Title and Link: Fire Season
Author: Lex Valentine
Publisher URL: http://pinkpetalbooks.com
Genre: Paranormal (M/M)
Length: Novella
Rating: 5+ stars out of 5, DIK
THE BLURB
Black dragon Holden Antaeus isn’t looking for a mate. His life is filled with family, work, and dating. Women adore him and he’s never short of offers for sex, but a relationship isn’t something he’s interested in. When Holden’s brother Sean hires a new executive for Antaeus International, Holden’s whole world, and everything he’s ever believed about himself, is blown to bits. Garret Renquist is a green dragon, intelligent, witty, bi-sexual, and hot for Holden.
Despite the fact that Holden is positive he’s heterosexual, the moment he meets Garret, something happens inside him. What follows is a journey through stereotypes and ingrained beliefs as Holden struggles with the fact that his destined mate is a man.
THE REVIEW
Fire Season is Book 3 in the Tales of the Darkworld series, and is the only story that is M/M. Can I say upfront how much I enjoyed this delicious book? Dragons have always fascinated me and Fire Season took my love for these wonderful paranormal creatures to new heights.
Holden is a member of a very influential and rich family that is in the funeral business. As General Counsel, he works closely with his brother Declan who is head of Acquisitions for Antaeus International, and on this particular day his eldest brother Sean, the CEO, is getting on everyone’s nerves. Enter Garret Renquist, the company’s newest executive, who turns Holden’s life upside down as his every sacred cow is gutted when he realizes that he is attracted to Garret. Holden feels betrayed by his body because he’s straight and has never had any sexual feelings towards another male, yet here he was, virtually panting over a man. Then he finds out that he and Garret will be sharing a suite at a company retreat arranged by Sean starting later that day. This makes him very angry because, in addition to not wanting to be anywhere near Garret, he had plans for the weekend with his current girlfried and he was going to lose his deposit on their getaway as well as have his sexy weekend go up in flames.
Garret, who is a bisexual 120 year old dragon, is not unhappy with the sleeping arrangements because the weekend in close quarters would give him and Holden time to get to know each other. He is more in tune with his dragon and recognized that the strong attraction he feels for Holden could mean only one thing – they are mates. He is aware that when Holden finds out he would be even more furious, but in the dragon world being mates is a bond that is very sacred and it can only be broken through the death of one partner. Holden is beside himself when Garret tells him why they are so drawn to each other and can smell each other from across the room and refuses to acknowledge the reality of the situation, but when he walks in on Garret having sex with another man in their suite later that evening his jealousy knows no bounds and he is enraged as well as feeling betrayed and frustrated, but the emotional bonds of mating were already working and his dragon is demanding that he claim his mate. For Garret “dealing with Holden was a lot like playing the stock market, and at the moment he was losing his ass.”
Lex Valentine is a gifted writer as she creates a world for her dragons that is so real I could taste and feel it. Her writing is engaging, vibrant and fresh and her characters are incredibly three dimensional and larger than life. She does an excellent job on Holden by showing his difficulty as a straight man in accepting that his mate is male, and the fight for dominance between his dragon and his human side, in addition to the difference between emotional acceptance of his mate and sexual expression between him and Garret both as dragons and men. This makes for a complex relationship between them, and Holden’s slow recognition of his future, which would have been alien just days ago, is done so well that I could almost see his gears changing as his and Garret’s emotions begin to bleed into each other’s minds and hearts.
The best part of this book is the dragon fire – sex between dragons is, I think, glorious and the best among paranormals because they are so huge, and when shifted they are awesome, beautiful creatures. The intense heat, billowing smoke and the fire and brimstone during sex defies description – some things you have to experience for yourself.:) In case you think that this book is all about sex you couldn’t be more wrong – the dialogue was funny and original and so was the prose. Lex Valentine did a great job on the story, other members of the Antaeus family and various supporting characters. I thought that Sean’s character in particular was full of himself and not very likable as he tries to acquire an Australian company who wouldn’t play ball. Sean rules the business and the family with an iron fist and is a master manipulator, and Holden and he are frequently at odds. There’s a lot of action throughout the book and the pace was fast and furious as everyone tries to do Sean’s bidding.
What didn’t I like about the book? Hardly anything, except I could have done with a little less family togetherness, but this is, after all, part of a series and it’s expected that characters from previous books would show up. I would also have loved it if this book were novel length rather than a novella, but the author managed to wrap up the story very credibly in 104 pages. I wish that this author had written other M/M books because she would have become an auto buy for me.
Although Fire Season is part of a series it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. If you love paranormal books this one should be on your bookshelf. Kudos to Ms Valentine for a wonderful and exciting story!
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Wow, sounds very cool. Or hot.
I’ve never heard of that author but perhaps that is because this is the only m/m in the series as you noted. Worth checking out I think. I like dragons. 
Hi Tam
Fire Season is very hot in more ways than one. I did preface my review by saying how much I love dragons and this story hit all of my buttons – corporate takeover, two hot dragons who burn up the pages and a fast moving story with lots of humour. What more could I want?
Thank you so much for the great review, Wave. At the end of a long rough day, coming home to your words about my work brought tears to my eyes.
