Genre: Sci-Fi, Superheroes, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Tony
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About The Book
Perry’s mother told him he’d develop the superpower of flight, like his grandfather. She even named him Peregrine, so folks would call him “The Falcon.” Spoiler— they don’t. Because when he did come into his power, all he got was the ability to change colors. Not even himself, like some kind of Chameleon Man, but the color of objects. He can de-pukify the shade of his bedroom curtains, turn a bully’s sweatshirt pink, or even turn a red traffic light green. (Not a good idea.) He hasn’t told anyone except his disappointed mom about his power. What would they call him? The Interior Decorator?
Back in high school, under stress, he did convince his power that transparent was just another color. Now that ability’s sometimes fun in an illicit way. Then one morning, in the mailroom at work, he turns a cardboard box transparent and sees a bomb inside. And Perry’s ordinary life explodes.
Sergeant Deckard of the Nova City Bomb Squad never thought much about superheroes, or supervillains for that matter. He has plenty of work with ordinary humans and their explosives. Until he and his bomb-sniffing dog, Nix, get called to a possible-explosives situation in a highrise mailroom. The guy who reported the bomb is a nerdy twink in dark-framed glasses who pushes all of Deck’s buttons. When he finds out the young man has a weird superpower and may be the target of a villain, every protective instinct comes into play.
Deckard’s goal is to keep his job, his dog, Nova City, and Perry intact. His libido can just sit down, shut up, and take a number. But as their attraction gets hotter and the villain closes in, their future might be blown apart before it even has a chance to start.
Transparent Is a Color is a part of the multi-author Subpar Superheroes MM romance series. Content warning for abduction, parental emotional abuse.
The Review
Kaje Harper has delivered a fun and witty story that also manages to show how dangerous the world can be. Perry is the subpar superhero in question, and Deckard is the member of the bomb squad team who has to deal with him – or maybe that should be support and woo him.
Perry comes from a line of “supes,” but his ability to change the surface color of things does not cut the mustard, at least as far as his mother is concerned. What she and the rest of the world don’t know is that Perry can make the surface of objects transparent, after long practice with his ability. Perry has to be very persuasive, if he wants to be able to do what is needed.
He has not fully explored his ability. With a fox-masked bomber stalking Nova City, Perry is about to do just that. And maybe find love in the process.
This story that grows on you as you travel with Perry, mirroring his journey as he grows in confidence. The characters are great and the interactions sparkle. A very funny and clever read.
Transparent is a Color is part of the multi-author Subpar Heroes series about those with less than inspiring super powers.
The Reviewer
Tony is an Englishman living amongst the Welsh and the Other Folk in the mountains of Wales. He lives with his partner of thirty-six years, four dogs, two ponies, various birds, and his bees. He is a retired lecturer and a writer of no renown but that doesn’t stop him enjoying what he used to think of as ‘sensible’ fantasy and sf. He’s surprised to find that if the story is well written and has likeable characters undergoing the trails of life, i.e. falling in love, falling out of love, having a bit of nooky (but not all the time), fending off foes, aliens and monsters, etc., he’ll be happy as a sandperson who has just offloaded a wagon of sand at the going market price. As long as there’s a story, he’s in. He aims to write fair and honest reviews. If he finds he is not the target reader he’ll move on.
