Garrett Leigh: Shadow Bound

Garrett Leigh--Shadow BoundAfter his coven was attacked by werewolves, they escape, leaving Luca to die. While contemplating his waning existence, he’s approached by a being. What kind, human or supernatural, he isn’t yet sure. The being, Dash, heals most of his wounds, but tells him that the gaping one in his stomach needs more than forest magic to cure it. In order to administer the…uh…elixir, Luca has to agree to bond with him, to choose to become something else.

And described like that, even after having read it, I’d be interested. Having read it, however, I know better. This was another short story by Garrett Leigh. And, unlike the other one I read, I’m pretty sure this was boring. Annoying, too.

Gender profiling is so ingrained that people don’t even realize they’re doing it. Well, I assume Leigh didn’t mean to perpetuate stereotypes about gender norms, but…

Were it not for the appearance of a strong masculine chest in Luca’s peripheral vision, he would have described it as more of a giggle.

So, men can’t giggle? And then there’s this little nugget of in-universe laws that I just…

His climax pulsed in cooling spurts over his belly, sealing the healed wound in his abdomen once and for all.”

His ejaculate? His own ejaculate? I don’t even know what to make of that or this story in general. Though I’m not entirely surprised. Vampire tales are nearly synonymous with homoeroticism, so you’d think having an actual BL or M/M vampire story would be a sure thing, but it usually isn’t. That’s fine; I’m used to the disappointment.

I just got into Leigh, but I’m pretty certain, after the four stories I’ve read by her–two novels and two short stories–that she’s my kind of writer when it comes to long form, but that Leigh and short stories do not mix.

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