Book Review: Standish, by Erastes

Reviewer: Mathilde Madden

Ambrose Standish's grandfather lost the lavish family home in a card game. Ambrose has never been inside the house, which has stood empty for as long as he can remember. For lonely, frustrated Ambrose, the house has come to represent a life that has been cruelly denied him.

When current owner Rafe Goshawk decides to move in to the house, Ambrose is initially dismayed, but as his relationship with Rafe develops - he becomes tutor to Rafe's son and later Rafe's lover - it seems that Rafe may be a blessing in a darkly handsome disguise. But Ambrose discovers that the price for true love, incredible sex, and a return to his family seat could be higher than he had ever dreamed.

Standish is an immaculately researched novel full of breadth and scope. A real love for historical detail is apparent on every page. The book drips with references to the politics, science, and culture of the period, with literature, mythology and European history. If anything, there is too much research on the page; the novel is almost dizzying as it spins us from city to city, lavishly reconstructing 19th century Europe before our eyes.

But - European jaunts aside - the titular character in Standish is a grand house in Dorset, England. In historical romance, it so often seems to come down to a house. From Tara to Mandalay to Pemberley, a stately mansion represents stability and security - vital components of any love match. In the early chapters of Standish, Ambrose Standish's relationship with his estranged family home is almost like an unrequited love. Ambrose can never be happy unless he somehow brings his family back to Standish - an impossible dream. Delicious conflict arises when the house's owner, Rafe Goshawk, catches sight of Ambrose swimming and has his libidinous desires piqued. The stage is set for a battle of wills. However this conflict is diffused rather quickly as Ambrose is in Rafe's bed less than a third of the way into the book.

The book suffers from a problem continually discussed by erotic romance writers: how to keep the sexual tension high while still having frequent erotic scenes. Here, the author chooses to allow the couple to make love early on but then bring in other dramatic threads to drive the narrative. The sex scenes between the two men are lusciously written, arousing, and even poetic, but I would cheerfully have swapped them for more prolonged unrequited desire between the two charismatic leads. It was a shame that Ambrose couldn’t bring himself to hate his usurper for a little longer.

The later dramatic threads come from the introduction of harder themes relating to the reality of male homosexuality in the 19th century. The novel does not flinch, instead shocking the reader out what has been a rather pleasant romantic bubble of art, literature, and duelling pistols - making the brutal injustice all the more jolting. These scenes make Standish rather more than it first appears to be. It is a loving pastiche, and richly detailed enough to wallow in; however, it seduces the reader along a path which leads to darker themes and a social commentary that is relevant to contemporary sexual politics.

A worthwhile addition to this growing niche genre, which deserves much wider attention.

To buy a copy of this book, click here.

Other historical novels with male homoerotic themes include:

A Gentleman's Wager, by Madelynne Ellis

Swordspoint, by Ellen Kushner

Maurice, by E. M. Forster

Ransom, by Lee Rowan

The Highwayman, by Emily Veinglory

Gaveston, by Chris Hunt

A Persian Boy, by Mary Renault

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© Mathilde Madden

Mathilde Madden is an author, a journalist, and a lover of genre fiction. Her latest novel is Equal Opportunities, from Black Lace/Virgin Books. To read more of her work on-line, visit www.mathildemadden.co.uk, or read her past contributions to Reflection's Edge here.