Buy Link: Few Are Chosen
Author: Storm Grant
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Length: Short Story

Rating: 4.75

Chosen warrior Blake St. Blake is off on his first real mission. Trained since birth to fight demons in defense of the innocent of Detroit, he is now ready to take on an acid-spitting reflux demon at the local cemetery. But just as Blake is ready to do battle, out comes another demon hunter claiming to be the Chosen One as well, a wizard named Shadow.  As Blake and Shadow argue about which one is the most chosen Chosen, the demon makes his escape.

Blake is shocked to learn that with all the ancient orders out there each with their own Chosen One, there are a lot of these guys running around.  Having grown up with his order training and learning to fight demons, Blake hasn’t had a traditional upbringing nor much of a social life.  It turns out, neither has Shadow.  And Blake can’t help but notice that Shadow is awfully cute.  So when the demon returns, it might just turn out that two hunters are better than one.

Ok, I will say now that I thought this book was hysterical.  It pushed all my geeky girl buttons and poked fun at so many of those demon hunter, noble warrior cliches that I couldn’t help but giggle my way through.  From Blake’s “de rigueur” black leather duster, to his attempts to sound like a warrior from Lord of the Rings, to his lamenting that his tighty-whities are not really “warrior underpants,” he is just an adorable mess of trying too hard.  He is so earnest and takes himself so seriously, but he just can’t quite get it together.  After spying the demon in the cemetery:

Shunning the elevator I had ridden up to the rooftop, I spread my leather duster like the wings of a bat and sailed gracefully to the street three stories below.

My landing, however, was less than graceful. I sprawled on my ass in the middle of the street and lay where I’d fallen, wind knocked from my lungs.

Or later when he goes to attack the demon, making sure to get out his rehearsed lines:

I rose from my half-crouch, a war cry gathering in my throat. My balls once again surged upward. Ignoring my scaredy-cat testicles, I took a deep breath, raised my sword, and rushed at it.

“Fear me, oh spawn of Satan. For I am Blake St. Blake and I have come to return you to Hell!”

I had to slow my run a bit to get that all out before I arrived.

Blake could have come across annoying and arrogant, but he is just so adorably earnest and he’s only doing what he’s been taught, so you can’t help but love his awkward little self. (Plus his name is Blake St. Blake? Totally killed me!)

I loved Blake and Shadow together. As two young guys with such unusual upbringings, they instantly bond, although they are both a bit unsure of how proceed with one another. The attraction is there, but neither of them have had any real experience with another guy. It takes them a bit to work up the nerve to admit to one another that they not only like guys, but that they like each other.  They are so sweet together and I loved watching them get that first taste of passion with one another.

Few Are Chosen was such a fun book, I really loved it. I think anyone would find the humor in this story, but for those out there with a bit of a geek streak like me, this will be an extra special pleasure.  Great book, lots of fun, highly recommend.