Review: Santuario
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 17, 2013
Reviewed by: MarissaBook provided by: NetGalleyReview originally posted at Romancing the BookI have to admit that I am not much for science fiction but I do love a good mystery, which is what attracted me to this book. Santuario, while told in the voice of a parallel universe, was engaging and at the same time seemed quite true to life - albeit in a surrealistic way.Santuario is an island of exile to those that came from another time. It is hot, steamy, and run by something akin to a dictatorship, quickly bringing to mind a country much like I imagine Cuba to be. With sweltering, sticky days, flash rains, and lines of oppressed people hoping for some meager medical care, the author brings the jungle island of Santuario to life vividly. Words familiar to me such as familia and buenos dios (as well as a few unfamiliar such as asqueroso) peppered the dialog for that final flair of Latino.In excellent juxtaposition, the "rest" of the world bears a striking resemblance to Scandinavian countries. With names like Bengt and Svenja, the Skanians are tall, blonde-haired people more accustomed to cooler climates. Part of the charm of Bengt is watching him try to adapt to the heat of Santuario and the small customary ways of a different culture. Something we take for granted, a handshake, is completely foreign to him as is a cup of warm tea.Alex is the key character in this story and I liked him right from the start. Told via flashbacks, his childhood was filled with horrific cruelty by a father that abused him and his mother at every turn, yet somehow Alex grew to be a moral and ethical man. While those he works with seem mostly nonchalant in their duties, Alex strives to see justice done, even for a dead bum no one knows. At the same time, Alex has built his walls and this is one of the things I loved in the story. Like any number of real people, especially someone who's had a rough life, he doesn't let anyone close yet at the same time he yearns for love.Alex and Bengt are so different and yet somehow so alike. Bengt comes from a large, close-knit family and is very confident in his job. Like Alex, Bengt has a strong moral and ethical streak, especially when it comes to a wrong he himself committed in the past. At the same time, Bengt comes off as the stronger man, able to dig into and tear down Alex's walls.One of the defining moments comes regarding the attraction between Alex and Bengt. In Skania, homosexuality is seen as natural. In Santuario, it is taboo. So when Alex starts to have feelings for Bengt that he doesn't understand, all those taboos play against the emotions that begin to foment and Alex must decide if what he has with Bengt is good and right, or just wrong.But the characters are almost secondary to the land and the atmosphere. Santuario is an island in turmoil. Law is more martial than police, with the upper echelon of officers indulging and protecting the familias. The island itself is described in generous detail and reading this on a hot day almost made me feel as if I were sitting on the beach at Santuario.While this book is listed as a romance, I would say that it is more mystery with an underpinning of romance. And in that case I am very pleased that there will be a second book - Alex and Bengt need to have their story continued. I'm also hoping we get to travel to Skania in the sequel, to see the contrast of the countries and how Alex handles going from his hot, jungle island to the cool mainland.