Review: Servant of the Seasons

Servant of the Seasons by Lee Benoit

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Meco, a former architect, used to be a "domer", one of those people who live in enclosed communities which rely entirely on technology for food, clothing, housing. Meco is turfed, that is thrown out of his dome, for a transgression - a punishment that is considered worse than death, since the land outside the domes is barren and dead.
All of a sudden Meco finds himself forced to work the land for his daily handful of beans when he used to live a life I imagine pretty much alike to what we're used to, and he's not faring too well, living in a damp sod house, pulling his own plough and with only his devious neighbor Varas for company. Meco's being a turfed domer makes it unable for him to go to the taon, a human settlement, when he wants to buy a drag beast, so he sends Varas who, true to form, doesn't bring him an animal but two Novigi slaves. Meco hasn't it in him to own another person, human or not, though, so he sets Lys and Tywyll free on their first evening. Soon, he finds himself drawn into the strange bond that connects the two young men. Domers use to completely suppress their sexuality with chemical means. Cut loose from that, and with two sexually very active young men close by, Meco's own needs slowly awake, together with the land once the Novigi start working it. Lys and Tywyll do everything to include Mecon in their bond and into their love and care for each other and the land. And as the land changes, so does Meco, going from careful acceptance to friendship to lust until he's open for more, for a love and a deeper connection of his own, a connection he'll sacrifice everything for, even his life.

This was a wonderful book. Meco's shy, compelling persona immediately captured my heart, and so did Lys, open, giving and generous, and Tywyll, who was determined, fierce and protective. I experienced Meco's slow development, his growth along with him, and cheered him on along the way. The writing was flawless, almost poetic at times, and the erotic scenes fit seamlessly into the flow of the narrative, occuring inevitably like the change of the seasons. A quiet book, despite the fighting scenes, and yet endlessly fascinating, an outstanding read. Can't recommend it highly enough.



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