From the Bookshelf of Q&A with Josh Lanyon…

The Rifter Book Two: The Holy Road (Rifter #4-7)

Ginn Hale

Start date: January 1, 2014

Finish date: January 31, 2014

Discussion: Book of the Month Club

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 2 topics — 4,118 comments total

Book of the Month Club

* Candidates for Next Month's Read
By Josh · 3043 posts · 623 views

last updated Feb 21, 2024 10:37PM

February 2025: The Lemon Drop Kid
By Karen · 15 posts · 20 views

last updated Jun 14, 2025 04:47PM

showing 1 of 1 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Nov 07, 2016 Susana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Spoilers Ahead
John Toffler, aka Jahn, continues trying to find a way back home for him and his friends Bill and Laurie, and his feelings for Ravishan continue to grow, but he makes some terrible discoveries which are going to change his view of himself forever. Basawar is a dangerous place, and soon he finds himself in a deadly position, where the whole world is about to be destroyed...
Wow! I'm loving these books. So much. As the story slowly unfolds, and the pieces of this giant puzzle smoothl ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2014 Jordan Lombard rated it it was amazing

Shelves: a-favorites, a-own, g-romance-m-m, g-fantasy, a-own-print, z-2015-challenge-jan-reread, y-2015read, a-when-i-must-clean-out, y-2023reads

Still just as good several rereads later!

2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 11, 2015 k reads rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2015, queer, fav2015

I found the first half difficult to read - definitely a it's-not-you-it's-me thing, though. Just bleak and brutal and at times ugly. I wasn't sure I wanted to stick it out but I did and y'know what? It totally paid off in the second half. Everything finally started to come together for me. This is a series definitely worth reading. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 07, 2014 Arch Bala rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-stars, not-here, supernatural

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I ought to write my individual reviews for each book in the series but I figured that it’s more proper for me to consider each book as part of a whole saga (containing seven arcs) encompassing thirty years in the life of John, a human transported into another realm – a world where his housemate Kyle came from.
The epicness of this series is just beyond me! I enjoyed and loved every second of reading this ten-part series. What I appreciate most though is the fact that as much as possible, the auth I ought to write my individual reviews for each book in the series but I figured that it’s more proper for me to consider each book as part of a whole saga (containing seven arcs) encompassing thirty years in the life of John, a human transported into another realm – a world where his housemate Kyle came from.
The epicness of this series is just beyond me! I enjoyed and loved every second of reading this ten-part series. What I appreciate most though is the fact that as much as possible, the author tried solving all the loopholes in it. What totally bugs me is the conclusion which I would be discussing a little later on.
So John along with his friends (a couple named Laurie and Bill) were accidentally transported into Basawar (think of a Narnia-like world minus the talking animals), the place where his odd housemate Kyle “apparently” came from. Kyle is the “Kahlil” who was destined / ordained to kill John who’s the incarnation of their god. He’s the human seen by the oracle who will be destroying all of Basawar.
The plot of the story thickens as John meets the young handsome priest Ravishan who is training to become the next Kahlil. Meeting Ravishan made their tumultuous entrance into Basawar more bearable but their world is about to get more complicated as John and his friends found themselves under the Bousim household where John was forced to accompany Firiki (The son of the lady in Bousim household) into the doors of Rathal’pesha to train as an ushiri (in contention of becoming a Kahlil). There, John meets Ravishan again and has shown potential to become a priest himself. Due to discrimination, he was relegated as some sort of a medic priest. As the story goes by, John was able to piece everything together coming to the conclusion that Ravishan and his housemate were one and the same, although John first meets Kyle as a Kahlil and this kahlil in training – Ravishan is the guy he fell in love with.
At times, the story tends to be a tad bit confusing because of the interchanging timeline in it especially during the second arc but as it went by, it’s just like reading some sort of backstory although at one point – the past and the present (see, Kyle followed the trio into Basawar) meets (ala Lake House meeting of some sort) and their reunion was truly one for the books.
I actually cried a little for John who is now known as J’aitbaya. I cried because he’s been living in Basawar for 30 years and was still nursing his broken heart from his separation from Ravishan. Although one and the same. Kyle still felt different from Ravishan. It’s like he’s simply a replacement of his young self. But all the same, John still love Ravishan and gave the same affection to Kyle.
Now the question bugging me at the end, is Kyle immortal now like John? After he passed on, he was possessed by the holy bones of the young Ravishan. Did he become immortal himself the way the oracles are immortals? I sure hope so because these two more than deserved to be together especially after what they have gone through.
To conclude this, I wished that more people would read this series because of its exceptional story that you’d regret missing. The humanity in it is truly heartfelt and the way John and Kyle have proven their love and devotion for each other was truly an amazing feat. It’s just so beautiful it almost hurts.
‘tis definitely one of my favorite series – another great feat to achieve by one of my new favorite authors – Ginn Hale who brought us the amazing Wicked Gentleman and the stunning Lord Of The White Hell. Indeed, Hail Ginn Hale!
...more

Like · see review