Rating: 4 Stars

Publisher: Self Published 

Genre:  Gay N/A Romance

Tags: Fantasy, Shapeshifters

Length: IDK 

Reviewer: Kazza

Purchase At: amazon (**You can pre-order. Release date 27th of May 2024)

Blurb:

A distant island in the blustery north holds a secret – a clan of shapeshifting sea dragons called the Agnarra, all but wiped out by humans a generation ago. For Morgan, a lone artistic soul among his practical people, life on the island is incredibly boring. That is, until a human ship explodes on the horizon, causing fear among the clan. In the aftermath, Morgan finds a human in the water – Auban – badly injured and with no memory of his past. As Morgan nurses him back to health, he can’t help but fall in love. But their love is forbidden – Morgan’s people, especially his fierce older brother, would kill Auban if they knew he existed. It’s up to Morgan to keep him a secret until they can find a way for him to escape the island. But secrets never last, and neither does the Agnarra’s new peace. War is coming, and Morgan must use all of his wits and Auban’s help to save his clan from annihilation.

Seamark is an M/M fantasy romance featuring dragon shifters, hurt/comfort, and a slow-burn love affair that turns white hot by the end.

Review:

I went into Seamark thinking this would be a gay reimagining of The Little Mermaid. It really isn’t, just for the record. I’ve labelled this as a New Adult book in my tags above because Morgan and his friend Garen are both young – twenty – and have burgeoning relationships, but irrespective of the N/A tag this is a gay romance. Morgan is a creative soul – art, sculpting, he loves creating – anything but training to fight like his older brother, Brevaer, who currently leads the Agnarra clan. He has moments of feeling bad for not fitting their contemporary mode.

Bravaer thought better of Morgan’s potential than Morgan did of his own.
I am not brave like he is. I cannot live like he does.
Melancholy threatened to sweep away Morgan’s fragile peace with himself.

He doesn’t remember a lot about his parents and recalls little more about their original island – he remembers his mother laughing, he knows it was warmer and nicer before than where they are now. This island is cold, flat, uninspiring, not the most fertile, the clan moved here after the last war. If they move further north it will be even less hospitable. At least the human’s haven’t been back… until a boat blows up not far away. What does this new development mean for them? Why can’t the human’s leave them alone?

The most experienced warriors in the clan streamed past them and leapt into the water, their two-legged forms swiftly giving way to the long, slender shapes of their sea-dragon selves.     

The Agnarra are sea dragons and when they scout the sea around the explosion, none find any trace of humans left alive, just charred remains. It’s a relief. They don’t want to move again. However, on a little-used rocky cove the next day, Morgan sees what he thinks is flotsam just offshore only to discover it’s a badly burnt man. He’s interested in humans but also afraid. What should he do? Well, he does what a sweet young Agnarra would do, he brings him ashore before a local orca pod takes him for a meal. Morgan makes a poultice and bed out of seaweed, one with curative properties, to ensure this human is given a chance to heal, he can think about the repercussions later.

Morgan withholds some of his own food for the human and checks in on him as regularly as he can. As the man regains consciousness and gains strength, he can’t remember his name or what he was doing on the ship. He can’t remember much about his life prior at all. Morgan can’t keep calling him ‘human’ or nothing at all so he gives him the name Auban, an Agnarra name. Once Auban is recuperated sufficiently he helps with defensive moves that could assist Morgan and the sea dragons against humans.

“I need to remember,” Auban said, keeping his eyes closed even as he covered Morgan’s hands with his own. “I need to help you somehow instead of doing nothing but take from you. If I can make you better prepared to fight a human who would come here and try to ruin you, again, then that’s what I need to do.”    

Seamark is a slow burn, as tagged by the author. The main themes being Morgan not fitting the current Agnarra’s pragmatic ideal, having to sometimes train, the clan unhappy that Morgan is not much of a warrior or as productive as some would like him to be. Brevaer leading the clan when it’s not actually his position, bearing the brunt of people worrying about making sure they have enough crops for seasonal food, that they’re ready if they’re attacked again. The difficult relationship between brothers when one is a guardian as well as a brother. Morgan looking out for Auban, making sure they don’t get caught, because there will be a price to pay if they are. Auban looking out for Morgan. Morgan also doesn’t want to let his brother or the clan down and he devises a plan to help Auban off the island, something has has very mixed emotions over because of love.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I won’t ask you to do that again.” It had the air of a promise, and a vow, and Morgan…
He fell in love just a little bit more. How could he not, when he was being looked at like he was beautiful, like he was important? When the person he loved was treating him with understanding and not contempt? 

There is some inter-clan politicking – a couple of rivals make noises about wresting authority from Brevaer. And Garen’s mother is a loud voice because her husband Sariel is actually the leader but his mental health declined after the humans last attacked. She has conflicted emotions about supporting Brevaer while her husband is unable to fulfil that role. Then there is Morgan and Garen’s friendship. Also a secondary relationship developing alongside the main one – Garen being in love with Brevaer but thinking he’ll never notice him, and Morgan trying to help his best friend along.

There were some questions I had for a while about Auban and his loss of memory and his healing. It all seemed too easy, their instant attraction as well, but all is covered by the author. So, enjoy the fantasy journey and the romance and all will hang together.

Overall, this really is a sweet and easy to read fantasy/paranormal story that has fated mates, a bit of action, some interesting dragons, family dynamics, and a happy ending. Seamark was a pleasure to read, so much so that I read it incredibly quickly. 4 Stars!