Review - Scintilla by Elizabeth Noble

Brandon is a scintilla, a human with the power to wield electricity. His particular skill, kept a closely guarded secret, is the ability to manipulate computers. He is the ultimate “hacker.” No firewall or complex password can stop him. Brandon's adoptive family has grown rich using his skills, even though the young man is just an employee of the company that wouldn't exist without him. Brandon is also gay and a little bit kinky. He's fascinated by werewolves and has found a club in Arizona where you can book a session with a werewolf dominant. Raul has worked for his family's El Corazon club for most of his adult life and is a favorite dom among the club's clients. It's really just a sideline to his main business of bounty hunting. The session between Raul and Brandon is more intense than either man expected, but is there a real connection or just the effects of the scene?

“Scintilla” is set in an alternate reality where some humans have magical powers and werewolves, jinn, leprechauns, and other fantasy creatures are real. Aside from this, the setting is very contemporary America, with social media, teens in trouble, and people willing to take advantage of them for nefarious purposes.

The point of view for the narration switches between Brandon and Raul. Aside from his scintilla skills, Brandon seems like a rather normal young man. His adoptive family gave him a home, a good education, and a job that pays well even though he doesn't get any credit for being the person responsible for making the family rich. It's a comfortable life materially, but he didn't get a lot of love from his adoptive family, and his magical ability isolates him from other people who are afraid he will shock them.

Unlike Brandon, Raul grew up in a loving extended family. He definitely comes off as a tough guy, and as a werewolf, he can definitely be a tough man if he needs to be, but Brandon manages to touch him in a way that's different than any other man or woman before. The chemistry between the two comes across very clearly, and the fantasy aspects aside, the relationship feels quite natural.

It's worth noting that although the two main characters first get together in a BDSM scene, kink plays almost no role in the rest of the book as the relationship develops.

“Scintilla” is available from Amazon.