4 1/2 HeartsReview written for MM Good Book Reviews
This novella can be read as a sequel to Bound to the Beast, a prequel to Bound for the Forest, or an introduction to the Greenwood series. Herne the Hunter is returning to the Greenwood with his demispirit lover, Tam, after an absence of a hundred years and discovers that the magic of The Greenwood is fading and the oaks are being felled to build warships. Their passionate lovemaking is thrown off rhythm as disquiet threads through both of them. Herne and Tam clash horns as Herne is tempted to call The Wild Hunt and Tam wants to reinstate a spring ritual to save Greenwood and the fairies. When Tam misjudges in his plan, Herne will have to resist the call to hunt and listen to his love to reclaim his demispirit.
Ahhh Herne and Tam return to us in a fantastic addition to The Greenwood series, Herne that big sexy brute and Tam the sexy lithe temptation crossing horns as they both react to the destruction of the oaks and the fading fairies. Herne doesn’t want to embrace the present or the future like Tam does, he prefers the long distant past. All Herne sees in this time are the land grabbing people who are destroying the forests and he is finding it hard to resist the pull of the Wild Hunt. Tam embraces each passing age and he welcomes the changes, he can see why the forests are being sacrificed and thinks there might be another reason why the fairy folk are fading. Tam is hurt and shocked that Herne is even thinking about calling the hunt and challenges Herne, Tam might like to be dominated by Herne but he wants no part of a brute who would call the Wild Hunt.
I really did enjoy this story with the history being woven with myth once again. There is a threat from the French and good oak is required to build the warships. The fairy folk are fading because people no longer believe in the old ways. Herne and Tam return to the devastation of the Greenwood and they both have different ways they want to fix it, Herne wants to go in and wreak havoc on the shipbuilders and Tam wants to remind the villagers of the old celebrations. As they both have different ideas on a solution they clash and Tam endangers himself and Herne has to rethink his temptation of the hunt to save Tam.
The conflict between Tam and Herne radiates from the pages, they adore each other but the state of the Greenwood has them conflicted. These two characters are incredibly passionate and it reflects in how they react to the threat of the Greenwood and the fairies, they are explosive together especially when they play with a ribbon *fans self*.
I have to recommend this if you love slight kink and D/s, myths and legends, sexy brutes, a hot lithe beauty, a gruesome Wild Hunt, fairies, explosive sex and a happy ending.
