King of the Sea in Queereaders

Jan 17, 2017 Grady rated it it was amazing

A gay erotic tale of murder, mutiny, and mermen

California author Nathan Bay makes and impressive debut with KING OF THE SEA, joined in the editing by well-respected novelist Daryl Banner. Nathan also demonstrates his up front artistry by designing the cover of his novel form one of his own photographs of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge and uniquely shares the name of his hunky model as Daniel Sobieray! Solid steps suggest that Nathan is a professional artist and this debut should assure his A gay erotic tale of murder, mutiny, and mermen

California author Nathan Bay makes and impressive debut with KING OF THE SEA, joined in the editing by well-respected novelist Daryl Banner. Nathan also demonstrates his up front artistry by designing the cover of his novel form one of his own photographs of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge and uniquely shares the name of his hunky model as Daniel Sobieray! Solid steps suggest that Nathan is a professional artist and this debut should assure his position among writers of gay romance and fiction. Or as he phrases it, his novels are ‘about ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances. His characters fight for love while fighting to save their lives, pitted against the dark forces of evil who threaten to take it all away.’ Add to that an appreciation and gift for the value of well-scribed erotica and Nathan Bay is present.

To taste the unique flavor of his novel it is only necessary to read the first page and the reader is captured – ‘What am I so afraid of? Carlos Santiago had been asking himself that question a lot lately, and on this particular night in June, he'd finally decided on the answer. Nothing. There was nothing left in this world to be afraid of. He knew he was going to die. Probably not now. Probably not for a very long time. But someday, it was certain that his life would come to an end. It didn't matter how he played the game, or which strategic moves he made on this giant chessboard of life. The details, the players, the events could be rearranged any sort of way, but Death would always be victorious in the end. Death lingered all around him, and he'd already felt the chill of its breath while he was lying on the operating table. He imagined Death watching him from the corner of the room, twiddling its bony thumbs, wondering if it would collect a new soul. Carlos sneered at the thought of sending the evil bastard back to hell empty-handed. Not today! On this beautiful summer night, Death felt a million miles away and the only thing stealing Carlos's breath was the panoramic view of San Francisco sprawled in front of him from the elite beach town of Bay Cove. The city lights were twinkling through a veil of fog, the red eye of the Transamerica Pyramid pulsating. A salty breeze off the Pacific Ocean rustled his hair as he walked down the creaky wooden steps toward the sliver of beach by the boat dock. What a big world out there, Carlos thought. Taking inventory of his past and the twenty-eight years he'd seen so far, he let out a heavy sigh. Will I ever feel whole again? It had been six months since he had the orchiectomy to remove the cancer from his body. Wrapped around his right testicle, the alien invader had grown from the mutant cells that betrayed him. He was lucky, or so the doctors told him. They'd caught the tumor early— stage one— and he only underwent a single round of radiation. Everyone at the hospital had assured him he'd go on to live a happy and healthy life. Lucky indeed. So much had changed since that January day. His relationship with his partner Tyson had fallen apart. It was already on shaky ground before his cancer diagnosis. Watching him grow weaker and more frail only seemed to expedite Tyson's loss of interest in him. Now they were barely roommates; just two acquaintances who breathed the same air under the same roof...etc.’

But Nathan supplies a fine synopsis for his strange story; Carlos Santiago is a man on the edge of sanity. After battling cancer, he's developed an obsession with death, fearful that it's lurking behind every shadow, waiting to steal his last breath. Then a sexy encounter with an alluring merman turns his world upside down and gives him new hope for the future. But escaping his former boyfriend, Dr. Tyson Thorne, won't be so easy. When Carlos discovers shocking medical experiments were taking place behind his back, he embarks on a race against time to unlock the mystery of the doctor's secrets before he gets caught. With danger threatening him at every turn, can Carlos escape the hands of death a second time? And can he trust his new merman love interest when everyone around him seems to be hiding a dark secret?’

Very fine writing, this, and a signal that there is a new voice with unique characteristics surfacing in California. Keep an eye on this young artist.
...more

2 likes · Like · see review