Fireflies [Paperback]

The first time Joey Vines sees Braeden Shay, a Sidhe warrior, he is five years old. Braeden tells him that he is a faery but Joey's mother has the strangest reaction before warning him that faeries do not exist and he should not talk to him again. Braeden appears in Joey's room the next night as a firefly/faery and he is enchanted and in awe of him; when he is allowed to touch his wings he is so moved the event changes his life. Braeden promises to return for him when he's ready to assume his heritage but 20 years later Joseph, who now has a pair of wings tattooed on his back to remind him of Braeden is still waiting, until one fateful day when his life is transformed. Joseph is sent home from work that day because he is unwell but on his way home there is a strange occurrence before he falls into a deep sleep and he imagines that a firefly is hovering near him.

Joseph wakes up in a cabin in the wilderness where Braeden has taken him and he meets him again but as an adult this time, and he feels that he's living his dream with one very significant difference - he's attracted to him. When they kiss and Braeden wraps his wings around him he is transported into another world, one of sensuality and desire and longing. Joseph soon finds out that faeries are not that different from human men in terms of their sexual responses and he has the most wonderful sensual experience of his life. The lovemaking between them is breathtaking, intense and magical as they both appear to weave spells around each other in a mixture of lust and a more ethereal bonding of their minds and hearts.

Braeden later tells Joseph about his heritage, that his true father is a Lord of the Unseelie Court and he is half fae with an ability to control the plant kingdom. But there is a huge storm cloud hanging over him - his father Lord Caratacus, who is bound and determined that Joseph will never fulfill his destiny of saving the worlds because Caratacus wants to have power over both the Sidhe and human realms.

This story, while sad in parts, is beautifully told as Ally Blue always paints amazing pictures with her words and her world building is brilliant. Fireflies is a fantasy setting where anyone could escape to from real life for a few hours and inhabit Braeden's and Joseph's world. The author has an amazing gift of putting her readers in the heart of the action and if a writer can make me feel that I'm right there with her characters then she has done her job. The plot is very different from her previous books and she demonstrates considerable imagination and range in setting the stage and telling this engrossing story.

In Fireflies you have to suspend belief and once you do you are totally enchanted by this story of a love that triumphs over all odds and saves two worlds that are threatened, Tir-na-nog and earth - the age old fight between good and evil. The battle between Caratacus, Joseph and Braeden is well planned and executed, with magic being an integral force in the fight. Unfortunately, there are always casualties and loss in life and although the story is somewhat dark it does have its funny moments. I never knew that wings were such an erogenous zone and that there were so many erotic uses for plant life; Ms Blue has certainly given me new erotic avenues to explore

I was captivated by the characters which is a trademark of Ms Blue as her characterizations are what set her books apart and make them so popular with fans and new readers alike. I really loved Braeden's heart and the way he was so open about his love for Joseph and even though he was a warrior you felt his emotions which were always on the surface. I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who likes fantasies or just a really good story.

This is a good book. If you like fairies, you will most likely enjoy this story. It is original, full of interesting characters, and has an engaging plot. Though its length keeps it from being as satisfying as a full-length novel, it is still a quality read.

I love Ally Blue's imagery. She paints beautiful pictures with her words and invokes powerful emotions. She writes deeply thought-provoking prose. Personal touches like her trademark melancholy prose and original mythology help this book to stand out among recent bland offerings from other M/M authors. Her characters really come alive and jump off the pages.

I love the character of Braeden. He's a warrior, but he's sweet and tender and obviously wants what's best for his lover. Though I didn't feel much chemistry from Joey's side, Braeden's deep expressions of love made the relationship more believable than I expected.

The climax of this story is a little abrupt, but it is interesting and it works well within the context of the story. The epilogue is a tearjerker, though, so be prepared. This is a romance so you know Joey and Braeden will get their HEA, but it is bittersweet.

I wish the story had been a little more upbeat and "fun", but it was interesting to see a more serious side of fairies and their struggles. Ally Blue somehow possesses the incredible ability to make a story deep and melanchology without being dark and depressing.

All in all, this is a nice 4-star read, likely much higher if you are a true fairy fanatic and enjoy a more somber tone. Do make a point of reading this one.

I picked up this book because I loved the cover. Also it goes towards my GLBT challenges so that is a bonus. Overall this is a sweet little book with a simple story line. It does contain explicit M/M sex, so this is just a head up for people who are uncomfortable with that.

Braeden is a Sidhe warrior exiled from fairy; he has spent his whole life watching over Joey. Joey thinks he's human but soon finds out he is a half-sidhe that has powerful plant magic; he saw Braeden when he was younger and has been obsessed with the Sidhe ever since then. When Joey finds out his parentage he also discovers that he is being hunted by a powerful evil Sidhe.

Initially I will say that this book started out as a book with a loose plot that was basically a vehicle to explicit sex scenes between the two male characters. As the book continued this improved. Blue's characters (mainly Braeden, Joey, and Joey's mother) are all likable, caring characters, that are easy to read about. Blue did an excellent job of keeping the language styles of Braeden and Joey separate and this helps distinguish their very different backgrounds (Braeden centuries old and Joey modern and young). The plot is predictable and simple, but overall well done.

In general this book was a quick read. It was a sweet book, nothing was ever too dire for the characters, and all of the characters were loving and understanding. The world Blue creates is realistic but not incredibly well filled out. I did like that all of the characters were so open about their sexuality and that the supporting characters were also understanding. The setting is also well described and the book takes place in a variety of beautiful and lush settings; Blue does an excellent job describing her settings.

For this book, being what it is, there must be some discussion of the sex scenes. In general they were decent, pretty creative, and touching (both physically and emotionally). They are very explicit, all sex was consensual, and there is some creativity there (Joey controls plant life and this gets involved in some of the scenes...we will leave that at that).

This is a very short book and the story matches this length. Overall a good read. A sweet simple story with lovable characters. The plot was a bit thin in the beginning of the book and predictable throughout the book. I predicted if/how Joey would deal with the evil Sidhe pretty much at the beginning of the story. A good read if you want a simple and sweet fairy tale story with some explicit M/M sex scenes.