| REVIEWED BY FROST |
| "Under a Confederate Moon" by J. M. Snyder |
| Rating: 5 Swords Under a Confederate Moon J. M. Snyder July 2007 Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-075-6 Gay / Fantasy / Shapeshifter / Historical / Civil War (American) / Action / Adventure http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/ConfederateMoon.html http://jmsnyder.net/books/aqp.html 75 pp. 5 Swords Whenever I pick up a J. M. Snyder tale, I expect vividly descriptive settings that make the story come alive, a riveting emotional entanglement with the story, and steaming m/m sensuality. I’ve never been disappointed yet, and I don’t think I ever will be. Certainly Under A Confederate Moon qualifies as one of Mr. Snyder’s best yet. Confederate Private Caleb Chilson is a soldier with an edge; his special abilities enable him to sense danger and the approach of enemy troops. He can infiltrate the Union encampments as no other Confederate can. Caleb is not just a soldier: Caleb becomes a bobcat on a regular monthly basis. One full moon night catches him on sentry duty, and he must race to the woods to avoid detection during his change. While concealed, he scents the spoor of a wounded bobcat and tracks it, only to find a shifter like himself, shot in feline form. Caleb is astounded, yet his native compassion rises up and he tends to the other cat. Bonding in their feline form despite the cynical aloofness of Brance, the other bobcat shifter, leaves Caleb feeling much less the only one of his kind in the Universe. Caleb finds himself on the steep slide toward love and submission, despite the fact that Brance seems to be a very tough nut to crack emotionally. What begins in cat form soon becomes reality in human form, till Caleb discovers that Brance belongs to the enemy forces. Under A Confederate Moon is a wonderfully absorbing tale, rife in historical detail, and rich in feline lore. Mr. Snyder pens a powerful juxtaposition of the ugliness of the American Civil War in the eyes of those at the bottom-the lowly soldiers-against the warmth of emotion and sizzle of dominance/submission lust expressed both as human and feline. This is one story you don’t want to do without. Read it, reread it, place it on the Keeper Shelf. If you would like to be Reviewed by Frost, send an email to frost@jlfoster.biz or reviewed_by_frost@jlfoster.biz with the subject line "Submission." Include the author's name, title of book, publishing house, genre, page count, and an excerpt. |
