Ezekiel was only going about his chores when a gay, bi-racial man from the future dropped into his life. He doesn’t know Luther is from 2017, not from Boston. He doesn’t know that it’s OK to feel about a man the way he’s coming to feel about Luther. And he has no idea that the wealthy, white men running Salem are about to hang twenty people for the trumped-up crime of witchcraft.
Ezekiel has a lot to learn, both in bed and out, and he’s going to have to get up to speed fast if he and Luther are going to prevent a Colonial American tragedy, one that has already kind of happened. Is our future predestined? Or can Luther and Ezekiel change the course of their country for the better?
Predestination Unknown is a full-length M/M time travel romance featuring a bi-racial man from 2017 who travels back in time to the Salem witchcraft trials.
Content warning: Some unsympathetic secondary characters hold and express racist views. Most of these are immediately refuted by other characters, but a few comments go uncorrected."
The premise of this story is clever-man goes back in time to an awful event in American history and convinces some myopic people to use their collective heads for more than just hat placement and averts a tragedy. The old adage don't believe everything you hear/read/see strikes again. Predestination Unknown is not your average time travel romance. Count on some cultural and potentially triggery issues including racism, bigotry, sexism, and religious extremism.
Luther is in a mirror maze with some friends on Halloween in Salem and keeps spotting a cute blonde but is bedeviled by all the mirrors until finally he happens upon a portal that lands him in 1692 just prior to the Salem witch trials. An enlightened Black man in the 17th century? Expect some off-putting terminology. Upside is the blonde is there and likes what he sees in Luther so... glass half full?
Luther tells the entire story and parts of it do require some suspension of disbelief including his finding himself in a Puritanical and culturally repressed society without indoor plumbing or electricity 325 years prior to his in stride then not turning over every conceivable pebble to find the portal again. Predestination Unknown addresses many relevant topics to varying degrees and Chris doubled down on the subtext that mirrors the current sociopolitical climate, complete with a Trump clone in Corwin who is a bigot that taps into base fears and is a polarizing voice.
Corwin uses his considerable influence to root out "evil" in Salem, through whatever means necessary, usually by invoking the "will of God" and engendering fear. There were times when the narrative was overtaken by the historical aspects and the subtext got a little heavy handed making it dry at times. On the other hand, I enjoy and believe in the concept that one person can spur change and Luther is nothing if not a change agent.
The romance between he and Ezekiel is chaste through much of the story due in large part to Ezekiel's lack of experience in all things romance/sex related, but also, his faith which has ingrained in him the notion that homosexuality is a sin that automatically precludes him from being "chosen" to enter heaven. His Puritanical ideology being paired with Luther's enlightened 21st century one made this subject matter palatable for me, particularly with regard to Christianity and homosexuality not being mutually exclusive. Luther is tenacious and logical and logic is hard to argue against when presented with confidence. Armed with his newfound knowledge Ezekiel embraces the true meaning of Christianity and he breaks the shackles of predestination that have been so oppressive. Along with Ezekiel's progressive enlightenment their romance gains traction as the story evolves with more heat and an undeniable chemistry, but this story is not especially sexy.
The epilogue is very sweet and overall that is how I would categorize their relationship. I didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed Aftercare but Chris brings a certain authenticity to her characters that I appreciate. I especially liked Abigail and the precocious Tom who probably turns out to be the first polyamourous Puritan or maybe libertine is a more apropos descriptor.
Obviously, this will only appeal to some, but I don't regret having read it and would recommend it to those who enjoy a romance read that's outside the lines, so to speak.
A review copy was provided.
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