3.5 Stars

Sweet short story with a side of love and magic!

My one wish: that it had been longer so the ending didn’t feel rushed. fantasy mm-romance shorts12 s LWM930 9

I was delighted with this story, nevermind that it was so short!

Loved the surprise, unexpected reveal of Iosif's secret toward the end. I didn't see it coming, so that made it all the more entertaining. Well done, if a bit too short. I love a Megan Derr short, though, because no one else can so effectively deliver a snapshot of the characters and plot with a twist in under 100 pages (or was it less than 50?) and still have it be satisfying! Five stars!6 s peach500 34

A sweet short story, albeit a bit rushed and slightly confusingly written at some key momentsb-under-150-pages g-fantasy5 s Rozarka358 15

You should see that goofy smile on my face...romance3 s Natalie 2,873 30

I d it. It was short with a little twist and I did the pair. It was just really short. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review3-star below-100-pages i-own ...more2 s Erika13 4

This is definitely a 5 star read, but I do very much wish there was more. There are a lot of unanswered questions, but since this was only released about a month ago, I'm sure there will be more!

You can definitely feel the love budding between Iosif and Yegor (they even already have pet names for each other, so cute!).

I also wasn't expecting that Iosif would end up being the tsarevich (I totally thought it was going to e Yegor, just the bandits did), so that threw me for a loop (and I was glad Yegor was able to forgive him for essentially lying to him - it was lying by omission, but still lying - because they belong together.)This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewebook fiction lgbt ...more2 s Sanna569 17

The Eastern Gate is an MM romantic fantasy. HEA.

1POV, 3rd person, past tense. This kindle edition 18 pages, 20th January 2022.


This short story is a tantalizing glimpse, a lure thrown to fans to make us wait for more.
Nicely written and glad to have it, but I want more!2022 3rd-person fantasy ...more2 s Aldrea AlienAuthor 17 books183

Wanted more Yegor.

This was sweet, despite the attack that happens in the middle. The twist was a little jarring, but I enjoyed Yegor.2 s ??? Nurse After Dark755 10

And then there was Yegor, sweet and beautiful and no one Iosif had ever met.

This was a cute short story - perfect for a little vacation into a fantasy world when your short on time! I was surprised at which one of our main characters was actually Demyan - I thought it would be Yegor!

Megan Derr can do more with 19 pages then many authors can do in 300. She will always be an instant-read for me!genre-mm-fan-uf l-short-story t-knights1 Shelba2,418 72

This was okay. Megan Derr has written far better short stories. This just showed hardly any interact between the MC & LI, we just got told about how kissable his lips were instead. 2023 mm1 AllAboutThoseBooks373 1 follower

Hmmm

This is, I suppose, a short story. Only it doesn't feel complete even for that. I feel I clicked on the sample button, and now I want to buy the rest of the book. Why are the brothers there now? What did the bandits want? How will the teacher do going forward? What is the story behind D becoming one of his father's favorites?

Five stars because I can't post a written review without stars and I didn't feel trashing the rating when I'm the first to review it. I really love Megan's work, so I'm completely flummoxed by how unfinished this feels.1 Stuart95 7

This was a great short story. I think that this would be a very cool world to visit. Would love to read more about it and Iosif. fantasy kindle lgbt-fiction1 Richard56 1 follower

With far too many ideas - several unresolved/unanswered - crammed into a very short narrative space, this played as a mash-up of various recent fantasy tropes: we have a distant snow bound border gate (Game of Thrones?) and bursts of convenient magic (Wheel of Time?), all peppered with pseudo Eastern European types and capped with an unly romance.
So, what's not to love?!
The fact that this wasn't developed into a fuller, more considered novel/novella is a shame; allowed to breathe, this could have been much more satisfying than it was. As it is, a staccato of revelations isn't really the kind of storytelling and world-building that works for me. I'd suggest that Megan Derr rethinks this, perhaps revised from the teacher's perspective, allowing him to experience the reveals in an expanded and more fulfilling narrative, rather than what feels a pretty rushed synopsis.fantasy lgbt FeedMyReads373 19

When you are designated to monitor the gate where nothing ever happens it can be a boring life but thankfully your love of your life has been passing this way for a while and so it is potentially going to allow you a chance to see him more but will seeing your love be enough to outweigh the boredom of the Eastern Gate or will it bring excitement of its own?

