| Genre | Gay / Nonbinary / Fantasy / High Fantasy / Magic / Shifters / Wizards, Witches, and Mages / Romance / Action/Adventure |
| Reviewed by | Serena Yates on 02-May-2018 |
After centuries of traveling the continent of Kita and fighting the extradimensional monsters known as Riftspawn, mage Lyuc is tired and ready to back away from the concerns of humanity.
But the world isn’t done with him yet.
While traveling with a merchant caravan, Lyuc encounters Yan, an Unnamed, the lowest caste in society. Though Yan has nothing but his determination and spirit, he reminds Lyuc what passion and desire feel like. While wild magic, a snarky, shapeshifting, genderfluid companion, and the plots of men and monsters seem determined to keep Lyuc from laying down his burden, only Yan’s inimitable spirit tempts him to hang on for another lifetime or so.
All Yan wants is to earn the sponsorship of a guild so he can rise above his station, claim a place in society, and build the family he never had.
After hundreds of years of self-imposed penance, all Lyuc wants is Yan.
If they can survive prejudice, bandits, mercenaries, monsters, and nature itself, they might both get their wish… and maybe even their happily ever after.
The opportunity to dive into a new fantasy world, finding out its history and rules, always makes me a very happy reader. This story stars a centuries-old mage, his snarky shapeshifting companion who prefers to appear as a horse, and their mysterious mission to fight extradimensional monsters called Riftspawn. Then there is a complicated society with several castes, a history of battles fought and won, and more than one challenge remaining to be dealt with in the present. Combining these elements with interesting characters and seemingly insurmountable odds made for an excellent action/adventure in an exotic setting, and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.
Lyuc has the appearance of an old man, and though he is a mage and could look much different if he wanted, the “old codger” image reflects his mental state and general feeling of tiredness and exhaustion. No wonder – after centuries of keeping the world safe, pretty much on his own, I can see why he might be ready for retirement. There is an air of regret about him, a need to do penance for a huge mistake he made a thousand years ago, so clearly there is more going on – and I enjoyed slowly puzzling out what that is.
Yan is an Unnamed (read: slave), the lowest of the low, but determined to get ahead in life. It’s not easy with any Named entitled to do with him as they please. From the moment he meets Lyuk on the caravan to the south, Yan begins to dream about becoming his servant because, based on their first encounter, he believes that Lyuk will be a fair master. As some of Lyuk’s abilities show, Yan is initially afraid, but the promise of a safer, better life if he stays and works with Lyuk while they travel together is too tempting for Yan.
Neither man is expecting feelings to develop between them, but traveling together and Lyuc insisting on saving Yan from being treated horribly leads to more. And once they have begun to explore each other’s bodies, they can’t seem to stop. Yan’s status as an Unnamed gets in the way, as do his plans to settle in the city at the end of their journey. Lyuc is reticent to fall for another human only to eventually lose him again, but when the totally unexpected happens and raises the stakes, he has to reconsider.
If you like fantastical stories with mysterious characters and more than one riddle to solve, if a young man falling for an ancient mage with secrets is your thing, and if you’re looking for an exciting quest, suspenseful action, and an ending that promises more, then you will probably like this novel.
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
| Format | ebook and print |
| Length | Novel, 200 pages/66927 words |
| Heat Level | |
| Publication Date | 01-May-2018 |
| Price | $6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle |
| Buy Link | https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/the-wanderer-by-rowan-mcallister-9568-b |
