The main point of an adventure book, and then series, is that you like the main character. You want to cheer for him, fear for him, and want him to win. Sadly, for me, that is not the case with Major Valentine Strange. I detest him (chuckle). Unfortunately, my severe dislike for this leading character influenced my overall opinion of the book. Josh Lanyon did an excellent job on describing the times and taking me on an adventure. I just cannot stand Strange. Read this adventure story and tell me what you think.

I started reading this book and found that it was not for me. I didn't want to review a book that I didn't finish.

Another great story from Josh Lanyon. I always love the characters and this was no exception. I'm always a sucker for a good historical meets fantasy read as well so this was an extra plus.

Josh Lanyon never disappoints. Strange Fortune ensnares the reader in a brilliantly crafted world with characters whose emotional depth and growth are a standard for her..

I absolutely loved this

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend!

First off the good,
This is without a doubt one of the best written Josh Lanyon books by far. It also had a great plot and the world building was decent.

Now the bad,
It was too long, too slow, and I could never get invested

Overall it was just an okay read for me, but not a bad book in slightest

This was such a great book. I loved every minute of it!! It had a feel of historical to it but it was also fantasy which I loved.
I really enjoyed Valentine because he had such a dark humor. He was amused by the littlest thing and instead of being angry at something he'd get amused by it. Aleister understood Val's humor but he was also quiet and stayed to himself. I loved the journey Val and Ali go on and all the things they encounter from betraying bearers, masked priests, bandits, bad weather, demon possessions and weak friends. I couldn't help but laugh at certain times but I also was hanging on the edge of my seat at other times. While the romance is light, it still is there it's just slightly hidden.

Another excellent novel by Josh Lanyon.
It’s a well written, highly entertaining and gripping.
Excellent storytelling and character development, fascinating world building.
It’s highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Josh Lanyon never never disappoints. The mystery is captivating and interesting, all the time you are looking for clues.

Josh lanyon is one of my favorite authors,.

I have this distracting mental block when it comes to historical books and even though Strange Fortune isn’t exactly historical, it has that ‘historical’ feel. That’s what I’m blaming the fact that it took me a while to get into this book. Once I got to know Strange and Aleister a little better, it didn’t take long for me to become invested in their story.

Aleister didn’t argue with those who thought he was losing his mind, because he felt it was true. At first, Strange wouldn’t have argued with that conclusion either, but the more time he spent with Aleister, the more he realized that there was something more going on. Something that couldn’t be explained and something that wasn’t just in Aleister’s head.

As the description states, there were a lot of powers at play, both physical and supernatural. It was hard at times to tell who could and couldn’t be trusted and those changed as the story progressed. Between the action, suspense and just the need to find out what exactly was going on, Strange Fortune became harder and harder to put down. The romance played a backseat to the action and suspense, but was still a sweet part of the story.

Strange Fortune is a book from Josh Lanyon’s back list. Since I didn’t catch it the first time around, when it was written doesn’t really matter. After all, a good story is timeless. ❤

I was a bit lost during this entire book. The setting was strange and I could not understand where this was taking place. It seems as if there is a world that is fantasy but with real elements and it just baffled me. I thought I was getting into the story once the characters set off on their quest to find a diadem but the book just dragged with never-ending babble that I felt did not need to be included in the story.

I also did not feel a connection between the characters. Valentine Strange did not even seem to like Aleister Grimshaw for most of the book. Once they did come together it was glossed over and left a rather empty feeling.

This is not usually a genre I read but when it’s done well I thoroughly enjoy it. Unfortunately this was not executed well enough for me to enjoy it.

Strange Fortune is a standalone fantasy with a significant M/M romance sideplot written by Josh Lanyon. Originally released in 2009, this reformat and re-release is 324 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
I am not a regular reader of romance, but I -am- a devotee of alternate worlds fantasies, and I was familiar with some of the author's previous work. I was also intrigued by the alternate Earth setting (based on India during the British Raj). It's a fantasy, so add some minor gods, old ones, a male witch, and a handsome cavalry officer, some artifacts of power, brooding political subterfuge, and stir well.

