Review: Best Gay Fantasy: Nor Iron Bars A Cage by Kaje Harper
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 21, 2014
I’m not really a fantasy lover, but Nor Iron Bars a Cage bore nothing of what usually makes me stay away from these novels: even if the setting was complex and original, it wasn’t overwhelming so much it eat the story: I don’t like when I spend too much time trying to follow all the details the authors is showing off to prove they have done homework. That of Lyon and Tobin is a rendering of a Medieval kingdom, so some of it was familiar, but it was a place and time where sorcerers and ghosts not only exist, they are even common occurrences; moreover, to threw the reader a little more off the current time and into the fantasy world, time and space and how to measure it was different, there wasn’t the concept of weeks or years or miles, but similar concepts (the week is actually 6 days and not 7, the length is measure in horse feet or arrows’ arch, and so on).But what was the most beautiful thing was the sweet love story between Lyon and Tobin: they were kids together, and young, but yes, already probably in love. Tobin, second son of a nobleman, was destined to the army, Lyon, from the middle-class, was the apprentice of a sorcerer. Tobin thought they had time, that he could go in the Army do his deed, and come back to Lyon, but when he did come back, in the end, Lyon was believed to be dead. Lyon wasn’t dead, but for him, he wasn’t far from it. He is living like an hermit, in a small cottage far from the city and he is trying to not let his tragedy kill him for good. There is no space for Tobin’s memories, or maybe, he has forced himself to forget. But when Tobin knocks at his door, everything comes back in a rush, with the only difference that he is no more the boy to whom Tobin was hoping to go back home.Tobin is a really good man, nor before or now he lets jealousy, or passion, eating his love; he loved Lyon before and he loves him more now. Even if he is one of the more trusted men of the king, he will put Lyon before his sire. Lucky for them, homosexuality doesn’t seem to be a trouble, they are fays, and being fay isn’t a condemnation. Tobin easily admits he was fay when they were young, and with that, admitting also that he was in love with Lyon. This love will give a reason to Lyon to try to overcome his tragedy, and be ready to face life again.