Kate Islay

I'm giving this provisionally 3 stars.
Because I'm not that swept away with it.

EDIT:
So it's more of a 3.5 stars read for me. And I have some bones to pick with this one.
Though it definitely should be getting more traffic.

It's slow-paced and subtle.
But I feel like I didn't really get to know Reve. Mathias feels a little more fleshed out but not by much. I have no idea where or how they click together.

The understated intimacy was awesome, the bedroom one - not so much, it felt.... off?

The show more conflicts and choices are depicted rather skilfully. I really liked the politics side of this.

Overall, it's a solid read with some stumbles and hiccups. Deserving of attention nonetheless.

FINAL VERDICT: Give it a try, but don't set your hopes too high show less

This story has everything...tight writing, interesting and complex characters, insights into young adults just starting out to find themselves, all wrapped up in the beginnings of a romance. And unfortunately that is the reason it doesn't get 5 Stars - just as the "romance" begins, the story ends. *insert sad face* I really want to know more about these boys so I'm hoping and wishing madly that they badger Ms. Islay unmercifully until she continues their story!

First of all I want to thank my friends for recommending me this short story because I absolutely loved it.

How is it possible that a 28 pages short story could make me feel like I've read a full novel in the space of an hour?
Anton is an impoverished farmer visiting the market to buy an ox, but who instead returns home with a slave, intended to go to the rock mines and spend the last of his days there chained to a rock. It was a stupid decision because an ox would have helped him with the show more plow and live through the winter, but his heart was weak because the slave reminded him of his former lover. Now he has two mouths to feed and no ox to help him farm.
This is their story, how the master and the slave work together side by side to build a future. We are left with a HFN, but I couldn't have been happier with the ending.
Pick this up, it takes you less than an 1 hr to read it and it's beautiful. It's not your average master/slave story because Anton is very kind to Petre. I didn't even feel he truly saw him as a slave.

When an author conveys so much in less than 50 pages it's a 5 stars from me. show less

Anton bought a man. A slave. Though he didn’t exactly treat Petre like one, despite the collar on his neck. They ate at the same table and Petre was somewhat comfortable. Well, it was certainly better then in a mine shackled to the rocks.

There was so much work to do on the land and around the little cottage. They needed to split the work, but Anton was reluctant to leave Petre alone, he didn’t trust the man at first, he thought Petre would run once he freed him.

It felt like in a way show more Anton was a slave too, he was tied to his land and bound by his memories. The two of them were drawn to each other, because they were both lonely, and they understood each other. In the end they reached a level of companionship and were trying to survive together.


Beautifully written short story, totally worth reading it. show less