I am a big fan of Kage Alan’s first book A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Sexual Orientation, so I was very eager to read his latest effort. When I read the back cover of the book I was immediately reminded of a series I’ve previously read: Fred Hunter’s The Alex Reynolds Mysteries, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Both series have lovers who are secret agents for government agencies. The storyline of Alan’s novel follows two lovers who go undercover on a secret island that caters to guests who want to experience a master/slave relationship. Think Exit to Eden for gays and straights, but with better humor.
Operation Thunderspell opens with our heroes at a dinner party, where they are trying to extract information from a home office. The action is very fast-paced, as is the dialogue, which I found quite difficult to follow. I could not differentiate between the two main characters, and I briefly wondered whether or not I had missed the first book in the series, which had developed them. This hectic pace, of both action and dialogue, is maintained throughout the novel, which made it a fast read once I got a handle on the main characters.
Following the dinner party, the action moves to the master/slave island in the Pacific, where we’re treated to lots of sexual innuendo, but no real sexual activity. For some readers, the sexual innuendo may be all that’s needed, but I was disappointed with the lack of intimacy between the main characters.
Another quibble: during the final scene, there is a message about stereotyping the homosexual community that I found very heavy-handed.
That being said, with all of its faults, I found this book to be an enjoyable read, and I look forward to more in the series ― perhaps even a prequel that will give the history of the couple as they became a couple.
Operation Thunderspell is appropriate for any public library and for all adults. The sexual innuendo might a little much for teens, but I have read YA novels with more actual sex. There is a great deal of violence, but nothing graphic.
Reviewed by, Scott Clonan
Adult Services Librarian
West Charleston Library
Las Vegas Clark County Library District
Hey Scott,
Thank you for giving the book a read and for the kind words. You hit on something that has bothered since its release. There was a prologue and epilogue that my publisher made the decision to excise.
I’m not badmouthing them when I say that since I understand it was an editorial decision they made based on how they felt the book should flow. However, we saw how the two main characters met and they were established (in my opinion) much better than how it ended up in the first chapter. It’s one minor thing I wasn’t happy with, but I do offer the prologue and epilogue on my site as a free pdf download if anybody is interested in seeing what I’d originally included.
And I’ll also see about adding a little sex in the second book. lol I’m about halfway through writing it.
Best,
Kage Alan
Detroit, MI