The official website of A. B. Gayle - Author and Editor
Share this:
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • My Books
  • Free Reads
  • Blogs
    • Tyler Knoll's Blog
    • Interviews
    • Reviews
  • Man 'em up Dude
    • Leather + Lace >
      • Chapter 1: Stand Back
    • Red + Blue >
      • R+B - Reviews & Blogs
    • Caught >
      • Caught - Reviews & Blogs
    • Initiation
  • SciFiRomance
    • WIP - Nature
  • Mainstream
    • In Search of the Perfect PinotG!
    • The Lost Diary of Thomas Kendall
  • Coming Soon
    • WIP - Home+Away
    • WIP - Pride+Prejudices
    • WIP - Truth+Lies
  • Bio
    • Links
  • Editing Info
    • Editing Special Forces

Butterfly Hunter revisited

10/27/2014

0 Comments

 
Butterfly Hunter (Butterfly Hunter #1)Butterfly Hunter by Julie Bozza
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The way I discovered this book and Julie Bozza was eerily like the protagonists discovered the butterflies. I certainly didn't go looking. After hearing about the writer through convoluted means, I trusted my instincts rather than logic and followed a cloud of 5 star ratings that barely showed up against the plethora of five star ratings that stretch from horizon to horizon of the reading world. And I'm so glad I did.

Perhaps it was the shimmer that made her story show up, the unusual cover in a trope that depends on sex to sell.

There was sex, but it was very much the fade to black variety even if they do get to second base or even third base at times.

If I have a criticism of the book it is that at a couple of points during the sex scenes there was a gap that made me skip back a page because I thought I'd flipped over one too many. Is actual penetration that hard to include? Perhaps some nitty gritty real sex might have stolen some of the light hearted feel away but then again perhaps it could have grounded the story a bit more and made it more real. A sentence or two in the different scenes would have done me.

As an Aussie, I can vouch for the setting's authenticity. The attraction of the Australian outback is not easy to see. In the heat of the day, it's hot. Bloody hot. Shirts cling to your back from the sweat. Flies try to crawl into your nose, eyes and mouth seeking moisture. Ants are literally everywhere. Probably a good reason to sleep up on top of the Land Cruiser. Sometimes it's so hot even the birds are silent. That's when the insects start making a racket. Most city dwellers see the Australian outback as a harsh place and rarely venture out there which is a pity, because it is beautiful, and in certain lights, it's magic.

The trouble is you have to be there to experience it. Julie gives us a picture of the overwhelming magnificence of the southern skies at night. But I love the time just before dawn when there is an expectant hush in the air. I've only ever experienced the same thing when a baby budgie was hatching and its parents and siblings all grew quiet (a rare state in that breed) while tiny tapping sounds could be heard as the baby bird broke through the shell. It's the same in the bush. Everything goes quiet. The wind drops, the birds are silent and then the sun pokes its head above the horizon. Later, the heat of the day sucks all the energy out of the landscape, but the early morning light caresses the bush, making it unforgettable.

descriptiondescriptiondescription

There is no lush grass, no soft colors, the ground is hard and unforgiving until you find a waterhole.

descriptiondescriptiondescription


The wattle is our national symbol, but it can take on many forms.
descriptiondescriptiondescription

As m/m writers go, Julie has come the closest so far to capturing this unique setting.

As someone whose father and sister were entomologists and actually worked for the organisations briefly mentioned, it gave me an eerie feeling of being right there.

Hunting butterflies isn't hunting Tasmanan tigers or even kangaroos. There's no guns, no villains, no drama just a gentle unfolding of the story. In fact, the analogy of their life spans, their metamorphosis into something beautiful mirrors Dave's change perfectly.

Tough macho Aussie males brought up far away from gay culture would seek the protection and company of a girl who was a mate. Uncomplicated. Unthreatening. They wouldn't even be aware they were doing it. They would assume that what they had was a normal boy/girl relationship. I found that part of the story totally believable. The girls themselves are often different. On the remote properties there aren't a lot of other girls around so being accustomed to hang out with their brothers, they tend to grow up as tomboys, being able to shoot and ride as well as the men. So Dave would be like a brother to her. Someone she is fiercely loyal to. In turn, he would feel totally comfortable with her and assume their relationship was more.

I also thought the way the author handled aboriginal culture was appropriate in the circumstances and wasn't condescending in any way. Not every Australian takes the time or has the interest in accepting that relationship to the land, but for those who do, there's this special way of looking at things. Outsiders may not "get it" or they may see it as appropriating their culture, but in fact not "getting it" and ignoring that aspect is more disrespectful.

It is probably best if you read the story when you are in the right mood for it. It certainly made a welcome change for me.

View all my reviews
Picture
Next week, I'm pleased to announce that I will be chatting to Julie Bozza about her new book, "The Thousand Smiles of Nicholas Goring" which wraps up her fabulous Butterfly Hunter series. She will also be giving away a copy to one lucky commentator.

In the meantime, you might like to catch up with the last interview I did with her. You can read it here.


And the book which will be released on Nov 1st can be
pre-ordered from Amazon by clicking
here.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    A.B.Gayle

    This is a collection of reviews I've posted at Goodreads and
    interviews authors have granted me.

    Plus from time to time, I'll share my take on writing and marketing. This will be done under the Tyler Knoll banner, because nothing is better for curing the headache these things can be for us.

    Archives

    August 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    June 2010
    March 2010

    Categories

    All
    Alexis Hall
    Ash Penn
    Barry Lowe
    Bev Dentham
    Brad Vance
    Bryl Tyne
    Chainmale
    Chaos Magic
    Christopher Koehler
    C.H. Scarlett
    C.J. Cherryh
    Clare London
    Damon Suede
    Darla Sands
    Desert Run
    Dirk Vanden
    Don Bastien
    Don Schecter
    Drag Queen
    Duck
    Dusk
    Erotic Horizons
    Habu
    Hank Edwards
    Heidi Cullinan
    Heights Of Passion
    Hot Head
    Hourglass
    Interview
    Isolation
    Jane Davitt
    Jay Lygon
    Jeff Mann
    John Preston
    John Wiltshire
    Josh Lanyon
    J.P. Barnaby
    Julie Bozza
    K.A.Mitchell
    Keith Fennell
    Kim Dare
    Lisa Henry
    Lyn Gala
    Margie Church
    Marshall Thornton
    Mel Keegan
    Mimosa
    Morticia Knight
    Mr Benson
    Opinion
    Out Of The Box
    Patric Michael
    Phillip Mackenzie Jr
    Quotes
    Redemption Reef
    Reversal
    Review
    Reviews
    Robert Reynolds
    Robert Rodi
    Ryan Field
    Scott Terry
    Stray
    Syd Mcginley
    T.A. Webb
    Thom Lane
    Trey #3
    Tyler Knoll
    Vancouver Nights
    Wild Raspberries
    William Maltese
    Writing

    RSS Feed

    Follow this blog
Picture
The copyright to all the material published on this site is owned by A.B. Gayle.