Product Description

In the notorious Five Points slum of 1870's Manhattan, Galen 'the Mongoose' Driscol steps out of jail and back into the arms of his transgendered lover, Wira Boruta. When Galen tells Wira that he's tracked down the man who tried to kill them as children, Wira is unwilling to listen, and pleads with Galen to forget the past, and live only for the future...their future. Only Galen doesn't forget, nor does he forgive. He doesn't give a second thought about exacting justice, but justice has a price, and it's come to collect from the one person Galen loves most...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #406021 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-08
• Released on: 2007-11-30
• Binding: Paperback
• 196 pages

Erastes, at Speak Its Name, the Gay Historical Fiction Blog
...if you want a genre-busting story that covers a lot of ground, emotionally and viscerally, then you should definitely give this one a go.

Reyes, at Rainbow Reviews
There is little to criticize about Gadarene; it comes as close to perfection as possible. ...If you're looking for something unconventional, Gadarene is highly recommended.

Curt Purcell, Groovy Age of Horror
...the gay romance aspect here meshes so finely with the other aspects of the characters and story that I think this could appeal more broadly than that genre specification might suggest. [...]I'd encourage anyone who's interested, but hesitant because of the gay thing, not to let that put them off, but to give this a try.

Customer Reviews

Excellent
Gadarene is a phenomenal book. It's rare to find a book in this genre that pulls you into the story. Even more rare in the fact that this is a historical work. Absolutely stunning.

Even more fascinating is that Wira, our transgendered character, is in no way a chick-with-a-dick character. Wira is Wira. There is no other way to put it. Wira's character is written so well, so perfectly, that even as she is referred to as a girl, as I refer to her as "she", never did I feel I was reading a hetero story. Not once. Wira is strong, loving, helpful, but has her faults, too. Wira is Wira. When you read this, you'll understand.

The setting and time played an integral part in this story. So many times, historical romances gloss over the not-so-great stuff. Not Gadarene. This book lays it out as smelly, dirty, hard, cramped, cold, and not so great. And the people are the same. Calling people by racial nicknames: a given. Cleanliness: maybe. Food: you hope. Struggle: you bet. Because of this, there is no whitewashing in order to keep modern sensibilities. Wira had to survive while Galen was gone, and she did it the best way she could. Galen never bats an eye at his lover's `profession'. Galen is a hired thug, an assassin. Wira worries, but can't stop it. The people in this story can't afford high-class morality.

Another thing I found spectacular is the gender roles played out in the story. Wira sees herself as a woman. Wira acts like a woman. Galen knows what Wira looks like under the dresses. Galen treats Wira like a woman. When he comes back home, he takes the role of the man. This doesn't mean Wira becomes an empty-headed doll. It does mean that Wira falls into the role of a woman in the rough side of town. I loved it and thought it absolutely brilliant. Again, never did I feel I was reading a hetero story. I salute the authors for this feat of genius.

When it came to the horror aspect, the authors didn't hesitate. It hits full-force without it being gory. Okay, maybe a tad bit. But mainly, it's just creepy and gave me a great scare. The way the story unfolds, with memories and dreams, it kept me on my toes and off-kilter.

The best part (I know! There's more?) is that this is a story I couldn't just put down after the end. It stayed with me. The mystery continued to get solved in my brain; the little details of the setting and characterization slowly slid into the light and made me gasp in delight while I was doing the dishes. It's a story that I had to tell others about, to talk it out, and make further discoveries. The story is still with me. It makes me greedy and demanding and hoping for a sequel of some sort, any sort. But, really, I couldn't be happier with the ending. I couldn't be happier with this book.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves excellent characterization, historicals, mysteries, or horrors. I would be shocked if those who read it didn't love it. If you don't "get it" after the last page, give your brain a couple of days. Let is set a while before making a firm decision. You'll be glad you did.

The cover art is perfect. It's gorgeous and so ambiguous. It couldn't have summed up this story any better.

The only problem with this book is that it was too short.
I really, really liked everything about this book, despite going into it with some misgivings. Galen and Wira's relationship - their obvious love and commitment to each other - was incredibly satisfying in what essentially came off as a horror book. The horror elements themselves were also very well-written; they were creepy enough to leave you somewhat spooked at the book's conclusion, but not so terrifying that you lost sight of some of the more encouraging elements of the story. I also really, really enjoyed the setting, being somewhat obsessed with anything that evokes old New York, and I loved all of the accents, places, and other little details that helped keep the story grounded in its time and place.

Interesting horror/mystery/noir/romance hybrid
One of the main characters is a transgendered person, but fortunately, this entertaining horror/mystery/romance hybrid has much more to offer than mere novelty. There are some technical aspects of the story that I can't warm up to - the use of "v" instead of "w" in the conversations of a Polish character ("ve" instead of "we", for example) - but still, this is a pretty interesting read with memorable lead characters.