Admittedly, I don’t know much about the world of the tarot, but I love the idea of using the cards as a jumping-off point for the stories included here. Fortunately, we’re provided with a little blurb about each tarot card, providing us with just enough information to understand the deeper themes of each story, but not so much as to overwhelm the plot.

Strangely enough, while it was the pair of lesbian romances (Emily Moreton’s Burn the Brightest & Marie Carlson’s Blazing Star) that demanded my immediate attention, they didn’t engage me as much as the rest. Not that there’s anything wrong with either one, but I found that the other stories just overshadowed them . . . and I’m not entirely sure why.

Erik Moore’s The Direction of Greatest Courage is a story I didn’t expect to like, but really did. It’s a potentially edgy story about open marriage and bisexuality, which freely acknowledges the assumptions and prejudices of society towards both concepts of intimacy, but then manages to successfully soften the ‘taboo’ element through the strength of its characters.

Janine Ashbless’s The Grief of the Bond-Maid is one of my favourite cards in the deck, presenting us with a Norse-flavoured high-fantasy tale (complete with a minor quest) that plays with the homoerotic hero-sidekick relationship, and then introduces a woman into the magical mix. I’d love to see more stories dealing with these characters, or perhaps even a novel. It really was that good.

K. Piet’s Surrender is another favourite, and another one that surprised me with how much it got under my skin. On the surface, it’s a straight-forward contemporary gay romance, but one that does a wonderful job of exploring not just the sexual, but also the emotional release that comes from stepping outside your comfort zone and allowing yourself to be dominated. If you’ve never considered yourself the submissive type, you may just be curious enough to play this card at least once.

S.L. Armstrong’s Oneiros is easily the most uncomfortable read in the deck, and another one that I was worried I wouldn’t take to. It contrasts the darkness of living under with HIV (never a subject you expect to lead a romance) with the cleansing light of friendship. The dream sequences are absolutely wonderful, and the overall story is surprisingly uplifting, considering the very dark avenues it could have taken.

Overall, the stories are all very well-written, with strong, interesting characters. For me, short story collections can be hit-or-miss, especially when built around a theme, but I would definitely be open to shuffling through the rest of the deck for another Cast the Cards anthology. ( )

Probably the most interesting thing of this anthology are the “unexpected pair”; the editor chose to give a taste to the reader of all possible combination of same sex relationships, also the more uncommon (uncommon at least in the Gay Romance world). And odd enough, since it’s usually not my favourite genre, the one I probably liked best is the contemporary lesbian romance by Emily Moreton.

Burn the Brightest by Emily Moreton (F/F): I really liked this story that is probably the first lesbian romance I have ever read. It’s about a woman who doesn’t want to fall in love, Edith, and the other woman, Jo, who will, with patience and constancy, make her change idea. It was really nice to read how Jo was not only able to courtship Edith in a way that didn’t have her running away in the opposite direction, but she was also humble enough, or maybe in love enough, to bear Edith’s bad attitude, that sometime was bordering rudeness. It’s clear that Edith is scared, scared of love and of loving a soldier, and she will have to face her worst nightmare. I’m not sure this is an happily ever after story, since, even if the fate will be merciful with them, probably Edith will not be able to overcome her fear; but if both events will happen, then this is probably one wonderful romance Edith and Jo will live together.

The Direction of Greatest Courage by Erik Moore (M/M/F): this story took me by surprise, since I didn’t know what to expect; at the beginning of it, Jason is telling, or better explaining to the reader, that he is bisexual, and how this is causing him trouble in love, since women are not comfortable with him loving also men, and men think he is in denial when he wants to go out with a woman. But then Jason starts a nice, and almost ordinary relationship with Beth, that is true, is straightforward and outspoken, but all in all their courtship is quite common. Then it comes out that Beth is in a polyamouros relationship, married with a bisexual man and bisexual herself; and as it comes out, Beth’s husband, Geoff, is a very sexy man, that tingles Jason’s interest as much as Beth did. At this point my understanding of the story was good, and it led towards what I was expecting. Nice ménages a trois with the added bonus of an insight in a somehow “ostracized” type of relationship, the polyamorous marriage (that, according to the author, and his characters, is completely different from cheating, since both side involved are willing and aware).

The Grief of the Bond-Maid by Janine Ashbless (M/F/M): this is probably the most “ordinary” story in the bunch and that is saying much if you consider this is a full fantasy tale with wizards, demons and witches. Sjofn is the apprentice of a wizard, Vegtamr, and after he hanged himself, Sjofn has to find two men willing to take care of the body of the wizard to avoid further damage. The two chosen heroes are Thorkell and Bjarni, two adventurous type who doesn’t mind the company of a woman sometime, even if that woman is a witch. The part of the story concerning the quest is much like one of those videogame with different level to reach; the remaining part is what made me classify this story as “ordinary”, since it’s about the sexual relationship between Thorkell and Bjarni from one side and Sjofn on the other side, and trust me, nothing strange here if not three people having good sex.

Surrender by K. Piet (M/M): the first of the full gay story is also a classical BDSM setting; Aaron is some sort of white collar with a stressful job and he sees the BDSM session as a stress-relief activity. I don’t think Aaron has really understood the meaning of the pain/pleasure games he is doing, and by the way, he claims he is a Dom and that he has never bottomed, and he is not interested. But in all the other similar stories I have read it happens exactly the opposite: men with very stressful jobs want to let it go and find that “space” where they can really rest and relax (at least on a mind level). So when Aaron enters a new club and meets Travis, he is also on for a surprise: Travis, with a joyful predisposition, and a skilled hand, will teach Aaron that sometime there is more satisfaction in surrendering than dominating.

