cover image Jack of Thorns: Inheritance Book 1

Jack of Thorns: Inheritance Book 1

A.K. Faulkner. Ravensword, $15.99 trade paper (402p) ISBN 978-1-912349-11-1

Faulkner (Mirror Flower, Water Moon) kicks off the Inheritance series with a captivating love story pulsing with complex Celtic mythology. San Diego florist Laurence Riley, a recovering heroin addict who has visions of the future and a mystical green thumb, prays to the Celtic fertility god Cernunnos for a blessing and is soon visited by a manifestation of the deity calling himself Jack in the Green. Jack agrees to train Laurence to control his psychic powers but demands payment in the form of erotic energy. Laurence seeks a sexual partner but runs into a complication when he falls hard for reserved telekinetic Quentin, Earl of Banbury, whose traumatic past makes him unlikely to just fall into bed. As Laurence and Quentin bond, Jack grows desperate for the power that sexual activity gives him, becoming a threat both to Laurence and to the city of San Diego. Effortlessly handling weighty issues of addiction, class, and sexuality, Faulkner keeps her heady mythology grounded in reality and lays a promising foundation for future installments. Readers will be eager for the next in the series. (Self-published.)