Book Review: In Love and War by Lydia Nyx

In Love and War by Lydia Nyx

Download It Now: PDF.

Series: None
Genre(s): Gay romance, novella, erotic romance, historical fiction.
Publisher: Self-published.
Available Formats: PDF or on the author’s website.
Description: On the eve of the Greek-Roman battle of Heraclea, General Karanos of the allied Macedonian army enjoys the hospitality of his old friend and once-lover Nikanor. Nostalgic for old dalliances, he quickly learns Nikanor has a new dalliance of his own: a beautiful, fierce young man named Amyntas. However, old passions are not so easily quelled–nor are new ones.

This review is based on a free copy I downloaded from GLBT Bookshelf’s Free Reads

Amanda’s Review:

This novella pretty much gets down to business (and by business, I mean oily Greek men pre-battle sexy time) and I’m very okay with that. We begin with General Karanos who is “rugged, able-bodied and hale” as Nyx describes, enjoying a feast on the eve of battle. Wine, women (yes, women!), and song – all the good stuff is included. He enters into a conversation with Thetima, the mother of his friend, Nikanor, who is hosting this farewell party. The conversation becomes awkward as hell when Thetima suggests that Karanos wants to sleep with her son.

“Do not look so startled.” She glanced up at him, her eyes as calm as a windless sea. “Long have I been in the midst of men. Long have I heard tales and jests when they thought it did not matter if I heard, for I was only a woman. I do not fault you for it. You must take your peace where it is offered. I know of men and their ways.” She drew a small pouch from her side and from it, dumped a pile of glittering glass beads. “Loneliness must east itself where it may.”

Karanos wished for more wine in his cup.

“You desire my son,” she said.

Not enough wine in the world to make that palatable. Thetima seems a little too involved and okay with her son’s sex life for my liking. Remembering my Greek & Roman Civilization course from my undergrad, I know that homosexual relationships were more widely accepted in that society, it still comes off as “hey, you wanna hit that? I gave birth to that”. It reminds me of that moment when my friend’s mom started dancing with the stripper at her bachelorette party.

Once Pimp Mom takes her leave, Karanos watches as Nikanor and his younger companion, Amyntas (not To Catch a Predator young; I want to point that out considering this is ancient Greece) feed each other honeyed opium and lazily make out. This progresses into Nikanor manually stimulating Amyntas. I really like how this part is written, particularly how it’s an obscured view which can be so much sexier than full frontal scenes. It’s slow and drawn out just enough to be sexy without making me yell “get on with it!” I enjoyed the addition of the dancing girl who touches Karanos while he watches the other two.

This brings me to another aspect of this short story that I like – the fact that the author doesn’t put a label on the characters’ sexualities. No one is referred to as gay, straight or anything in between, they’re written as enjoying each other’s company. Though there mention that sexual relationships between men are considered different and perhaps, more meaningful than that between a man and woman. Due to that, this sentence strikes me as odd: The act was tantalizingly inappropriate, for Nikanor to kiss a man not of his family, though perhaps he considered Amyntas as close. While Karanos has the dancing girl in his lap, he tries to imagine his wife. Later, when Amyntas is “displaying his talents” with his hands (they are very fond of handjobs in this story, I must say), he thinks of how different and “more skilled” it is than with a woman. I’ve seen this pointed out in many a story that involves first time boy touching. It isn’t bad so much as overdone.

The threesome between Nikanor, Amyntas and Karanos requires slow read through (or at least it did for me). It isn’t easy writing threesomes, particularly when you’re dealing with three members of the same gender. Nyx does manage to do this, though there is a part where she lost me for a moment. Amyntas “straddles” Karanos’ lap and then this happens:

Amyntas tightened his slick, powerful thighs around Karanos’ manhood. The sensation made Karanos thrust upward with a gasp.

If Amyntas is sitting astride Karanos, it doesn’t seem likely that he could also tighten his thighs around Karanos’ throbbing member (I’m allowed my own purple prose from time to time). Unless Amyntas sits back and changes position, this isn’t doesn’t make sense. Though, the rest of the threesome is better and makes more sense than that part. It does lack the build up to Karanos’ orgasm that I would like to see.

Another tiny detail from this threesome that strikes me as odd is how Amyntas “smelled like a boy. Like a man” to Karanos. *scratches head*

All in all, I actually enjoyed this and found the sex scenes to be well done and actually hot. While it could have used some tightening with the grammar and some of the punctuation, the writing itself is descriptive and better than expected. Though, at times, it’s a bit too flowery and there is a lot of “manhood” being thrown around (pun not intended). If you want a quick, sexy read, give this a shot and it’s free!