Summer of the Wanderer

Seasons of the Lukoi, Book 3

By: Iris Foxglove

Narrated by: Kris Antham

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Five years ago, a girl fell from a tree, and the fate of an entire country was altered....

As a young girl, Elena fell while climbing a tree with her best friend, Aleks. Thrown into the shore of the river of the dead, she found a boy named Evander Akti, who was there thanks to a terrible fall of his own…thousands of miles away in Arktos. Together, they turned their back on the river and went into the dark, holding each other tight as they escaped back to the land of the living.

But that was only possible because Aleks, left behind to watch Elena fall, made a deal with Death. In return for saving Elena’s life, Aleks is bound to be a ferryman, guiding spirits to the other shore. While Elena dreams of the boy she met on the river and Evander holds his heart in reserve for Elena, Aleks takes the hands of the dead and leads them to whatever awaits in the beyond. When Elena declares her intent to go to Arktos, Aleks jumps at the chance to join her, hoping to change his fate and leave the ghosts behind with the snow.

What Aleks finds in Arktos is not an escape from his duties as ferryman, but a country tipped out of balance, teeming with the restless dead. While Aleks struggles to right this imbalance without losing his humanity in the process, Elena learns that it’s one thing to leave home for a boy she’d met on the shores of the dead, and another to actually find him…especially when she learns that time doesn’t work quite the same way in the world beyond, and finds Evander much older and with children of his own. When Elena, Evander, and Aleks’s paths converge, sparks fly, and they learn that they each have a role to fill if they’re to set things right in Arktos.

Summer of the Wanderer is a poly romance, featuring a stern dominant with a country to rule, a brave dominant who refuses to settle for anything less than her heart’s desire, and a submissive ferryman who just wants his two dominants to wreck him in the best way possible.

(Please be advised: This title features explicit M/M/F, M/M, and M/F sex scenes, polyamory, a trans!MC, and natural power exchange.)

©2022 Iris Foxglove (P)2022 Iris Foxglove

A bit more world building than the previous books

Warning for romance readers: this doesn't have a traditional HEA.

I'm sobbing over here. This was a really interesting follow up to the previous two books set on the island, and I enjoyed seeing more of the world and culture building in this story.

I also loved the mmf relationships! We had two dominants and a submissive, some casual Daddy/boy thrown in, and lots of love. I also looooved that Aleks was casually trans and there wasn't transphobia or anyone being surprised by that aspect.

Also, the narrator had a Borat voice every time "my wife" was said. More funny distracting, but definitely took me out of the story at times.

Aleks, Elena, and Evander's story is wonderful!

The only thing better than reading an Iris Foxglove story is listening to one! I love how Kris Antham narrates these tales and he does a fantastic job of bringing to life Aleks, Elena, and Evander. Each has their own unique voice and I think his Aleks is my favorite. Aleks is definitely my favorite out of the three just because he's a bit silly, a bit sassy, and a lot of fun! There's a nice depth to the story which at the heart can be seen as finding who you are and going for what you want. Aleks and Elena leave their home not just for adventure but to find their purpose in a way. Elena is searching for a boy that she met ages ago and Aleks thinks he's running from something but he may just be running towards it instead. It's a bit hard to say much without giving anything away but these characters definitely have stolen my heart. I love watching the three of them figure out what they mean to each other and navigate their new dynamics. Each character, from the main to the smallest, are full of personality and depth. I recommend reading at least the first in this series, Winter of the Owl, as some events and characters are referenced, but it could be read by itself. I do think it's a bit better read as part of the series but I just also really love this series!