And the Lion Shall Lie with the Lamb by G.R. Richards

Summary:

Jason's life with Maurice has become unbearable.

Day to day, Jason's convinced there’s no escape from domestic discord, but nighttime is a different story. In dreams, he escapes to a world beyond imagination, where there are giraffes as big as dinosaurs, and pretty felines dance with swaggering stags. Also in this world is Tavaris, the lion shifter Jason loves. With Tavaris, he feels safe and protected.

Will Jason have to return to his horrible life with Maurice tomorrow morning, or will Tavaris claim him at last?

Reviewer: PurpleRose

Jason is miserable living with his long term physically and emotionally abusive boyfriend Maurice. It has gotten so bad that he not only doesn't love him anymore but he has come to hate him and himself for still being in the relationship. When he comes home one day after work he is so unhappy he doesn't even bother showering because he thinks there really isn't a reason.

When he wakes up again he finds himself in a grass field filled with animals that not only live happily together but talk and can morph into human-like animals. At first Jason has no recollection of ever being in this strange land until he sees the lion, Tavaris. Suddenly he remembers that Tavaris is his real lover and the person he loves, but when he wakes up every morning he can't remember anything about Tavaris or the dream land. Jason wistfully admits to Tavaris that he wishes that when he woke up everyday it was to this beautiful land with him and not to his miserable life with Maurice. Tavaris tells him all he has to do is believe this is his real world and he would be his forever.

I didn't know if Jason was actually going to stay there or just go back like he always did. It left a big question mark in the story. I'm not really sure how I feel about this book; the writing was done well but I didn't really like this story. Too many questions are left open ended for such a short story and I felt like it was not nearly developed enough. And The Lion Shall Sleep With The Lamb should have been a full length novel, not a short story. We really don't get to know anything about the world Jason finds himself in or explore the main characters. This is common in shorts but in a fantasy setting it felt wrong because it was just too much other-worldliness trying to be shoehorned into such a small story. I'm giving this story 2 stars.

Publisher:eXcessica
Review Courtesy Of: ManicReaders