Review: The Orchid and The Lion by Gabriel Hargrave

I should mention two things before I get started with this review of the The Orchid and The Lion by Gabriel Hargrave. The first one is that it contains a sizeable amount of erotic content, specifically queer BDSM related content. The second is that I am not traditionally a spicy book reader, nor am I a member of the BDSM community. So, I am completely unequipped to comment on the erotic matter in this book and I’m not gonna. I’ll leave that to the many wonderful spicy book professionals that roam the internet!

Preface out of the way, let’s get down to this! The Orchid and The Lion is probably one of the most difficult books to describe that I’ve encountered. I could tell you that it’s an erotic sci-fi about two sex-workers living on a space station, working together to find love and happiness, but that would honestly not prepare you for the story at all. Just ask the friend I talked into buddy-reading the book with me by calling it “spicy gays in space”.

Having now read the full story, I’ve learned my lesson, and would place this book firmly in the category of sci-fi noir, with main character and narrator Dorian Vidales playing the role of both detective and glamorous fem fatale. When one of his favourite brothel clients – a member of the space station counsel – is found dead from an apparent suicide, Dorian is approached by the client’s daughter to find out what really happened. Dorian agrees, and reluctantly pulls at the thread that will expose a world of under-handed political dealings, revealing an insidious force pushing to corrupt the space station’s loving and accepting society.

Of course, while all this is going on, Dorian is also forced by his boss at the brothel La Vie Boheme to train the bratty new submissive, Laith Ritter. Laith is a cocky, reckless idiot that seems to think brothel work is easy. Dorian cannot stand him … and the feeling it clearly mutual. But Laith’s head first nature might be exactly what Dorian needs to knock apart the wall he’s built so carefully around himself. Maybe he can finally dismantle the fantasy of The Orchid, and just be Dorian.

Hopefully, the above gives you some idea of why I love this book so much. It’s an impressive genre blend, with a fast-paced plot and characters that leap off the page … some of which might make you want to murder from time-to-time. Hargrave builds a whole world that you learn to care about deeply, making sure even minor characters such as brothel clients and workers are given full personalities. And it’s a world that appears almost perfect, where everyone is treated with respect, regardless of their work, their gender, their sexuality, or their kinks. A world that some of us at the moment might be longing for. And then very slowly … Hargrave pulls the rug from under you.

It would almost be unforgiveable, if I didn’t know this to be the first book in a trilogy that I’ve been promised has a somewhat happy ending.

While many of the book’s themes are quite dark (and I 100% encourage looking up trigger warnings, particularly if you’re queer, trans or have experienced SA), it contains a number of delightful moments of queer joy. Some of my favourites include Dorian and Laith exploring the station together on a casual shopping trip, performances at La Vie Boheme’s club, and gentle moments over breakfast in the space station’s Flatiron Building. The plot might have the stakes racked up to 100, but The Orchid and the Lion still manages to capture many of the subtle nuances of queer life, as well as the vast diversity of this beautiful community.

Hargrave also does an excellent job of highlighting what it’s like to have boxed yourself in behind your own emotional idiocy. I personally often felt called-out by Dorian’s commentary on his own feelings and wanted to give us both a serious shake as a result. And Dorian’s character progression is pretty damn excellent as well. He’s not a perfect person and does not magically become one by the end of the book, continuing to make decisions based off his own trauma, gut reactions and cold business instinct throughout the story. But Dorian thaws just enough to allow a relationship with Laith to build, and that’s a small and beautiful miracle in itself. Quite enough personal growth for a man ‘living through a major historical event’, I think we can all agree.

Overall, I loved this book for its vivid characters and stark contrasts. It’s a book with many edges, that might leave you with a fair few paper cuts, but it’s written with a lot of love and I can’t wait to see what Hargrave has in store for Dorian and Laith next.

Author Spotlight:

If this review has piqued your interest, you can grab your copy here. And once you’ve read the book you should also check out the merch store … where you might see a bunny slipper design made by somebody you know and love (me, I made it, it me 😉). Gabriel also runs a fabulous Patreon where folks can find previews and extra goodies from The Orchid and The Lion universe and check out other things he’s working on which you can find here.