Eloreen Moon

In an interesting mix of fairy tale, including magic, and science fiction, this is the story of two species on a faraway planet; how they came to be, how they went to a generations-long war, and how they finally managed to negotiate peace. It definitely requires some suspension of disbelief, but once I got over that hurdle, I found this story to be a lot like other paranormal tales. And I enjoyed finding out what made this world tick, how humans had evolved in a faraway future, and why there were griffon shifters sharing the planet Prenides with them. For such a short story, it certainly managed to convey a great sense of history, and even had an unexpected twist at the end.

Charon is the crown prince of the humans who crashed on Prenides around 700 years ago. He is short tempered, determined to find a man he can love, rather than accept an arranged marriage, but equally certain he will do his duty when his father suddenly requires him to give up his plans. Charon may not like the idea of marrying a man he doesn’t even know, but what is he supposed to do when permanent peace depends on his actions? And as much as he rebels, in the end, he goes to the altar to meet his fate despite the fact he has only just met a man who interests him like no one ever has before.

Red, the youngest son of the griffon king, may go into the marriage knowing what his future husband looks like, but he doesn’t exactly know him or his personality either. There isn’t a lot of information about Red, but I liked that slight aura of mystery around him that only lifts a little once the wedding vows have been spoken. And Red is as shocked about the twist at the end as Charon. I liked that a lot.

If you like reading stories that cross several genres, if arranged marriages between warring species on a planet in the far future sound intriguing, and if you’re looking for a short read with a nice twist at the end, then you will probably like this free short story.… (mehr)