A Shadow of Wings by Linda Gayle
Paranormal M/M Romance
February 17, 2013
Self Published
Reviewed by Helyce
From Goodreads: Thrown out on the street by his homophobic stepfather, Dylan struggles to get his life together. Years of being used and abused have left him tough and determined to make it on his own. When he sees a dog getting beaten, his protective instincts drive him to rescue her. But as the attackers turn on Dylan, out of the shadows comes a hero. One with mysterious eyes and a shy sensuality Dylan can’t resist.
Cam Coburn can’t reveal his true identity to the man he rescues. Nor can he reveal that he’s a freak among freaks, a cockatrice shifter with an unwanted gift for seeking out conflict rather than treasure. Newly independent from his mentor, Cam sees in Dylan his first chance to test the limits of his human guise. Defying every rule, Cam succumbs to Dylan’s seduction for just one night. But Cam finds he can’t let his lover go, and Dylan breaks down every barrier. For he is the one human who can gaze in a cockatrice’s eyes without fear.
Yet even as their bond deepens, danger closes in on them from all sides, and Cam’s dark secrets may save them—or lead to their destruction.
I’m using the blurb here because the line that explains that Cam is a “cockatrice” shifter is the sole reason for my decision to read this book. While I have found big love for m/m romances of late, paranormal m/m just hasn’t worked well for me. I chose to read this one because it seemed so odd and out there, my curiosity was peaked.
Dylan and Cam meet when Cam arrives and saves Dylan from a beating after he attempts to stop a couple of guys who were beating on a dog. Cam’s sense that someone needed help had been simmering all day and led him to Dylan. Though he’s suppose to limit his interaction with humans, Cam helps Dylan up, finds the dog and breaks every rule in the book when he takes Dylan to his home to clean him and the dog up. Though Cam has lived as a human for years, he’s had little or no interaction with them, save this “need” to help people and he’s completely enamored and perplexed by Dylan. For one, Dylan is able to look him in the eye, something no human is supposed to be able to do.
The budding relationship between Dylan and Cam worked for me. Though Dylan’s initial attraction to Cam includes the fact that he lives very comfortably in a beautiful home with food and a comfy bed while Dylan lives in a little more than a hovel, it quickly changes to the fact they just need to be together. While Cam is clearly hiding something, Dylan just kind of goes with it. There is an attraction that they can’t ignore and when they are together, intimately, Dylan sees things that he really can’t explain but he’s never afraid, their connection to each other getting stronger every day and Cam finds himself slowly revealing things to Dylan that he shouldn’t.
The paranormal aspect of this story is totally and completely out there. Revolving around a centuries old secret that has a religious foundation to it, we find a secret society of blind monks that has been breeding the cockatrices for ages and using them to seek out treasure and keep their coffers filled. The bad guys are called weasels and appear to be the cockatrices main enemy, though we find out soon enough that they are not their only enemy.
Cameron and Dylan find themselves with a major fight on their hands when the monk’s true plan comes to light. Cameron must shift and when Dylan sees his true form for the first time he is understandably taken aback. Yet, his fear and confusion is totally overcome by the fact that someone wants to hurt Cam and he cannot let that happen. Instinct takes over and all he knows is that he has to get Cam to safety while he is vulnerable.
**MAJOR SPOILER**
This story kept my attention throughout, even while being completely odd in its premise. Ms. Gayle’s writing is descriptive and intriguing and pulled me in. I wanted to see where she’d go with these characters. She really goes out on a limb with this storyline and it truly is a fresh and brave approach even for a paranormal. I enjoyed Dylan and Cam’s beauty and beast type love story. But once the conflict is introduced and a solution found, the ending is rushed even with the inclusion of the epilogue. I would have liked a little more explanation as to why Cam and Dylan’s being together was so special. The fact that they could do what they did, wasn’t enough. That said, I would definitely read more by this author.
Rating: C
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