Under the Rushes

By: Amy Lane

Narrated by: Nick J. Russo

Ten years after Dorjan trusted a boy's word over his superior officer's, he and his best friend, Areau, are still living the aftermath - and trying to stop the man responsible. Locked in a careful dance to bring down a corrupt government, Dorjan struggles to balance his grief with Areau's anger. Just when Dorjan reaches the end of his rope, he sees a familiar face in the shadows, and the boy he trusted a decade before offers him unexpected kindness.

Taern remembers the soldier who found him under the rushes and listened to his pleas to save his family. When Dorjan reappears in his life, Taern is both captured by his commitment to justice and terrified by the risks he takes. All Taern wants to do is fix him, but the oncoming destruction has been ten years in the making, and Dorjan doesn't want his help. Not if it puts Taern at risk.

Powers clash and a world's fate dangles between Areau's madness and Dorjan's nobility. While Dorjan fights to save the world, Taern joins the battle simply to save Dorjan, knowing everything hinges on the heart of a man in armor and the strength of the man who loves him.

©2012 Amy Lane (P)2015 Dreamspinner Press

Interesting journey

I am a huge fan of Amy Lane's...read more from this author than any other so when this book popped up, I was excited to dive on in. Nick Russo did a great job with narration and added much to the journey. The story is a good one and the characters within the story grab at your heart...Dorjan and Taern's and Madame M brought so much to the story. But beginning this story, I almost did not wish to finish it but I am glad that I did. I had a hard time exporting myself to the land that Amy lays out for the reader. Much of the descriptors of the technology on this strange new world left me feeling a bit confused. I was unable to picture in my mind, thus it left me feeling a bit 'off'. Once you get into the story, it grabs you and as for me I just ignored what I did not really understand (which periodically drove me batty). As in typical Amy Lane fashion, the story elicited many emotions that included anger, happiness, sadness, tears, and laughter. I would recommend because I am a fan of Ms. Lane's and others might be able to transport themselves to this interesting world.

another lovely, kitschy, bizarre story

this was my first "Sci fi" story by Amy Lane and it was delightful, in great part due to the talents of the narrator even though his pseudo-British accent is hysterically awful. After a bit you forgive him and just go with it. A touch of superhero, a bit of steampunk a big dose of SM, and heaps of fun sex talk. Do not try to make the story make scientific sense, just enjoy the ambiance and gush at the right moments.

Steampunk SciFi Romance

At the outset I want to say I love Amy Lane, but this is not at the top of my favorites.
The AU she creates is well rounded and the characters are good. I'd say it;s just that this story has a darker angst than usual.
I'll reread this again, but will definitely have to be in the right mood

Unique story with a masterful performance

If you are a fan of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Zorro or even Robin Hood, you will enjoy this unique story from Amy Lane. This is not a “sweet” story as there are some very dark elements about it. But like all of Ms. Lane’s stories, there is a HEA. This is based in an alternative universe that I would describe as a steampunk, Victorian England, where mechanized machines and steam engines exist next to “the stews” where the poor and disenfranchise try to survive. Dorjan is a man who acted on his principles and he and his best friend, Areau, paid a high and tragic price. Dorjan has a REALLY bad martyr complex as a result and spends years in penance. Until he meets Taern. I have to say, I absolutely loved Taern. Even though he has also had tragedy in his life that has forced him to become a rent boy, he did not let that break him. And he has set his sights on Dorjan and absolutely nothing is going to stop him from getting him. He is exactly what Dorjan needs and they have the best banter and a wonderful slow burn romance. This story is hard in places as it deals with power, greed, war and corruption. It has tear-jerking moments, but it also has lots of fun, witty moments. Nick Russo’s performance is nothing short of masterful. He truly brings this story to life. Highly Recommended.

Loved Loved Loved it...

Any additional comments?

twists and turns and emotion and WOA moments...SO glad I got this one...the mix of scifi and Old World historical overtones..well...you really did come up with an excellent story Amy...I honestly couldn't stop listening to this one..and when I had to leave it and get out from under it's spell, I rushed to get back under it.

A wonderfully narrated, imaginative world.

Any additional comments?

Under the Rushes By Amy Lane I have recently downloaded the audio book version of Under the Rushes and I’m so glad I did. You see, I nearly chose not to, because in all my shame and humiliation, Under the Rushes is the only book by Amy Lane I had purchased and Did Not Finish. Yes, you read correctly, Under the Rushes was a DNF for me. *gasp*Now you should all consider the importance of audio books. I consider myself an excellent reader. I speed read, I absorb books like a breath of oxygen, I’ve lost count of how many I’ve read. I have a very visual mind, what I read immediately becomes an image in my head. When I listen to music I see images, often even colors. I am a visual artist/curator by trade. My life is visual. Back to my reading. I read very well, was taught in school to read phonetically, but due I believe to my inherent visual nature, I have discovered that I recognize words by their shape. When the read the word “tree”, for example, I see the taller “t” give way to the curving “r” and how it points to the double “ee”s and I see the overall shape of the word. I see the word tree often and my brain no longer phonetically sounds it out, it see’s the “character” or shape of the word and pulls the definition from my brain of tall leafy thing that provides shade, places to climb, and possibly fruit and wood. This all happens with familiar words that my brain has put into permanent recall. When I’m reading a scientific journal, or memoir, or a foreign language I have a dictionary at my side to help me with definitions and pronunciation. Then I can understand the relatively few unfamiliar words and move on. Now, as I read Under the Rushes, which is a wonderful, fantastical, made up world, with made up culture, and made up clothes, and made up conveyances, and made up cuss words, and made up gods, and made up folk, it introduced me not only to a boatload of new words, they were entirely invented from the fantastic imagination of one Amy Lane. I could not reference a dictionary, I could not hear the pronunciation, I could not use my crazy visual brain to decipher them for me. I got about four chapters in and had to put the book down. I did not understand why at the time, I was actually quite upset. I did not like the book but could not put my finger on the why. Disappointed, I said nothing of the book, I left no reviews, and went on. Now enter the importance of audio. I gave Under the Rushes another try. Hearing the narrator pronounce the foreign words for me, the emotion he gave them, the context, the weight of them within the sentence and chapter they were used, helped me translate Amy’s mystical fantasy world into one I could understand. It was like having a blindfold removed. Suddenly I could see the characters, smell their world, feel the weather, hear the rabbits traveling, and even taste the foods and the salty sweat of a lover. I was amazed. I consider myself a very good reader, so what must it be like to have a reading disorder, to be dyslexic, to be limited in vocabulary and try to enjoy a novel without the privilege of an audio book to help aid the way. It would be near impossible to experience the magic. Under the Rushes is an amazing, imaginative and heart achingly beautiful story of the battle for good, sacrifice for others, love, loss and perseverance. All of this in an entirely made up world, with imaginary provenances, and unheard of governance. IT’s all new, it’s all one amazing imagination behind a very compelling and heart thumping adventure. I’m so glad I “read’ this story, and I almost missed it all if it weren’t for audio book availability. You must grab Under the Rushes, and if you have a hard time deciphering it, download the audio. You won’t be disappointed.

I really do just love Amy Lane. Another Great Book

Again with the ... eh ... not sure about the sub-genre ... doesn't quite seem like my thing ... but it's Amy Lane ... yeah, okay, give it a shot.

Steampunk meets Fantasy meets M/M romance. I love the way she uses language, the quirks and foibles and depths of her characters.

I will certainly be listening to this one again. For me, it seems, Amy Lane can't go wrong.