Blazing Star by Marie Carlson (F/F): another lesbian romance, this time in a paranormal contest, even if the paranormal side is not so pushed to overwhelm the romance one. On the contrary of the other story, here one of the two women involved is a nurturing type, the last of a family of demon hunters who has decided she doesn’t want to kill but to save. She has an house that is a sanctuary to other hunters, and while she is probably welcoming any gender, it’s clear that when the one knocking at her door is biker-bad girl Hope, she is more than glad to not only open her house but also a her heart. The problem is that she is a full-package, home, heart and all, and if you want to love her, you have also to love her mission of providing a safe shelter to wandering souls.

Oneiros by S.L. Armstrong (M/M): I think this story was a metaphor; Caleb has just discovered he is HIV positive and he thinks his life is finished. He is no more interested in his job or going out, he is barely interested in taking care of his cat, the only living creature he has contacts with. The one night he starts dreaming of a perfect lover, Morpheus, the god of dreams, but also of sleep, and so little by little Caled loses contact with real world. And it’s exactly the wrong moment to do so since he has met Scott, another HIV positive patient who is not only willing to help Caleb through the initial nightmare of having to live with the virus, he would be also glad to find in Caleb a partner for life. I like how the author dealt the delicate issues of living with HIV, and I think that her metaphor was that, even with HIV you can have a real life, love and friendship, always better than banishing everything, and everyone.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982700814/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

BOOK BLURB:
For over 250 years, the use of the tarot for divination has been a mainstay of mystical and occult practices. The themes and forces represented by the cards are said to govern our lives and our destinies. Whether you believe that or not, the story of the cards is nevertheless the story of our lives ~ the accomplishments and the pitfalls, the path from soaring joy to crushing defeat and back again. "Cast the Cards" is a collection of six all-new short stories that explore snapshots of remarkable individuals trying to make their way along that path.

Edith, a woman who has been burned too many times to play the Fool again. Jason, a young man whose bisexuality has made him feel like a Hermit. Sjofn the witch, on a quest to free herself from the control of the Hanged Man. Aaron, a dominant soul stuck in an ivory Tower. Bea, a mind reader weary of battle, but still with the Star in her eyes. Caleb, courted by a god beneath a dream of the Moon.

The path the tarot set before us is never easy, but by facing it with strength and determination, the rewards it promises are worth the risk.

BOOK REVIEW:
"Burn the Brightest" by Emily Moreton is based on the card The Fool. This contemporary lesbian romance, between Edith, who's sworn off relationships with people in the services, and Jo, a Navy languages specialist, is sweet and understated. I really enjoyed that Jo wasn't chasing too hard ~ that it really was Edith coming to realise that her preconceptions about service personnel that's stopping her from getting what she wanted. The ending gives the story an unexpected twist ~ I'd love to read more about these characters, but the closing lines are perfect just as they are.

"The Direction of Greatest Courage" by Erik Moore is based on The Hermit. Invisible Jason gets hit on in the supermarket ~ a fantastically original pick-up process, if a little convoluted ~ and not only starts dating Beth, the woman who'd caught his eye, but also catches the attention of Geoff, her husband. The start is a little stiff, but the central romance is charming, and the threesome sex scene that marks the start of their relationship is steamy.

"The Grief of the Bond-Maid" by Janine Ashbless takes a relatively literal interpretation of The Hanged Man. Sjofn the witch is searching for someone who can free her from the enslavement of an evil Wizard, and her second sight brings her to Bjarni and Thorkell. The two men are devoted to each other, and the joint lure of good deeds and promised rewards encourage them to join her, journeying upriver to fight through all the worlds to dispatch the hanging Odin-wizard Vegtamr during the narrow window of his vulnerability. Slightly unexpected, both in the jump from the contemporary stories that start the anthology, and then in the turn towards to the romantic that this quest takes, as the three of them celebrate their hard one-victory, but none the less enjoyable for that surprise.

BDSM, even queer BDSM, is really not my genre, and so I must confess that I read the early scenes of Piet's Surrender wincing as I went, but as the Tower is change, so the story evolves, Aaron's untested beliefs about himself crack and crumble, and I found myself more and more drawn in to Aaron and Travis's explorations ~ of sensation, of trust, of what it means to be in a D/s relationship. Impressive.

"Blazing Star" by Marie Carlson is Lesbian urban fantasy, based on the card The Star. Mind-reader Bea has grown up in the shadow world of Supernatural-style hunters, and now keeps a safe house, offering sanctuary and protection magic to any hunter who needs it - but most especially to Hope, her lover. Carlson does a grand job packing clear world building, strong, engaging characters, hot sex, and well-rooted relationships into a short story, whilst not skimping on plot. The sense of time passing is palpable, and Hope and Bea are a fantastic couple.

"Oneiros" by S.L. Armstrong is gay urban fantasy, based on the card The Moon. Caleb is just an ordinary guy, out here in the real world, but in his dreams he's Morpheus' paramour ~ all the love-sex-desire any man could ask for. Temptation incarnate for anyone, and doubly so for Caleb who's struggling to come to terms with his HIV+ diagnosis. The depression aspects ring so true, the dream-world that draws Caleb deeper and deeper, like a rip tide, is so treacherously desirable, so long as Caleb continues as Morpheus desires, and Scott ~ the one thing in the daylight world that's worth waking up for ~ is the perfect hero. I really appreciated that Scott helps, but that he doesn't sweep in and rescue Caleb ~ rather gives him a reason to fight himself free, which makes the happy ending that much happier for me.

Together these six stories form a strong collection, but a bit of a disjointed read ~ perhaps best enjoyed as separate tales, but very much to be enjoyed.

(Originally reviewed for Rainbow Reviews : http://www.rainbow-reviews.com/?p=7891) ( )