Anhaga

A light fantasy with a bit of romance. Aramin Decourcey (Min) is a young thief-for-hire who grew up in a brothel and now looks after a street urchin he rescued named Harry. Harry gets himself into trouble courting a nobleman's daughter and ends up with a curse - a curse that will only be removed once Min brings back the nobleman's grandson who is refusing to come home from a nearby town, Anhaga. The only problem is Anhaga is thought to be cursed itself, overtaken nightly by the king of the fae. Because Min is so fond of Harry he agrees and they both set off for Anhaga. Once they get there, however, both the grandson and Anhaga aren't what they seem.

The plot itself isn't as planned out as it could be but it was a fun read with both romance and action. Min and Harry are likeable characters in that they are both loveable rogues. There isn't as much sex as expected being from a gay romance publisher and it takes a backseat to the fantasy element. A large chunk of the book is explaining the different classes and powers of magicians (hedgewitch < Wizard < Sorcerers, etc.), what's with all the iron, and how Anhaga became believed to be cursed, visited by a fae lord every night. The dialogue is well written and heavy on the snark and the characters don't feel flat, though the relationships (and random incest) don't fit as well as they should in a book categorized as romance. If you're into the onslaught of YA romance fantasy that's been hitting the shelves, you're sure to enjoy this one just as much.