Oren's Right by Blaine D. Arden

Title: Oren’s Right

Series: Tales of the Forest #2

Author: Blaine D. Arden

Genre: Paranormal >> Fae

ISBN: 9781627570466

Length: Short Story (47 pages)

Publisher: Storm Moon Press (September 2^nd, 2013)

Heat Level: None

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Veld, tree elf and Forester, fell in love with mute baker Oren, also a tree elf, when he first set eyes on him two turns ago, but Healer Haram, Oren’s vowed, made it clear that he had no intention of sharing Oren with Veld. Now, with Oren in mourning after Haram is killed, Veld is torn between Haram’s unwillingness to share and his desire to make Oren his. But when Haram’s death turns out not to be quite the accident it seemed to be, Veld is drawn into the investigation. At the same time, others appear to claim Oren’s independence, and Veld is forced to face his insecurities or risk losing Oren… again.

Product Link: http://www.stormmoonpress.com/books/Orens-Right.aspx

Review: This story was quite nice and interesting. I loved the plot and the way this world was woven. I loved the storyline and the tree-elves, cloud-elves, and dark-elves. Yes, I have a thing for elves and the many worlds one can set them, this world being quite refreshing.

The story begins with a melancholic strike as Harem, Oren’s vowed, has died living Oren in a deep mourning. While death is a terrible thing for any character, Oren has it a bit more difficult due to his nature, what with him being a submissive and in need of an owner. Veld on the other hand has been in love with Oren ever since he first met him, but his friends possessiveness and unwillingness to share had cut off all hope, until his death that is. So Veld is facing with a turmoil of feeling; his love for Oren, his need to take care of him, his guilt for wanting such thing when Oren still in mourning. When the society though makes it clear, they would not leave Oren alone, thinking him to be unable to care for himself and not understanding his nature and his relationship with Haram, Veld is forced to take action.

So the romance part is quite deep for such a short story, the characters have to fight over their feelings and their society and make a stand for themselves. The D/s element here is not one you can see or read, it’s a known state but not a developed one, so if you expect any BDSM-y scenes, don’t, you won’t find them.

As for the suspense plot, that was very interesting as well. We have a murderer on the loose. The elves magic while strong enough can’t easily find the person killing people, or the reason behind it. Veld holds the spotlight by helping the Truth Seeker find the culprit and when we learn who it is it comes as a sad and sorrowful surprise.

The ending itself had me gasping with shock. No, nothing shocking happened, I was simply expecting more. I had been pinning all read for the moment when Oren and Veld would come together, and yes I admit it I was literally drooling for their sex scene (they had a strong chemistry for crying out loud), and when it never came I felt disappointed. Still do. It’s like the author teased me with a nice dinner cooking. Smelling all the scents coming from the kitchen and drooling over my imagination of how they’ll feel when I would finally taste them, yet at last second having everything canceled. I feel deprived, robbed out of something I think I earned. My head is still screaming at this author “give me my sex scene damn it.” Sigh!

Ah well, be prepared for a tease that as well written and enticing as it was, it remains a tease. Still recommended.