Santuario (Santuario, #1) in Riptide Publishing

Oct 07, 2012 Shirley Frances rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mm-read, read-2-review, mm-series, 2012, glbt, paranormal-fantasy, historical-period-eras, reviewed

4.5 stars

"I'm sure I don't know any more about your world than you about ours. We're too isolated from each other to change that."

I saw this book, then I read the blurb and hesitated. Do I read it? The little voice in the back of my head was insistent, reminding that this book would be a challenge for me and dared me to step up. So I did, and I really liked it which surprised the hell out of me!

First let me explain that I am not a fan of science fiction. Not in movies or in books, so when 4.5 stars

"I'm sure I don't know any more about your world than you about ours. We're too isolated from each other to change that."

I saw this book, then I read the blurb and hesitated. Do I read it? The little voice in the back of my head was insistent, reminding that this book would be a challenge for me and dared me to step up. So I did, and I really liked it which surprised the hell out of me!

First let me explain that I am not a fan of science fiction. Not in movies or in books, so when I read "their generation ship landed on the planet", that right there was the first hurdle. Then add to it the fact that this book is more a Mystery/Suspense than a Romance and that the author, G.B. Gordon, was unknown to me and I really started to have my doubts.

"He knew he should have kept his distance. You didn't give others a chance to leave you or hurt you."

However, as soon as I started the book I was hooked. The author threw me right into the world of Santuario where I first meet Alex. Through his initial investigation into the body that was found, I learned a lot more about Santuario and about him. I liked him right away. He came across as a no-nonsense kind of guy, but really he just wanted to find that 'something' that would make him happy. I got the impression that he went through the motions but he never really lived. Since his past was filled with pain and abuse, I could understand where he was coming from. And as the story progressed I was thrilled with his development - how he eventually opened to Bengt and just stopped building his wall against getting close to him.

"Oh, come on, Alex. If you raise that wall any higher you're going to run out of bricks."

Bengt was an amazing character too. He came across as such a huge, strong guy but really he was even more open about his feelings and very understanding about the people in Santuario and the differences between them. He had a temper to watch out for, but really he was adorable. He really believed in making connections and interacting and although it was difficult for him to accept that Alex was closed off he understood and put up with it. And I really had to admire him for that because at times I found myself wanting to shake some sense into Alex for his behavior and his constant withdrawal from Bengt.

"Welcome to Santuario"

This world the author created with the Securitas, the Santuarians and the Skanians was very interesting to read. I appreciated the pace of the writing because there was a lot of information to go through and a lot of new terms to deal with. I felt a bit confused at first, but then got into it and it flowed nicely from there. The writing was very clear and precise and the plot kept me guessing all throughout. I read 60% of the book without interruption - I was that captivated with it! The only mishap - and I don't know if it's a formatting problem - is that there wasn't a clearly defined transition from Alex's present point of view and his flashbacks. It was just presented without the usual markings (italics, indentation, etc.) and that made it very confusing to follow.

"He realized he was well on the way to falling in love with a man who was different in every respect, and he had to idea how to stop himself."

This has been classified as Romantic Suspense but to me is more a Mystery/Suspense with some Romance undertones thrown in the mix. Aside from the mystery and the world building of Santuario, I think this book establishes Alex and Bengt's friendship. It makes them confront their past, accept their differences and hope for something more. The one scene when they do get together was very passionate. It was told from Alex's point of view which made it that much more enjoyable. It wasn't explicit in any way, but what was written was both beautiful and emotional. I hope to see more romance from these two, it would make for a fantastic read.

"I can't repair my wall as fast as you tear it down."

Will these two men from different origins come together and find the happiness they so desperately want? What obstacles will they have to overcome? These are just a couple of the questions I was left with. I am hoping that they will get answered in the next book. I am looking forward to it. This book was a great start to a new series. ...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Lady*M rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, science-fiction, m-m-romance, thriller, reviews-by-jessewave

3.75 stars

It's always exciting for me to review an author's first novel. In this case, it was even more so, because I am a fan of all speculative fiction and the premise really sounded exciting. In the end, while I enjoyed some elements of the story, the others were completely drowned by the dreary atmosphere, the likable protagonists were not enough to sell me the romance and the ending didn't fit the rest of the story. But, let's start from the beginning.

I liked the set-up of the story: the di 3.75 stars

It's always exciting for me to review an author's first novel. In this case, it was even more so, because I am a fan of all speculative fiction and the premise really sounded exciting. In the end, while I enjoyed some elements of the story, the others were completely drowned by the dreary atmosphere, the likable protagonists were not enough to sell me the romance and the ending didn't fit the rest of the story. But, let's start from the beginning.

