Title: Crow and Firefly
Author: Sam C. Leonhard
Genre: Fantasy, Shifters
Length: Short (78pgs)
ISNB: 978-1-62380-067-3
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (31st October 2012)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 ½ Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: The laws of man and nature are harsh and decisive: Unwed mothers are not allowed to raise their children, and shapeshifters must wed and consummate the marriage to satisfy the magic that would otherwise render them beasts forever upon the morning of their twenty-third birthday.
With the life of his sister and newborn nephew at stake, Shapeshifter Ari is trapped in a castle and compelled to accept a situation he’d dreaded: he is forced to marry Lord Dagur, a man he’s never met. A man called “The Cruel.” A man he fears, and not just because he fancies someone else.
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3331
Review: Ari is fast approaching his twenty-third birthday and if he fails to wed and bed before then, he will forever change into one of his animal forms. Ari’s sister, Lilja, is unmarried and pregnant, if discovered her child will be taken off her and given to a couple far away from their village. In one fell sweep, their world is forever changed when the kings’ nephew, Lord Dagur, passes through their village and his Priestess spots Lilja.
This is a great short story and the opening scene certainly sets the mood for the rest of the book. Ari is a Shapeshifter living with his sister on the outskirts of a village; both of them are less than welcome with Ari and his two-tone eyes being nearly shunned, and Lilja an unwed expectant mother barely tolerated. Lord Dagur’s nickname is well cultivated and earned and when he passes through a village while on the hunt for a husband he spots the perfect man and sets out to manipulate the situation when his priestess spots the unwed mother.
I found this book to be extremely intriguing with the shifter aspect as it was a completely new theme, nobody knowing if they are a shifter or not until their eyes change to two-tone, and from then on being unable to have sex unless it is with another shifter, it’s made even worse when they have to be wed and bedded before their twenty-third birthday. I found it to be a wonderful twist, what I found stupid was the law that only married couples could have children. I also found Lord Dagur’s theatrics to be over the top, it made for a lot of unnecessary angst and drama, but it was still good.
Ari seems to be a great character with a lot of strong will, he has made up his mind what he needs to do, but he also loves his sister and will do what has to be done to ensure her safety, even marry, and bed a man he has never even met and who he expects will abuse him. Lord Dagur is far from what you expect so is a really nice surprise, his explanation to Ari is quite sweet but Ari’s anger is very understandable after everything he went through. Ari and Dagur are really hot together, well when Ari’s temper dies down.
I am going to recommend this to those who love shifters with a twist and compelling story, a high positioned man who has to ensure his survival and a happy ending for all involved… oh and don’t forget the hot sex.