Asher and the Prince

Corbin presents an enemies-to-lovers teen romance wrapped in elements of SF and fantasy.

Asher Snow is a 17-year-old from the village of Barbshire. One day, he goes to Thicketwood to find a witch who sold him a defective luck charm and finds her trapped under a tree. In exchange for freeing her, she promises one wish, but she can’t secure his desire for peace by halting the impending war with Bishop Falls, the kingdom’s largest city. Asher learns of a political marriage arranged between Prince Hunter Bracken of Barbshire and Gertrude Wicker, the daughter of Bishop Falls’ governor, despite rumors of her city plotting against Barbshire. So, Asher wishes for the prince to fall in love with him. The witch says it will take time and gives him an amulet that bestows confidence, warning him not to overuse it. The witch meets with Prince Hunter, telling him that the royal family’s “Apex Blade” is in the Blue Mountains, and that Asher will guide him to it. Hunter finds Asher and they begin their journey, but they pause after sighting an army readying to attack Barbshire. They eventually reach the mountain, where a hologram named Dr. Cornelius Prim, who agrees to give Hunter the Apex Sword in exchange for Asher taking on the hologram’s knowledge of ancient technologies. The story builds to an explosive climax as Asher and Hunter attempt to turn the tides of the war together. Corbin excels in creating characters with humor and complexity, seamlessly weaving glimpses of Hunter’s and Asher’s home lives throughout the narrative. The author describes environments in beautiful ways that mirror the two’s evolving relationship: “No branch stood alone; each wove into the next, making it impossible to discern where any limb began or ended. Their unbroken embrace reminded Asher of the prince’s arms around him.” The shift in genre from fantasy to SF is intriguing and sets a strong foundation for further installments.

A fun and eclectic combination of genres anchored by a touching gay teen romance.