Title: Peridot: War and Peace
Series: The Stones of Power Book Two
Author: M.D. Grimm
Genre: Fantasy/Sci Fi
LGBTQ+ Category: MM/Gay
Publisher: Self
Pages: 263
Reviewer: Linda Tonis, Paranormal Romance Guild
About The Book
Morgorth is considered a villain by his own people and known as the Dark Mage of the North. But now all he feels is light and love as he pursues a budding relationship with Aishe, a dialen of the Ravena tribe. Morgorth hardly believes his good fortune. He has allowed Aishe into his home, into his bed, into his heart. He laughs more, smiles more, and feels happier than he ever has before.
He should have known such bliss never lasts.
The Council of Mages, the ruling body over all mages on Karshian, knows he has Rambujek, a major stone of power—a stone won from an evil sorcerer. They also know his destiny—to become the Destroyer. Fearful, they send two emissaries to take the stone from Morgorth, using whatever means necessary. This includes tricks, threats to those under his protection, and the threat of war. A war Morgorth knows he would never survive.
Conflict soon arises between him and Aishe. Their tenuous relationship is put into jeopardy, their very beliefs about themselves and their love is put into question. Morgorth doubts if he should keep Aishe in his life. He doesn’t know if he can protect Aishe from his enemies. Or from the monster he might become.
The Review
This series should be read in order and so before reading this review I suggest starting with book one so that nothing of importance is revealed to you in my review.
When book two ended Aishe and Morgorth had finally destroyed the sorcerer and gotten possession of Rambujek the stone responsible for death and destruction. Locked safely away with the other Stones of Power in Morgorth’s possession the Dark Mage and the Dialen are preparing to learn to live with one another as companions and mates. Morgorth still has difficulty dealing with the fact that someone like Aishe could love him since being loved was never something he experienced in his entire life. His life was filled with abuse at the hands of his father who was determined to torture obedience into his son convinced that by doing that he would one day rule the world. Beatings, starvation, burns left outside to freeze are just a few of the things Morgorth suffered at the hands of a man who should have loved him and it all happened till he was seven and was able to escape.
Just when Morgorth is starting to accept the fact that his life would not be worthwhile without Aishe in it he is visited by two messengers sent by the Council of Mages who are determined to get Morgorth to turn over the Rambujek. Morgorth has no illusion that the desire for the stone which is rightly his since he defeated the sorcerer and obtained the stone is none other than their determination to force him to begin a war. Morgorth has been hated by the council since his birth and at the age of seven they tried to take him from his mentor Master Ulezander with the sole purpose of killing him. A child who because he was the seventh son of a seventh son and history has shown them to be deadly, they were willing to kill him without any indication that he was going to be like those before him.
When confronted by the two mages who did not hide their dislike for Morgorth and voiced the same rhetoric he has heard his entire life, he is a villian, he is evil and he must be destroyed it was Aishe who stood up for him and went face to face with mages who could snap a finger and kill him. Morgorth’s biggest fear is that Aishe will do something that will lead to his death and for the first time they find themselves in an argument. Aishe has to show Morgorth that being mates means being united in everything whether safe or dangerous and the two mages definitely bring danger to the forefront.
As with book one there is alot going on, creatures I won’t even mention because other than this book I never heard of them before, mages going face to face while neither of them want to make the first move, until one does. I love this series and I can’t wait for more. Aishe and Morgorth are amazing characters and I am sure there is alot more I have to learn about them.
The Reviewer
I am an avid reader the mother of 3 sons and grandmother to seven grandchildren. Since retiring I have been doing more reading while volunteering as a CASA worker. CASA is an organization that works with the family court system to ensure that children are in the best living situation. There are way too many children that get overlooked in the foster care system and I visit homes and make visits to the parents. I was born and raised in New York and my husband of 50 years and I live in Upstate New York.
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