Review: A Little Different Than Expected
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 13, 2014
3.5 stars.The Engineered Throne turned out to be a little different than what I was expecting.  I went in thinking the main focus of this novel was going to be on the arranged marriage (a theme I generally love in m/m romances) and the two main characters falling in love with one another.  While this certainly did happen, it wasn't until after the halfway point.  However, this novel was aptly named as it largely focused on Vellem entering his new country and gradually coming into the leadership role in which he abruptly finds himself.  The first several challenges revolve around attacks on Vellem and his comrades as well as obstacles Vellem must overcome in order to fully come into his position.  When he does meet his husband, Perdith, half of the book has already passed and circumstances occur that prevents Perdith from having a major role until about the 70% mark.  I was a little disappointed at such a late foray into romance, but once the two got together they made up for the wait.  There were the nervous attractions and little sparks that make the build up heartwarming and when the relationship turned more serious it felt believable and realistic.  Because the love scenes between Vellem and Perdith were so well written I wished Ms. Derr had devoted more time to the two of them as a couple.  Other reviewers have said they only see the two men as being good friends, however I thought the chemistry between them was palpable and easily saw them becoming comfortable and loving husbands to one another.  Additionally, this novel has plenty of action, political enmity, and conflict to keep you entertained if you're interested in that, though I found myself skipping over a few scenes as my interest began to wane.There were several grammatical and other errors scattered throughout the book which I found mildly distracting, but other than that this is a very decent novel, especially if you're fond of fantasy, rival kingdoms, and the struggles inherent in becoming a leader of a former enemy country.  Those looking for a stronger focus on the romance will be in for a letdown as it only comprises a small percentage of the book.  This is more a story of Vellem and his "engineered throne".  I gave this four rather than three stars because they writing was good, the plot was solid, and the romance--when the story finally got there--was engaging and great to read.