I liked the set-up of the story: the divided world at the turning point in its history and two men from the different sides investigating the brutal murders. The two societies are so isolated from one another that both have some ridiculous misconceptions about the other side. This was a little over the top, considering that at least the Skanians possess the technology which could refute at least some of them, but it worked well for the story, especially when Bengt tries to navigate Santuarian society ruled by tyrannical oligarchy or when Alex struggles with the concept of women in the positions of authority or accepted gay relationships. Both men are likable and haunted by their own demons: Alex by constant fear, undefined desires and unattainable escape, Bengt by guilt about the event from his past. They are both dedicated to their work, though Alex is always aware that overzealous investigation could put him under the scope of Securitas, familias’ brutal secret police. The men's experiences are so different that they can barely communicate at first. Bengt is a fish out of water, terribly naïve when it comes to the situation on the isolated island; Alex is jaded and incapable of believing in change. Bengt is living openly as a gay man; Alex is so far in the closet that he can't even acknowledge his desires. Only the time they spend together working on the case eases somewhat the mutual mistrust and discomfort.

I had several problems with the development of the story. I was hoping for some inventive investigative techniques under the totalitarian regime, perhaps in the vein of Citizen X, but it pretty soon became clear that the murder investigation is just a device to show the terrible poverty and pressures the Santuarians live with. There is no respite from the dreary, oppressive atmosphere which makes it hard to really get into the story and, absurdly, to sympathize with people's suffering. I couldn't help thinking that even in the most terrible regimes there is life and laughter and people who overcome their circumstances one way or another. There is no such thing here and it doesn't help that there are no likable secondary characters save Capitán Mendez. Even the freedom fighters are barely palatable. It says something when the bad guys such as Luiz, Alex's biological father and one of the officers of Securitas, or Leonid, one of his thugs, come more alive on the pages. The resolution of the mystery was unsatisfying, primarily because it wasn't something the readers could puzzle out themselves.

Another thing that didn't quite work is romance. While I liked both protagonists, they are riddled with doubts and uncertainties and can barely communicate. During the course of the novel, this was somewhat remedied and I could believe that they were becoming friends. However, there just wasn't enough mutual attraction shown on the page for me to accept the potential love between. Alex can't even think about his desires let alone verbalize them and then he is suddenly having sex with Bengt. This being the series, I think it would be better if the romance was just hinted and then developed in the second book.

This brings me to the ending of the novel. After all the dark, depressing events in the book, the situation was pretty much resolved within the last few pages, epilogue included. The bad guy gets what was coming to him, the political situation is resolved, the happy ending is on the horizon. This didn't follow the natural progression of the story – the men's parting seemed like the perfect ending – and was therefore unbelievable. This was another thing that would work better in the second novel. I would have liked to see Bengt working for the opening of Skanian borders and some of Alex's life in hiding.

I may sound too critical, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy parts of the story. As I said, both men were likable and the author's writing style is very readable – it was a quick read in spite of rather depressing tone. The only sex scene in the book was beautifully written; in fact, it may be one of the best I've recently read. More importantly, I really want to read the second book and the continuation of Bengt and Alex's story. It will also be interesting to see what Skanian society really looks like.

In the end, Santuario is a good first novel, which could have benefited from some lighter touches and additional focus on the men's relationship. If you enjoy speculative fiction and are not adverse to darker stories, Santuario will be a nice addition to your reading list. As this is the author's first book, I certainly recommend that you try it.

Written for Reviews by Jessewave. ...more

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Dec 31, 2013 Mtsnow13 rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, fbi-agent-detective, fantasy, paranormal-scifi, romance, suspense, book-of_month, series-read, less-than-300-pages, bisexual

Hmmm... glad to see there is a follow up to this one, because the ending was a bit..abrupt. And think more Spanish western than sci-fi aliens...

This story was a Fantasy January Pick-It-For-Me BOM, and i actually put it off for a bit, as i couldnt tell from the blurb if i was going to be able to get into it. But, this one had me going in circles and kept me on my toes, and I enjoyed it, surprisingly, more than I thought I would. I was forced to concentrate, and had to get rid of distractions to s ...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Laylah Hunter rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-slash-m, sci-fi-other

One hell of a first novel. Santuario is a story about cultural distance, corruption, and desperation; there's also a developing gay relationship between the leads. That order, I think, is the most satisfying way to approach the novel: it's about the problems the island of Santuario faces and the ways that the main characters deal with them first and foremost. Readers who want a romance first with the murder plot as a side dish might be frustrated; I, on the other hand, really like a story where ...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Adara rated it really liked it

This is an excellent read. I'm not sure whether to classify it as more alternate universe or sci-fi, but it's definitely an excellent read. (Riptide calls it AU.)

We're immediately drawn into the strange intrigues of the island known as Santuario, and then into a murder mystery. The inner political workings of the island slowly come into focus over the course of the story as the main characters, a policeman from Santuario and an investigator from the mainland, walk the fine line of asking questio ...more

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