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Island of Icarus Kindle Edition

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

Field Journal of Jonathan Orms, 1893

En route to polite exile in the Galapagos Islands (field work, to quote the dean of my university), I have found myself marooned on a deserted tropical paradise. Deserted, that is, except for my savior, a mysterious American called Marcus. He is an inventor—and the proof of his greatness is the marvelous new clockwork arm he has created to replace the unsightly one that was ruined in my shipboard mishap.

Marcus has a truly brilliant mind and the gentlest hands, which cause me to quiver in an unfamiliar but rather pleasant way. Surely it is only my craving for human companionship that draws me to this man, nothing more? He says a ship will pass this way in a few months, but I am welcome to stay as long as I like. The thought of leaving Marcus becomes more untenable with each passing day, though staying would be fatal to my career...

28,000 words

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004774YN6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carina Press (November 29, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 29, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.2 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 109 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
9 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2013
    I would say it's a must read. Yes, there could be some more character back story, but for the story's length, this is fantastically written and a wonderful tale. :)
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2014
    Lovely, sweet story. It's not just the romance, the story also tells a lot about life on the island, the steampunk things Marcus is making etc. It's not a high-paced, exciting story, but a calm, descriptive story of two gentlemen who find each other.

    The narrator is good, but you can hear he is an American who speaks with an English accent (Marcus is American, but Jonathan is English and the story is told from his point of view). There are a few strange pronunciations, but it's ok otherwise. He has a good voice.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2010
    If you were shipwrecked on a lush tropical island and hosted by a handsome inventor, would you be tempted to stay in paradise even if these temptations confused your view of the world and of yourself?

    That is what awaits Jonathan Orms as he embarks for the Galapagos Islands. On a forced leave from his university, studious Jonathan is trying to make the best of the situation and look forward to the field work that awaits him. Beneath the frail shell of optimism is bitter pain and loss. Due to a machinery accident, Jonathan has lost his arm and is having trouble coping with the clumsy mechanical one put in its place.

    When a storm throws him into the ocean, Jonathan cannot believe his own survival or the sleek clockwork arm fitted onto his body. Marcus, the island's only other human occupant, proves to be more than a gracious host. Brilliant and beautiful, Marcus labors at learning the secret of flight and building a pair of wings. As they spend more time together, Jonathan's battles over his feelings for Marcus grow more intense. Can he contain them and return to his civilized London home? Or will Jonathan stay and live the life he never could in polite society?

    I'd eagerly awaited Christina Danse's first release for months, right after I'd seen the sneak peak of the cover. Then I got to read it, finally! Let me tell you I was not disappointed in this M/M Steampunk tale of intelligent men and exotic locations. I'd recommend it for Steampunk enthusiasts and lovers of M/M romantic fiction.

    Island of Icarus excels in transporting readers to Marcus and Jonathan's tropical world. I felt their isolation, the dynamic of being the only two humans. It was strange at first, you can feel Jonathan's awkwardness, but then the tranquility of it grows. Beautiful descriptions set up the world. The setting was definitely the strongest element that hit me as I read through.

    First person is not my favorite POV, but Danse writes it well. It never feels awkward or forced. A downside were the characters for me. Oh, I loved her men! But I think I could've used a little more punch to their characters. I didn't feel like I knew Jonathan and Marcus as well as I could have, even with the short length of the book.

    Looking forward to all future Christina Danse releases! Oh, and I hope they come with equally delicious covers.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2011
    Christine kindly gave me an advance copy of this novella to read. I've never read a book that featured a m/m romance before so this book was something entirely new for me. For people who are uncomfortable reading a story about two men falling in love I'm sorry, but this story is not for you. I thought I might be a little uncomfortable reading the more sensual and erotic scenes, but it seemed a natural progression of the characters stories.

    Island of Icarus is a novella, so it is a brief recanting of a span of two weeks. The story is at times sparse for detail and insight, but I think that the first person point-of-view gives economy of words purpose. Since the story is told from the perspective of Jonathan who is an intellectual man, it would make sense that his recounting of events would have an economy of words. The language is both anachronistic and authentic, creating the Victorian era not only from telling us that is the time period, but by showing the mannerisms that held fast at that time.

    The story is also steampunk, which I love! It is not a heavy steampunk, mired in details of steam and invention, but the steampunk elements are enfolded in the story. Those workings of brass and steam have a purpose for being there other than showcasing how `cool' steampunk can be.

    My only problem was that I want it to be longer! I thought that the character journey for Jonathan could have been made more powerful given more time to explore his thoughts on his healing and subsequent falling in love. Marcus is wonderfully accepting, but you finish the book not knowing much else about him. This last thing might just be me, but the English point of view uses pounds instead of stone for measuring weight. But you know what? It's steampunk, so maybe pounds prevail!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2018
    "Fun historical romance "
    Short, sexy and steamy! This was a fast, fun listen with a good bit of content for such a short story. I loved the way the friendship evolved into romance between the two men, the way they worked together and complimented one another. LeFluer has a unique voice that is entrancing and I liked the way he told the story, the voices he gave the men and the emotions he conveyed.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2010
    Island of Icarus is a rather sweet male/male romance with a hint of steampunk.

    The first person narrator is struggling with his motivations after losing an arm in an accident; when he is stranded on a desert island with a genius inventor, he gradually discovers a great deal about his own desires.

    There are two steampunk elements, the hero's clockwork arm and the inventor's metal wings; since the characters are so isolated socially, you don't get a good picture of what the outside world is like. The fantasy background is only sketched in and not extrapolated very far (for example, the hero sleeps with his clockwork arm attached and apparently does not suffer from any kind of abrasion).

    It's clear that the romance is more the focus of the story than the steampunk element.

    It was a fun, quick read.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Bela
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, an experience to read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2023
    I cried, this book is so good. The ending really got me. Well written and easy to read from start to finish

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