the_novel_approach's review
3.0
~ 3.5 Stars ~
Xavier Axelson has released a fast paced historical novel entitled Velvet. Virago is the son of the King’s esteemed private tailor, and, as such, he and his brother, Sylvain, have had access to the king’s son, Duir, and his friends. While Virago has enjoyed a friendship with Duir, the moment it was learned that the king had been lost in battle, their relationship changed. Duir had always been rough, tending to drink and whore more than he ought, but Virago had always been able to approach the prince and speak rationally with him. Sylvain, born blind, was a constant source of tension between Virago and Duir, who actively disliked the quiet animal caretaker. Things only worsened the moment Duir became king, and he and his private guard of confidantes began to “help” Virago learn his place, with nasty consequences.
As coronation day approached, Virago was visited by the madam of the local whorehouse who often serviced the soon-to-be king and his men. It seemed her latest male whore had a brother who was an outstanding musician, and an introduction to the King would be most advantageous for the lute player. Virago was reluctant to grant the boon, considering his position at court was so fragile. However, upon meeting Durant and realizing the man was of the same sexual persuasion as Virago, he acquiesced. He also began to feel a fever in his blood and an incredible longing for the master musician—something that was dangerous to say the least. Durant and Virago longed to be lovers, but the current climate and law forbade it.
Around this same time, a parcel arrived that had been ordered by Virago’s late father containing cloth unlike anything he had ever seen. Its luxurious feel seemed to possess Virago’s very soul as the fabric whispered to him to be more assertive and less subservient to Duir and his men. Sylvain, though blind, could feel the fabric’s pull and warned his brother against its use. But Virago was deaf to his brother’s warnings and plunged ahead, using it for the king’s coronation vest. The fabric and the passion ignited by Durant would be Virago’s undoing, leading both men to be caught by Cale, one of the harshest of Duir’s men, and from there no one, including Sylvain, was safe. But there was also a second evil afoot, one borne of the blood that sickened the whores and the men who used them. Now Virago must decide: did he honor his boyhood allegiance to a king who was increasingly cruel and erratic, or save his lover, his brother, and himself before it was too late?
The historical aspects of this novel were spot-on and, while their behavior rough and cruel, the side characters as well as the king were written with such attention that they were quite realistic and believable. Virago’s fears about being discovered as gay were also quite compelling, making me fearful, more than once, for his life and well-being. While quick, the attraction between Durant and Virago also rang true, and though I’d hoped to have a bit more backstory on Durant and more page time for the two men to discover their feelings for each other, suffice it to say that the chemistry between them was sufficient to merit their intense feelings.
However, there were a few problems with this novel that gave me pause. The faintly paranormal or mystical element surrounding the velvet material never seemed to fully develop. If indeed it was simply a catalyst or symbol for Virago’s own awakening sexuality and developing backbone, then I wish there had been some clue to that in the story. Instead, there were multiple instances where he felt the fabric “speak” to him, and we never really understood why that happened. Then there was a past event involving a young Sylvain being humiliated or more by Duir and his friends that was never fully revealed. Instead, we had all kinds of innuendo and vague comments dropped that make us understand it was something cruel but not exactly what had really happened. The event left Sylvain bitter and angry, and that alone should have been enough to reveal the act that led to his hatred so many years later. Between this and the brothers taking the time to stop and visit their parents’ graves, while running to catch a ship as their lives hung in the balance, there was more than one occasion where I felt fairly frustrated by the trajectory of the storyline.
In the end, Velvet had more holes than filler, and plot points that never saw full expansion that could have supported the story they were meant to serve. As historical fiction goes, this book hits its mark, and then some, but that simply wasn’t enough to make the novel sing. Instead, we have a fairly nice romance that needed much more meat to become a compelling read.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach
Xavier Axelson has released a fast paced historical novel entitled Velvet. Virago is the son of the King’s esteemed private tailor, and, as such, he and his brother, Sylvain, have had access to the king’s son, Duir, and his friends. While Virago has enjoyed a friendship with Duir, the moment it was learned that the king had been lost in battle, their relationship changed. Duir had always been rough, tending to drink and whore more than he ought, but Virago had always been able to approach the prince and speak rationally with him. Sylvain, born blind, was a constant source of tension between Virago and Duir, who actively disliked the quiet animal caretaker. Things only worsened the moment Duir became king, and he and his private guard of confidantes began to “help” Virago learn his place, with nasty consequences.
As coronation day approached, Virago was visited by the madam of the local whorehouse who often serviced the soon-to-be king and his men. It seemed her latest male whore had a brother who was an outstanding musician, and an introduction to the King would be most advantageous for the lute player. Virago was reluctant to grant the boon, considering his position at court was so fragile. However, upon meeting Durant and realizing the man was of the same sexual persuasion as Virago, he acquiesced. He also began to feel a fever in his blood and an incredible longing for the master musician—something that was dangerous to say the least. Durant and Virago longed to be lovers, but the current climate and law forbade it.
Around this same time, a parcel arrived that had been ordered by Virago’s late father containing cloth unlike anything he had ever seen. Its luxurious feel seemed to possess Virago’s very soul as the fabric whispered to him to be more assertive and less subservient to Duir and his men. Sylvain, though blind, could feel the fabric’s pull and warned his brother against its use. But Virago was deaf to his brother’s warnings and plunged ahead, using it for the king’s coronation vest. The fabric and the passion ignited by Durant would be Virago’s undoing, leading both men to be caught by Cale, one of the harshest of Duir’s men, and from there no one, including Sylvain, was safe. But there was also a second evil afoot, one borne of the blood that sickened the whores and the men who used them. Now Virago must decide: did he honor his boyhood allegiance to a king who was increasingly cruel and erratic, or save his lover, his brother, and himself before it was too late?
The historical aspects of this novel were spot-on and, while their behavior rough and cruel, the side characters as well as the king were written with such attention that they were quite realistic and believable. Virago’s fears about being discovered as gay were also quite compelling, making me fearful, more than once, for his life and well-being. While quick, the attraction between Durant and Virago also rang true, and though I’d hoped to have a bit more backstory on Durant and more page time for the two men to discover their feelings for each other, suffice it to say that the chemistry between them was sufficient to merit their intense feelings.
However, there were a few problems with this novel that gave me pause. The faintly paranormal or mystical element surrounding the velvet material never seemed to fully develop. If indeed it was simply a catalyst or symbol for Virago’s own awakening sexuality and developing backbone, then I wish there had been some clue to that in the story. Instead, there were multiple instances where he felt the fabric “speak” to him, and we never really understood why that happened. Then there was a past event involving a young Sylvain being humiliated or more by Duir and his friends that was never fully revealed. Instead, we had all kinds of innuendo and vague comments dropped that make us understand it was something cruel but not exactly what had really happened. The event left Sylvain bitter and angry, and that alone should have been enough to reveal the act that led to his hatred so many years later. Between this and the brothers taking the time to stop and visit their parents’ graves, while running to catch a ship as their lives hung in the balance, there was more than one occasion where I felt fairly frustrated by the trajectory of the storyline.
In the end, Velvet had more holes than filler, and plot points that never saw full expansion that could have supported the story they were meant to serve. As historical fiction goes, this book hits its mark, and then some, but that simply wasn’t enough to make the novel sing. Instead, we have a fairly nice romance that needed much more meat to become a compelling read.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach
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