The author is adept at her craft; I never felt lost or that the pacing was too uneven. The story is told in alternating narrative around the two main characters. They're very different from one another; sensitive magician and brawny soldier of fortune. It is well written and engaging. I would definitely recommend it to fans of M/M fantasy romance and historical romance.

There are several love scenes but none are overtly explicit (I would catergorize them as R-rated). The dialogue is surprisingly well written. There are some elements of narcotic use, murder, claustrophobia triggers, mild (systemic) racism, and murder.

Four stars. Well written and definitely worth a look, especially for fans of the genre.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I've read a bunch of books by this author and while I freely admit I haven't got on with some of them, there have been others I've enjoyed, so I thought I'd take a chance on <I>Strange Fortune</i>. This is apparently a re-release of an older book (with a slightly less amateurish cover than the original, in my opinion).

The basic premise of the book is that it's about a quest for an ancient artefact, with the point of view being split between our protagonists - Major Valentine Strange and Aleister Grimshaw, the former previously a cavalry officer and the latter a now-slightly disgraced witch. All of this is taking place within a setting that comes across a little as search-and-replace Raj India, which was the first thing that started to make me a little uncomfortable as I read on. There's a strong use of Indian terms and names, though this appears to be an 'India' where 'Britain' has been destroyed and the capital of its former empire moved there.

There's very much a Boys Own tone to it all, with Strange in particular being quite thinly characterised and a relationship between the two main characters that just didn't have quite enough to it for my tastes. We're told that Strange views Grimshaw as his friend but we don't really see why or how that comes to pass, while their eventual sexual relationship really starts with a very awkward (and frankly non-consensual) bit of business while Grimshaw is recovering from extensive periods of drug-induced trances.

All in all, not a book I'll want to re-read and it joins the others in the 'not for me' pile from this author. A bit more work on not stealing wholesale from another country's backstory and some more effort in terms of realising relationships might have meant a very much better rating.

<I>I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Unfortunately this type of book does not appeal to me. I am sure this is a small minority opinion but i closed the book after 2 chapters.

"Strange Fortune" was surprising, adventurous, thrilling and magical.
I absolutely adored it, from start to finish.
When I requested it, I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I definitely wasn't expecting such an action-packed read, full of myths and legends, goddesses and evil magicians, battles and daring escapes.
I adored the setting and the worldbuilding: it works as a sort of analogy for the Indian subcontinent during the British colonial rule, but it's completely reversed at times. I loved how the author described the different mythologies and legends and religions and they way she managed to make Harappu and the White Mountains, the sprawling forests and the underground tombs, feel like something visible and tangible.
I also loved the political undercurrent in the book, the struggles between Alba and Hindush.
Finally , I absolutely adored both of the MCs. Valentine Strange was darkly funny and pragmatic and loyal, Aleister Grimshaw was troubled and weird and prickly and together they made sparks fly and my heart melt.
I'll probably wish for a sequel for the rest of my days but "Strange Fortune" has a perfectly satisfying ending and I recommend it to whoever is looking for an adventurous fantasy, with a touch of romance and heartbreak too.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
First of all I love a punny title. The story itself was great. So writing is fantastic and the suspense is so well done. I loved all the legends and fantasy elements and the setting itself.
The problem I had with the book was the romance between the protagonists. Despite a dual point of view I felt like Grimshaw wasn't fully fleshed out. I didn't get the feeling of true affection for Strange from him. The romance as a whole kind of fell to the side and could have been given a bit more attention. When they got together it felt somewhat sudden.
Overall I liked the book very much, I just felt like the Lovestory kind of got lost in the story itself. I hope there will be a second book because the ending was somewhat aprubt even though the storyline was finished.