Love and Hate

Aster, a general in the army of Subania, has been ordered by her Queen to marry Symon, Captain of the Personal Guard of the King of Harmony. The purpose of this marriage is to cement the peace treaty between the two kingdoms. The lofty purpose does not soften the hatred that Aster and Symon feel, because each is still thinking of the other as their enemy. The Queen of Subania and the King of Harmony don’t care what the two principals in the marriage think, they just want them to pretend to be loving mates. Can Aster and Symon be obedient to the will of their sovereigns?

This is a short story of 47 pages, and yet it contains within it a fully developed plot and excellently drawn characters. This is difficult to achieve in such a short medium, because an author does not have any leeway for poor writing in such a length – every word must count. The characters of Aster and Symon are very appealing people, strong both physically and emotionally. They both give up what they thought would be their futures when their honor and loyalty to their Queen and King demand it. The royals are the only other distinct characters in the story, and they are definitely not as complex as the hero and heroine. The sexual scenes are definitely erotic and explicit, but fit easily into the plot. Although this story took only a short time to read, I liked it and consider it a small jewel of the short story format.

Reviewed by: Jean