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This book opens with a strong hook: Otar is studying ruins with a colleague when they discover an unnamed monster lurking in the shadows. They “beat feet” out of there just in time, but quite frankly, Otar underreacts to the whole situation—because what do you mean shadow monsters are just living in the ruins? Adding to the mystery, there is also a “monster” living within Otar himself, which provides a compelling layer of intrigue right from the start. He doesn’t seem to have a ton of control over this monster, and it’s capable of sucking the life force from someone, killing them, if he wants to — it’s certainly a useful trick to have up your sleeve if you find yourself in a dangerous situation.
I love academic characters—whether they’re field scientists, bookish nerds, lab researchers, or just curious folks running in-home experiments, I am a sucker for the academic archetype. Otar is a traveling scholar studying a well-known but little-understood lost civilization, which instantly piqued my interest. He is also queer (attracted to men and non-binary people) and seems a bit polyamorous; he flits from relationship to relationship without much drama, though they occasionally overlap. That said, I wouldn’t call him a romantic; he’s career-driven, and his partnerships usually end once his partners realize they will always come second to his work schedule.
The short-lived nature of his relationships is also a byproduct of his research, as he moves every few months. This constant travel creates a wonderful sense of vastness. In one scene, while describing his journeys, he mentions “the Southern Islands and their swimming cities, the endless steppe and the Black Mountains; the deep jungles and the monsters that lived in them, and how blue the Blue Mountains really were.” Within a few sentences, the world grows 1000-fold. It’s a brilliant way to build a world quickly—leaving the details to the reader’s imagination rather than relying on heavy info-dumps that can often hinder the pace.
The world-building is expertly paced, dropping tidbits about different cultures, values, and customs as Otar explores. I especially appreciated that queerness is a complete non-issue across these cultures; it’s never viewed as a moral failing. There is even great trans representation within the nomadic culture, featuring a trans man who is friends with Otar.
As for the pacing, I found myself craving more of the original plot points involving the ruins and Otar’s internal monster. Around the 30% mark, the story shifts gears into a romance. The plot moves “sideways” into a lost-love situation in the desert, and I kept waiting for the monsters and ruins to become central again. Had I read the blurb, I would have known this was a queer romance, but I generally avoid descriptions to keep my reading experience unbiased.
Based on the opening chapters, I expected an epic academic adventure with a flirty lead, so the shift into in-depth character exploration with a nomadic love interest caught me off guard. There’s nothing wrong with that approach—it’s a popular subgenre—I just wasn’t expecting the slowdown.
Overall, this is a cool book that I’d highly recommend to anyone looking for a queer romance set in a deeply realized world. As it stands, this book is being marked as safe!