Jack of Thorns
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3.9 • 105 Ratings
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Publisher Description
"The thrill ... will keep readers flipping pages well past the point where they probably should have gone to bed." - Stephani Hren for IndieReader
Laurence Riley might be able to see the future, but he can't see a way to fix his messed-up life. He can't control anything—not his supernatural talents, not his drug addiction, and not his violent ex-boyfriend. Laurence needs help and he knows it. A lifelong pagan, he turns to his god... and he gets Jack. Jack can help Laurence tame his powers and take control of his life. But it comes at a price: Laurence will need to keep him fed with regular offerings of sex. For the old Laurence, that would've been a pleasure. Problem is, Laurence has met Quentin.
Quentin is devastatingly handsome, way out of Laurence's league (like British nobility levels of out-of-his-league), and unbearably chaste. If that weren’t enough to keep Laurence away, Quentin's wild telekinesis is even more uncontrollable than Laurence's precognition. But Laurence doesn't want anyone else, and Jack is getting hungry.
Then Laurence foresees a glimpse of Jack's true plan. It will leave a trail of death across San Diego--and Laurence has been helping him do it. The past has taught him that the future can't be changed. But if Laurence and Quentin can't stop Jack, there won't be any future at all.
Jack of Thorns is the first book in a dark urban fantasy series where X-Men meets The Magicians.
"Striking prose and characters make this opening fantasy installment worthwhile." - Kirkus Reviews
"AK Faulkner thrusts together two deliciously flawed main characters ... then weaves an empowering plot of destiny, inheritance, and self-improvement—all while letting the reader languor in the glow of a glorious slow burn romance." - Indie Reader
"Mixing the paranormal with the deeply personal, A.K. Faulkner has delivered a bold debut novel with Jack of Thorns in what stacks up to be a thrilling new series." - Self Publishing Review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Faulkner (Mirror Flower, Water Moon) kicks off the Inheritance series with a captivating love story pulsing with complex Celtic mythology. San Diego florist Laurence Riley, a recovering heroin addict who has visions of the future and a mystical green thumb, prays to the Celtic fertility god Cernunnos for a blessing and is soon visited by a manifestation of the deity calling himself Jack in the Green. Jack agrees to train Laurence to control his psychic powers but demands payment in the form of erotic energy. Laurence seeks a sexual partner but runs into a complication when he falls hard for reserved telekinetic Quentin, Earl of Banbury, whose traumatic past makes him unlikely to just fall into bed. As Laurence and Quentin bond, Jack grows desperate for the power that sexual activity gives him, becoming a threat both to Laurence and to the city of San Diego. Effortlessly handling weighty issues of addiction, class, and sexuality, Faulkner keeps her heady mythology grounded in reality and lays a promising foundation for future installments. Readers will be eager for the next in the series. (Self-published.)
Customer Reviews
I want more. Or do I want more?
A very nice love story. With the supernatural theme. I must say the supernatural part was OK but the love story was pretty good they were little sappy at times.
My problem is I think it stands on its own so I’m not quite sure I want to see what happens next with these characters. Thinking my own mind will create a better ending.
Finally!
A male led gay heroine superhero coming into a power that isn’t about some teenagers. Definitely worth the read.
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I don’t think this author has ever met a British person.