ARC REVIEW : Something Human by A.J. Demas

Title : Something Human by A.J. Demas
Genre(s) : Historical gay romance, fantasy
Publication Date : August 25th 2018
Rating : 4.5/5 Stars
Buy link : Amazon 

They met on a battlefield and saved each other’s lives. It’s not the way enemies-to-lovers usually works.

Adares comes from a civilization of democracy and indoor plumbing. Rus belongs to a tribe of tattooed, semi-nomadic horse-breeders. They meet in the aftermath of battle, when Rus saves Adares’s life, and Adares returns the favour. As they shelter in an abandoned temple, a friendship neither of them could have imagined grows into a mutual attraction.

But Rus, whose people abhor love between men, is bound by an oath of celibacy, and Adares has a secret of his own that he cannot share. With their people poised for a long and bitter conflict, it seems too much to hope that these two men could turn their fleeting happiness into something lasting. Unless, of course, the relationship between them changes the course of their people’s history altogether.

Something Human is a standalone m/m romance set in an imaginary ancient world, about two people bridging a cultural divide with the help of great sex, pedantic discussions about the gods, and bad jokes about standing stones.

As soon as I read the blurb I’m  SOLD instantly!

I have this strong feelings that this story will be something and start the book with huge expectations.

The story feels kinda slow at first even everything that happen between the two MC's at the part one of the book which told from Adares POV happened in days count. The slow pace had successfully build the story into something beautiful to enjoy. The author was so good in building the anticipation through the first half of the story and lead the reader to start questioning “How their story will end?”

The characters building and emotional connections between Adares and Rus was written in a very good pace and feels so pure and heartwarming. Their relationship which start as strangers who came from different side of the battle and saved each others life at the secluded temple slowly grow into friends then lovers was written so beautifully.
Rus shyness and how Adares took care the wounded Rus feels so romantic even when everything happen only in days count.

And when the story changed into Rus POV at the half end of the book and shown what actually happened at the end of Adares POV which I must admit had broken my heart a bit, the story become more and more intense. And again, the same question start playing in my mind almost the entire half end of the story, and with all secrets are finally open, “How their story will end?”

Like I said before, the premise of the story when I first read the blurb gave me a huge expectations, and I’m so glad that the story had successfully filled my hope very well. I enjoying the story so much and fascinating by it. The writing also good and surprisingly suite my liking.

There's one thing that bother me a bit at nearly end of the book, but if it compared to all story? I'm still okay with it.

A.J. Demas is a new author for me and this is my first book of her but definitely won’t be the last book of her that I’ll read. I'll look her other book in the future. And since Boukos things had also mentioned this book, One Night in Boukos definitely will be on my next TBR list!

Something Human is heartwarming ancient fantasy story when enemies turned to lovers happen in such a beautiful way. So, don’t miss it!