Valentine Strange, late of his Majesty’s 21st Benhali Lancers, needs money. Happily, the wealthy Holy Orders of Harappu are desperate to retrieve the diadem of the Goddess Purya from an ancient temple deep in the mountainous jungle—an area Strange knows well from his days quelling rebellions. The pay is too good and the job seems too easy for Strange to refuse. But when Master Aleister Grimshaw, a dangerous witch from a traitorous lineage, joins the expedition, Strange begins to suspect that more is at stake than the retrieval of a mere relic.

Grimshaw knows an ancient evil surrounds the diadem— the same evil once hunted him and still haunts his mind. However, experience has taught him to keep his suspicions to himself or risk being denounced as a madman. Again.

Harried by curses, bandits and unnatural creatures, Strange and Grimshaw plunge onward. But when a demonic power wakes and the civilized world descends into revolution, their tenuous friendship is threatened as each man must face the destruction of the life he has known.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A distinct voice in gay fiction, multi-award-winning author JOSH LANYON has been writing gay mystery, adventure and romance for over a decade. In addition to numerous short stories, novellas, and novels, Josh is the author of the critically acclaimed Adrien English series, including The Hell You Say, winner of the 2006 USABookNews awards for GLBT Fiction. Josh is an Eppie Award winner and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist. Visit www.joshlanyon.com or join his mailing list at groups.yahoo.com/group/JoshLanyon.

REVIEWS

"Mystery author Lanyon (the Adrien English series) makes his first foray into fantasy with a taut, energetic and romantic tale. In Hidush, an analogue for India in its final days as a British colony, a colonial religious group sends bisexual adventurer Maj. Valentine Strange and troubled witch Aleister Grimshaw to retrieve a goddess's lost diadem from a mountain monastery. As the two men are beset by traitors, wild animals, monks with political agendas and a spiritual force that threatens all of Hidush, their mutual attraction unfolds beautifully and dramatically." Publisher's Weekly

"Strange Fortune is a tour de force that demonstrates this author’s superb writing skills and imagination in a story that is so engrossing and layered that it reminds me of such fantasy classics as Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein." Reviews by Jessewave

"Strange Fortune is a rollicking good read – interesting characters, fast paced, rich descriptions, and action that kept me turning pages. It’s a fun read. Adventurous and romantic. Lanyon has created a wonderful world of magic and spirits and spells and romance. It is a winner." Alan Chin, SF GLBT Literary Examiner

"A lush novel that is difficult to summarize in a few words. The characters are as complex as you can hope for and the world and culture they live in are painted with great credibility. The tale’s greatest strength is in the slow, organic evolution of the characters throughout the story and events. We can only wish for a sequel to the two men’s adventures. Excellent!" Magazine Fugues

"This new take on British India in the post-Mutiny days was fresh, intriguing, nothing short of brilliant. Handsome heroes, excellent villainy, a good measure of travel, action, occult powers, and a real fantasy finale make for an engrossing read ñ and a rewarding one. If Talbot Mundy had written a King of the Khyber Rifles-type adventure for John Barrowman, this would be it."
Mel Keegan, GLBT Bookshelf

Other reviews online:

• Jenre - Well Read Reviews
• Mandy - Smexy Books