’ fantasy and sf. He’s surprised to find that if the story is well written and has likeable characters undergoing the trails of life, i.e. falling in love, falling out of love, having a bit of nooky (but not all the time), fending off foes, aliens and monsters, etc., he’ll be happy as a sandperson who has just offloaded a wagon of sand at the going market price. As long as there’s a story, he’s in. He aims to write fair and honest reviews. If he finds he is not the target reader he’ll move on.