Reviewed by Nikyta
Title: Minstrel’s Solstice
Author: Nicole Dennis
Series: Celebrate! – 2014 Advent Calendar
Heroes: Cullan & Kerryll
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 29 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 1, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: A wasting plague swept over the Four Quadrants, changing how folks view the traveling guilds. Most travelers now make permanent contracts and settle in villages instead of continuing on the road. Needing to alter his lifestyle, Kerryll MacGhylle rides deep into the Northern Quadrant in search of a place to belong.
The Northern Duke, Cullan Gryffyn D’Antuono, accepts the contract of the frozen minstrel arriving during a powerful ice blizzard. He nurses Kerryll through the ravages of the sickness. Though they live at opposite ends of society, they have more in common than they realize.
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2014 Advent Calendar package “Celebrate!”.
Review:
As a minstrel, Kerryll travels the Four Quadrants looking for villages that’ll want his musical services. But when a plague hits the Four Quadrants, traveling minstrels are less wanted, which is why Kerryll ended up in a blizzard with no one to take him in. Until he finally reaches a place that just might give Kerryll the chance to not only recover from the effects of the blizzard but give him hope that he can find some place permanent to stay.
Okay, that recap doesn’t do the book justice but the story is very complex. Not in the sense that it’s hard to understand but in the way that there’s just so much to it that makes it hard to explain. Anyway, this was an interesting story. I liked that it was fantasy and that the plague causes Kerryll’s abilities to be unwanted. At the same time, I loved that Cullan immediately took Kerryll in and helped him get back on his feet. It’s sweet but it’s also inspiring in a way and made me feel like even when there’s a tough road ahead of you, there’s still hope that something good lays at the end of it.
This was an intriguing little story but it needed to be MUCH longer to really do it justice. I liked that the author created a new world but I wanted the opportunity to explore that world and really understand it. Plus, it took me a while to understand what Kerryll was (he’s a musician) and I would have just liked to experience more depth to the story to really understand it all.
In the end, if you’re looking for something that is different than the ‘usual Christmas story’ give this one a try because while it still deals with the solstice, it has its own unique spin to it in a world that is definitely intriguing. I hope we’ll get to see Kerryll and Cullan one day soon because I’d love to read more about them.
Overall Impression: I liked it!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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