Book Reviews

Book Blurb

He lost his magic. How?

Returning to the bookstore by the sea, Daniel worries about how to tell his father that the money he saved to send his gifted son to magic school was a waste.

Daniel buries his secret under the pretense of coming home for a vacation. Then he meets Leaf Springfield, a beautiful young man who's been systematically beaten down by his uncle.

Irresistibly drawn to one another, they learn they share more than a love for raw fish and the ocean—both have lost a mother, and their ties to the ocean may be more fantastic than they can imagine.

Passion explodes between the two. It terrifies Daniel how quickly his feelings for Leaf grow. There may be more here than meets the eye—about both of them.

 

Book Review

“For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It’s always our self we find in the sea.” – E.E.  Cummings

Daniel of 'The Sea Calls My Name' has always known that he is different. Aside from his magic, he has a strong affinity with the sea. It's almost healing for him. When his father sends him to school to enhance his magic skills, he's baffled by the fact that they seem to have disappeared. Daniel comes back after a year, disappointed and disgraced, embarrassed to tell his father, who scraped and saved to send him there.

Although Daniel is not just on vacation, as he assumed he would be, it is a relief to be in the small fishing village where he's lived all his life. It is especially comforting for him to be near the ocean again. Daniel always feels stronger when he is close to the water than anywhere else. He worries about his father, who never remarried after his mother died. At least now that he is back, Daniel can continue to care for his kind, but absent-minded parent as he did before he left. Daniel hates to think how disappointed his father will be to learn that Daniel, who his father thought was special, in reality, isn't special at all. Daniel realizes that he must tell him that he's not going back to school, but delays it as long as he can.

When Daniel meets Leaf, he's instantly drawn to him. However, he is appalled by the harsh treatment Leaf's uncle gives him, especially when his only crime seems to be nibbling on some raw fish. Daniel desperately wants to do something to help him, but can't imagine what that would be. He first becomes friends with Leaf, then, very quickly, they become lovers. His father figures out the nature of their relationship and is very understanding about it. When it becomes impossible for Leaf to live with his uncle anymore, Daniel's father welcomes him into his home. Things get complicated when the authorities are informed about Daniel's illegal use of magic, which he uses to help Leaf escape his uncle's violent clutches. They come to investigate and realize that the type of magic they were trying to teach Daniel was completely wrong for the particular style he possesses.

There are more secrets to come in this endearing, magical love story about two lonely boys who fall in love and, through the support they give each other, are able to reach their full potential. If you enjoy stories with magical abilities, mythical creatures, soul mates, the call of the ocean, and unraveling mysterious circumstances, then this short, but charming story may be for you. Thank you, Hollis, for sharing a bit of magic with me.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 70 pages/25344 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	29-April-2015
Price
Buy Link	OUT OF PRINT