Wow! Great world building especially since it is such a short story. ( )

I love shifter stories about creatures other than dogs and cats, and this one has a really rare one as a main character: a snake shifter. But not only that - the world this story is set in is very different from our own, with creatures unlike the ones we know. The city deep in the jungle was fascinating, the snake shifters living in a sort of symbiosis with humans very unusual, and having part of the story told by Naqxo when in snake form was spellbinding.

Naqxo is the only male Lamia (which is what his species call themselves) of his generation, and the human-Lamia rules that are valid for females do not work for him. The gradual revelation of how things work for him had m spellbound.

Damis is a human with an unusual problem. He is not interested in women yet fully expects to have to mate with a female Lamia at some point. When an alternative presents itself, he has no idea whether it will work, nor what to do, but instinct is there to guide him anyway.

If you like unusual stories about truly creative worlds, if a snake shifter and a human figuring out how to survive sounds interesting, and if you’re looking for a read that is as imaginative as it is heartwarming and fascinating, then you will probably like this free short story. I think it is fantastic, and would love to read more about these characters and their world.
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"Once I lived for the touch of the Sun. I dimly remember this. Now, though, I am part of the human world. I need to know why, I need to know what has happened to me. But this male, this beautiful gentle male who rescued me from the forest floor and touches me so sweetly… he is mine.

This, I need no one to tell me.

This I know."

Okay, I'm one of those 'ew, snakes' people - can't stand snakes, scare the hell out of me, etc.
But there is something about snake shifters that change the game for me.

Rory Ni Coilean's Obsidian packs a punch in less than 8K. The prose was touch purple in the beginning. We're talking lilacs and violets. But the world building and race she creates held my attention that I didn't worry about the purple.

It was all about Naqxo, Lamia (snake) shifter and Damis, a human who was betrothed to the female-dominant race. The inner turmoil of Damis, who prefers men and laments having to be given to a woman was done very well. The fact that Naqxo is a snake takes a backseat to the fantasy filled magic that happened on the page.

It was magical, romantic and gives enough without giving anything away. Some authors can be open and others hold their cards to their chest. This one is the latter giving just enough to carry off this short story.

And the first time sex scene was scorching. I'm hissing along with Damis and Naqxo.

Thanks to the author and team behind this story.
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