A profound love story at its heart.

I almost didn’t buy this one. From the description, the audio sample, and the reviews, I wasn’t sure about it. I am so happy I did.

It is supernatural, so if you’re not a fan of that maybe it’s not for you.
There is sex. A lot of it. Between men.
There is also graphic violence.
If either of those is a problem for you then maybe you want to skip this one.
Those are the disclaimers.

Now for the praise.
This is an epic, deeply emotional, powerful love story. It is so much deeper and more profound than most of what is available in the romance genre. It is a story about a love that spans space and time and even transcends death.
It is well written. Very well written. That shouldn’t be a big deal, but in the age of self-publication there is a lot of writing that wouldn’t have passed in my high school English classes that is now made available for public consumption. Ugh.
All of that M/M sex, and also the graphic imagery of violence is there for a reason. It adds to the story. It conveys something more than the act itself. There is a supernatural element to the story, and in that context it all makes sense. There is a rawness, wildness, and primitive instinctual element battling with what we accept as polite and socially acceptable norms for human behavior. That is crucial to the story being told. It would not be the same story with all that cleaned up and made PG-13. There is a sensuality that runs throughout this story, even in the gory descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, and sensations that are unpleasant.

And the narration… wow! I’m not sure if I’ve listened to Kirt Graves before, but I am certain I will be looking for more of his work.
He brought this story to life in such a wonderful way. I have not one single nit-pick or complaint. He conveyed an array of characters, two parallel story lines, and a full spectrum of emotion in a quiet and understated way that let the story shine rather than put himself in the spotlight. Audiobook narration doesn’t get better than that.

I don’t know if there is a sequel to this novel. There is definitely an opening left for such.
I would love to listen to more about these characters and this world, performed by the same narrator. If it hasn’t been written, Adrienne Wilder, please do! If it hasn’t been recorded yet, please hire Kirt again!

I walk away from this listen feeling moved in a way I didn’t anticipate and doesn’t happen often. In case it has to be said, that is high praise.