Genre: Fantasy, Holiday, Romance, Monster Romance
Reviewer: Scott
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About The Book
Snow turns to sleet where monsters tread.
As the resident sorcerers, Toren and his family protect their village from monsters—like the one they trapped in the mountains decades ago. But on the eve of the annual midwinter festival, it’s not a monster but a sudden eruption at the springs that threatens their lives.
With rescue spells failing and the danger of a second, more deadly eruption looming, Toren discovers that a monster responsible for his brother’s death holds the key to saving the village. When his family refuses to listen, Toren must make an impossible choice: risk their wrath by seeking the monster’s help, or lose everything his brother died to protect.
Amidst swirling snow and fading spells, “A Snowmonster for Midwinter” tells a heartwarming tale of courage, unlikely alliances, and the transformative power of love.
The Review
Boy meets monster. Monster saves boy. Monster gets shunned for a crime he didn’t commit. Boy turns to monster when his town is in danger. It’s a tale as old as time.
But seriously, this is a gorgeous little nugget of winter gay romance.
Toren is still scared from his brother’s death two decades earlier. He and his family have magical powers, which they use to both maintain the avalanche barrier that protects their little alpine town, and to keep the snowmonster caged up on the mountain above. The monster that had been a part of the gang that had killed his brother, even if it had mysteriously saved him.
Vennik is a misunderstood snowmonster. He wanted no part in the attack on the humans, and managed to save one of them, whose face now haunts him. Now the human’s village is in danger, but no one will listen to his howls of warning…
This is a novella-length romance, surprisingly sweet given that there’s a monster involved. There’s a dark plot to be unraveled, a series of misunderstandings to be overcome, and a snowmonster with a heart of gold and a very soft white pelt of fur.
I loved this little holiday monster romance, as much for the will they, won’t they back and forth of it all as for the lovely setting and worldbuilding, and the fascinating magic system. Toren and Vennik provide opposing viewpoints chapter by chapter, in intimate first person, and we get to see them sizing each other up as they meet again for the first time in twenty years. There are some great side characters too.
A great escapist romp through a winter wonderland, the perfect antidote for your cold weather blues.
The Reviewer
Scott is the founder of Queer Sci Fi, and a fantasy and sci fi writer in his own right, with more than 30 published short stories, novellas and novels to his credit, including two trilogies.
