Souljah — John R. Gordon

From the author of black gay urban novels Faggamuffin and Colour Scheme: When violent thug Evill and his drug-dealing South London crew menace Stanlake, a young African refugee, and his mother Poppy, little do they realize that this effeminate youth is a former child soldier, capable of the most extreme responses. Forced to meet violence with violence, Stanlake stands up to his tormentors, only to find himself drawn into a darkly erotic and passionate relationship with the damaged, closetted Evill. As love begins to bloom between the two deeply-scarred young men old evil erupts, threatening to consume them both and compelling Stanlake to face - and move beyond - his past. "A breathless, cinematic thrill-ride of a novel... Sweeps you up and envelops you in its unique world... this is what novels are for. Stunning." - Rikki Beadle-Blair