“For then we certainly come under judgment, but that the redeemer and the judge are the same.” ― Søren Kierkegaard
Samael is an angel, and not just any angel but one of Heaven’s most feared and fated angels, who now stands accused of a crime he didn’t commit. He is awaiting his Father’s punishment, and when you have a Father like Samael’s, judgment is sure to be swift and the sentence severe.
I love stories of fallen angles for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the idea that there is an unseen force which creates a universal balance between the angels above and the demons below, and that equalizer is the fallen, the in between, the ones stripped of their wings and their powers that now walk the Earth as they’ve been condemned to do for their transgressions, mortal yet something more. Samael’s punishment is exacted, and he comes crashing down from the heavens into a dirty back alley Dumpster, landing nearly on top of Brandon, a man who’s gotten himself into all kinds of trouble with the wrong kind of people.
There are both angels and demons walking the City of Angels, wreaking havoc and toying with the poor oblivious humans, as Brandon takes pity on the naked and confused Samael. Brandon is the Good Samaritan in this short tale, and to Samael, Brandon is also the unknown variable in this story. It’s Brandon’s kindness and compassion that draws Samael to him and is the spark that lights the rest of their story and makes for a great little romance, but Bran has a past and a secret so deeply hidden even he doesn’t know what it is.
Taylor Law’s My Lord’s Judgment is a free novella that was written for last year’s “Love Is Always Write” project, coordinated by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. It’s warm and funny and sweet, with a little danger thrown in for good measure. Samael and Bran become believable as a couple—yes, they fall in love quickly, but they worked together—and I bought into their growing faith in each other every step of the way.