I do have other M/M things in the works. I’ve only been subbing my work since last Sept so 2009 is my publishing debut. I have a M/M Pink Chair Diaries story but it’s written in 3rd omni so there’s almost a head hopping feel to it. I’ve since abandoned writing in that voice for obvious reasons. LOL My current projects are both M/M novellas (one ghost story, one shifter story) and the next two projects are M/M cowboy stories for the holidays.
Fire Season does have a sequel called Fire Storm. There is menage in it. The men do have a female mate, but there is a reason their love for each other is so deep. The answer lies in the epilogue to Fire Season and has to do with whether or not Ash is alive. M/M readers who love Holden and Garret really have nothing to fear. I’m not going to spoil their love story… only enhance it.
Thank you again for your words. It means so much to me to have people enjoy my work.
Lex
Hi Lex
I really enjoyed your book and read it again after I reviewed it. I’m looking forward to your other stories – let me know when they are released because I don’t subscribe to any of the feeds from Pink Petal Publishing.
Re the menage story with Holden and Garret (Fire Storm), I would not be the right person to review it for the simple reason that I don’t like M/M/F or M/F/M menages and I don’t review them (it’s a long story).:) I will look forward to your ghost and shifter stories as well as the cowboy holiday stories and bid adieu to Garret and Holden.
No worries, Wave. You might like to read it when it comes out not to review but just to see what happens to the guys because… in the end… it’s just them and their kids.
My old Pink Chair Diaries story is a free read at:
http://pinkchairdiaries.com/2008/09/10/the-wiz-and-the-chair/
My ghost story is being subbed to MLR for an antho. The shifter to Loose ID as part of an antho. The cowboys are for Pink Petal Books. I’m pretty sure the cowboys are a go. The other two I’ll have to wait and see if they offer a contract, but I’ll certainly let you know when I have more M/M stuff releasing.
Lex
I’ll keep an eye out for the books released from Loose Id and MLR Press since I get their new releases, and if you let me know when the Pink Petal cowboys are coming out I would appreciate it.
I have a tough time with menages because to me the woman totally changes the dynamic of the M/M relationship. I know that Garret is bi and Holden is straight and I figured from some of their comments in Fire Season that this was where a new story could be headed. Writers have to go where the characters lead but for a number of reasons menages don’t work for me. However, I will be able to enjoy your other M/M stories and I look forward to reading them.
I like dragon’s as it my chinese star sign as well
It sounds good Wave. I hate to say but it will go on the list. I have so many books on the tbr pile this days. Partly my own fault, I spent 4 days “reading” a were-dino yaoi.
That made me curious. Can you tell me the title of this were-dino-hermaphrodite-baby-yahoi?
here it is: http://view.thespectrum.net/series/animal-x.html
Hi Ingrid
Did you say a were dino yaoi? I thought my reading was strange.*g* If you have a chance you should give Fire Season a try – I think you will enjoy it.
Yup, you read it right.And then I had forgotten to mention one of the protags is a hermaphrodite and that it also features a baby *g*
Inrid
I gave up at the were dino yoi; I don’t think I want to go into the hermaphrodite with a baby.
No? That surprises me Wave *g* It´s all part of the story which is really really weird and very very long. Almost like As the world turns.
I will when I get home Chris. I don´t have the link available here. You can read it online you know.
Wave – I agree with you regarding adding a F to a M/M storyline. I really liked Jamie Craig’s “Master of Obsidian“ a very good vamp M/M novel (I’d give it a 5+) and I was really looking forward to the sequel… but the following up book introduced a permanent female character to the dynamic and while the F character was likable and well written, it diminished the primary M/M relationship for me, and since I had such an affection for those characters, I decided not to further taint them by continuing with the series.
I just downloaded Fire Season and will enjoy it as a standalone. I’ve never read a dragon story before!
Diane
I started reading the Masters Chronicles by Jamie Craig when the series first started but when they added Emma I stopped reading. A number of other readers who had been following the series were also upset when it became a menage and I never went back to it even though I really liked Gideon and Jesse. JC have now told me which of the books do not have Emma and I may eventually read just those, but it’s not the same.
I have nothing against women (I’m one myself) but when I read M/M I do so because I want to read only about the guys, and many menage books insert the female to “complete” the guys. Well I think they were pretty “complete” to begin with. I probably miss out on a lot of books because of this aversion but them’s the breaks.:)
I hope you enjoy Fire Season. As I said at the beginning of the review, I really love dragons. Sometimes this may affect my rating of a book but in this case this was an excellent book which I have since read again.:)
I just finished this one and it is as wonderful as you said it would be, Wave. It’s too bad the other stories are m/f. I will have to keep them in mind for the time I want to read m/f again.
Hi Ingrid
I’m so glad you liked Fire Season. As I said in the review, dragons are my favourite paranormals and this story expressed everything that’s great about this mythical species and why I love them. How did you like it when they were playing at the hot springs in shifted form?
I’m anxiously waiting for the other M/M books by this author. She’s a terrific writer and it’s too bad that the sequel to Fire Season is a menage because I would have loved to continue with Garret and Holden on their journey together.
