Title: Caged in Myth
Author: J.T. Fairfield
Series: The Bayou Zoo #1
Published: October 23rd 2012
(first published October 22nd 2012)
Page Count: 109
Genre: LGBT upper YA urban fantasy
Shelf: Review Copy
Rating: ★★★★★
Abandoned as a baby and left in an orphanage for supernatural children, Octavian Julius McKellter— “Jay” to everyone who doesn’t want a punch in the face—now seventeen, is working full-time as a zookeeper at the Bayou Zoo and Aquarium while struggling to finish his GED.
The Bayou Zoo, staffed entirely by supernaturals, is one of many zoos across the country secretly housing magical creatures deemed too dangerous by the supernatural community to remain in the wild.
Jay ‘s job is made more complicated when accidents start happening too often to truly be accidents and habitats in Area Five—the covert section of the zoo which houses the magical creatures— are sabotaged, allowing some of the creatures to escape.
Working closely with Colin, a fellow zookeeper, to determine who’s causing the problems and why, is both a dream come true and a nightmare for Jay. Being gay isn’t something Jay’s prepared to accept with enthusiasm. Colin’s the first male he’s ever been attracted to, and the guy doesn’t even have the decency to be effeminate, which Jay thinks would somehow be easier to accept. Colin’s tall, strong, and everything that’s masculine. And Jay can’t stop thinking about what it would feel like to press their lips together or draw his fingers down Colin’s tightly-packed abs.
Because someone’s bent on exposing supernaturals to the world by releasing the Bayou Zoo’s magical creatures, even if it means a little death and destruction in the process, there’s little time for Jay to worry about the ramifications of his shifting sexuality or the way Colin looks without his shirt on.
Keeping his sexuality a secret seems like just as big a job as keeping the entire Supernatural community and its captive magical creatures shrouded from the human world. As the sabotage attempts escalate, Jay must juggle his budding relationship with Colin, discovering who’s behind the disruption in Area Five, and staying alive while capturing loosened, deadly Gryphons, Gnomes and Harpies.
My Review:
I love Fairfield’s descriptions. They’re very informative. Everything is made clear and imaginable. You can picture walking through this zoo and living the lives of the characters. The story is also very well written. Everything is laid out in a logical manner. The author describes and explains the things that need explaining in a manner that allows the story to continue moving forward, rather than stopping the storyline to fill in her readers.
The main character in this novel is very well developed. I enjoy the fact that you get to see his thoughts and actions, and how there is a discrepancy between them as there would be with a real individual. You get right into his head and get to know what he is feeling throughout. I also appreciate the fact that the supporting cast is developed to suit a specific purpose in the story, and the details pertaining to that are the ones provided, rather than bombarding the reader with many details that in no way pertain to the storyline.
Even though this was a novella, I was definitely hooked and the author told a very detailed and well rounded story. I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. And I’m not exaggerating. I’ve already tried to buy it...... Too bad it’s not out yet.
Buy your copy online here today!
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