This is a short story but very well written and draws you in very quickly and keeps you interested throughout which is exactly what you need with a short story of this style. The fact that the love interests are both male is not overly pushed as it is something which is perfectly normal and I think for me this helps the book to work so well.

1 Maura3,883 100

This is a tiny little story. Iosif works out at the Eastern Gate, a desolate wasteland of a location where almost nobody ever passes through...except for Yegor, Iosif's crush who passes through twice a month. This time, after Yegor's arrival, the Eastern Gate is attacked by people looking for Tsarevich Demyan, who they believe to be Gregor. Iosif manages to destroy them with a handy little spell that frankly, takes all the tension right out of the conflict, and then all is well and Iosif's secret is revealed.

A little too short to accomplish much, but it's cute and sweet. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewfantasy-romance m-m-romance magicky-stuff ...more fishreads520 17

I d this story, but sadly it was too short to be enjoyed properly. We only just dipped our toes into the world that the author imagined but before we could dive in the story was already finished. I thought that the idea was great, but I could not get a proper feeling for either of the characters. I will admit I was surprised by the prince, I did not see that one coming.

Themes: single POV, military, royaltyfantasy mm-romance shortstory Emilye1,062 2

All Is Quiet on the Eastern...

What a fun little read!

A boring assignment has become less so for Iosif. He has met a traveling schoolteacher, and they have finally admitted to being attracted to each other.

It is so quiet here, that when Yegor is two hours late, Iosif begins to worry. But the wild tale he brings, causes worry of another sort.

A charming little tale! Lora Graham366 20

I understand it’s a short story, but I have read short stories with more developed storylines than this. By the same author! The odd names were tolerable but using words and terms of endearment that are possibly foreign, she should’ve at least included a little glossary somewhere. And the story is short and undeveloped, it actually takes place over 2-3 hours. fantasy-not-shifter short Deeze1,628 288

3 stars only because it was too short

As usual a lovely little story that I wish was longer.

I really want to read more about this family. The idea of a king with so many children and that he adores the younger ones and does not not consider them unworthy most story kings do is a wonderful change.fread more-story-than-sex quick-easy-reads ...more Dawn L23

A surprising little read

(SPOILERS)


I have to say but I wasn't expecting Iosif to be Demyan as I thought it would be Yegor instead so surprise for me. Still it was a wonderful read and I can honestly say that I fell in love with the setting, the characters and the plot. I hope we one day see more in this world as it has so much potential. W.A. AshesAuthor 24 books44

I'm giving this 4 stars but I think it's probably a solid 3.5. The story itself is good. For being only about 20 pages it has an unexpected plot twist and the romantic subplot is well developed. It doesn't feel rushed. This book is a peek through a frosted window. We get a glimpse of this amazing fantasy world that Derr has created but don't actually get to walk along it's paths.1 Leslie1,778 19

not even a novella

I’m not sure what the point of this little thing is… It’s not even developed enough to be a novella. I think it’s the first chapter and a novel perhaps? Otherwise it has no point, it’s poorly written, hard to follow, and frankly, boring. Terri Jones2,416 44

2.5 stars.

While I was entertained by the atmospheric quality of this story, there is no foreshadowing for the reveal, and thus the author did not understand the assignment, not just to entertain, which she did, but to satisfy, which she failed. GetBooked101129

3 stars
A good short read had a good romance and magic plot though I found there was a few floors.
However it's still a good read and should not be missed.
Pros
Good mixture of magic and romance
Okay character build and story flow.
Cons
No erotica
Felt rushed in places and a tad confusing. Constant Reader275

2.5/5:
Although this was a charming read, it felt quite redundant. The fight scenes were interesting but too bland and the ending felt kind of mixed up. The love story was nice, but the whole surprise at the end was just...meh. In general this short story wasn't my type.

-Constant Reader Lizzie68 1 follower

Surprise Twist

This book was different from what I normally read. It was thoroughly enjoyable. I just wish it had been a little longer to expand upon the storyline - what an intriguing plot twist. You will love it. M672 31

3.5*mm Stephen Argo9

A short but good tale

To short for my liking but I always enjoy the stories and characters that are brought to life by the author Milyd523 17

Very cute and short story. Felt really rushed though.2022-read fantasy gb-read-2022 ...more Jefrois481 2

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