When you get back to reading M/F you could probably try this series to see how you like the other characters.
Thank you all for your comments! I’m so glad everyone liked Fire Season!
Just a couple of noteworthy bits:
Tales of the Darkworld does have another M/M plotted. Sunstroked is the story of wildling Corey Green who appears in Hot Water. He meets up with a werewolf and well, sparks fly! Information on the rest of the series can be found on my website on the WIPs page.
As for Fire Storm, the female that is introduced isn’t permanent because she’s already dead. The story is about how Garret and Holden’s existing dynamic wasn’t exactly the way it was supposed to be, and how they deal with that. Yes, the woman who should have been their mate is in the story and there is menage, but it’s actually the answer to Holden’s question (that went unanswered in Fire Season) as to WHY his mate is a man and it gives us a look into their love affair after it’s matured.
I’m not offended if M/M readers don’t wish to read Fire Storm. I’ll have lots of other M/M stuff coming out soon and I appreciate everyone’s support.
Hi Valentine
As you can see from the number of ‘views’ on the review, a lot of bloggers have checked it out and I hope that many of them end up buying the book because I think it’s great.
Some M/M readers, like me, read this sub genre because they are only interested in the guys and I will definitely log on to your website to check out the other M/M books.
In terms of Holden and Garret, since the woman in the “menage” is already dead and does not impact on the story in a material way, that could put a different perspective on things. In any event the book is not out as yet so I don’t want to get ahead of myself.:)
Best of luck with the other books in the series.
The scene at the spring is definitely hot Wave *g* And the one on the balcony and…. Anyway you get the idea.
Thank you Lex for explaining the other books. Will have a look for when they come out.
And kudo´s for taking on a m/m in a series.
What made you decide for taking it on? I have read other series where I thought the hero would have been better of with a man but there the writer did not take that leap. (Hence the many slash fiction *g*)
Hi Ingrid!
I was once asked which of my characters I am most like and my reply was Garret Renquist. That is because, like Garret, I think sex is person specific not gender specific for many people. Unfortunately, I think we all get somewhat programmed by culture and society. I don’t believe in “hardwiring” the way it’s interpreted/explained by those who defend it.
I was a Biological Anthropology major so a lot of the Darwinian based ideas are more my thing, that instead of hardwired, we’re soft-coded by circumstances, culture, society, environment, and our psyches and personality traits… So to me, sex between the same gender holds no fears for me, no morality or ethical issues. I think heterosexuality and homosexuality are cultural terms used to explain what’s really inexplicable about sexual attraction. Just as some people say religion was invented to explain what was originally inexplicable about the origins of humankind.
Ack. Sorry about the science lecture. The short answer is that I’m very open to most ideas. Just because I’m a female who has sex with men and is writing a series doesn’t mean that I can’t include books about men having sex with men in my series. Some of the people I love most in the world are men who have sex with men.
To me, characters have to fit each other psychologically. There has to be a reason they want each other, love each other. They have to… fit.
I like delving into them and showing why and how they fit. I don’t care who it is they want to have sex with. I just want to get under all their skins and tell their stories. Corey’s story Sunstroked will be a lot of fun for the Tales series because Corey is a very fun guy. He even completely stole the show in Hot Water as a secondary character.
I’m very excited to find new readers who are not afraid to ask me questions about my characters.
” Just because I’m a female who has sex with men and is writing a series doesn’t mean that I can’t include books about men having sex with men in my series” A lot of people don´t agree with you on that one *g*
Thanks for your lengthy explanation. I can see that with your background it is easier to write the story as you did for this series.
I just finished Fire Season and really liked it. I’ll definitely read other M/M titles by this author. This was my first dragon story and I found the dynamic very interesting. I wish the author had included more scenes with the characters in shifted form.
Wave – are there any other dragon stories you would recommend?
Diane
There is another dragon series that I reviewed a year or more ago – one book is a menage but it’s one of the few menages that I would read again. From my recollection there is quite a bit of dragon action between the characters and the author is Marty Rayne.
Here are the links to my reviews which are still on the blog. The first book is Reluctant Hearts and it’s kind of a time shifting story –
http://tinyurl.com/mwbl4j
The second book is M/F and is part of the same series but the books are independent of each other if I remember correctly and here’s the link to my review
http://tinyurl.com/ktns8y
Good luck
Diane
This is my last and highest recommendation of dragon stories – The Draegan Lords which is a series by M.L. Rhodes who I don’t think has any equal when it comes to paranormal stories. The series is ongoing and you can get the first two books from Amber Allure which together make up The Draegan Lords (print).
Here’s the link to my review
http://tinyurl.com/nwkslh
Good luck.
Hi Diane
I’m so glad you weren’t disappointed. Most dragon stories don’t have a lot of face time in shifted form but I’ll try to remember to send you a couple more titles of dragon stories that I enjoyed. As you are aware I’m sure, we’re in a state of flux right now importing all the posts from the blog but I’ll make a note.
Lex says that she has a few other M/M stories coming out between now and Christmas and the sequel to Fire Season (Fire Storm) which is a menage should be released in September.
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