by John Tristan

“Etan? You should be more than a plaything for – You should be more than this.”
“I know, sir. You shall make me so.” – 29%

Title: The Adorned
Author: John Tristan
Book: Stand alone
Genre: m/m fantasy
Found: amazon
Rating: 5 voodoos

Down on his luck country boy Etan finds himself within the city, nothing to his name. When a man pulls him out of the gutter he’s deeply thankful and this chance meeting sets him on a course he’d never dared dream of. Pledged to a master tattoo artist, Roberd Tallisk, as his latest canvas, he is to become one of the sort after Adorned; living pieces of art tattooed with enchanted ink whose skin is hidden from common eyes, only to be seen by the noble houses who lend the enchantments to the ink. But, though it’s not just the art they’re interested in, Etan far prefers the attentions of Tallisk. But unrest is brewing, the nobles believe they’re untouchable but their playthings are not and Etan might just have got himself caught between two factions of a revolution.

Aww yay! Finally another m/m story that isn’t just about the graphic sex! I love these stories, because they seem so rare and really they shouldn’t be. What’s wrong with reading about people falling in love? I mean realy.

I found this world very interesting and I would have liked to know more, but as it was first person, we were limited to what the character knew which wasn’t actually that much. One thing that strikes me is how much this book reminded me of memoirs of a Geisha and I’m not totally sure why, beyond the fact his lively hood was to look pretty for the people who paid, but then revolution came and eradicated that job.

The emotional roller coaster at the end was particularly gripping and I was on the edge of my seat! I will certainly be looking out for other books by this author.