A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day

August 3rd, 2008

A Strong and Sudden Thaw
R.W. Day
331.

Iris Print, 2006.

Back cover blurb:

Dragons in Virginia?

Nearly a hundred years after the Ice changed the face of our world, the people of Moline work to reclaim the frozen land, both from the cold and from the dragons that now live in the hills outside of town—dragons that the government won’t believe exist.

David Anderson knows very little of the world outside of his family’s farm, until Callan, an assistant healer from the south, arrives in Moline and begins to teach him of a world he never knew, full of books and ideas, and history long forgotten. When Callan is found in the arms of another man—a crime in this post-Ice world—David learns a frightening truth about himself, and the difference between what is legal… and what is right.

After trouble hits the nearby town of Crawford, David and Callan discover the seeds of a plot that affects not only their home, but towns just like Moline across the world. Now they must fight to save their home, not only from the dragons, but from a government that wants them dead!

I had run out of books when visiting Love, so I was leant this book, after hearing heaps of praise for it. And it was brilliant, and so lovely. I adored the way David’s and Callan’s relationship was described; it was so loving and full of life. I really believed in it, even before it was made explicit. And it made me feel more confident that love existed than I felt… for quite some time.

The story, too, was really intriguing and there, too, believable. A sudden ice spreading over the ice? I can buy that. People going crazy as a result? Yeah, sure. Dragons in the aftermath? Of course. When I read the back cover, I felt a little “right, so?”, but Day makes it so believable and oh, this could really happen, I’m sure. (though, I don’t WANT this to happen - too much religion and too little electricity for my personal taste.) It was such a fantastic story. The only bad thing I can say about this was the open ending, but on the other hand, this might mean that there might be more gay adventure to be had. We can hope.

Entry Filed under: English, Fiction, LGBT-related, Science fiction